Ocala Gazette | January 14 - January 20, 2022

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2

MLK day events

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022

That’s the Ocala spirit

Jackson headed to Olympics after Bowe gives up 500 spot

Vandalism, weekly issue at parks

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

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JEFF MCINTOSH/The Canadian Press via AP

Brittany Bowe, of the United States, skates to victory in the women‘s 1500-meter competition at the ISU World Cup speedskating event in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021.

By Beth Harris AP Sports Writer

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rittany Bowe didn‘t want to go to her third and likely final Olympics without Erin Jackson.

So after Jackson slipped and didn‘t qualify in the 500 meters at the U.S. speedskating trials in Milwaukee — a stunning result for the world‘s top-ranked skater in the event — Bowe knew what she wanted to do.

As the winner of the 500 at the

U.S. trials, Bowe and second-place finisher Kimi Goetz claimed the two spots for Beijing. Jackson was third and the only way she would make the team in her specialty was if Bowe or Goetz gave up their spot.

US Speedskating rules didn‘t allow for Jackson to have a re-skate — only a mechanical failure or a fall are reason for a do-over.

Before leaving the Pettit National Ice Center on Friday, Bowe walked up to Jackson, hugged her and assured her good friend

andalism of public parks cost taxpayers money, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as mars a community’s image.

Ocala and Marion County Parks and Recreation [P and R] departments are both working diligently, day and night, to stem the tide of vandalism in local city and county parks, which, as Sara Johnson, community engagement coordinator for P and R in the county, admitted, can be very difficult.

“We never know when it’s going to happen,” said Johnson, “so we’re kind of always dealing with it.”

Within the past year, she said, statues in Veterans’ Memorial Park, as well as some other structures at Baseline Trailhead Park, had been marked with various forms of graffiti.

County P and R Staff aim to clean up such incidents as quickly as possible, Johnson said, adding, “that way it’s taken care of, and the general public can get out there and enjoy the park.”

Similarly, Parks Division Head for the City of Ocala Bill Rodriguez said that vandalism is something the city combats on a daily basis in its parks and something they try and remedy immediately upon discovery.

“The majority of it is graffiti,” confirmed Rodriguez. “Something we combat weekly.

See Vandalism, page A2

See Ocalans, page A2

School Board lowers education Baxley requirement for bus drivers proposes

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

T

he Marion County School Board (MCSB) unanimously approved a vote to update its current job description for bus drivers at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11.

One key update to the job description involved the added word “preferred” to the end of educational requirements regarding “graduation from a standard high school or equivalency diploma.” Other revisions were mostly grammatical in nature.

School Board member Don Browning said he pulled the agenda item for discussion during the meeting in order to celebrate the decision to update the job description’s language.

“What a tremendous job bus drivers do,” said Browning. “And these are some of our lowest paid people and it’s some of the most responsible work that is done. Not only do we have solid standards for bus drivers, but we’re enhancing them and bringing them up to current.”

Board member Nancy Thrower thanked Browning for bringing

the agenda item up, adding that it was a job description she was very passionate about changing.

“And the reason why is because there are several instances in this tremendous shortage where we have actually lost the ability to hire a couple of wonderful bus drivers with great driving backgrounds and clean licenses, because they didn’t have high school diplomas,” said Thrower.

“That was the genesis of changing this job description. And it’s so important for the community to know exactly why this job description was changed and why it came before us tonight,” she added.

Currently, Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) has 275 budgeted bus driver positions for 2022, with 230 current drivers on 242 bus routes, according to Kevin Christian, director of public relations for MCPS. As of Jan 12, Christian said MCPS has 22 open bus driver positions.

Since the holidays, about 8 to 10 bus drivers per week have had to call-out due to COVID-19, but he said those numbers are improving.

When MCPS is short bus drivers, according to Christian, other drivers

typically double up on routes when space and time permit—meaning they deliver their first bus load of students then go back out to pick up additional students. From time to time, certified office workers have also been tapped to drive a school bus when the need arises.

Board Chair Eric Cummings mentioned that the updated language of the job description lined up better with some of what’s being done to hire more bus drivers on the national level.

“I celebrate that we’re lining up with the rest of the nation and getting more qualified people in these bus drivers’ seats,” said Cummings. “That is a priority that we have to have.”

The revised job description, which specifically describes the duties, responsibilities and functions required by an individual to perform the job, will be uploaded to the MCPS website and used as the official job description for employees and postings for future bus driver positions.

According to MCPS documents, the last time the school board approved revisions to the bus driver job description was on November 13, 2018.

term limits for school board

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

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lorida State Senator Dennis Baxley filed Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 1644 on Jan 6. which seeks to place limitations on terms of office for members of a district school board.

A Senate Joint Resolution is one of the first steps to amending Florida’s constitution.

According to the Florida Divison of Elections’ website, the state constitution can only be amended in the following ways: “Proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution may be made by a joint resolution of the Florida Legislature, a citizens’ initiative, a proposal from the Constitution Revision Commission, or a See Term, page A9

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Ocalans headed to Olympics Continued from page A1 that if she had anything to do with it, Jackson would be joining her in Beijing.

Bowe received a text message from US Speedskating officials telling her to be at the oval Sunday for the official team selection and Champagne celebration.

“I didn‘t want to have this moment without Erin out there.

I called her late this morning and said that I wanted to officially give her her spot,” Bowe said.

“In my heart, there was never a question.”

Jackson was moved, saying, “I‘m just incredibly grateful.

Really humbled.”

In November in Poland, Jackson became the first Black woman to win a World Cup event. She won four of eight 500 races on the World Cup circuit,

along with a second and third.

“She has earned her spot,” Bowe said. “Erin is absolutely on top of her game now.”

Bowe‘s gesture capped what Jackson called a “crazy few days.”

She didn‘t sleep that night after her slip.

“I couldn‘t turn my brain off,” Jackson said. “It‘s been really stressful, being in limbo for so long and just disappointed because I was really excited to show a good race.”

Bowe and Jackson are from the same hometown of Ocala, Florida, where they each started out inline skating along with three-time Olympian Joey Mantia. At 33, Bowe is four years older than Jackson.

“We have a photo of Erin standing between myself and Joey,” Bowe said, “and she comes up to maybe our chest. We go back very far.”

Bowe downplayed her generosity, saying, “This is bigger than just me. This is the Olympic Games and it‘s about Team USA and giving everybody the opportunity to showcase what they got.”

Olympian Mia Manganello Kilburg called it “definitely an honorable move.”

There‘s still a chance Bowe could compete in the 500 in Beijing. Final quota allocations for the Olympics will be determined later this month and it‘s possible the U.S. could pick up a third spot in the sprint.

Jackson will be making her second Olympic appearance, having finished 24th in the 500 in 2018, not long after she switched from inline skating to the ice.

Three-time Olympian Bowe will compete in the 1,000 and 1,500 in Beijing. Goetz will

Vandalism in parks Continued from page A1 And our policy as far as graffiti is once we have a report of it or discover it, we try and remove it within 24 hours. The less graffiti you have out there, studies show, the less graffiti you’re going to continue to have.”

If graffiti is left where it is, added Rodriguez, it just attracts more graffiti to the park.

“It’s the broken windows concept,” he explained. “If you see one broken window, people think it’s okay [to break more windows]. If you clean it all up quickly, they begin to see their efforts are futile and they stop.”

Rodriguez conceded, though “graffiti is probably the biggest act of vandalism

that we get in parks” in the city, “occasionally we do get some destruction of property in there—some worse than others—but it all depends on the time of the year, believe it or not, and what you exactly have going on at the time.”

The worst time of the year for graffiti in city parks, according to Rodriguez, is during the summer, when the most amount of kids are out of school.

“That is by far the worst time,” he said. “That two-and-a-half-month period, that’s when it really gets bad.”

Outside of the summer months, Rodriguez said he sees about a couple pieces of graffiti a month.

“It’s nothing that’s overwhelming,” he clarified, “but we can never drop our guard.”

Editor’s note:

These murals by Jordan Shapot were initially installed at Legacy Park in March 2020 but quickly became subjects of vandalism.

Shapot states that some were destroyed beyond repair, others were repaired and installed at Scott Springs Park.

JEFF MCINTOSH/The Canadian Press via AP

Erin Jackson, of the United States, skates during the women‘s 500-meter competition at the ISU World Cup speed skating event in Calgary, Alberta, Dec. 11, 2021.

compete in the 500 and 1,000.

In the 16-lap mass start Sunday, Ian Quinn won the men‘s race and Giorgia Birkeland took the women‘s event.

Quinn earned the guaranteed

Olympic spot.

Manganello Kilburg, who finished second, earned the women‘s guaranteed spot because she leads the overall point total.

Judge grants City of Ocala extension of time to pay $80 million

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

O

n Jan. 4, Judge Robert W. Hodges entered an order extending time to fund the $80 million it owes in refunds.

The new deadline is April 4, 2022.

In October, Judge Hodges had ordered the city fund the $80 million it owed following a mandate by the Fifth Circuit Appellate Court, which found that the city’s fire fee services were an “unconstitutional tax.”

Following the Appellate Court’s decision, the city attorneys maintained that the city was entitled to another trial and spent considerable efforts preparing for that new trial. Judge Hodges indicated the appellate decision did not give him authority to grant the city another trial, only an order to make them issue refunds.

In the city’s Dec. 8 motion for extension of time it stated that it had identified $20 million in unrestricted funds but that the city needed more time to explore obtaining $60 million in loans.

While direct requests for an explanation from the city have been avoided at the direction of the city attorneys, documents provided in response to records request to the city give some idea of the city’s intentions.

The city put out a Request for Quotes for a $60 million taxable drawdown note with a deadline to respond by Dec. 14.

Communications between the city and banks about how the city might utilize the $60 million in loans reflect the city’s intention to put in place an additional application process for the class to receive their refunds and a deadline to apply or forfeit.

However, the attorney for the class, Derek Schroth explained that “payment of refunds could be handled through the city or a third-party administrator as the court directs.”

When it comes time for those disbursements, Schroth said, “We will request class members receive refund checks without the burden of filing a claim for a refund.”

This matter will come before the court next on Feb. 14.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

A mural depicting African American history by artist Jordan Shapot is shown near a trail at Legacy Park on Southwest 9th Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, March 9, 2020.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

A mural depicting African American history by artist Jordan Shapot is shown near a trail at Legacy Park on Southwest 9th Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, March 9, 2020.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Circuit Court Judge Robert Hodges speaks with attorneys during pre-trial conferences at the Marion County Judicial Center in Ocala on Jan. 5, 2022.

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COMMENTARY “The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”

- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@magnoliamediaco.com Bruce Ackerman, Photography Editor bruce@ocalagazette.com James Blevins, Reporter james@ocalagazette.com Matthew Cretul, Senior Reporter matthew@ocalagazette.com Sadie Fitzpatrick, Columnist sadie@ocalagazette.com Susan Smiley-Height, Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com Amy Harbert, Graphic Designer amy@magnoliamediaco.com Lisa Maliff, Graphic Designer lisa.maliff@magnoliamediaco.com Joel Bronson, Reporter joel@ocalagazette.com Kristine Nolan, Editor kristine@magnoliamediaco.com

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A Step in the Right Direction Editor’s Note:

Sadie Fitzpatrick uses this space to explore the character and quirks that make Ocala uniquely wonderful and occasionally irksome.

By Sadie Fitzpatrick

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each into your pocket or purse and pull out your keys. On that key ring, you have your house key, car key and several other keys that belong to various items you own.

Your keys represent shelter, transportation and expendable income.

Those keys are some-thing you have the luxury of searching frantically for in the morning as you rush off to work or school.

More than 150 people in Ocala/Marion County don’t have this luxury because they are considered chronically homeless.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a chronically home-less person is “either (1) an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has been continuously homeless for a year or more, OR (2) an unaccompanied individual with a disabling condition who has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.”

A disabling condition is defined as “a diagnosable substance abuse disorder, a seri-ous mental illness, developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or disability, including the co-occurrence of two or more of these conditions.” This definition is adopted by HUD from a federal standard determined by a number of federal agencies.

In an effort to house and aid our city’s chronically homeless, namely those with intellectual dis-abilities, Interfaith Emergency Services recently purchased a 14-unit building on Northeast 14th Street to be used for permanent supportive housing (PSH). PSH pairs housing with case management and services such as healthcare and employment training.

PSH has proven ef-fective for those with intellectual and physical disabilities, according to the National Associa-tion to End Homelessness.

When placing clients in this unit, Interfaith will prioritize those who are intellectually disabled with an IQ of 75 or below. A caseworker with extensive experience working with the intellectually disabled will be on site daily to manage the needs of each resident. A law enforcement of-ficer with the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office will live on site.

Interfaith has had prior success in

I

providing housing for low-functioning individuals. Karla Grimsley-Greenway, CEO of Interfaith, pointed to the womenonly duplex they started several years ago. It has housed seven women with an annual operating budget of $10,000.

This duplex, and the 14-unit building on Northeast 14th Street, were created because Grimsley-Greenway hated returning these low-functioning individuals to the streets.

“In a perfect world, these individuals would have been in a group home for low-functioning adults, but they ended up on the streets. I had to do something for these people. There had to be a way to provide them a permanent place to live,” said Grimsley-Greenway.

The goal with the Northeast 14th Street housing unit is to provide stability and routine for these individuals, many of whom have the intellectual capacity of an 8- to 12-year -adolescent. The ages of those who qualify for this housing range from 37 to 69 years old. The average age is 50.

Interfaith hopes to have some clients moved in by mid-February. The residents of this housing complex will learn how to care for their home, such as doing the dishes, washing their laundry and maintaining a clean environment. Job training will be provided and they will be guided to-ward part-time jobs that fit their skill sets.

Some of the clients eligible for this housing facility have had odd jobs but typically do not hold a job for long. This is due to a variety of factors, from lack of transportation to the inability to shower

Sadie Fitzpatrick Columnist

and wash their clothes to be presentable for a job.

“You can’t just throw money at this population. These people need a hand to hold, to guide them. They need human help and support,” explained GrimsleyGreenway.

She also noted that this may be the first time in a very long time that their clients can go fully to sleep in an actual bed.

“On the streets, they’re used to halfway sleeping so they can keep an eye on their stuff while they sleep on a sidewalk. This may be the first time in a long time that they’ve been able to fully sleep. Imagine what a good night’s sleep will do to help them function the next day for a job,” she explained.

This facility is also unique in that it is helping to address a desperate need in our community to aid chronically homeless men. According to Grimsley-Greenway, all of the Section 8 programs, the emergency housing vouchers, even most of Ocala’s transitional housing programs, focus only on women and children. There is nothing for single men who have limited income or a disa-bility.

“The vast majority of our chronically homeless single individuals are men.

Unless we come up with options for them, we will never make an impact in the large number of homeless that live in our city. The people we are targeting are men who literally gave up on ever being housed. These men had accepted that they would live out their entire life without the benefit of shelter. It actually took us quite a bit of effort to get some of them to believe that there was even a possibility that they could be housed,” explained Grimsley-Greenway.

She hopes this program serves as a beacon for programs that other service agencies in Oca-la/Marion County may want to create.

“It’s been like a dream come true to have housing for some of these people I’ve seen on the streets for seven, eight, 10 years. It’s a glimmer of hope,” said Grimsley-Greenway.

When you turn your key in your lock today, think of those who have no door to unlock. Make it your mission that, one day, all will have doors to unlock in Ocala/ Marion County.

Interfaith is currently seeking bids for tree trimming, exterior painting and landscaping for the Northeast 14th Street unit. If you or your business is interested in providing these services (And why not do it for free?), contact Karla GrimsleyGreenway at (352) 629-8868.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

just finished reading the article about Chris Miller and his terrible motorcycle accident.

What a well-written article about an amazing man. His sense of humor is awesome!

The first I heard of him was when he was a teacher at Lake Weir High School. He was/is a true inspiration to the young students and anyone that knows him. He inspired a member of my family, and I will forever be grateful for his influence and his support to help make this particular student succeed.

With his sense of humor and courage to be able to endure all that he has gone through—and he isn’t finished yet—he truly is a miracle. God was surely on his shoulder watching over him.

My kudos to Susan Smiley-Height (and photographer Bruce Ackerman) on an article that is so touching.

By the way, Chris, “Did you hear the one about the horse in a bar with a sign?”

Prayers for your future recovery and thank you for being such an inspiration.

Write to us!

The proposed Northern Turnpike Extension is a hot button issue facing North Central Florida that we know you want more information on.

The Ocala Gazette will be taking a deep dive on the subject, following the process as it moves along, and reporting back to you our readers throughout.

Claudette Michaud

But we’d also like to hear from you too. Please send your commentary or insights on the proposed road toll road to our email letters@ocalagazette.com.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Chris Miller talks about his serious motorcycle accident while one of the custom helmet he was designing and trying to sell at the time is shown at his home in Belleview on Dec. 21, 2021.

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focused on these majors,” he said.

On helping local communities with funding for projects

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

Baxley believes directing funding to local communities is something that might not grab all the headlines but is vital for the areas receiving it.

“I do file a lot of appropriation requests for local communities who have projects that they need some help with. That is a big deal to me. It‘s not top-line news stories, but in fact, it makes a big difference,” he said.

He pointed to the funds he was able to secure for his district in the last session and said that while areas of the state like South Florida get all the attention, his job is to look out for his constituents.

“I think last year we brought back about $35 million to projects that were being already done in local government that we could assist with,” said Baxley.

“So that will be a priority for me to make sure that this portion of Florida is, is reaching fair equity.”

“Same thing with education dollars and every other large pot, you want to make sure that‘s making it to the ground back to your district, and that‘s become a top priority for me,” he said.

Senator Dennis Baxley

On redistricting

A series

PART THREE

Visit https://bit.ly/baxleybills for a full list of bills sponsored by Senator Baxley for the 2022 session.

