Ocala Gazette | February 11 - February 17, 2022

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022

By Rosemarie Dowell Correspondent

COVID can’t cancel love

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lame it on Cupid, the lifting of COVID mandates, or both.

Wedding vows may have taken a back seat to the pandemic elsewhere in 2020, but in Marion County the nuptial numbers actually increased the past three years, albeit by a small amount.

In 2021, 2,444 couples applied for a marriage license in the county, a noteworthy jump from 2020’s count of 2,155, when the devastating first wave of the coronavirus hit, according to numbers provided by the Marion County Clerk of Court.

However, 2020’s marriages were still more than 2019’s, when 2,038 couples united in holy matrimony.

Courtney Roberts, who owns and operates Protea Weddings and Events with her husband, Joe, isn’t surprised. The couple’s calendar was full last year, in spite of a still-simmering pandemic.

“We had a lot of out-of-state brides move their weddings to Florida because we had fewer pandemic restrictions than their home state and our doors were open,” said Roberts, whose venue includes a historic

200-year-old barn with modern upgrades.

“We had full capacity weddings throughout the year,” she said. “I think people are still leery of the virus though because we’ve had an issue with confirmed guests not showing up for the wedding.”

In 2022, if predictions are right, more couples than ever will pledge their undying See Love, page A3

School district releases plans The business of economic for spending $127 million development

A look at how local government and the CEP managed recent development deals at the Ocala/Marion Commerce Park

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

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BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Bert Rettig, a mechanic, works under the hood of a 2000 school bus in the garage at the Marion County Public Schools Northwest Transportation Bus Facility on Northwest Gainesville Road in Ocala on February 9. Some of the federal relief funds coming to Marion County Public Schools will be used to purchase new school buses to replace aging buses in the fleet.

he first time the City of Ocala agreed to be a pass-through for a real estate development deal at the Ocala Commerce Park was in 2016 with AutoZone, for the purpose of building a logistical hub for the company.

In the deal, Ocala 489, LLC, an entity owned

by William Kearns and Joe Nisbett, would sell 60 acres in the Ocala/ Marion County Commerce Park valued at $9 million to the City of Ocala for $3 million in cash ($50,000 an acre) and the tax benefit of an in-kind land donation acknowledged by the city for $6 million.

The same day that transaction closed, the city would sell the parcel to AutoZone for $3 million.

The AutoZone’s parcel, now valued at more than $27 million, has generated $1,528,490.14 in real estate property taxes since 2019, according to the tax appraiser’s website.

The second time the city agreed to be a passthrough was for Peak Development, a developer out of Tampa, that desired to build a logistics facility on speculation next door to AutoZone in the commerce park. The deal was approved by the See Ocala/Marion, page A4

By Rosemarie Dowell Correspondent

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uch-needed teachers and support staff, summer school guidance counselors, new laptops and school buses are just some of the items included in the Marion County School District’s lengthy spending plan for the $127 million it’ll soon receive through federal COVID relief funds.

More than $22 million alone will go towards stipends for 2,500 classroom teachers for five hours per week for Professional Learning Centers planning for two years.

The Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief III (ESSER) funding will also go towards the construction of outdoor picnic pavilions, upgrading HVAC systems, and mental health services, among other things.

School Board Chair the Rev. Eric Cummings said the money will go far in helping the school district recover from the still-lingering effects of the pandemic, but will also go quickly.

“This isn’t a wish list,” he said of the spending plan submitted to the state in January. “These are things that need to be taken care of to stop the COVID slide.”

“This money will help us get back on track to be successful as a district,” he said. “We have to use the money judicially.”

Dr. Stacey Reese, director of federal programs, said the spending plan was compiled following feedback and suggestions from stakeholders.

“We received input from both the community and the district’s employees,” said Reece, a 22-year district employee, and former principal.

“The stakeholders gave us input on what they needed and wanted.”

Kevin Christian, director of public relations for the district, said it has already been notified its application has been approved, and now it’s up to the government to release it to the school district.

The ESSER III funds will expire in Sept. 2024, so the district must use them or else, said Reece.

“The sun will set on the ESSER

III funding in 2024; whatever is not spent has to be sent back,” she said, adding the district is still processing the roughly $73 million it previously received through ESSER I and ESSER II funding.

Congress passed three stimulus bills in 2020 and 2021 providing nearly $190.5 billion to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, with the overall goal of opening schools safely to maximize in-person learning and to address the impact of COVID. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of March 2020 provided $13.5 billion to the ESSER Fund, the Dec. 2020 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA), gave an additional $54.3 billion in the ESSER II fund, while the American Rescue Plan Act of March 11, 2021, provided a supplemental $122.7 billion to the ESSER III fund.

States receive funds based on what each state receives under the See Federal, page A3

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

A worker with Miller Pipeline operates an excavator to dump another load of dirt as he digs ditches for culvert pipe drainage at the construction site for a new, planned warehouse or possible distribution hub in the Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park near the intersection of Northwest 35th Street and Northwest 27th Avenue in Ocala on February 7.

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Firefighter unions and county negotiate

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

A new firetruck is shown at Marion County Fire Rescue Station 28 in Rolling Greens in Ocala on Oct. 14, 2020.

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

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he Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) and the Professional Firefighters of Marion County (PFFMC) are negotiating a new three-year collective bargaining agreement following the expiration of their previous contract in September.

The Professional Firefighters of Marion County is the local chapter of the International Association of Firefighters and is the labor organization that represents its members, who are employed by Marion County Fire Rescue (MCFR), during their negotiations with the county.

The two sides met on Feb. 1, where they went over the county’s most recent counteroffer, which includes $11 million in new money.

The MCFR budget, according to Amanda Tart, executive director of Administrative Services and Human Resources for Marion County, who’s acting as the county’s representative in the negotiations, is split in two, and each section funds a different set of services.

“The fire assessment fee pays for all of the firefighting services,” Tart said. “And then the ambulances and rescues, those are paid for out of the general fund.”

Daniel Garcia, the president of Professional Firefighters of Marion County for the last four years, represents both its rank and file and supervisory members, said sometimes it seems the county, in looking to be fiscally responsible, misses the bigger picture.

“So the M.O. of Marion County Fire Rescue administration has always been to me penny wise and dollar foolish,” he said. “So they generally will try to minimize the amount of immediate fiscal impact at the expense of turnover, lack of retention, future costs, and, of course, taxpayer expense.”

Part of that taxpayer expense, said Garica, comes in the form of individuals who leave the department, which is something MCFR has seen quite a bit of recently.

“We’ve had 36 resignations since October 1, 2021 ad we currently have 65 vacant positions in our department,” said Garcia. “So every employee that has resigned in the last four months represents roughly a $17,000 investment at taxpayer expense to test, process, equip, train, and place these EMT firefighters.”

“The 36 resident resignations

mean roughly over a half-million dollars in loss of investment at taxpayer expense, plus another half-million dollars in reinvestment to replace them with new employees,” said Garcia. “I would say most of our people that are leaving are leaving for higher-paying departments that have a better wage and benefit package.”

Tart said that not every resignation was tied to pay. It was impossible, she said, to know why those who left chose to and clarified that 18 of the 65 open positions Garcia referenced were only recently added to the budget and not tied to employees who left MCFR. Garcia said the recent resignations not only have financial effects but operational ones as well.

“So these vacant positions, what they fiscally represent is an increase in our budgetary requirements to fill those spots with overtime, because we will fill those spots. We haven’t blackedout or browned-out stations or eliminated trucks off of the road,” he said.

“But we currently are not meeting demand; the demand of the citizens and the call volume,” said Garcia. “So what that means is that our budgetary footprint goes exponentially higher when we have these vacant positions.

And of course, that’s at taxpayer expense.”

The county, according to Tart, has worked to provide MCFR with what they need to be successful over the years and signaled the board’s willingness to continue to do so.

“So over the past probably five or six years, the county commission has really made public safety a top priority. We’ve added more ambulances, we’ve added more employees, we got pay rates to where they needed to be,” she said. “And now, we know that there are some things we have to do as we go into this next contract, and the board is willing to do that. And so we think that the offer is more than fair and addresses the needs of the department.”

Garcia pointed out that MCPFF’s role in the negotiation is to ensure a level of equality for MCFR, but also to keep in mind a higher obligation to the county’s citizens.

“So what we’re trying to mitigate in all of this, is to make sure we have obviously a fair and balanced wage and benefit package for our employees, but also something that while it may cost a little bit more upfront, saves the taxpayer millions of dollars on the back end because we’re not losing employees

to other local higher-paying departments and we’re not hemorrhaging experience, which is what has been our issue for many years,” he said.

The current round of negotiations included both rank and file as well as supervisory members in a single contract, a break from previous contracts where the two groups each had their own collective bargaining agreement.

Tart said grouping the two into one contract made sense to both sides.

“It’s something that both the union and management knew was the right thing to do,” she said. “There’s no reason to have two separate contracts for a group of people that are first responders doing the same type of work.”

Garcia agreed and said it should simplify the process, but said the current negotiation process is not being done efficiently.

“It’s been difficult,” he said.

“We presented our initial proposal to the county on Feb. 10, 2021. We’re almost a full calendar year away from our initial proposal to the county and it took them over eight months to get back to us with their counteroffer. And in that time, of course, you’ve lost a ton of employees. We’ve had COVID, It’s been a difficult run. So the actual negotiations process is grueling, but we’re working through it.”

Tart acknowledged the delay and pointed to a multitude of factors such as departmental changes, the process of combining two contracts into one, working out the finances of MCPFF’s contractual demands, and of course, COVID, as all playing a role in getting back to the table.

“Working our way through that contract and all of the things the union asked for, and then going back and costing those out.

Because a lot of times, they give us a proposal and a lot of the things that they want to do they have a cost, whether it’s an increase in tuition reimbursement, or it’s new boots, or it’s new uniforms, or any of the things that they asked for come with a price,” she said. “And so we have to go back then and figure out, ‘Hey, what is that going to cost us, and is it something that we can afford? And is it something that we’re willing to pay for, and it is now the time to do that?’ So all of those things factor into the length of time it takes to get back to the negotiations.”

Garcia recognizes that issues do arise, including the pandemic, but he said the county’s delay has pushed their timeline back

significantly.

“Our hope was to complete these negotiations during the summer of 2021. And we mentioned that to them at the initiation of negotiations on February 10, 2021.”

The longer discussions, in Garcia’s view, favor the MCBOCC. “The county benefits by dragging on contract negotiations when they refuse to pay a retro (retroactive pay) back to when the contract is actually effective.

So if they were, hypothetically speaking, to drag the negotiations on for two years and 364 days, and then agree on that last day of the contract, they have saved themselves essentially three years of benefits, salaries, and wages increases,” he said. “So obviously, it benefits the county.

However, we’re in a position now as an organization where we need employees, we need to fill vacant spots, our workload is through the roof, and our retention is poor. So we need to get a contract done last year that addresses these issues so that we can hire, recruit, train, and retain high-quality employees.”

At their Feb. 1 negotiation meeting, Tart stated that while the county is willing to compromise in some areas, offering retroactive pay, or back pay, is not one of them.

While the two sides may not agree on the issue of retroactive pay, one area they do agree on is the importance of making sure the contract’s language is worded correctly.

“In a contract, one small word can change the meaning of everything,” Tart said. “So as we go through, it’s important for us to listen to both sides, and to ensure that whether it’s a ‘will’ or a ‘may’ or a ‘must,’ that each side understands the implications of those words.

Garcia concurred and added, it’s not just the words that matter but also who is defining them after the contract is written.

“What I’ve learned about a collective bargaining agreement is that it’s a legal document that almost exclusively lives in gray areas,” said Garcia. “So I do recognize that a contract is up for interpretation, and it depends on who’s interpreting [it] to dictate fine point details.”

Tart said that it becomes tricky to add anything that was not previously agreed to, which speaks to the importance of getting the language just right.

“Once we have these contracts in place it can be quite difficult to navigate our way through changes, once a contract is signed by the board,” she said.

If the two sides are not able to agree on language, or a contract, after their upcoming meeting or beyond, Tart detailed how the negotiations would proceed from that point on.

“So, if we get to a point where we’re essentially at an impasse, meaning, ‘Hey, we’re down to these couple items and we’re not willing to change our stance and neither is the union,’ then we would go to an impasse,”

she said. “And at that time, the Board of County Commissioners changes from the Board of County Commissioners who is negotiating back and forth to a quasi-judicial legislative body.

And then at that time, neither side can have any communication with them regarding anything to do with union negotiations.”

She said the two sides would then meet with the board where they would both present their options, and then “the board would make a decision on what type of a contract they want to essentially impose. And then the union will bring that contract or that agreement back to their body and they’ll vote on it.”

If the PFFMC body does not vote to accept the contract, Tart said the MCBOCC can choose to impose the contract, but only for one year, rather than a threeyear term.

After that year is up, according to Tart, the negotiations start over and the process plays out again.

If the two sides can agree to a contract without coming to an impasse, Garcia said it then goes to the PFFMC main body for acceptance, which only requires a simple majority vote of its 510 members.

“There’s a 15-day notice requirement for a vote on a contract ratification to our membership. So it would take at least that much time to get us to hold a three-day vote for the ratification of the contract,” he said. “So if it were to ratify, we then submit it back to the county and now we have a ratified CBA (collective bargaining agreement). And at that point, they need to have it approved and adopted by the county commission at the next meeting that it’s on the agenda.”

Both Tart and Garcia are optimistic the two sides aren’t that far off.

“We’re hopeful that they’re going to come back with something that we’re able to both agree to, and then have a contract to bring to the employees to vote on,” Tart said. “And hopefully, they’ll vote yes. And then we’ll be able to get it to the board. I mean, surely impasse is not something that either side wants.”

