Ocala Gazette | March 4 - March 10, 2022

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VOLUME 3 ISSUE 9

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MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022

County looks to renegotiate animal control agreement with the city

MCBOCC agrees to send WEC developer plans for OJC to the state

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

P

rior to 2009, the City of Ocala provided animal control services to residents within the city limits.

Then, the city sat down with the county and executed an inter-local agreement where Marion County would take over the animal control service in perpetuity.

The city transferred all of its equipment and staff to the county, as well as paid it a one-time payment of $375,000, according to Darren Park, director of Public Works for the city, during a City Council work session on Feb. 8.

But recently, the county has circled back to the previous agreement made nearly 12 years ago, claiming that its costs to maintain the program have increased and that the previous agreement itself is no longer valid as there is no specified term listed in the agreement’s language.

“They’ve also mentioned that they feel under Florida law neither the county nor the city is obligated to provide any more control,” said Park, adding that the county wished to base an agreement on Florida’s half-cent sales tax formula.

“That means in the first year they would charge us 50% of that formula or $144,000,” he added. “The second year would be 75%.

And in the third year, the full amount, which is $288,000, would be due, till the end of the agreement.”

Additionally, the city would need to adopt the county’s animal control ordinance and delegate to the county, said Park. As of now, the right to impose fines for violation of that ordinance is “jettisoned” to the county.

“We got rid of any animal control ordinance,” said Park. “We have nothing. In order to bring us in compliance with them, no matter what we do, we would have to adopt their ordinance.”

According to Jim Sweet, director of Marion County Animal Services, what motivated it to rethink its agreement with the city after more than decade was a joint workshop the Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) had with the City of Belleview on December 19, 2019 regarding the inter-local agreement.

“As our team reviewed Belleview’s animal control inter-local agreement for the workshop, the Office of the County Attorney and Animal Services leadership noted differences among the animal control interlocal agreements amongst the remaining municipalities,” said Sweet to the “Gazette” via email on Feb. 25.

Park said that the city’s position at the time of the inter-local agreement with the county in 2009 was “clear.”

“We gave them our staff, our equipment, and we gave them money. The intent was in perpetuity. We feel like the existing agreement is valid,” he said.

But the county has a clear idea of what it wants a new agreement with the city to look like as well.

“Our preference would be similar guidance and procedures for all animal control inter-local agreements,” said Sweet.

“We believe this would allow our See City, page A2

Supplied by Pavla Nygaard, former owner of Ocala Jockey Club

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

A

t their regular meeting on March 1, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) voted 4-1 to two items related to the World Equestrian Center – Ocala Jockey Club development proposal, despite it being inside the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) and outside the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB).

The first item was a text amendment application submitted by the developers of the World Equestrian Center (WEC) to change the county’s Comprehensive Plan related to the county’s Future Land Use Element

“I got a lot of problems with this, this is one I’ve lost a lot of sleep over. I’ve tried to weigh everything... I don’t think I’ve ever voted since I’ve been on the commission against anything they’ve proposed, but I can’t support this. And I can’t support it because it crosses so many lines.”

Commissioner Craig Curry

(FLUE) policy. The proposed change would allow for an update in the WEC land use designation definition, specifically to allow for hotels and RV parks which are currently prohibited in rural lands.

According to Chris Rison, a senior planner with Marion County, the WEC land use designation “identifies potential development options and maximum development amounts, depending upon whether or not a World Equestrian Center site [is] located in an urban or rural area.”

The land is currently designated as rural, and the second item is a request for the designation to be changed from See Traffic, page A4

Agency faces food and financial hardship Ocala’s First Step Food Bank has been denied a sub-distribution contract as part of a federally-funded program.

By Rosemarie Dowell Correspondent

A

n Ocala-based food bank that has served the area for nearly 30 years is facing both financial hardship and, more importantly, a significant loss in the amount of food it receives after a change in distributors for government food aid late last year.

First Step Food Bank was denied a sub-distribution contract in September

by Homestead-based Farm Share, which was awarded the regional distribution contract for the federally-funded The

Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) last spring.

“It’s not a good position to be in; we’re struggling,” said First Step Executive Director Peter Del Toro, who has been with the agency for 17 years.

“It’s certainly impacted our ability to supply food to others.”

Farm Share’s decision came despite First Step’s good standing and yearslong service as a sub-distributor for the government food aid program, which supplies food to food banks, soup kitchens, pantries and low-income households.

In a letter sent out to sub-

distributors shortly after it was notified it had won the contract, Farm Share said it was its “intent to continue working with existing TEFAP distributors in the region.”

Even so, Farm Share declined First Step’s application. First Step for years had a contract with Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando, the former contract holder for TEFAP distribution in Central Florida, which includes Marion County.

“We dealt with them until the bitter end,” said Stewart Robinson, See Decision, page A4

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MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

City has four options regarding animal control negotiations

Jim Sweet, director of the Marion County Animal Center [File photo/2021]

Continued from page A1 animal control officers to have standard procedures and requirements no matter the call; no matter the location of the request for assistance.”

A Necessary Component

Florida Statutes determine whether animal control officers can respond to certain calls. For example, if a dog incessantly barks during the night on property zoned as A-1 (Agricultural) then there is nothing animal control can do for the neighbor complaining about the barking dog. Florida Statute 828.27(7) prohibits local governments from creating ordinances relating to the enforcement regulating the noise from animals held on land zoned as agricultural.

“We receive calls for assistance from residents of the municipalities, cities and counties,” said Jim Sweet. “We receive calls from the county’s neighbors, like Williston, Altoona, Lake and Levy counties.

We also receive requests for enforcement that are not within our capabilities.”

“For those calls outside of our county’s boundaries,” continued Sweet, “we direct the caller to the appropriate authority. For animals other than pets and livestock, we provide contact information for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC): for instance, alligators, bears and snakes.”

Additionally, healthy wildlife may be deemed a nuisance but are not within animal control’s jurisdiction—no matter where in the county. County code enforcement sometimes contacts animal control officers when needed, but not very often, according to county officials.

“We may encounter them, and we will take action if the animal—domesticated or not—shows signs of illness as a precaution for public safety,” said Sweet.

Currently, the county has a staff of 51 in the Animal Services department, seven of which are fully trained animal control officers who rotate shifts to ensure that Marion County’s 1,600 square miles are covered

“But of course, times change, councils change, commission’s change, costs change, and so now we’re taking a fresh look at this...”

Robert Batsel City Attorney

24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Overall, Sweet said the county values the role his department plays in the larger tapestry of how it serves its citizens.

“Animal control is one of the necessary components of public safety,” said Sweet. “We prioritize our calls in respect to minimalizing dangers for our citizens.”

Currently, the county has been trying to recruit a qualified veterinarian for a full-time position as well—with no success. The county’s current contract with Valeri J. Love, DVM, will end on March 31 of this year and is only for 12 hours split over two days a week.

The position also involves public consultations and scheduling surgeries two days out of the week, among other duties.

Times Change

Robert Batsel, an attorney for the city, said they had a good initial discussion with the county’s attorney office in assessing the current situation.

He also mentioned that in 2009, the city repealed its section of ordinances that dealt with animal control because it was supposed to be permanent.

“But of course, times change, councils change, commission’s change, costs change, and so now we’re taking a fresh look at this,” he said. “The county is basically coming back to the table and asking the city to pay its fair share under reasonable terms.”

Batsel contended that a judge would not declare the term of the city’s agreement with the county to be unreasonable—no matter if a limit was included in the original agreement itself or not.

“We agree you don’t want to pay me to litigate with the county,” said Batsel. “That’s not going to serve anybody’s interest well. And at the end of the day, it’s going to be somewhere in the middle, where both sides believe it to be.”

Mayor Kent Guinn asked for the number of calls for service, before and after the county took over.

City Manager Sandra Wilson said that the city receives about 2,200 calls for service per year since 2009, while Assistant City Manager Ken Whitehead said that the average call rate for service before the inter-local agreement was between 1,800 and 2,500.

“Not nearly as much as you would have thought,” said Whitehead. “It was not an even increase and not a large increase really. It was a gradual increase.”

Guinn expressed frustration at the county.

“Why does the county just all

of a sudden not want to do this anymore?” He asked. “When they’ve got a contract that says they’re to do it.”

Wilson said they hadn’t indicated that they didn’t want to do it, just that they wanted to change the arrangement.

“What happens if we say no,” said the mayor.

Batsel answered.

“Most likely, they will make a policy decision either continuing to provide it without us paying anything or they put us on notice that they’re not going to do animal control in the city anymore,” he said. “At which point, the decision is now ours on how we respond to that.”

Councilmember Jim Hilty asked if the city had paid the county anything after paying the county $375,000 to take over the service per the 2009 inter-local agreement. Park said that the city had not.

Hilty said, “That’s obvious.

That’s why they want to come back. We haven’t paid a penny for it since. Is that good on our part?”

“Sure it’s good on our part,” said Guinn. “I mean, that was the agreement, right?”

Park answered,” Yes, it’s a good deal for us. It may not have been the best deal for them. But both parties agreed to it.”

Ocala’s Options

Looking at options and costs, Park told the City Council on Feb. 8 that the city had four options in regards to animal

control and negotiations with the county.

Option one would be to maintain the “status quo” and not do anything, see what happens. Option two would be to assign a new inter-local agreement with the county, meeting them at their terms, which would require the city to pay $288,000 a year—half the first year, 75% the second and the rest by the end of the third.

Option three would be to bring the animal control program back into the city.

“This would involve purchasing equipment, vehicles and hiring some FTE [Full Time Equivalent] to cover the service,” said Park.

Initial start back costs were estimated to be about $250,000 (vehicles and equipment) to bring the service back under the city’s umbrella, according to Ashley Dobbs, marketing and communications manager for the Office of Strategic Engagement for the City of Ocala on Feb. 22.

The estimated annual operating budget would be $580,000 ($300,000 operating plus $280,000 for personnel).

Ultimately, city staff recommended option four on Feb. 8, which would be to attempt to negotiate revisions to the county’s proposal.

“Specifically, we looked into the duration of the agreement, the notice period and the level of service defined in that agreement,” said Park. “We recommend going back to the county and negotiating those points.”

Wilson reiterated that the city has a really good working relationship with the county and would like to preserve it.

“We’d like to go back and negotiate with them,” she said.

“Those points, as far as the duration, level of service, and the termination provisions of the agreement, we don’t want to challenge it in court. We think we can work it out in a way that is agreeable to both parties.”

Animal Control in the County

Jim Sweet said that its animal control officers strive to respond as soon as possible based upon the priority of the call.

Priority one (P1) calls are defined as “human life may be endangered.” This ranking requires immediate assistance and could apply to bites, livestock in road or pets involved in life-or-death moments.

“With this call, our animal control officers drop everything and heard to the scene of the request,” said Sweet. “Unless they are already engaged on a

priority one call.”

Priority two (P2) calls are “same-day responses.”

“This ranking applies to a possibly injured animal and other serious concerns related to animal welfare and/or the wellbeing of a pet or livestock.

Our officers will investigate before ending their work day,” Sweet continued.

Priority three (P3) calls are “within 24 hours.” Similar but not as urgent as P2 calls. Priority four (P4) and Priority five (P5) calls are “within 72 hours.”

These rankings are mostly used for non-urgent requests for assistance or an investigation follow-up. It could also be used for donation pick-ups.

Dispatchers prioritize each call depending on the information they obtain from the request and on a case-bycase basis.

“There’s a lot of weight given to the information we receive when the dispatchers assign the call its initial priority,” said Sweet. “However, the assigned priority level can be updated at any point in the evolution of the case/investigation; upon the animal control officer’s arrival to the scene or for a myriad of other reasons.”

