Ocala Gazette | December 3 - December 9, 2021

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 23

Kingdom $2 of the Sun performs this weekend!

Page A6

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021

$10 million in rental assistance with $9 million more on the way

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com On Nov. 16, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) approved another contract with the United Way (UW) of Marion County to administer a second round of Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA2) money received from the federal government in the amount of $8,734,572.30.

The first round of rental assistance (ERA1), launched in late April of this year, resulted in over 4,500 registrations for assistance and a total of 2,051 households receiving funds, according to United Way of

Marion County CEO Scot Quintel. To date, Quintel said the program has distributed $9,801,317.10.

“Through the summer, we were averaging over 25 new registrations a week,” he added.

“That number has recently slowed down to 10-15 per week.”

The rental assistance program was first established to help those who have experienced a reduction in income, incurred significant costs, or other financial hardship due to COVID-19.

To qualify for the program, an individual must be a Marion

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Santa

Santa Claus welcomes children on the first night of “Santa On The Square” on the Ocala Downtown Square in Ocala in this Dec. 3, 2020 file photo.

See United Way, page A2

MCSO deputies seek victim protections

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com According to attorneys for the Marion County Sheriff ‘s Office (MCSO), the identities of three deputies involved in a fatal shooting in Fort McCoy on Nov. 15 are protected under a law meant to protect victims from harassment by their attackers. The law is called Marsy’s Law. Approximately three hours following the incident, the MCSO posted to Facebook:

“At approximately 7:40 p.m. on November 15, 2021, deputies responded to the area of NE 140th Avenue and NE 245th Street Road, (Orange Springs/Fort McCoy) in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, deputies located a deceased male at the residence.

They were then met by a man, who engaged them with a shotgun. After refusing several commands to drop the weapon, deputies were forced to protect themselves and fired on the See MCSO, page A4

ON THE

Square

RETURNS TO DOWNTOWN OCALA FO R TH E H O LI DAY SE A SO N

By Ocala Gazette Staff

apart in the queue line and utilize hand sanitization stations supplied by the city. his December the family-friendly Santa will remain seated behind holiday program, “Santa on the stanchions spaced six feet apart from guests.

Square,” will take place Tuesdays No more than eight individuals will be and Thursdays, Dec. 2-Dec. 21, 6 to allowed in a photo at one time. Guests are 8 p.m. at the downtown square. also encouraged to bring their own camera.

Due to COVID-19, photos with Santa and For more information, visit www.ocalafl.

Mrs. Claus will be socially distanced. Guests org/holidays or call the City of Ocala are encouraged to wear face coverings, Recreation and Parks Department at (352) maintain a physical distance of six feet 368-5517.

T

Mayor brings campaign hostility to Hanukkah celebration

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com Community members are upset after campaign vitriol was introduced into the City of Ocala’s Hanukkah celebration on the downtown square.

During a program to light the menorah, Mayor Kent Guinn made disparaging remarks

aimed at Manal Fakhoury, his opponent in the September mayoral electoral race, according to several Mayor Guinn spectators present at the Nov. 28 event.

Guinn won the Sept. 21

election with over 65% of the vote. Fakhoury had 34%. Gazette columnist, Sadie Fitzpatrick, a life long Ocala native, wrote of this year’s city election “as being the most vicious local political race in recent memory.”

Event attendee Suzanne Scheraga said of Sunday’s event that “The mayor went to great lengths to say that his opponent

in the election, Manal Fakhoury, was…he actually came out and said that all the organizations that she works on are a front for Hamas.”

Hamas, or Islamic Resistance Movement, is a militant Palestinian nationalist and Islamist movement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that is dedicated to the establishment of

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an independent Islamic state in historical Palestine.

Fakhoury is a Muslim woman who has lived in Ocala for at least 30 years. She has raised all five of her children in Ocala, is a business owner and well-known philanthropist.

Scheraga said that 50 to 60 See Mayor, page A6

Garbage .......................................... A7 Community with heart ................B1 Nutcracker .................................... B7 State News .......................... .......... A9 Calendar ........................................ .B5

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Youmans using time in Marion County to set the stage for move

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

C

ircuit Judge Stacy Youmans currently hears cases in Ocala on Monday and in Citrus County from Tuesday through Friday.