“I’m hopeful that the current state of the department has incentivized both sides to reach an agreement as soon as possible for the betterment of the Marion County taxpayer,” Garica said.

“Because we do render a critical service. So we need to be able to retain, hire, and train employees to meet demands for the citizens and taxpayers of Marion County…it’s like a dance.”

The two sides were expected to resume negotiations on Feb. 10; check out the Feb. 18th issue of the Ocala Gazette for an update.

The next meeting in the negotiations is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 10 at 9:00 a.m. and will be held in the Employee Wellness Center located at 2730 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Unit 300.

“In a contract, one small word can change the meaning of everything.

So as we go through, it’s important for us to listen to both sides, and to ensure that whether it’s a ‘will’ or a ‘may’ or a ‘must,’ that each side understands the implications of those words.”

Amanda Tart

Executive director of Administrative Services and Human Resources for Marion County

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

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Continued from page A1 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title-IA. Florida received more than $7 billion total in ARP ESSER funds.

District 4 School Board member Nancy Thrower said the money the school district is receiving is an enormous amount, but matches the impact the virus has had on the 43,000 students in the district.

“The biggest chunk goes towards having a very robust academic recovery that spans every single grade level,” she said.

“The spending plan is comprehensive for a reason,” said Thrower. “We are passionate about making sure our kids have their one shot at a great education.”

The coronavirus has set all school districts back, not just Marion County, she said.

“We are not alone; there are kids that have been in school since 2019 that have never had a typical school year,” said Thrower, who recently filed for reelection. “But I think we are going to be in a much better position financially and partnership-wise moving forward.”

Meanwhile, Cummings said the school board recognizes the funding is not recurring and when it runs out other ways to pay the ongoing salaries of the myriad hires will have to be found.

“Hopefully by then we will be in a much different situation,” he said. “We have very gifted and talented financial folks within the district that will seek out as many funds as possible so that we can keep moving forward.”

Here are some ways the Marion County School District plans to use its ESSER III funding, which total more than $60 million of the $127 million its receiving: • $22 million towards stipends for 2,500

• $2.8 million for the purchase of supplies to sanitize and clean facilities.

• $2.7 million for 48 school-based Home-School Liaisons.

• $2.1 million for classroom substitute positions at all schools to support direct instruction and reduce interruption due to teacher absence.

• $1.8 million for the construction of covered picnic pavilions.

• $1.4 million for the purchase of 13 school buses to expand routing in the district.

• $1.14 million to hire 12 international teachers participating in TPG and/or EPI Cultural Exchange Program.

• $805,000 for 67 summer school guidance counselors.

• $706,000-plus for the purchase of 2,595 Chrome books for online learning for summer and supplemental after-school programs.

classroom teachers for five hours per week for Professional Learning Centers planning.

• $6.1million for HVAC remodeling and renovations throughout the school district.

• $5.9 million for contracted mental health services at 48 schools, and the implementation of evidence-based fullservice community schools.

• $3.8 million for instructional staff for professional development and behavior support training.

• $3.7 million for the purchase of Chromebook storage/recharging carts and interactive flat panels.

• $3.3 million for salaries for afterschool and summer school teachers/tutoring.

• $3-plus million to hire 5 intervention teachers for the four non-Title I schools and Eighth Street Elementary, 17 Secondary Math teachers, and ten Elementary Intervention teachers.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Old Marion District Schools school buses are shown at the Marion County Public Schools Northwest Transportation Bus Facility on Northwest Gainesville Road in Ocala on February 9.

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Love and marriage Continued from page A1 love and devotion to one another.

According to The Wedding Report, a leading research company that collects and forecasts statistics for the industry, 2.6 million couples will say, “I do,” in 2022, the most since 1984.

Roberts isn’t surprised by those numbers either.

“We are fully booked for 2022, and 2023 will be even better,” she said.

Penny Baird of Blessed Magnolia Event Planning said 2022 will be a great year for matrimonial bliss across the United States, and locally.

“We’re all expecting to have triple the number of weddings we normally have,” said Baird, who’s been in the wedding and event industry for nearly 20 years. “We (Blessed Magnolia) are super busy.”

Baird said she also saw an increase in weddings last year versus the first year of the pandemic when everything shut down.

“Our weddings in Florida started back in October of 2020 because we lifted our restrictions,” she said. “Other states didn’t start back until March of 2021 or after.”

One noticeable trend Baird is seeing in her business is more intimate and personal celebrations with fewer guests.

“It’s 2022 and people aren’t putting their weddings on hold anymore,” she said. “But couples are wanting to invest in smaller ceremonies that provide a more personal and rewarding experience for them and their guests.”

While marriages rallied in Marion County last year, divorce filings were basically stagnant, according to the clerk of court’s office.

In 2019, 1,495 couples applied for dissolution of marriage, in 2020 the number dipped to 1,450, just 45 less, while in 2021, the number rose to 1,471, an increase of 21 filings, but still short of pre-pandemic numbers.

But Mary Catherine Landt, a wellknown Ocala-based divorce attorney, said her practice has remained busy during the pandemic.

“I found that during the pandemic, at least from my perspective and practice, divorces skyrocketed,” she said.

“Some of my colleagues told me they are experiencing the same thing,” said Landt, who’s practiced law for nearly 40 years.

Landt said financial stress, COVIDlockdowns, and workloads are contributing factors to splitsville.

“Couples that were stuck at home

together may have found out they didn’t like each as much as they thought they did,” she said. “Or people were hit hard financially and that’s a huge stress.”

“You also had all these moms who suddenly had to juggle working and homeschooling and felt that perhaps the load wasn’t being shared fairly,” said Landt.

However, Landt did offer a little hope for those believing that true love prevails.

“Fairly recently, at least since the first of the year, things may have eased a little,” she said.

That should give hopeless romantics something to cheer about this Valentine’s Day.

“I found that during the pandemic, at least from my perspective and practice, divorces skyrocketed,” Mary Catherine Landt Attorney

Great Backyard Bird Count 25th Annual Feb 18–21, 2022

Count birds in your backyard, local park, or wherever you spot a bird, and submit your observations online.

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Great Egret. Photo: Jim McGinity/ Great Backyard Bird Count

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Ocala/Marion Commerce Park developer to MDH but laughed goodnaturedly and said, “maybe I should have held out a little longer.”

Just one day before MDH would close on its purchase of the 27.85-acre parcel, Ocala 489 sold the last large tract of land in the commerce park, approximately 35 acres, to SFG Ocala I, LLC, a Delaware company for $6,000,000 ($171,428 an acre).

Kevin Sheilley, CEO of the Ocala/ Marion Chamber and Economic Partnership (CEP) said that the parcel will also be built out on speculation- a 450,000 sq. ft. logistics center. Sheilley indicated that in this deal- no government incentives were offered.

Only one 15-acre parcel is left in the Ocala/Marion Commerce Park, owned by Ocala 489.

The CEP’s involvement

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Two excavators are operated in tandem by workers from Miller Pipeline to dig ditches for culvert pipe drainage

Continued from page A1 city council at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, but wouldn’t close until December 2020.

In that deal, Kearns and Nisbett’s entity, Ocala 489, LLC, would sell 23.34 acres of the commerce park for $1,167,000 ($50,000 an acre) to the city.

However, the property was appraised at $3,735,000.00- so this time Ocala 489 wanted the tax benefit of an in-kind land donation acknowledged by the city for the difference of $2,568,000.

As with the first deal, the property would be sold by the city the same day it was purchased to Peak Development Partners, LLC for the same cash price it purchased from Ocala 489- $1,167,000.00.

Additionally, the city would sell approximately 4 acres it owned adjacent to the property to Peak Development for $225,000.00.

At closing, the same principals Peak Developers assigned their interest in the property to a holding company, similarly named to the original landowner- Ocala 489 Logistics.

There was no separate developer agreement between the city and Peak Development, or the assigned entity Ocala 489 Logistics, requiring the build of the facility in exchange for the benefit of the bargain the city facilitated.

Jimmy Gooding, the city attorney who handled the closing, confirmed to the Gazette that Peak Developers was not required to enter into a developer agreement with the city for the benefit of their bargain.

Gooding said that those type of agreements only become necessary when the city is spending money to accommodate a developer such as building a road or hooking it up to water.

In the two interviews Gooding had with the Gazette about this real estate transaction, Gooding confirmed he had no other business between his firm and Peak Development but gave conflicting information about his relationship to

Kearns.

First, Gooding called Kearns “a friend” and indicated that he did not represent him. But when asked in a second interview why Kearns would indicate that Gooding had done work for him, Gooding clarified that he had done work for an entity Kearns owned unrelated to the commerce park years earlier and was currently negotiating a deal with Kearns through another attorney.

After the sale

Over the next year, the land would be cleared, and permits were pulled, but the property would then be sold by Ocala Logistics 489 to another entity MDH F2 Ocala 35th St., LLC, a Delaware limited liability company for $3,481,250 ($125,000 an acre), generating more than $2 million dollar profit to the developer who enjoyed the benefit of the deal the city facilitated as a pass-through.

MDH partners, who describes itself as “Atlanta- based real estate investment company managing its discretionary funds targeting industrial real estate across the United States on behalf of its institutional investors,” sent out a press release touting the purchase of commerce park parcel “with plans to construct Ocala Logistics Center on a speculative basis.”

In the press release, it stated that MDH engaged Peak Development Company out of Tampa, FL, the original buyer contemplated by the city, to “act as the development manager for the project.”

The press release described Ocala as “an up-and-coming market that is just beginning to witness significant institutional industrial investment.”

In addition to the easy access to I-75, MDH describes Ocala as having a “deep labor pool” and “a lower-cost alternative to tenants who are seeking space “in the highly competitive I-4 corridor.”

In a recent interview, Kearns, one of the main principals of Ocala 489 who sold the property for less than half its value, said he had no knowledge of the recent resale of the property from the initial

According to Sheilley, there remain hundreds of more acres in different industrial parks throughout Marion County, and he’s seen an uptick in companies wanting to find space already built.

“Historically 65% to 75% of the companies who we dealt with were looking for an already built space, but because of supply chain concerns and the speediness in which they need to make a decision that percentage has jumped to 90%,” said Sheilley.

Sheilley explained that while the CEP is instrumental in bringing interested parties to develop the different commerce parks, they leave it to private parties to work out the deal between themselves, and then the CEP, in hand with city or county government staff, vet the companies and assess whether an incentive should be offered.

Sheilley said that the decision to give an incentive to a company is based on an evaluation of their job creation and

“[Kevin Sheilley] is the best salesperson Marion County has.”

Bill Kearns

Ocala 489 LLC

wages and is usually not available to those building on speculation- even though the improved land can generate increased tax revenue.

The CEP has a financial interest in helping facilitate sales in the industrial park.

Not only are they paid $465,000 by the city and county governments for their efforts towards economic development, but the CEP also benefits from high-dollar partnerships by these same companies that move to Marion County.

According to the CEP website, Ocala 489, is listed in the Chairman’s Circle with an annual sponsorship of $20,000 & Above; Peak Development and AutoZone are both listed on the CEP website in the Leadership category, with annual sponsorships of $5,000-$9,999.

“We are an organization made up of businesses. So of course, we hope they join- but there is no direct quid per quo between our economic development efforts and businesses becoming members of the CEP,” said Sheilley.

Kearns, one of the original principals of Ocala 489 who started the Ocala/ Marion County Commerce Park in an agreement with the city and county more than ten years ago had high praise for Kevin Sheilley “he’s the best salesperson Marion County has.”

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

A worker with Miller Pipeline operates a grader at the construction site for a new, planned warehouse or possible distribution hub in the Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park near the intersection of Northwest 35th Street and Northwest 27th Avenue in Ocala on February 7.

Thrower files to run for reelection to school board

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

N

ancy Thrower has filed paperwork to run for re-election for the District 4 seat on the Marion County School Board.

She cited her desire to get Marion County Public School (MCPS) students back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic as her main motivation for running for re-election.

“So I’m really looking forward to being able to shift our focus back, and more completely, to our core business which is really creating opportunities for each and every student, and doing that in a fiscally responsible way,” she said.

She knows COVID was hard on everyone involved, from the MCPS staff and employees to parents, family members and students. As a board member trying to navigate the pandemic, Thrower said collaboration was key in such a rapidly changing environment.

“We’re educators, we’re not doctors.

And even the doctors seem to need a lot more information, because this was so

new, on how to best navigate and how to best advise schools on what to do,” she said. “So it was just a constantly evolving process and changing recommendations.

We were talking with representatives from our local health department almost every day, and so that really absorbed a tremendous amount of our focus and, of course, impacted our whole community.”

Thrower was first elected to the District 4 seat in 2018, and if currently proposed legislation passes in Florida’s legislature this session, her second term would also be her last. She said she doesn’t see that as a negative and believes there is value in setting term limits.

“I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing at all. The last thing we want is entrenchment from any public servants, politicians, whatever you want to call them,” she said. “We want fresh ideas, we want to keep the cycle going. I think that there’s the possibility that things can get stale,” she said.

Looking ahead, Thrower is anxious to add trade and vocational schools to the list of options students have after finishing high school. She said

traditional thinking that college is the only route needs to be updated, and she is excited because she feels like both Marion County, as well as state leaders in Tallahassee, agree.

“Our community is so committed to career and technical education,” she said. “I know our legislature feels the same way. We’ve got some good support coming down from them for innovative programs.”

She believes keeping students engaged and focused will only enhance their educational experience.