The county also has plans to use 6% or $2.7 million of the $41.7 million funds collected from the penny sales tax to be dispersed during the 2022-2023 fiscal year for a high-volume spay and neuter clinic.

Public Comment

Brian Creekbaum, a member of the public who remembers when animal control was still run by the city, spoke during public comment on Feb. 8, expressing concerns with animal control in his neighborhood.

“I got a big pit bull running around now,” he said. “I dealt with animal services while the city did it. I’ve dealt with animal services while the county has it.

There have been dogs running loose. Dogs that are very big, capable of doing a lot of damage when attacking somebody.”

Creekbaum said that the city’s level of service before county took over was better.

“When I called the city, they came out in an hour or two. I call the county now, it takes several days to a couple of weeks,” he said. “So don’t tell me the service level is the same.”

Wilson agreed to address Creekbaum’s concerns and recommended that city staff have a conversation with the county in regard to the 2009 agreement, addressing all the issues brought up by council and the public.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

One of the 37 seized dogs taken by Marion County Animal Control in an animal cruelty and hoarding case at the Humane Society of Marion County in Ocala on Jan. 17.

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MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

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More than just Editor’s Note:

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

By Sadie Fitzpatrick sadie@ocalagazette.com

N

ice.

It’s a word often used to describe something that is pleasant and mild: “The weather is nice today,” or “She’s a nice teacher.” This adjective can paint its subject as benign and not altogether substantive, particularly when used to describe women.

Nice Ladies, a networking group of professional women in Ocala, redefines the term “nice” by showcasing the strength women have when they gather for a common purpose: to give back to their community in a meaningful way.

The brainchild of Christina McGowan, founder of Teak Lane, which creates unique, handmade decor, Nice Ladies evolved out of a need to network in a nontraditional, more purposeful way.

McGowan started Teak Lane in the summer of 2020 after quitting her teaching job due to the strain of teaching remotely during the pandemic. In order to promote her young business, she attended a few networking events.

However, she felt she lacked a connection with those who had more traditional businesses. Referral-based networking events didn’t fill her need, personally or professionally.

At one of the networking events she met Sabrina Lewis, creator of Graze + Prosper, an Ocala catering company specializing in grazing boards featuring charcuterie and fine cheeses. The two women met over coffee to discuss the need for a better networking experience,

particularly for female entrepreneurs.

McGowan said, “I loved her (Sabrina’s) energy, how organized she was, and knew I could learn from her. I shared my idea with her, and she immediately said yes. We both have hearts for service.

The idea was to take our grit and our drive as entrepreneurs to lift up different organizations in our area that people might not know about.”

And, just like that, Nice Ladies was born.

“The ‘nice’ part of Nice Ladies stands for Networking Inspiring Caring Entrepreneurs. We believe it sets the tone for the group. That’s the expectation: We’re going to be kind, compassionate, and support each other,” said McGowan.

In August 2021, 17 female entrepreneurs met (socially distanced) for the first time as Nice Ladies. Today, there are more than 70 members and holding: They are pausing their growth until they can find a larger meeting space. They plan to resume admitting new members by this fall.

Nice Ladies is not only redefining the networking model, it is chipping away at the long-held notion that women must compete with each other in order to succeed.

“We work together to raise each other up,’’ Lewis explained. “There’s collaboration across businesses, definitely collaboration over competition.

Our group is made up of women raising each other up, pulling each other up the ladder of success. When we get together, we feel like we can solve all the world’s problems. Women are meant to join together. We need our village of other women.”

McGowan and Lewis acknowledge that being an entrepreneur can be isolating at times. Their hope is that through Nice Ladies, members can meet people with the same spirit and develop friendships while serving their community.

“It’s (Nice Ladies) flourished into something we didn’t think our

souls needed. We always get a message after a meeting from one of the girls saying, ‘I needed that today.’ They are propelled into their business for the next month after being together as a group,” McGowan said.

Meetings are an hour long, once a month. The women spend quality time with one another and have a guest speaker from a nonprofit who explains their group’s mission and needs. The members are expected to promote that month’s nonprofit on their social media channels to raise awareness. They also gather needed supplies, such as toiletry items to make hygiene kits for clients of Interfaith Emergency Services.

Lewis noted, “We’re usually so busy as entrepreneurs we don’t have time to volunteer. Our events allow us to lift our heads and have a moment of gratitude and see what nonprofits are doing in our community. It provides us substance outside of our careers.”

A myriad of professions are represented in Nice Ladies: real estate agents, bakers, photographers, nonprofit leaders, designers, and many more. Unlike most networking groups, Nice Ladies allows more than one person from each profession to join (i.e. two photographers, not just one).

Membership dues are $120 a year.

Nice Ladies is proof that you can grow yourself and your business while helping others flourish at the same time. Thanks to Nice Ladies, ‘nice’ now connotes strength, compassion, and collaboration.

To learn more about Nice Ladies, visit www.niceladies.org. There will be a Ladies’ Night Market on Thursday, March 10 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Ocala Downtown Market. This free event will feature 40 vendors (all of whom are Nice Ladies) and nonprofits from across Ocala/Marion County. The group encourages the public to support their members by buying local as well as supporting area nonprofits by donating prom dresses and suits, diapers, gentlyused clothing, and school supplies.

Horse farms, forever?

Farmland preservation area has a slippery slope

By Ocala Gazette Editorial Board

I

n the previous edition of the Ocala Gazette, you’ll find a statement from Horse Farms Forever supporting a proposal from the World Equestrian Center (WEC) developers to redefine the former Ocala Jockey Club (OJC) property.

The plans envision home sites as small as three acres, an RV park, a gas station, hotel, arenas, retail and restaurants.

If all of that sounds like too much activity for land within the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA), property outside the urban growth boundary that is supposed to be protected from development sprawl, you’re hardly alone.

And if you’re a bit confused as to why HFF would reverse field and support such intense development in agricultural lands after publicly opposing similar plans not two years ago, go to the head of the class.

In 2020, HFF ran a critical media print, radio and digital campaign against WEC developers warning the Marion County Commission and residents that a special land use designation negotiated by the WEC developer’s attorney Jimmy Gooding was a “Trojan Horse” for more commercial development in the Farmland Preservation Area.

“While we agree the WEC will be a great boon to our horse industry and economy, we believe it needs to be wellmanaged,” Busy Shires Byerly

of HFF told the Planning and Zoning board at the time.

“We believe this land use category is really like a Trojan Horse,’’ she said. “It sounds and looks good, but if it is approved, it will invade the Farmland Preservation Area with undefined, intensive commercial development.”

HFF now says in September 2021, the group did a little horse-trading with WEC developers involving the old Crupi and Plumley farms, which were purchased in 2019 and 2020 by an entity associated with the WEC developers named Golden Ocala Equestrian Land LLC. In the deal, the WEC developer would seek to change the zoning at the 256-acre Crupi and 247-acre Plumley properties from business to agricultural, “and to develop these properties into farms of 10-acres or larger.” In return, the HFF would support WEC’s plans for the Ocala Jockey Club.

Bernie Little, CEO for HFF, said none of this was in writing. Rather, it’s more as a “you go first” arrangement: The WEC developers would seek to reduce the zoning, and HFF would support WEC’s plans.

Conspicuously absent from these chats were other owners of property around the OJC. Speaking of concerned neighbors, both the Crupi and Plumley farms are a stone’s throw of the farm Little holds interest in under a corporate entity, Misty Lane, LLC.

We’d estimate from looking at property records that the Plumley farm is approximately 200 feet down the road.

Little said HFF’s public relations efforts are not meant to bolster the project in front of the commissioners, who take up the project tomorrow.

Instead, it aims to “build brand awareness for Horse Farms Forever.”

In a letter to the Ocala Gazette published on Sunday, Feb. 27, Little wrote, “I am aware of the negative reaction to our position from many of the residents in the area around the Jockey Club property, and I understand that. If you’ve looked at 1,000 acres of open pasture for decades, it’s understandable to want it to always look like that.

With that said, and I say this with no disrespect for anyone’s opinion, I think it was naive to think that any new owners of the OJC property were not going to develop it. That leaves the question, how best can an organization like Horse Farms Forever get a seat at the table to help monitor and influence that development?”

The old Ocala Jockey Club is no doubt a valuable equine venue. However, why are some of our community’s biggest advocates for conserving agricultural land in the preservation area willing to bend the rules for a wealthy developer at the cost of the very farms they purport to protect?

Essentially, HFF has taken the position that commercial

development, so long as its equine related, should be the exception to the FPA. Is there is a little selfdealing for preservation that benefits certain favored farm owners, and not others?

Who gave this private nonprofit group the authority to decide whose farms deserve protection and whose don’t?

Little told the Gazette there was no coordination on the deal between HFF and the commissioners.

Little claims HFF is being transparent in its efforts. In the same Feb. 27 letter, Little referenced HFF’s mission and wrote, “If you think about it, as a nonprofit organization focused on preserving horse farms in Marion County, the only product we have to sell is trust.”

Little concluded in his letter that “the WEC Jockey Club would do more for farmland preservation in that area than anything Horse Farms Forever could ever do.

I believe that firmly.”

Sadly, that leaves some of the smaller farms without seats on a “preservation” board up against billionaire developers.

Who are the final checks and balances to all of this? — Our elected officials and the public.

As to HFF claim of being “watchdogs,” this paper would like to point out that true watchdogs treat everyone the same, regardless of how much money they have, or how many treats they might carry in their pockets.

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MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Traffic a major concern; Bryant proposes independent study Continued from page A1 rural to WEC. The two items were linked, according to Rison, meaning if the text amendment was not approved, the language would not be amended to allow for the zoning change and subsequent submittal of a Planned Unit Development application, because there would not be consistency within the Comprehensive Plan.

Marion County staff reviewed the applications and recommended they be denied. Of the denial, Rison said, “We have some concerns related to allowing the introduction of urban-type uses into the rural areas and of interest into the farmland preservation area.”

Despite county staff recommending the applications be denied, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend approval of the applications at their Feb. 7 meeting.

The 4-1 commission vote did not approve the projects, but rather approved their transmittal to state offices in Tallahassee in order for state agencies to make comments on the proposed changes to the county’s Comprehensive Plan and the subsequent proposal.

The board heard from county staff, citizens, and individuals representing the developer during a nearly threeand-a-half hour discussion as part of the planning and zoning portion of the March 1 meeting.

Dozens of residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, with the overwhelming majority against the development of the property citing traffic concerns, urban sprawl, questions about the water and sewer placement, along with noise and light pollution.

Bonnie Health III, the owner of Bonnie Health Farm was one of those opposed.

“In 1956, my father and his partner Jack Dudley had a horse that won the Kentucky Derby so he and his partner were probably as responsible for what’s going on as anybody,” said Heath. “I don’t oppose the four-legged part of this, I love the four-legged part of this, but I do

oppose the two-legged part of this…when your friends come from up north, do you say ‘let’s go look at the warehouses, let’s go look at the hotels?’ No, you say ‘let’s go look at the horse farms.’ Well, there ain’t gonna be nothing to look at pretty soon.”

Heath’s father owned Needles, who won the 1956 Kentucky Derby becoming the first Florida-bred horse to do so.

Needles also won the 1956 Belmont Stakes.

Pat Turner, widow of Hall of fame trainer Billy Turner, who trained 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, lived and worked at the Jockey Club for 11 years, spoke against the proposed development as well.