Dennis Baxley represents Florida Senate District 12, which contains all of Sumter as well as parts of Lake and Marion Counties. In addition to being a legislator, Baxley lists his occupation as a Funeral Director and Consultant for Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services.

He received his AA from the (then) College of Central Florida in 1972, his BA in Psychology and Sociology from Florida State University in 1974, and his AS in Funeral Services from Miami-Dade College in 1975.

As he heads to Tallahassee, Baxley sees the upcoming congressional gathering as a state-wide dialogue on what should take precedent.

“That‘s what a legislative session is…a conversation for 22 million people to decide which things we‘re going to prioritize and how we can be responsible,” he said.

Some of the overall priorities he sees for the session are those dealing with personal autonomy.

“We‘re protecting freedom. We‘re very concerned about individual rights, and particularly regarding health.

You‘ve seen the governor lead out with some strong positions and we have supported him in that,” Baxley said.

On setting his legislative agenda

Outside of the functions of the position that require him to focus on areas such as redistricting, cabinet confirmation hearings, and balancing the budget, Baxley said he’s finalizing his list of what he personally plans to focus on.

“I‘m still really assessing that because I‘m also trying to look at the environment that we‘ll be working in.

And, you know, something might be a good idea, but is it the right time,” said Baxley.

As he puts his agenda together, Baxley said it’s a mix of his priorities and those that are presented to him by constituents.

“I‘m doing a bill for more training for people that work with Alzheimer‘s, and so there‘s this conflict that‘s going to take time and effort from the providers to make sure,” he said. “But I also know from going through this with my own parents, how important it is to have those employees that are serving, have a better grip on what they‘re working with, with an Alzheimer‘s patient and how to communicate with them.”

Baxley pointed to the issue as something that blends past personal experience and an ability to use his position to help others.

On individual vs overall priorities

On confirmation hearings

Something the Senate is tasked with that the House is not is confirming gubernatorial appointments for positions, and Baxley said his position on the committee that deals with confirmations requires him to play a direct role in the process.

“One of my major responsibilities is chair of ethics and elections,” he said. “And one of the big things that we do there is all of the Senate confirmation clearings for these names to go to the floor that have been appointed to different positions.”

It’s not just a few hearings here and there either, but something that will require a large amount of time and attention, said Baxley.

“There‘s tons of them, I mean, there will be in excess of 100,” he said. “ I‘m sure some of them have cleared committee, but then they still have to clear the process of going to the floor. So getting those people confirmed in the positions they‘ve been appointed to that require Senate confirmation is a major piece of my work.”

And while having a governor in the same party makes the process a little easier, Baxley said he still has a job to do in vetting the nominees.

“I obviously don‘t want to embarrass the candidate; I don‘t want to embarrass the governor,” he said. “But I sure don‘t want to embarrass the Senate that we didn‘t do our homework and check off and make sure we‘re good to go with the appointees of different things.”

One of the issues he knows will dominate the upcoming session is redistricting. It is something Baxley said will impact every member of the legislature.

“Everybody will be running in a new district; we‘ve had significant growth in the state,” said Baxley. “So it will require some adjusting to develop the one man, one vote, in each district. So that process is going to be very important.”

“And the outcome of it, of course, is instructive to all the members as to what if any, positions they can run for after these new maps are adopted, and we‘re very hopeful that it‘ll be a fair and legal document,” he said.

On SB 940: Professional Structural Engineers (Referred to Regulated Industries; Commerce and Tourism; Rules) and SB 942: Fees/Professional Structural Engineer Licensing (Referred to Regulated Industries; Commerce and Tourism; Appropriations)

On the proposed toll road

One issue that just about every member of the Marion delegation must contend with is the proposed Northern Turnpike Extension. Baxley said he understands the apprehension felt by those residents directly affected by the proposed road.

“I think you‘ve got to back up from it a little bit and see the different dynamics,” he said. “You understand the concern of individual property owners that feel like their life and their environmental concerns are going to be disrupted by roadways being built.”

However, a county attempting to dictate where state roads can and cannot be placed might come back to bite them in the end.

“At the same time. If you get in a posture that you‘re telling the department of transportation you don‘t want any roads, you won‘t get any roads. And that‘s a big problem,” Baxley said.

Baxley believes though, that there are certain elements in the method the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) uses that could be handled better.

“One of the problems I have with their processes, they released like four routes,” he said. “So you‘ve got everybody that‘s connected to those four routes getting tons of mail from attorneys who do litigation for taking a property for public purpose.”

And so you‘ve got four times the number of people that get upset and concerned that it‘s going to disrupt their lives and their environment,” Baxley said.

While he didn’t take a position on either side of the debate, according to Baxley, there should be some attention on tightening up the process.

“So I‘m of the mindset let‘s figure out the best route, let‘s work with the local transportation authority here, and let‘s narrow the focus to something doable,” he said.

“So I‘m not for a road or against a road, I just think there‘s a factor here that needs to be thought through and that is how do we manage this atmosphere for our constituents to be able to get around.”

Tragedy often spawns new regulations, as well as changes and updates to existing legislation, and the collapse of a condo tower in Miami last year that killed nearly 100 people is an example of that.

Baxley said the incident was behind SB 940 and SB 942, both of which focus on structural engineering.

“Right now I‘m looking at what happened at Sunrise and I‘ve got a bill to actually do a licensing of structural engineers of any buildings over four stories tall,” he said. “And I think the industry is ready for that and many of them realize that there needs to be specialized skills, and how these structures are designed in checked for their stability over time.”

On committee assignments

Any congressional member who proposes legislation hopes that during its journey the bill reaches the floor for a vote, and ultimately passes. But before it gets to the floor, the bill must first make its way through various stages, including stops in committee, where it could ultimately die.

To avoid this, Baxley says connecting with committee members and describing the proposed legislation’s intent and impact is vital to its success.

“You have to reach out to each member on those committees and help them understand what the bill is about, what it would do, and why you think it‘s important for it to pass. And so you just have to advocate for it,” he said.

Planning your own agenda is one thing, but getting other members to agree on a bill’s importance might be another situation altogether, said Baxley.

“The pressure points come when you start trying

Baxley is of the mindset that the legislation he proposes is not so sacrosanct that it must remain as is throughout the legislative process. He says he hopes that mindset permeates through his colleagues as well.

“Most of the bills I don’t view as being sacred and untouchable and can’t be changed,” he said. “I Senator Dennis Baxley think there’s often a meeting place Elected to the Senate in 2016 that is workable, that can deal with unintended consequences and that’s what the review policy process does.”

Committee Assignments: As the original sponsor of the • Ethics and Elections, Chair “stand your ground” legislation that later expanded across the • Appropriations country as other states emulated • Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and it, Baxley has seen his personal Civil Justice priorities take the spotlight but he understands that might not • Community Affairs always be the case.

• Criminal Justice “I think right now, some of the things we‘ve been through, • Health Policy helping people get more in the big • Judiciary picture is more important than my individual concerns,” said • Rules Baxley. “And so I‘ll raise them, I‘ll • Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, work them, but I always accept Alternating Chair that it may or may not be the time for that to take center stage. “ “So I’m tempering my activity because I think we need to stay

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to get on somebody‘s agenda,” he said. “You have to get the chairman to hear your bill. And so there‘s a lot of legwork to it, in addition to managing the details… there‘s a lot of deference given to committee chairs about what bills they hear.

Once in committee, bills may be marked up or amended, and Baxley said this step is to be expected.

“Most bills wind up looking different than when you start, very few bills come through in original form,” he said. “There‘s some adjustments that are made as people raise different issues with those bills.”

Not only are other members’ concerns addressed in committee markups, but Baxley said they take into account how Governor DeSantis views the issue as well.

“And of course, whatever the governor‘s priorities are very important to us and he’s certainly going to get due consideration on anything that he‘s proposing,” he said. “After all, he‘s the one that has to sign the bills into law.”

OSCEOLA

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11/09/2016

A5

JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Senator Keith Perry

Visit https://bit.ly/perrybills for a full list of bills sponsored by Senator Perry for the 2022 session.

Keith Perry represents Senate District 8, which consists of Alachua, Putnam, and parts of Marion Counties. In addition to being a legislator, Perry lists his occupation as the founder and CEO of Perry Roofing Contractors.

On SB 342 Juvenile Diversion Program Expunction and S 344 Public Records/ Nonjudicial Record of the Arrest of a Minor (Both currently in Appropriations)

A bill of Perry’s that was passed last year but vetoed

by Governor Ron DeSantis focused on expanding the types of records that can be expunged from a minor’s file. Perry says current legislation allows for misdameanors to be removed, and SB342 looks to increase those levels, he said.

“Right now, for juveniles, if they‘re arrested on a [non-violent] misdemeanor,” said Perry, “The courts and the prosecutor might agree to allow them to go through a diversionary program.”

“If they go through the diversionary program right now, their misdemeanor record is automatically expunged at the completion [of the program], and we‘re going to expand that to felonies,” he said.

The governor, according to Perry, had some concerns about possible loopholes for more serious offenders. He said the new proposed bill contains updated language addressing the governor’s apprehensions.

“The governor vetoed it [last year], the reason being is what he didn‘t want is anybody with some kind of a sex crime or a gun crime to be able to have their records automatically expunged,” said Perry. “I agree with that, even though that‘s not happening now, there‘s nobody with a gun crime who‘s being sent to a diversionary program.”

The bill will allow minors who made a mistake to move on with their life, assuming they finish whatever programs are asked of them in the process, said Perry.

“But I think it‘s important that if they complete what we ask them to do, that their records for the next five years or more don‘t follow them,” he said. “And there‘ll be certain exceptions that law enforcement under certain situations has access to these records, but for the general public, it would not be accessible,” he said.

On SB 474 Recreational Off-highway Vehicles (Currently on the Committee agenda—Transportation)

Marion County is home to the Ocala National Forest (ONF), which offers numerous outdoor recreational activities, including all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riding trails.

Perry said specifications have changed on the vehicles with the advent of newer technology, and legislation should address those changes to allow the newer vehicles to operate in the ONF alongside older models.

“The new all-terrain vehicles, the newest ones that they‘re proposing, which are all electric, weigh more than the other ones,” he said. “And so, it‘s important that we extend the weight of the ATVs that are allowed on these trails.

“By extending them it will allow electric [ATVs on the trails], and I think that most people will appreciate knowing that we can have a quiet electric ATV versus the really noisy gas-powered ones,” said Perry.

However, Perry doesn’t expect the legislation to completely phase out older-style ATVs.

CS/SB 468: Insurance (Currently on the Committee agenda-- Judiciary)

Perry said he coordinates with multiple state-level offices such as Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation (which is located within Florida’s Department of Financial Services) and others, along with Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, as they look to update any areas that might need modernizing.

Specific to CS/SB 468, Perry said, “It‘s more technical stuff than anything else. It just has a lot of revisions, whether it‘s being able to do things electronically that are prohibited now through Florida Statutes.”

“There‘s quite a few other things like that in there,

this is kind of a cleanup bill that makes the insurance agents and customers, it makes it easier, friendlier, and cheaper for customers to access and use,” he said.

On SB 500: Back-to-school Sales Tax Holiday (Currently in Finance and Tax)

Something Florida’s parents have come to appreciate is the yearly break they get from the state sales tax when purchasing school supplies for their children. Perry said this recurring timeframe is a small part of larger legislation.

“So we have the back to school sales tax holiday that we do every single year,” he said. “And what we do is we introduce this bill, and it will get wrapped up into a bigger tax bill later.”

“But it‘s important that we get the ball started and we do that every time,” said Perry. “So this is just that window. Right now we have it as a 10-day window for a back-to-school tax holiday for families going back and getting their kids supplies and so forth.”

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Sen. Dennis Baxley on Oct. 7, 2021

SB 638: Early Childhood Music Education Incentive Pilot Program (Currently in Appropriations)

Perry pointed to SB 638 as an example of an issue that sits high up on his list of priorities. The bill continues a pilot program he proposed aimed at determining what effect music has on a child’s educational and social development.

He said the program designed for kindergarten, first, and second graders caught the governor’s eye, and Perry appreciates the support.

“One of my biggest priorities and biggest policy issues is early childhood music education,” he said.

“I‘m really thankful that Governor DeSantis has taken an interest in it. He made sure that it wasn‘t vetoed and that the funding was there.”

Perry said previous data shows music is one way to help potentially bridge the gap between students who have higher base levels of subjects like reading and math with those who have lower ones, and this program can help increase the understanding of the topic.

He said the program has dual funding foci and is being coordinated by the University of Florida to help students around the state.

“One funding part goes to the school districts; It‘s an opt-in program, so if the school district wants to opt in, then we give them extra money, per-child funding, and then they can implement this music program,” said Perry.

“The second part of the funding goes to a study that the University of Florida is conducting,” he said. “And it‘s both a qualitative and quantitative study, I think we‘ve got about 1,800 kids that are enrolled now in this program.”

The pandemic disrupted the study, he said, which compared students enrolled in the program with those who aren’t.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Sen. Keith Perry on Oct. 7, 2021

family, or your business, and they’re the wrong decisions, you reap the consequences. But when politicians make wrong decisions, the public reaps the consequences.”

On legislation that has strong views on both sides of an issue (such as SB 594: Discrimination on the Basis of COVID-19 Vaccination or Postinfection Recovery Status which has been referred to Community Affairs; Commerce and Tourism; Rules)

Perry understands that not everyone will be happy with everything he proposes or supports, but that just comes with the territory of being a decision-maker. He attempts to get as many sides to an issue as possible before making a decision.

“I would have never been elected if I only reached out to one group,” he said. “So, I‘ve had the opportunity to really look at and meet with a variety of different constituents. I absolutely think it‘s imperative, and I try, as hard as it is, to try not to make biased and preconceived decisions.”

Specifically to SB 594, Perry said, “For that, I listened to different groups and then tried to make the best decision that I think is for the constituents as a whole.”

SB638 is a mechanism to keep the program going.

On SB 592: Face Covering Mandates (Referred to Judiciary; Education; Rules)

“That‘s been my number one priority for several years, we finally got it passed and funded,” Perry said.

“And then we had COVID and it kind of messed up the program a little bit. So now we‘re extending that program. And we‘ll go back to the legislature and ask for another year extension on this session.”

Perry said that while he often hears “why don’t you just do this or that” from others, he tries to stick to a process of examining all sides before acting, and SB 592 is no different.

“Now you just had the former CDC director come out and say those [facial coverings] don’t work,” he said. “But, you know, I try to make those decisions not based on personal [feelings]…And then I try to, every single decision I make, try to look at it and do research on it before I make a decision.”

On getting all sides of an issue before deciding how to proceed

Before he decides to create, amend, support, or oppose any legislation, especially if it concerns an area he might not be overly familiar with, Perry said he must first consult those who have extensive knowledge of a subject matter in order to get all sides of an issue.

“I really have to get experts, and I really have to get experts on every side,” he said. “I cannot just take what one interest group wants and think, ‘Okay, well, you know, maybe what they want is good for the consumer, maybe not’.“ Perry understands that any decisions he and his fellow lawmakers come to will reverberate around the state.

“And it‘s not only what are the intended consequences, but what are the unintended consequences,” he said. “One thing [about being a legislator is] that if you make decisions for yourself, your

On the Proposed Northern Turnpike Extension

Perry, like all others in the Marion County Legislative Delegation, has an eye on the proposed Northern Turnpike Extension. He said updates are sorely needed.

“I am 100% for the MCORES; for the expansion,” Perry said.

“I think it is absolutely critical that we look at infrastructure, and how we‘re going to solve some of what I think are crisis problems in our state,” he said.

“The last major road expansion in the state of Florida was the turnpike 50-some years ago.”

Perry said the current state of I-75 and the turnpike often cause delays, and even more than that, highlight safety issues.

Jacksonville S Lake T £ ¤ ¨ § ¦ Because of this, he is in favor of BAKER City £ ¤ Orange Park DUVAL exploring other options in order COLUMBIA ¨ § ¦ to alleviate some of the existing £ ¤ Raiford £ ¤ Lawtey UNION CLAY traffic issues. £ ¤ Green Lake Butler ST. JOHNS Penney “The interstate from ¨ § ¦ Cove Starke Farms Fort Springs Worthington BRADFORD £ Wildwood to Gainesville, on any ¤ White Springs Brooker given day, can be a nightmare,” £ ¤ Hampton La Crosse he said. “We can‘t have people High Springs £ ¤ Alachua Keystone heading to Orlando to catch a Waldo Heights plane and miss their flight, or Hastings ALACHUA a business that can‘t deliver Gainesville Palatka goods on time, or it‘s just unsafe S T Interlachen S T as well. Because the more you Hawthorne PUTNAM FLAGLER Newberry increase traffic, you then get into Bunnell ¨ § ¦ Archer Micanopy safety concerns.”

Pomona Park Welaka 8 Bronson He understands the McIntosh Crescent City £ ¤ apprehensions surrounding Reddick Williston £ ¤ the proposed road and says £ ¤ LEVY £ ¤ the procedures set in place to VOLUSIA determine a new road should Pierson help alleviate some of them.

Ocala £ ¤ “There‘s a pretty good-sized Ocala MARION £ ¤ National process to make sure we take care Forest Belleview Yankeetown Dunnellon of all the environmental concerns Inglis £ ¤ and other concerns that are out there. I absolutely think this is LAKE ¨ § ¦ £ ¤ CITRUS Umatilla Lady Lake Crystal one of the best steps we can take,” SUMTER £ Mount ¤ 0 5 10 20 Miles River Eustis Dora Wildwood Fruitland Park Perry said.

