Ocala Gazette | Dec. 10 - Dec. 16, 2021

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DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 24

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MCBOCC greenlights Interfaith purchase of 14-unit complex for permanent support housing

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

T

he Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) approved Interfaith Emergency Services’ planned purchase of a 14-unit building to be used for Permanent Support Housing (PSH) in a unanimous 5-0 decision on Dec. 7.

Upon first hearing of the board’s approval, CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services Karla Grimsley-Greenway said she was immediately filled with elation.

“It almost feels surreal,” she said Tuesday afternoon after the vote. “It seems like a dream that finally came true.

We have watched this homeless population suffer for so long, and for years, we wondered, ‘What hope was there?’ This is a step in the direction of hope for these people.”

The complex is located off N.E. 14th Street and was previously owned by Arnette House, Inc., who had previously used the property to run a program for local youth aging out of foster care in 2007. That original program hasn’t been in operation since 2010.

“To be honest,” GrimsleyGreenway added, “I don’t think it really sunk in that in happened until I was in a meeting an hour after [the vote] …that’s when it hit me, ‘This is really going to happen.’ We’re just beyond excited and looking forward to changing the lives of these individuals. They deserve it.”

Interfaith and Arnette House had previously established a closing date on the sale for Dec. 31 or sooner, but because the building was originally purchased by the county using federal dollars from the Department of Housing and Urban Development

“It almost feels surreal...

It seems like a dream that finally came true.”

Karla Grimsley-Greenway CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services

Photos by BRUCE ACKERMAN/ Ocala Gazette

(HUD), the sale of the building was contingent on MCBOCC approval, who manages the lien on the property.

The unit was appraised at roughly $1.2 million.

Interfaith added another $100,000 above appraisal cost, said Grimsley-Greenway, adding that Arnette House was being generous with its sales price.

“Arnette House actually passed on an opportunity to profit from the sale of this property to ensure that it could continue to house lowincome families,” she said. “Their board should be praised for that and for caring about this community.”

Along with on-site management, the program also features wrap-around services such as trauma counseling, while targeting to help people that are intellectually disabled or suffer from mental health issues.

“These people are the ones who are being preyed on,” said Jessica Rodriguez, director of ministries for Interfaith, at Tuesday’s meeting.

“We’re talking about people who have intellectual

TOP RIGHT: Karla Greenway, the CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services, gives James Ponder, who has been homeless for 26 years, a hi-five outside one of the residential units she hopes to be able to move him into in the newly planned Permanent Support of Housing complex off Northeast 14th Street in Ocala, on Nov. 3.

RIGHT: Karla Greenway, the CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services, speaks to county commissioners before the Marion County Commission.

See 14-unit, page A4

Community builder, shaper dies at 98

By Rosemarie Dowell Special Correspondent

JOHN JERNIGAN/ Special to the Ocala Gazette

Doug Oswald [May 2020]

Doug Oswald, a former mayor of Ocala who played a pivotal role in the creation of the Appleton Museum of Art and drew accolades over the years for his dedication to both the civic and business sectors of Marion County, passed away Monday (Dec. 6) in Ocala.

Oswald, retired president of SunTrust Bank of Marion County and a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Ocala as well as a decorated World War II Army veteran who

was inducted into the Marion County Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2004, celebrated his 98th birthday Nov. 13.

A member of the postwar “Golden Era” football team at the University of Florida, where he earned an agricultural degree in 1949, Oswald was the oldest known living ex-Gator football player.

“Ocala has lost a giant in the community,” said Jim Williams, a lifelong family friend who recently lunched with Oswald during a long-standing weekly lunch tradition between the two families. “He was a

tremendous man and a pillar in the community.”

“He was a real driving force behind the museum and other civic projects,” said Williams, who has served as golf tournament director of the Doug Oswald Seniors Tournament, named in Oswald’s honor, for several years.

Oswald’s son, Doug “Buddy” Oswald II, a former attorney who later switched careers to become an educator, said his father had a deep sense of commitment to his family and his See Doug page A2

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JOHN JERNIGAN/ Special to the Ocala Gazette

Doug Oswald was honored by France with its Legion of Honor, that nation’s highest decoration and symbol of outstanding merit in a civilian or military capacity.

McCune to retire .......................... A5 New Council................................... B1 American Miss.............................. B1 State News...................................... A8 Calendar......................................... B5

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DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Doug Oswald changed the face of Ocala/Marion County through decades of leadership and service Continued from page A1 community.

“He was a wonderful man and a wonderful father to me and my sisters,” said Oswald. “His mission was to improve the lives of people in Ocala as well as his family’s, and he did.”

“He was an amazing role model,” he added.

A native of Marianna, Doug Oswald was a soil conservation agent in Jefferson County when he moved to Ocala with his wife, Virginia and their children in 1953 to work as Florida’s first agricultural banker for thethen Commercial Bank and Trust Company, which later became Sun Bank, a precursor to SunTrust Bank.

Buddy Oswald said his dad would likely be most proud of his involvement in the founding of the Appleton Museum of Art, which opened in 1987, but was equally as gratified with his accomplishments within the Florida agricultural industry.

In addition to his stint as mayor of Ocala in the mid-1970s, the elder Oswald served for many years as president and general manager of the Southeastern Livestock Association, founded the Ocala Bull Sale in 1957, served as president of the OcalaMarion County Chamber of Commerce in the mid-1960s and was named Outstanding Man in Florida Agriculture in 1970.

He was also one of the founders of the Ocala Quarterback Club, established in 1955, and was a member of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association and the Southeastern Youth Fair.

“My dad played a huge role in the development of this community over the years,” said Buddy Oswald.

Doug Oswald also served on the Marion County Golf Board for years, even taking over the management of one municipal

“Ocala has lost a giant...

He was a tremendous man and a pillar in the community.”

Jim Williams

Lifelong family friend

JOHN JERNIGAN/ Special to the Ocala Gazette

Doug Oswald [May 2020]

course during an emergency stint, before getting a former college teammate to take over duties as head professional and club manager at two city-owned golf courses.

“He called his old college buddy, Jim Yancey, and the rest is history,” said Williams.

Doug Oswald was a lifelong member and former president of the Kiwanis Club of Marion County.

“Two things he cared a lot about was the Kiwanis Club and golf,” said Buddy Oswald.

“He enjoyed the game of golf and being involved in several design changes at the courses.”

Oswald served with the Army’s 290th Combat Engineer Battalion during WWII and took part in the critical Battle of the Bulge in 1945. He was injured in the shoulder during a reconnaissance mission and received a Purple Heart, his son said.

“He was wounded Feb. 3, 1945,” he added.

Last year, Doug Oswald was honored

by France with its Legion of Honor, that nation’s highest decoration and symbol of outstanding merit in a civilian or military capacity.

Williams said his father and Oswald were the best of friends for many years until the elder Williams passed away five years ago, but he kept up with Oswald and the lunch tradition.

“He was strong and smart right up until the very end,” he said.

In addition to his son, Buddy (wife, Lee), Oswald is survived by daughters Lynne (husband Steve) and Ginger, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was proceeded in death by his wife of 67 years, Virginia, a former teacher, in 2016.

Heirs-Baxley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Services are pending but will take place at First United Methodist of Ocala on Silver Springs Boulevard.

T BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

he Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band performed during the holidaythemed “A Christmas Prelude” concert at the Marion Technical Institute auditorium on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. The band members are a diverse volunteer group, ranging in age from just 13 up to 94-years-old. A handful are retired music educators, others former professional musicians.

Santa and Mrs. Claus, who had front row seats, sit together during intermission as the Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band performed.

ABOVE: The Kingdom of the the Sun Concert Band perform.

BELOW: Les Muncaster conductst.

Photos by BRUCE ACKERMAN/ Ocala Gazette

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

The Kingdom of the the Sun Concert Band perform.

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DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

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The Marion County Judicial Center is shown in Ocala, on August 5, 2020.

City asks for extention to refund $80 million

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

O

n Oct. 11th, after eight years of litigation, Circuit Judge Robert William Hodges ordered the City of Ocala to refund approximately $80 million in a class-action suit that challenged fees added to Ocala Electric Utility bills for fire services.

Those 60 days are up this week and the city isn’t prepared to refund the $80 million, according to a motion filed today with the court asking for more time.

Inquiries to the city asking for details about how they were going to fund the $80 million have not resulted in any direct answers on the direction of city attorneys.

However, some clues as to what the city has been doing to prepare to make the refunds ordered by the court can be found in their motion.

In that motion, it indicates that the city immediately began talks with their financial advisor, Dunlap & Associates, explored financing options with the city’s bank, Truist, as well as had discussions with attorneys

“regarding non-ad valorem funds availability for loan repayment, bond validation, and the effects of the same on the city.”

The motion further states that the city’s finance team reviewed the city’s budgets to determine the availability of any unrestricted reserve funds as well as reassessed what budgeted capital improvement projects could be delayed, making additional funds available for internal loans.

The motion says that the city determined, however, that delaying capital improvement projects would put the city’s utilities at risk with delayed infrastructure repairs, replacements, and growth.

“After extensive consideration of all available options, the city began the process with Dunlap & Associates for issuing a Request for Quotes (“RFQ”) for a $60 million draw-down note that would be utilized after the application of $20 million in unrestricted city funds previously earmarked for other projects intended to benefit residents and class members. To save the taxpayers from additional interest expense on the loan, the city

COMMENTARY

would only draw-down funding from the loan on an as-needed basis, based on the actual claims amount. The draw-down loan would meet the requirement of the Common Fund to have the full amount available if needed, but not actually deposited,” the motion reads.

The motion indicated that the city sent out a request for quotes on Nov. 15, 2021, to “24 different local banks and lenders. The city has responded to multiple detailed questions generated from potential lenders,” and has given the banks until Dec. 14 to respond.

After the finalist is selected, the motion states that the city, with the help of attorneys, “will negotiate the terms of a supplemental resolution that will be in the city’s best interest,” and present a resolution “authorizing the taxable revenue bond” at the Feb. 1, 2022, city council meeting.

The motion estimates that the “earliest loan closing date is anticipated to be mid-to-late February 2022, assuming no unforeseen circumstances that delay the loan closing.”

A4

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

14-unit complex for homeless Continued from page A1

homeless herself.

“I have been evicted,” she said, fighting disabilities, who are mild or moderately back tears. “I’ve lived in hotels. But I’ve mentally-handicapped. They need our been working for a long time now and I’m help.” no longer homeless.”

For starters, six individuals have already O’Conner said further that it had been been vetted and chosen to be housed in five 40 years since she had been homeless and of the six units in the complex. One unit could probably live anywhere in Marion remains open and available for a possible County now that she wanted to, but she live-in security or police officer. The other chooses to live about six doors away eight units are already occupied by lowfrom the low-income housing complex, income families who will remain on site. because—she emphasized— “They’re no Interfaith board member Kent Adams different than we are.” said during Tuesday’s meeting that if the “We’re not asking you to take care of board neglected to approve the sale of the them,” she added. “We’re asking you to give building, those eight families would be at us the opportunity to take care of them.” risk of becoming homeless themselves.

Mayor Kent Guinn addressed the “If this complex ceases to be a lowboard with some concerns for the complex, income property, where will they next adding that he was there in place of Ocala go?” asked Adams of the board. “We got to Police Department Chief Mike Balkan, address this problem. We keep kicking this who was tied up in another meeting. can down the road, but it doesn’t go away.

“We’re not certain who exactly the It just becomes someone else’s can.” clients that are going to be in this facility,” Adams also emphasized that Interfaith he said. “If it’s the clients that are going is not “picking willy-nilly who gets to to be taken care of by Interfaith, that’s go there.” The program thoroughly and wonderful. We don’t have, with this police carefully vets each possible candidate for department, any issues with that. The permanent housing. issues we have are the activities that go Mary Beth Neely, who lives off S.W. on around Interfaith: the violence, the 99TH Circle, urged the board to approve robberies, the stabbings, the drug sales— the sale Tuesday morning. inside and outside the secured area— “This project is good for all of us in prostitution.

Marion County,” she explained. “It protects “So, if the goal is to move some of that and helps give a living to vulnerable people. population over to 14th Street,” the mayor It reduces the amount of homeless people concluded, “then that’s obviously going to on the street.” be a problem.”

She further said that her church, Fort Grimsley-Greenway addressed the King Presbyterian, had voted to sponsor mayor’s comments during her portion of one of the apartments and its resident or the hearing. residents.

“It’s disturbing to me that Interfaith, “We’ve already begun to collect needed which does so much good, should be furniture and home necessities,” Neely associated with so much violence,” she said. added. “We will support the residents in “We are not law enforcement. We are not small and important ways. It is our hope mental health professionals. That’s not that other churches will do the same.” our wheelhouse. We’re not a substance Rebecca O’Conner, an Interfaith board abuse center. Though, all of those things do member, spoke before the commission on plague the homeless population of Ocala— Tuesday, explaining that she had once been and they all come [to Interfaith] to eat.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Jessica Rodriguez, the director of ministries for Interfaith Emergency Services, center, gets a hug from Rebecca O‘Connor, an Interfaith Board Member, left, as other Interfaith supporters leave the County Commission auditorium on Dec. 7.

“We try to help the most vulnerable in Marion County,” Grimsley-Greenway explained. “The people that we’re focused on with this project are the very ones who are being assaulted or trafficked or put in danger.”

Later that afternoon, during the city council meeting, council member James Hilty took the opportunity to praise the

decision of his county counterparts. “I applaud the county commission for seeing that we need to do something to solve this problem. We have a lot of people working in the community, working towards it. I think with the city and county formation of the complete agency, we are moving in the right direction.”

Marion County Community Services, Community Foundation present ARPA funding proposals to county

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

The Marion County Commission meets in the County Commission auditorium at the McPherson Governmental Complex in Ocala on Dec. 7.

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

M

arion County has $4 million remaining out of the original $71 million it was awarded as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). At its October 5 regular meeting, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) requested both the county’s community services department and the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County present proposed plans for how the remaining funds should be spent.

The two organizations presented their proposals at the regular MCBOCC meeting on Dec. 7.

First, Lauren Deiorio, the president & executive director of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, gave some background on the Community Foundation and its scope of work, and then, pitched two proposals for the funds.