“I really would like some clarification about the sewage and water plant that is supposed to be put in by the developer,” she said. “I’m kind of appalled at the housing development that the horse people are being asked to accept this is the future of horse life in Marion County” Not all the public comments were in opposition.

Rick Wallace, a Marion County resident and 3-day event rider whose property is located in close proximity to the Jockey Club, and who lived there for a time, spoke in support of the amendment.

“For eventers, riders, we have a difficult time getting to a property to compete when it draws a lot of people. We get in traffic, we have ride times, so the hotel makes sense to us.”

County Commissioner Carl Zalak III, who is also the board’s chair, supports the project and said as long as they take it step-by-step, it will work out.

“The biggest concern…is going to be traffic and making sure that we phased the development correctly, and don’t let it get ahead of the traffic improvements that need to be done. If we do that well, I think it’ll be a successful project,” he said after the meeting.

Zalak also said he understands residents’ concerns surrounding the development, but some of the elements within its design will assuage their fears.

“I know people are a little bit upset

Decision may create “food gap” in Marion County Continued from page A1 president of First Step Food Bank, which provides food to more than 40 area food pantries and soup kitchens, 14 of which receive TEFAP food. “We turned in our application with all the data needed and they decided not to honor it.”

However, Alfio Ferrea, Farm Share’s Statewide Manager for the USDA program, in a September 20th email exchange with First Step, said the decision was based on First Step wanting to be the sole source distributor of TEFAP in Marion County and continue doing so under the same terms and conditions as it was operating at the time.

“Unfortunately, this is not an option at this time,” Ferrea said. In a previous email Farm Share said it already had a longstanding relationship with another agency in Marion County but was willing to allow First Step to have “fifty percent of the current TEFAP agencies in Marion County or approximately seven agencies,” among other conditions.

First Step responded by saying it believed Farm Share should have included it in its plan after finding out First Step was the TEFAP SDA (subdistribution agency) for the “existing network in Marion County.”

“We don’t think Farm Share’s proposal was ‘exactly legal,’” said Robinson.

The Florida Department of Agriculture’s decision to award multiple regional multi-million-dollar contracts to Farm Share created an outcry among South Florida food banks and advocates for the poor, saying it lacked the ability to handle the distribution, said Robinson.

Pembroke-Park-based Feeding South Florida, a former regional TEFAP distributor for that area, strenuously objected to Farm Share’s award of the contract and contended errors by some of the evaluators who did the scoring

tipped the outcome to Farm Share, according to a June article published in the “South Florida Sun-Sentinel.”

Following the protest, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried reviewed the agency’s decision but ultimately stood by Farm Share’s award of the contract.

“It’s a stinking situation,” said Sam Baggett, a First Step board director.

“The evaluation process was a farce.”

The loss of the sub-distribution contract for First Step is two-fold, said Robinson.

“Our main worry is that there are more people needing food especially now with inflation and we’ve lost a significant ability to bring in food for distribution,” he said. “There will be a food gap here in Marion County.”

The contract loss also means a $60,000 decrease in revenue this fiscal year from administrative fees it charged as a central distribution point, said Robinson.

“Coupled with an increase in what we are paying to purchase food outright, we’re facing an $80,000 total loss this year,” he said.

While First Step receives donations from the public and food overages from grocery store chains, including Publix, Wal-Mart and Winn Dixie, and is still purchasing food from Second Harvest at a discounted rate, it’s not enough to overcome the deficit.

The agency for the first time recently applied for help from United Way, said Robinson.

“We are seeking out other sources of revenue and doing everything we can to continue to serve the needy in Marion County,” he said.

Baggett said he’s not sure how long First Step can manage to hold on.

“We have to find a way to make up the missing funds,” he said. “Otherwise, we will be out of business.”

about some of the residential and the hotel components and the campground, but it will actually help that area more than others. Because keeping those people on the property, obviously, when you have a traffic challenge, that’s the way to do it,” he said.

Commissioner Kathy Bryant proposed the idea of the county performing an independent traffic study, and County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes discussed the option with the board, including doing a combined traffic/ utility study that takes into account the proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) application of the Sunny Oaks development that appeared later in the meeting.

Commissioner Michelle Stone said she is mindful of the location of the project, and the design needs to match the area it will occupy.

“I hope the applicant is hearing that we are very cognizant that it is in the Farmland Preservation Area,” she said.

“We do want to be very protective because this is right in that beautiful heart of the Farmland Preservation Area, and so it needs to have the aesthetics of what I would support…if I were to approve it in the future.”

Jimmy Gooding, an attorney representing the developers, said the traffic concerns raised at the meeting will be taken into consideration.

“Obviously, traffic’s going to be a huge issue, as the commissioners and County Administrator Bouyounes indicated,” Gooding said after the meeting. “The fact that the county is going to participate in the traffic study, I think it’s going to be a good thing. We’ll make sure that we get all the data that we need, we’ll make sure we have an analysis, and one that people can trust.”

Gooding also said after the meeting traffic wasn’t the only worry raised, but he believes the developers will be able to allay residents’ hesitations. “[Concerning] compatibility, Commissioner Bryant was pretty emphatic about her desire to limit uses to

equestrian, and then Commissioner Stone was pretty emphatic about her concern about aesthetics, and then obviously, there’s concerns about lights and noise stuff, but we’re confident that we can address all those issues,” he said.

One area Gooding did address during the meeting was that the proposed development should not move forward because of its location.

“We’re not inconsistent with the Farmland Preservation Area. In fact, Farmland Preservation Area regulations do not prohibit anything that we are doing on this property,” he said.

Commissioner Jeff Gold voted in favor of sending the amendment to Tallahassee and was joined by Zalak, Stone, and Bryant. Commissioner Craig Curry was the lone dissenter.

“I got a lot of problems with this, this is one I’ve lost a lot of sleep over. I’ve tried to weigh everything, but you’ve got to be true to yourself,” Curry said during the meeting. “I’m a huge supporter of WEC, I don’t think I’ve ever voted since I’ve been on the commission against anything they’ve proposed, but I can’t support this.

And I can’t support it because it crosses so many lines.”

Despite voting for the transmittal, Bryant expressed hesitations about the overall project.

“Submitting it up for transmittal does not mean I’m going to support it when it comes back because there are a lot of unanswered questions,” Bryant said. “I am not interested in creating something that is going to cost taxpayers millions of dollars in improvements, so all that stuff is going to have to be worked out. When we talk about the wastewater, the roads, that’s all going to have to be worked out, and the developer is going to have to pay for that.”

Once the state returns its comments on the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments, the board will then be able to consider a PUD application for the WEC-OJC development.

County employees get pay raise

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Amanda Tart, the Executive Director of Administrative Services at MCBOCC speaks during a collective bargaining agreement meeting on February 10.

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

T

he Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) unanimously approved a pay raise of $1 an hour for its employees at their March 1 regular meeting.

Initially, the board had a workshop scheduled for March 2 in order to discuss a compensation and wage study the county was conducting, but County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes recommended it be canceled until staff could gather additional data needed before a discussion could take place.

Instead, Bouyounes proposed giving a $1 an hour across-the-board pay increase.

“Based on the data I have, I can tell you we are way below the market,” Bouyounes told the board during the meeting. “This will help the people at the low end of the pay scale the same way it will help everyone else,” he said.

Amanda Tart, the executive director of administrative services for the county applauded the move.

“This is a great step toward meeting the state’s minimum wage requirements, without creating compression. We’re very grateful to the commissioners for their support of our employees at all levels,” she said.

According to Stacie Causey, a spokesperson for the county, the total estimated impact to the remaining portion of this fiscal year’s budget will be $1.4 million, $683,000 of which will come from the general fund. The impact on the next fiscal year’s budget is expected to be $2.5 million.

“I think it will help us a lot in being able to retain and attract employees,” said Bouyounes.

The raise will initially apply to the county’s non-union members, but Bouyounes indicated the compensation study will take into account union members as well.

“We’re going to take the contract that the [fire] union and management agreed on and we want to plug it into the study and see where we’ll be, and what else needs to be done in the future,” he said.

After a brief discussion amongst the board, the measure passed unanimously and will go into effect starting the next pay period.

“What a way to kick off employee appreciation month,” said MCBOCC Chair Carl Zalak III after the vote.

A5

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

What’s a CRA?

A look at how local government can help revitalize neighborhoods

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

T

he Ocala City Council approved a new grant program for residential façade and property improvements in the North Magnolia Community Area (CRA) on Jan. 18.

The intention of the North Magnolia CRA Imagine Residential Façade and Property Improvement grant program is to encourage owner-occupants of single-family homes in the Marion Heights neighborhood to make exterior improvements to their homes and property.

Of the 41 homes in the neighborhood, 14 are owneroccupied. This grant program is a component of a comprehensive revitalization, which includes construction of new housing, sewer and water line extensions, a neighborhood park and commercial development along North Magnolia Avenue.

The framework of the proposed residential grant program is similar to the North Magnolia CRA Commercial Property program. It’s eligible work elements are: (1) exterior painting/paint removal for the entire building; including exterior cleaning and/or repair/ replacement of façade details/ materials—doors, walls, trim and exterior lighting; (2) repair or replacement of windows, awnings; (3) new landscaping area (trees and shrubs) visible from the street/sidewalk, removal of hazardous trees; (4) fencing; and (5) reroofing.

Grants cannot be used to correct outstanding code violations in an active code enforcement case. Only work begun after approval by the Ocala CRA will be eligible for a grant. Work in progress or performed before approval will not be eligible.

The maximum amount for a grant is $10,000 and the required

match is 25% of project cost for each applicant (75% for the city).

Once the program for owneroccupied homes is underway, a grant for rental properties may be considered.

Eligible applicants must be a property owner. Eligible buildings are single-family or owner-occupied. Ineligible properties include tax delinquent property; property in litigation; property in condemnation or receivership; property or tenants with outstanding financial obligations to City, requiring City Council approval.

Put simply, the source of the grants is a CRA, which are primarily used with businesses (The Mellow Mushroom is a good example). But…

What is a CRA?

Under Florida Law (Chapter 163, Part III), local governments are able to designate areas as Community Redevelopment Areas (CRAs) when certain conditions exist that meet the statutory definition of “slum and blight,” according to the City of Ocala’s website.

Examples of conditions that can support the creation of a CRA include the presence of substandard or inadequate structures, a shortage of affordable housing, poor infrastructure, insufficient roadways and lack of parking.

To document that the required conditions exist, the local government must survey the proposed redevelopment area and prepare a “find of necessity.” If a necessity is found, a CRA can be created.

CRAs are the publicly financed rebuilding of an older urban area distressed by social, physical, environmental or economic conditions that discourage private investment.

The goal of the Ocala CRA is to transform underutilized properties into productive assets to improve the community.

The Ocala City Council members serve as the CRA Board; but legally, it is a separate entity than the council itself. The CRA Board meets prior to City Council meetings, as needed, on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. at City Hall.

Growth Management Department staff monitor and administer projects and programs for the Ocala CRA. The Ocala CRA now contains four subareas: Downtown (established in 1988), North Magnolia (1999), West Ocala (2015) and East Ocala (2016).

The original purpose of the CRA was to create a redevelopment framework in which the Downtown district would evolve into a more dynamic mixed-use area with a variety of activities including dining, entertainment, retail, cultural,

office, financial, residential and governmental uses.

Each of the four subareas of the Ocala CRA has their own separate trust fund, called Tax Increment Financing or TIF. The money collected within the boundaries of each subarea is deposited into the associated trust fund. Expenditure of trust fund money must be done within the subarea from where it was generated.

Ty Chighizola, director of Growth Management for the City of Ocala, explained to the “Gazette” how a TIF works.