Once a replacement judge is seated in Citrus County, she plans to transfer to Marion County and take over the dependency and delinquency dockets.

Youmans will eventually move to Marion County full-time to replace Circuit Judge S. Sue Robbins, who retired at the end of October. Youmans said Robbins was someone to look up to during her time on the bench and she hopes she can make a similar impact on the community.

“She really handled her docket and assignment admirably and efficiently. I mean, we‘re talking about some really big shoes to fill and I‘m well aware of that,” Youmans said of Robbins.

While Youmans works on a similar docket in both counties, she noted the caseload is growing in Marion. She said she plans to use her time here to get a feel for how things are done and get feedback on how the high number of cases could be attentively worked through.

“I‘m going to try to use

this transition as a time to really evaluate all areas and just try to do what I can to do the best possible job working for the county. I know there‘s a lot of work to be done,” she said.

“But I don‘t find that to be daunting,” she added.

“It‘s not discouraging to know that kind of work is waiting for me. I‘m motivated to jump in and do my part. I just want to help get the community to

“I‘m going to try to use this transition as a time to really evaluate all areas and just try to do what I can to do the best possible job working for the county.

I know there‘s a lot of work to be done.”

Judge Stacy Youmans Marion County Circuit Judge

the other side of it and to move this forward.”

She praised the circuit judges hearing cases in both counties for working to ensure everyone is getting the day in court they deserve.

“I have to commend my colleagues; everyone is pitching in. It‘s a group effort to make sure that we‘re servicing the communities as we should,” she said.

Before Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Youmans to the circuit court in 2019, she worked as an attorney in Ocala for nearly two decades. She said her time as a public prosecutor as well as in private practice allows her to have a full picture of both sides.

“I spent eight years working as a prosecutor, so working for the government in that capacity. And then I spent the next approximately 11 years working in the private sector for a law firm. I think I bring a very balanced perspective to this role and I believe it‘s very important as a judge to treat everyone that comes before me, anyone that comes into my courtroom, with respect and to just listen,” she continued.

She said while she may preside over multiple cases

in one day, especially as she works her way through a growing caseload, the individuals involved in each case deserve her undivided attention.

“It‘s a job that‘s meant to be about service. So, I try to remember that every day. It‘s always supposed to be about the community, not about the judge. It‘s important to keep that in mind when you‘re talking with individuals and try to remember that their case, that person that‘s in front of you, that‘s the most important matter to them. For me, maybe it‘s just another case on my docket, but for them, it‘s most likely a critical matter in their lives and I want to be considerate of that,” Youmans said.

Delinquency cases involve juveniles who are detained and face criminal charges, while dependency cases involve the families that are interacting with agencies such as the Department of Children and Families.

The docket also involves truancy matters as well as adoptions. Youmans said the range of cases can be gratifying to work on overall.

“I find them to be very fulfilling. It‘s just very rewarding work to have the potential to

Marion County Circuit Judge Stacy Youmans

positively impact children and families. I‘m very pleased that I‘m going to be able to come to Marion County and to preside over these cases and serve the community in that capacity,” she offered.

Youmans attended the University of Georgia and graduated from Mercer University School of Law.

She began her judicial career in Citrus County.

She was up for re-election in 2020 but did not draw an opponent, meaning she will face re-election in 2026.

The process of seating a new judge in Citrus County is underway but it is not known when that will be completed.

United Way administers over $10 millon in federal rental relief Continued from page A1 County resident; at or below 80% of the average median income; experienced hardship due to COVID-19; provide a valid form of ID; and apply online at UWMC.org/CAP. Each applicant can only register for ERA funds once, said Quintel.

Therefore, he has had no repeat applicants since the program was first made available. Additionally, due to the demand for assistance, no households have been considered for any subsequent assistance.