Inverness

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Senator Keith Perry Elected to the Senate in 2016

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Committee Assignments: • Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice, Chair • Transportation, Vice Chair • Agriculture • Appropriations • Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development • Criminal Justice • Environment and Natural Resources

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11/09/2016

A6

JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Arrests for lewd activity at Scott Springs Park last month Other city and county parks report no similar activities

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

T

he Ocala Police Department (OPD) arrested six men last month on charges of exposure of sexual organs, after they were caught performing lewd sexual acts in public at Scott Springs Park.

The arrests follow multiple complaints from citizens to OPD about lewd activity in bathrooms, along wooded walking trails and vehicles last year at the park, located at 2300 S.W. 24th Ave. The men arrested include: Lester Simeon, 40; Garrick Ortman, 36; William Moses, 50; Bruce Adams, 64; Alexander Clary, 63, a registered sex offender and Carey Croy, 55, according to a Dec. 14 OPD press release.

Clary is a registered sex offender, according to OPD Public Information Officer Jeffrey Walczak; he also had a similar type of arrest back in 2013 out of Dunnellon, while his other arrests that can be found on the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office (MCSO) webpage are different in nature.

The other men appeared to have no similar criminal activity.

In 2021, OPD received more than a dozen calls for service pertaining to suspicious incidents and/or vehicles where obscene public acts were reported to have occurred, according to the department.

The arrests follow the early November formation of an operational plan created by OPD’s Intelligence Unit, with help from the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office and Ocala Recreation and Parks to combat the reported lewd activities at the park.

Surveillance cameras were mounted in suspected areas of concern, in an attempt to reveal these activities and to document and identify all parties.

“We are able to actually observe people and identifications now,” said OPD Detective Reinaldo Rodriguez, who is responsible for all parks within the City of Ocala. “Once they’re identified, then we are able to move forward and develop protocols and get trespass warnings in place.”

Detectives observed the obscene public activities from Nov. 3 to Dec. 10, according to the press release, with the individuals arriving at the park alone and entering the wood walking trails looking to engage in sexual activity with someone.

The men, along with other unidentified suspicious persons, frequently visited the park on numerous occasions, exhibiting

obscene public behavior.

The incidents were documented by detectives and presented to the State Attorney’s Office for arrest warrants.

Several other people were given trespass citations for similar behavior.

“This has been going on for many years from what I’ve been told,” said Det. Rodriguez. “And I’ve been with the department for five years now.”

Discovering similar incidents in the act is difficult, he said.

“By the time we get there, no one is there,” said Rodriguez.

Last year, OPD also arrested two other men for lewd activities at Scott Springs Park; Cedric Brigham was charged with exposure of sexual organs on Sept. 9 while Richard Yanez was arrested for breach of peace/disorderly conduct during the same incident.

The department has suggested that any excess brush in the park be cleaned up by August or September of this year to help eliminate opportunities for concealment by those attempting to conduct lewd acts.

Bill Rodriguez, Parks Division Head for the City of Ocala deferred to the OPD on any questions regarding the six men arrested in December, or any other similar incidents involved with the police operation in Scott Springs Park.

Sara Johnson, community engagement coordinator for Parks and Recreation in Marion County, said that the majority of the issues the county deals with in its parks revolve around vandalism.

“We have issues with spray paint graffiti, stuff being knocked over or ripped down. We’ve had some issues with people who have lit things on fire in parks,” Johnson said.

“Anything happening to the extent of what happened at Scott Springs, we haven’t caught wind of yet.”

Det. Reinaldo Rodriguez said he didn’t know why Scott Springs Park seemed to draw such activity in particular, and wasn’t aware of any other parks in the city or county with a similar reputation.

“A couple of individuals we did arrest, we asked them [why Scott Springs Park] and they just said it had been going on for so long,” he said.

The Marion County Sheriff ’s Office Public Information Officer Valerie Strong said to the Gazette last week that after reviewing incidents throughout 2021, the department had discovered no issues of note concerning county parks in relation to the recent obscene public activities reported at Scott Springs Park, adding that sheriff ’s deputies do make routine patrols in all county parks.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

The entrance to Scott Springs Park is shown on Southwest 24th Avenue in Ocala on Dec. 28, 2021.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

A wooded area is shown in Scott Springs Park.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Water in the Florida aquifer is shown below a lime rock outcropping that was caused by a sinkhole at Scott Springs Park.

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A7

JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Kudos to the council for asking questions

By Ocala Gazette Editorial Board

A

t the city council meeting on Jan. 4, an agreement between the City of Ocala and the Albright Trust for a 320-apartment complex off Maricamp was up for approval after two public hearings.

We are not sure if the trust intends to develop the property, or if it wants to sell the property with assurances from the city of a certain number of trips for a future developer. But either way, nearly the entire meeting was focused on how the proposed development provided a challenge to the city to safely accommodate its application while also factoring in future developments nearby that will add even more traffic.

In support of the development agreement between the city and the trust, a study was performed to see how the apartment complex would impact Maricamp’s traffic . According to the mathematical projection of the study the traffic from a 320-unit apartment complex would be less trips than the trust’s previous request to develop the property at 180 single-family homes.

While you ponder the logic of that math, there were also concerns about how neighboring developments would grant easements between themselves so that traffic could flow safely.

Councilman Jim Hilty gave pointed observations about traffic not flowing well and the number of accidents reported on that road as his concern for questioning the development agreement. Specifically, there were concerns of only right-hand turns in and out of the development which would require more people making U-turns on the road.

Councilwoman Kristen Dreyer asked questions about how the easements would work, and the viability of getting consensus between all the parties to the easements.

To further complicate the decision before the council, the attorneys for the city and the trust both said there were other necessary changes to the agreement (but of no consequence to the council), and both recommended the council could still approve the agreement for the time being and the details worked out later.

The council received encouragement from the city attorney, Pat Gilligan, city staff from growth management, and the Mayor to approve the agreement.

Under the city’s charter, Ocala’s Mayor Kent Guinn does not have a vote in matters such as these. Yet, he served as a council member prior to becoming the Mayor and so he directed advice in response to Dreyer’s concerns by reminding her of his position “some 22 years ago” when the city approved multiple developments on SR 200 at the same time.

“You will, as this Council, as the Shores develops, and all these other properties develop along Maricamp, you‘re going to have the same problem. But you know, I will say that engineers and attorneys have a way of coming to agreements and working all these things out, along with the city. Will it be the best? Maybe not. But it will get worked out,” said Guinn.

Guinn concluded in his advice to council member Dreyer, “I would move forward with this and let the developers and engineers and attorneys work all this stuff out.”

To the council’s credit, they agreed to push off the decision so that more details could be gleaned.

Clay Albright for the Trust

ap

made a final plea to the council not to delay approval of the agreement said, “You know, I‘ve been here for five generations. I’ve seen problems all across the city of Ocala that just make me absolutely cringe every dayjust like each and everyone of you. And, you‘re like [asking yourself ], why did that happen? Who in the world was watching the shop when that came up? This is no different. Many times, things have to get worse before they get better.”

Addressing the many different nearby developments, Albright said “These properties, and I have to say this because we‘re all lumped on- everybody is in the pool together. We‘ve got ARC, Fluid Routing Systems, our property, Hazleton, and the Rudianyianis. It’s like squeezing a balloon in the middle- something to go one direction or the other. It‘s already gone out 200. It‘s bouncing back 17th St. That whole area of southeast section of Ocala is under assault right now. This is an opportunity for this board to watch what happens and use your discretion to make some very tough decisions and do it right.”

Albright then expounded upon all the buffers to neighbors and easements they had offered, and then turned back to cast blame on how the city let nearby Wawa develop, “Now the city didn‘t have much of an issue when they asked Wawa to come in. They granted Wawa connection permit to 24th St, never notified the county.

Wawa single-handedly destroyed 24th St. I have the videos. I have all of the pictures.

They‘ve never spent one dime, sent any flowers, any cards or anything. [saying] ‘What can we do to help for 24th St? We‘ve destroyed it. How how can we help repair it?’ [Wawa] never did it,” said Albright.

Albright also pointed to the other commercial development recently approved nearby on land owned by ARC of Marion, “This board approved

What is a trip?

Trip generation is the process of estimating the amount of traffic a proposed development will have once it is built and operating. The city considers the projected traffic for a development and what it will add it to the existing volumes to make decisions. a commercial development for ARC of 24th St on a right in right out with 57,000 square feet of commercial, which was going to be multiple restaurants.”

Albright’s entire plea would be too long to quote, however, the dialog was telling of the dilemmas our elected officials face as we add more people to our roads.

To the city council’s credit, they did not agree that night to enter into the development agreement in order to allow themselves more time to investigate the details. The city council is our last line of defense for blocking development plans that don’t seem logical on their face, and their deliberate and pointed questions are a welcome move as Ocala, and Marion County as a whole, faces unprecedented growth.

A growing city brings added services, value, interest, and jobs to an area. But it also brings with it traffic, increased use of public and private services, and a strain on any infrastructure not fully developed enough to handle the influx.

We appreciate the city council’s calculated and meticulous questions on the issue. To be clear, we are not antidevelopment by any means. Instead, we consider ourselves pro-Ocala, and proprocess. And in this case, the process should entail ensuring Maricamp, Ocala, and Marion County grow at a level that doesn’t outpace the infrastructure in place.

This map was shown to the council during the meeting. It outlines the 4 projects in the same vicinity under review for future development.

Albright Trust proposes a maximum 320 dwelling units Haselden Property proposes 312 dwelling units 7-11 & RM Maricamp, LLC proposes a convenience store and office uses ARC of Marion, Inc. 5-lot commercial subdivision

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A8

JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Marion COVID cases double from last report SCHOOLS SEE DRASTIC INCREASE

New reported Covid-19 cases per week

Dec. 31 - Jan. 06, compared to 297,888 new cases of COVID during the week of 3,500 Aug. 26: Dec. 24-30, and 128,186 new cases during 3,228 the week of Dec. 17 -23.

3,000 With the increase in cases comes an Dec. 31 - Jan. 6 increase in new case positivity as well as 2,500 cases per 100,000.

According to the FLDOH weekly report, 2,000 the state’s new case positivity is 31.2%, up Source: from 26.6%, while the cases per 100,000 is Marion County 1,500 Health Department 1,807.1 up from 1,358.1.

1,000 The state’s weekly vaccination numbers continue to rapidly decline from the two 500 previous reports, as the state recorded administering 294,918 doses of the vaccine 0 26 2 9 16 23 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 6 for the week of Dec. 31-Jan. 6, down from DECEMBER NOVEMBER JAN. AUG. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 386,884, and 567,748 doses two weeks ago.

AMY HARBERT/Ocala Gazette This brings the total state population of

By Matthew Cretul those ages 5 and up to 72%. matthew@ocalagazette.com patients.

Specific to children ages 5-11, the state In Ocala, COVID Test FL is offering reported administering 18,465 doses of testing at the Ocala First Baptist Church the vaccine last week, an decrease from located at 2801 S.E. Maricamp Road. the 21,585 doses two weeks ago, bringing COVID Test Express is offering testing in the total number of children vaccinated to COVID cases in Marion County more the Villages at 11714 N.E. 62nd Terrace.

278,045. The total population of children than doubled from two weeks ago, as the Both locations are open Monday-Friday ages 5-11 in the state is just under 1.7 county registered 3,130 new cases during 8 a.m.-4 p.m. million, and figures released by the state the week of Dec. 31-Jan. 6, according to showed 16% of them are now vaccinated figures released by the Florida Department against COVID-19. of Health (FLDOH) Friday evening. In the The Associated Press reported that the last report, the county reported recording state of Florida allowed between 800,000 1,543 cases two weeks ago, and 363 the for Not only did new COVID cases double in Marion County, but they also rose drastically and 1,000,000 COVID test kits to expire the week of Dec. 17-23. during the month of December. The In addition to the surging overall number across the state as a whole, with Florida seeing nearly a hundred thousand more new decision is seemingly at odds with some of cases, the county saw an increase in its cases than it reported two weeks ago. local leaders around Florida requesting positivity rate and cases per 100,000. The The state recorded 397,114 new additional kits as cases rapidly rise in new case positivity rate climbed from 17.4% cases of COVID during the week of their area. to 24.6%, and as with the total number of Jan. 6:

3,130

cases, the cases per 100,000 doubled as well, from 414.3. to 840.3.

In Health and Human Services hospitalization numbers last updated Jan. 7, county hospitals reported 83% of inpatient beds filled, with 4% of those being COVID patients.

Additionally, 84% of ICU beds were filled, with 6% being COVID

MARION COUNTY UPDATE

STATE UPDATE

MCPS UPDATE Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) begain their winter break on Dec. 17, and resumed classes on Wed, Jan. 5. For the span of Dec. 11 – 31, MCPS reported 25 confirmed cases, with 17 students and eight employees were confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County.

Additionally, MCPS reported 169 students and two employees were quarantined due to direct contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19 during that span.

The latest report from MCPS covers the week of Jan. 1-7, and shows 512 confirmed cases, with 356 students and 156 employees testing positive for the virus. Further, 638 students and 88 employees were quarantined as a result of direct exposure.

While the report covers a seven-day span, students only attended classes WedFri of last week.

With the latest updated figures, COVID numbers have once again moved above the threshold set for MCPS to consider having students wear face coverings.

According to FLDOH guidance, the county must be below 99.9 cases per 100,000 (currently at 414.3) and the new case positivity must remain below 10% (currently at 17.4%) for two weeks in order for coverings not to be required.

Despite the rising numbers, MCPS declined to reinstate any sort of facial covering.

School Board members express concerns over rise in COVID numbers

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

C

OVID-19 wasn’t on the Marion County School Board’s prepared agenda on Tuesday, Jan. 11, but as case numbers increased over the recent holidays, several board members did bring the issue up during their respective comments.

“We need everyone to be healthy and safe in a couple of weeks,” said Board Member Kelly King. “I hope [the case numbers] drop as quick as they came, but until then, we have to take care of one another.”

COVID cases in Marion County more than doubled from two weeks ago, as the county registered 3,130 new cases during the week of Dec. 31-Jan. 6, according to figures released by the Florida Department of Health (FLDOH) on Jan. 7.

Board Member Nancy Thrower echoed King’s concerns.

“It is just distressing that we’re still having to deal with the effects on the

school system of the virus,” she said. “And hopefully it will follow the same pattern as it has been in other countries. Then, in another week or so, we will begin to see a sharp decline.

“I’m sure that would please everybody, including me,” she added.

Board Chair Eric Cummings mentioned rising case numbers as a major concern.

“We’re nudging the highest [positivity rate] we have ever been for Marion County,” said Cummings. “I believe that we probably have surpassed that by today.”

Cummings acknowledged that surges would happen, and then there would be great decreases.

“The main thing is to try to get back to those decreases, those reductions, as fast as we can. That’s going to require us doing the right thing,” he said.

Earlier in the school year, the Marion County School Board had a resolution in place that was dependent on statistics from the CDC, said Kevin Christian, director of Public Relations for Marion County Public Schools.

“Once those statistics dropped below specific levels for two weeks in a row (per solution language), the resolution dissolved,” he said.

The latest report from MCPS covers the week of Jan. 1-7, and shows 512 confirmed cases, with 356 students and 156 employees testing positive for the virus. Further, 638 students and 88 employees were quarantined as a result of direct exposure.

According to the “COVID-19 Student Decision Tree” chart, provided by Christian, a student who has COVID-like symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19 can only return to school after a negative test and symptoms have been resolved, or provide documentation from a medical provider and be symptom-free for at least 24 hours.

If simply exposed to a COVID-19 case (direct contact) yet exhibiting no symptoms, it remains the parents’ choice whether or not their child remains at school or is quarantined for up to seven days.

With the latest updated figures, COVID

numbers have once again moved above the threshold set for MCPS to consider having students wear face coverings. According to FLDOH guidance, the county must be below 99.9 cases per 100,000 (currently at 840.3) and the new case positivity must remain below 10% (currently at 24.6%) for two weeks in order for coverings not to be required.

Despite the rising numbers, MCPS declined to reinstate any sort of facial covering.

“As of today, School Board members have not expressed a desire to introduce any new masking resolutions,” said Christian.

He also mentioned that Florida State Statute 1002.20 now prohibits requiring face masks. In regard to the recent spike in COVID cases since the end of the holiday season, he remarked that “student average daily attendance is down, but not to where we see family ‘trends.’”

For more information on current testing/quarantine rules, visit the MCPS website.

Strawberry shortcake could become Florida’s state dessert

By Brendan Farrington The Associated Press

F

lorida already has an official state pie — key lime — but might soon designate strawberry shortcake as the official state dessert.

The House Public Integrity & Elections Committee unanimously approved a bill Wednesday to bestow the honor on strawberry shortcake after some goodnatured scrutiny.

“As a fan of key lime pie, I have a little concern that this would prioritize (strawberry shortcake) as a state dessert,” said Republican Rep. Erin Grall, who asked bill sponsor Rep. Lawrence McClure if he would amend his bill to make the tasty treat the official state cake.

“It feels a little bit like you‘re trying to have your cake and eat it too,” replied McClure, a Republican from Plant City, which is the heart of Florida‘s strawberry industry.

McClure introduced the measure by saying, “This is the sweetest bill you‘re going

to hear all session. I‘m not trying to take the key limelight away from the state pie.”

The Plant City area has 10,000 acres of strawberry fields that produces 75% of the nation‘s winter strawberry crop, according to the bill language. McClure said strawberries are a billion-dollar economic driver for the region and he hopes the designation will bring attention to the importance of the crop.

Democratic Rep. Allison Tant had two questions for McClure: “In the bill ... it talks about a healthy dollop of whipped cream.

What is that, exactly? How do you measure a healthy dollop?”

“I have no idea,” McClure said.

“The follow up question I have is, why don‘t we have anything to sample today to decide if this is a good bill?” Tant asked.

Republican Rep. Chuck Clemons questioned whether the bill would leave the state open to accusations of discrimination.