“Let’s say downtown real estate is valued at $1 million,” said Chighizola. “Anything beyond that $1 million value over the next 32 years is more money for downtown. So, if it’s $10 million, that $9 million in growth is part of the CRA, and that $1

million is part of that TIF.” “All that money from that $1 million can go anywhere in the city or county, but that $9 million…that growth…that stays in the CRA,” he added.

“So, the county doesn’t get that portion of it. And the city can’t use it for anywhere else other than that CRA.” “You have your regular taxes based on what it was frozen at, and then the growth,” he concluded. “So that money gets invested into that area.”

If you live or have a business within the North Magnolia CRA, visit https://www.ocalafl.org/ government/city-departmentsa-h/growth-management/craspecial-districts/communityredevelopment-agency/ downtown-cra to learn more about the grant program.

Ocala Community Redevelopment Area Legend Downtown CRA North Magnolia CRA West Ocala CRA East Ocala CRA

0

2,500

5,000 Feet

Supplied

City Council approves purchase of downtown property for future four-story parking garage Property Map (1.62 acres)

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

T

he Ocala City Council unanimously approved a contract and addendum to purchase six parcels in downtown Ocala from Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church during its March 1 regular meeting on Tuesday.

The contract price for the parcels was $1.7 million, which will be sourced from the city’s “General Fund Reserve for Projects,” according to city documents.

The city plans to use the approximate 1.62 acres of property to build a four-story parking garage, located east along the right-of-way of S.W. 3rd Avenue on north and south sides of S.W. Fort King Street, in the Central Business District of Ocala.

Construction funding will be addressed in the FY 2023 budget.

Originally, the agenda item came before the council on Feb. 1, but they agreed to postpone a vote on the topic until March 1, giving city staff time to collect opinions from the public and downtown business owners.

City staff conducted two “well-attended” public information sessions on Feb. 16, where Ocala residents and business owners raised a number of concerns ranging from public safety to financing options.

While some business owners adjacent to the property were thrilled to see that more parking spaces would be available for employees, others near the site expressed concerns that the garage would cut them off from downtown.

“We got a lot of good input, overwhelmingly positive,” said Pete Lee, assistant city manager, of the sessions during the March 1 council meeting.

Prior to voting on the agenda item, Councilmember Barry Mansfield asked Lee if the city had plans for purchasing the northwest parcel of the property not owned by Mt. Moriah going forward

and whether or not the parking garage would fit in the area the city planned to purchase.

“The parking garage will fit. And yes, we actually have a contract with the owner of that property.

We’ve discussed it with him and I think it will close soon,” said Lee.

Public Comment

[

Map updated on June 20, 2018 by the City of Ocala Growth Management Department

Glen Fiorello spoke during public comment, expressing his opposition to taxpayers’ money being spent on a parking garage.

“I believe that’s a private sector function, not a government function,” said Fiorello. “It’s a big investment we’re speaking about right here. It’s not something I think we should take lightly.”

Lee then stood up to address Fiorello’s comments.

“That’s something to consider,” said Lee. “Will the garage have a public or private partnership?

Will it be a privately owned garage? I’m sure there will be interest from the private sector at this point. To build it, you [city council] may not be interested in that. Those are questions that we should answer as we move forward.”

Another member of the public, Chris Arroyo, addressed the council to congratulate them and local government for taking an initiative to accommodate the needs of its citizens.

“I’m 18 years old and I’m pretty new to this whole government stuff, but, in regards to the parking garage, I do think it’s pretty great that the government is taking more of an active role to meet our transportation needs,” said Arroyo.

“We need to park our cars somewhere,” he added, “and Ocala is a busy spot. So I appreciate it.”

The addendum to the original contract extends the closing date by 60 days, from “on or before March 31, 2022 to “on or before June 1, 2022.”

The city also has a 90-day feasibility period during which it can cancel the contract if it finds it isn’t suitable, according to City Attorney Rob Batsel Jr. during the meeting.

A6

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Single family and condo/townhouse median sales prices continue to rise Florida Realtor’s release January 2022 numbers

By Ocala Gazette Staff

A

ccording to a recently released report by Florida Realtors Association, the statewide median single-family sales price for homes in January rose another month to $375,000, up from $305,000 the previous year. Townhouses and condo median sale prices statewide rose to $285,000 up from $230,000 the previous year.

Cash sales for single family homes statewide continued to be high at 33.2%, suggesting high investor activity according to the economists cited in the association’s report. Cash sales can often be a sign investors are participating in the market as they are more likely to have funds to purchase a home up front, whereas typical homebuyers must seek financing.

In the same report, Ocala/Marion County’s December median sale price for single family homes was $254,450, up from $189,000 just a year before.

Out of the twenty-two metropolitan areas monitored in the association’s report, Ocala/Marion County median single family home price had the second highest percentage year over percentage increase at 34.6%, second only to Sebring in Highlands County at 36.1%.

The townhouse and condo market in the Ocala/Marion County also had a significant increase, with a median sales price of $170,000, up from $130,000 the previous year.

Here is how Ocala/Marion County’s median single family home prices compared to the other metropolitan areas in Florida:

Here are the median prices by metropolitan statistical area:

— Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island: $722,500 — Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach: $515,000 — North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton: $470,000 — Cape Coral-Fort Myers: $413,500 — Crestview-Fort Walton BeachDestin: $410,000 — Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford: $389,990 — Port St. Lucie: $375,000 — Tampa-St. PetersburgClearwater: $366,000 — Sebastian-Vero Beach: $355,500 — Punta Gorda: $353,000 — Jacksonville: $352,750 — The Villages: $352,500 — Panama City: $330,000 — Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville: $325,000 — Deltona-Daytona BeachOrmond Beach: $320,000 — Lakeland-Winter Haven: $310,000 — Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent: $300,000 — Tallahassee: $299,500 — Gainesville: $295,000 — Homosassa Springs: $255,000 — Ocala: $254,450 — Sebring: $244,950

realtor.com lists the condo for sale and pending at $345,000.

2 bed 2 bath 1,203 sqft 302 SE Broadway St. Unit 420, Ocala, FL 34471 BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

302 SE Broadway Street, Unit 420 is shown in Ocala on February 22.

realtor.com lists the apartment for sale and pending at $94,900.

2 bed 1 bath 891 sqft 1416 SE 27th St. Apt H, Ocala, FL 34471 BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

1416 SE 27th Street Apt. H is shown in Ocala on February 22.

The Four Diamond, World Equestrian Center Ocala.

THE ULTIMATE KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY. Friday, May 6th 8:00 pm-10:30 pm Guests will enjoy a display of exotic & classic cars, festive cocktails, fine culinary offerings, scotch & bourbon tastings, luxury brand displays, great music, best derby hat contest & more MOTORSPORTS GATHERING Saturday, May 7th 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.

200+ exotic, classic & muscle cars will be on display at this Four Diamond resort.

Join the fun and display your car with us! After the car show watch the Kentucky Derby on 100 ft Jumbo-Tron’s.

For sponsor details, tickets or to register a show car: www.festivalsofspeed.com / 352-406-9325

A7

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Local Briefs

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

NAVY REPORT

OCALA

CITY COUNCIL TAKES OUT A $60 MILLION LOAN TO PAY BACK ILLEGAL TAX

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel G. Providakes) 01/28/22

H

ospital Corpsman 3rd Class Courtney Minchew, from Ocala, Fla., assigned to the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), administers a COVID-19 vaccination booster to a Japanese base employee at Commander,

Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

MILLING FOUNDATION BOARD ANNOUNCES STUDENT LOAN OPPORTUNITIES

By Ocala Gazette Staff

T

he Milling Foundation provides lowinterest and even interest-free loans to graduates of Marion County schools attending the University of Florida (UF).

Loans are available for four years to students pursuing bachelor degrees.

Students can borrow up to $30,000 over four years. Loan amounts are based on resources available and financial need.

This year’s application deadline is March 18. Award recipients will be notified after the April 2022 Milling Foundation board of directors meeting.

The board is made up of a Marion County

File photo

City attorney Patrick Gilligan

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

Superintendent of Schools’ designee and principals of Marion County public high schools, who determine loan amounts on a case-by-case basis.

Students can use their loans for tuition and other educational and college living expenses. While students are enrolled at UF, no interest is charged on the loan.

Loans may even be interest-free for students moving back to Marion County after college graduation.

Applications are available in Guidance Departments at each public high school.

For more information, contact the Milling Foundation at (352) 840–3269.

A

t their March 1 meeting, city council approved taking out a $60 million dollar loan from lender Truist in order to pay back the $80 million they collected in illegal taxes from residents.

Ashley Dobbs, spokesperson for the city of Ocala, said the remaining $20 million

the city owes would be paid from the city’s General Fund Reserve for Contingencies account.

The case stems from a long-running class-action suit that was filed in 2014 over the approximately $15 a month that more than one hundred thousand Ocala residents paid for fire services as an add on to their Ocala utility bills from 2010 until 2021. During the trial, the city’s attorney,

Patrick Gilligan, explained Ocala implemented the tax in 2007 to spread the cost of fire services across a broad group of citizens who wouldn’t be paying because they didn’t own real property or were taxexempt. An appellate court found the fees constituted an illegal tax, and in October, local trial court judge Hodges followed the appellate court’s order by requiring the city to establish a common fund to refund the fees.

At the last hearing Marion County Circuit Judge Robert W. Hodges dismissed the City of Ocala’s proposal that those seeking their share of the court-ordered refunds be made to apply to the city for their money.

Hodges ordered the city to send out a notice to all customers who paid the fees. The notice sets the case for a final hearing on May 10 at 1:30 p.m. and proposes how the $80 million should be paid out.

Dobbs told the Gazette recently that, “The city is looking for more clarification from the court on how and when the refund will take place.”

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A8

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

New COVID cases in Marion County, MCPS continue to drop

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

MARION COUNTY UPDATE Marion County has now seen new COVID cases drop for six successive weeks, as the county registered 419 new cases during the week of Feb. 18 - Feb. 24, according to figures released by the Florida Department of Health (FLDOH) Friday evening.

The last time the county saw a rise in cases was when 3,130 cases were reported during the week of Dec. 31-Jan. 6 and 5,536 new cases were reported the next week.

“The numbers are trending in the correct direction. It’s a welcome change for the community,” said Department of Health in Marion County Administrator Mark Lander in a press release.

The county’s cases per 100,000 and new case positivity both decreased as well. The cases per 100,000 dropped from 190.1 to 112.5, and the positivity rate declined last week from 10.3% to 6.9%.

While hospital numbers had remained high despite the declining number of cases, overall inpatient hospitalizations and ICU beds occupied have leveled out over the two weeks, and COVID patients filling the beds have declined.

In Health and Human Services (HHS) hospitalization numbers last updated Feb. 25, county hospitals reported 90% of inpatient beds filled, with 13% being COVID patients. In addition, 88% of ICU beds were filled, with 14% being COVID patients.

For reference, HHS hospitalization numbers on Feb. 18 showed county hospitals reporting 89% of inpatient beds filled, with 17% being COVID patients.

In addition, 90% of ICU beds were filled, with 17% being COVID patients.

The Florida Department of Health – Marion is offering free vaccinations from

8:30–11:30 a.m. and 1–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at its main office, located at 1801 SE 32nd Ave., Ocala. To make a vaccination appointment, go to tinyurl. com/MakeMarionFLVaxAppt.

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.

STATE UPDATE Much like Marion County, cases fell across the state as a whole as Florida recorded 25,640 new COVID cases for the week of Feb. 18 – Feb. 24. The last time Florida saw an increase in cases was when 393,663 new cases were recorded during the week of Dec. 31-Jan. 6 and 427,548 new cases were recorded the next week.