UW was also required to coordinate their efforts with the court registry and prioritize applicants who had eviction suits already filed. According to UW’s website, the Clerk of Court, Greg Harrell, is chairman of the UW. During the summer, the MCBOCC asked for updates on distribution of funds associated with the ERA. On Oct. 5, Amanda Tart, executive director of Administrative Services for Marion County, reported to the commissioners during a public meeting that 886 households in Marion County had received a total of $6.1 million in

assistance. Tart said an additional 454 applications had been approved and would be receiving checks within a week of the Oct. 5 meeting, for another $2 million in assistance.

She added that the average amount of assistance was $5,000 per applicant.

Recently, Quintel said that the amount of funding per application is varied based on the needs of the household.

“Assistance can be provided in the areas of current rent and utilities, past rent and utilities, and future rent and utilities (up to three months) if applicable,” he explained.

“Our application and funding process worked well in ERA1 and will receive only minor adjustments for ERA2,” he added.

When it comes to reporting distributions, the agreement required UW to report to the county on a monthly basis “a reconciliation invoice that provides detailed accounting of how advance funds were deployed, and the remaining balance.”

Quintel indicated that Marion County and the United Way “‘monitor and meet’ reporting requirements,” adding

Scot Quintel, the president of the United Way of Marion County, poses for a photo at the United Way in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette] 2020.

that UWMC is regularly audited on an annual basis.

“UWMC and its partner, Capital Access, coordinate with Marion County on the monthly and quarterly reporting for ERA1 and ERA2 funding,” said Quintel, adding that these reporting requirements are established by the US Treasury.

A review of the UWMC’s reports to the county do not reflect the applicant’s contact or the names of landlords that received

payments. The reports include the addresses of the applicants, the amount of relief paid, and the dates relevant to those payments.

The Ocala Gazette did not calculate how much every household listed in the report received under the relief program.

However, within an hour’s review, identified at least 54 households that received more than $10,000 for rent support. There were at least 15 that received more $15,000.

Instead of disbursing the rental assistance to the renter, Quintel said, the federal program pays the UWMC directly, who then distributes the money to the landlords.

Many individual landlords received payments; some landlords, such as Jacquelyn (Jackie) Mayhew at 5792 N.E. 133rd Avenue Road in Silver Springs and Adrian Castillo at 3001 N. Rocky Point Drive Suite 200 in Tampa, received upwards

of $267,633 and $168,654, respectively, for multiple rental tenants.

Marion County Commissioner Kathy Bryant-House was one such landlord who received rental assistance, documents provided by the UWMC showed, receiving $4,700. At a MCBOCC meeting earlier this summer, BryantHouse recused herself from voting on any ERA-related business to avoid any conflicts of interest.

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

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

Editorial

- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

COMMENTARY

Providing ‘TLC’

Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@magnoliamediaco.com Bruce Ackerman, Photography Editor bruce@ocalagazette.com James Blevins, Reporter james@ocalagazette.com Matthew Cretul, Senior Reporter matthew@ocalagazette.com Sadie Fitzpatrick, Columnist sadie@ocalagazette.com Susan Smiley-Height, Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com Christopher Smith, Creative Director christopher@ocalagazette.com Joel Bronson, Reporter joel@ocalagazette.com Kristine Nolan, Editor kristine@magnoliamediaco.com

Director of Sales and Marketing Andrew Hinkle andrew@magnoliamediaco.com Account Executives Evelyn Anderson evelyn@magnoliamediaco.com Sarah Belyeu sarah@magnoliamediaco.com Ralph Grandizio ralph@magnoliamediaco.com Lee Kerr lee@magnoliamediaco.com Jane Lyons jane@magnoliamediaco.com Distribution Inquiries info@ocalagazette.com

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The Ocala Gazette invites you to share your important news events with the community. Email your submissions to info@ocalagazette.com. Please include your name and contact information on the submission.

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Editor’s Note:

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

I

t’s impossible not to be charmed by Kyle Carnes.

With his auburn hair, shining eyes and near-constant grin, he immediately captures your attention. He peppers you with questions—What’s your favorite food? What music do you like to listen to? Carnes is genuinely interested in everything you have to say.