“I read the bill and nowhere in it does it define short,” he said. “I‘m really concerned (about) cakes that may be more than short, maybe even tall. ... We want outreach and inclusion in this sort of state dessert.”

MEAGAN GUMPERT

Fresh strawberry shortcake at the Habitat for Humanity’s Strawberry Festival in March of 2019. The festival was cancelled during the pandemic but scheduled to return in 2022.

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

State Feds OK state plan for education money

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Diane Gullett, the Superintendent of Marion County Public Schools, right, listens to a presentation with Eric Cummings, center, and Kelly King, left, of the Marion County Public School Board during a joint workshop with the Marion County Commission on Nov. 8, 2021.

By Ryan Dailey News Service of Florida

T

he U.S. Department of Education has approved Florida’s plan for how the state intends to spend billions of dollars in federal aid for schools, after money was withheld because of a delay in

the state submitting the proposal.

Federal officials had been withholding a third of the more than $7 billion dollars that was allocated for Florida schools under the American Rescue Plan Act, a stimulus law that passed last year. About $2.35 billion was released to the state last week. The federal government released the initial two-thirds

of each state’s allocation in March, with Florida receiving just shy of $4.7 billion.

Under federal guidelines, the state Department of Education is given control over 10 percent of the money for Florida, with the remaining 90 percent going directly to school districts.

“I am excited to announce approval of Florida’s plan,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement Friday “It is heartening to see, reflected in these state plans, the ways in which states are thinking deeply about how to use American Rescue Plan funds to continue to provide critical support to schools and communities.”

The federal education department said Florida’s plan includes expenditures aimed at “addressing the academic impact of lost instructional time” when campuses were shuttered and students were forced to learn online early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state will use money to implement a tutoring initiative for early grades, invest in summer learning and expanded after-school programs and “support math acceleration and expand computer science credentials in high schools,” among other uses.

Florida’s delay in submitting its plan was a point of friction between the state and federal education departments last year.

Ian Rosenblum, a deputy assistant secretary for policy and programs at the federal agency, wrote a letter to state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran on Oct. 4 that said Florida was the lone state or U.S. territory with a plan

still outstanding.

“FDOE’s (the Florida Department of Education’s) delay raises significant concerns because of the unnecessary uncertainty it is creating for school districts across the state and because it is hindering their ability to confidently plan for how to use these funds to address the needs of students,” Rosenblum wrote.

Jared Ochs, a spokesman for the state education department, disputed in an Oct. 6 email that the state had missed the June 7 deadline. Ochs wrote that the state had notified its federal counterparts in May that the department “would not be able to submit the state plan in June and would require additional time.”

Florida nonetheless submitted its plan days after receiving Rosenblum’s letter, on Oct. 7.

Corcoran wrote that the state’s plan to spend the money would advance four goals: closing achievement gaps, improving reading and math outcomes, bolstering outcomes in other content areas and enhancing student services and supports.

Several congressional Democrats touted the approval of Florida’s plan in a news release sent out by the federal agency Friday.

“I am thrilled to see the (U.S.) Department of Education approve Florida’s plan because it will allow us to mitigate learning loss, enhance support services, and promote the mental and physical health of our students,” U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., said in a statement.

GOP immigration proposal emerges

By Jim Saunders News Service of Florida

I

n one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ priorities for this year’s legislative session, two Republican lawmakers have filed a proposal that seeks to ratchet up immigration enforcement. In the state.

Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, and Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart, filed identical bills (SB 1808 and HB 1355) on Friday, nearly a month after DeSantis announced similar proposals during a news conference in Jacksonville.

DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody have criticized Biden administration border policies for months, and the bills came as lawmakers prepare to start the annual legislative session Tuesday — and as DeSantis, Moody and dozens of lawmakers prepare for elections this fall.

The proposal would expand a 2019 law that bans so-called “sanctuary cities” in Florida and would crack down on transportation companies that bring undocumented immigrants into the state. The proposal would bar the state and local governments from contracting with such companies “if the carrier is willfully providing any service in furtherance of transporting an unauthorized alien into the State of Florida knowing that the unauthorized alien entered into or remains in the United States in violation of law.”

“We just cannot be doing contracts with companies that are knowingly and recklessly facilitating, bringing people here into our state illegally,” DeSantis said during the Dec. 10 news conference at Jacksonville International Airport.

The five-page bills filed Friday also would require counties

to enter agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to participate in a program in which local lawenforcement officers help in immigration enforcement. As of November, the federal agency had such agreements with 48 Florida counties, according to the agency’s website.

In expanding the sanctuarycities law, the bills would seek to ensure that local governments comply with the proposed requirement of entering agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Also, the proposal would seek to prevent local governments from blocking law-enforcement agencies from sharing information with the state about the immigration status of people in custody.

Immigration issues in the past have sparked heated debates in the Legislature and have led to court fights.

The 2019 sanctuarycities law was designed to spur local law-enforcement agencies to fully comply with federal immigration detainers and share information with federal immigration authorities after undocumented immigrants are in custody.

But U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in September News Service of Florida ruled that two parts of Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach the sanctuary-cities law violated constitutional discriminatory effects were both due-process rights — a foreseeable and known to the ruling the state has appealed.

Legislature at the time of SB Bloom pointed to what she 168’s enactment,” Bloom wrote. described as an “immigrant After DeSantis announced threat narrative” that helped lead the new round of immigration to the law (SB 168). proposals in December, “Based on the evidence Democrats tried to tie the presented, the court finds that proposals to speculation that plaintiffs have proven by a DeSantis is planning a bid for the preponderance of the evidence White House in 2024. that SB 168 has discriminatory or disparate effects on racial and ethnic minorities, and these

Term limits for school board members Continued from page A1 proposal from the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission.”

Additionally, the website notes that “A proposed amendment requires at least 60% approval from voters to pass [see Florida Constitution, Article XI, Section 5(e)].”

We wrote Baxley shortly before the session started to ask questions about the resolution. His responses are below.

Q: Why term limits for school board offices and not political offices in general?

A: The voters of this state have placed in our constitution term limits for all state legislators and statewide elected officials. That was done by voter referendum in 1992. So, this isn’t really asking anyone to do something that we aren’t doing ourselves. In addition, the voters would get to decide, this isn’t the state trying to tell people what they have to do, but it is asking the question of the voters

if this is something that they want. Also, our state constitution gives authority to the state over the education system as a whole, so this question is more appropriate in the case of School Boards than it would be for Local Government offices.

Q: Was this something that was brought to Sen. Baxley by constituents, did it generate from a specific situation, or was it proposed “in-house”?

A: Term limits for elected officials is a subject that many of my constituents bring up every single year and we have seen a lot of tension, across the state, between parents and school boards. Do these kids belong to the schools, or do they belong to their families? This is what is at stake here as families have wrestled with things like COVID restrictions, mask mandates and critical race theory. This seemed like a good time to ask the voters a question.

Not only did the 2022 legislative session get underway on Jan.11 at noon, that was also the deadline for filing any legislation to be voted on during the session.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Kelly King speaks during a meeting of the Marion County Public School Board in Ocala on March 23, 2021.

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Local officials worried over bill to make businesses ‘whole’ “We need to make sure the businesses know how much they‘re getting affected,” Hutson said.

“And, also, if a business is affected, that they‘d be made whole.”

Hutson also is File photo from Florida News Service sponsoring Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, is sponsoring legislation that worries a measure (SB 620) that local governments. would allow

By Jim Turner businesses News Service of Florida to sue if local ordinances cause at least 15 percent losses of ocal government officials revenues or profits. That bill raised concerns Wednesday needs to clear the Appropriations about a Senate proposal Committee before it could go to that would block enforcement of the full Senate. new ordinances when challenges During Wednesday’s meeting, arise over the projected impacts Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, to businesses. pointed to the potential power The Republican-controlled lawmakers could provide to block Senate Community Affairs local ordinances.

Committee voted 7-2 along party “A national corporation could lines to approve the proposal veto an ordinance voted on by a (SB 280), which would require duly elected official local body, counties and cities to produce in a majority vote, that had open a “business impact statement” public comment for an extended before passing ordinances and period of time,” Polsky said. to suspend enforcement of the Sen. Gary Farmer, ordinances amid legal challenges. D-Lighthouse Point, called Bill sponsor Sen. Travis Wednesday’s proposal a “trial Hutson, R-St. Augustine, said lawyer’s dream.” the proposal is an attempt to “I don‘t see anything in the “resolve statewide preemption bill, or the amendment that bills” while protecting businesses. deters people from seeking Preemption bills, which have this ordinance suspension for been highly controversial in frivolous purposes or just for recent years in the Legislature, harassment,” Farmer, a trial restrict the authority of local lawyer, said. “You may be a governments. business owner that maybe is

L

planning on running against one of the commissioners or the mayor and you just decide you‘re going to try to make them look bad.”

Hutson amended the proposal Wednesday by removing a requirement that accountants or financial consultants must be involved in preparing impact statements. The amendment also would cap attorney fees that could be collected from local governments at $50,000, give 90 days for challenges to be filed after ordinances are adopted and limit estimates of direct impacts to businesses that are within the local jurisdictions.

Hutson said he worked with the Florida League of Cities and the Florida Association of Counties on the changes, but the cities organization remains opposed.

Rebecca O‘Hara, senior legislative advocate for the Florida League of Cities, said Hutson’s removal of the requirement for financial consultants to be hired to prepare impact statements is a nice gesture but appears impractical.

“If the ordinance is challenged, and if the business impact statement is fair game to be invalidated as cause for invalidating an ordinance, then both sides will have to bring their experts to the court to testify about the underlying data, about the underlying methodology and about the assumptions,” O’Hara said. “That alone is going to drive the cost of this bill up significantly. Expert witnesses typically run $300 to $400 an hour on the low side.”

The Florida Association of

Counties has not taken a position but raised concerns.

Edward Labrador, senior legislative counsel for the association, said the proposal could allow ordinances to be overturned “simply because we might have gotten the math wrong” in a fiscal impact report.

“We‘re not saying that we don‘t want to do one,” Labrador said. “We‘re saying that there‘s an issue here as to how we do it and whether it‘s a procedural versus a substantive issue.”

Other critics contended the effort is overwhelmingly probusiness to the detriment of local communities.

“The worst part is that these consultants, lawyers and businesses may not even live in the municipality they are challenging and the bulk of their business operations may be in a different state or overseas,” said Jonathan Webber of the Florida Conservation Voters. “Even something as simple as a new building code to ensure climateready new structures could be delayed for years.”

In voting for the bill, Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, said critics of the proposal are painting “businesses as evil.” He said the proposal gives businesses an “adequate voice to respond to the heavy hand of government.”

The measure is supported by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the conservative group Americans for Prosperity-Florida.

During an address Tuesday to help open the annual legislative session, Senate President Wilton

Simpson, R-Trilby, acknowledged concerns by cities and counties about preemption bills.

“I want local governments to know that we have heard your concerns about preemption bills.

I will keep a sharp eye out for legislation that would limit your ability to pass local ordinances,” Simpson said.

But he then added, “At the same time, we‘re going to make sure that local citizens and businesses understand the impacts of your regulations by requiring you to provide fiscal impact statements for ordinances and referendums. We will also ensure that you pay legitimate businesses that are impacted by your takings.”

“A national corporation could veto an ordinance voted on by a duly elected official local body, in a majority vote, that had open public comment for an extended period of time.”

Sen. Tina Polsky

Battle lines drawn on 15-Week abortion limit

ALAN YOUNGBLOOD/Special to the Ocala Gazette

Anti abortion protesters clash with Abortion rights protesters near the intersection of South Pine and Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala on Oct. 2, 2021.

By Ryan Dailey News Service of Florida

N

ew legislative proposals that seek to prevent doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy were met with swift opposition Wednesday from Democrats and abortion-rights groups.

The measures (SB 146 and HB 5) closely resemble a Mississippi abortion law that is before the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments last month. With a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, abortion-rights supporters are concerned that justices will uphold the Mississippi law or strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion ruling.

A group of Democratic lawmakers and activists supporting abortion access decried the Florida legislation Wednesday during a news conference on the steps of the Old Capitol, calling the bills “oppressive” and “dangerous.”

“When we look at abortion as an issue, it’s not even a culture war issue, it is health care,” Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said. “So how dare you strip away our rights in this new piece of policy, which is a direct assault on the protection established under Roe v.

Wade. And if Roe were overturned and if this bill were to become law, if you needed to access an abortion beyond 15 weeks, the closest state for you is North Carolina.”

Rep. Felicia Robinson, D-Miami

Gardens, criticized the measures as “trying to roll back the clock just a week and a few days before Roe v. Wade’s anniversary.” Robinson also took aim at the proposals not including an exception for rape or incest.

“Imagine being a rape victim and finding out you are pregnant with the attacker’s child. You do not want to carry the pregnancy to term, but you have no option. Therefore, you are forced to have a child conceived through violence and violation,” Robinson said.

Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, and House judiciary Chairwoman Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, filed the proposals Tuesday, the first day of the 2022 legislative session. Speaking with

reporters Wednesday, Stargel said the issue is “something I’ve worked on my entire career in this process.”

“I feel very strongly that life begins at conception, but we’re making some combination that makes sure that women do have an option through those first 15 weeks, and then after that, the baby is important and we’re going to recognize that,” she said.

Stargel said 15 weeks is around the end of the first trimester of pregnancy, and “we thought that was a good time.”

Stargel also said the Mississippi-style abortion restriction “could be a new standard.”

Stargel said she was urged to get an abortion when she was a teen but did not have the procedure.

“Many people recommended that I have an abortion and told me that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish things and that my life was going to be destroyed,” Stargel said. “I don’t fault those people, they were doing what they thought honestly was the case. But many, many women defy those odds, and many of these babies go on to do successful things.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signaled that he would sign such a bill.

“I have not seen that particular one, but obviously I’m supportive of 15 weeks. I think that’s very reasonable, and I think that’s very consistent with being supportive of protecting life,” DeSantis told reporters in Bonita Springs. “So we’ll work with them as they kind of get through that process.

But I think that’ll be something that we will be able to sign, and I think a lot of people will be very happy with that” DeSantis’ labeling the restriction as “reasonable” drew ire from Eskamani.

“I saw a headline this morning that said, Governor DeSantis supports reasonable abortion ban. Let’s be clear, there is no such thing as a reasonable abortion ban,” said Eskamani, who formerly worked at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida.

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

State Briefs

A B R I E F LO O K AT N E W S F R O M A R O U N D

FLORIDA

OLD FLORIDA KEYS BRIDGE REOPENS TO PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS

By Associated Press

A

segment of a 110-year-old Florida Keys bridge reopened to pedestrians and bicyclists on Wednesday following a $44 million restoration project.

Rehabilitation construction on the oft-photographed 2.2-mile (3.5-km) span of the Old Seven Mile Bridge began in late 2017.

“What made the project challenging was that it is a historic bridge, and we had to restore the bridge to the same aesthetic fabric as the original,” said project manager Tony Sabbag, a Florida Department of Transportation contractor.

Nicknamed “Old Seven,” the bridge was completed in 1912 as part of Henry Flagler‘s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that connected the Keys with each other and mainland Florida. The span is the gateway to historic Pigeon Key, a tiny island beneath it that once housed 400 railroad construction workers.

In 1938, the railroad bridge was converted to carry automobiles. In 1982, the new Seven Mile Bridge, actually 6.79 miles (10.9 kilometers) long,

debuted alongside the historic one, whose steel swing span that facilitated marine traffic between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico was removed.

The retired “Old Seven” became a popular recreation area and appeared in several films including “True Lies,” a 1994 action-comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Wednesday‘s ribbon-cutting ceremony was the crowning moment of a 30-year, $77 million agreement inked in 2013 between Monroe County, the City of Marathon and the Florida Department of Transportation.

That agreement funded restoration and maintenance to preserve the iconic landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“The Old Seven Mile Bridge is important to the Keys, the history of the Keys and a viaduct to get to Pigeon Key,” said Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi.

Restoration included structural steel and bridge joint system repairs, new decking, pedestrian and bicycle handrails and other enhancements.

ANDY NEWMAN/Florida Keys News Bureau via AP

Jan. 10, 2022 drone aerial photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau shows the Old Seven Mile Bridge ready for its Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, reopening to pedestrians, bicyclists, anglers and visitors to Pigeon Key (island shown in photo). The old bridge originally was part of Henry Flagler‘s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in 1912. The railroad ceased operations in 1935 and was converted into a highway that opened in 1938. In 1982, construction was completed on a new Seven Mile Bridge, behind, that continues to carry motor vehicles between the South Florida mainland throughout the Keys to Key West.

OFFICIALS: FLORIDA PANTHER STRUCK AND KILLED BY VEHICLE

A

n endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.

It‘s the second panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of two total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of the 3-year-old male panther were found Sunday along a rural road southeast of Palmdale in Glades County, wildlife officials said.

A total of 27 Florida panthers were found dead last year, with 21 deaths attributed to vehicles, according to state records. That was up from 22 total deaths in 2020.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast, but now their habitat mostly is confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.

Florida panther laying in the grass.

FLORIDA SEEKS TO MAKE STREET TAKEOVERS, CAR STUNTS ILLEGAL

By Brendan Farrington Associated Press

S

treet takeovers to perform car stunts like doughnuts, drifting and burnouts would be illegal in Florida under a bill unanimously approved by a Senate committee Wednesday.

Street takeovers have become an almost nightly event in Miami and other Florida cities and have caused numerous injuries and deaths, said Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo, the bill‘s sponsor.

Pizzo showed members of the state Senate Transportation Committee videos of cars doing doughnuts during a street takeover — tires screeching and smoking as drivers went in circles with passengers hanging out the windows and spectators trying to touch the cars.

The last scene showed a woman‘s head lying in the street.

“That‘s a mother of four who was decapitated,” Pizzo said as one of the committee members gasped. “They were leaning outside the car, and these cars go astray.”