“Let’s face it, if a student comes to school every day and feels like what they’re learning is relevant, and it’s something that they’re passionate about, something that really sparks their interest, they’re going to do better in school. You’re going to have fewer behavior problems, you’re gonna have fewer attendance issues,” she said.

Thrower is the first candidate to file for the Marion County School Board District 4 seat. The general election will be held on Nov. 8, 2022.

Nancy Thrower

A5

FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

New COVID cases in Marion County down again MCPS DOWN, BUT HOSPITAL NUMBERS REMAIN HIGH

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

MARION COUNTY UPDATE COVID cases in Marion County continued their drop, as the county registered 2,621 new cases during the week of Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, according to figures released by the Florida Department of Health (FLDOH) Friday evening.

In previous reports, the county reported recording 3,955 new cases two weeks ago, 4,696 new cases three weeks ago, 5,536 new cases during the week of Jan. 7-13, and 3,130 cases during the week of Dec. 31-Jan. 6.

Along with the decrease in the number of new cases, the county’s cases per 100,000 and new case positivity both fell as well. The cases per 100,000 dropped from 1,061.8 to 703.7, and the positivity rate declined last week from 32.3% to 24.6%.

Despite the drop in the number of cases in the last three weeks, overall inpatient hospitalizations and ICU beds occupied have continued to rise, although the percentage of COVID patients in local ICUs dropped from the previous week.

In Health and Human Services (HHS) hospitalization numbers last updated Feb. 4, county hospitals reported 97% of inpatient beds filled, with 23% being COVID patients. In addition, 93% of ICU beds were filled, with 20% being COVID patients.

For reference, on Jan. 28, county hospitals reported 93% of inpatient beds filled, with 22% being COVID patients.

In addition, 89% of ICU beds

were filled, with 25% being COVID patients; and on Jan. 21, hospitals reported 90% of inpatient beds filled, with 18% being COVID patients. In addition, 86% of ICU beds were filled, with 22% being COVID patients. Finally, on Jan. 7, HHS data showed 83% of inpatient beds filled, with 4% of those being COVID patients; and 84% of ICU beds filled, with 6% being COVID patients.

In Ocala, COVID Test FL is offering testing at the Ocala First Baptist Church located at 2801 S.E. Maricamp Road. COVID Test Express is offering testing in the Villages at 11714 N.E. 62nd Terrace. Both locations are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Additionally, FLDOH announced testing is also taking place on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

STATE UPDATE Not only did new COVID cases fall in Marion County for the third consecutive week, but they also fell across the state as a whole for the third straight week.

Florida recorded 132,622 cases for the week of Jan. 28-Feb. 3, the lowest number of reported cases since mid-December 2021 when 128,143 new cases were reported.

Comparatively, the state reported 198,319 cases two weeks ago, 288,627 cases for the week of Jan. 14-Jan. 22, 429,889 new cases for the week of Jan. 7-13, and 395,911 new cases of COVID during the week of Dec. 31-Jan. 6.

The state’s cases per 100,000 average and new case positivity both dropped along with the number of cases. Cases per 100,000 fell from 904.3 to 603.5, and new case positivity from

23.5% to 18.0%.

The state’s overall vaccination rates also fell to their lowest number in more than 15 weeks, as Florida recorded administering 105,262 doses of the vaccine last week compared with 160,946 doses two weeks ago, 233,630 doses three weeks ago, 375,912 doses the first week in January, and 356,110 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during the last week in December.

This brings the total state population of those ages 5 and up to 74%, up a percentage point from the last report.

Specific to children ages 5-11, the state reported administering 7,958 doses of the vaccine last week, bringing the total number of children at least partly vaccinated to 351,085. The total population of children ages 5-11 in the state is just under 1.7 million, and figures released by the state showed 21% of them are now at least partly vaccinated against COVID-19, up one percentage point from the last report.

confirmed by DOH. For comparison, MCPS reported 875 cases for the week of Jan. 22-Jan. 28, with 738 students and 137 employees confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County.

Moreover, MCPS reported 1,699 students and 67 employees had been identified as direct contacts to a COVID-positive case confirmed by DOH. MCPS reported 1,014 cases for the week of Jan. 15-Jan. 21, with 830 students and 184 employees confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County. Furthermore, MCPS reported 1,761 students and 82 employees had been identified as direct contacts to a COVIDpositive case confirmed by DOH.

New reported Covid-19 cases per week

Feb. 3:

2,621 5,500 5,000

Jan. 28 - Feb. 3

MCPS UPDATE Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) reported 513 cases for the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4, with 424 students and 89 employees confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County in figures released on Monday afternoon.

Additionally, MCPS reported 822 students and 38 employees had been identified as direct contacts to a COVID-positive case

For the week of Jan. 8-14, MCPS reported 870 confirmed cases, with 698 students and 172 employees confirmed COVID-19 positive. Further, 2,090 students and 129 employees were quarantined due to direct contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19 during that span.

While the numbers show a downtrend, the county continues to remain above the threshold set by FLDOH 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 703.7) and the new case positivity must remain below 10% (currently at 24.6%) for two weeks in order for coverings not to be required.

4,500 4,000

Aug. 26:

3,228

3,500

3,500

Source: Marion County Health Department

3,000

3,000

2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 26 2 AUG.

9 16 23 SEPTEMBER

7

14 21 28 OCTOBER

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9 16 23 DECEMBER

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Beacon Point is shown on Southwest Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Ocala on Sept. 21, 2021.

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t their regular meeting on Jan. 31, the Marion County Hospital District (MCHD) board of trustees approved two programs, one designed to track and accelerate strategy execution, the other allows a re-entry program to occupy space at Beacon Point. Additionally, the board approved two grants for the Transitions Life Center (TLC).

According to documents provided at the meeting, the Balanced Scorecard proposal is designed to assist MCHD in tracking district-run programs and initiatives, as well as improving overall efficiency. The proposal was submitted

by Paul Nevin, the president of Senalosa, Inc., a Canada-based consulting company, and includes a review of current practices, a survey of district employees, and creating and educating employees on a balanced scorecard. The proposal comes with a cost of $50,000, $25,000 upon completion of a training workshop, and $25,000 upon completion of a measures workshop.

The board also approved the use of space at Beacon Point for Xtreme SOULutions, Inc., a non-profit working inside Lowell Prison, designed to help formerly incarcerated individuals

find counseling and medicine-assisted treatment. According to a Memorandum of Understanding provided at the meeting, Xtreme SOULutions will work with existing providers located at Beacon Point to direct individuals to the appropriate services based on their needs and to assist in re-integration of those living in the area.

Beacon Point is a campus utilized by the MCHD to offer behavioral health and substance abuse treatment as well as lifestabilization services for Marion County’s homeless, un-and under-insured, lowincome and indigent citizens.

One of the TLC grants is for $33,000 and will be used to fund a “navigator” program for one year, contingent on receiving matching funds. The program is designed to provide one central navigator who will assist families and caregivers of individuals with special needs in locating support services, applying for state and federal programs, and offering assistance in securing medical and dental care.

The second TLC grant the board approved totaled $35,000 and will be used toward the purchase and installation of four shock-absorbent basketball half courts which TLC members utilize a minimum of 35 minutes per day they are at TLC.

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A6

FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Consent agenda

A look at how three different governmental bodies approach the process department, who is working with the purchase department to secure the contract. After that, the item is put on the agenda for approval for the board.

This occurs every three to six months, added Christian.

“It’s a process that’s been around for a long time,” he said, “and it allows the school board to BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette be productive.

Don Browning speaks after being sworn in to the Marion County Public School Board Their work during a meeting at the Marion County Public School Board in Ocala on Sept. 7, 2021. sessions can be pretty lengthy

By James Blevins and very detailed. That’s where much james@ocalagazette.com of this information is presented, quite honestly.” n Jan. 25, Marion County School board agendas and work School Board member Don sessions are always on the MCPS Browning stated during a website. In fact, the dates of the regular meeting that he believes meetings and work sessions are the board needed to be more transparent approved as much as a year in advance, going forward. according to Christian, who said, from As an example of untransparent his standpoint, he doesn’t know how the activities, Browning likened agenda process could be more open. items that are placed on the consent “The transparency is built into the agenda to sweeping something under the process. It is the process,” he said. carpet or tossing it in a dumpster.

Browning said in a Jan. 28 interview The other four school board members that there is no intended criticism of contend that there is no need to tie up MCPS staff, his fellow board members time for staff at board meetings for items or of his district in regards to his Jan. 25 that can be clarified with a five-minute comments. He isn’t trying to start “a big phone call to staff the week before board deal here,” he said, but simply to “lay a meetings. And when a consent item is track” for the citizens of Marion County deemed significant, board members can to follow. pull them from the agenda and highlight “I do not want to be insulted,” said significant items.

Browning, “nor do I want to insult Browning sees it differently. He thinks anyone. I just want to see the process the consent agenda should be used for be done as cleanly as possible. We have bulk purchases of mundane things like Sunshine Law—just open the door some “shoelaces,” not multi-million-dollar more. The process should be as open as grants and other funding sources. possible.”

Is he correct? How does an agenda item go from conception to consent?

Marion County Board of County Read on to discover how the city, the Commissioners county and the school board answered County Administration Executive Staff the Gazette’s request to explain how they Manager Dawn Phelps said that most chose what goes on a consent agenda. agenda items take weeks, sometimes months, before they are ready to be Marion County School Board voted on or discussed at a county board Kevin Christian, director of public meeting—including consent agenda relations for Marion County Public items.

Schools, said that a typical consent “It’s definitely a longer timeframe agenda item would be a normal day-tothan just the week before,” said Phelps. day expense inherent to running a school “Behind the scenes, a lot of eyes are on district. each item, reviewing it, making sure that “It’s not something that would we’ve got all the information we need typically be pulled for discussion because and that the process went smoothly. And, it is something that’s pretty normal, for the public, it’s clear and concise, easy pretty routine,” said Christian. to understand. It’s why we’re doing what Using the example of purchasing we’re doing.” fuel for school buses, Christian said Basically, there’s no magical agenda that an agenda item regarding bus fuel item that just flies through the process, would come through the transportation she said. Each item must be reviewed

O

and reviewed again, bouncing around from department to department, checked and rechecked by director and administrative staff, before eventually arriving at the County Administrator for final approval to be published as part of some future board meeting.

Public transparency, said Phelps, is the name of the game.

“We want the public to understand, why is this here?” she said. “Why is this coming before the board? What’s the history? What did they do before? Even with a new agreement or an amendment to an agreement, we want the previous agreement attached. We want to show everything we can.”

According to Phelps, often times consent agenda items pertain to issues that have been previously discussed at prior board meetings that are now being formalized by the board for approval— but require no further discussion unless one of the commissioners decides to pull the agenda item for discussion.

Phelps said that all agenda items include background information and supporting documentation. Any new agreement, modification, amendment or other document requiring the signature of the county commission chairman will also be reviewed by the Office of the County Attorney prior to being presented to the county commission.

Due to Sunshine Law, county commissioners cannot meet each other to talk about county business outside of scheduled regular board meetings, but department directors can meet with each commissioner and discuss possible agenda items prior to them making the agenda.

Typically, the Monday before the regularly scheduled board meeting, the county administrator will have his final one-on-ones with each commissioner and go through the final agenda, item by item.

“At that point, if there’s more discussion, more concerns, we may pull an item at the beginning of the meeting,” said Phelps, adding that another reason to pull an item from the agenda could be public comment or public concern.

Ocala City Council

The city defines the consent agenda as items deemed to be routine business, not

requiring discussion and are approved by roll call vote. By using a consent agenda, the city council members have consented to the consideration of certain items as a group under one motion.

Pam Omichinski, deputy city clerk for the City of Ocala, said via email that the draft agenda review, including the Consent Agenda, is sent to the City Manager, the Assistant City Manager’s Budget Director, the Planning Director, the Contracting Officer and the city’s Strategic & Legislative Affairs Administrator.

“They review the placement of each agenda item, as well as review grammar for clarity,” said Omichinski. “There are definitely times when an item may be moved between sections, where it would be better placed. The City Manager has the final sign-off on the draft agenda as a whole, however any of the people I’ve mentioned can and will suggest changes.”

At a council meeting, Omichinski explained, any person—council, city staff or the general public—can request an item be removed from the consent agenda for further discussion and a separate vote.

Most often it is an item in General Business or an ordinance introduction that needs to be placed in Public Hearing, but sometimes, she added, items are moved from Consent to General Business.

“The latter occurs usually due to the item being over the allowed dollar value for a consent item,” she said.

In general, any non-controversial (as defined by the City Manager or City Council) and routine city business with monies less than $100,000 can be placed in the consent agenda.

Any amounts greater than $100K are placed in the General Business section of the agenda, including City Attorney invoices, easements/abrogation, licenses (second-hand dealers, etc.), minutes, contracts valued at less than $100K (as authorized by Resolution 2009-47 approved on June 2, 2009) and employment contracts.

The consent agenda can also be home to resolutions, which are opinions, intentions or decisions made by an official body or assembly, bids and other financial matters, if less than $100K.

“We want the public to understand, why is this here? Why is this coming before the board?

What’s the history? What did they do before?

Even with a new agreement or an amendment to an agreement, we want the previous agreement attached. We want to show everything we can.”

Dawn Phelps

County Administration Executive Staff Manager

COMMENTARY

By Ocala Gazette Editorial Board

A

s everyone on this board regularly watches and attends public meetings, and some of us for quite some time, we figured we’d weigh in on recent concerns that the consent agenda is where the “boogie man” hides government business it wants to slip under the radar.

In our experience, there are far more effective ways to do that.

For example, when an elected board delegates a lot of authority to staff or some private organization to make decisions pertaining to government business—it’s a prime opportunity for getting things done outside the sunshine.