As expected with the drop in cases, the state’s cases per 100,000 average and new case positivity both dropped as well. Cases per 100,000 fell from 193.3 to 116.7, and new case positivity from 8.2% to 5.6%.

Florida recorded administering 49,023 doses of the vaccine last week, down from a 10-week high of 586,323 during the week of Dec. 10-16.

This brings the total state population of those ages 5 and up to 74%, the same percentage as the last three reports.

Specific to children ages 5-11, the state reported administering 4,453 doses of the vaccine last week, bringing the total number of children at least partly vaccinated to 368,674. The total population of children ages 5-11 in the state is just under 1.7 million, and figures released by the state showed 22% of them are now at least partly vaccinated against COVID-19, the same percentage as the last three reports, and by far the lowest population group in the state.

MCPS UPDATE Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) cases continued the downward trend seen across the county and state as well, as MCPS reported 55 cases for the week of Feb. 19-Feb. 25, with 47 students and eight employees confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County in figures released on Tuesday morning.

Additionally, MCPS reported 37 students and two employees had been identified as direct contacts to a COVIDpositive case confirmed by DOH. For comparison, MCPS reported 108 cases for the week of Feb. 12-Feb. 18, with 91 students and 17 employees confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Florida

Department of Health in Marion County, and 105 students and five employees had been identified as direct contacts to a COVID-positive case confirmed by DOH. While the numbers show a downtrend and new case positivity has dropped to an acceptable level, the cases per 100,000 remain just 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 112.5) and the new case positivity must remain below 10% (currently at 6.9%) for two weeks in order for coverings not to be required.

New reported Covid-19 cases per week

Jan. 13:

5,536

5,500 5,000

Feb. 18 - Feb. 24

4,500 4,000

Aug. 26:

3,228

Source: Marion County Health Department

3,500

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MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

State Property insurer placed in receivership

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

I

n another blow to the state’s troubled insurance market, a Leon County circuit judge Friday appointed the Florida Department of Financial Services as a receiver for a propertyinsurance company that records described as “insolvent.”

The department will liquidate the Orlando-based St. Johns Insurance Co. The department’s website said it was seeking court approval of a “transition plan” that would move policies to Slide Insurance Co., effective Tuesday.

The order Friday by Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey came two days after Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier sent a letter to state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis that said the company had

agreed to receivership and acknowledged that “it is insolvent.”

“The referral of this company to the (Department of Financial Services’) Division of Rehabilitation and Liquidation is the first step in a comprehensive plan to provide a seamless transition for all St. Johns Insurance Company policyholders,” Altmaier wrote.

The letter, which was attached to the petition for receivership filed in court, did not detail how many policies are involved.

The information on the Department of Financial Services’ website said the court order triggered a process in which the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association and the South Carolina Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association will cover existing claims.

St. Johns Insurance sold homeowners policies in Florida and South Carolina,

according to its website. The Florida Insurance Guaranty Association is a longstanding agency created to pay claims of insolvent insurers.

Dempsey’s order came less than two weeks after St. Johns Insurance notified agents that it was halting writing new business.

The Feb. 15 notice said the company had used “many strategies to manage our risks,” such as not renewing policies, using new rules for eligibility for business and making rate changes. But it said, “At this time, St. Johns Insurance has made the difficult decision to suspend all new business writing statewide as of February 15, 2022 … This closure applies to all lines of business.”

The receivership is another sign of problems in Florida’s property-insurance market, where insurers are shedding

policies and seeking large rate increases because of financial troubles.

The problems have led to a surge in policies at the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., which was created as an insurer of last resort but has become a dominant player in the market.

As of Jan. 31, Citizens had 776,790 policies, about a 75 percent increase over the past two years.

Lawmakers are considering proposals to try to bolster the market and slow the flow of policies to Citizens, with the Senate Appropriations Committee slated Monday to take up a bill (SB 1728) filed by Banking and Insurance Chairman Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton.

During a meeting this month, Boyd, an insurance agent, likened the propertyinsurance system to a “catastrophe.”

Wildlife officials think feeding helps manatees

By Jim Turner News Service of Florida

S

tate wildlife experts say they think efforts to feed lettuce to starving manatees in the Indian River Lagoon are showing signs of providing relief after a record number of deaths last year of the sea cows.

But data to back up that contention won’t be known until the cold weather season is over. And a concern remains that Florida will face a final cold snap in the coming weeks.

Still, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Eric Sutton remained upbeat Wednesday about the future of manatees in Florida waters after more than 96,000 pounds of lettuce have been provided to the ambling creatures since Dec. 14 at Florida Power & Light’s Cape Canaveral Clean Energy Center.

“The question is, is it making a difference? Is it helping the manatees?”

Sutton said at the start of a commission meeting at the Tampa Convention Center.

“And it‘s kind of a complicated response.

Simply put, I‘ve had to think it has. And we‘re just going to have to get through this season and analyze the data to see to what extent it has helped the population. … But I feel like this effort has mollified it (the problems) somewhat.”

The commission took the unusual step of approving efforts to feed manatees to offset a repeat of 2021, when a record 1,100 manatees died in Florida waters.

Many of the deaths were due to starvation because of declining seagrass beds that are prime foraging areas, particularly in the Indian River Lagoon. Poor water quality and algae blooms helped lead to the seagrass problems.

Typically, feeding wildlife in such a

ALAN YOUNGBLOOD/Special to the Ocala Gazette

Manatees and a new team member during the Silver Springs Professional Dive Team work on the boats and shoot manatee on Sunday November 1, 2020.

manner would be considered taboo among wildlife professionals, and the commission has repeatedly issued advisories for the public not to also feed manatees.

Sutton noted that manatees initially didn’t start eating the lettuce, as they are used to looking down to eat seagrass. But they changed their eating habits after they caught on about where the food was.

“It took them a while to figure that out, and that behavior kind of spread amongst the population,” Sutton said.

Through the first six weeks of this year, at least 261 manatees died in Florida waters, which is slightly behind the 2021 pace.

Commission Chairman Robert Spottswood said efforts to help manatees remain a long-term process, with the primary focus needing to be improvement

Join the

of the quality of the water and a “fastforward” of seagrass restoration.

“This is not this is not a system that we can recover in a year or two,” Spottswood said. “This is a system that‘s going to take a decade to recover.”

As legislative budget talks kicked off Tuesday, the House has proposed spending $8.3 million for manatee management and care and $5.33 million for manatee rescue and mortality response. The Senate in its first budget offer Tuesday night didn’t match either proposal.

The House proposal would cover 12 new full-time employees for research, monitoring, rescue and response to manatee issues, including an expansion of the network of specialized facilities that treat injured and distressed manatees.

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Go to www.cf.edu/jobs Select one of the following online portals Administrative/Faculty/ Adjunct Career Opportunities or Professional/Career/Part-time Career Opportunities.

Submit an electronic application, a copy of unofficial transcripts and resume online.

A copy of transcripts from an accredited institution must be submitted with the application.

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Meanwhile, environmental groups filed a lawsuit Feb. 1 in Washington, D.C., seeking to force federal wildlife officials to upgrade manatee habitat protections.

The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Save the Manatee Club contended in the lawsuit that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not take final action on a 2008 petition to revise what is known as a “critical habitat” designation for manatees. The lawsuit describes such designations as key “for ensuring the survival and effectuating the recovery of imperiled species such as the Florida manatee.”

The federal agency has not filed an initial response.

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A10

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

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B1

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

People, Places & Things OCT’s one-man show offers a singular theatrical experience

Alex Dagg (The Librarian) rehearses “Underneath The Lintel” at the Ocala Civic Theatre on East Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala on February 28.

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

By Julie Garisto Special to the Gazette

A

lintel is a strip of wood or stone you typically see atop a doorway. The seldom thought of framework helps to prevent a building from falling on us as we enter and exit.

In a metaphorical sense, the play “Underneath the Lintel” supports us with inspiration and humor as we pass through a series of existential thresholds.

We become privy to reflections on fate, mortality and other life mysteries, forgetting about our own worries for a spell.

“Mrs. Maisel”-esque wit adds some sweet cream on top, providing ample comic relief with laugh-out-loud moments and a touch of bittersweet pathos.

“I have loved this play since I saw it in October of 2001,” said Ocala Civic Theatre Artistic Director Katrina Ploof. “The script has stayed with me and it’s always been my dream to produce it.”

The singular one-man show stars Ocala-based actor Alex Dagg, who deftly portrays an eccentric Dutch-Jewish librarian. Wearing patches on his elbows, Dagg looks like a middle-aged professor but comports himself with the weariness of a man who has lived for centuries. His very identity drifts from the literal to allegorical as he waxes philosophical and takes the audience on a madcap journey.

Set in the dilapidated workroom of an old library in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, “Underneath the Lintel” starts with our unnamed protagonist laboring overtime. The year is 1986, before the days of Internet-based record-keeping. Scrawling the words

“An Impressive Presentation of Life’s Evidences” on the chalkboard, he talks about a book retrieved in the night slot that is 113 years overdue and shares his affection for a time-stamper worn around his neck that “contains every birth in this room … and death.”

The unfashionable lateness of the book piques the librarian’s curiosity and riles him up. (Playwright Glen Berger cleverly lampoons the librarian trope and slings other meta-references at us like a tennis ball launcher.) A trip around the world ensues to seek out the mysterious borrower, who signed for the tattered travel guide with the initial “A.” and jotted notes in every language in the margins.

Like the clues left by the mysterious borrower, playwright Berger drops hints as to what the librarian’s journey entails on an existential level.

“I was here” is oft-repeated throughout the performance and the librarian also sings “We’re here because we’re here,” a World War I anthem sung to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne.”

“We are all crickets smothered in dustballs behind couches, destined to be forgotten,” the librarian says before discussing an 1887 flood in Honan, China, that drowned 3 million people.

He goes on to say that “it may have been 3 million and one people who drowned, by the way, but what’s that one to anyone but that one. If it isn’t someone you know, then it’s all just...behind the couch.”

Actor Dagg shared that the passage is among his favorite lines in the play and said it reminded him of current events.

“I think ‘the crickets behind the couches’ is a huge statement, especially even given what’s going on right

now, when we think about Russia and Ukraine,” he commented. “When we look at world events, we have empathy, we recognize it, but we don’t really connect with it because we don’t know the people involved.”

Dagg, who recently appeared in OCT’s productions of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” praised the openness of director Anthony C. Daniel. The nationally accomplished thespian’s guidance was crucial to him.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Anthony,” Dagg said, adding that the director was receptive to his ideas and worked with him “in a collaborative process.”

“Underneath the Lintel” premiered in 1999 in the Yale Summer Cabaret. Richard Schiff, best known for playing Toby Ziegler on “The West Wing,” starred in the one-man show in the U.S and Europe.

OCT’s production features the expert behindthe-scenes work of scenic designer William Spratt, composer Philip King, stage manager Sarah Leppert, costume designer Eryn Brooks Brewer and dialect coach Lori Engler, who transformed Dagg into an Old World librarian with a Dutch accent.

Dagg also shared that he’d done a fair amount of traveling himself. His past performances have taken him to 35 states and he has even worked as an “icecream ambassador,” handing out free samples of frozen treats.

“No matter who you are,” he said, “when you’re giving away free ice cream, everyone’s going to come up and want to talk to you. So, you end up meeting interesting people and you see how they live their lives.

Imagine if we could all do this internationally. Imagine what we’d find out.”

“Underneath the Lintel” runs March 3-20. Performances are 7:30 p.m.

Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for ages 18 and younger.

Call (352) 236-2274 or visit ocalacivictheatre.com for tickets and information.

B2

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

A Tasty Tradition

O

pa! The saganaki was on fire at the annual Greek Food Festival, much to the delight of those who love the flaming cheese dish. The fundraising event, held at St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Belleview, also included entertainment, family-friendly activities and, of course, lots of delicious Greek food. Proceeds from the event will support a number of area charities and community programs including Operation Shoebox, Shriners Children’s Hospital and Interfaith Emergency Services.

Steve Tavelaris plays the Bouzouki.

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN

Chris George, who was dressed as a Spartan warrior, left, talks with Dakota Willey, 3, center, and his brother, Shane, 6, both of Micanopy.

Ocala Gazette

John Constantinides makes Saganaki “flaming cheese” flame up in a fireball as Demetra Rucker yells “Opa”.

Esther Dieringer, Vivian Badami and Vanessa Elia, left to right, work in the bakery.

Agricultural Advantage

Hayden Luffman of the Kendick 4-H, right, leads his steer with other competitors in the Steer Showmanship competition at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala on March 1.

Kendal Hurst brushes her steer, Thor.

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

T

he Southeastern Youth Fair, the oldest and largest of its kind in the nation, provides a showcase for local youth who are involved in 4-H and FFA programs. Through their monthslong involvement, the students learn leadership and personal development skills. By the end of the fair, on March 5, many of them will have earned money to help further their education. To learn more, go to seyfair.com.

Lainey Liles of Lucky Learners 4-H leads her steer.

Nicole Robertson of the North Marion High FFA shows her steer.

B3

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

BRIEFS PARADE OF SENIOR SERVICES

OCT SEASON REVEAL PARTY

B

e the first to learn about the Ocala Civic Theatre’s 2022-2023 season at a reveal party that begins at 6 p.m.

Monday, March 7, at the iconic theater, located at 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

Guests can take part in a social hour of drinks and food, with live music and a cash bar before the lineup is shared

at 7:15 p.m. They’ll hear songs from the musicals, hear scenes from the plays and get some insight into the creative inspiration for the new season.

The event is free and open to all, but reservations are required and may be made by calling the box office at (352) 236-2274.

CELEBRATING PI DAY

T

he Discovery Center will host a Pi Fest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 12, as an early celebration of Pi Day, which is annually observed on March 14.

Pi Day honors the mathematical symbol Pi (π), which stands for the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter and the infinite number is commonly expressed in decimal form as 3.14.

The Discovery Center will celebrate Pi Fest with Pi-related hands-on activities, pies to eat and pies to throw. Starting at 3:14 p.m., a pie-throwing dodge ball

game will take place outside of the center.

Participants must check-in by 3 p.m. and show a valid Discovery Center admission band. The pie fight will be included with a general admission cost of $8 per person.

The Discovery Center, located at 701 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala, will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and guests can explore the Brain Games exhibit and the Science on Sale yard sale featuring items from past exhibits, mini pies for sale and more.

For more information, visit mydiscoverycenter.org or call (352) 401-3990.

T

he City of Ocala Recreation and Parks will host a Parade of Senior Services Information Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 18, at the College of Central Florida Klein Conference Center at 3003 SW College Road, Ocala.

The event will showcase nonprofit agencies that provide a variety of services, including social, health and education. There also will be information about health insurance companies, longterm care facilities, services for the blind and social services offered by Marion

County and the board of elections, electric and veteran services.

The Cano Health mobile unit will offer a variety of services including blood pressure checks, glucose checks, oxygen level checks and more. Headlining sponsor Florida Blue will be presenting on Medicare.

The event is free to attend for adults ages 50 and over. Face coverings are encouraged. For more information, contact the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department at (352) 368-5517.

TIRE AMNESTY DAY

T

he City of Ocala residents can take advantage of free tire disposal from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, at locations the corner of Northeast 14th Street and Northeast Eighth Avenue and the Hampton Aquatic Fun Center at 255 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Tires from businesses will not be

accepted and there is a limit of 10 tires per resident. This service is for residents living within the city limits. A driver’s license listing a city address may be requested.

For more information, call the City of Ocala Residential Sanitation Division at (352) 351-6697.

CHARLIE BROWN COMES TO CF

C

DOWN FOR DONUTS

T

he Down for Donuts event, which is a fitness competition that is donut themed, will take place Saturday, March 19 at CrossFit Iron Legion at 217 SE 1st Ave., Ocala.

Event proceeds will benefit GiGi’s Playhouse in Gainesville, a nonprofit achievement center that focuses on supporting families and individuals with

Down syndrome. The owners of CrossFit Iron Legion have a child with Down syndrome who really loves donuts.

What began as a small gathering has now turned into a large community over seven years.

The event will include a silent auction.

To learn more, visit crossfitironlegion. com/event/down-for-donuts-7/

ollege of Central Florida Visual and Performing Arts students will present the musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” from April 7-10 at the Dassance Fine Arts Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala.

The students will bring the beloved characters from the “Peanuts” comic strip to life in performances at 7:30 p.m.

April 7-9, and 3 p.m. April 10, “Audiences have been enjoying these iconic characters and the show’s universal themes of friendship, fun and

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(352) 236-2274 ocalacivictheatre.com (352) 236-2274 (352) 236-2274 4337 E. Silver Springs blvd. ocalacivictheatre.com ocalacivictheatre.com Ocala, FL 33470 4337 E. Silver Springs blvd.

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Ocala, FL 33470 Ocala, FL 33470

finding happiness for decades,” said Nonalee Davis, CF Theatre instructor and the play’s director. “Our production features 12 CF students performing more than a dozen Tony Award-winning musical numbers. It will be a fun experience for theatregoers of all ages.”

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for non-CF students and can be purchased at CF.edu/Musical or by calling (352) 8735810. Tickets are free for CF students, faculty and staff with valid I.D. For more information, visit CF.edu.

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MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Florida

TEN FACTOIDS FLORIDA WOMEN WHO RULE!

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.

The world knew her simply as “Maggie,” but British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was arguably the preeminent (and most quotable) woman in 20th century politics. She was once heard saying semi-seriously: “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”

So, to mark “National Women’s Day,” Tuesday, March 8, here’s our quiz about 10 uber-achieving Florida women who have had a major influence on our state and our area.

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any

WORD FIND

always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when y puzzle, there will be 21 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

After authoring “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in 1852, she visited Silver Springs and later wrote “Palmetto Leaves,” an early day Florida travel guide. She is: A. Emily Dickinson B. Harriet Beecher Stowe C, Louisa Mae Alcott D. Charlotte Bronte

6.

2.

Raised in Ocala and educated at UF, this businesswoman ran her family’s furniture enterprises and later became New York’s parks commissioner. She is: A. Cindy Crawford B. Cynthia Hahn C. Donatello Versace D. Bernadette Castro

7.

Born in Gainesville, this multi-talented daughter of jazz singer Minnie Riperton became one of the hottest regulars on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” She is: A. Kristen Wiig B. Tina Fey C. Maya Rudolph D. Gilda Radnor

3.

A fierce defender of the Everglades, she fought the Cross Florida Canal and now has a 110-mile greenway named after her. She is: A. Marjorie Merriweather Post B. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings C. Marjory Stoneman Douglas D. Marjorie Harris Carr

8.

Traditionally known as “Potackee,” she was the first and only female chief of the Seminole tribe of Florida. She died in 2011 at 87. She is: A. Betty Mae Tiger Jumper B. D’Anna Osceola C. Wanda Bowers D. Lady Gaga Seminole

4.

In a magnanimous gesture, this champion Ocala speed skater gave up her slot in a 2022 Olympic event to another Ocalan who eventually won the gold. She is: A. Lindsey Vonn B. Brittany Bowe C. Jackie Joyner-Kersee D. Bonnie Blair

9.

Born in Tampa, her breakout role was “Prissy” in “Gone With the Wind,” but she could not attend the 1939 premier as it was in a segregated theater.

She is: A. Butterfly McQueen B. Vivien Leigh C. Ethel Waters D. Lena Horne

5.

Her opus, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” was published in 1937, but most of her prolific works were not recognized until six decades later.

She is: A. Toni Morrison B. Zora Neale Hurston C. Virginia Woolf D. Mary McLeod Bethune

10.

Ocala High’s first music teacher is considered the founder of Florida’s highschool bands. The new School Board auditorium is named for her.

She is: A. Madonna B. Browne Greaton Cole C. Delia Derbyshire D. Carole King

Raised in the Tampa area, thispleted 2000 the UF grad is an actress and sportscaster who went from contestant to host of NBC’s “Dancing With the Stars.” She is: A. Erin Andrews B. Hannah Storm C. Whoopi Goldberg D. Robin Roberts

Stargazing Solution: 21 Letters

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

1.

Analysis Apogee Atom Beam Centaur China Comet Coriolis force Data Dust

Electromagnetic Ellipse Europa Explore Gases Haumea Hubble Inner Lens Maps Mars

Mass Moon NASA Nova Orbit Outer Plasma Polarise Principles Pulsar Radio

Rocket Scans Shuttle Skyward Star Step Sun Time Walk X-rays

Answers are on page B7

COMING MARCH 18: Towns at the End of the Road.

Contact Bob Hauck: bobhauck39@gmail.com

on: Amazing heavenly bodies

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Date: 3/4/22

B5

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

community MAR. 4

Sunset Cinema: “Going in Style”

Sholom Park: 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala Gates Open: 6pm | Movie Trivia: 6:30pm | Showtime: 7pm Bring your blankets or chairs to enjoy this outdoor movie on a spring evening. This month, it’s “Going in Style,” a comedy starring Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin as they take on the bank that stole their pension funds. Make it a date night or family movie night. Registration includes one freshly popped popcorn; other snacks will be available or you can bring your own. $12 per vehicle up to eight passengers. Learn more at sholompark.org.

MAR. 4 & 11

Marion County Friday Market

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

MAR. 4-6

Live Oak International

Live Oak Stud, 2215 SW 110th Ave, Ocala All day This is the largest international-level combined driving and show jumping tournament in the country. Drivers take their teams cross country and riders put world-class horses through their show jumping paces at this renowned exhibition.

Also includes a daily presentation from Ocala’s own Grandview Clydesdales. More info at liveoakinternational.com.

MAR. 4-6 & MAR. 9-13

World Equestrian Center Ocala Winter Spectacular Weeks 9 and 10

World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala Part of the 12-week show series, this hunter/jumper competition ends with a weekly Saturday night Grand Prix show jumping in the Grand Arena.

Shops, full-service and fast-casual restaurants and pubs are available on site. Parking is free and leashed dogs are permitted.

MAR. 5

First Saturday Market in the Park

Ernie Mills Park, 11899 Bostick St., Dunnellon 8am-2pm A variety of vendors set up booths and many Dunnellon stores also offer Saturday Specials and you can pick up a map of participating merchants.

Stroll the park, decide where to shop in town and grab lunch while enjoying the Rainbow River area.

Learn more at dunnellonchamber.com

MAR. 5

Habitat Strawberry Festival

McPherson Government Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 9am-5pm Featuring a car show, strawberries, live entertainment, food vendors, a BMX demonstration, kids’ zone and pie-eating contest.

And you can buy your own flats of strawberries.

Benefits Ocala/Marion County Habitat for Humanity. Learn more at habitatocala.org/ strawberryfestival

MAR. 5-6

Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band “Curtain Call”

Marion Technical Institute, 1514 SE Ft. King St., Ocala Sat. 2pm; Sun. 3pm The Kingdom of the Sun is an all-volunteer group of musicians, with varied backgrounds and musical influences, ranging from ages 13 to 94. This concert honors conductor Leslie Muncaster and Marcia Muncaster, recognizing their 24 years of service to Central Florida music lovers. Selections from “Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Miserables” and patriotic tunes will be included. Free. For more info, kingdomofthesunband.org.