Street takeovers often involve hundreds of spectators. Cars block access to an intersection, stopping traffic in all directions and making it harder for police to respond. It‘s become a

widespread problem around the country, including cities in Texas and California.

Pizzo‘s bill would make it a first degree misdemeanor to participate in a street takeover as a driver, passenger or spectator if the spectator deliberately attended the event. Violators would face fines of between $500 and $1,000 and up to a year in jail.

With most misdemeanors, a law enforcement office has to witness the infraction to make an arrest without a warrant, but the bill would allow arrests based on video or other evidence even if an officer doesn‘t see it firsthand, Pizzo said.

Takeovers are often planned on social media, with videos of the events later posted on websites like YouTube.

“It is something that in my district that is a huge problem,” said Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones, who represents Miami-Gardens. “If you ride down the street, you’ll see at the intersection there are tire marks in the middle of the street where kids play and also where neighbors walk. It‘s extremely dangerous.”

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

DeSantis State of the State Address

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ov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday gave his State of the State address to formally launch the 2022 legislative session. Here are his remarks, as prepared for delivery: Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, members of the Legislature and fellow citizens: Together we have made Florida the freest state in these United States.

While so many around the country have consigned the people’s rights to the graveyard, Florida has stood as freedom’s vanguard.

In Florida, we have protected the right of our citizens to earn a living, provided our businesses with the ability to prosper, fought back against unconstitutional federal mandates and ensured our kids have the opportunity to thrive.

Florida has become the escape hatch for those chafing under authoritarian, arbitrary and seemingly never-ending mandates and restrictions.

Even today, across the nation we see students denied an education due to reckless, politically-motivated school closures, workers denied employment due to heavy-handed mandates and Americans denied freedoms due to a coercive biomedical apparatus.

These unprecedented policies have been as ineffective as they have been destructive. They are grounded more in blind adherence to Faucian declarations than they are in the constitutional traditions that are the foundation of free nations.

Florida is a free state. We reject the biomedical security state that curtails liberty, ruins livelihoods and divides society. And we will protect the rights of individuals to live their lives free from the yolk of restrictions and mandates.

Florida has stood strong as the rock of freedom. And upon this rock we must build Florida’s future.

We will, fortunately, be able to confront our challenges with an incredibly favorable budget outlook and strong economic performance that has withstood unfavorable national headwinds: My recommended budget of $99.7 billion has more than $15 billion in reserve — one of the largest surpluses in state history.

Florida’s revenues have exceeded estimates by billions of dollars over the past year.

December’s revenues came in at more than $500 million over the latest monthly estimate.

And this is all being done with no income tax and the lowest per capita tax burden in America.

Job creation in Florida is far exceeding the national average. And our labor force has increased six times faster than the nation’s.

Florida also leads the nation in business formations, which have increased by 61% since I took office in 2019. In 2021, Florida saw 114,000 more new businesses than second place California — even though California has a population that is 40% larger.

Freedom works. Our economy is the envy of the nation. And the state is wellprepared to withstand future economic turmoil.

Our nation is, though, facing economic problems stemming from reckless federal policies, especially the most sustained Inflation our country has witnessed in decades. The federal government has borrowed and printed unprecedented sums of money, and the bill is coming due.

Inflation is an invisible tax. It represents a pay cut for individuals and families alike. And one of the ways families have felt the pinch has been in significantly higher gas prices.

To help alleviate this burden for Florida families, I am proposing a $1 billion gas tax holiday to help reduce prices at the pump. If Washington, D.C., won’t change course, then we have a responsibility to step up on behalf of Floridians.

Education represents a major pillar of Florida’s future. I’m happy to note that Florida is again ranked number three for K-12 achievement in the latest Education Week Quality Counts rankings. We have worked hard to keep schools open, increase teacher compensation, promote workforce education and protect the rights of parents.

In pockets across America, schools are closing once again. These closures are enormously destructive and will not be tolerated in the state of Florida.

Florida has led the way in putting our

kids first. In the summer of 2020, when it wasn’t fashionable, we made clear that kids needed to be in school. We faced opposition — from hysterical media, from unions and the politicians they control.

We even faced lawsuits aiming to close the schools, but we wouldn’t allow fear or politics to harm our kids. We were right and they were wrong. And millions of families in Florida are better for it.

While it is important to embrace high academic standards and to measure student achievement, the FSA test is not the best way to do it. I am proposing the elimination of the FSA and replacing it with periodic progress monitoring. This will lead to meaningful feedback for parents and teachers and will reduce the amount of time dedicated to testing, leaving more time for learning. This reform will be better for students, teachers and parents, and it will help Florida remain a leader in education reform.

Over the past two years, we have increased the average minimum salary for teachers by more than $6,000. And last year, we provided $1,000 bonuses to every public school teacher and principal in the state.

Brittany Duquaine is a teacher at Lakewood Elementary School in Pinellas County. She has benefitted from the bonuses and salary increases and the experience at Lakewood shows why this is important, as Brittany and her colleagues took the school from an F grade in 2019 to an A grade in 2021.

Let’s continue this progress by further increasing teacher pay and by approving $1,000 bonuses for a second year in a row.

Florida has enacted a Parents’ Bill of Rights and we reject the notion that parents shouldn’t have a say in what their kids learn in school. Indeed, Florida law should provide parents with the right to review the curriculum used in their children’s schools. We should provide parents with recourse so that state standards are enforced, such as Florida’s prohibition on infusing subjects with critical race theory in our classrooms.

Quisha King is a mother from Duval County who has joined moms all across Florida and America to speak out against divisive ideologies like CRT. These moms are standing up for a principle that is the policy of the state of Florida: Our tax dollars should not be used to teach our kids to hate our country or to hate each other.

Florida’s public college and university system is ranked number one in the nation yet again. Higher education must remain affordable for Florida families.

I will not support any tuition increases at Florida’s colleges and universities and I oppose cutting Bright Futures scholarships, which have benefited many Florida families.

As proud as we are of the quality and affordability of Florida’s university system, a four-year education at a traditional brick-and-ivy school isn’t the only pathway to success. Over the past three years, Florida has added more than 50 new apprenticeship programs.

The credentials earned through our workforce initiatives have paved the way for employment in a variety of fields like aviation, logistics and welding. These are as valuable and as honorable endeavors as attending august universities, and they deserve our support.

Florida’s dedicated focus on the skilled trades will help expand the state’s manufacturing footprint. We have already seen businesses move here from other states and we should also be actively encouraging businesses to repatriate production back to America from foreign countries. Do we really want our supply chains to be captive to the whims of a country such as Communist China?

Florida’s economic security is also linked to the stewardship of our natural resources.

We Floridians are heirs to a unique environment that makes our state the envy of the nation for fishing, boating and other outdoor activities. Three years ago, we promised bold action to safeguard Florida’s natural resources, improve water quality and restore the Everglades. With the support of the Legislature, especially Speaker Chris Sprowls and President Wilton Simpson, we have secured historic funding to support these efforts.

Since January 2019, 42 Everglades restoration projects have broken ground, hit a major milestone or finished construction, record funding has gone to

conduct research and secure technologies to mitigate blue-green algae and red tide, and the state now has dedicated streams of revenue to promote coastal resiliency and water quality improvements.

We have even made enormous strides in removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades. In the gallery today is the reigning python king, Charlie Dachton, who caught a whopping 41 pythons in our 2021 statewide contest.

We resolved to leave our unique natural inheritance to God better than we found it, and we are fulfilling that pledge.

We also will continue to honor our commitment to safe communities.

Florida is a law and order state.

We will not allow law enforcement to be defunded, bail to be eliminated, criminals to be prematurely released from prison or prosecutors to ignore the law.

These soft-on-crime policies have been tried in communities throughout the country to disastrous results: crime has skyrocketed, morale for police officers has plummeted and quality of life has been destroyed.

We have stood by the men and women of law enforcement. Not only do we reject defunding law enforcement — we enacted $1,000 bonuses for all police, fire and EMTs in Florida. I’m asking the Legislature to re-up these bonuses for another year. They deserve it.

Serving in law enforcement is a noble calling and we will not allow our officers to be smeared by reckless politicians and corporate media. My proposals to increase pay for state law enforcement by up to 25% and to provide $5,000 signing bonuses to law enforcement personnel who either transfer to or begin their careers in Florida will spark a tidal wave of qualified professionals seeking employment at agencies throughout the state.

I’m happy to be joined by Officer Yehuda Topper from the North Miami Beach Police Department, who moved from NYC and is the state’s first orthodox Jewish police officer.

Let there be no doubt to those who wear the uniform: the state of Florida stands with you!

Law and order requires strong borders. The crisis at the US-Mexico border over the past year has witnessed staggering illegal migration and a massive influx of narcotics like fentanyl. Rather than defend our sovereignty and enforce the border, the federal government has released hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens to communities across the U.S., shipping them to Florida at alarming rates, including by sending clandestine flights in the dark of night.

As a state, we cannot be a party to what is effectively a massive human smuggling operation run by the federal government. Companies who are facilitating the movement of illegal aliens from the southern border to Florida should be held accountable, including by paying restitution to the state for all the costs they are imposing on our communities. I am also requesting funds so that when the feds dump illegal aliens in Florida, the state can re-route them to states that have sanctuary policies.

Florida should not be made to bear the burden of our federal government’s lawless open border policies.

The rule of law also means that our citizens have the ability to participate in elections that are secure and transparent.

It is Orwellian doublespeak to invoke the concept of “voting rights” to mean ballot harvesting, prohibiting voter ID and taxpayer funding of elections. Those are political concepts that erode the integrity of our elections.

Ballot harvesting has no place in Florida and we need to increase the penalties for those who do it. We also need to ensure that supervisors clean the voter rolls, that only citizens are registered to vote and that mail ballots only go to those who actually request them before each individual election.

To ensure that elections are conducted in accordance with the rule of law, I have proposed an election integrity unit whose sole focus will be the enforcement of Florida’s election laws. This will facilitate the faithful enforcement of election laws and will provide Floridians with the confidence that their vote will count.

Our constitutional rights have been under assault on a number of fronts and Florida has stood tall in defending the rights of its people.

A free society requires the ability to have robust discussions about issues of

public importance, yet today Big Tech companies have used their platforms to elevate preferred narratives and to stifle dissent, serving as a de facto council of censors. Florida was the first state to legislate protections for its citizens and we should build on this success.

These same companies make a fortune by selling user data. Floridians should not have their data utilized by Big Tech without providing affirmative consent and I urge the Legislature to enact protections for the data privacy of all Floridians.

I also recommend that the Legislature strengthen protections for Floridians’ 2nd Amendment rights. These important rights should not depend on the whims of politicians who reject the existence of those rights.

Finally, we have an opportunity to strengthen protections for the right to life, without which the other rights mean little.

Protecting life does not end with the unborn. It must also include continued efforts to promote adoption and foster care so that all Floridians have a fair chance in life. Florida has 4,000 more licensed caregivers than in 2019 and I am proposing additional funds for foster parents in next year’s budget.

Nobody has done more to support Florida’s children than our First Lady, whose Pathway to Prosperity program has served more than 17,000 families in need through a collaboration between DCF and the faith community.

On behalf of our family, I want to personally thank everyone who has sent prayers and well-wishes for her recovery from breast cancer. Casey is strong, resilient, and has a husband and three kids who love her dearly. 2022 is the year she will be cancer free!

Florida has understood how important it is to put our seniors first, and we have done that time and again over the past two years.

Most recently, we led the nation in raising awareness of and expanding access to monoclonal antibody treatments. This effort has kept thousands of seniors out of the hospital and has saved many lives.

Wally and Doris Cortese from Cape Coral are with us today. Wally is a WWII and Korean War veteran who has been married to Doris for 62 years. When they both contracted COVID-19, they utilized monoclonal treatments to make full recoveries. God bless you both.

On June 24, millions of Floridians were shocked to wake up the news of a catastrophic partial collapse at the Champlain Towers South condominium complex.

First responders rescued dozens of people from an adjoining tower and searched a massive pile of rubble for survivors for weeks.

Our first responders poured their heart and soul into the rescue efforts.

Ray Jadallah is the assistant chief of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue who helped lead those efforts. We thank Ray and all the members of the Urban Search and Rescue Teams that worked tirelessly during those very difficult days.

The loss of the 98 victims who perished in the collapse has been devastating and incalculable.

One of the victims was 92-year-old Hilda Noriega, whose son, North Bay Village Chief of Police Carlos Noriega, and grandchildren are with us today.

Hilda was the matriarch of an amazing family and is dearly missed by those who knew her.

The grief and anguish endured by the Noriega family and the other Surfside families has been overwhelming, and reminds us that: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed.”

Our state should provide support for an appropriate memorial so that future generations will never forget the legacies of the victims of that terrible event.

The Surfside tragedy reminds us that you never know what tomorrow will bring. Don’t take anything for granted and make the most out of each and every day.

We have 60 days to work together to build upon our rock of freedom. Lost time is never found again. Seize the moment.

And be thankful that God has blessed us to live and serve in America’s liberty outpost, the free state of Florida!

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

People, Places & Things Highlighting History A NEW PUBLIC ARTWORK IS BEING CREATED IN WEST OCALA.

By Susan Smiley-Height Ocala Gazette The E. D. Croskey Recreation Center is the oldest of the city of Ocala’s community centers.

In coming weeks, an expansive and colorful mural being painted on the exterior will help pay tribute to the venue’s important historic role as an anchor of the community.

The center was built in 1951 and was called the War Memorial Auditorium/Recreation Center.

In February 2000, it was renamed for Edward “E.D.” Croskey, who worked for the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department for 35 years and was known for his love of helping local youth.

“Most people look at it as a recreational facility, but it was much more,” said local author, photographer and educator Cynthia Wilson-Graham of the center’s early days. “There were plays there, debutante balls, bigname singers would come in from out of town. It opened in the early ‘50s for minorities.”

Wilson-Graham said mural

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Tallahassee artist Cosby Hayes positions a lift in front of a large 96 foot x 25 foot mural he is painting on the west side of the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center on Northwest Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Ocala on Jan. 10, 2022.

artist Cosby Hayes was given access to a collection of historic center photographs amassed by former employee and artist Robert Williams. Some of those images will be woven into the overall theme of the artwork.

The City of Ocala’s Cultural Arts and Sciences Division, along with Fine Arts for Ocala (FAFO), the Racial Equity and Cultural Harmony (REACH) task force and the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission hosted community meetings in September and October to discuss BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette the mural’s Tallahassee artist Cosby Hayes, left, collaborates with Cynthia Wilson Graham, a local journalist and collaborative artist, right. subject matter.

Hayes attended the meetings to collect the community input that developed into the mural concept.

Wilson-Graham, a collaborative artist on the project, participated in the meetings and is documenting the entire process for use in an educational brochure that will meet Florida State teaching standards and later be distributed to Marion County Public Schools.

The mural being created

by Hayes will span the west and south-facing walls of the center, located at 1510 NW Fourth St., within the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Complex. Hayes, of Tallahassee, has been commissioned by city governments, nonprofits and businesses. He works as a community organizer and activist and is constantly creating new works with his partner and

collaborator, Sarah Painter.

Hayes said he submitted a proposal for the Ocala mural project back in 2019 or 2020. He said plans to be in town working on the mural until about Jan. 28.

“He has images provided to him from the Robert Williams collection of photographs but he also has an overarching picture that you see out there now, of the hands weaving fabric like bringing in the community all together,” noted Wilson-Graham of the stunning images created thus far. “So, the pictures he will weave into this big mural are images from those different segments of things that took place at the center.”

She said that some people have seen the bare exterior of the center as an eyesore and she is happy that “art is going to bring imagery to the west side of

town, because if you notice there is really nothing in West Ocala other than the mural wall at the MLK complex but it is not easily seen unless you drive in off of the road. But this piece of art is right off of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. If people come to the center for any activity, they’ll see it and the public can see it as they are driving up and down the road.

Members of a women’s exercise group from the Barbara Gaskin Washington Adult Activity Center came by one morning and said how much they liked it. And when people come to the complex on Monday after the annual MLK March, they can walk over and check it out.”

“Folks can always stop by and watch,” Hayes added.

To learn more, visit www.ocalafl.org/culturalarts.

Painted horse honoring Graham will live at OPD

By Marian Rizzo A legacy is generally something that is passed down from one generation to the next. But in Ocala, it’s also a work of art, precisely a fiberglass horse that has been painted to memorialize the life and work of the former Ocala Police Chief, the late Greg Graham.

A vote by the City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 4, approved the donation of the Legacy statue into the city’s art collection. Pending Mayor Kent Guinn’s proclamation, the installation is scheduled to take place on Jan. 25 at the entrance to the Ocala Police Department (OPD) headquarters, weather permitting.

Ashley Dobbs, marketing and communication manager for the City of Ocala, said a cement slab pedestal had already been poured.

The art is the work of Orlando resident Derek Grimsley, who painted the background blue and black and added a gold police badge to the horse’s chest.

Fine gold lines run throughout the horse’s body with symbolic words like loyalty and community.

“Things he embodied as police chief,” Grimsley said.

Graham’s widow, Amy, provided photos to Grimsley, as well as participated in several Zoom meetings, all to help

the artist properly include more personal images from Graham’s life, including his passion for skiing, hang-gliding, deep-sea fishing and flying.

“It was quite the honor that I was even chosen to represent the late chief of police,” said Grimsley, “partially because my first horse I did was a private commission from the police department and Chief Graham was actually present when we dedicated it to the city.

“Little did I know that I would be doing a second to commemorate his life,” he added.

Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken expressed just how much Chief Graham meant to the department.

“Greg Graham was greatly loved by our community and especially loved by this police agency,” Balken said. “Not only was he a remarkable leader who led our department through some challenging times, but he was also a mentor and a friend to many of us. This beautiful statue will help us recall the man he was and the legacy he left to our organization.