But public meetings draw a crowd, including us and other media outlets, which means a strategy of hiding items in the consent agenda wouldn’t work as a longterm strategy for operating a government—unless of course, the public and local news agencies were not engaged.

Let’s all agree now not to let that happen.

From a practical standpoint, when Gazette

reporters cover a meeting, there is usually a minimum of 800 to 1,000 pages attached for review in advance of the meeting. We’ll vouch that it’s a lot to review and still catch everything—because sometimes even we can’t do that!

It’s our belief that most of the time, the elected officials get the entire agenda the same time as it is released to the public, usually four or five days in advance of the meeting. Our heart particularly goes out to those officials, like City Council members, whom are basically volunteers, also working fulltime to pay their bills, yet expected by voters to thoroughly digest and vet each agenda item before voting on them.

Do we give consent agenda items get just as much attention as regular agenda items? You betcha! We understand that consent agendas could be used as a tool for formalizing an action that no one wants to talk about publically.

In the past, when we’ve realized an item probably shouldn’t have been on the consent agenda, it’s usually not until much later- after other things have come to light. Those are cringe worthy moments for a reporter when they realize something got by them.

But do we think consent agendas are used appropriately to pass things that have been discussed ad nauseum or things that are routinely approved?

Most of the time we believe that to be true, but we can also point to instances otherwise.

Most recently, we reported that in October 2020, an ordinance was passed via consent agenda that changed the city’s form annex agreement and the policy surrounding it.

In that resolution, developers seeking to hook up to city water and sewer located outside the city limits could enter into an annex agreement “with such revisions as are acceptable to the city attorney based upon its determination.”

Under the ordinance, the agreements only required the signature of the city council president and would not require approval by the city council.

Since the city attorney also represented developers entering into those agreements- this feels like the prime example of what not to put on a consent agenda.

Nonetheless, to Mr. Browning’s point, consent agenda items should receive equal attention from both the public and the press—to that, we agree.

A7

FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

State House plan could cut student grants

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Students walk to their next class under the bell tower at the College of Central Florida in Ocala on August 31, 2021.

By Ryan Dailey Florida News Service

C

alling the plan “punitive,” leaders of Florida’s private colleges and universities are crying foul about a House proposal that could link the amount of money students get from a state-backed grant program to their schools’ performance.

The House plan is included in a bill (PCB HEA 22-01) aimed at implementing a proposed $8.9 billion higher-education budget.

Part of the bill that has generated controversy in preliminary House budget talks involves proposed changes to what are known as Effective Access to Student Education, or EASE, grants.

The nearly $114.9 million program essentially functions as a higher-ed voucher program, providing tuition assistance to full-time undergraduate students at private institutions.

Currently, the roughly 40,500 students who qualify for the grants receive $2,841 in tuition aid annually.

House Higher Education Appropriations Chairman Rene Plasencia, R-Orlando, on Thursday briefed lawmakers on his panel about a proposed “tier-based structure” for issuing the grants. The structure would determine the amount of money students would receive based on how many of five “benchmarks” that institutions meet.

The benchmarks would serve as a ranking system for the institutions.

For instance, one benchmark would be met by a school having an “access rate” of 53 percent, based on the percentage of students who qualify for a need-based Pell grant. A graduation rate of 53 percent, a retention rate of 68 percent and a postgraduate employment rate of 51 percent are other benchmarks considered in the proposed formula.

Property tax breaks move through house

“Institutions in Tier 1, meaning they meet all five benchmarks, will receive an incentivized award amount of $4,000 per student. Institutions in Tier 5, meaning they only meet one or none of the benchmarks, will not receive an award,” Plasencia explained.

The total increases and decreases in awards would result in a net reduction to the program of $6.8 million a year, he said.

Bob Boyd, president of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida association, said that the House plan could result in 6,421 students at nine private institutions getting their current grant amount cut in half or receiving no aid at all.

“These metrics will take money away from students and hurt students in the next school year. So, this is not taking money away from students after looking at data or doing some kind of phase-in. These are students who could drop out of their nursing program or teaching program starting in August,” Boyd told The News Service of Florida in an interview Friday.

Under the proposed system, students with exemplary academic standing could lose their tuition aid because of metrics imposed on their schools, Boyd said.

The plan comes at a time when the state is grappling with an ongoing shortage of nurses and teachers. Boyd said that 25 percent of all nursing and teaching degrees in Florida come from independent colleges and universities.

“So, if you need to produce more nurses, the last thing you should be doing is cutting EASE,” he said.

Florida Chamber of Commerce lobbyist Anna Grace Lewis spoke in opposition to the House plan during Thursday’s committee meeting.

“The Florida Chamber recognizes that ICUF universities play a very important role in our state, and we do acknowledge and share some of the concerns voiced today about the EASE grant,” she said.

Private institutions that serve a majority of minority students could also suffer adverse impacts.

Rep. Travaris McCurdy, D-Orlando, asked Plasencia if students at some of the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, could have their grants decreased. There are three such institutions in the ICUF system.

“With the HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), it’s no different than any of the other institutions. They’re going to be measured based on the same performance metrics, and they’ll have to compete based on those metrics,” Plasencia said.

Based on performance in the current academic year, students attending one of the HBCUs would see no change in funding under the House plan, while students at two others would get half of the funding they currently receive, Plasencia said.

The Senate, meanwhile, is mulling a plan to increase the EASE grant award amounts to $3,000 per student.

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he Florida House continued moving forward Monday with a proposal that would provide an increased homestead propertytax exemption for classroom teachers, members of the military and first responders who have toiled through the coronavirus pandemic.

The House Local Administration & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee unanimously approved two linked proposals (HJR 1 and HB 1563), filed

by Rep. Josie Tomkow, R-Polk City, that would provide the additional exemption and, as a result, reduce non-school tax revenue by more than $90 million a year.

“It’s very important for us in Florida to continue to make Florida more affordable for these individuals,” Tomkow said.

Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil, D-Maitland, expressed concern that many people in the targeted professions who live in rental properties wouldn’t benefit, while people with homes valued at $1 million or more would get tax breaks.

“I’m going to be up on (voting for) the bill today because I don’t want to look like I’m not supporting first responders and teachers, and they need support,” Goff-Marcil said. “I’m not sure this is where they should be getting it. They should be getting it in their salaries, so they can afford to buy houses.”

Currently, homeowners can qualify for a homestead tax exemption on the first $25,000 of the appraised value of property. They also can qualify for a $25,000 homestead exemption on the value between $50,000 and $75,000. Any

higher property value is taxable.

The exemption for the value between $50,000 and $75,000 doesn’t apply to property taxes collected for school districts, and neither would Tomkow’s proposal.

Under the proposal, residents could receive an additional $50,000 exemption if the owner is a classroom teacher, law enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, child-welfare services professional or active in the U.S. armed forces or the Florida National Guard. The exemption would apply to the property’s value between $100,000 and $150,000.

The proposal would be expected to affect about 413,000 Floridians, including 247,000 public and private school teachers.

If lawmakers pass the proposal during the legislative session that will end next month, the measure would need voter approval during the November elections.

State economists predict that, if the proposal is ultimately approved by voters, non-school property tax revenues would take a $80.9 million hit in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, with the annual savings for homeowners reaching $93.6 million by the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

Bob McKee, a Florida Association of Counties lobbyist, said the proposal would shift the tax burden to nonhomeowners, businesses and “even to some within those very professions who are receiving the exemption, if those professionals rent.”

Tomkow’s proposal needs approval from the House State Affairs Committee before it could go to the full House. A similar Senate proposal (SJR 1746 and SB 1748) awaits an appearance before the Finance & Tax Committee.

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Cash or pay by Mobile Phone at Event Gate (No state park entry or parking fees!)

The museum grounds come alive on February 19th and 20th with prehistoric arts, stone tool making, pottery, bow and arrow making, hide tanning, basketry and shell carving.

Hands on activities include archery, pottery making and more. Meet archaeologists, artists and Seminole dugout canoe carvers.

Unique crafts and food for sale.

All proceeds support educational programs at the Silver River Museum

www.SilverRiverMuseum.com for more information

(352) 236-5401

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Supported in Senate

Sen. Dennis Baxley [File photo]

By Ryan Dailey Florida News Service

S

enators on Tuesday gave initial approval to a controversial proposal that critics have dubbed the “don’t say gay” bill because it could curtail school discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Republican-dominated Senate Education Committee approved the measure (SB 1834) in a 6-3 vote along party lines, despite testimony from dozens of opponents who argued that the bill could remove teachers as a lifeline for vulnerable LGBTQ youths.

The bill would require

that school districts “may not encourage” discussions related to sexual orientation and gender identity “in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not ageappropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”

Parents could file lawsuits against school districts for violations of the bill.

Sponsor Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, characterized the bill as clarifying the lines of teachers’ responsibilities in the classroom.

“Some discussions are for (having) with your parents. And I think when you start having sexual-type discussions with children, you’re entering a very dangerous zone. Your awareness should pop up right away, this

isn’t teaching,” Baxley said.

But John Harris Maurer, public policy director for LGBTQ-advocacy group Equality Florida, took exception to Baxley’s argument that such discussions would be inherently sexual in nature.

“It is patently offensive to say that school discussions, even with young children, referring to two moms or two dads, parents like those that are sitting in this room that are your constituents … is somehow dangerous or inappropriate,” Maurer said.

Democrats on the panel peppered Baxley with questions about what they described as vagueness in the bill.

Sen. Shevrin Jones, a West Park Democrat who is gay, argued that the bill’s reference to “primary grade levels” could conflict with an assertion by Baxley that it would apply only to kindergarten through thirdgrade.

Baxley also argued that the measure would not affect private conversations between teachers and individual students but would only deal with “procedures” and “curriculum” in a classroom.

Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, argued the bill’s wording did not align with Baxley’s description of how it would be applied.

“So, I think the challenge here (is) when you put words on paper in a bill, it makes it really difficult to distinguish between private

discussions as a friend with a teacher and what you’re saying, they have to call the parent or they’re going to get sued,” Polsky said. “I would encourage a look back at these words, because I don’t think it’s making it clear what you’re trying to get at.”

Incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, questioned the part of the bill that would allow parents to sue school districts over violations.

Passidomo, who will become president in November, asked Baxley if he is willing to change the bill from allowing lawsuits to enforcement being based on complaints that could ultimately lead to investigations and fines for school districts.

“I’m very interested in whatever kind of enforcement mechanism would be best,” Baxley replied.

Other parts of the bill are aimed at ensuring parents are informed of any changes to students’ services or monitoring of students’ mental or physical health.

The bill is a continuation of Republicans’ push to increase parental involvement in issues related to education. Lawmakers last year passed a bill known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” which served in part as the basis for an executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis aimed at prohibiting mask mandates in schools.

DeSantis this week signaled his support for the so-called

“don’t say gay” bill.

“My goal is to educate kids on the subjects, math, reading, science, all the things that are so important. I don’t want the schools to kind of be a playground for ideological disputes,” DeSantis said during a press event in Bartow on Tuesday.

Parental rights in education also has become a political flashpoint nationally and played a key role in Republican Glenn Youngkin’s election last year as governor of Virginia, which Baxley referenced during discussion on the bill.

“The reason that this is in such a feverish pitch, is just what you saw in Virginia when under all this stuff with (parents) being a lot more involved in (their) kids’ school activity and work in response to the pandemic, they found out they’re being left out of the equation. And there’s new ideas and new things being planted that they don’t even know about,” Baxley said. “When they get a statement … from the leadership saying they have no business with what we do in schools … that’s when it explodes.

That’s when moms show up and pack rooms.”

A similar House measure (HB 1557) has advanced through the Education & Employment Committee and needs approval from the Judiciary Committee before it could go to the House floor.

Higher ed accreditation changes sought

By Ryan Dailey Florida News Service

A

Senate bill approved Tuesday would require colleges and universities to change accrediting organizations at the end of each accreditation cycle, a proposal that drew skepticism from Democrats.

The Republican-controlled Senate Education Committee voted 6-3 along party lines to support the bill (SPB 7044), which came after the agency that accredits all of Florida’s state colleges and universities became involved in two high-profile issues at universities last year.

The bill would prevent colleges and universities from being accredited by the same agency for consecutive accreditation cycles. An overview of accreditation by the Congressional Research Service said renewal “takes place on a cycle that may range from every few years to as many as 10 years.”

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is the accrediting agency for Florida’s higher-education institutions.

Belle Wheelan, president of the organization, publicly voiced concerns last year about a potential conflict as state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran was an applicant to become president of Florida State University.

Corcoran is a member of the state university system’s Board of Governors, which ultimately has to approve new university presidents. Wheelan wrote in a letter that the accrediting agency would “find the institution out of compliance” with the agency’s rules if Corcoran didn’t step down from the Board of Governors.

Syd Kitson, who at the time was chairman of the Board of Governors, later rebuked Wheelan’s comments.

“She should have done her homework,” Kitson told members of the Board of Governors in June. “It was clear she was not aware of this board’s regulation on a presidential search and

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selection process or how voting conflicts are addressed under Florida’s code of ethics for public officers.”

The accrediting agency in November also demanded an explanation from the University of Florida amid a controversy stemming from a decision to deny permission to three professors to to be hired as expert witnesses in a voting-rights lawsuit. The controversy ultimately led to UF administrators walking back the decision to deny permission for the professors to serve as witnesses.

But any tension between Florida higher-education leaders and the accrediting agency didn’t come up in Tuesday’s Senate committee meeting.

Bill sponsor Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, pointed to a rule change at the federal level that went into effect in 2020. The change, in part, broadened the geographic areas that accreditation agencies can serve.