The first option saw the Community Foundation control the funds and assist grant applicants from all aspects of

the grant request process–from creating the applications and communicating with charities to inspecting, filing, and documenting the applications along with correcting any charity grant application problems they encounter during the process.

The second option the Community Foundation proposed, which Diorio pointed out was the preferred option after spending time speaking with county staff, was her organization partnering with Community Services to administer the remaining funds through a similar process as the first option.

In the second option, however, the foundation proposed a set scope of work with fee-for-service based upon Community Services’ needs.

The options proposed by the Community Foundation described a general process of administering the grant funds but did not provide any specific programs that

the funding could be used for.

Diorio also mentioned how closely the Community Foundation and Community Services had worked, and that she believed Community Services should take the lead on any decision-making regarding where the funding was to go.

Next to present was Marion County Community Services Director Cheryl Martin, and during her presentation, she proposed two specific plans for the remaining $4 million in ARPA funds.

The first plan would see $2 million allotted for an affordable housing incentive program. According to Martin’s presentation, the program would “provide up to $500,000 zero percent, deferred loan for developers to construct housing as a revolving loan, which would be reimbursed to the county upon sale or rental of the project.”

Martin’s presentation went on to highlight figures showing that while the county has experienced a 14.4 percent year-over-year change in single-family homes whereas the state has seen a -1.1 perecent change. Conversely, the state has seen a 13 percent increase in townhouses and condos while Ocala has seen a

-1.2 percent change.

When asked after the meeting what was the impetus for suggesting affordable housing as a potential use for ARPA funds, Martion replied, “Maslow‘s hierarchy. Housing is the most basic need. And then, you have indirect things that that accompany housing such as counseling and other supportive services. And so, you know, I would imagine, as we‘re looking at nonprofits, we‘re looking at ‘What supportive services are you going to provide and how do they tie in to the Maslow Hierarchy chart?’”

“I started reading eligible uses [of the ARPA funds], and I figured out that affordable housing is one of the eligible uses,” she continued, “And the specific rule mentioned affordable housing to increase the supply and quality of housing. So, we have affordable housing funds within our department that we manage as entitlements. But there‘s a lot of strings attached to a lot of rules that we have to follow, which limit what we can serve, how we can serve. So, recognizing this as kind of a onetime shot.”

As part of a two-pronged approach, Community Services proposed a nonprofit grant program with the remaining $2 million in unspent funds along with the affordable housing initative.

The program will be geared to “Build nonprofits capacity for those who provide services outside of Community Services grant restrictions, but provide needed resources and services

“Maslow‘s hierarchy.

Housing is the most basic need.”

Cheryl Martin

Marion County Community Services Director

to the community (e.g., food pantry, alternative therapies, and educational),” according to Martin’s presentation.

Martin broke down two possibilities for how the nonprofit grant program would be operationalized. In the first, Community Services alone administers and monitors the grant selection process and collects a 10 percent administration fee.

In the other proposed scenario, Community Services partners with a consultant or outside entity to administer and monitor the selection process with the two entities splitting the administration fee 5 percent for each one.

After the presentations and a short discussion, the board voted unanimously to pass the recommendation.

Diorio said the board’s decision will benefit Marion County and its residents by allowing the Community Foundation to augment Community Services in their mission.

“I think this is going to be a win-win for everybody. I mean, they can still administer the process, and we can stand ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work to help them achieve their goals, while the whole time keeping in mind that they‘ll be helping the community and our nonprofits. […] I think it‘s a great opportunity,” Deiorio said.

Martin said her department will work with Carr Riggs and Ingram, the consultancy firm the county has retained to help guide their ARPA funding decisions.

She expects to return to the board early next year with an update.

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DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

County Judge James McCune set to retire HOPES TO STAY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY

By Matthew R. Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

Marion COVID numbers AGAIN SEE SLIGHT INCREASE, MCPS SEES DECREASE

Judge James McCune

like any job, has its good days as well as bad, but in the end, the good days are extremely rewarding.

“There are times when you really do make a difference for the good. […] I do have people come back to me and thank me for helping them turn their lives around,” McCune said.

While his term runs through 2022, he is already started to recognize those with who he cherishes the time he has remaining in his role as county judge.

“I think I‘m gonna miss the people I‘ve been privileged to work with here, whether it be the clerks, the bailiffs, the court staff, the attorneys, I‘m going to miss them, but I don‘t know where I‘m gonna end up. I mean, you know, I may not be that far away. I don‘t know – I don‘t know,” he said.

While he said he doesn’t fish or play golf, McCune is looking forward to spending time with his friends and family, and even doing some traveling.

He also said he doesn’t expect to stay in the retired mindset forever.

“I‘m not comfortable with the notion of being an unemployed lawyer a year from now. However, I do have a license to practice law in three states, and I think I have a lot to offer, whether the not-forprofit world or the education world or whatnot.”

Marion County Judge James McCune announced his decision to serve the remainder of his term and not to re-file for reelection once it is complete earlier this month.

He said the decision to fill out his term was something he owes the community, and his decision not to seek re-election is to allow the next generation of judges to begin to make their mark.

“I think it starts with the firm belief that the position doesn‘t belong to me, the position belongs to the people, and I‘ve just been privileged to fill it for the last 19 plus years,” he noted.

“When I got re-elected five years ago, I feel like I made a commitment to the people to serve the term and that‘s my intent to do so. But I also think I have an obligation to the people and to the institution, which transcends terms and transcends judges coming and going. I have an obligation to the institution to do my best to take good care of it. And that would include anticipating the need for a replacement, and facilitating that, that transition from one judge to another,” McCune continued.

McCune was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush in February 2002 and was first elected in 2004. He was then subsequently reelected in 2010 and 2016.

He is thankful for his time on the bench, and pointed out “how grateful I am for having had this privilege to serve in this capacity.”

He said presiding over a courtroom,

Election for this county judicial seat will take place on November 6, 2022.

To date, no one has filed to run for this seat.

Join the

STATE UPDATE

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

Team

FULL-TIME POSITIONS

PART-TIME POSITIONS

Programmer Analyst III Programmer Analyst II Staff Assistant III – Student Support Services Faculty – Cardiovascular Technology, Program Manager

Auditorium Assistant Staff Assistant I - Levy

Not only did cases rise slightly in Marion County, but they also rose nominally across the state as well, with the State of Florida recording 10,892 new cases of COVID-19 during the week of Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, only the second time in the last 11 weeks cases have increased.

Statewide, vaccines numbers continue to rise in children ages 5-11, as the state reported 158,017 doses of the vaccine were administered last week compared to the 137,703 doses given two weeks ago. The total population of children ages 5-11 in the state is just under 1.7 million, and figures showed 9% of them are now vaccinated against COVID-19.

The state’s overall vaccination rates also

MARION COUNTY UPDATE Marion County’s COVID numbers marginally rose again last week as the county registered 165 new cases according to figures released by the Florida Department of Health Friday evening. The county reported 145 cases two weeks ago.

Along with rising cases, both the county’s positivity rate and cases per 100,000 also rose. The positivity rate went from 2.9% to 3.0%, and the cases per 100,000 went from 38.9 to 44.3, respectively.

According to Health and Human Services data, 82% of the county’s inpatient beds are filled, with only 2% of beds filled by COVID patients. Additionally, data shows 87% of ICU beds filled, with 7% being COVID patients.

COVID Test FL is offering testing in Ocala at the Ocala First Baptist Church located at 2801 SE Maricamp Road. COVID Test Express is offering testing in the Villages at 11714 NE 62nd Terrace.

Both locations are open Monday-Friday 8am-4pm.

Aug. 27:

MCPS UPDATE Marion County Public Schools recorded 17 cases for the span of Nov. 20 – Dec. 3, with 13 students and four employees were confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County.

Additionally, MCPS reported 55 students and two employees were quarantined due to direct contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19.

New reported Covid-19 cases per week

3,500

3,228

rose, hitting their highest levels in at least the past 10 weeks. The state recorded administering 497,854 doses during the week of Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, bringing the population of the state vaccinated to 69% of those ages 5 and up, the same level as two weeks ago.

3,000 2,500

Dec. 4 -10

2,000

Dec. 10:

1,500 1,000

Source: Marion County Health Department

165

500

13

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A6

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Bring the Harvest Home provides help and assistance to those who need it

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com About a hundred people including city and county elected leaders gathered downtown on the square for the Bring the Harvest Home food drive. A steady stream of cars dropped off over 10 tons of food donations during the event, but it was one donation that really stood out.

Ocala residents Stan and Martha Hanson donated a total of $160,000, which was split between four local food pantries: Interfaith Emergency Services, Brother’s Keeper, Salvation Army and His Compassion.

Major Marion Durham with the Salvation Army of Ocala/ Marion County applauded the donation as special and much appreciated.

“The Hansons and their gifts will make a difference today, and for many days to come,” said Durham. “They are a model of the way this community loves and serves other people. And we‘re very grateful.”

Hanson said he wanted to assist the organizations in a way that would allow them to focus on their missions.

“This I think will help with operating expenses and do some things. The food‘s great, and they need to get the food out to people, but they also have to operate annually. And we thought we‘d give a little hand on the financial part. So that‘s what we did,” he said.

Interfaith Emergency Services CEO Karla Grimsley-Greenway detailed the multiple ways large donations can be used.

“The Hanson donation was just such a surprise and a blessing that goes so far to help us when our pantry gets low. We can just go out and purchase food in bulk and make sure that we have all the staple items that we‘d like to give every family,” she said.

“But beyond that, it helps us keep our trucks on the road,” Grimsley-Greenway further explained. “A lot of people don‘t realize that we have a daily expense of sending our refrigerated box trucks out to

all the stores and other places that we get donations from on a daily basis. And so some of that money will help us keep those trucks on the road picking up our regular donations. And those are the donations we get from the grocery stores that include you know, the dairy, produce, and the meats. So all that supplements what we‘re getting here today.”

Joy Guidan, the director of Resources and Development for His Compassion Food Bank agreed with the sentiments on operational costs, especially vehicle and fuel costs, and said large donations allow them to quickly expand their services in certain ways.

“Donations like the one we just got, as we get them, help us to improve our facility, improve our ability to get out and about.

We’ve bought trucks with some donations so that we can take food out in about to the different, more remote areas so that the people living there don‘t have to come directly to us,” she relayed.

Brother’s Keeper Director Jason Halstead echoed the gratitude and pointed out they often see an increased demand for support around the holidays.

“So obviously the holidays always bring around a special need for assistance here in the community and so we at Brother’s Keeper, and I‘m sure other agencies, are seeing increased demand for food assistance and other types of assistance,” he said.

“The blessing of Bring the Harvest Home is right on time and just a great sign of our community’s caring and love for our neighbors. And obviously, the extra check and very generous donation is going to help a lot of people here in the community.

So, it‘s a blessing and we‘re very thankful for it,” Halstead continued.

Halstead mentioned it isn’t just the holidays that have increased the demand, it’s also the growth Marion County is experiencing, adding, “There‘s just a big demand right now. A lot of new people are moving into the

ABOVE: Marion County Jail Trusty Milo Holden, left, and Roger Waddell of Marion County load a bin of donated food into a Salvation Army truck.

BELOW: Ryan Brady of Ocala Fire Rescue carries a box of donated food as he helps unload a car.

Photos by BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Representatives from Ocala and Marion County pose for a group shot with donated food during the Bring The Harvest Home food drive on the Ocala Downtown Square in Ocala, on Dec. 3. Besides the food donations, Stan Hanson donated $160,000 to the Community Foundation For Ocala and Marion County that was split four ways into $40,000 each and given to His Compassion Food Bank, Brother‘s Keeper, the Salvation Army and Interfaith Emergency Services.

area, a lot of single mothers, a lot of elderly, a lot of disabled who are having a hard time making ends meet and this will help kind of fill that gap for a lot of people.”

Grimsley-Greenway described how factors such as the housing market can lead to more people seeking assistance.

“A lot of the families that we work with that are marginal, a lot of them have lost their housing because of the property value increases and because of the moratorium on rentals, a lot of people that own rental properties have sold them now. And we get calls every day from people going, ‘my landlord just sold the property and I‘m displaced’, and they‘re having a hard time finding places to live that they can afford.

So their budgets are even tighter,” she said.

Another consideration food banks and other organizations that help the less fortunate have experienced, said Durham, has been COVID. “One of the things that we‘ve seen during the pandemic is those who are financially fragile, that they are coming to us in greater numbers during COVID,” added Grimsley-Greenway.

Not only has it pushed some into financial turmoil who wouldn’t otherwise be experiencing it, but GrimsleyGreeway noted it has also put a halt to certain support events.

“And because of the precautions that we need to take, it‘s been difficult to serve the community,” she said. “And the way that we had done in the past, for instance, our community dinner that we do 365 days a year, we have not been having folks at our dining room. We‘ve been doing take-out, so we don‘t have a communal space. Which is sad, because part of the reason that our dinners are helpful, it‘s not just the nutritional needs.

It‘s the emotional and spiritual connection with other people.

And we have been able to do that.

And that‘s, we haven‘t done that since March of 2020. We‘ve still been feeding people, but it‘s not in the same manner. And that‘s difficult.”

Grimsley-Greenway said it’s also difficult for many people to even ask for help.

“It really touches you when you take a call on the phone, and somebody is trying to keep their composure, but they‘re calling to ask for help and you hear their voice start breaking up. And you realize how humbling and hard it is for a lot of people to ask for help, especially in times like these

when you‘ve got a lot of people charities throughout the years, that haven‘t ever needed help both personally as well as before,” she said. through the foundation named In the end, Grimsleyafter their son who was killed in a Greenway said events such as motorcycle accident.

Bring the Harvest Home show He said they give back in how the leaders, employees, and order to help those who need it, residents of Ocala/Marion County pull together to help out those who need it.

“I don‘t know of another community that rallies like ours does. I am so happy and thankful that Commissioner Bryant kept this charge, she took the torch [over BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette from Bring Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox, left, and Emergency Management Director, Preston Bowlin, right, load donated the Harvest food into bins.