MAR. 6

Ocala Veg Fest

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St., Ocala 10am-3pm Featuring doctors, researchers and activists to discuss topics such as health, diet, animal welfare and the environment. Live music and exhibitors will showcase benefits of an eco-friendly, plant-based lifestyle including animal rescues, nonprofits, food and more. Check out Ocala Veg Fest – aPlantBasedDiet.org for more info.

MAR. 5 & 12

Yoga in the Park

Sholom Park: 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala 9am Get your downward dog going. Stretch out by the Sholom Park stage; recurs every Saturday morning.

Visit sholompark.org for details.

MAR. 5 & 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. Check out some local food trucks and the occasional guest entertainer.

Rain or shine; recurs every Saturday. Visit ocaladowntownmarket.com for more information.

government MAR.7

Marion County Development Review Committee

Office of the County Engineer– 412 SE 25th Ave., Building 1, Ocala 9am The DRC ensures compliance with the county’s Land Development Code and votes on items such as waiver requests, major site plans and subdivision master plans, preliminary plats, improvement plans and final plats.

MAR. 6

MAR. 10

Ocala Cars & Coffee

Ladies Night Market

MAR. 6 & 13

MAR. 11-13

War Horse Harley-Davidson, 5331 N US Hwy 441, Ocala 7:30-11am Wander the grounds to see show cars, drink coffee, peruse auto-related vendors, enjoy kids’ activities and more. Cars on display from the 1940s to today’s hottest racers. More info at Facebook.com/carsandcoffeeocala/

Ocala Polo Club Winter Games

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S Highway 475, Ocala 1pm Get up close and personal with the equine athletes and their riders at this unique sporting event.

Tailgating at polo is the perfect venue to enjoy an afternoon out with your family and friends. Chairs are suggested, food and drink are welcome, tents are available for rent. Leashed dogs are welcome.

For more information, visit ocalapolo.com.

MAR. 8

Ollin Women International Women’s Day Luncheon

Webber Center, College of Central Florida, 3001 SW College Road., Ocala 11:30am-1pm The Ollin Women International organization promotes a culture of peace through transformation. This year’s theme for the International Women’s Day is Break the Bias. The event will recognize women in education in Marion County in a celebration at the CF campus. Tickets are $25. For more info, ollinwomen.org.

MAR. 9

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 are often onsite; recurs every Wednesday.

Visit facebook.com/OcalaDowntownMarket for details.

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St., Ocala 5-9pm This evening market, hosted by the Nice Ladies networking group, showcases women-owned businesses from the Ocala area. Jewelry, spa and beauty services, artwork, lots of food and drink options and more.

Visit niceladies.org for more info.

World Equestrian Center Ocala Dressage 1

World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala All day Come see the qualifying classes for this year’s championship dressage competitions. Dressage has been described as dancing on horseback and you’ll have a chance to see these skilled horses and riders test at various levels. For more information, worldequestriancenter.com

MAR. 12

Evergreen Cemetery Volunteer Cleanup

Evergreen Cemetery, 300 NW 8th St., Ocala 8am-12pm Help clean headstones, rake leaves and pick up tree limbs as the City of Ocala sponsors this opportunity to restore and beautify this historical cemetery. COVID guidelines in place. For more info, call Tom Casey with the City of Ocala Public Works Department at (352) 351-6723.

MAR. 12

Pi Fest

Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala 10am-4pm Pi Day celebrates the mathematical symbol of Pi with hands-on, pie-related activities like dodge ball with pies, pies to eat and mini pies on sale.

Admission is $8 per person and allows entrance to the Brain Games exhibit too. For more info, visit mydiscoverycenter.org.

MAR. 10

Farmers Market

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 8th St., Ocala 9am-1pm Large selection of fresh seasonal produce from local growers as well as baked goods, plants, handmade soaps and more; recurs every Thursday.

Visit circlesquarecommons.com for more info.

MAR. 8

Discovery Center [file photo]

City of Belleview Planning & Zoning Board 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 5:30-6:30pm

B6

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

arts MAR. 4-20

THROUGH MARCH 11

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Performance times vary An eccentric librarian (Alex Dagg) finds a battered travel guide in the libray’s return bin – 113 years overdue. The book has notes in every language scrawled in the margins and a puzzling clue – a Chinese laundry ticket from London in 1913 – hidden in its pages.

Both captivated by the mystery and irritated by the late return, the librarian embarks on a quest to seek the borrower’s identity.

Buy tickets by phone at (352) 236-2274 or at the box office Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Masks are recommended. For more info or to buy tickets online, visit ocalacivictheatre.com.

The Webber Gallery at 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. Admission is free. For more information, call (352) 854-2322, ext. 1664.

Underneath the Lintel

CF Webber Gallery: Selections from the Permanent Collection

First Friday Art Walk

Ocala Downtown Square 6-9pm Enjoy 1960s and Motown-era songs with the band Retro Sounds.

Artists will display their work, free family activities are available and this month a classic car display is sponsored by the Ocala Car Cruisers.

Free and open to the public. For more information, call (352) 629-8447 or visit ocalafl.org/artwalk

Free First Saturday

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 10am-5pm Peruse the permanent collection and special exhibits for free on the first Saturday of each month. Make art yourself in the Artspace, stroll through the gardens and see the sculptures on the grounds and immerse yourself in the pleasures of art. Big Lee’s BBQ food truck will offer lunch options 11am-2pm. More info from appletonmuseum.org

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm Join comic, actor and writer Kevin Nealon for an evening of wit, sarcasm and, yes, maybe a little bit of subliminal comedy. In addition to his long stint on “Saturday Night Live,” Nealon also received acclaim for his work in “Weeds” from Showtime and currently stars in “Man With a Plan” from CBS. More info from reillyartscenter.com

Bowie & Glass Return

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents its most requested concert—again. David Bowie and composer Philip Glass’s music are combined in this unique collaboration. Tickets are $15-$40, and available from reillyartscenter.com.

MAR. 12

Ocala Civic Theatre Season Reveal Party

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 6pm The OCT reveals its 2022-23 season of plays with a social hour, live music and snippets and insights into the musicals and plays they’ll be presenting next season. Reservations are required for this free event. Call the box office at (352) 236-2274

by Friday, Mar. 4.

THROUGH APRIL 24

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

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

MAR. 10

Chris Botti

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala 11am-1pm This hands-on art festival is designed for kids and pets. Mixed media art fun is sponsored by the Marion Cultural Alliance with artists Kay Deuben and Terry Luke offering help and enthusiasm for creating your own art. Pets are welcome if leashed and potty trained or bring a photo to help create an ode to an animal. Aprons and smocks are encouraged and art supplies are furnished for attendees. $5 admission, proceeds to benefit the Humane Society of Marion County.

Garden Party: Botanical Paintings by Susan Martin

MAR. 7

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm Trumpeter and composer Chris Botti will perform live at the Reilly Arts Center bringing his unique musicianship to Ocala. He’s won Grammy awards, gold and platinum records, and is a master showman. Tickets and more info available at www.reillyartscenter.com.

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm Dinner, drinks and entertainment. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com/events.

Charlie Horse 2426 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 7pm Live music. Also, karaoke Wed.-Sat. For details, visit ocalacharliehorse.com/events.

MAR. 5

Ecliff Farrar

Heart of the Horse: Photographs by Juliet van Otteren

MAR. 5

D. Scott Riggs

Livestream

Love Your Pet Art Fest

MAR. 5

MAR. 4

MAR. 4

MAR. 11

Kevin Nealon

MAR. 4

&

music nig ghtlife nightlife

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.

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm Dinner, drinks and entertainment. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com/events.

MAR. 5

Good 2 Go Charlie Horse 2426 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 7pm Live music. Also, karaoke Wed.-Sat. For details, visit ocalacharliehorse.com/events.

MAR. 11

Tim McCaigar The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm Dinner, drinks, and entertainment. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com/events.

MAR. 11

Cameron Band Charlie Horse 2426 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 7pm Live music. Also, karaoke Wed.-Sat. For details, visit ocalacharliehorse.com/events.

MAR. 12

Uptown Music The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm Dinner, drinks, and entertainment. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com/events.

MAR. 12

REL

Charlie Horse 2426 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 7pm Live music. Also, karaoke Wed.-Sat. For details, visit ocalacharliehorse.com/events.

CF’s International Film Series continues with Italian anthology ‘Boccaccio ‘70’

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

T

he College of Central Florida (CF) Ira Holmes International Film Series continues its 60th anniversary season with the Italian comedy classic, “Boccaccio ’70,” on Tuesday, March 8.

Starring Sophia Loren and European leading ladies Romy Schneider and Anita Ekberg, “Boccaccio ‘70” is an anthology film released in 1962 and made up of four tales of love in modern times.

It was directed by Italian cinema legends Vittorio De Sica (“The Bicycle Thief,” “Umberto D.”), Federico Fellini (“8 1/2,” “La Dolce Vita”), Mario Monicelli (“The Organizer,” “Big Deal on Madonna Street”) and Luchino Visconti (“The Leopard,” “Death in Venice”).

Consisting of four episodes— “Renzo e Luciana” (directed by Monicelli), “Le Tentazioni del

Dottor Antonio” (Fellini), “Il Lavoro” (Visconti) and “La Riffa” (De Sica)—the film was inspired by the work of Giovanni Boccaccio, an Italian poet, humanist and early correspondent of the scholar Petrarch during the Renaissance.

Boccaccio’s most notable work was “The Decameron,” completed in 1353 but first published in English in 1620. A collection of novellas, the book’s many tales range from the purely erotic to the searingly tragic, while always remaining witty, humorous and full of life lessons.

“Boccaccio ‘70” will be shown at 2 p.m. at the Appleton Museum of Art, located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., and at 7 p.m. at the CF Ocala Campus, located at 3001 S.W. College Road, Building 8, Room 110.

On Wednesday, March 9, at 12:30 p.m., Dr. Silvo Gaggi will host an online film talk and Q&A session on Zoom.

The film series, all from the year

1962, when Professor Holmes first began the long-running program, will conclude on March 29 with “To Kill a Mockingbird,” directed

by Robert Mulligan. Dr. Gilbert B. Rodman will conduct an online film talk on March 30.

A bonus 1962 film shorts festival, featuring Chris Marker’s “La Jetée,” Louis Malle’s “Vive le Tour” and more, is scheduled for April 12.

Films at the Ocala campus are free and open to the public, while films at the Appleton are free to all museum and film series members.

Nonmembers must pay museum admission.

Be advised that some films in the series may contain mature content.

For more details, visit CF.edu/filmseries.

B7

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Cherokee on a smartphone Part of a drive to save a language

GERRY BROOME/The Associated Press

Benjamin Frey, American Studies professor at the University of North Carolina, sits under the native Ilex vomitoria tree on campus in Chapel Hill, N.C., Feb. 24. Frey, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, led the language research behind a new smartphone interface by Lenovo-owned Motorola. The Cherokee language interface on its newest line of phones, uses the syllable-based written characters first created by the Cherokee Nation’s Sequoyah in the early 1800s.

By Matt O’Brien AP Technology Writer

B

y itself, being able to read smartphone home screens in Cherokee won’t be enough to safeguard the Indigenous language, endangered after a long history of erasure. But it might be a step toward immersing younger tribal citizens in the language spoken by a dwindling number of their elders.