“In this period of 10 years (or) whenever their accreditation is up,

they would have to go to a different accreditor,” he said. “This goes along the lines with the changes that were made at the federal level in which the deregulation of the geographic boundaries for all regional accreditors in the United States have been removed, and they can accredit schools regardless of their geographic location.”

But Sen. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach, questioned why the bill would force institutions to make changes.

“Just because it’s available from the federal government, doesn’t mean that they have to do it. Other than the availability, is there any real reason why we would be requiring universities to change their accrediting agency?”

Berman asked.

Diaz replied that it is “always good to have a different perspective.”

“When you have been with the same accreditor, there are things that can be learned. And a different perspective from a different regional accreditor would be helpful to our universities,” Diaz said.

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

STATE BRIEFS ENROLLMENT IN READING INITIATIVE TICKS UP SLOWLY

GRANDPARENTS ‘REASONABLE VISITATION’ MEASURE MOVES

Florida News Service

Jim Ash Florida News Bar

A

bout 17 percent of eligible students have enrolled in a $200 million state initiative to deliver free books to the homes of struggling elementary-school readers since a sign-up period opened in October.

Lawmakers last year created the New Worlds Reading Initiative, a priority of House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor. Sprowls said last year he expected the book-delivery program to accelerate an effort to reach a state goal of 90 percent of third-grade students reading on grade level by 2030.

The program had enrolled 91,308 students in kindergarten through fifth grade as of Friday, according to the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center for Learning, which administers the program. That accounts for 16.8 percent

of students eligible for the program.

Phil Poekert, director of the Lastinger Center, said Monday the program’s enrollment “continues to tick up” every day. “We’re going to continue to push forward in order to get more students recruited and enrolled in the program,” Poekert told the House Early Learning & Elementary Education Subcommittee. The efforts to get the word out include a targeted TV and radio advertising campaign and partnerships with school districts.

Kindergarten students make up the largest part of the program’s enrollment, at 18,242, while fifth grade students make up the smallest number at 12,413.

The school districts in Lee, MiamiDade, Orange, Polk and Hillsborough counties have the largest numbers of students enrolled in the program.

CIGARS, PIPES EXEMPTED FROM SMOKING MEASURE Florida News Service

A

Senate panel Monday approved a bill that would allow local governments to restrict smoking at beaches and public parks, but puffing cigars and pipes would still be allowed.

The Environment and Natural Resources Committee advanced the proposal (SB 224), after a change was made to exempt cigars and pipes from any local restrictions.

Sponsor Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, said the change was made because “cigars and pipe smoking is such a small portion” of the problem.

“It’s the filters, those plastic filters within the cigarettes that cause the environmental pollution as they make their way into the waterways,” Gruters said. “I always said that’s the most disappointing thing about the beach is the fact that, not only having the secondhand smoke hit you if you have your family next door and not being able to do anything about it, but really the kids and everybody playing in the sand and pulling up the cigarette butts over and over again.”

A

House panel has approved a measure that would authorize judges to grant grandparents “reasonable visitation,” but only after a tragedy.

The Civil Justice and Property Rights Subcommittee voted 18-0 on February 2 to approve HB 1119 by Rep. Jackie Toledo, R-Tampa.

“This bill creates an opportunity for children who have lost so much already,” Toledo said.

Sen. Keith Perry [File photo] The measure would establish a rebuttable presumption for grandparent and stepgrandparents who have had to surrender grandparent visitation when one parent a grandchild when a parent is released of a child has been found “criminally from prison. After years of care, the or civilly liable” for the death of the grandparent is suddenly unable to visit other parent. The presumption could the grandchild, Salzman said. be overcome if the court finds that “They can take them back without any grandparent visitation is not in the best visitation whatsoever,” she said. “There’s interest of the child. nothing that you can do in the law to Current law allows grandparent provide that protection for them.” visitation, but only in rare cases where The bill would not apply in those a minor child’s parents are deceased, instances, Salzman acknowledged, “but missing, or in a permanent vegetative it’s a great step forward.” state, or if only one parent is deceased HB 119 faces one more hearing in and the other has been convicted Judiciary before reaching the House of a violent felony. Even then, the floor. A companion, SB 1408 by Sen. grandparent must establish that the Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, cleared surviving parent is unfit and poses a Judiciary 9-0 on January 24. It faces significant danger to the child. hearings in the Children, Families, and Rep. Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola, Elder Affairs Committee and Rules. said the measure represents progress.

The 60-day legislative session Salzman said she knows of adjourns March 11.

File photo

The change drew opposition from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Florida Conservation Voters, the American Lung Association and Sierra Club Florida. Under current law, the state controls regulation of smoking throughout Florida.

The bill would allow cities and counties to regulate it at beaches and parks that they own. The Senate amendment exempted smoking cigars that do not contain filters or plastic tips and smoking pipe tobacco. The proposal must clear the Senate Rules Committee before it could go to the full Senate.

A similar House measure (HB 105), which does not include the exemption, has cleared two committees and awaits an appearance before the Health & Human Services Committee.

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UNION CHANGES BACKED IN HOUSE Florida News Service

A

mid opposition from teachers and other government workers, a House panel Tuesday approved a measure that would make a series of changes for public-employee unions, including preventing workers from having dues deducted from their paychecks.

The Republican-controlled House State Administration & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee voted 9-6 to support the bill (HB 1197), filed by Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, and Rep. Cord Byrd, R-Neptune Beach. The vote was along almost straight party lines, with Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, joining Democrats in opposing the bill, which also includes changes such as requiring unions to petition for recertification if their membership drops below 50 percent of the eligible employees.

Numerous teachers and other union members urged lawmakers to reject the bill, saying it would not help teacher shortages and is unfair because it would exempt unions that represent lawenforcement officers and firefighters.

“There is simply no reason for this legislation,” said Stephanie Kunkel, a lobbyist for the Florida Education

Association teachers union. “Florida is already facing a massive shortage of our teachers and our support professionals.”

But Plakon said lawmakers often have treated first responders differently than other public-sector workers. “The idea that we somehow treat people that run into fires and buildings differently than the rest of state employees is long established in Florida law,” he said.

Business groups, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business, support the bill. But it has touched off a sometimes-emotional debate.

“When I think about it, I say it’s hypocritical, disrespectful, and because I am a Christian, it’s evil,” Rep. Felicia Robinson, D-Miami Gardens said. “Those are the words I use to describe this proposed legislation. I actually compare it to slavery and the Jim Crow era.”

That drew a retort from Plakon.

“To describe as evil legislation that is business versus government, I think is beyond the pale and is inappropriate for an issue like this,” he said. The bill needs approval from the House State Affairs Committee before it could go to the full House. A Senate version (SB 1458) has not been heard in committees.

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Lawmakers target protests outside homes be washed away with water,” she targeted by police. said. “They did not disturb the “I believe that this bill is home in any way.” another attempt to further silence The House panel approved and criminalize those who want the proposal (HB 5157) in a 14-3 justice and accountability,” Gail vote, shortly before the Senate Johnson, a former Gainesville city Criminal Justice Committee commissioner, told the Senate signed off on a similar measure committee. Johnson, who is Black, (SB 1664) in a 4-2 vote. spearheaded a separate lawsuit

By Dara Kam staged protests for days outside The proposal came after the filed by cities challenging last Florida News Service a residence in Windermere Republican-controlled Legislature year’s protest legislation. owned by former Minneapolis Johnson warned of the year after passing a police officer Derek Chauvin. The last year passed a measure (HB 1) sweeping law aimed at demonstrations took place before championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis “disparate impact this will after the protests responding to absolutely have on Black and protests, state legislators and after Chauvin was charged Floyd’s death. The law enhanced brown communities.” are moving forward with a with murder in the death of penalties and created new crimes But Senate Criminal Justice proposal that could criminalize George Floyd, a Black man who in protests that turn violent. Civil- Chairman Jason Pizzo, D-North demonstrations in front of or died after Chauvin knelt on his Miami Beach, pressed Johnson around people’s homes – including neck for more than eight minutes. rights groups quickly challenged the legislation in court. on the issue, asking “what’s the the governor’s mansion.

Chauvin was later convicted Calling it unconstitutionally value” of protesting at an elected House and Senate panels of killing Floyd, whose death official’s residence. on Tuesday approved similar sparked nationwide protests over “vague and overbroad,” Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker “What’s the value of us being measures that would make it racial inequities in policing. in September blocked the law. able to protest peacefully in illegal to “picket or protest before Mina said he had “no remedy” DeSantis asked the 11th U.S. the United States of America?” or about the residence or dwelling for residents in the neighborhood Johnson retorted. of any person with the intent to who complained about the protests. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the judge’s decision. The American Civil Liberties harass or disturb that person in “They couldn’t walk their state’s appeal is pending.

Union of Florida lobbyist Neishahis or her home.” dogs. They couldn’t let their kids Critics of the latest proposal Rose Hines told the committee The prohibition would apply ride their bikes. … Some people are echoing arguments against last that “there are already numerous not only to private property but left their homes and stayed in criminal statutes would extend to public parks, hotel rooms, if they that can address” sidewalks and rights-of-way. had the means demonstrations that Orange County Sheriff to do that,” Mina get out of hand.

John Mina told the House said. “That’s how “We didn’t want to limit anybody’s “We believe Criminal Justice & Public Safety uncomfortable bills like these will Subcommittee that the ban is and intimidating free speech at all... We just wanted end up like HB 1, needed to protect people and their and harassing the to say there are certain areas that being challenged by families from being hassled near activity was.” organizations like their abodes.

But Rep. would be off limits to that because the ACLU of Florida, “Our most sacred location is Geraldine it’s not redressing government. It’s and it is a waste of our home, where we don’t want to Thompson, a taxpayers time and be disturbed, harassed,” Mina said. Democrat who lives clearly the intent to harass.” money,” Hines said.

Elected officials are accustomed in Windermere, said Sen. Keith Perry But Senate bill to people disagreeing with them in the bill does not sponsor Keith Perry, public places, the sheriff said, “but include definitions R-Gainesville, said I think what us and our neighbors of “harass” and he believes the don’t wish to see is when we come “disturb.” She argued year’s bill, saying the 2022 measure legislation is constitutional. home to that sacred home that that the protests at Chauvin’s could allow law enforcement “We didn’t want to limit we’re not intimidated or harassed house were peaceful. officials to arrest peaceful anybody’s free speech at all,” at our home.”

“They did march in front of protesters and lead to Black and Perry said. “We just wanted to say Mina pointed to a group the home. They wrote on the Hispanic demonstrators being there are certain areas that would of about 200 protesters who sidewalk in chalk, which could

A

be off limits to that because it’s not redressing government. It’s clearly the intent to harass. Again, if you’re on a sidewalk and a kid gets off a school bus, and they have to walk through a bunch of protesters, picketers, at your home, and I would say not.”

The First Amendment Foundation and the ACLU of Florida said the bill would apply to demonstrations outside the governor’s mansion.

“This bill is so overly broad that, as written, law enforcement could arrest individuals peacefully protesting outside the governor’s mansion if the officer subjectively thought that a protester’s intent was to disturb the governor. Arrests should be based on unlawful conduct; this bill allows law enforcement to arrest based on their subjective belief as to someone’s intent even if their conduct is perfectly lawful and protected by the First Amendment,” ACLU of Florida legislative director Kara Gross said in an email Tuesday afternoon.

Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, and Sen. Annette Taddeo, D-Miami, voted against the bill in the Senate committee.

Brandes said the bill is too vague.

“The right to assemble is one guaranteed by our Constitution, especially if you’re going to peacefully assemble within a public place, so I can’t support the bill. I understand the intent. I think the word dwelling is fine. …

But the word ‘about’ is what I have concern with and the overly broad interpretation that that could be,” Brandes argued.

The House and Senate bills each need to clear one more committee before they could be considered for full floor votes.

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

People, Places & Things Four-legged guardian angels are making life easier for their owners

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Mara Carruthers goes for a walk on a dreary, rainy day with Allie, a two-year-old German Shepherd who just gave birth to 7 puppies, at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs in Williston on February 8.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Linda Lorie and her husband, Rod, a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, pose with Linda‘s Guardian Angels Medical Service Dog, Grant, a nine-year-old German Shepherd, at their home on February 8.

By Marian Rizzo Special to the Gazette

L

inda Lorie doubts she’d be alive today had it not been for the quick action of her service dog, Grant.

Lorie was going up a set of concrete steps that had metal edges when she lost her balance, missed the handrail and toppled backward. In a split second, Grant rushed beneath her and braced her fall.

“He saved my life that day,” said Lorie.

“I wound up with a cast on my ankle for a while, but I literally wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for him.”

Bred and trained by Guardian Angel Medical Service Dogs (GAMSD) in Williston, Grant received the organization’s “Hero of the Year” award in 2014 for his act of heroism.

At the time of Lorie’s fall, Grant was almost two years old and had recently completed his training. Lorie was paired with him because she suffered from balance issues and from post-traumatic stress disorder related to severe physical and mental abuse when she was a child.

Now 72, Lorie said her German shepherd service dog has saved her life several more times when he alerted her to heart and blood pressure problems, and again when his alert led to a diagnosis of cancer.

“These dogs are trained to hone in on those things,” Lorie said. “The trainers teach you to listen to your dog, because almost everything they do is a communication of some kind.”

GAMSD is a 501(c) (3) organization founded in May 2010 by Carol Borden, an award winner in her own right, having been named WIPIN (Women in the Pet Industry Network) Corporate Woman of the Year in 2018.

Since its beginning, the organization has paired more than 380 dogs with

recipients, said Mary Jo Brandt, chief operations officer for GAMSD, adding that training the animal costs an average of $25,000, but the recipient receives the dog free of charge.