Home founder former County Commissioner Mike Amsden] and has just especially given the upcoming kept it going. To have the first season. responders and all the county “It’s that time of the year agencies come together just says and Martha and I want to be everything about our county and sure people have good holidays, how our elected officials right and a good Thanksgiving and down to all of our paid county Christmas,” he relayed. employees actually care about Bring the Harvest Home is their county. They‘re not just Marion County’s annual holiday here to get a paycheck. These first food drive. It happens every responders save lives every day, December to help local food but they‘re still wanting to collect pantries restock their shelves for food. And a lot of them even the holidays. This year’s event bought food for this. Because collected over 20,000 pounds of they care, they truly care about food. the people they serve. And I just think that‘s a testament to our community,” she said.

Hanson and his wife have donated to multiple local

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Karla Greenway, the CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services, left, shows off the $40,000 check given to her by Lauren DeIorio, the executive director of the Community Foundation For Ocala and Marion County, right.

A7

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

A victory for Red

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

W

ith a long, white beard, peppered in fading red— hence where he gets his nickname—James “Red” Sanborn, 55, is a man who radiates quiet dignity and a modest good nature.

Born in Vermont but spending much of his early life growing up in New Hampshire, Sanborn was 27-years-old when his parents died, a singular event that did much to unmoor him from the foundation of day-to-day society and place him in his current homeless state.

A state he has existed in, off and on, for the better part of 20 years.

“My parents died, so I traveled down to North Carolina, staying with my sister for a time. She wanted me to stay where they are but…she’s got her family, two girls.

I love my nieces, but they don’t need me around like this,” he said.

Initially, he worked and lived and was successful, but then the Great Recession came and forever changed the balance of Sanborn’s life.

“I worked for this company for 14 years,” he remembered. “It was during the recession when things got really slow that I realized I was going to get laid off. They told me I could go and draw unemployment, but I would never do that.”

Sanborn said he had some money squirrelled away in his 401(k), but that

money only lasted for so long. It was in 2014, as his money began to run out, that he first thought about traveling down to Florida.

“I thought, what about Central Florida?

I had heard about Ocala,” Sanborn recalled. “So I did. And I‘ve been here in Florida seven years now. At first, it was rough. But after meeting [everyone at] Interfaith…they‘ve done a lot for me.

Not just giving me a place to stay, but hopefully, a home.”

According to Interfaith Emergency Services CEO Karla Grimsley-Greenway, Sanborn currently operates as Interfaith’s de facto groundskeeper, keeping the campus as clean as possible.

“We have hundreds of people put traffic on our campus every day,” said GrimsleyGreenway. “And some of them are very responsible and pick up after themselves.

Some don’t. He makes sure our campus is clean. He helps make Interfaith represent well. Because people will accuse us of being a blight on the community and all that; he keeps that from happening.”

But the street hasn’t always been as kind to Sanborn as Interfaith has been.

He detailed an incident from three years ago when he was beaten severely by four assailants in the night.

“I had just left the Salvation Army and I got jumped by four others in the dark,” recalled Sanborn. “It was right after they worked me over for a bit that one guy in the group said they should leave me

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

James “Red” Sanborn, 55, a homeless man who is being helped by Interfaith, moves food on a pallet in the Interfaith Emergency Services warehouse on Dec. 3.

alone. And it‘s like…I remember that I camps and are good friends of mine,” he appreciated that guy for saying that.” said. “We‘ll go and play some pool. Have a After the beating, Sanborn described couple beers.” getting up, finding a place to sleep, and It’s moments like these, spent with turning in for the night. friends he’s made through the organization “The bad homeless people are out that has accepted and given him purpose, there,” explained Grimsley-Greenway, that Sanborn fully appreciates the decision “but the thing is the good people are the ones that are the victims.

The bad prey on the good people who are decent.”

Her answer to that issue is to try and house as many of the most vulnerable of the local homeless community that she can.

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners recently approved Interfaith’s purchase of a 14-unit building to be used for permanent support housing in a unanimous decision on Dec. 7.

The complex is located off N.E. 14th Street and will include on-site BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette case management James “Red” Sanborn, 55, a homeless man who is being helped by Interfaith, talks about and many other his homelessness at Interfaith Emergency Services warehouse on Dec. 3. wrap-around services such as trauma counseling, helping those in need he made seven years ago to travel down to get a leg up in life.

Florida, and thus, discover Ocala.

Sanborn was one of the four people “These people have been a blessing chosen to be housed there. to me,” said Sanborn of Interfaith. “I “I’m ready,” he said. “I mean, I used to greatly appreciate them doing everything have my own place. I used to work, pay that they‘ve done for me, but it‘s time for my own rent, my own power. Everything me to show them. Make the most of this myself, every month.” opportunity. That’s all I hope to do next.

Sanborn knows a lot of people Show them thank you.” who didn’t choose to be homeless, but once you fall into it, he said, “It’s a lot harder Editors’ note: This is the first of an onthan people realize to dig your way out of going series of profiles meant to humanize it.” the homeless within the City of Ocala.

Despite his many hardships, Sanborn In the coming weeks, we will publish does still find joy in his day-to-day life, no profiles on Ocalas residents who have no matter how harried and uncertain it can home. Through this series, we hope to put sometimes seem. a human face on an issue that is often “When I get off work, I got a couple of “otherized” or pushed out of sight. friends that do come down from their own

A look at Marion County’s CARES Act distribution processes

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com On Aug. 18, 2020, Marion County entered into Coronavirus Relief Fund grant agreements with both the Ocala-Marion County Chamber of Commerce, Inc., (CEP) and the Community Foundation for Ocala/ Marion County, Inc. The agreements allowed the two entities to handle the distribution of federal funds the county received as part of the CARES Act passed in March of that year.

The grant agreements dictated the dispersal of CARES Act funds, stipulated and capped what sort of expenses would be considered reimbursable during the process as well as set the terms of deadlines and audits, amongst other conditions.

They also determined the CEP handled disbursement to local businesses and for-profit entities, while the Community Foundation focused on disbursement to nonprofit organizations in Marion County.

Kevin Sheilley, the president and CEO of the CEP, detailed the thought process when it came to facilitating the funds to local businesses.

“We wanted to make sure that it went to the places where there was the greatest need. And so, when we put together our proposal from the county from the beginning, we really did a lot of talking to businesses, looking at what other places were doing,” he said.

Lauren Deiorio, the president & executive director of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, also knew there was a need, and described the steps they took to get the funds to nonprofits as fast as they could.

“So, when it came time to get the ball rolling, […] we wanted to get things up as quickly as possible because we knew the

nonprofits were suffering. We developed the application based upon Treasury guidelines, we vetted it past [Former Assistant County Administrator] Jeannie Rickman and her team at the county.

And they approved it and the advertising was up on our website. And we did other advertising to the nonprofits. We utilized a software system to gather all the documents and the applications,” she said.

Stacie Causey, a spokesperson for Marion County, detailed a few of the provisions included in the contracts between the county and the CEP and the Community Foundation.

“The federal guidelines for CARES Act funding allow for reimbursement requests of administrative costs to include expenditures such as travel, supplies, and equipment,” Causey wrote in an email.

According to Marion County Fiscal Manager Michael McCain, the Community Foundation was responsible for administering $4,370,092.74 in CARES Act money to non-profits and was reimbursed $213,450 in administrative costs in the process.

Additionally, McCain noted the CEP was responsible for administering $7,068,443.60 in funds and was reimbursed $89,873.75 for doing so.

According to invoices submitted by the CEP and the Community Foundation and provided by the county, reimbursable items for the CEP included payments made to local and national media companies (including the Ocala Gazette’s parent company, Magnolia Media Co.) advertising the available funds to local businesses, software companies such as Adobe, and to pay for salaries and other associated administrative costs.

The invoices showed the Community Foundation’s reimbursable items included

payments such as purchasing grant-specific software, reviewing applications, and consultation hours with applicants.

The agreements stated the funds were to be exhausted by Dec. 30, 2020.

Despite the contracts being signed in mid-August, Deiorio said the process of getting the funds from the federal government to the county, and then to the Community Foundation, took about two months once the contract was signed.

The agreements also stated that audits were required, and would be conducted at the cost of either the CEP or the Community Foundation–something Causey reiterated.

“Per federal requirements, which are included in the contracts with Marion County for the CEP and [the] Community Foundation, the CARES Act funding must be audited. Once these audits have been submitted to the county, they will be public record and held by the clerk’s office which functions as the county’s official record keeper,” she wrote.

Sheilley relayed the funds have undergone several rounds of audits to this point, and they expect to have the final one completed early next year.

“We‘re having a full program audit done...so actually, our program audit will be done in January. There was a county internal review, and then a consultant reviewed the audit of the program, and now, we‘re having the third audit really be the program audit,” he said.

The original agreement called for the necessary audits to be completed at the cost of either the CEP or the Community Foundation. However, subsequent amendments allowed for them to be funded out of any unused administrative fees, provided the administrative fee cap had not been exceeded.

Deiorio pointed out that because nonprofits, especially smaller ones, are not always familiar with the intricate and extensive grant application process, and as a result, her staff spent extra time assisting them in applying. Because of this, the Community Foundation exceeded the funds allotted for their administrative services and funded their own audit.

Additionally, according to Deiorio, even though the balance of the funds had been allocated before the Dec. 30 deadline, a few of the payments were issued in January 2021, meaning the Community Foundation will be responsible for an additional audit in 2021.

Sheilley mentioned the CEP, unsure as to how long the pandemic would last and looking to keep administrative costs streamlined, utilized a group of individuals with financial and business knowledge to assist with the selection process.

“So, we would do a cursory review of every application. ‘Does this meet the definitions as a qualified?’ And for the most part, almost everyone that we reviewed, we would then pass on to the committee.

And the committee was individuals who are members of the Industrial Development Authority, a county-appointed board that all have financial backgrounds, to approve additional revenue bonds for the county.

They didn‘t act as Industrial Revenue Board but instead acted in their individual capacities. But they would meet…and go over every application,” he said.

According to McCain, the county undergoes annual audits as part of federal funding contracts for more than $750,000. To access the county’s annual Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), click here.

A8

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State Briefs

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

FLORIDA

ENTERPRISE FLORIDA BEGINS SEARCH FOR NEW LEADER

GROUPS SLAM FLORIDA OVER REMOVAL OF ANTI-BULLYING RESOURCE

By Florida News Service

Associated Press Advocacy groups are criticizing the Florida Department of Education for removing an anti-bullying webpage from its site, saying the decision will harm LGBTQ students.

A spokesman for the state education department on Wednesday said it removed the portal because it contained links to federal sites that “previously provided helpful guidance and information, but now are being used as platforms for advocacy.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center said it was “shocked” by the decision.

“These resources were a lifeline for students who identify as LGBTQ+, providing hope that Florida schools can remain a safe space where they would be treated fairly and can learn without fear,” said Scott McCoy, interim deputy legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center Nadine Smith, executive director for Equality Florida, released a statement calling the decision politically motivated.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this year signed a bill barring transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes identified as girls at birth. The removal of the webpage also comes as Florida and the U.S. Department of Education have been feuding over the state‘s decision to penalize school boards over mask mandates.

JUMP IN COUNTIES REQUIRED TO PROVIDE LANGUAGE HELP TO VOTERS

By MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press

assistance. Among the other languages in which voting materials are required, depending on the jurisdiction, are Cambodian, Chinese, he number of people in counties requiring Filipino, Hindi, Korean, Vietnamese, as well as elections officials to provide voting several American Indian and Alaskan Native materials in languages other than English languages. jumped by almost a quarter over the past Three states — California, Florida and five years, reflecting the increasingly diverse Texas — are under the requirement, though electorate in the U.S., according to figures counties in these states can opt out if they are released Wednesday by the Census Bureau. below the 5% threshold.

More than 24.2 million people live in 331 The new list reflects the increasing diversity counties and other jurisdictions requiring the of some U.S counties and other jurisdictions. language assistance under the federal Voting Prince George‘s County, Maryland, a Rights Act, a jump from 19.8 million in 2016, majority-Black county outside Washington, the last time the list was updated. was added to the list because of its growing The law requires the jurisdictions to Hispanic community. Minnesota didn‘t have provide the language assistance to voters if any counties on the list in 2016, but two more than 5% of voting-age citizens come from Minnesota counties were included in 2021 a single-language minority group and they — Ramsey County with a Hmong language don‘t speak English sufficiently to participate requirement and Houston County to account in the electoral process. Jurisdictions also for its American Indian population. In fall into the category if more than 10,000 Philadelphia, officials already were required to voting-age citizens speak a single language provide language assistance for the Hispanic other than English and the rate of people who community but now must also do the same for haven‘t completed fifth grade is higher than the the Chinese population. national rate.

Data from the Census Bureau‘s The overwhelmingly majority of residents American Community Survey was used to in these jurisdictions require Spanish language compile the list.

T

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

Enterprise Florida, the state’s business-recruitment agency, is undertaking a 90-day national search for a new president, a position typically appointed by the governor. The Enterprise Florida Board of Directors on Wednesday also formally named Marc Adler, the agency’s deputy secretary of commerce, as interim leader. Adler has been at the helm since Jamal Sowell stepped down as president and CEO in October to prepare for specialized training with the U.S. Navy Reserve. Adler said he viewed the 90-day appointment as more than a “caretaker” role. “I know that to keep pace with our governor, and the shared wisdom of this board, we have no time to pause, because time is consistently working against us,” Adler said.

“On behalf of the professional staff of Enterprise Florida, I pledge to you that we are heading into the new year with strength and a clear result we want to manufacture in this state. We want to double down on economic diversification and innovation. We want to empower rural Florida. We want to support small- and minority-owned businesses. We want to expand our export opportunities for Florida.

We want to tell Florida‘s story of broad-based economic freedom.”

Sowell was the Port Tampa Bay chief of staff in December 2018 when tapped by DeSantis to run Enterprise Florida. The Enterprise Florida Executive Committee in a Nov. 12 conference call temporarily gave Adler, the senior staff member at the agency, authority to sign contracts, a duty restricted to the president.