That’s the hope of Principal Chief Richard Sneed of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who’s counting on more inclusive consumer technology — and the involvement of a major tech company — to help out.

Sneed and other Cherokee leaders have spent several months consulting with Lenovoowned Motorola, which last week introduced a Cherokee language interface on its newest line of phones. Now phone users will be able to find apps and toggle settings using the syllable-based written form of the language first created by the Cherokee Nation’s Sequoyah in the early 1800s. It will appear on the company’s high-end Edge Plus phones when they go on sale in the spring.

“It’s just one more piece of a very large puzzle of trying to preserve and proliferate the language,” said Sneed, who worked with members of his own western North Carolina tribe and other Cherokee leaders who speak a different dialect in Oklahoma that is more widely spoken but also endangered.

It’s not the first time consumer technology has embraced the language, as Apple, Microsoft and Google already enable people to

configure their laptops and phones so that they can type in Cherokee.

But the Cherokee language preservationists who worked on the Motorola project said they tried to imbue it with the culture — not just the written symbols — they are trying to protect.

Take the start button on the Motorola interface, which features a Cherokee word that translates into English as “just start.” That’s a clever nod to the casual way Cherokee elders might use the phrase, said Benjamin Frey, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“It could have said ‘let’s get started’ in many different ways,” Frey said. “But it said ‘halenagwu’ — just start. And that’s very Cherokee. I can kind of see an elder kind of shrugging and saying, ‘Well, I guess let’s do it.’ ... It reminds me very fondly of how the elders talk, which is pretty exciting.”

When Motorola thought of incorporating Cherokee into its phones, Frey was one of the people it reached out to. It was looking to incorporate a language that the U.N.’s culture agency, UNESCO, had designated as among the world’s most endangered but also one that had an active community of language scholars it could consult.

“We work with the people, not about the people,” said Juliana Rebelatto, who holds the role of head linguist and globalization manager for Motorola’s mobile division. “We didn’t want to work on the language without them.”

Motorola modeled its Cherokee project on a similar Indigenous language

Center for Dentistry

revitalization project Rebelatto helped work on in Brazil, where the brand — part of China-based parent company Lenovo — has a higher market share than it does in the U.S. The company last year introduced phone interfaces serving the Kaingang community of southern Brazil, and the Nheengatu community of the Amazonian regions of Brazil and neighboring countries.

Several big tech companies have expressed interest in recent years in making their technology work better for endangered Indigenous languages, more to show their good will or advance speech recognition research than to fulfill a business imperative.

Microsoft’s text translation service recently added Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut, spoken in the Canadian Arctic, and grassroots artificial intelligence researchers are doing similar projects throughout the Americas and beyond. But there’s a long way to go before digital voice assistants understand these languages as well as they do English — and for some languages the time is running out.

Frey and Sneed said they recognize that some Cherokee will have concerns about tech companies making a product feature of their work to preserve their language — whether it’s a text-based interface like Motorola’s or potential future projects that could record speech to build a voice assistant or realtime translator.

“I think it is a danger that companies could take this kind of material and take advantage of it, selling it without sharing the proceeds with community members,” Frey said. “Personally, I decided that the potential benefit was worth the risk, and I’m hoping that that will be borne out.”

Frey didn’t grow up speaking Cherokee, largely due to his grandmother’s experiences of being punished for speaking the language when she was sent to boarding school. For over 150 years, Indigenous children in the U.S. and Canada were taken from their communities and forced into boarding schools that focused on assimilation.

She and others of her generation were beaten for speaking the language, had her mouth washed out with soap and was told that “English was the only way to get ahead in the world,” Frey said. She didn’t pass it on to Frey’s mom.

“This was a 13,000-year chain of intergenerational transfer of a language from parents to children that was broken because the federal government decided that

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languages.”

Frey hopes the new tool will be a conversation-starter between older Cherokee language speakers and their tech-savvy grandkids. It complements language immersion programs and other homegrown activism that’s already happening in North Carolina and Oklahoma. He said it will take more than text-based smartphone interfaces to really make a difference.

“If the youth today are watching TikTok videos, we need more TikTok videos in Cherokee,” said Frey. “If they’re paying attention to YouTube, we need more YouTubers creating content in Cherokee. If they’re trading memes online, we need more memes that are written in Cherokee.”

“We do have to make sure that the language continues to be used and continues to be spoken,” said Frey. “Otherwise, it could die out.”

This undated image provided by the Motorola Globalization team shows an example of personalization options in the Moto App in Cherokee. Users are able to personalize fonts, layouts and more. Cherokee leaders have spent several months consulting with Lenovo-owned Motorola, which last week introduced a Cherokee language interface on its newest line of phones. [Motorola Globalization team via AP]

ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4 1. B Harriet Beecher Stowe

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English was the only language that was worthwhile,” he said.

Only about 225 of the roughly 16,000 members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians spoke Cherokee fluently as their first language at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now I think we’re down to 172 or so,” said Sneed, the principal chief. “So we’ve lost quite a few in the last couple of years.”

The Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation has more speakers — an estimated 2,000 — but they are still a fraction of the more than 400,000 people who comprise what is the largest of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement Monday that incorporating the language into technology products is “a win not just for Cherokee Language preservation, but for the perpetuation of all Native

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B8

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sculpture Scavenger Hunt

T

hose who missed the recent special events to showcase the City of Ocala’s 2022-23 Ocala Outdoor Sculpture Competition can now access an educational scavenger hunt brochure that can lead to a fun,

family activity.

Participants can take a look at each sculpture and exchange a completed brochure for free admission to the Appleton Museum (up to two adults and three children.) Brochures are available at the

museum at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., the Discovery Center at 701 NE Sanchez Ave., the Marion Cultural Alliance at 23 SW Broadway St. and the Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau at 109 W. Silver Springs Blvd.

Winners of the competition were:

Best of Show: “The Three Musketeers” by Gus and Lina Ocamposilva Second Place: “Golden Oak Leaf Arch II” by Jim Gallucci Honorable Mention: “Exploratory Unit 01” by Harry McDaniel

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B9

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Patriots lose at home to traveling Blue Wave

T

he College of Central Florida Patriots baseball team lost to the Florida State College at Jacksonville Blue Wave 7-3 at home Tuesday, March 1. Originally, the game was to be played on Feb. 28, but was rescheduled to the following day due to inclement weather reports predicting rainfall on Monday. Pitcher Andrew Myers (3-0) earned the win for the Blue Wave, pitching five innings and facing 23 batters, while pitcher Aaron Combs (0-2) took the loss for the Patriots, pitching three innings and facing 18 batters. Overall, Myers gave up six hits, three earned runs and struck out three batters. Combs gave up five hits and five earned runs, striking out five. Patrick Groark recorded his third save of the season pitching the final three innings of the game, securing the win for the Blue Wave.

On a close play, Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Mason Mcleod (23) makes it safely back to first base as the College of Central Florida’s Jackson Taylor (24) looks for the out.

Photos By BRUCE ACKERMAN Ocala Gazette

Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Jayme Villafane (3) slides safely into second base as the College of Central Florida’s Nicholas Calero (9) looks for the out as he is backed up by CF’s Edrick Felix (2).

The College of Central Florida’s James Hill (16) throws a pitch.

The College of Central Florida’s David Pereira (3) slides safely back to first base as Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Evan Wickeri (6) can’t handle the throw.

The College of Central Florida’s head coach, Marty Smith

Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Blake Wood (11) slides safely into second base as the College of Central Florida’s Nicholas Calero (9) looks for the out.

The College of Central Florida’s Edrick Felix (2) and Caron Bayne (10) celebrate after they both scored.

Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Mason Mcleod (23) runs safely to first base as the College of Central Florida’s Jackson Taylor (24) looks for the out.

B10

MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

SCORE BOARD SELECTED MARION COUNTY

HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGE

SPORTS RESULTS FEB. 21 - 28

Results were gathered from MaxPreps.com and compiled by James Blevins

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Forest’s Mel Poling (4) throws a pitch against Lake Weir during a softball game at Forest High School in Ocala on February 23.

HOWIE McCORMICK/Special to the Gazette

PREP BASEBALL SCORES

Feb. 24 Lake Weir Belleview

4 13

Vanguard Forest

1 7

Feb. 21

Dunnellon Chiefland

16 9

Leesburg Lake Weir

3 10

Lake Weir Belleview

4 13

Dunnellon North Marion

Vanguard Williston

2 2

Feb. 22

Feb. 25

10 0

South Sumter Trinity Catholic

0 2

Trinity Catholic Atlantic Coast

Dunnellon Williston

16 3

Crystal River Vanguard

9 6

Vanguard Forest

Lake Weir West Port

3 2

West Port Newberry

6 5

Feb. 28

North Marion Santa Fe

3 1

St. John Lutheran First Academy

0 6

Ocala Christian Academy St. John Lutheran

Forest Belleview

First Academy St. John Lutheran

14 4

Real Life Christian Academy Ocala Christian Academy

7 6 14 4 1 7

4 16

22 1

Trinity Catholic’s Lili Ornelas hurls a strike for the Celtics during the game against Seven Rivers High School on Feb. 24.

PREP SOFTBALL (FAST PITCH) SCORES

Trinity Catholic Deland West Port Vanguard

Feb. 21 Lake Weir Bradford

1 16

Feb. 22 Belleview Vanguard

12 11

West Port Dunnellon

11 0

Forest Gainesville

16 10

North Marion Palatka Central Florida Christian Ocala Christian Academy

2 6 0 17

Feb. 23 Lake Weir Forest

0 15

Lake Weir Forest

0 15

Feb. 24 Williston Dunnellon

19 1

Tavares Lake Weir

16 1

Real Life Christian Academy Ocala Christian Academy

4 10 6 5 2 12

Feb. 25 Belleview West Port

1 8

Forest Dunnellon

21 2

Forest Dunnellon

21 2

Vanguard North Marion

7 2

Trinity Catholic The Villages Charter

5 3

Trinity Catholic East Bay

0 15

Ocala Christian Academy Meadowbrook Academy

16 1

Feb. 28 East Ridge Forest

11 6

Feb. 23 St. Petersburg College College of Central Florida

15 4

Feb. 25 TNXL Academy College of Central Florida

3 7

Feb. 26 Tampa University JV College of Central Florida

7 17

COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES Feb. 22 College of Central Florida St. Petersburg College

5 3

College of Central Florida St. Petersburg College

6 8

Feb. 26 College of Central Florida Eastern Florida State College

6 0

College of Central Florida Eastern Florida State College

2 3

COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES

North Marion Peniel Baptist Academy

4 0

Feb. 21

Trinity Catholic Seven Rivers Christian

8 7

State College of Florida, M-S College of Central Florida

10 16

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Forest’s Izzy Lewis (17) slides safely into second base past the tag of Lake Weir’s Jessica Hellford (22).

HOWIE McCORMICK/Special to the Gazette

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Trinity’s Anjali Vassou breaks for third as a grounder gets through the infield during the Celtics’ 8-7 win over the Warriors of Seven Rivers Christian School on Feb. 24.

Forest’s Emily Bellomo (15) makes it safely back to second base as Lake Weir’s Kaylee Schmitt (4) waits on the throw.

HOWIE McCORMICK/Special to the Gazette BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Forest’s Kinley Varner (24) makes it safely to second base as Lake Weir’s Kaylee Schmitt (4) waits on the throw.

Seven Rivers Christian School third baseman Victoria Miterko throws back to first as Trinity Catholic’s Lili Ornelas holds at third on Feb. 24 in the first game of the Buffalo Stampede Softball Tournament at The Villages High School.