“That’s where donations come in,” said Brandt. “Donors sponsor the dogs and that’s how we’re able to donate them to the recipients.”

For long-distance recipients, donations also help to cover airfare, rental cars and hotel charges for 10 days, so they can work with their dog before taking the animal home, Brandt said.

GAMSD breeds German shepherds of Czech descent; however, the trainers also take on rescue dogs of different breeds that show an ability to work with people. Brandt noted that a lot of police departments use German shepherds, “Because they have an incredibly high work ethic and they’re always on the alert, even when they look like they’re sleeping,” she said. “(German shepherds) mature very quickly,” Brandt added. “We start training at about four weeks old, and in about a year-and-a-half they are able to be paired off and start working. A full mobility dog can open and close doors, turn lights on and off, pick up dropped items and get food out of the refrigerator for you.”

The majority of the organization’s recipients suffer from PTSD, Brandt said.

Dogs are trained to respond to a variety of physiological needs as well, including diabetic issues, seizures and mobility/ balance problems. GAMSD does not train guide dogs.

“I’m just so passionate over what we do here,” said Brandt. “For me, it’s because my father was paired with a service dog and I was able to see an immediate change in his personality and life. To be able to see that as a volunteer, and now as

but I knew it.” a staff member, I get to see the work that The actual pairing of recipients with we do makes a difference.” a service dog usually falls to Maranda Currently, the Williston campus pairs Jacob, the organization’s national recipient dogs with recipients in 30 states and the relations director.

District of Columbia. The purchase of 102 Currently more than 100 Florida acres near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has recipients have GAMSD service dogs, allowed for the construction of a second Jacob said, adding that the application campus, Brandt said. In addition to process involves personal and professional federal criteria that requires the recipient references, a background check and be declared permanently disabled, the organization also requires that dog owners sometimes a home visit. Veterans and first responders must provide proof of service be physically, cognitively and financially able to care for their animals. and discharge or retirement. There’s also a There are many opportunities for $50 non-refundable application fee. volunteers to get involved, from office work Applicants ultimately meet with the to grounds keeping, to fundraising, said trainers and staff to make sure they are Brandt. A favorite among volunteers is paired with the right dog.

Saturday’s “Puppy Huggers,” when adults “It’s not an exact science, but it works and children come out and socialize with very well,” said Jacob. “Every now and the dogs. then we get one that don’t match. We Staff member Chris Weber can have dogs in various stages of training. personally relate to people who receive Sometimes a dog might look right for a person but he’s not ready yet. We try to a service dog. A traumatic brain injury make it right with a Plan B dog.” survivor, Weber was injured in a car According to Chief Administrative accident about six years ago. He couldn’t Officer Chris Ann Phillips, recipients return to his former job but found a new purpose when he came to work at GAMSD. receive their dogs free of charge, thanks to federal and state grants, corporate “What helps me the most at my work sponsorships and individual donations. is knowing what our recipients are going Phillips and her dog, Petro, have joined through,” said Weber. “Not everyone is other staff members for fund-raising blessed to the level I have, but knowing what I’m doing that day or that week, demonstrations at businesses, schools, somebody is going to have their life churches and community events. turned around.”

“I retired from PNC Bank, one of the As GAMSD’s development project largest supporters of Guardian Angels,” administrator, Weber also helps with said Phillips. “I am a Marine Corps vet with fundraising and public speaking events. a disability and this is where I need to be.”

But during his first demonstration with a service dog, he suddenly had an anxiety attack.

“I was having heart palpitations,” Weber recalled.

“The dog was actually alerting to me. He came up to me, whining, and he sat next to my side.

He put all his weight against my leg and kept nudging my hand.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette The crowd Travis Mallin gets kisses from Buddy, a one-year-old German Shepherd, as he works on training him at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs in Williston on February 8. couldn’t tell,

For more information about the Guardian Angels visit medicalservicedogs.org, call (800) 398-6102, or email info@medicalservicedogs.org.

To make a donation, email cphillips@medicalservicedogs.org.

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Become a

Citizen Scientist!

NANCY STEPHENS/Special to the Gazette

A merlin perched on top of the snag. A snag is dead tree that has become an invaluable habitat for many species.

JOIN THE GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT OF 2022!

By Marion Audubon Society

B

irds are everywhere.

Ornithologists, the scientists who study birds, are not able to be everywhere. But everyday citizens, are in fact, pretty much everywhere. The purpose of the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is to help us understand and preserve our birds.

Over the past fifty years, the bird population in North America has declined by one-third, which means we have lost three billion birds! Because of the many threats to our valuable bird population, it is more important than ever to provide boots-on-the-ground data to the scientists who are tracking this critical issue and coming up with solutions.

There are multiple threats to our bird population; climate changes affecting their migration, breeding and survival of newly hatched chicks, pesticides and herbicides, habitat loss due to development, sealevel rise, and the increasing use of non-native plants and trees in landscape design. Bird/window collisions wipe out one billion birds each year. Additionally, outdoor cats, both domestic and feral, kill 1.4 billion birds each year.

The GBBC, a joint project between the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society in partnership with Bird Studies Canada, first took place in 1998, and this year marks the 25th GBBC. Globally, 190 countries participated in 2021 with over 379,726 eBird checklists being submitted. Together, they counted 6,436 species of birds, something only possible because citizen scientists contributed to the amazing amount of data collected.

This year’s GBBC takes place from Friday, February 18th through Monday, February 21st.

To get involved, keep reading!

Start by logging on to www.birdcount. org/participate/. You will be guided, step by step, through the process. Once registered, you will be asked to count for at least 15 minutes, but longer is always good too. The free Merlin Bird ID app is helpful and easy to install on a cellphone.

You will need either the eBird app for your cellphone or to log on to www.eBird. org from a desktop or laptop computer to enter findings. Whichever way you access it, you will receive instructions on how to create an account.

Wondering where can you go to count the birds?

It can be as simple as sitting on your back porch, front porch, or patio and observing your birdbath and/or bird feeders if you have them. Walking neighborhood parks or retention or stormwater ponds is another great way to observe our feathered friends! The City

of Ocala has several parks that provide amazing birding experiences; Tuscawilla Park and the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park are birding “hotspots”.

County parks are great too. Coehadjoe Park is always a favorite. There’s also Silver Springs State Park where hiking trails or birding by kayak on the Silver River is an option. Rainbow Springs State Park and the Rainbow River are great as well. Indian Lake State Forest is also one of the best for birding. All in all, there are so many wonderful places to enjoy nature here in Ocala/Marion County.

The Marion Audubon Society will

have a free educational program via Zoom on Tuesday, February 15th at 7:00 pm.

“Everything eBird” by Michele Reyes, will provide complete instruction in the use of the birding app.

For more information, visit www. marionaudubon.org. Information will also be posted on the Marion Audobon Society’s Facebook page as well as on their MeetUp. A GBBC bird walk will be held on Friday, 2/18/22 at Tuscawilla Park, located at 829 Sanchez Avenue, starting at 10 a.m. All are welcome to join!

SANDRA MARAFFINO/Special to the Gazette

A limpkin standing in the water on the shore of Rainbow River.

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

It’s a family act

Supplied

From Left to Right: Paige & Ben Roberts (seated) Mary, Wyatt, Sam, Truett, Whitney and Emmett Roberts and then Bradlee Roberts Ching & Enoch Ching

Locals work as extras in host of Disney productions.

By Beth Whitehead Special to the Gazette

W

hile being filmed by an 8-foot drone was cool and filming in a velvet period costume in the height of July was not, it’s Walt Disney World that is Paige Roberts’ favorite part of background performing. Locals to Ocala, the Roberts family of nine have been making the trek to Orlando to work as extras in Disney and Universal productions since 2008.

The Roberts first stepped foot into the acting world when Paige followed a friend’s suggestion and registered herself, her husband, and their kids with an Orlando based background company, FrontRunner Casting. Since Paige homeschooled the kids, they had the flexible schedule productions needed from their extras that most other children lacked.

Since then, every member of the Roberts family has worked as a background performer for ads or films— some more than others. Emmett, now 16, was 4 years old when he pulled his first all-nighter, filming background in a commercial from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. in the morning.

“Of my children he is the one who has had the job the longest,” Paige Roberts said. “Sam has worked the most as a little

have over 50 principal and extra gigs kid—as a 5 to 8-year-old, he worked more under their belt as of July.” than anybody.” Sam (12), the youngest, For the majority of background roles, started when he was 5. there is no audition—you just have to While FrontRunner works with fall in the right age demographic and be different production companies, the available to work the odd hours. primary one is Disney. The Roberts do Because they commute to Orlando, the background for a multitude of Disney Roberts’ routinely hop out of bed at 2 a.m. productions, including commercials, for a 4 a.m. call promotions time. and game “My kids shows. consider a late “We’ve “My kids know when they go call time to be 6 also done a.m., which still background on set, they thank everybody means we have for movies and when they leave, they are to be in the car sitcoms,” Paige at 4:30,” Paige said. “Anything polite, they do what they’re said. that is owned told, they don’t whine and Sometimes,

by Disney.”

Between the you film all that’s what gets you the day and don’t nine of them, opportunity to come back.” make the final the Roberts cut. When worked around Paige Roberts they filmed six to eight jobs background for a year before the 2020 award COVID-19. winning film The One and Only Ivan, When the kids started, they could make Paige said they “filmed two minutes of the $65 in a five-hour block of time; currently, movie and spent all day long and probably the going rate is anywhere from $100 to $225 for a 12-hour day. took 40 takes—for us not to be in it. Our “Rarely does just one child work.” scene is in the movie, but you can’t see us.”

On the other hand, sometimes you Paige said. “Between the three of them land a gig that results in your scene (Emmett, Wyatt (14), and Sam), they

making the trailer, like Wyatt and Sam did in an episode of Black-ish (2016).

The two boys landed a feature part where they were clearly seen behind the main actor and for a millisecond can be seen in the trailer for the promo as well as in the behind-the-scenes.

Paige joined Wyatt and Sam in 2019, along with their sister Whitney (25), to film background for The Right Stuff (2020) on the Disney Channel. Paige, Whitney, Bradlee (26), and Truett (23) also shot background for the 2021 Netflix film Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher.

Wyatt’s favorite experience was meeting Ariana Greenblatt (the young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War) on the set of filming The One and Only Ivan and Sam’s favorite memory was filming a Disney cruise ship ad with Kevin Quin from Bunk’d.

The job is fun, but Paige counts the experience her kids have gained through background performing more worthwhile.

“They’ve learned how to be respectful and polite beyond their years, I think,” she said. “My kids know when they go on set, they thank everybody when they leave, they are polite, they do what they’re told, they don’t whine and that’s what gets you the opportunity to come back.”

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION

By Ocala Gazette Staff

O Ocala Gazette publishes fond remembrances of your loved one Visit ocalagazette.com to submit an obituary

n Tuesday, March 8, Ollin Women International (OWI) will host the Fifth Annual International Women’s Day Celebration 2022 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Webber Center on the campus of the College of Central Florida, according to a Feb. 8 press release.

Founded during the Suffragette Movement in 1911, as well as celebrated yearly on March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD) recognizes the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

The celebration focuses on 10 guiding values: justice, dignity, hope, equality, collaboration, tenacity, appreciation, respect, empathy and forgiveness.

Additionally, the 2022 theme is #BREAKTHEBIAS, which dares to imagine a gender-

equal world where difference is valued.

“In our inaugural year 2018, the women’s organization throughout Ocala/Marion County gathered with hundreds of colleagues and friends at the Reilly Arts Center to commemorate their extraordinary contributions and community impact,” said the release. “The following year, we honored women trailblazers among us. In 2020, it was women in the arts. And last year, we honored women in the sciences.”

In 2022, OWI is recognizing women in education in Ocala/Marion County. Women who, according to the release, “embrace and promote the integral role that education plays for all of us of all ages and backgrounds.”

To register or purchase tickets for the event, visit the OWI Facebook page.

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Winter Olympic celebration

F

riends, family and dozens of hometown supporters gathered on The Terrace at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ocala last Friday, Feb. 4 to celebrate and watch the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on pull-down projection screens. Three Winter Olympic inline speed skaters, all from Ocala—Brittany Bowe, Erin Jackson and Joey Mantia—will be competing for gold medals during the two-week global competition.

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

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.

United States Olympic speed skater Brittany Bowe, calls in for a video call to her sister, Brooke Bowe, as the opening ceremonies are shown on television for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing during a celebration for Ocala Olympic speed skaters at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ocala on February 4.

WORD FIND

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

Tassie travels Solution: 14 Letters

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

Family members for United States Olympic inline speed skaters Erin Jackson and Brittany Bowe pose together, from left: William Baker, Mike Walker, Jackie Walker, Cathy Daniels, Debbie Bowe, Brooke Bowe and Bobby Hopper.

Rebecca and Cody Geller take pictures of people in the Sensational Selfies booth as people gather on The Terrace to watch the opening ceremonies.

People look on as United States Olympic speed skater Brittany Bowe calls Ocala for a video call as the opening ceremonies are shown for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Boats Burnie Canoe Coast Cold Cool Cygnet Dams Devil Don Emu Bay Fauna Fish Flora

Gretna Heat Heka Lakes Lilydale Linda Luina Miena Moss Nala Neika Nile Oaks Ouse

Owls Paper Peak Penna Rail Remote Risks Rugged Safe Seals Snug Swell Targa Temma

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

Shirts for United States Olympic speed skater Brittany Bowe.

Max Hebson, 7, left, and his brother, Weston, 9, right, hold American flags as the opening ceremonies are shown on television.

People gather on The Terrace.