“Greg genuinely cared about people,” he added. “Time and again, he would go out of his way to help someone in need ....

My hope is this: that when we see ‘Legacy’, it will remind us of all the good that Greg

Graham was known for, especially how he cared for others. I hope this statue inspires us to continue that example.”

The statue was paid for through a January 2021 fundraiser walk hosted by the Legacy Foundation, which was organized two weeks after Graham’s death. The group raised $150,000, with $5,000 going toward the purchase of the life-size horse statue. Angie Clifton, co-chair of the Legacy Foundation, said that after the artwork was done, the finished statue was valued at $30,000.

Other benefactors of the fundraiser included the Boys & Girls Club, Beacon Point recovery center, the OPD Polar Patrol’s community ice cream truck and, Clifton said, “other local services that were near and dear to Greg’s heart.”

“Another project is to sponsor two fire college candidates with a full ride to fire college,” Clifton added. “Greg’s three children are the selection committee. ‘Legacy’ is keeping Greg’s dreams and commitment to this community alive and well. He was fulfilling his legacy. That’s why we named it that.”

The next Legacy walk will take place on Jan. 20, starting at 7 a.m. at Zone Health & Fitness, located at 524 S. Pine Avenue. To participate, call Angie Clifton at 895-4162.

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Showing Off

Youth rodeo participants display roping and riding skills.

By Susan Smiley-Height Ocala Gazette

T

he grins were almost as big as the hats and belt buckles during the East Coast Youth Rodeo held Jan. 8 and 9 at the Williston Horseman’s Park in neighboring Levy County.

When you pair cowboys and cowgirls up to age 19 with critters such as cows, sheep, goats and horses, there is bound to be some rumbling and tumbling along with the stiff competition and pure clean (well maybe a bit dusty and dirty) fun.

The event included the youth participating in events such as barrel racing, pulling

Anslee Price holds onto her lamb in the Muttin Bustin event during the East Coast Youth Rodeo at the Williston Horseman’s Association in Williston on Jan. 8.

ribbons off of fast-moving goats, “Chute Doggin’” and team roping. There was even plenty of action outside the arena as the ropers practiced their skills on a dummy steer.

Beneath the sunny skies, some of the youth took breaks in the bleachers to cool their boot heels have some ice cream as they cheered on their friends.

During a parents’ rodeo session, the kids ran the show while the grownups had some fun.

To learn more, find the East Coast Youth Rodeo Association on Facebook or visit www.ecyra.com

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

Lane Woodward, 8, makes a lasso as he competes in the Dummy Roping event.

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

Kolt Thornton hits the dirt as he comes off his lamb in the Muttin Bustin event.

Jesse Rochay gets flipped off his bull as rodeo safety members Cayden Carter, 16, left, and his brother, Cole, 19, right, get ready to help him in the High School Bulls event.

Sawyer Humphreys holds on as his lamb goes down in the Muttin Bustin event.

OCT to hold auditions for “Beauty and the Beast”

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T

he Ocala Civic Theatre (OCT) will be holding open auditions for its production of Beauty and the Beast on Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, February 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ocala Civic Theatre.

OCT is seeking 12 principal/supporting roles and 23 ensemble members to play multiple roles. There is one role for a male child, age 7-10. All other actors must be age 16 and older, no exceptions.

HUMAN CHARACTERS • Belle: Age 18-24. Mezzo-soprano, range E3 to F5. A smart, plucky young woman from a provincial town. Quite literally different from the rest of her village, and yearning for something more, she is a strong, intelligent, spirited, and independent young woman. Belle is the moral compass of the story, elevated by her thoughts and deeds. This role requires a strong singer who can handle the responsibility and breadth of the leading role.

• The Beast: Age 25-40. Baritone, range A2 to F4. Master of a magical castle and formerly a prince, the Beast’s tortured soul is evident for all to see. He is paying the ultimate price for a moment of meanspiritedness and wishes that he could rectify his mistake. There is anger and menace in the Beast’s appearance and behavior, but increasingly we see his soft and endearing side as he interacts with Belle and recaptures his humanity. This role requires a strong singer, with a strong speaking voice and stage presence.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Beast’s costumes and makeup are heavy, awkward, and hot. If you struggle with claustrophobia, skin challenges, or overheating easily, this may not be the right fit for you.

• Gaston: Age 25-40. Baritone, range A2 to E4. A pompous and dim-witted “ladies’ man,” Gaston is the absolute antithesis of the Beast. Although he is physically handsome, he is shallow, completely self-centered, not very bright,

and thrives on attention. However, when his ego is bruised he becomes a very dangerous foe for the Beast, Belle, and Maurice. This role requires a strong singer and character actor who moves well.

• LeFou: Age 20-40. Baritone, range B2 to G4. A dim-witted lackey to Gaston, he goes to extraordinary lengths and suffers repeated humiliation in his efforts to please his master. The actor must be comfortable with physical comedy, and should move well and be a strong character actor.

• Maurice: Age 40-70. Baritone, range Bb2 to Db4. An inventor and Belle’s father, Maurice can be a bit scatterbrained, but there is no mistaking Maurice’s steadfast love for his daughter. Kindly, gentle, enthusiastic and inventive, he becomes single-minded and determined when Belle faces danger. Requires strong character acting and good chemistry with Belle.

• Monsieur D’Arque: Age 35-70.

Baritone, range D3 to A4. Proprietor of the lunatic asylum. Requires strong character acting. Will double in ensemble.

OBJECT CHARACTERS IMPORTANT NOTE: The costumes for Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Madame de la Grande Bouche are heavy, awkward and hot. If you tend to overheat easily, or struggle with feelings of claustrophobia, then these parts will not be a good fit for you. Additionally, please be aware that you will need to be able to lift or carry 15-20 lbs. for an extended period of time.

• Mrs. Potts: Age 35-55. MezzoSoprano, range F#3 to G5. A cook who is slowly becoming a teapot. Mrs. Potts is warm-hearted and the mother figure of the enchanted castle. British or Cockney accent required.

• Lumiere: Age 25-50. Baritone, range F#2 to F#4. A French maître d’ who is slowly becoming a candelabra. He is light-hearted, suave, romantic, smoothtalking, and charming. He has a romantic involvement with Babette. This role requires strong character acting, and he should move well. French accent required.

• Cogsworth: Age 35-60. Baritone,

range A2 to E4. The English major-domo of the castle who is slowly becoming a mantle clock. He is a stuffy English man who loves perfection. Performer should be a strong character actor. British accent required.

• Babette: Age 20-35. Soprano, range C4 to C6. A maid who is slowly becoming a feather duster. Saucy and the object of Lumiere’s affections. Role requires strong character acting and strong dancing.

French accent required.

• Madame de la Grande Bouche: Age 30-60. Soprano, range C#4 to G5. An opera singer who is slowly becoming a wardrobe. Role requires great comedic timing, strong character acting, and strong singing voice.

• Chip: Age 7-10. Unchanged voice, range D3 to D5. Mrs. Potts’ son, who is slowly becoming a teacup. He is innocent, playful, and bright-eyed. IMPORTANT NOTE: The performer must be comfortable in confined spaces, as this role requires a substantial amount of time inside a box with only his head visible. If you struggle with claustrophobia, this part is probably not for you.

ENSEMBLE There are 23 roles available for soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass performers with strong singing and movement skills, with acrobatic skills a plus. The ensemble (ages 16+) requires strong singer/dancer/actors who will play multiple roles, including villagers, magical objects, wolves, and other creatures. The ensemble is the backbone of Beauty and the Beast and requires individuals who are willing to work hard, with excellent focus and attention to detail. Many roles require multiple costume changes, the ability to carry or lift 15-20 lbs., and both dance and physical skills. IMPORTANT NOTE for the performers playing the flower vase and cheese grater: If you struggle with feelings of claustrophobia, these parts may not be the best fit for you.

For auditions, actors should prepare 32 bars from a song which shows both their vocal skill and range. Legible sheet music must be provided for the rehearsal

pianist/music director. No recorded accompaniment or a cappella auditions will be allowed. Please dress appropriately for the singing and dancing audition.

Copies of the script are available and may be checked out from the OCT box office for one week with a $10 refundable deposit. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please call (352) 236-2274 before coming to make sure a script is in stock.

If you check out a script the week before auditions, you must return it by 5:30 p.m. on Friday, February 4.

NOTE: It is only necessary to attend one night of auditions. No experience is necessary. Newcomers and theatre veterans alike are welcome and encouraged to audition. If you are unable to attend the scheduled auditions, please contact the Theatre at (352) 236-2274 about making a separate appointment. Be prepared at auditions to list any conflicts with the rehearsal schedule.

Beauty and the Beast is directed by Katrina Ploof. Music director is Philip King. Stage manager is Kim Wise.

Rehearsals will be held March 8 – May 11, Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Ocala Civic Theatre. Please note: There may be some Saturday rehearsals, and there will be an all-day tech rehearsal on Saturday, May 7. There will be 20 public performances, Thursdays through Sundays, from May 12 – June 5, 2022.

In addition, a large crew will be required for Beauty and the Beast.

This includes assistant stage managers; sound, light board, spotlight, rigging, and fly operators; costume dressers, deck crew, and more. No prior experience is necessary. Crew will begin attending rehearsals on May 4. All crew members must be 16 or older and are required to work all performances. If interested, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Craig James at (352) 236-2851, ext. 102, or volunteercoordinator@ ocalacivictheatre.com.

For more information, visit www. ocalacivictheatre.com.

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Creative’s Corner The bold fragility of horses through an expressionistic lens

Cara Van Leuven’s first solo exhibition hits The Brick this month.

Cara Van Leuven

By Julie Garisto

W

e all can relate, especially those of us who have bred horses, to the unbridled joy we feel at full gallop.

Or maybe you have noticed the form a silhouette of a horse makes through the reflection of a puddle or through raindrops on a window.

All of the above and more imbue the expressionistic paintings of Cara Van Leuven, whose first-ever solo show, “Horses with Long Legs,” can be seen at the Marion Cultural Alliance’s Brick City Center for the Arts (aka “the Brick”) through Jan. 31.

Van Leuven’s equine love goes back to her childhood. At nine, she began taking riding lessons.

She showed in hunters and in the jumper ring. In her teens, she studied photography and was fascinated by how a slight turn of one’s face or the elements of a background could inexorably change an image. That focus on delicate detail and background would stay with her throughout her career.

A rebel at heart, Van Leuven also delved into hip-hop and graffiti, indulging an appreciation of multicultural and countercultural explorations.

After studying photojournalism at Western Kentucky University, the artist worked in media design, marketing and project management. Things changed drastically, however, during the economic downturn of 2008.

“When the recession hit, I lost everything,” she said.

As luck would have it, the hardships spurred a change in direction and the reunion with horses that Van Leuven’s spirit had been long seeking.

“I had never picked up a paintbrush until I finished my first painting in 2011,” she said. “I didn’t take art classes, but I was always very creative.”

In her early thirties, Van Leuven relocated to St. Louis and lived in an artists’ loft.

“There were just canvases all over this place,” she recalled.

“There were probably no more than 10 people living in this entire building but hundreds

of canvases everywhere. So we would take what we could find and just paint over it. And because there were stories behind every painting, there was this great texture.”

To pay the bills, she became a carriage driver, which reunited her with horses.

“It was such a cool job,” Van Leuven effused.

“I was having the time of my life.

Nobody gets on a carriage in a bad mood. You were around horses all day, and if you were good to those horses, they would Supplied give you their heart and soul.”

When the economy rebounded, Cara found designproject work again, but it didn’t make her heart sing the way those horses did.

“When I did get back into corporate, especially when I was doing those contract gigs, I was making very good money, but even working part-time and flex hours, even though they were so good to me at these gigs, I would get so depressed. I just didn’t thrive in a structured environment like that,” she said.

An artistic mentor persuaded Van Leuven to paint her horses full time, and she hasn’t looked back. She credits the assistance of husband Tom York, the “business man” of the pair, for his role in her early success.

The couple rent a farm in Micanopy with glimmering views of the Orange Lake Preserve.

They’ve brought with them two border collies, Buck and Shiloh, two mares and a miniature horse.

“Penny is a red mare, a Chestnut mare, and they have a reputation,” she said, adding that the other, Sketch is a a dark bay.

Easel is the mini.

“I do like horses that I feel reflect me,” Van Leuven shared, “and so maybe my horses were challenging, or they didn’t have the same start in life as everybody else, but I saw a lot of potential in them.”

“Challenging” and a “little wild” could be used to describe Van Leuven and her works. Like the artist, they are also a little gracious and gentle in demeanor and sophisticated. Midcenturymodern design peeks through her works’ muted but rich colors, clear lines and simple organic forms.

The works of Mark Rothko (1903-1970) inspired her to experiment with materials and use homemade pigments. In “Old

Enough to Know Better,” which features three maturing horses in a tender pastoral exchange, a deep-red “secret” pigment shades and streaks, suggesting a love of horses that goes blood deep or, perhaps, the dappled light of an intense Ocala sunset.

Varying interpretations complement the artist’s backstories. In a literal sense, the paintings offer more than paint beneath the surface. Along with thick-but-refined strokes, guided meticulously by a pallet knife, grains of sand, a little hay, horse hair and other flotsam and jetsam blows through the barn’s breezeway right onto Van Leuven’s paintings.

So, why the long legs?

The artist revealed that she

once had a mare named Hazel who fell ill often and had to be euthanized at the age of 5. Her melancholy comes through in the painting of “Dream Gait,” a personal favorite.

“The longer the legs, the bigger my vets bills were during the creation of the painting,” she said.

With fragile beauty, deep intense color and an element of the expected, Van Leuven experiences horses with a bold vivacity that’s relatable to local equestrians.

“Ocala is a magical place for me,” she said.

Attend an artist talk with Cara Van Leuven at noon on Friday, Jan. 21. Call MCA at (352) 369-1500 for more information.

Old Enough to Know Better

“I do like horses that I feel reflect me and so maybe my horses were challenging, or they didn’t have the same start in life as everybody else, but I saw a lot of potential in them.”

Cara Van Leuven

Dream Gait

B4

JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

ADAPTED BY MARK BROWN | FROM THE NOVEL BY JULES VERNE

Sudoku is played on a grid of 9 x 9 spaces. Within the rows and columns are 9 “squares” (made up of 3 x 3 spaces). Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating any numbers within the same row, column or square.

A WHIRLWIND COMEDY!

LIVE ON STAGE JAN. 20 TO FEB. 6

WORD FIND

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction bu always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have com pleted the puzzle, there will be 14 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Speaking in the vernacular Solution: 14 Letters

Dill Ditch Dunny Egghead Egos Energy Esky Fire Free Glee Helpful Hobo Humpy Joey

Lollies Lucky Mates Moon Nipper Once over Opal Paddock Pash Pubs Rest Rice Savvy

Scale Scrub Shout Snag Squiz Swag Too right True blue Twits Uluru Yack Yarra You beaut

Solution: Avagoodweekend

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© 2022 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.

PRINTED IN ENGLAND

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Creators Syndicate 737 3rd Street • Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-337-7003 • info@creators.com

Historic Downtown Gainesville Cell Phone Tour

Walk, bike, or drive around downtown and learn about the history of Gainesville and its many historic buildings from the convenience of your cell phone. https://mathesonmuseum.org/cell-phone-tour/

Matheson History Museum 513 E. University Avenue Gainesville, FL 32601 352-378-2280 ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGE B7

Date: 01/16/22

B5

JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

Martin Luther King Jr. day JAN. 15

Prayer Breakfast

ED Croskey Center, 1510 NW 4th St., Ocala 9am Enjoy a prayer breakfast, hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission to “honor the courage, the compassion, and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King.” Tickets can be purchased for $12; mask required. Contact Loretta Jenkins at (352) 351-0824 for details.

JAN. 15

Wreath Ceremony

Martin L. King Jr. Park, 500 SW MLK Jr. Ave., Ocala 11:30am Take part in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission’s wreath ceremony to “honor the courage, the compassion, and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King.” Mask required.

For more information, contact Cassandra Boston at (352) 209-2973.

JAN. 15

MLK Youth Day

JAN. 17

MLK March

Howard Academy, 306 NW 7th Ave., Ocala 1-3pm The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission presents MLK Youth Day to “honor the courage, the compassion, and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King.” Mask required. Contact Dwanette Dilworth at (352) 207-6036 for more information.

Downtown Ocala Square 9am Beginning in the Downtown Ocala Square, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission hosts a march in honor of “the courage, the compassion, and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King.” Transportation from ED Croskey Center to Downtown begins at 7am; mask required. For details, contact Kelvin Richardson by email at kelvinbrich@gmail.com or by phone at (352) 207-3557, or Ire Bethea by email at ibethea2008@cox.net or by phone at (352) 208-0819.

JAN. 16

Ecumenical Service

JAN. 17

MLK Recreation Complex—Webb Field 4pm Join the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission in “honoring the courage, the compassion, and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King” with an ecumenical service.

Please bring your own chairs; mask required.

Contact Shirley Wright at (352) 732-0097 for details.

A Day in the Park

Immediately following the march, enjoy food and merchandise vendors, entertainment, speakers, and more, presented by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission; mask required.

Contact Derek Ponder at derek.ponder@gmail.com for more information.

community JAN. 14

Marion County Friday Market

McPherson Government Campus Field, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 9am-2:30pm Shop locally fresh fruits and veggies, cinnamon buns, jerky, freeze dried treats, olive oils, and seafood; recurs every Friday.

JAN. 14

Spy Pilot: Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 Incident, and a Controversial Cold War Legacy Cypress Hall, 8415 SW 80th St., Suite 2, Ocala 10-11:30am Based on newly-available information, the son of famed U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers presents the facts and dispels misinformation about the Cold War espionage program that turned his father into a Cold War icon. Register online at masterthepossibilities.org.