Ten years ago, it was uncertain whether Carnes would be able to ask questions again. He suffered a brain aneurysm at age 12, leading to a stroke that caused cognitive and motor disabilities. He is wheelchair-bound but can walk with assistance.

Throughout his many surgeries, rehabilitations and therapies, his family has been by his side.

Carnes is the oldest of three children with a younger brother and sister. His mother and father, Vanessa and Robert Carnes, serve as his primary caregivers.

When his parents brought him home from the hospital after his aneurysm, “We didn’t know what to expect going forward. We homeschooled him for sixth grade because we weren’t sure how he would do in a school setting. We wanted him to get back to some sense of normalcy, so he started at Hillcrest for half days to see how he would handle it,” explained Mrs. Carnes.

Carnes thrived and soon went full time at Hillcrest School, which is operated by the Marion County School Board, where he received speech and physical therapies. He graduated from Hillcrest at age 21 but stayed in the program until he was 22 and “aged out.” Federal law mandates that educational assistance for individuals with special needs ends at

age 22.

The Carnes family wanted Kyle to continue attending a program that would allow him to socialize and learn new skills. Through wordof-mouth, they learned of the Transitions Life Center (TLC), which is dedicated “to providing a safe, caring and enriching community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” Carnes started immediately at TLC and has attended three days a week for the last year.

Transitions Life Center was created for special needs adults who have “aged out” of educational programs for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Its founders realized that without continued socializing and learning of important life skills, many of these individuals will regress.

TLC ensures each of its members has an engaging, safe space in which to learn and socialize. The organization’s THRIVE program (Teamwork, Honor, Respect, Independence, Values, Education) provides support, education and opportunities for its members. TLC members range in age from 23 to 65 years old.

At TLC, members are encouraged to take part in a variety of classes and experiences such as gardening, cooking, crafts (they make Christmas ornaments and cards to sell during the holidays), computers and life skills (such as how to load and wash laundry).

“All our members have a purpose, have dreams,

home visit, a school visit, submitted guardianship and emergency plan forms, IRS forms and more.

Mrs. Carnes views these hurdles as just another part of her role as Kyle’s advocate. She believes strongly, however, that there should be more awareness in terms of helping individuals with special needs in Marion want County. to live an “When you see us out active with Kyle, it’s okay if you life. ask what happened, but I They want you to treat Kyle like the person he is. Look him in the eye, say hello, ask him questions. It doesn’t faze us and we don’t want sympathy, but we want people to be more aware,” she said.

In addition to better Sadie Fitzpatrick awareness, Johnson and Columnist Carnes both noted the urgent need for a central should get the ability to place in Marion County have choices about what where individuals and they want to do (what families with special needs to learn, where to work, can access information where to live). TLC is and resources. This would focused on providing those be one central hub to get choices; there’s no need connected to services for for just one mold. Each therapy, for navigating the member is unique, they paperwork for the state should be treated as such and federal assistance and we know that not one programs, workforce set of circumstances is connections and materials. the same,” explained Lucy Mrs. Carnes said she Johnson, executive director only learned about the of TLC. Medicaid waiver, TLC and Some funding for other resources because individuals with special of Google searches or by needs is provided by the word-of-mouth. state through the Florida “There are cancer Med Waiver Program. This societies, heart associations waiver is designed to help and more groups to adults with permanent connect those who need disabilities. It provides assistance, but nothing funds for medicallylike that exists in Marion necessary supports and County for families with services. individuals with intelThe current waiting lectual and developmental disabilities. It’s time we as list for this waiver is more a county provide that for than 22,000 people long.

Many families spend years these families,” Johnson said. on this waiting list before In the meantime, if you receiving any financial see Kyle Carnes around assistance. town, stop and talk to The Carnes family has him.

I promise you’ll come been on the waiting list away with new music for more than a year. To recommendations, a apply for this waiver, they changed perspective on life were asked to provide and a huge smile on your detailed medical records regarding Kyle’s condition, face.

To learn more about what medications he is on, Transitions Life Center, what therapies he receives please visit www.tlcocala. and what he does at TLC. org.