The Neck Togari Tours Trek Trout Views Vineyards Viticulture Walks Water Wild Zeehan

ion: Convict history

Debbie Bowe, the mother of United States Olympic speed skater Brittany Bowe, right, speaks while Telisa Miller, left, and Debbie Rice, center, both of team Erin Jackson.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGE B7

Date: 2/11/22

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

13 Florida-breds Nominated to 2022 Triple Crown Juan Avila) A sharp 2 ½-length winner of the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 15, Markhamian broke his maiden in scintillating fashion in December, running his rivals off their feet with a 4 ½-length triumph in just his second career outing.

Mongolian Ninja

(Daredevil-Ashley’s Babe) Owned by Mongolian Stable; bred by Katherine Devail and Nancy Gould; trained by Enebish Ganbat Mongolian Ninja is unraced and has been training in Southern California at Santa Anita.

Mr Rum Runner

LAUREN KING/Coglianese photo

Simplification

By Michael Compton Special to the Gazette

A

total of 312 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, including 13 Florida-breds, have been nominated to this year’s Triple Crown series when the early nomination period closed on Jan. 29. The number of early nominations this year (horses from the 2019 foal crop) dropped 4.3 percent from last year’s early nominations total of 326.

Each runner was made eligible for the Triple Crown through a $600 payment, which will allow them to compete in any Triple Crown race should they qualify. The 148th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) is May 7 at Churchill Downs; the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes (G1) will take place at Pimlico Race Course on May 21, and the 154th Belmont Stakes (G1) is slated for June 11 at Belmont Park.

Trainers with Ocala/Marion County ties include a pair of Hall of Famers in Todd Pletcher, who led all trainers with 42 horses nominated to the Triple Crown, and Mark Casse, who is represented by 12 runners topped by Florida-bred Pappacap, a graded stakes winner last season at two and runner-up in the prestigious Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

Following are brief snapshots of the 13 Sunshine State products that have been made eligible for this year’s Triple Crown:

Clapton

(Brethren-Alexandra Rylee) Owned and bred by Ocala’s Arindel Farm and trained by Juan Alvarado.

Most recently third in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, Clapton finished third in last year’s Juvenile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Jeeper

(Overanalyze-Real Ruffian) Owned by Calumet Farm; bred by Giraluna Stables Inc.; trained by Keith Desormeaux.

Stabled in Louisiana at the Fair Grounds and a graduate of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s March sale in 2021, Jeeper has not started since a

runner-up effort in a maiden event at the Fair Grounds last December.

Make It Big

(Neolithic-Ruby On My Mind) Owned by Red Oak Stable; bred by SHH Ventures; trained by Joseph Saffie Jr.) An undefeated colt in his first three starts, Make It Big is a two-time stakes winner for Ocala’s Red Oak Stable.

After breaking his maiden by an impressive 8 ½ lengths at Gulfstream Park last October, the $120,000 OBS graduate immediately jumped into stakes company. He rattled off facile scores in both the Juvenile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park and he proved he could handle shipping out of state when he captured the Springboard Mile at Remington Park in Oklahoma. He is scheduled to make his next start in Saturday’s $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.

“He really caught our eye at OBS when he breezed an eighth-mile in :10 1/5 (at the auction’s under-tack preview) and galloped out nicely,” said Rick Sacco, Red Oak’s stable manager, of the long-striding colt. “He’s a very smart horse and an exceptional Floridabred. He kind of surprised us in his first race at seven furlongs, displaying that kind of speed in his debut. He’s a game-day horse. Then he showed another dimension in his second start.

He got dirt kicked in his face and made a sweeping move to win. The race at Remington Park came up at the right time. The timing offered us a perfect opportunity to try two turns (a route of ground), and he needed to ship out of state. He handled everything, and even the fact that the race was at night.

We’re heading into a lot deeper waters on Saturday, but everything we have asked of him he has done.”

Markhamian

(Social Inclusion-Peruvian Jane) Owned by Santa Rosa Racing Stables; bred by Sergio Ripamonti; trained by

(Uncaptured-Jitterbug Blues) Owned by Lanes Mark Racing Stable and Danny Pate; bred by J.F. Webb; trained by Patrick Biancone) Mr Rum Runner is twice stakes-placed, having finished third most recently in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes on Jan. 1 at Gulfstream Park. He also finished second in last year’s Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream after setting all the pace.

Octane

(Brethren-Star Recruit) Owned and bred by Arindel and trained by Carlos David A two-time stakes winner last season as a 2-year-old, Octane captured the FTBOA Florida Sire Affirmed Stakes last August and the FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes in front-running fashion in his first try over a route of ground in September.

Pappacap

(Gun Runner-Pappascat) Owned and bred by Rustlewood Farm and trained by Mark Casse Pappacap had a busy summer in 2021. The handsome bay colt earned his first graded stakes victory in his initial stakes try last August, taking the Best Pal Stakes (G2) at Del Mar as he pleased by 4 ¾ lengths. A wire-towire winner in his career debut in his prior start, Pappacap went on to finish second to division leader Corniche in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita and finished second to that rival again in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) last November to close out his strong freshman campaign.

He made his first start of 2022 in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds where he finished a determined third as the race favorite. Pappacap, who continues to train forwardly for Casse in Louisiana, has already banked $596,000 in his young career.

Pioneering Papa

(Classic Empire-Conquest Archangel) Owned by Decker Racing; bred by English Range Farm; trained by George Papaprodromou Pioneering Papa was purchased at OBS last year and has not started yet. He is based in California and is training at Santa Anita.

Smarten Up

(American Freedom-Sarah Cataldo) Owned by Happy Tenth Stable; bred by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck; trained by Alfredo Velazquez A nine-length maiden winner last year at PARX, Smarten Up, who sold for $50,000 at OBS last year, finished second in the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct on Jan. 1. He was unplaced in the Withers Stakes (G3) in his next start.

Tapthespeedofsound

(Tapit-Onepointthreekarats) Owned and bred by Ocala’s Live Oak Stud and trained by Mark Casse The gray or roan colt broke his maiden in his most recent start at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 8, wiring a field at one mile on the turf in his second career start.

Unraptured

(Uncaptured-Petunia Face) Owned by Angela Adams, James Michael Connors, Paris Oliver Connors, and Richard Rasmussen; bred

by Dennis Edward Foster; trained by Tim McCanna A four-length winner of an optional claiming event at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California on Jan. 14, Unraptured was a $70,000 OBS graduate. He is a winner in 2-of-3 lifetime starts and has won on turf and over Golden Gate’s synthetic surface.

Horses not nominated during the early phase can be made eligible with a $6,000 late payment due by March 28.

A total of 13 horses have swept the Triple Crown series: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Florida-bred Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015), and Justify (2018).

“We’re heading into a lot deeper waters on Saturday, but everything we have asked of him he has done.”

Rick Sacco

Red Oak’s stable manager

Simplification

(Not This Time-Simply Confection) Owned by Tami Bobo; bred by France and Irwin Weiner; trained by Antonio

LAUREN KING/Coglianese photo

Make It Big

Sano A game runner-up in last week’s Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, Simplification tossed his head at the start and still ran admirably to finish second in the key prep for the Florida Derby (G1). Prior to the Holy Bull, Simplification was a dominant fourlength winner of the $150,000 Mucho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Benoit photo

Pappacap

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FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

community FEB. 11

Visit ocalarotaryclub.com for details.

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.

FEB. 12

Kayak and Koffee

Ray Wayside Park, 9564 NE 28th Ave., Silver Springs 8am-12pm Weekend outing on the river, ideal for beginners and those interested in nature and wildlife-viewing.

Fee is $50 per person, which includes equipment and refreshments prior to the outing. Paddlers will meet at 7:45 am at the location provided. Register online at parks.marionfl.org/home-parks or call (352) 671-8560 for additional information.

FEB. 12

Sweets For Your Sweetie

Marion Oaks Public Library, 294 Marion Oaks Lane, Ocala 2pm Learn cupcake-decorating techniques to surprise your valentine. For more information, visit library. marionfl.org.

FEB. 12

Blind Date with a Book

Freedom Public Library, 5870 SW 95th St., Ocala 2:30pm Go on an adventure and check out a book with a covered cover! A fun way to discover new friends; all ages are welcome. For more information, visit library.marionfl.org.

FEB. 11-12

THROUGH FEB. 12

Bear the Burden “Big 3” Lifting Competition

EGH Fitness Facility, 2740 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 9am The Marion County Fire Rescue Peer Support Program presents the 3rd Annual Bear the Burden “Big 3” Lifting Competition at EGH Fitness Facility. $20 per competitor; all competitors will receive t-shirt. All proceeds will support the Emilio Rivera Foundation. Register online at theemiliorriverafoundation.org/events.

Grandview World Nights

World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6pm An elegant evening event incorporating the majestic elegance and power of the Clydesdale, Belgian, and Percheron horse breeds. Witness the draft horsepower under the evening lights of the World Equestrian Center in a competition made up of the best draft horses and drivers in the world.

Tickets start at $50. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit grandviewworldnights.com.

FEB. 12

FEB. 12

Cattle Drive and Cowboy Round-Up Tuscawilla Park, 829 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala 10am-2pm Dust off your cowboy hat and shine up your boots for Ocala’s annual Cattle Drive and Cowboy Round-Up! Start the morning off early watching real cowboys drive Florida cracker cattle through Downtown Ocala to Tuscawilla Park, then let the festivities begin! Enjoy live music, cowboy demonstrations, vendors, food trucks, farm animals, and more.

For more information, visit ocalafl.org.

FEB. 12

Marion Rotary Duck Derby

Tuscawilla Park, 829 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala The Ocala Rotary Club is hosting the 3rd Annual Duck Derby, following the Cattle Drive and Cowboy Roundup through Downtown Ocala. 5,000 ducks will race to win on Tuscawilla Pond. By adopting or sponsoring a duck, community winners are eligible to win cash prizes. Proceeds benefit the Discover Center along with other local Rotary Club projects.

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.

FEB. 12

Ocala Downtown Market

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

FEB. 12-13

Brick City Anime Festival

World Equestrian Center—Expo Hall 1, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 11am-6pm Brick City Anime Festival is Ocala’s anime and

cosplay convention, featuring celebrity meet-andgreets, guest panels, vendors, contests, a gaming area, and more! For more information, visit brickcityanimefestival.com.

FEB. 13

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.

FEB. 14

Let’s Talk Books

Reddick Public Library, 15150 NW Gainesville Road, Reddick 10:30am 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.

FEB. 15

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.

FEB. 16

Wednesday Midday Market

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St., Ocala 1-6pm Browse organic produce, microgreens, fresh-baked 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.

FEB. 16

FEB. 17

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.

FEB. 17

Beyond All Limits: The Black Male Enrichment Conference

Ewers Century Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala 5:30-8pm Hosted by the College of Central Florida, “Beyond All Limits: The Black Male Enrichment Conference” provides 7th-12th grade Black male students and their parents with an exclusive opportunity to hear the success stories and guidance of Black males in the local community, discuss issues relevant to Black males, and access local programs to assist young men in their growth from now to college.

Giveaways and dinner will be provided. For more information, visit cf.edu.

FEB. 17-20

Florida Cutting Horse Show

Florida Horse Park, 11008 County Road 475, Ocala Cutting is a western-style equestrian competition in which a horse and rider work together before a judge or panel of judges to demonstrate the horse’s athleticism and ability to handle cattle.

Visit floridacuttinghorseassociation.com for event details.

FEB. 18-20

ADS Spring Fling Combined Driving Event Florida Horse Park, 11008 County Road 475, Ocala Hosted by the Carriage Association of America, this horse and pony driving event will consist of singles, pairs, and teams and ranges from training level up to advanced.

For details, visit carriageassociationofamerica.com or call (352) 307-6699.

Community Conversation: Kindness Counts Freedom Public Library, 5870 95 St., Ocala 3pm It’s random acts of kindness week! Have you ever experienced or performed a random act of kindness? Come together with others for a casual and considerate exchange of ideas. For more info, visit library.marionfl.org or call (352) 438-2580.

government FEB. 15

FEB. 15

Ocala City Council 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) 629-8401 two days in advance so arrangements can be made. For assistance accessing this meeting via Zoom, call (352) 629-8226.

New Date New Location

presents

oundtrack of your life Nate Rodriguez

with Felix & Fingers + The Paintman an Evening of Music, Art, Entertainment Dance & Sing-along

Thursday March 10 6 p.m.

Jordan Peterson

Dale Henry

World Equestrian Center Expo I 1750 NW 80th Ave, Ocala, FL 34482 Tickets: $100 VIP/$35 General RSVP today to (352) 291-5143 or cmoody@hospiceofmarion.com

MCBOCC Meeting

McPherson Governmental Campus auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 9am General public items, public hearings, consent agenda items & other items that the board is expected to discuss are posted the Thursday before each board meeting. Items are available for download for convenience. Open to the public.

B7

FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

arts

8th Annual

FEB. 11

FEB. 18

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm The original and best Bee Gees tribute band, Jive Talkin’, is back on tour with a stunning new show and lineup!

Jive Talkin’ delivers a powerhouse performance that is charged with emotion to create a truly nostalgic journey through our most treasured musical memories. For more information, visit reillyartscenter.com or call (352) 351-1606.

Crones’ Cradle Conserve Foundation, 6411 NE 217th Place, Citra 10am-4pm Create your own long, narrow basket with a center handle: perfect for sitting on a windowsill, collecting a stash of quilting fabrics, or holding tools! Class fee is $48, which includes all materials, instruction, and use of tools; please bring your own lunch. To register, contact Crone’s Cradle Conserve at (352) 595-3377 or e-mail at catcrone@aol.com.