JAN. 14-16

Majestic Oaks Ocala USEA Horse Trials

Majestic Oaks Ocala, 17500 N US Hwy 441, Reddick Watch United States Eventing Association horse trial divisions from starter through preliminary.

Vendor Village includes food trucks, tack stores, feed stores, and everything in between. Bring your own chairs. Visit majesticoaksocala.com for details.

JAN. 15

Yoga in the Park

Sholom Park: 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala 9am Stretch out by the Sholom Park stage; recurs every Saturday morning. Visit sholompark.org for details.

JAN. 15

JAN. 16

Ocala Polo Club Winter Games

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S Highway 475, Ocala 1pm Matches start at 1pm. Chairs are suggested, food and drink are welcome. Tailgating at polo is the perfect venue to enjoy amazing equine athletes with your family and friends! For more information, visit ocalapolo.com.

JAN. 17

Matt Roberts: 42nd Street Magic

Ocala Golf Club Showroom, 3130 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 2pm and 4:30pm Award-winning magician Matt Roberts brings his New York-hit comedy magic show to Ocala.

Roberts will have audience members alternating between laughter and awe as he presents his one-band brand of sleight of hand, levitation, “mindreading,” and a jaw-dropping twist on one of Houdini’s famous feats. Visit ocalamarion.com/ events for details.

JAN. 18

Art of HR Conference

World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 8:30am-4pm The Art of HR conference features a full day of in-person sessions designed to assist businesses in leveraging the value of their people, learn about the state of the workforce and key data to help build critical talent pipelines, understand the latest employment law and how it affects local businesses, and discover workplace best practices to recruit and retain employees. For more information or to register for the event, visit bit.ly// ARTOFHR.

Ocala Downtown Market

Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 8th Ave., Ocala 10am-2pm Visit the 2022 Health & Wellness Expo to chat with Marion, Citrus, and Lake County healthcare providers. Enjoy fitness demonstrations from On Top of the World fitness staff and The Ranch Center & Spa team. For more information, call (352) 8548707 ext. 7533 or 7530.

JAN. 16

Herb Hour with Sheldon!

Marion Oaks Public Library, 294 Marion Oaks Lane, Ocala 2pm Grow the yummiest herbs for your favorite recipes with tips from Master Gardener Sheldon, featuring herb-tasting and a gardening craft for all ages. For more information, visit library.marionfl.org.

JAN. 18

JAN. 20

Farmers Market

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 8th St., Ocala 9am-1pm Join us for a wonderful selection of fresh seasonal produce from local growers as well as baked goods, plants, handmade soaps, and much more; recurs every Thursday! Visit circlesquarecommons. com for more info.

JAN. 20

The Shores Market

Silver Springs Shores Community Center, 590 Silver Road, Ocala 5-7pm The indoor farmers market includes farm fresh goods, artisan food products, and arts and crafts vendors; recurs every Tuesday. Visit fb.com/ theshoresmarket for more information.

JAN. 19

Community Job Fair

Belleview Public Library, 13145 SE Highway 484, Belleview 10:30am Looking for a career opportunity? For more information, visit library.marionfl.org.

JAN. 19

Novels at Noon

Marion Oaks Public Library, 294 Marion Oaks Lane, Ocala 12pm Join the club and turn the page! Make new friends and talk about books! Join in-person or call to join via Zoom. Call the listed library for more information. You are welcome to attend one or all!

For more information, visit library.marionfl.org.

JAN. 19

JAN. 20

Health & Wellness Expo

World Equestrian Center—Courts 1-20, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala Join three days of open, USA, and club division play for 10’s to 18’s. For additional information, visit jvctournaments.com/ FirstInShowTournamentInformation.

Equus Inn, 3434 SW College Road, Ocala 8:30-10:30am Connect with other local business owners and professionals, share ideas, exchange referrals, and help each other’s businesses grow! Complimentary breakfast. RSVP at eventbrite.com.

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St., Ocala 1-6pm Browse organic produce, microgreens, freshbaked breads, and more. Food trucks such as Tom’s Taste of Chicago, Jimmy’s Philly Cheesesteaks, and Kona Ice Ocala join the fun; recurs every Wednesday. Visit facebook.com/ OcalaDowntownMarket for details.

JAN. 15

First in Show Volleyball Tournament

LMS Network Breakfast Networking Meeting

Wednesday Midday Market

310 SE Third St., Ocala 9am-2pm A variety of vendors offer local fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, fresh pasta, honey, and arts and crafts. Rain or shine; recurs every Saturday. Visit ocaladowntownmarket.com for more information.

JAN. 15-17

JAN. 18

Lunch with the Archaeologist

Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E Fort King St., Ocala 11am-1pm Lunch with the Archaeologist returns to Fort King National Historic Landmark and Visitor Center! Pack a lunch, bring a chair, and enjoy a Q&A session with a local archeologist about artifacts and projects at Fort King. Free to attend; no registration required.

For more information, visit ocalafl.org/recpark.

JAN. 20

Dylan Newton’s “How Sweet It Is”

Marion County Public Library Headquarters, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 3:30pm A happy accident takes Kate Sweet from planning someone else’s happily-ever-after to finding her own. Break out the chocolate-covered strawberries for a Q&A with contemporary romance author, Dylan Newton, about her latest work. For more information, visit library.marionfl.org.

JAN. 21

Ties & Tiaras: The Princess and The Frog Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala 7pm Presented by The Marion County Children’s Alliance (MCCA), Ties & Tiaras will be a special movie date night downtown for fathers (or father figures) and daughters! Enjoy free popcorn, soft drinks, photo booth fun, special treats, and Disney’s “Princess and the Frog” (Rated G). This event is free, but registration is required. Doors open at 6pm, film starts at 7 pm. For more information or to reserve your ticket, visit mariontheatre.org or contact kelley@ mcchildrensalliance.org.

Chief Greg Graham Legacy Walk

JAN. 18

Embracing History: Remembering Paradis Park at Silver Springs and Highlighting African American Contributions in Marion County

Live Oak Hall, 8415 SW 80th St., Suite 2, Ocala 4:30-5:30pm Paradise Park was originally opened on the southside Silver River in 1928 as a competition park to the Silver Springs Attraction. In 1949, Paradise Park reopened as an exclusive African American Roadside Attraction, which made it unique due to ownership. Learn some of the significant adversities and contributions of some trailblazing African Americans that enhanced the communities of Marion County. Register online at masterthepossibilities.org.

Zone Health & Fitness, 524 S Pine Ave., Ocala 7am-7pm The second annual Chief Greg Graham Legacy Walk event will be held on the Chief’s treadmill at Zone Health & Fitness.

Portions of the proceeds will go to benefit Chief Greg Graham’s passion projects, the Amnesty Program at Beacon Point and the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County. The remaining proceeds will become seed funds for the Chief Greg Graham Legacy Foundation, dedicated to the life of service, community impact, and the health of Ocala/ Marion County. Visit greggrahamfoundation.org for more information or to register online.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Capt. Sandra Duryea of the Ocala Police Department, right, and Dr. James Henningsen, the president of the College of Central Florida, left, walk on treadmills during the Chief Greg Graham Legacy Foundation walk in Ocala on Jan. 14, 2021.

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

government JAN. 18

JAN. 20

Ocala City Council Meeting

Board of Adjustment Meeting

City Hall Council Chamber – Second Floor, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala 5pm If accommodations are needed for you to participate in this meeting, call (352) 629-8404 two days in advance so arrangements can be made. For assistance accessing this meeting via Zoom, call (352) 629-8226.

City Hall Council Chamber – Second Floor, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala 5:30pm If accommodations are needed for you to participate in this meeting, call (352) 629-8404 two days in advance so arrangements can be made.

JAN. 20

JAN. 28

West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee Meeting City Hall Council Chamber – Second Floor, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala 3pm If accommodations are needed for you to participate in this meeting, call (352) 629-8287 two days in advance so arrangements can be made.

Airport Advisory Board Meeting

Airport Terminal Aviation Building, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Ocala 3:30pm If accommodations are needed for you to participate in this meeting, call (352) 629-8401 two days in advance so arrangements can be made.

JOHN JERNIGAN/Ocala Gazette

arts JAN. 14

Phil Dirt and The Dozers

Orange Blossom Opry, 16439 SE 138th Terrace, Weirsdale 7pm Everyone’s favorite good-time, rock-and-roll group returns with their tight harmonies, great musicianship, and high-energy show. Phil Dirt and The Dozers remains one of the Orange Blossom Opry’s most requested shows. Purchase tickets at the box office, obopry.com, or call (352) 821-1201.

JAN. 14

Coffee with the Conductor

Marion Theatre, 50 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala 10am Enjoy a cup of coffee with Guest Conductor Raymond Chobaz and Ocala Symphony Orchestra Music Director Mattew Wardell to learn more about pieces in the upcoming The Four Temperaments concert. RSVP at reillyartscenter.com

JAN. 14

Classic Albums LIVE: The Who— Who’s Next

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm Experience Classic Albums LIVE as they perform the music of The Who—Who’s Next. For more information, visit reillyartscenter.com or call (352) 351-1606.

JAN. 16

The Policy: Part I

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 3pm In the insurance industry, Mike Crenshaw is the master. His technique impeccable and his success legendary, but when his “sneaky, janky” ways prick the heart of his new bride and threaten the livelihoods of his insurance agents, he meets his match! For more information, visit reillyartscenter. com or call (352) 351-1606.

JAN. 16

The Policy: Part II

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 6pm Lavender Crenshaw struck it rich after she collects her $1 million accidental death insurance from “the

&

policy” of her husband Miles. She thrives on her own success, becoming the new business owner of Lavender Crenshaw Insurance and using Miles’ concept of $1,985 down 3 months free. Life is good until revenge finds her. For more information, visit reillyartscenter.com or call (352) 351-1606.

Explorer Phileas Fogg embarks upon a quest to travel around the world in 80 days to win an outrageous wager. Five actors play 39 characters in this hysterically fast-paced comedy. To purchase tickets, visit ocalacivictheatre.com.

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm The beauty and complexity of horses is revealed through 40 black-and-white photographs by Juliet van Otteren. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Opening reception: “The Parts and the Puzzle”

College of Central Florida Webber Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala 4:30pm The exhibition of artwork by artist, author and Florida State University Professor Emerita Mary Stewart will be open to the public through Feb. 10.

From 10am-4 pm Monday-Thursday. Admission is free. In addition to reception, an artist talk with Stewart will be held 12:30-1:30pm Jan. 24. For more information, call (352) 854-2322, ext. 1664.

THROUGH APRIL 24

Garden Party: Botanical Paintings

by Susan Martin

JAN. 20

Sholom Park, 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala 5:15pm Nino Castenada creates a unique style of Latin jazz by combining the influences of American jazz with Latin rhythms, R&B, and flamenco on the Sholom Park stage. Bring a lawn chair and pack some snacks or grab dinner at a participating food truck.

For more information, visit sholompark.org/parkafter-dark.

JAN. 20

VOICExperience

Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th St., Ocala 7pm Featuring beautiful music from opera and musical theater, performed by talented VOICExperience singers. Join Metropolitan Opera star, Sherrill Milnes, and soprano, Maria Zouves, as they present the beautiful artists of VOICExperience in a concert that will bring back memories and make new ones.

For more information, visit csculturalcenter.com.

JAN. 20-FEB.6

Around the World in 80 Days

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 2pm and 7:30pm Adventures abound in this whirlwind farce!

JAN. 21

Cote Deonath as Elvis: 68 to Vegas

Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th St., Ocala 7pm Ocala resident Cote Deonath brings the numberone Elvis Presley tribute to remember. For more information, visit csculturalcenter.com.

JAN. 21

Lee Ann Womack with Catie Offerman

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm With six albums and international chart-topping singles to her credit, Lee Ann has earned six Country Music Association Awards (including Single and Album of the Year), five Academy of Country Music Awards, a Grammy and much more.

For more information, visit reillyartscenter.com or call (352) 351-1606.

THROUGH JAN. 22

Lisa Russo | European Elegance

Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration Bldg., 828 NE Eighth Ave., Ocala Lisa Russo studied under a traditional oil painter to learn the techniques and methods from the

music nightlife nig ghtlife JAN. 14

Ken Miller The Lodge, 36 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala 8pm Bonkerz Comedy Productions presents comedian Ken Miller, winner of Steve Harvey’s Standup Spotlight comedy competition and host of Real Laughs on Real Radio 104.1, with Dewayne Williams. Visit bonkerzcomedyproductions.com for more information.

JAN. 15

George Durham & Company The Town Square, 8413 SW 80th St., Ocala 6-9pm Enjoy live music and dance to George Durham & Company! For more information, visit circlesquarecommon.com/entertainment.

THROUGH APRIL 24

Heart of the Horse: Photographs by Juliet van Otteren

JAN. 20

Park After Dark: Spain – Nino Castaneda

1600s. Fun fact: She also holds a U.S. patent for a convertible canvas that creates 3D effects. Visit ocalafl.org for details.

JAN. 21

Tuscawilla Art Park Series: Bluegrass and BBQ Tuscawilla Art Park, 223 NE Fifth St. 6pm The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and Applebutter Express as well as local artisans, cash bar and barbecue from Big Lee’s Serious About BBQ and The Smoked Biscuit Company. $7 online/$10 gate.

To learn more, visit www.ocalafl.org/artpark

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm Florida artist Susan Martin’s photorealistic canvasses explore the botanical world by concentrating on small portions of plant life.

Her detailed explorations, influenced by the photographs of Russell Lee, can be observed in her sharp, clean examination of the subject, her preference for strong contrast that reveals surface quality and detail, and an emphasis on composition that comes from years of work in black-and-white. Visit appletonmuseum.org for details.

THROUGH JULY 31

A Strange and Picturesque Country: Etchings by Earl H. Reed

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm Prints from the permanent collection by Earl Howell Reed. Although a largely self-taught artist, Reed’s work can be viewed in the collections of the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Visit appletonmuseum.org for details.

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Pioneer Garden Club and City of Ocala Celebrate Florida Arbor Day

By Judy Greenberg 1st VP Pioneer Garden Club of Ocala

T

he Pioneer Garden Club and the City of Ocala will celebrate Florida Arbor Day, on Jan. 21, 2022 at the Tuscawilla Art Park.

“In no State can there be successfully grown a greater variety of useful and ornamental trees than in Florida; and by no other means with the same outlay of money and labor can we so increase the attractiveness of our favored land as by utilizing these rich and beautiful ornaments of nature to adorn and embellish our homes and public grounds.” Edward A. Perry, Governor of the State of Florida by Proclamation set apart Wednesday, the Tenth Day of February, A.D. 1886 as Arbor Day in Florida.

By Governor Perry’s proclamation, Florida was one of the first states to establish the importance of trees for the good of the people.

Florida Arbor Day was later designated in 1945 as a special observance for the third Friday in January by the addition of Florida Statute 683.04 Arbor Day. Florida celebrates Arbor Day earlier in the year than National Arbor Day because of its unique growing season. National Arbor Day was set in 1970 by President Richard Nixon, designated as the last Friday in April. Ocala observes National Arbor Day during the annual Earth Day Festivities at Tuscawilla Park in April.

My own fascination with trees began at Stilwell Junior High School in Jacksonville, Florida with a science project. The campus in 1969 was situated in a rural setting surrounded by woodlands, a perfect location for ninth-grade students to identify and document trees. Each student created a personal leaf press from the specimens gathered during field excursions.

Research at the school library completed the project.

Throughout my life the basic research techniques that I learned from that project have been my approach to making many decisions and recommendations. Recently, during a

walkthrough at the Tuscawilla Art Park with William Rodriquez, Director of Ocala Parks & Recreation and Greg Vandeventer, Ocala Parks & Recreation Operations, we agreed that another tree should be added to the area designated as the Pioneer Garden. The Pioneer Garden Club Board agreed to the addition of another tree and consequently approved this tree project for the 2022 Florida Arbor Day Ceremony at the park.

My research to determine the best tree began in September. The project goals included that the new tree provide shade, be bird and pollinator friendly, be easy to maintain for an open viewshed at eye-level, and have a root system non-obstructive to the concrete walkways.

I first consulted with fellow garden club members knowledgeable about Florida native species and the planting site. The Ocala Parks Tree & Bench Donation program was reviewed, and my third source was The City of Winter Park Urban Forestry list of Alternative Species to Establish a Diverse Canopy. The City of Winter Park is headquarters for the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, a place I’ve visited many times and a good example for urban park renewal and innovation.

After research and discussion, the following four trees were deemed potentially appropriate for the site. The Shumard oak and the winged elm were both available from the Ocala Tree Donation Program, and the fringetree and sugarberry, both available from the Pioneer Garden Club.

I also used the UF/IFAS Extension Environmental Horticultural Department publications to help me decide about the suitability of each tree for the site. A key criterion for this site in the park was allowing a view at eye level. This, combined with providing shade and easy maintenance, made the winged elm our choice. Winged elms can be pruned at the nursery to achieve a central leader. Frequent pruning during the first 15 years of growth will ensure a healthy/strong specimen for parking

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lot islands, sidewalk cutouts and as a lawn tree in the urban setting. Its roots are also nonobstructive to concrete, a key factor in an urban park setting with walkways already in place.

The planting site is full sun with no protection from wind, and is similar to a parking lot island or sidewalk cutout with less-than ideal soil conditions.

Currently the Art Park Pioneer Garden includes two Drake elms and a magnolia. The winged elm would easily blend in here. The area is designed for plantings; it has no foot traffic, no mowing equipment and is routinely mulched with pine straw, addressing any litter problem from fruit and leaf shed.