OCALA

MARION COUNTY COUNTY COMMISSION APPROVES REZONING GROWTH SERVICES REQUEST, PAVES WAY FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT 11/2/2021 Item Number

P&Z: 10/25/2021

BCC: 11/16/2021

211014Z

[CDP-AR# 27187]

By James Blevins Type of Application james@ocalagazette.com Rezoning

J

Ire Bethea [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

COUNCILMAN BETHEA ELECTED CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

A

t the Dec. 7, 2021 city council meeting, Ire J. Bethea, Sr. was elected city council president.

Bethea was elected to council in 2020 to represent District 2 on the Ocala City Council in 2020.

Councilmember Bethea lived in the City of Ocala all his life.

He graduated from Ocala High

School and has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from St. Leo University.

Bethea is retired after a long career with the City of Ocala and the Boys of Girls Club of Marion County.

James Hilty was elected president pro-tem.

Rezoning Request:

From: B-2 (Community ohn Rudnianyn’s rezoning Business) request of property To: PUD (Planned Unitwas approved unanimously by the Development) Marion County Board of County Owner: Commissioners on Rolling Hills of(MCBOCC) Ocala (J. B. Tuesday, Dec. 7.

Gadinsky) The request was to change Applicant: the zoning from business-use to John Rudnianyn & Paolo a multi-use PUD to include 10 Mastroserio Engineering acres of commercial land along Location: South side of Hwy 200 and200, a 312-unit SW Hwy ±525’ multiabuts the site’s east side. the development’s commercial th Street familysouth townhouse of SW 80development Central water and sewer and residential areas.

Item Summary ±200’ north of SW to be and called Vale & Glen services are available from Furthermore, th Staff is recommending Approval with Development Conditionsstaff for a rezoning 69 Ct. Rd. at Sunremains of Townhomes in what from B-2Marion (Community Business) to PUD Unit Development) for a multiCounty Utilities’ Oak (Planned recommended a multi-use Country Estates. the total 49-acre parcel. use project commercial and multi-family ±49.20 acres, Runincluding S.W. Regional facilities, traildevelopment to be placedonbetween Located the south sidein accordance with Marion County Land Development Code (LDC), Article 2, Parcel on #/Acreage the adjacent communities—a with main service lines being of S.W. Hwy 200,/ ±49.20 south of the 35636-001-00 Division located 7 “Zoning Change.”

The general PUDminimum request is of foreight-feet a commercial area with the Hwy 200 Acres Street and 200 north S.W. 80th along SW Hwy 200. The initial request proposed is 444,312 gross square feet wide—anticipating that some right-of-way. Open space and of S.W. 69th Court Road, the(GSF) of commercial space and up to 312 multi-family residential units as 2Development neighbors would want to access amenities will be provided story townhomes. property is near theN/A entrance Agreement(s): the proposed commercial including an amenity building, for the Sun Country EstatesPublic Notice property by cutting through passive parks, and a dog park.

Future Land Use subdivision, which abuts theNotice of public hearing was mailed to 104 property owners within 300 feet of the the proposed new community’s Sidewalks will accommodate Commercial property. site’s south boundary, while subject the neighborhood. non-vehicular access between Marion Landing subdivision Staff

Recommendation Approval with Conditions

Location

The site consists of ±49.20 acres located on the south side of SW Hwy 200, ±525’ south of SW 80th Street and ±200’ north of SW 69th Court Road that is the

A9

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State Democrats spell out budget priorities

By Jim Turner

H

ouse Democrats want the state’s next spending plan to be more “people-centered” as Gov. Ron DeSantis prepares to send a full budget proposal to the Legislature.

Democrats said during a conference call Tuesday that they expect the Republicancontrolled Legislature during the 2022 session to produce a “generous” budget because it will be an election year. But they said working-class Floridians will see few direct benefits without increased funding for affordable housing, nursing and education, along with other changes to address increasing property insurance rates and revamp a tax structure that prioritizes corporations.

Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said the focus of the new 2022-2023 budget, which is expected to total about $100 billion, should be on benefiting a greater number of Floridians.

"Folks called Florida a low tax state. Unfortunately, it's also a low benefit state, meaning that the Floridians who pay much of their income to taxes, they don't see the improvements in affordable housing, they don't see the access to social safety nets, health care,” Eskamani said.

“They don't see action on climate change. They don't see action on mental health or substance-abuse prevention or paying teachers better. So, we want to make sure that not only do we fight for a more equitable tax system, so that the money that comes into our coffers from those everyday people actually goes right back to them."

DeSantis is expected this week to release his budget proposal, which will serve as a starting point as lawmakers negotiate a final spending plan during the session that starts Jan. 11.

During an appearance Tuesday in Oldsmar to discuss a resiliency funding proposal, DeSantis said the state has “the

lowest per-capita tax burden in the United States.”

“We are doing things that matter that are helping Floridians across the board,” DeSantis said. “And we're being very aggressive on that. But yet, at the same time, our budget will come in at less than half of the budget of the state of New York, which is the closest state to us in population."

DeSantis, who has been trickling out budget proposals related to issues such as the environment, education and law enforcement, said Floridians should be proud of historic “healthy budget reserves.”

However, House Democrats said the state needs to help families by lowering costs for early education, child care, health care, elder care and housing, as the current fiscal-year budget and the one that will be crafted in the upcoming session are bolstered by federal pandemic stimulus money.

“The governor's budget proposal needs to take a page out of our President Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda by investing in the people of the state, not corporations,” Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, said. “We must redirect the tax burden shouldered by hardworking families back to the wealthy corporations that have gotten out of paying their fair share for decades.”

Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, pointed to “skyrocketing” housing prices.

"Right now, Florida is the seventh least-affordable state in the country when it comes to median home prices compared to the median income," Smith said.

"We know that that problem is most acute and most dramatic, certainly in our largest metro areas. In Central Florida, where I represent, for example, foreclosures are up 17 percent.

Copyright (c) 2015 Nagel Photography/Shutterstock. No use without permission.

Lobby in front of the House of Representatives chamber at the Florida State Capitol building, Tallahassee, Florida

We're seeing that rents have already increased in the metro Orlando area by 20 percent since just January, and they're continuing to rise. And that's on top of the fact that the metro Orlando area is already the least affordable in the country when it comes to finding affordable housing."

In June, DeSantis signed a bill that divvied up more than $400 million in documentarystamp tax dollars that, in the past, had been targeted to what is known as the Sadowski Trust Fund for affordable housing.

The new law directed $200 million to affordable housing, with the remaining money split between sewage-treatment projects and efforts to combat sea-level rise.

Smith said the Legislature since 2001 has swept $2.3 billion from affordable housing trust funds to use for other purposes.

"We are advocating that we go beyond just fully funding what the new Sadowski Housing Trust Fund calls for," Smith said. "We

believe that all Floridians deserve the freedom to know that if they work hard and get a goodpaying job that they can afford a home for their family and not be housing unstable."

Among DeSantis’ funding proposals already introduced: --- A $1 billion gas tax “holiday” that would eliminate state gas taxes for about five months.

--- $660 million for Everglades restoration.

--- $600 million to increase the pay of educators.

--- $270 million for coastal resiliency efforts.

--- $124 million to increase base pay for correctional officers at state prisons and more than $1 million to increase salaries of the state’s special-risk firefighters by $2,500 a year.

--- $98.6 million to expand the National Guard’s Miramar Readiness Center, build three new armories across the state, upgrade existing armories and build a new headquarters for the guard’s counter-drug program.

--- $73 million to increase pay for officers at the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Minimum pay for entry-level officers would increase by 20 percent, while salaries of veteran officers would go up 25 percent.

--- $50 million for projects related to natural springs.

--- $50 million to protect coral reefs.

--- $40 million for alternative water-supply projects.

--- $35 million to combat harmful algae blooms.

--- $11 million to raise the minimum pay of Department of Juvenile Justice detention officers to $17 an hour and juvenile probation officers to $19 an hour.

--- $3.5 million to re-establish as a 200-member force the Florida State Guard, which was a defense force set up during World War II to replace Florida National Guard members who were deployed abroad.

Test feeding plan in works for starving Florida manatees

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press

N

ormally giving food to wild animals is considered off limits, but the dire situation in Florida with more than 1,000 manatees dying from starvation due to manmade pollution is leading officials to consider an unprecedented feeding plan.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state environmental officials intend to unveil a limited proposal this week to feed the beloved marine mammals in one specific Florida location to test how it works. This is not usually done with any wild animal, but the situation has become such an emergency that it has to be considered, said Save The Manatee Club Executive Director Patrick Rose.

The club was co-founded in 1981

by Florida troubadour Jimmy Buffet and former governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham.

"It's the entire ecosystem that is affected by this and will be affected for a decade to come," Rose said in an interview Tuesday.

"This is a necessary stopgap measure. It is a problem created by man and man is going to have to solve it."

A Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman

said in an email that the agency "does have approval to move forward on a limited feeding trial" but that details are not yet finalized. A formal announcement is expected later this week.

The emerging plan would involve feeding manatees at a Florida Power & Light plant in Cape Canaveral, along the Indian River Lagoon on the east coast where manatees congregate in cold winter months because of the warm water discharge from the plant.

It would be an experiment involving lettuce, cabbage, and other greens delivered in a controlled manner such as via a conveyer belt, Rose said.

People would not be authorized to simply start tossing lettuce into a Florida bay some place.

"Under no circumstances do we want people feeding manatees. It's illegal, and remains so," Rose said.

Manatees have long struggled to survive with humans. Hundreds of the slowmoving animals are struck every year by boats, which has led to no-wake manatee zones throughout Florida with violations punishable by significant fines. But the starvation threat has led to a record 1,017 manatee deaths as of Nov. 19, according to state figures.

In this Dec. 28, 2010, file photo, a group of manatees are in a canal where discharge from a nearby Florida Power & Light plant warms the water in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Normally giving food to wild animals is considered off limits, but the dire situation in Florida with more than 1,000 manatees dying from starvation due to manmade pollution is leading officials to consider an unprecedented feeding plan. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

As winter looms, even in Florida, another bad year is expected.

This has been caused mainly by runoff from farms, urban areas and sewage that promotes growth of blue-green algae and other harmful organisms. It chokes off light needed by seagrass, eliminating the main food source for manatees. Climate change that worsens the algae blooms is also a factor.

And it's not just manatees. People's health can be affected by the algae blooms along with the health of a wide range of aquatic creatures, from crabs to dolphins.

Aside from protecting the animals, there is an economic loss for boat captains, sightseeing tours and others who flock

to Florida for the chance to see these creatures.

"Literally, saving manatees is part of saving the ecosystem. If we can get this taken care of, manatees will flourish. If we don't, they won't," Rose said. "We are in the most critical position."

Manatees were listed as endangered for years by the federal government, but in 2017 their numbers appeared to have rebounded enough — officials say there are between 7,000 and 8,000 animals in Florida — that their status was downgraded to threatened. Several Florida politicians, including Republican U.S, Rep. Vern Buchanan, have been pushing to restore the endangered

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DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

New members of city council sworn in, Guinn starts sixth term as Mayor

F

our members of Ocala City Council, Jay Musleh, James Hilty, Barry Mansfield, and Kristen Dreyer, as well as Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn were sworn in before the city council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Kristen Dreyer of the Ocala City Council, District 3, 4th from right, is sworn in by Pinkie Tuggerson, right, as Pastor Bernard Tuggerson, second from right, and Dreyer‘s children, from left: Elizabeth Rooks, 9, Henry Rooks, 12, and Alex Rooks, 16, look on.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn, left, is sworn in by Magistrate Judge Phillip Lammens, of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, right, as Guinn‘s wife, Sandra, center, holds the Bible.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

James Hilty, Ocala City Council District 5, left, is sworn in by Judge James McCune, right, as Hilty‘s son, James, center, holds the Bible.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Barry Mansfield, Ocala City Council District 1, center, is sworn in by Judge James McCune, right, as Manfield‘s wife holds the Bible.

Jay Musleh, Ocala City Council District 3, center, is sworn in by Judge Victor J. Musleh, right, as Jay Musleh‘s wife, Sigrid, left, looks on.

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DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State Interview with Jeb Smith

The new president of the Florida Farm Bureau

By Florida News Service

J

eb Smith, whose family has farmed its fields in St. Johns County for nearly a century, recently stepped down as a county commissioner for a new twoyear role as president of the Florida Farm Bureau.

Smith, 47, who was first elected to the St. Johns County Commission in 2014, was in Tallahassee last week making the Jeb Smith rounds at the Capitol.

The farm bureau is considered the “Voice of Florida Agriculture,” representing more than 134,000 members who produce 300 different commodities.

Its mission is “to increase the net income of farmers and ranchers, and to improve the quality of rural life.”

On his family fields in the Hastings area of western St. Johns County, Smith produces cattle, hay and sod.

The News Service of Florida has five questions for Jeb Smith: Q: What do you see as the biggest issues for the farm bureau and the agriculture industry heading into the legislative session?

Smith: We have a presumed contamination of agricultural properties down in Miami-Dade (the county Division of Environmental Resources Management presumes all current and former agricultural lands may have had chemicals applied to them.) That is a huge issue regarding property rights and one that does not have a bill number yet.

But we do see that Sen. (Ben) Albritton (R-Wauchula), as well as Rep. (Bobby) Payne (R-Palatka) will carry that to this session. Another one will be nutrient rate tailoring. That is SB 1000, which will be providing opportunities for growers to have scientific crop consultants, which is based on scientific data, to be able to provide very specific usage of fertilizer applications on very specific crops, specific soils, which I think could be very, very helpful for us as producers. … Some regions have very different soil types. On my own farm, I can vary in soil type from one field to the next or even within the same field. This would be able to provide much more precision agriculture and usually that nutrient on that particular property with a particular crop.

Q: What do you see as the biggest challenges for the industry as a whole?

Smith: I'll tell you what, the number one thing for me has always been producers’ profitability. What is it going to take for me to remain profitable? If regulations cost me money, especially smaller producers, I don't have the ability to be able to engage with some of the new regulations and the time it takes to comply. But it is something necessary,

and we have to do, but I have to remain profitable. So, what I need as a producer, as a farmer, our farmers, ranchers need to be profitable. Anything that erodes that, taxes, increased taxes, increased tax burden or even regulation continue to erode that.