Jive Talkin’: Tribute to the Bee Gees

FEB. 12

Don Juan in Loveland

The Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 3201 Hull Road, Gainesville 2pm & 7pm Presented by the international roster of award-winning dancers at Dance Alive National Ballet, “Don Juan in Loveland” is a stunning ballet with a true Valentine’s Day ending.

To purchase tickets, visit performingarts.ufl.edu/tickets or call the Phillips Center Box Office at (352) 359-ARTS.

FEB. 12

The Old Paths

Christ’s Church of Marion County, 6768 SW 80th St., Ocala 6:30pm Hosted by Christ’s Church of Marion County, The Old Paths grace the concert stage. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. No tickets or admission charge; a love offering will be received.

For more information, visit ccomc.org or call the church office at (352) 861-6182.

FEB. 12

The McCartney Years: The World’s #1 Paul McCartney Tribute Experience Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th St., Ocala 7pm Hailed by the original Beatles promoter as “the best on the scene,” The McCartney Years is a period-true, technically stunning, and explosive live concert show that performs the music of Paul McCartney, spanning two decades from The Beatles to Wings. For more information, visit csculturalcenter.com.

FEB. 12

Los Lobos

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm Grammy Award-winning American rock band Los Lobos has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards, and made fans around the world. But perhaps its most lasting impact will be how well its music embodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot. Styles like son jarocho, norteno, Tejano, folk, country, doo-wop, soul, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, and punk all come together to create a new sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

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

FEB. 16

Color: The Emotion Influencer

Marion County Public Library Headquarters, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 3pm Discover how colors & emotions are intertwined across cultures! For more information, visit library.marionfl.org.

FEB. 17

Park After Dark: Italy – Emily Heumann

Sholom Park, 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala 5:15pm Mezzo-soprano Emily Heumann and friends perform a variety of familiar opera tunes 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/park-after-dark.

Windowsill Basket Class

FEB. 18

Reilly Noir Series: The Maharajah Flamenco Trio

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm Maharajah Flamenco Trio delivers a moving and dynamic expression of Flamenco Nuevo (new or “modern” Flamenco) by blending traditional Spanish rhythms with jazz, classical, and world music. Visit reillyartscenter.com for more info and to purchase tickets.

2022 y P r e s e n te d B

Saturday March 5th, 2022

9am-5pm

McPherson Complex: 601 SE 25th Ave, Ocala fl

THROUGH MARCH 11

CF Webber Gallery: Selections from the Permanent Collection

The Webber Gallery @ the College of Central Florida, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala Mon-Thu 10am-4pm “Selections from the Permanent Collection” is a curated glimpse into the hundreds of works contained in the College of Central Florida’s public art collection. This sneak peek into the college’s treasure trove features art by local and national artists as well as alumni. An opening reception will be held Feb. 23 at 12:30pm. Admission is free. For more information, call (352) 854-2322, ext. 1664.

THROUGH APRIL 24

Heart of the Horse: Photographs by Juliet van Otteren

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.

THROUGH APRIL 24

Garden Party: Botanical Paintings by Susan Martin

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.

&

music nig ghtlife nightlife

FEB. 11

drinks, and entertainment from the Big Bad Duo. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com/events.

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 80th St., Ocala 6pm Enjoy live entertainment and dancing from Smokin’ Torpedoes. Free and open to the public from 6-9pm. Visit circlesquarecommons.com for details.

FEB. 17

Smokin’ Torpedoes @ The Town Square

FEB. 12

MPiRE

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 80th St., Ocala 6pm Dance to live entertainment from MPiRE. Free and open to the public from 6-9pm.

Visit circlesquarecommons.com for details.

FEB. 16

The Big Bad Duo @ The Yellow Pony The Yellow Pony @ World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm Join the Yellow Pony for dinner,

Houston Keen @ Bank Street Patio Bar Bank Street Patio Bar, 120 E Fort King St., Ocala 5-9pm Houston Keen brings live music to Bank Street Patio Bar. For more information, visit bankstreetpatio.com.

FEB. 18

Elio Piedra The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 80th St., Ocala 6pm Dance the night away to the musical stylings of Elio Piedra. Free and open to the public from 6-9pm. Visit circlesquarecommons.com for details.

The Yellow Pony

ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4 Sudoku

Newsday Crossword

B8

FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Creative’s Corner

It isn’t only make believe!

Artist Christopher Hershberger makes magic in the real world.

Kayetan Arlinns Meditation

By Julie Garisto Special to the Gazette

Y

ou could say that artist Christopher Hershberger lives the dream. Or, actually, many dreams. He occupies countless worlds in his imagination, usually from the perspective of a high fantasy aficionado, and makes a living doing what he loves most: making make believe.

Games aren’t Hershberger’s only game. The Ocala-based artist won “Best in Show” last week in a juried competition at NOMA Gallery.

The work involves several processes combined with Photoshop alterations, a technique known as “photobash,” and features a female figure swathed in swirls of irridescence. The piece incorporates an acrylic pour and oils on canvas with an epoxy coat.

“I will very frequently start with something physical, take it to something digital, output it again into something else and then do other additional physical things to it,” he said.

Hershberger, 36, grew up in Alaska and across the United States. His grandparents, parents and aunts and uncles created art of one form or another. His mom would sew and draw pictures with silverpoint; his father was a photojournalist.

They used to read chapters from The Hobbit to him and his brothers at bedtime. From a young age, Hershberger’s imagination took off and soared into new, uncharted realms.

When asked at what age he started to draw, the artist jokes that he illustrated on the wall as a baby using his bottle as a paintbrush.

The multifaceted artist earned a bachelor’s degree in computer animation from Full Sail University. Initially, he wanted to work on animated and fantasy movies, inspired from a young age by TV cartoons such as The Thundercats and Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles, and films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

“For me, make believe,was something that you could do as a career,” Hershberger said.”Writers, movie people, artists -- they all get to immerse themselves in the things that they enjoy, whether they’re things that actually exist or not.”

While at Full Sail, Hershberger found common ground with Eric Askue, a Connecticut-based artist and professor who’s also a fantasy enthusiast. They and other friends began to collaborate to create miniatures and terrains for tabletop games. Their projects have included collaborators Doug Bowman and Sebastian Duran.

“We generally work in 28-millimeter scale, kind of like your standard little Dungeons and Dragons figures or War Hammer,” he explained.

A Kickstarter campaign typically funds the team’s works. “Worlds Over Run: Beasts of Burden,” a collaboration from 2020, highlights

uniquely detailed and varied dinosaurs. The pieces sold like hotcakes because gamers could only find cheap rubber dinosaurs for their tabletop games.

“People I had talked to were very unhappy or dissatisfied with what was on the market,“ he said.

Hershberger and Askue’s current project, “Necromancer’s Tower” will be featured on Kickstarter soon, around the end of the month, delayed by the untimely death of friend and collaborator James McCann.

His ghostlike demon “Kayetan” is a creature he illustrated for Parris Sheets’ latest young adult novel in her Essence of Ohr series, which just went live online this week. One of his personal favorites, “Arlinn’s Meditation” reimagines a Magic the Gathering character in springtime, befriended by wolves.

Hershberger pays the bills with a variety of commissioned art works, everything from portraits to book covers and painting over playing cards for Magic and Flesh and Blood games. The cards, known in the gaming world as “alters,” can be used for playing or displayed in shadowboxes, depending on the degree the artist has actually altered the card.

He explained for non-gamers that artists will paint on cards that are slightly damaged and need lines or shading filled in. One Magic the Gathering artist autographed a card she originally illustrated, which Hershberger altered.

She said she was impressed because his additions were imperceptible.

Working under the company name Dwarven Palette, Hershberger finds work through word of mouth, online and at game conferences. He doesn’t have an official artist statement, but his love of storytelling is the golden thread running through all of his works.

“Artwork should tell a story,” he said, “and that’s what I strive to do. I try to capture a moment in time.”

Blue Nightmare

Photo bash with Acrylic pour

B9

FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Marion County needs more guardian ad litem volunteers

Currently, it only has enough volunteers to service half the children in need.

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

“We just haven’t been able to increase our volunteer rank,” said Gisonni. “That’s our real issue—and trying to get the word out about the program.”

The Honorable Judge Robert Hodges, an Administrative Judge for Marion County, said that the role of a guardian ad litem is to be a voice for the child in the case, which, in most instances, is a child well under the age of 5.

“Oftentimes, you have an attorney who is looking out for the best interests of the parents,” explained Judge Hodges; “the Department of Children and Families is looking out for the best interests of Florida—and the child; but no one is simply, wholly looking out for the best interests of the child.”

“So that’s what missing: someone who is looking to make a difference in a child’s life, to help a child in need,” Hodges added.

GAL volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. Per GAL standards of operation, volunteers are required to see their cases, at minimum, once a month. But most volunteers see their children more than that. It depends on the needs of the child.

Studies show that children and youth with a Guardian ad Litem are more likely to be adopted, half as likely to re-enter foster care, less likely to spend time in long-term foster care, more likely to have a plan for permanency and more likely to perform well in school.

Besides volunteers, Gisonni also mentioned that GAL is looking for community partners.

“We did have several businesses that have agreed to let us put our brochures or flyers in their businesses.

And we reciprocate by putting them in our newsletters,” she said, adding that any business that supports GAL also gets a shout-out on its Facebook page.

“That’s what we’re really looking for,” she continued, “partnership with businesses or entities in Marion County that can help us get the word out

F

lorida’s Fifth Judicial Circuit Court Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program represents the interests of abused and neglected children involved in dependency court proceedings throughout Lake, Sumter, Hernando, Citrus and Marion counties.

According to Diana Gisonni, director of recruitment and training for the Fifth Circuit’s GAL program, the program is currently having a tough time finding volunteers and community partners.

A lot of that, she admitted, has been caused by the pandemic.

“Before the Delta variant came down, we were starting to see an increase of volunteers. That stopped,” said Gisonni. “Then Omicron hit and made it worse. I think there are a lot of people that just are not willing to venture out yet.”

With its main office located in Ocala, GAL provides court-appointed volunteers to watch over and advocate for displaced children, as well as make sure they don’t get lost in an overburdened legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes.

From 2019 to 2021, GAL experienced a 20% reduction in the number of volunteers coming into the program. On top of that, over the same length of time, the program saw a 15% increase of volunteers leaving—all due in large part to the ongoing pandemic, said Gisonni.

“That’s a significant reduction in newbies and a significant reduction of our veterans too,” she added.

As of the last report dated December 31, 2021, Marion County has 1,032 children currently in need of advocacy, according to Gisonni. Due to shortages in available volunteers, GAL is only able to represent 532 (51%) of that number.

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about our need…and more volunteers. We need a lot more volunteers.”

For more information about the program or if interested in volunteering, contact Amarillys Ortega at (352) 817-1546 or by email at Amarilys.ortega@gal. fl.gov. For any businesses interested in partnering with GAL, contact Diana Gisonni at (352) 812-6971 or by email at diana.gisonni@gal.fl.gov.

“Oftentimes, you have an attorney who is looking out for the best interests of the parents; the Department of Children and Families is looking out for the best interests of Florida—and the child; but no one is simply, wholly looking out for the best interests of the child.”

Judge Robert Hodges

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B10

FEBRUARY 11 - FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Iconic Waldrep home going to auction

Supplied

Waldrep ran the South Florida region’s only independent dairy farm from 1928 until his death in 1997. His sprawling verdant property, one of the largest pieces of undeveloped land in the county, was located just north of Pembroke Pines.

The no-nonsense farmer owned just one suit and rarely ventured from his farm, reported the “Broward New Times,” adding that when he died, the Waldrep Dairy Farm was still going strong.

“His grandkids weren’t as stubborn as he was,” wrote Bob Norman in “Ol’ Man Wiley Had a Farm” in 2008. “They tried to keep the farm going, but in 2003,

they finally succumbed to fate when they optioned the land to a Greek developer called Tousa Inc. for $104 million.”

Another coup for real estate developers, the South Florida property now encompasses a $1 billion, 1,900-home housing development called Monterra sits where Waldrep’s heifers used to roam.

Prospective homebuyers can bid for the entire Ocala estate at an auction on Saturday, Feb. 26. The auction will take place onsite without reserve, listed by Linda Doyle of Royal Shell Real Estate.

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“magnificent mahogany walls and ceilings, lovely carved brick wall murals and a English garden with a beautiful enclosed pool and summer kitchen for your outdoor gatherings.”

The 80-acre estate also comprises rolling hills and live oaks. Four brick horse barns with 32 stalls, offices and labs, and an eight-car garage with a workshop also occupy the property.

Newspapers called the family patriarch, Wiley Waldrep, the last cowboy in Broward County.

Bidding for his grandchildren’s Ocala home starts at $9.5 million.

For even more

A

landmark, multimillion-dollar estate is up for auction in Ocala, once occupied by the heirs of an intrepid dairy magnate.

The Waldrep family moved into the Ocala estate in 2005. Their family estate, built in 1981, can be found at 3707 NW 110th Ave. The property features a massive main house with a circular design inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The 11,520-square-foot abode has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, a theater, a pool and spa, an outdoor kitchen, and an indoor racquetball court and fitness center.

According to the Zillow listing, it has

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Measurements displayed here represent the standard for this series. Some pieces may vary. Options and Add-ons may have an upcharge.

*Payments shown based on 48 month financing estimates. Your payments may vary based on your credit approval. See associate for details. Prior sales not included. Due to early advertising deadlines, some items may be sold or out of stock. See or call store for details on total delivery area. Delivery is additional. Product photos are for illustration only, actual product may not be as pictured. Not responsible for typographical errors