After further review by the City of Ocala Parks & Recreation Department, a Florida native winged elm will be planted on Jan. 21, 2022 to celebrate Florida Arbor Day at the Tuscawilla Art Park. The public is invited to join the Pioneer Garden Club of Ocala for this celebration. Enjoy Florida’s natural beauty and consider doing your own native tree planting this Arbor Day. It will be an awesome legacy for future generations.

If You Go: What: 2022 Florida Arbor Day at Tuscawilla Art Park When: Friday, Jan. 21, 2022 from 10– 11 a.m.

Where: The Pioneer Garden along the walkway near the Band Shell

ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4 Sudoku

Newsday Crossword

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

I asked what kind of family Amina wanted. She said, ‘A family like yours.’ That’s when I knew I had to adopt her.

Denise, adopted 17-year-old Amina

LEARN ABOUT ADOPTING A TEEN YO U C A N ’ T I M A G I N E T H E R E WA R D

A D O P T U S K I D S .O R G

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports Georgia snaps 41-year title drought with 33-18 win over Bama

DARRON CUMMINGS/The Associated Press

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart celebrates after the College Football Playoff championship football game against Alabama Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, in Indianapolis.

By Ralph D. Russo The Associated Press

C

onfetti rained down on Georgia.

The Bulldogs fans chanted “Kir-by, Kir-by!”

Four decades of pent-up emotion were unleashed Monday night as the Bulldogs snapped a frustrating national championship drought by vanquishing

their nemesis.

Stetson Bennett delivered the biggest throws of his storybook career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest victory in program history, beating Alabama 33-18 in the College Football Playoff for its first title in 41 years.

“I’ve never been around a group of players that really wanted it so bad and wouldn’t be denied,” Georgia coach Kirby

Smart said. “I told the guys in the locker room, just take a picture of this.”

Smart, a Bulldogs defensive back in the mid-1990s, returned to his alma mater in 2016 after helping Nick Saban build a dynasty as an assistant at Alabama.

Georgia has become an elite program under Smart, but has not been able to chase down its Southeastern Conference rival.

Until now.

“This was for all the glory, we took it,” defensive tackle Jordan Davis said.

And they did it the way Alabama has broken their hearts so many times in recent years: Coming from behind and finishing with a flourish.

Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell on a 40-yard touchdown to give No. 3 Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left and then hooked up with Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD on a screen to put the Bulldogs up eight with 3:33 left.

The final blow came from Georgia’s dominant defense. Kelee Ringo intercepted an underthrown deep ball down the sideline

by Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.

“I just saw the ball in his hands and that was all she wrote,” said safety Lewis Cine, the game’s defensive MVP. With just over a minute left, Ringo took off behind a convoy of blockers and went 79 yards, Smart chasing and yelling at him to go down so he wouldn’t risk a fumble.

The touchdown set off a wild celebration by the relieved Georgia fans who packed

Lucas Oil Stadium.

“There’s going to be some property torn up in Indianapolis tonight,” Smart said, paraphrasing the late Georgia play-by-play man Larry Munson.

The Bulldogs (14-1) hadn’t won a national title since freshman Herschel Walker led them there in 1980. If simply snapping the drought wasn’t good enough, doing it against No. 1 Alabama (13-2) made it even better.

“I cried, so pretty good,” Bennett said when asked how it felt.

Saban’s Tide had won seven straight against the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs lost two SEC championship games, including one five weeks ago, and the 2018 CFP title game to Alabama under Smart.

“I told them we burned the boats.

The only way home was through them,” Smart said.

Mission accomplished.

Bennett, the former walk-on turned starter, finished 17 for 26 for 224 yards and no interceptions.

For most of the first three quarters, the first CFP title game to be a rematch of a regular-season game was an ol’ fashion SEC defensive struggle in the heart of Big Ten country.

The first touchdown came with 1:20 left in the third quarter. After James Cook broke a 67-yard run to get the Bulldogs See UGA title, page C2

Local swimmers find a home with TekMasters Swim Club

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T

he COVID-19 pandemic caused many athletic facilities and programs to shut down. Swimming programs were hit especially hard with closures of aquatic facilities in the area that negatively impacted both competitive and casual swimmers.

A group of swim coaches came together to form the TekMasters Swim Club.

TMSC is registered as an AAU and USA competitive swim club and operates year-round from the Jervey Gantt aquatics facility.

Tarn Thompson, co-founder and coach with TekMasters Swim Club, said he believes in providing multiple

programs for swimmers of all levels of experience.

“We are a family-centric, community service-oriented, competitive program for all swimmers,” Thompson said. “Our club provides programs for recreational and competitive swimmers alike.”

TMSC offers instruction via recreational and developmental programs, See Swim, page C2

ABOVE: Joshua Labasbas, 18, swims breaststroke during practice with the Tekmasters Swim Club at the Jervey Gantt Aquatic Fun Center in Ocala on Jan. 7.

RIGHT: Mai Perez, 10, swims butterfly during practice.

Photos by BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

GAME OF THE WEEK

Trinity Catholic girls host Father Lopez in hoops action

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T

he Trinity Catholic Lady Celtics basketball team is set to host Father Lopez in a matchup for the FHSAA 3A district 3 lead this Friday night.

The Green Wave enter the week with a 10-4 overall record and are 1-1 in district play.

Trinity Catholic stands at 14-2 entering the week with a 1-0 record in district play.

The Lady Celtics are led by sophomore forward Rose Gravel, who is averaging 15.7 points and an astounding 15.4 rebounds per contest.

Sophomore Kieley Bateman is currently second on the team in scoring for the Lady Celtics, averaging 14.0 points and 6.7

rebounds per game.

Father Lopez is led by senior center Molly Lord and junior forward Alana Francis.

The winner will take a commanding lead in the district standings, with the loser fighting to catch up.

Tip-off between Trinity Catholic and Father Lopez is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Supplied

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Forest

Swim club caters to all ages Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

defends home court, beats Wildwood

68-44

LEFT: Hannah Kennedy, 16, left, and Hailee Weeks, 14, right, joke around as they wait for the next set of 100s to start during practice with the Tekmasters Swim Club at the Jervey Gantt Aquatic Fun Center in Ocala on Jan. 7.

Continued from page C1 with an emphasis on stroke development, technique and an integrated competitive style of racing that offers time trials, low-key dual meets, recreational meets and gradual progression toward more competitive USA swim meets.

In the first 18 months of its existence, TMSC has produced multiple top ten rankings in the state for age-group swimming. Several swimmers who participated at TMSC went on to captain their high school swim teams and also swim at FHSAA state-level competitions.

Members of the club also work with community service partners with multiple projects, such as litter clean-up at Jervey Gantt Park, stocking soup kitchens and many other Coach Tarn Thompson works with his swimmers. volunteer activities.

Thompson credits the family involvement and support for the club’s early success.

“We are blessed and gifted with some exceptional people and families,” Thompson said.

TMSC operates at Jervey Gantt Aquatic Center year-round.

Programs offered by the club include summer recreational, national development, senior age group and cross-training.

Jervey Gantt Aquatic Center is located at 2390 SE 36th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471.

For more information on the swim club and the programs offered, visit www.tmsc352.com.

For more information on how Coach Mark Ebey works with swimmers. you can contribute to TMSC, call Coach Thompson at 352-817-1470.

UGA title, first since 1980 Continued from page C1 into the red zone, three more running plays — and a facemask penalty by Alabama — got them into the end zone.

Zamir White went in standing up from a yard out with massive defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Davis leading the way as blockers. The Bulldogs led for the first time, 13-9.

After Alabama added another field goal, the Tide caught a break on strange turnover.

As Bennett was being taken down deep in Georgia territory, he tried to throw the ball away. The ball slipped loose, and bounced toward the sideline, seemingly harmless. Alabama’s Brian Branch casually caught it as he was jogging out of bounds.

Surprisingly, the ruling on the field was a fumble, recovered by the Tide and replay upheld it, giving the Tide the ball in the red zone. A few plays later, Young eluded the rush and found Cameron Latu for a 3-yard touchdown that put Alabama up 18-13 with 10:14 left.

Once again, it seemed as if Georgia would not be able to break the ’Bama curse.

Bennett was 13 for 22 for 141 yards as the next drive started, and you could practically hear all skeptical Georgia fans wondering why Smart didn’t turn to his four-star back-up QB, J.T. Daniels, for a spark.

As he has done so many times during a career that started on the scout team and took a detour through junior college in Mississippi, the small-town Georgia kid

nicknamed “The Mailman” came through.

Bennett completed all three of his passes for 68 yards, including a long strike to Mitchell for a touchdown with 8:09 left that gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead after a failed 2-point conversion.

The Bulldogs’ defense clamped down on Young, forcing a three-and-out on the Tide’s next drive, and then Georgia went to work on sealing a long-awaited championship.

“It’s a little tough that I let them down today,” Young said. “I’ve got to do better with it.”

The sophomore finished 35 for 57 for 359 yards with two interceptions, playing without his top two receivers for most of the game. All-American Jameson Williams went out early in the second quarter with a knee injury, and John Metchie III was injured in the SEC title game.

Young was sacked three times after Georgia didn’t bring him down once in the first meeting.

“We played a heck of a game against a heck of a team for the first three quarters of the game,” said Saban, who was denied his eight national title, seventh with Alabama in the last 13 years. “Nobody can take the SEC championship away from this team, the Cotton Bowl championship.

“We just didn’t finish the way we needed to finish.”

After more than 40 years, it was Georgia’s time to finish.

“You put as much time as we do in this thing, blood, sweat, tears,” Bennett said, ’it means something.”

Forest’s Brandon Baxley (2) drives to the basket as he is defended by Wildwood’s Zech Poyser (4) at Forest High School in Ocala on Jan. 7.

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T

he Forest boys’ basketball team was able to fend off visiting Wildwood Friday night, defending their home court by a score of 68-44.

Forest started the game off quick with a dominating 22-6 first quarter and didn’t let up in the second. Forest would lead by 14 at the halftime break.

A 13-5 run would put Forest well ahead in the third quarter with a score of 56-30 to begin the fourth.

Junior center Neylan Rhem had an outstanding game for Forest punctuated by two huge dunks. Rhem finished the contest with 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot.

Forest senior forward Brandon Baxley would tally 11 points in the win, while sophomore point guard Xzavion McCoy would score seven and pocket three steals.

Wildwood junior guard Zechariah Poyser would continue his steady season with 16 points and three rebounds in the loss.

Forest head coach Mike Hoffmann was pleased with his team’s effort in the home win.

“We have talked for a while about executing on both ends and most importantly playing well overall,” Hoffmann said.

“Tonight we did that.”

Hoffmann was also pleased with the home turnout.

“Friday night home games are the best. We had a good crowd and we’re happy to show them a good product.”

Wildwood moves to 5-9 with the loss and will host The Villages on Saturday.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

With the win, Forest moves to 11-5 on the season and will host Dunnellon on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

Forest’s head coach, Mike Hoffmann, works with his team as they play Wildwood.

Forest’s Naylan Rhem (13) dunks on Wildwood.

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Lady Lions hold on against Saint Francis, 40-34

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T

he Redeemer Lady Lions used stingy defense and strong rebounding to hold off the Saint Francis Lady Wolves 40-34 on Monday night.

The Lady Lions were led senior guard Sadie Wilke, who scored 13 points and grabbed ten rebounds in the victory. Wilke also logged five steals.

Senior forward Jocelyn Meyer chipped in 6 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the win.

Redeemer controlled the game early on and used an 8-2 run to enter the fourth quarter with a double-digit lead.

Saint Francis mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, fueled by the hot

Redeemer’s Kenadie Wilke (3), top, and Sadie Wilke (0), right, converge to take the ball away from St. Francis’ Natalia Winans (20).

hand of sophomore guard Lexi Bhatia. Bhatia scored a team high 18 points for the Lady Lions, with 16 coming in the second half.

Redeemer head coach Lorena Caruthers was pleased with the effort of her players to control the boards against a stout Wolves squad.

“We always emphasize hitting the boards,” Caruthers said. “We lack size, but we always work hard on boxing out.”

Saint Francis moves to 2-8 on the season with the loss. The Lady Wolves will host Bell on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

With the victory, Redeemer moves to 6-7 on the season. The Lady Lions will host Classical Prep from Spring Hill on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.

St. Francis’ Izzy Scarpatti (22) runs into heavy defense from Redeemer’s Sadie Wilke (0) and another Redeemer player as she looks for a way to the basket.

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

Redeemer’s Jocelyn Meyer (10) shoots for two as she is fouled by St. Francis’ Lexi Bhatia (13).

Redeemer’s coach, Lorena Caruthers, works with her players on the bench as they play St. Francis

Redeemer’s Sadie Wilke (0) shoots for two as she is defended by St. Francis’ Izzy Scarpatti (22).

Williston boys too much for Belleview, win going away 69-26

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T

Williston‘s Ed Wesley (1) shoots for two over Belleview‘s Zaekwon Studivant (1) during a basketball game at Belleview High School on Jan. 11.

he Williston boys’ basketball team came out in a suffocating full court press that stymied Belleview for much of the night, as the Rattlers lost their home contest against the visiting Red Devils 69-26 on Tuesday night.

Williston took the lead early and never let up, pressing the Rattlers into turnovers and easy transition buckets.

Red Devils sophomore guard Kyler Lamb and senior forward Tayelen Seabrook each scored a team-high 16 points in the win.

Seabrook also led Williston in rebounds with eight.

JT Tipton, an 8th grade guard, scored 11 points and had a game high six assists for the Red Devils.

Belleview head coach Jason Hasson was proud of his team’s effort amid recent adversity they have encountered.

“We have had a very difficult season that has kind of come to a head right now,” Hasson said.

“We have four players out for the season with injuries and were also missing two players who are out with COVID. Given those circumstances, I am really proud of the effort our team gave tonight,” Hasson added.

Belleview was led in scoring by junior Cori Johnson with eight points. Guard Angel Sosa led the Rattlers with five rebounds.

With the win, Williston moves to 9-6 on the season. The Red Devils will travel to Dixie County High School on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

Belleview falls to 4-11 on the season with the loss.

Up next for the Rattlers is a home contest with in-county opponent Trinity Catholic.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Belleview‘s coach, Jason Hasson, looks on as his team loses to Williston.

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

Belleview‘s Elijah Hilbert (0) looks for a way to the basket as he is defended

by Williston‘s Kyler Lamb (12).

Williston‘s Nekhei Seabrook (4) shoots for two as he is defended by Belleview‘s Cori Johnson (4) and Elijah Hilbert (0).

LEFT: Williston‘s J.T. Tipton (10) drives to the basket past Belleview‘s Angel Sosa (10) and Jaheem Shannon (2).

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JANUARY 14 - JANUARY 20, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

SCORE BOARD SELECTED MARION COUNTY

HIGH SCHOOL

SPORTS BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Redeemer’s Eli Modders (14) hits the floor as Cornerstone’s Cameron Currier (3) tries to take the ball away from him during a game at Redeemer Christian School south of Ocala on Jan. 4.

BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES Jan. 4 Lake Weir Keystone Heights

73 58

Gainesville Vanguard

47 46

Dunnellon West Port

55 48

Redeemer Cornerstone

74 32

Jan. 5

RESULTS JAN. 3 - 8

Results were gathered from FHSAA.com and compiled by Joel Bronson

Meadowbrook Ocala Christian

54 39

Villages Vanguard

91 68

Keystone Heights Belleview

80 59

Jan. 8 West Port Matanzas

67 56

GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Wildwood’s Ben Bellamy (5) crashes into Forest’s Brandon Baxley (2) as Baxley looks for a way to the basket during a game in Ocala on Jan. 7.

50 30

Jan. 4 Villages Forest

65 29

Villages West Port

Lake Weir Crystal River

54 44

Vanguard Deltona

42 38

Jan. 6

Redeemer Ocala Christian

60 33

Dunnellon Belleview

64 48

Dunnellon Saint Francis

68 33

Taylor Redeemer

30 25

Interlachen Belleview

59 44

Jan. 6

Forest Gainesville

Jan. 6

Seven Rivers 61 Meadowbrook 55

Jan. 7

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Redeemer’s Grant Phillips (3) drives to the basket past Cornerstone’s Kayden Merrik (1) during a game at Redeemer Christian School south of Ocala on Jan. 4.

Dunnellon Lake Weir

71 53

Meadowbrook Seven Rivers

Ocala Christian Redeemer

34 30

Jan. 7

Lake Weir Umatilla

72 63

Eustis Vanguard

43 28

Forest Wildwood

68 44

Belleview Mount Dora Christian

48 32

73 59

Forest St. John

40 9

Meadowbrook Ocala Christian

41 30

BOYS SOCCER SCORES Belleview Forest

1 1

North Marion Trinity Catholic

2 2

Jan. 5

Forest’s Anthony Rivera (15) drives past Wildwood’s Adyn Corbin (1) during a game at Forest High School in Ocala on Jan. 7.

6 2

Vanguard Dunnellon

8 0

North Marion Lake Weir

2 0

Belleview Leesburg

2 2

Jan. 7

Vanguard Dunnellon

9 1

Forest 7 Dunnellon 0

North Marion Leesburg

2 1

Eustis Vanguard

5 0

Carrollwood Day Trinity Catholic

8 0

West Port Citrus

6 4

Umatilla Lake Weir

Jan. 7

Jan. 4

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Buchholz Forest

8 0

Forest South Lake

2 1

Vanguard Belleview

5 0

West Port Villages

7 2

GIRLS SOCCER SCORES

Villages Vanguard

8 1

Jan. 4

North Marion Dunnellon

8 0

Christ’s Church Trinity Catholic

Trinity Catholic Palatka

6 1

Jan. 5 North Marion Lake Weir

8 0

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

2 0

Forest Citrus

7 1

Forest’s Zay McCoy (0) shoots for two over Wildwood’s Zech Poyser (4) during a game at Forest High School in Ocala on Jan. 7.

Jan. 6 North Marion Lake Weir

8 0

6 1