Q: How are COVID-19 protocols still impacting the industry?

Smith: There are some there's gonna be residual for anything coming down the line, whether it be supply chain issues, or some of those kinds of matters.

Supply chain is definitely something that we see affect us. But it's, you know, I had a seed salesman the other day that had $500,000 worth of seed on the ship. It was turned around at the port. He couldn't get it off-loaded. He lost that sale. So, the producer lost that seed for his operation. I went in town the other day just to get an oil filter for an F-150 pickup truck. A NAPA Gold 7509. There were only 120 for the entire country. That's an issue that each of us are going to have to face for a long time to get supplies to be able to produce.

Starters for John Deere tractors, they're in short supply. There are all kinds of things that each of us are going to face from a production standpoint, there are certainly adverse effects upon each of us.

Q: How does the farm bureau work with farmers and ranchers as they face the diminishing land and water-supply issues due to Florida growth?

Smith: There's always going to be challenges with urbanization. But I can tell you as a producer, our farmers, we're

in necessity. And each of us eat. And that's something that we're going to have to make as a general population, we're going to have to decide whether or not we're going to support agriculture, or we're going to put it out of business. The highest and best use for land is oftentimes development, but our producers want to produce and we're not only producing food for the United States, not just for Floridians, but for the world. And if that's something that they really would like to have ... we're going to have to stay in business.

Q: What do you see as being more important for you working with legislators, you being a generational farmer or a former elected official?

Smith: You know, I'm a fifth-generation farmer. My great-great-granddaddy, my farm where I live today, we'll be 100 years in our family as a farm March 1, 2022.

I'll be a century farmer this upcoming spring. To me it's generational producers.

That's what I'm here for, especially our producers, our farmers. The reason I ran for office was to be a representative of faith, family and farming. And that's what I was for. And I'm still that way. It's faith, family and farming to me. And I love walking these halls representing our producers, generationally or even new producers. You know, I'm an old one, but I can tell you what, there's some young ones around here too, that just started out and they're pretty excited about being able to remain viable and sustainable as a business in this environment. That's exciting. And I want to support that.

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DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

People, Places & Things OCALAN IS 2021-22

National American Miss PAGEANT FOCUS INCLUDES COMMUNITY SERVICE, LIFE SKILLS, AND INNER BEAUTY

By Susan Smiley-Height

O

cala’s own Anna Ross will spend the next year reigning as our country’s National American Miss, and it’s a commitment she will embrace with the enthusiasm, skills, and poise that brought her to this milestone.

It was back in 2014 that Ross received a letter from the National American Miss (NAM) organization, inviting her to participate in the program, which she had never heard of. She has now been involved for seven years, including six at the national level. NAM representatives are chosen based on communications skills, poise and presentation, personality and confidence, and community service. The annual pageants award cash, scholarships, and prizes.

“NAM is the largest pageant system in the world for girls ages 4 to 24. We do not allow make-up on girls younger than 13 and we do not have a swimsuit contest.

NAM is a platform to help girls find out who they are and what they can achieve,” said Tiffany Reilly with the organization.

“The thing about NAM is it’s all confidence based, so you’re not looking to get a score for what you look like. In terms of judging, it’s very much who you are inside and how you present that,” Ross added.

Ross, who attended Blessed Trinity School, Trinity Catholic High School, and Florida Virtual School before enrolling at American University in Washington, D.C., was competing this year as Miss District of Columbia. She previously competed as Miss Ocala and Miss Florida. This year’s pageant was held in Orlando with the culmination on Nov. 28. The next day, Ross was on an airplane back to D.C. to complete final exams for the semester.

She is earning her undergraduate degree in political science with a concentration in American government and minor in environmental science, then will pursue a master’s in political communication.

As for that special moment when she realized she was the new National American Miss, Ross recalled, “It was crazy because, six years prior to that day, I was first runner-up. Going into the finale, I felt peaceful. I had worked hard, and I was content. But when I was left there on the stage with Miss Alabama, I was like, ‘Maybe this isn’t it.’ When I won, I literally screamed. I was very excited, and I cried a lot–but happy tears.”

Ross said her experiences with NAM have helped her become much more comfortable speaking in public and participating in interviews and that she

“The thing about NAM is it’s all confidence based, so you’re not looking to get a score for what you look like. In terms of judging, it’s very much who you are inside and how you present that...”

Anna Ross 2021-22 National American Miss

is very appreciative of the deep friendships she has developed.

The organization, she added, has “become more modern.”

“The main mission is to equip us with the life skills we need to succeed in the future and that looks a little different in 2021 than it did in 2014,” she said.

For the past three years, Ross worked with a coach and practiced on her own for more than an hour a day.

“I try to integrate pageant preparations with everyday life because I want to show up on stage as who I am in class or going to Starbucks or doing the things I do every day. That’s who I am going to be for a whole year, so I wanted them to see that,” she said Photos courtesy of ANNA ROSS and NICOLE RENARD PHOTO

TOP RIGHT: Anna Ross, of Ocala, now attending American University in Washington, D.C., was crowned the 2021-22 National American Miss on Nov. 28 in Orlando.

RIGHT: After the National American Miss pageant, Anna Ross is surrounded by friends congratulating her on winning the crown.

of the judges.

There also was the fun but daunting task of putting together numerous ensembles. For the formal wear event this year, Ross said she had “loved” two gowns during a vendor trunk show so, “We took one part from one, another part from the other and put them together. It was a Frankenstein kind of thing, but it was my dream gown.”

Reilly said that in the coming year, “Anna is now the face of National American Miss. She will represent our brand and is a role model for girls all over the country. She will spend her year traveling during our summer tour, volunteering, and making appearances.”

Ross said some of the appearances will be solo and sometimes in concert with some of her 18 “sister” queens.

“One of them lives in D.C., so I’ll get to do lots of things with her. But my main mission will be to continue working with the American Cancer Society and the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk here in D.C. I was on the planning committee for this past October and already for 2022, so I’ll be doing a lot of outreach, fundraising, and awareness. That was my platform, because of Mom’s connection,” she explained.

Not long after Ross got the NAM letter in 2014, her mother, Melanie Ross, the chief communications officer for UF Health, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Anna began competing around the time I had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2015. She wanted to focus her platform on breast cancer early detection and prevention, which I thought was a wonderful way for a teenager to face a challenge in life, to turn something that would understandably be stressful and upsetting into a determination to help others. To be able to embrace that issue in a positive way, I thought was really remarkable for someone who was so young at the See American Miss, page B2

Ocala City Council 2021 President’s Award winner announced

By Joel Bronson

T

he Ocala Fire Rescue’s Community Paramedicine team, Vaccination team and COVID-19 testing team were awarded the 2021 Ocala City Council President’s Award.

The award was established in 2011 to grant recognition to a city employee or group of employees for accomplishments of outstanding worth in advancing and improving service and quality of life to the City of Ocala citizenry.

Nominees for this year’s award included: ■ Cindy Krepps – Office of Budget & Management

■ Rachel Slocumb – Water Resources ■ Community Paramedicine Team, Vaccination Team and COVID-1 9 Testing Team – Ocala Fire Rescue ■ Ocala Fiber Network Staff ■ Sanitation Division – Public Works ■ Ocala Wetland Recharge Park Team – Water Resources The Community Paramedicine (CP) team was recognized for offering off-site follow-up services to chronically ill and uninsured patients that many times eliminated the disruption of care between hospital visits. This service improved patient outcomes for all participants.

Ocala Fire Rescue was able to pinpoint the progress of 36 individual CP patients between December 2020 and October 2021 and found that the readmission rate for these patients was found to be 0.02%. This figure was far below the national average of 1015%.

The Vaccination and COVID-19 testing team BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette provided vaccinations Members of Ocala Fire Rescue pose with the President's Award given to them by Ocala City Council to not only recipients President Justin Grabelle, right, during the Ocala City Council meeting in Ocala, on Dec. 7. who visited COVID-19 vaccination locations 2,621 citizens the COVID-19 6,000 tests since early 2000. but also drove to individuals who vaccination between December In addition, the team assisted could not leave their homes to get 2020 and October 2021, as well with Marion County Hepatitis A vaccinated. The team provided as administered approximately vaccinations.

B2

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Local wins National American Miss pageant Continued from page B1 time,” Melanie Ross offered.

“The pageant system‘s motto is Growing Confidence, and Anna has certainly learned many life skills. All the participants contribute regularly to their communities and are very goal oriented. And it‘s a nice environment; you often hear them talk about competing with each other, not against each other. I‘m really proud of Anna because she set goals each year and never gave up. It was so rewarding to see her resilience and determination pay off. I think it‘s wonderful that others recognize that in her and will

perhaps learn from her example and embrace that in their own lives,” she added.

Anna Ross said she would be quick to encourage other girls considering NAM participation to “go for it.”

“It has not only transformed my confidence and given me internships, gotten me into college, it has given me so many friendships and relationships that I don’t know where I would be without. I just know that this organization is in my life for a reason and that it can change the lives of so many more girls.”

“When Anna first came to us and expressed an interest, I wasn‘t sure what to think as

during a national event can have a lasting impact as well.

“Some of my fondest memories over the years are watching Anna hang out with the friends she‘s made and seeing those who return to visit even if they are no longer competing.

This year, she got to spend time with a dear friend from Pittsburgh and others flew in from Washington state and D.C. to help cheer her on,” Melanie offered. “The finale was very exciting and when they called her name for top five, I was thrilled.

When it got down to the final two, I think I was having an out-of-body experience. When she won, I just screamed. The poor man in front of me is probably deaf now. My favorite part, though, was when all the participants rushed from backstage into the ballroom to surround the stage; they were so happy for Anna.

Then, they got on stage and took a group photo with her, and they all started singing ‘Time of My Life’ because that was the tune the DJ had on. It was pure joy.”

Anna said one of her favorite memories will be one that is much more serene.

“There was this hallway in the host hotel that I would walk every morning at 5 am to go to the hair and makeup room and there was never anyone there. I would use it as a time to prime myself and kind of reset, just walking and finding peace and calm. There are so many memories, but that’s one I keep coming back t o. I would walk and think, ‘I’m glad I’m here. I get this opportunity. It’s amazing.’”

I only knew what I saw about pageants on TV and did not have a positive impression of them,” Melanie Ross recalled. “But NAM has been an incredible part of her personal and professional growth through its focus on family, community service, and important life skills.

I think it‘s important to pick the system you are considering wisely and really look at what values are emphasized to make sure the system focuses on the right things. In the end, it‘s not about winning the title, it‘s about doing your best. If you always bring your best, then you‘ve already won.”

Watching your child on stage ABOVE: Anna Ross, of Ocala, waves to the audience after being crowned 2021-22 National American Miss on Nov. 28, in Orlando.

LEFT: After the NAM pageant, the other participants pose with Ross for a group photo.

Photos courtesy of ANNA ROSS and NICOLE RENARD PHOTO

“... (I) did not have a positive impression of them (pageants) ... But NAM has been an incredible part of her personal and professional growth ...”

Melanie Ross Mother of Anna Ross

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Creative’s Corner

‘Fables’ with a twist enliven and

Grace Netanya’s illustrations

F

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

rom Disney movies to those Little Golden Books, classic fables and myths have been retold millions of times over the years, but they typically continue to portray women and children as the victims of the story with some handsome white guy coming to their rescue.

From the skillful strokes of the self-taught illustrator and mixed-media artist Grace Netanya (born Grace Netanya Roberts), the outcomes are vastly different. The artist’s bold depictions recast the tales to empower female characters as heroines and mighty victors.

These retooled myths and fairy tales come to us from the perspective of the stories’ children, adults and, yes, even the villains--works are currently showcased in NOMA’s “Fables” exhibition through the end of December.

Grace Netanya uses graphite, marker, and colored pencils to illustrate an alternate realm that incorporates recognizable elements of our own everyday lives. The result is a blend of contemporary and classical elements and ambiguous settings that remind the viewer that fables are universal and timeless.

Most of the 21-yearold artist’s works are realistically rendered portraits, allowing us to imagine these characters as someone we may encounter in our own lives. “‘Fables’ is a collection of mixedmedia drawings that celebrate storytelling through figurative art,” she explains in her artist statement. “Some works are inspired by

iconic fables and fairy tales such as ‘Little Red Riding Hood,’ “Hansel and Gretel’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ Other pieces represent original characters that explore universal themes, such as inner beauty.”

As such, “Fables” invites us to take another look at familiar stories and consider that a small child can be powerful, a beautiful woman can save herself and a little girl could defeat a big bad wolf.

Creating compelling works that meld an avant-garde the introspective, the Stetson graduate shares that she taught herself to draw to communicate stories and characters from her imagination.

Before earning her BFA in art history, she was homeschooled and raised in Southeast Ocala. Her family moved a few times, and now she now lives in Port Orange. Grace Netanya’s younger siblings have acting experience and lend their expressiveness to some of the artist’s most striking portraits.

Her mom, Alyssa Roberts, now also her manager, nurtured creativity in all of the Roberts children.

“My mother was raised in an artist studio because my

grandmother was a professional artist, as well,” the ‘Fables’ artist explained. “So, I was lucky enough to be born into a background that provided access to the arts and an appreciation for art.”

Experimenting with her combinations of marker and pencil shading has lent deep, rich color to Grace Netanya’s work. The blood red tones in her “Little Red Riding Hood” painting, which she recently sold, exquisitely conveys this potent mix.

Putting unique spins on existing styles and finding new ways to push a medium past our conceived limits inform her art with fresh originality. She shared that she prefers to use mixed-media techniques with ink, graphite, colored pencils and acrylics, but she loves to discover new mediums and is constantly expanding her repertoire.

Lately, she has considered experimenting with collage but before that, she plans to make use of colored pencils and Copic markers (her favorite markers) for another series that invokes childhood tropes and investigations of human interactions.

Hansel and Gretel

Medea

“I‘m going to call it “Curio Cabinet,” the illustrator shared.

The collection would involve works that anthropomorphize her stuffed animals and collectibles and engage them in activities that range from the banal to extreme, such as having a tea party or going at one another in a battle scene.

“I also collect My Little Ponies. Maybe the ponies would look like they‘re having a council meeting or something,” she added with a laugh.