They also completed a

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

“Apology” from Guinn

By Rev. Jill Carel The Ocala Gazette posted online “Mayor brings campaign hostility to Hanukkah celebration,” an article about the outrageous and inappropriate comments made at the Downtown Ocala Square event celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. I was quoted in that article about how horrified my husband and I were at Guinn’s hateful rhetoric.

To my surprise I received a personal message of apology from the Mayor through Facebook Messenger.

At a glance, one might think that was a lovely caring gesture. That is not how I see it. I believe Kent Guinn is a politician in the worst style of “oops, I got caught and am getting some bad press.” Here is the message I received: “Jill this is Mayor Guinn. I just wanted to apologize for my comments at the Lighting of the Menorah regarding Manal Fakhoury. While they were the truth that wasn’t

the place to make them. Again my apologies.”

Well, first of all, I am not the only one who deserves an apology. The entire group of people who attended the event, the citizens of Ocala, and Manal Fakhoury all deserve to hear an apology from him.

Secondly, I do not believe for a minute that Guinn has a concern about any danger posed by the most peace-loving honorable and devoted citizen of Ocala, Dr. Manal Fakhoury. The list of her civic involvements are too long to list here. Google can tell you how awesome she is.

In closing, I say that Mayor Guinn is one of many current politicians who are spouting divisive lies in an effort to dehumanize others for maintaining political power. My political leanings and spiritual background are vying for the appropriate words to suggest that the reigns of leadership should change hands at our next voting opportunity.

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Local Briefs CAREERSOURCE, CF

TO SPONSOR JOB FAIR AT HAMPTON CENTER

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

Sarah Dobbs, left and Christine Sandy, right, both f Oakcrest Elementary, were selected as Marion County‘s 2022 Vice Principal and Principal of the Year, respectivey.

OAKCREST ELEMENTARY LEADERS ANNOUNCED AS MARION COUNTY‘S 2022 PRINCIPAL AND ASST. PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR

By Ocala Gazette Staff info@ocalagazette.com On Nov. 29, Marion County Public School (MCPS) announced that Christine Sandy and Sarah Dobbs were its choices for 2022 Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year, respectively.

Sandy has over 50 years of experience as an educator, with 2022 marking her 40th anniversary with

MCPS. Dobbs, a homegrown graduate from Madison Street Academy, Fort McCoy Middle School and Vanguard High School, became assistant principal at Oakcrest in 2019.

Both educators advance to the state competition, where the Florida Department of Education will select Florida’s 2022 Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year.

For more information, visit www. fldoe.org/teaching/recognition/.

Representatives from Citrus, Marion and Levy Counties have teamed together to sponsor a job fair for those looking for employment.

Florida House of Representatives member Yvonne Hayes Hinson and Ocala City Councilman Ire Bethea, Sr. have partnered with CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion and the College of Central Florida (CF)to organize the event.

The job fair will be held on Wednesday, December 8th from 2-4 p.m.at the College of Central Florida’s Hampton Center, located at 1501 W. Silver Springs Blvd., in Ocala.

Area businesses who have committed to attend include Central Florida Electric of Ocala, City of Ocala, City of Ocala Water Resources, Encompass Health, Marion County Public Schools (custodial, food service, and transportation), Marion County Board of County Commissioners, Ocala Oaks, Visiting Angels, and the World Equestrian Center.

Hayes Hinson hopes that this event provides citizens, especially young people who need employment, the opportunity to find a job.

“My aim for this event is to give members of the younger generation a legitimate hope for their professional

future,” Hayes Hinson said. “Work creates dignity, and every citizen deserves the chance to work.”

Rusty Skinner, CEO for CareerSource CLM, said, “We are so excited to team up with Rep. Hayes Hinson, Councilman Bethea, and CF to bring such outstanding opportunities to the community.”

Those who plan to attend are encouraged to dress for the job(s) they plan to apply for and bring printed copies of their current resumes.

For those who would like professional assistance with updating their resume in preparation for the job fair, as well as assistance in preparing for on-site interviews, can contact CareerSource CLM at 800-434-JOBS (5627) or by going to www.careersourceclm.com For more information about the job fair, call 352-562-0514.