Her unique combination of colorful fantasy and realism has caught the eyes of the art world both at home and internationally. Her work has been featured in The Colored Pencil Society’s 28th Annual International Exhibit, and she won The Copic Award Grand Prize 2019 with “The Explorer,” scoring a complete set of Copic products as well as a substantial cash prize.

She has also recently won a 2020 American Art Award third-place prize for her colored pencil work “The Secret Garden.” The same work won Best of Show in the R.G. Endres Gallery 2020 State of The Arts Exhibit.

Her work has gotten some media buzz too. It’s been displayed in publications such as “Infected by Art,” and at museums such as Museum of

Arts and Science in Daytona Beach.

“My core motive for doing art is to tell empowering stories and to intentionally distort narratives,” she said. “I think that‘s kind of going to be what I always do to some extent in all of my bodies of work.”

A school-age girl at a recent NOMA gingerbread housemaking event told gallery owner Lisa Midgett that she liked how Alice “got the rabbit” in one of the more brutal “Fables” paintings, which depicts Alice with a fiercely numb pose pouring tea from a dainty cup onto the famous watch and butcher knife pinning the rabbit to the table.

How does this receptivity make Grace Netanya feel?

“It means the world, actually,” she responded. “If you can‘t communicate your point clearly enough that a child can understand it, then you have failed. … I think it‘s the same if you‘re a writer or filmmaker. I think sometimes maybe people think that like being complex and vague is intellectually superior. And I think like there‘s something to be said for symbolism and layering and all that, but at the end of the day, if you can‘t communicate the overall feeling and point of your, your work to a kid, then you haven‘t succeeded.”

The Secret Garden New Alice

B4

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

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

WORD FIND

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

Art and craft Solution: 14 Letters

© 2021 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.

Join us for a fun, holly and jolly Santa photo experience this holiday season! Santa will be at the mall until December 24. While reservations are encouraged, walk-ins are also welcome.

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ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGE B7

Date: 12/10/21

B5

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

holidays DEC. 10

DEC. 20

Holiday Movie: The Man Who Invented Christmas

Paws & Claus

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Road, Ocala 6-8pm Take your pet to Paddock Mall for a dose of holiday cuteness at Paws & Claus! Mix and mingle with other pet lovers while your furry friend takes a paw-sitively adorable photo with Santa. For more information, visit paddockmall.com.

Tuscawilla Park, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala 7pm Watch the movie that led to Charles Dickens’ creation of “A Christmas Carol.” This movie is rated PG and stars Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, and Miriam Margolyes. Bring your own chair or blanket. Concessions will be available for purchase; free to attend. Visit facebook.com/OcalaRecPark for more info.

DEC. 21

Cookies & Claus

DEC. 10-12

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Road, Ocala 10-11am Enjoy cookie decorating and breakfast with Mrs. Claus and Chick-Fil-A! To reserve your spot, visit paddockmall.com.

A Jolly Holiday

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 East Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Fri 7pm, Sat 7pm, Sun 1:30pm Performed by OCT Education & Enrichment’s Creative Arts Student Troupe, “A Jolly Holiday” is a one-of-a-kind production by students ages 12-18.

The show features fun and festive songs like “We Need a Little Christmas,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” and “Holly Jolly Christmas” as well as original holiday-themed stories, plays, and poems on the wonders of winter by the student cast.

Purchase tickets over the phone at (352) 236-2274, the box office, or online at ocalacivictheatre.com.

THROUGH DEC. 21

Santa on the Square

Santa on the Square

DEC. 11

Holiday Home Tour

Commences at the Matheson History Museum, Gainesville 5pm A festive tour of four notable Victorian homes, magnificently decorated for the holidays, in Gainesville’s Historic Bed and Breakfast District. Included are the 1867 Matheson House, Sweetwater Branch Inn, Laurel Oak Inn, Magnolia Plantation Bed & Breakfast as well as the Matheson History Museum and Tison Tool Barn. The walking tour is less than a mile and begins at the Matheson. Refreshments such as spiced cider and holiday cookies will be available; admission is $15. Visit mathesonmuseum.org/events for more information.

DEC. 11

Ocala Christmas Parade: A Heroes’ Christmas

Silver Springs Boulevard 5:30 pm View festive floats, marching bands, and other entries as they travel along Silver Springs Boulevard, leaving from the McPherson Government Complex on 25th Avenue and going west to Eighth Avenue. Visit ocalachristmasparade. org for details.

DEC. 11-12

DEC. 12

Sensitive Santa

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Road, Ocala 9-10:30am Join Santa for a sensory-friendly, magical morning before regular, day-to-day mall activities begin.

Enjoy photos with Santa, a healthy snack station, a letters to Santa stand, and much more in a lowlylit, quiet environment. Visit paddockmall.com to reserve your spot.

DEC. 11-12

Christmas in the Quarry

Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens, 4990 NE 180th Ave., Williston 5:30-8pm Gather your family for holiday merriment during Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens’ annual walkthrough light show. Explore 20-acres of botanical gardens, filled with twinkling lit pathways, holiday caroling, a cookies and cocoa station, food vendors, and more. For more info, visit cedarlakeswoodsandgardens.com or call (352) 529-0055.

Reddick Public Library, 15150 NW Gainesville Road, Reddick 12-3pm Bring the kids, drive to the library, and pick up books and other holiday gifts. Children and teens must be present to receive gifts. For more info or to register for the event, call (352) 428-2566.

DEC. 18

DEC. 14

The Nutcracker: Presented by Dance Alive National Ballet Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 4:30pm & 7:30pm It just isn’t the holidays without The Nutcracker!

The all-time family favorite with beautiful dancing, sets, and costumes is here again. Visit reillyartscenter.com for details.

KidX Club Holiday Krafts

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Road, Ocala 1-3pm Take a break from shopping and let your kids enjoy FREE crafts with special guest, Olaf! Crafts will be set up in front of My Little Town and Champs Sports. Visit paddockmall.com for more information.

DEC. 17-24

Marion Theatre Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Pumpkin King Jack Skellington longs to spread the joy of Christmas. Rated PG. To purchase tickets or view other holiday showings, visit reillyartscenter.com.

Licciardello Farms 7pm Second annual charitable holiday party will benefit The Rock programs in some public schools. Raffles, silent auctions, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres. RSVP at givinggala.info.

Silver Springs State Park 10am-4pm Beautiful surroundings, food vendors, handmade craft items, art, and photography. The Friends of Silver Springs present a “sleigh” tram ride along the Creek Trail and Santa will be there, too. Glassbottom boat tours, games, and toy drop-off. Visit silversprings.com for details.

DEC. 18

Wreaths Across America

Highland Memorial Park (FLHMPO), 1515 NE 3rd St., Ocala 12pm Wreaths Across America will be at Highland Memorial Park to remember and honor our veterans through the laying of remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud. For more information or to register to volunteer, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens, 4990 NE 180th Ave., Williston 5:30-8pm Gather your family for holiday merriment during Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens’ annual walkthrough light show. Explore 20-acres of botanical gardens, filled with twinkling lit pathways, holiday caroling, a cookies and cocoa station, food vendors, and more. For more info, visit cedarlakeswoodsandgardens.com or call (352) 529-0055.

THROUGH DEC. 19

DEC. 7 & 21

Ocala City Council Meetings

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Nov. 26-Dec. 19 The beloved Christmas classic is retold as a 1940s radio play through the magic of versatile voices, special sound effects, and your imagination.

Thursdays and Fridays 7:30 pm, Saturdays 2 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm. Purchase tickets at (352) 236-2274, the box office, or ocalacivictheatre.com.

City Hall Council Chamber – Second Floor, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala 5pm If accommodations are needed for you to participate in this meeting, call (352) 629-8401 two days in advance so arrangements can be made. For assistance accessing this meeting via Zoom, call (352) 6298226.

DEC. 7 & 23

Board of County Commissioners

McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 9am The Marion County Board of County Commissioners welcomes all to its regularly scheduled meeting held the first and third Tuesday of each month at 9 am unless otherwise noted. The zoning portion of the meeting is also held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 2 pm. All commission and zoning meetings are open to the public.

Visit marionfl.legistar.com for details.

The World Equestrian Center, 1750 NW 80th Ave., Ocala Nov. 26-Dec.26, 5-9pm This spectacular will feature holiday lights, photos with Santa, carolers, face painters, balloon artists, caricaturists, and elves. Special activities include ice skating, a live reindeer appearance, a performance by the Atlantic City Boys, breakfast with Santa, a mystical equestrian show, and more. General admission from 5-9 pm is free; parking is $20 per vehicle. Pre-purchase tickets at wecwinterwonderland.com.

THROUGH DEC. 31

It’s A Wonderful Life

government

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Road, Ocala Nov. 18-Dec. 24 Santa is back at Paddock Mall “for a safe, fun, holly and jolly Santa photo experience.” While reservations are encouraged, walk-ins are also welcome. To reserve a time for photos, visit paddockmall.com.

Winter Wonderland

Christmas in the Quarry

Holiday Craft Bazaar

Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens, 4990 NE 180th Ave., Williston 5:30-8pm Gather your family for holiday merriment during Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens’ annual walkthrough light show. Explore 20-acres of botanical gardens, filled with twinkling lit pathways, holiday caroling, a cookies and cocoa station, food vendors, and more. For more info, visit cedarlakeswoodsandgardens.com or call (352) 529-0055.

THROUGH DEC. 26

DEC. 18-19

DEC. 18

Christmas in the Quarry

Photos with Santa

Giving Gala

The Nightmare Before Christmas

DEC. 22-23

THROUGH DEC. 24

DEC. 18

Emmanuel: God with Us! Ballet

College of Central Florida—The Charles R. Dassance Fine Arts Center, 3002 SW College Road, Ocala Sat 2pm & 7pm, Sun 2pm Light of Joy Ballet Company presents the 32nd anniversary showing of “Emmanuel, God with Us!”, a classical rendition of the Christmas story. This enchanting presentation will delight your heart, as you experience the true meaning of Christmas as a beautiful ballet. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. No tickets required! For more information, contact (352) 875-9034 or (352) 629-6038.

DEC. 18

Reindeer Romp Gift Giveaway: A Drive-Through Event

Ocala Downtown Square Tue and Thu, 6-8pm Santa on the Square returns to the Ocala Downtown Square in a family-friendly holiday program on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Dec. 2-21, 6-8 pm. Due to COVID-19, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus will be socially distanced.

Guests are encouraged to wear face coverings, maintain a physical distance of 6-feet-apart in the queue line, and utilize hand sanitation stations supplied by the city. For more information, visit ocalafl.org/holidays or call the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department at (352) 368-5517.

The Ocala Christmas Light Spectacular

Florida Horse Park, 11851 SW 16th Ave., Ocala Nov. 26-Dec. 31, 6-10pm Experience North Central Florida’s largest drivethrough holiday light display at the Florida Horse Park. End the night in Santa Land with local food trucks and pictures with Santa. Visit facebook. com/ocalachristmas for details.

JAN. 13

Tourism Development Meeting Tourist Development Conference Room, 109 W. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 10am The Tourist Development Council makes recommendations to the county commissioners for the effective use of tourist development tax revenue to enhance, promote, advertise, and develop tourism in Ocala/Marion County. For more information, call (352) 438-2800.

B6

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

community DEC. 11

Kayak and Koffee

Ray Wayside Park, 9564 NE 28th Lane, Silver Springs 8am-12pm Paddle the Silver River at the break of a new morning, ideal for beginners and those interested in nature and wildlife-viewing. Equipment provided.

Fee is $50/person, including equipment and refreshments prior to the outing. Paddlers will meet at 7:45 am at the location provided. Ages 15 and up.

Register online at parks.marionfl.org/home-parks or call (352) 671-8560 for additional information.

DEC. 11

Kiwanis Pancake Day

Silver River

DEC. 10

Marion County Friday Market

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

DEC. 10

CF Commencement Ceremony

World Equestrian Center—Expo Hall #1, 1750 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 5pm Join the College of Central Florida (CF) for its fall 2021 commencement ceremony. Carolyn Barton Grissom will be honored posthumously with the CF Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award, and student Edgar Soto will be the graduation speaker. In addition to the in-person ceremony, a livestream will also be held at CF.edu/graduation.

For more information, call (352) 853-2322, ext.

1391 or ext. 1739.

arts DEC. 9-18

Puffs

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala Closing out 2021 is the magical play, “Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic,” by Matt Cox. For seven years, a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This story is about some other students—the Puffs—who just happened to be enrolled in that school, too. This inventive play takes a new look at a familiar adventure from the perspective of a group of well-meaning, loyal, lovable outsiders with a thing for badgers.

Overflowing with heart, charm, and laughter every minute, this epic journey reimagines what a boy wizard hero can be. Visit reillyartscenter.com for tickets and more info.

DEC. 10

Reilly Noir Series: The Funk Allstars and The Pyramid Horns

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm The Funk Allstars and the Pyramid Horns are a high energy group that infused jazz and bebop with some of the most iconic music of our time.

The band showcases live horns and celebrates the music of Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Chicago, The Commodores, Wild Cherry, etc.

Song selections include classics like “25 or 6 to 4,” “Brick House,” “Play That Funky Music,” “September,” “Superstition,” “In the Stone,” etc., steeped with awesome jazz soloists on tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums!

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit reillyartscenter.com.

DEC. 11

Bill Haley Jr. and The Comets

Orange Blossom Opry, 16439 SE 139th Terrace, Weirsdale 2:30pm & 7pm Bill Haley Jr. and the Comets are a high-energy, five-piece combo, performing a rousing, crowdpleasing set of songs first recorded at the dawn of rock ‘n roll and other popular tunes from the 1950s and 60s. Emphasizing authenticity in sound and presentation, this “Rock ‘N Roll History Show” features Bill Haley Jr. sharing the inside stories and historical context behind the songs he sings, backed by his talented band of comets. Purchase tickets at obopry.com, the box office, or call (352) 821-1201 for more information.

DEC. 10-12

Florida Thoroughbred Transformation Expo

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S Highway 475, Ocala This three-day expo features competition in seven equestrian disciplines including dressage, working ranch, show jumper, show hunter, eventing, polo, and freestyle. Additional events during the expo include a vendor fair and educational seminars. For more information, visit runfortheribbons.org.

DEC. 11

Yoga in the Park

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

DEC. 11

Ocala Downtown Market

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

DEC. 11

The Urban Family Community Day

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 10am-5pm Enjoy free admission on this annual community day event, celebrating “A Dickens Christmas: The Urban Family Holiday Exhibition,” as well as permanent collection and special exhibitions such as “Heart of the Horse” and “Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau.” Make crafts through Artspace and enjoy onsite food trucks throughout the day. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more details.

DEC. 11

Pure Heart

Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th Ave., Ocala 7-9pm Pure Heart will take you on a journey through time, performing the best classic hits by Heart.

The band plays homage to the incredible style and music of Heart by performing memorable hits authentically and masterfully. This tribute band grabs the audience’s attention with powerhouse vocals, rocking electric guitars, layered keyboards, intricate bass lines, and steady drums. For more information about this act, visit windfm. com/2020/11/pureheart/.

DEC. 12

Mucha Exhibition Talk with Angelina Lippert

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 2-3:30pm A free online talk, “The Art Nouveau Posters of Alphonse Mucha,” by Angelina Lippert. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more details.

Eighth Street Elementary School, 512 SE Eighth St., Ocala 7pm-1am The annual Pancake Day Breakfast will be held on the day of the Christmas Parade. All ticket sales from this event are used to send campers aged 7-13 to a week at Camp Kiwanis summer camp.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ocalakiwanis.org.

DEC. 12

The Yearling Movie: 75 Years

Marion Theatre 12:30pm Showing of “The Yearling,” followed by interview with Claude Jarman Jr., who starred as Jody. $15; RSVP at mariontheatre.org.

DEC. 14

LMS Network Breakfast Networking Meeting Equus Inn, 3434 SW College Road, Ocala 8:30-10:30am Connect with other local business owners and professionals, share ideas, exchange referrals, and help each other’s businesses grow!

Complimentary breakfast; recurs every Tuesday.

RSVP at eventbrite.com.

DEC. 14

Novels at Night

Marion County Public Library Headquarters, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

DEC. 16

Artist’s Outlook with Susan Martin

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 7-8:15pm Join the Appleton Museum of Art on Zoom for a talk by painter Susan Martin. For more information, visit appletonmuseum.org.

THROUGH DEC. 30

Fables

NOMA, 939 N Magnolia Ave., Ocala Thu-Sun 12-6pm Grace Netanya‘s exhibition features compelling mixed-media drawings that combine figurative art and interpretations of fables and fairy tales. For details, visit nomaocala.com.

THROUGH JAN. 2

Alison Saar: Works from the Permanent Collection

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm Curated from the Appleton’s collection, Alison Saar‘s prints incorporate spiritual and political themes.

Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

THROUGH JAN. 10

Art Remembers

Barbara Gaskin Washington Adult Activity Center, 210 NW 12 Ave., Ocala Mon-Fri 9am-4pm Hospice of Marion County partners with the Appleton Museum of Art to display works highlighting healing modalities of art in bereavement programs; details at hospiceofmarion.com.

DEC. 16

Coffee, Cake, & Community

NOMA Gallery, 939 North Magnolia Ave., Ocala 1-4pm NOMA’s weekly Coffee, Cake, and Community welcomes all for a creative afternoon together.

The gallery offers a still life set up for sketching or invites artists and non-artists alike to bring their own projects, recurring every Thursday.

Visit nomaocala.com for details.

Appleton Museum

5pm Make new friends and talk about books! Join in-person or call to join via Zoom. Call the listed library for more information. You are welcome to attend one or all! For more information, visit library.marionfl.org.

DEC. 14

The Shores Market

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

DEC. 15

Wednesday Midday Market

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

DEC. 16

Farmers Market

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

DEC. 17

Master Gardener Plant Clinic

Belleview Public Library, 13145 SE Highway 484, Belleview 10am-1pm The plant doctors are in! Join the Marion County Master Gardeners for a plant clinic. Visit library. marioncounty.org for details.

THROUGH JAN. 22

Lisa Russo | European Elegance

Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration Bldg., 828 NE Eighth Ave., Ocala Lisa Russo studied under a traditional oil painter to learn the techniques and methods from the 1600s. Fun fact: She also holds a U.S. patent for a convertible canvas that creates 3D effects. Visit ocalafl.org for details.

THROUGH APRIL 24

Heart of the Horse

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

THROUGH APRIL 24

Garden Party: Botanical Paintings

by Susan Martin

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

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

B7

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

&

Marion County elementary music nig ghtlife schools receive first set of nightlife library books on horses

DEC. 3

Rob Hazen

Bank Street Patio Bar, 120 E Fort King St., Ocala 3pm Rob Hazen brings vocally driven, guitar-based live looping onstage and onstream. Catch over 3 hours of original and cover music. For more details, visit facebook.com/bankstreetpatiobar.

DEC. 3

TJ Brown The Yellow Pony, World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm TJ Brown brings a blend of country and rock music to The Yellow Pony. For more information, visit worldequestriancenter.com/ events.

DEC. 3-4

Kevin White with Will Hagaman The Lodge Brick City Craft Pub & Eatery, 36 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala 8pm Kevin White as seen on HBO and The Today Show with Will Hagaman. Visit bonkerzcomedyproductions.com for more info or to purchase tickets.

DEC. 4

Ecliff Farrar The Yellow Pony, World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm Ecliff Farrar is known for strong vocals and covers a variety of popular songs across the rock, blues, R&B, and soul genres. He’s competed on several big stages across the East Coast, including Farrar The Apollo Theatre in New York.

For more information, visit worldequestriancenter.com/events.

DEC. 8

Ladies Night Gone Country Bank Street Patio Bar, 120 E Fort King St., Ocala 7-11pm Soundtrack by DJ Natural, featuring line dance, country, and Top 40 favorites. For more information, visit facebook.com/ bankstreetpatiobar.

DEC. 8

Noah Hunton The Yellow Pony, World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm Ocala native Noah Hunton brings country and solo acoustic music to The Yellow Pony. For more information, visit worldequestriancenter.com/events.

DEC. 9

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

curriculum guide and a set of horseshoes from real horses in The Ocala Horse Marion County to be Alliance (OHA) delivered used as incentives for its first set of library students. The in-class books to Marion County curriculum of the elementary schools via its BSRP was specifically Black Stallion Reading designed to meet Project (BSRP), according Florida’s Educational to a Nov. 18 press release.

Standards.

The five-year project, Teacher Karen which is a partnership Hayes, who taught between OHA and Marion “The Black Stallion” County Public Schools, in her fourth-grade is scheduled to deliver a classroom at Marion set of 13 reference and Oaks Elementary last reading books relating to year, said the program horses to 26 Marion County was wonderful for her elementary school libraries students. every year until 2025.

“Every day, they Additionally, each year, were excited to read, every fourth-grade student discuss key concepts will receive their own about the horses, and free copy of “The Black keep a journal about Stallion,” a novel written the adventures,” she

by Walter Farley and first said, adding that after published in 1941. the students finished The project was reading the novel, originally intended to begin they wrote thankin 2020, but the pandemic you notes to the farm interrupted the program’s that sponsored their original delivery plan. class—all books have Instead, the BSRP began by the name of the BSRP farm distributing copies of “The partner in the inside cover.

Black Stallion” to fourthHayes said that studying grade students last year to the novel in class enhanced get the ball rolling as early the students’ overall as it could. reading comprehension, The books, selected vocabulary, and writing specifically for the fourth skills. grade reading level, will The books selected for include reference books the first year of the project on various breeds and and finally delivered this disciplines as well as year include: “All About books meant to be read for Horses,” “American pleasure.

Quarter Horses,” Along with the books, “American Pharoah Triple teachers will receive a Crown,” “Little Squire,” “The Black Stallion Returns,” and “The Son of Black Stallion.”

A set of seven breed reference books concerning Appaloosas, Arabians,

Miranda Madison The Yellow Pony, World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm

PHOTOS BY KATHY ZIEGLER

Miranda Madison brings sounds of the French Riviera, the beaches of Brazil, the Vineyards of Tuscany, and the clubs of 1940’s New York to The Yellow Pony. For more information, visit worldequestriancenter.com/events.

DEC. 10

Submitted from Marion County Public school.

“Homecoming Tour”with Ben Brainard and Jeff Horste Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala 8pm Come downtown to the theatre for a night of laughs, featuring live stand-up comedy performances by Ben Brainard (TikTok – “The Table”) and Jeff Horste (Comedy Central, Hulu, and Fox), hosted by Jake Ricca. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit reillyartscenter. com.

DEC. 10

The Mudds The Yellow Pony, World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6:30-10pm The Mudds are known for their soulful, spirited sound, playing smooth blues songs with jazzy undertones. For more information, visit worldequestriancenter.com/events.

Submitted from Marion County Public school.

Clydesdales, Mustangs, Przewalskis Horses, Shetland Ponies, and Thoroughbreds were also included in the delivery.

The BSRP’s core program, according to the press release, is designed “to promote reading as well as an understanding and introduction to horses, equestrian sport, and careers in the horse industry.”

OHA Director Ellie Trueman, who was first involved in the project as it previously existed in Maryland, said that what impressed her about the program, and why she wished to bring it down south to Ocala, was how it affected the students’ reading levels.

“It is first and foremost a literacy program,” Trueman explained. “And what it really does is use the power of the horse to motivate kids to read.

And with Ocala being the ‘Horse Capital of the World,’ we thought it was a very appropriate step to

bring this program to this community.”

Other items that come with the set of library books include a curry comb, a halter, hay, sweet feed, and a set of laminated picture cards, detailing subjects mentioned in the book such as grooming, tacking up, and stable terms.

“We’re still building the program,” Trueman added. “And the local horse farms are very excited about the project, and the link between horses and children, and using horses as a motivator in the classroom.”

New elements for the 2021-2022 school year include a BSRP Brag Tag Program to be done in partnership with area horse shows and a set of videos for classrooms on careers in the horse industry such as veterinarian, vet tech, farrier, event manager, and farm manager. Additional career videos will be added to the collection each year.

“The addition of these books will ignite a love of reading while the students dive into researching and learning about horses,” said Hayes. “It is always appreciated to see the community contributing to the education of our students.”

For additional information on the BSRP, email the OHA at ocalahorsealliance@ aol.com.

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C1

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports Gonzales looks towards college football

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Cole Gonzales, 18, the quarterback for the Trinity Catholic Celtics, poses for a photo on the field at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, on Dec. 1.

rinity Catholic senior quarterback Cole Gonzales has been around the game of football his entire life.

“I was born in Salt Lake City, when my dad was an assistant coach for the University of Utah,” Gonzales said.

“Dad has coached at a few schools, so we moved a lot when I was growing up.”

Cole’s dad, Billy Gonzales, is a longtime college football assistant who currently serves as the wide receivers coach for the Florida Gators.

Stops at Utah, the University of Illinois,

Mississippi State University, LSU in Baton Rouge, and back in Gainesville for a second coaching stint have provided the younger Gonzales with an insider’s view of the world of coaching.

“I would like to follow in my dad’s footsteps and become a coach when my playing days are over,” Gonzales said. “My dad has been a coach since I was born, and I think I’d like to do that when the time comes.”

Gonzales was an offensive leader for the Celtics with his passing and running ability. During the 2021 season, Gonzales threw for 932 yards and nine touchdowns, while also rushing for 668 yards and five scores. His dual-threat ability helped lead

Trinity Catholic to the regional finals of the FHSAA 3A playoffs.

And if the Celtics needed to punt, no problem. Gonzales also averaged 42.3 yards per boot.

While the Celtics season has come to an end, there’s still plenty of football left to be played for Gonzales.

Gonzales has attracted the attention of multiple college football programs.

Samford University in Alabama, Kent State University in Ohio, and UT-Martin in Tennessee have expressed interest in offering a football scholarship.

An outstanding student, Gonzales currently carries a 3.6 overall GPA, and See Gonzales, page C3

Hurricanes pull away at home against Belleview 79-64

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Dunnellon‘s head coach, Chris Thompson, works with his players on the bench as they play Vanguard during a basketball game at Dunnellon High School in Dunnellon, on Dec. 6.

Dunnellon girls record statement win at home versus Vanguard

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

I BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Dunnellon‘s Alecia Larry (20) drives past Vanguard‘s Jyla Gunsby (0) on her way to the basket.

n an early season match-up between two of Marion County’s strongest girls’ basketball programs, Dunnellon relied on dominant rebounding and fast break opportunities to upend Vanguard 58-43 on Monday night.

Sophomore guard Alecia Larry led the way for the Lady Tigers with 24 points and four rebounds. Many

of Larry’s points came on fast break opportunities.

Dunnellon was also anchored by the hard work of junior forward Jada Hayes, who pulled down 14 rebounds in the win.

Dunnellon head coach Chris Thompson praised his team for the effort in the victory.

“This was a statement game tonight,” Thompson said. “This See Lady, page C2

Senior forward Tyrone Smith scored 37 points, and junior guard Justin Gimenez tallied 25 points as the Lake Weir Hurricanes won at home against Belleview on Tuesday night.

Sophomore guard Amari Kiner contributed nine points in the victory for Lake Weir.

After a fast start by Lake Weir, the Rattlers went on a 14-4 run to start the second quarter

to pull ahead 26-23 with 5:26 left in the first half.

Belleview was led by junior guard Cori Johnson, who scored a team-high 31 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Senior forward Amarion Dudley scored 17 in the losing effort while pulling down five rebounds.

Belleview head coach Jason Hasson was disappointed with the loss.

See Lake Weir, page C2

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Lake Weir‘s Tyrone Smith (22) looks for a way to the basket as he is defended by Belleview‘s Antoine Armbrister (22) during a basketball game at Lake Weir High School in Candler, on Dec. 7.

GAME OF THE WEEK

City of Life Christian‘ @ Forest Wildcats

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com The City of Life Warriors will make the road trip from Kissimmee to take on the Forest Wildcats boys basketball team on Friday.

Forest head coach Mike Hoffmann stressed his team’s need to correct some mistakes to compete at a high level.

“We have some things we need to clean up for us to be successful,” Hoffmann said. “I am excited to watch our guys

execute and make sure those things are improved.”

City of Life, undefeated at 3-0 on the young season, touts a front line that stands 6’ 6”, 6’ 5”, and 6’ 5”.

How will the Forest post players handle the size of the Warriors?

“We’ve been focusing on getting to guys and boxing out,” Hoffmann said. “We will see if that work has paid off.”

Forest comes into the match-up at 3-2, with close losses to West Port on the

road and a one-point loss to Lake Howell in the Wildwood Hoopsgiving Classic.

The Wildcats are led by sophomore guard Xzavion McCoy, who is averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 assists per game.

Also starring for Forest is senior guard Mason Mascaro, who is logging 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.

The game is set to tip-off from the Forest High School gym at 7:30 p.m.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Forest fans cheer for their team as they play Fletcher during a playoff basketball game at Forest High School in Ocala, on Feb. 23, 2021. Forest won the game 63-50.

C2

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Lady Tigers move to 6-0 on the season Continued from page C1 game let teams know Dunnellon is a force this year with lots of new talent.”

Junior guard Kmari Williams scored 12 and nabbed six steals for the Lady Tigers.

Dunnellon held a 26-18 halftime lead, but a 12-6 run to start the second half found that lead cut to two with 4:32 left in the third quarter.

The Lady Tigers then went on a 7-0 run to push the lead to nine points, a lead they would never relinquish.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Vanguard‘s Rain Smith (12) looks for a way to the basket as she is doubleteamed by Dunnellon‘s Paige Powell (10) and J. Hayes (14) during a basketball game at Dunnellon High School in Dunnellon, on Dec. 6.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Dunnellon‘s Kmari Williams (1) breaks away from Vanguard‘s Makiya Mitchell (2) and Kate Bass (15) on her way to the basket.

Junior guard Jyla Gunsby scored eight points and registered five assists for the Lady Knights. Gunsby blocked three shots in the loss.

Senior guard Jadah Kingcade led Vanguard with 18 points while logging four steals.

Vanguard head coach Terrance Lewis felt that his team lacked determination in the loss.

“We were very flat tonight, and just got out-hustled,” Lewis said. “This loss is on me, we will be prepared to play in the future.”

Lady Knights senior guard Rain Smith chalked up 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the losing squad.

With the win, Dunnellon moves to 6-0 on the season. The Lady Tigers host Lecanto on Thursday with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

Vanguard moves to 3-3 after the loss and will host Lake Weir on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

Lake Weir blows past Belleview Continued from page C1

layups,” Hasson said.

Belleview finished a strong “It’s hard to win on the road first half with a lead of 36-33, when you have trouble making but the third quarter started well for Lake Weir.

An 11-1 run for the Hurricanes resulted in a 44-37 lead for the home team.

Lake Weir would not trail the rest of the way.

The Hurricanes improved to 2-3 on the season with the victory. Lake Weir will host Umatilla on Friday, with BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette game time set for Belleview‘s coach, Jason Hasson, works with his players as they play Lake Weir during a basketball game at Lake 7:00 p.m.

Weir High School in Candler, on Dec. 7.

Belleview has an identical 2-3 record with the loss. The Rattlers are set to host the Villages on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Vanguard‘s coach Terrance Lewis works with his players on the bench as they play Forest during a basketball game at Forest High School in Ocala, on Friday, Dec. 3.

LADY KNIGHTS win BIG at

FOREST

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T

he Lady Knights proved to be too much for Forest on Friday night, dominating the glass and at the free throw line to win going away 62-36.

The Lady Knights had two players grab 10 or more rebounds on the night. Junior Jyla Gunsby grabbed 13 boards and senior forward Makaiya Barksdale snagged ten for the winning squad.

Senior forward Kate Bass grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots for Vanguard.

Gunsby also scored 19 points for Vanguard, while senior guard Rain Smith led the team in scoring with 22 points.

Lady Knights head coach Terrance Lewis believes that staying intense is the key to the team’s success moving forward.

“We have to stay consistent and tough,” Lewis said. “I know the type of players we have. They respond well to tough love and we will work them hard in practice.”

Forest junior guard Tyheerah Rushing scored nine points

and grabbed three rebounds, while sophomore guard Taleah Jones shined with 21 points and grabbed seven boards in the losing effort.

Forest head coach Jessica Dickson praised Jones for her output against Vanguard.

“Taleah started slow, but played well offensively tonight,” Dickson said.

Dickson also bragged about the effort of freshman center Serenity Trapp, who grabbed ten rebounds and logged three steals for the Lady Wildcats.

“Serenity really stepped up and boxed out like we coached her up to do,” Dickson said.

Forest remains winless on the season (0-6) and will travel to Gainesville on Monday where they will take on P.K. Yonge.

Game time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

With the win, Vanguard moves to 3-2 on the young season. Up next for the Lady Knights is a road game against Dunnellon on December 6th. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Lake Weir‘s coach, Mike Surber, works with his players on the bench as they play Belleview.

LEFT: Vanguard‘s Jyla Gunsby (0) drives to the hoop as she is defended by Forest‘s (3) **not on roster**.

BELOW: Forest‘s Taleah Jones (12) is fouled

by Vanguard‘s Diana Gregaj (11) on her way to the hoop.

Photos by BRUCE ACKERMAN/ Ocala Gazette

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Lake Weir‘s Jordan Gimenez (12) looks for a way to the basket as he is defended by Belleview‘s Antoine Armbrister (22).

C3

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Derby winner Medina Spirit collapses, dies in California

By BETH HARRIS Associated Press Medina Spirit, a 3-year-old colt whose Kentucky Derby victory in May came under scrutiny because of a positive drug test, collapsed and died after a workout Monday at Santa Anita in Southern California.

Trainer Bob Baffert said in a statement that the horse suffered a heart attack. The colt had just completed five furlongs in his second workout since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic a month ago at Del Mar. “My entire barn is devastated by this news,” Baffert said. “Medina Spirit was a great champion, a member of our family who was loved by all, and we are deeply mourning his loss. I will always cherish the proud and personal memories of Medina Spirit and his tremendous spirit.”

Santa Anita said in a statement that the track veterinary team took blood, hair and urine samples from Medina Spirit and sent them to the California Horse Racing Board. The colt will undergo a full necropsy, as required by the racing board, to try to determine the exact cause of death.

No timeline for completing the necropsy has been given.

Medina Spirit tested positive after his May 1 Kentucky Derby win for betamethasone, a legal medication that is not allowed on race day. The victory was Baffert‘s record seventh win in the Derby.

But in the wake of Medina Spirit’s THE ASSOCIATED PRESS failed test, Baffert John Velazquez riding Medina Spirit crosses the finish line to win the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., in this was suspended by Saturday, May 1, 2021, file photo.

Churchill Downs and barred from could possibly disqualify Medina Spirit. stricter out-of-competition testing of his entering horses in In the $6 million BC Classic last horses and greater security at his barn. the 2022 and 2023 Kentucky Derbies. He month, Medina Spirit couldn’t muster He agreed to the extra scrutiny and was also was banned by the New York Racing the necessary late kick to threaten winner required to pay for it out of his own pocket.

Association from entering horses at its Knicks Go. Medina Spirit had five wins in 10 Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct tracks.

“I’m very proud of him. He ran a great career starts and earnings of $3,545,200, Last Friday, Craig Robertson, Baffert’s race,” Baffert said last month. “To me, he’s according to Equibase. The colt was owned attorney, released a statement saying the best 3-year-old. He showed it today.

by Amr Zedan, who competes as Zedan that tests done by a New York lab have Racing Stables. “definitely confirmed” Medina Spirit tested That’s what racing is all about, proving it on the racetrack. And he proved it today “Our most sincere condolences go out positive for the steroid — not through an that he’s the real deal.” to Mr. Amr Zedan and the entire Zedan injection but due to an ointment used to Baffert was allowed to enter horses in Racing Stables family,” Baffert said in treat a skin rash. the season-ending world championships, his statement Monday. “They are in our The Kentucky Horse Racing but the event’s money-leading trainer thoughts and prayers as we go through this Commission has been investigating the had to meet certain conditions, including difficult time.” case, and has yet to hold a hearing that

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Cole Gonzales, 18, the quarterback for the Trinity Catholic Celtics, poses for a photo on the field at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, on Dec. 1.

Gonzales plans to follow in dad‘s footsteps, become coach Continued from page C1 just earned all A’s to start his senior year.

Gonzales thanks Celtics head football coach John Brantley for rolling the dice on him.

“Coach Brantley took a chance on me,” Gonzales said.

“He gave me a shot and I can’t thank him enough for that.”

Brantley reciprocated the sentiment.

“Cole took a chance on coming here,” Brantley said.

“Cole wanted to be a part of a good program and he knew how I ran our program. We didn’t have the ending we hoped for, but we accomplished a lot.”

“Coach Brantley took a chance on me...

He gave me a shot and I can’t thank him enough for that.”

Cole Gonzales

Gonzales heaps praise and appreciation onto his mom and dad, as well.

“I can’t thank them enough for the sacrifices they’ve made,” he said. “My dad watches film with me, and my mom has been so supportive every day.”

If the coaching plans fall through, Gonzales has some career ideas he would like to pursue.

“I think I would like to work in orthodontics,” he said.

“Or win the lottery!”

Winning in the classroom and on the field are all things that Gonzales has become accustomed to.

He probably won’t need that lottery ticket.

C4

DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 16, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

SCORE BOARD

BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES

Dec. 3

Nov. 29

North Marion Lake Weir

West Port South Sumter

74 63

Countryside Christian Ocala Christian

51 46

Nov. 30 East Ridge Lake Weir

36 31

Ocala Christian Temple Christian

49 31

Dec. 1 North Marion 70 Belleview 32 Trinity Catholic 64 Suwanee 33 Dunnellon 53 West Port 46

Dec. 2 Forest 51 Wildwood 42 Lake Weir 66 Redeemer 53

Belleview 62 Dunnellon 59 80 51

West Port 58 Forest 54 Trinity Catholic 67 Trenton 38

Dec. 4 Dunnellon 76 St. Francis Catholic 24 IMG Blue 92 Vanguard 33

GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES Nov. 29 Dunnellon 90 Cedar Key 25 Lake Weir 66 Chiefland 50 HEART HomeSchool Ocala Christian

52 29

SELECTED MARION COUNTY

HIGH SCHOOL

SPORTS

RESULTS NOV. 29 - DEC. 4

Nov. 30 Belleview 56 St. John 4

North Marion 58 Belleview 34

Dec. 1 3 0

Forest Vanguard

2 1

Wildwood 62 Vanguard 16

Vanguard 62 Forest 36

Forest Lake Weir

5 0

North Marion Belleview

4 3

Trinity Catholic Father Lopez

Dec. 4

West Port Dunnellon

7 0 2 0

58 54

Dunnellon 61 Newberry 55

Ocala Christian Temple Christian

34 9

Trinity Catholic 65 Belleview 51

BOYS SOCCER SCORES

Dec. 2 Lake Weir West Port

9 0

Lake Weir Interlachen

Belleview Leesburg

5 0

Dec. 1 Trinity Catholic Father Lopez

6 1

Forest Vanguard

3 1

West Port Forest 1

1

Trinity Catholic University Christian

8 0

Lake Weir West Port

8 0

Dec. 3

Nov. 29

Dec. 1

Vanguard 2 South Sumter 0

Trinity Catholic 58 Suwanee 42

Lake Weir 6 Dunnellon 3

West Port 41 Williston 26

Nov. 30

Buchholz 58 Forest 32

Lake Minneola 6 Belleview 0

Dec. 2

GIRLS SOCCER SCORES

New Florida coach Billy Napier’s staff is starting to take shape.

Napier hired four assistants who spent the last four years with him at LouisianaLafayette, including Patrick Toney as the team’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach and Mark Hocke as the team’s associate head coach and director of strength and conditioning.

Napier also chose Jabbar Juluke as

Vanguard Belleview

8 0

West Port Lake Weir

8 0

Dec. 2

Trinity Catholic Lake Weir

4 1

Nov. 29

Dunnellon 64 Crystal River 42

West Port Dunnellon

8 0

Trinity Catholic Belleview

8 0

Eustis Forest

4 1

Lake Weir 48 Williston 38

Eastside North Marion

6 0

Lake Weir Dunnellon

2 1

Trinity Catholic University Christian

3 2

Napier’s Florida staff starts taking shape with Toney, Hocke

By The Associated Press

Nov. 30

Trinity Catholic Vanguard

North Marion 56 Leesburg 13

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Temple Christian Academy‘s Troy Jenkins (3) drives to the hoop past Ocala Christian Academy defenders Trey Woods (35), Jordan Raines (13) and Keiron Williams (21) during a game at Ocala Christian Academy on Nov. 30.

Dec. 3

Chiefland 45 Forest 42

Vanguard‘s Diana Gregaj (11) drives to the basket as Forest‘s Serenity Trapp (15) defends her during a game at Forest High School in Ocala, on Dec. 3.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Results were gathered from FHSAA.com and compiled by Joel Bronson

running backs coach and Ryan O’Hara as an offensive analyst who will work with quarterbacks.

Toney and Hocke were Napier’s first — and probably most obvious — hires. They were instrumental in helping the Ragin’ Cajuns go 40-12 the last four years and win the 2021 Sun Belt Conference title.

Napier negotiated a $7.5 million salary pool to hire 10 full-time assistants. He is expected to part ways with most or all of former Florida coach Dan Mullen’s staff,

Dec. 3

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

which is preparing the team to play UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa on Dec. 23.

Toney served as ULL’s defensive coordinator the last two seasons. He also coached safeties and outside linebackers during his four-year tenure there. The Ragin’ Cajuns tied for ninth nationally in scoring defense (18.3) in 2021.

Hocke has significant Southeastern Conference experience, having worked at Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M. He

began his coaching career at Alabama in 2009 and spent six seasons on Nick Saban’s staff. He was part of three national championships (2009, 2012, 2013) and trained more dozens of players who went on to sign NFL contracts.

Hocke also spent time at Georgia (2015), Florida State (2016) and Texas A&M (2017).