DEPUTIES SEEK PROTECTION UNDER MARSY‘S LAW Continued from page A1 subject. The armed subject is deceased. At this time, this is an active investigation and MCSO is fully cooperating with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).”

Requests for more information from the Sheriff ’s office were directed to FDLE and attorneys for the Sheriff indicated they would not be releasing the deputies or decedents names, citing Marsy’s Law. Marsy’s law was first passed in California in 2008 and then adopted by Florida on Nov. 6, 2018, after 61% of state registered voters voted in favor of it.

According to the website of the law’s proponents, Marsy‘s Law was named after Marsalee (Marsy) Ann Nicholas, a University of California Santa Barbara student, who was stalked and killed by her exboyfriend in 1983.

Sheriff Billy Woods “Only one week after her murder and on the way home from the funeral service, Marsy’s family stopped at a market to pick up a loaf of bread. It was there, in the checkout line, that Marsy’s mother, Marcella, was confronted by her daughter’s murderer. Having received no notification from the judicial system, the family had no idea he had been released on bail mere days after Marsy’s murder,” the website states.

The goal of Marsy’s law is twofold - to keep the victims informed of the progress on the cases against their assailants and to protect the victim’s personal identities.

Marissa D. Crill, Assistant General Counsel for the MCSO, explained why the agency’s deputies qualified for this protection: “Having been threatened with deadly force, the deputies in this case were the victims of a crime (attempted murder/aggravated assault) and therefore entitled to the protection that Marsy’s Law affords.”

Crill pointed to the First District Court of Appeal case Fla. Police Benevolent Ass‘n, Inc. v. City of Tallahassee, which is currently being challenged before the Florida Supreme Court. Crill wrote by email that the case “held that police officers who had to respond with deadly force after being faced with the imminent threat of harm were

‘victims’ under Marsy’s Law.” The Florida Association of Sheriffs issued a legal memo on the case cited by Crill, which concluded that, “The court did not address the issue of whether a victim, including an officer, must invoke the protections of Marsy’s law or if the protections should be extended without any request from the victim for identifying information to be withheld. Because this issue has not been settled, sheriffs may reasonably construe Marsy’s law in either manner. In other words, a sheriff ’s office may require a victim, including an officer, to make such a request, or the sheriff ’s office may redact or withhold identifying information without any action taken by the victim to secure Marsy’s Law protections.”

According to a poll earlier this year of Florida sheriff ’s offices by the First Amendment Foundation, there are differing opinions amongst sheriffs on how this law should be applied to law enforcement.

The foundation reported that some sheriff ’s offices felt the law should only be applicable when a member of law enforcement was a victim of a crime outside the line of duty since officers accept certain risks in their professions.

Others stated it was their practice to release deputies‘ names unless there was some other reason to keep it protected - such as for a deputy working undercover.

On Nov. 18, the Supreme Court approved amendments to procedural rules related to Marsy’s Law that were submitted by committees organized to explore the matter by the Florida Bar. Amongst other things, the procedural rule update included the definitions of who is a victim.

“A ‘victim’ is a person who suffers direct or threatened physical, psychological, or financial harm as a result of the commission or attempted commission of a crime or delinquent act or against whom the crime or delinquent act is committed. The term ‘victim’ includes the victim’s lawful representative, the parent or guardian of a minor victim, or the next of kin of a homicide victim, except upon a showing that the interest of such individual would be in actual or potential conflict with the interests of the victim. The term ‘victim’ does not include the accused.”

A Florida Bar news report dated Nov. 22 on the rule amendment indicated that the committees struggled to draft some of the rule language because of issues that needed to be resolved by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, “the committee recommended a system where the police agencies and state attorney offices that file charges would indicate on the initial filing documents whether Marsy’s Law protections apply.”

The report stated that “Chief Justice Charles Canady wrote a partial concurring and partial dissenting opinion that addressed that issue and said he would add language to the definition of ‘confidential crime information’ in the

new rule.”

The report further quoted Canady as saying that the Marsy’s Law amendment creates, “The right to prevent the disclosure of information or records that could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim’s family, or which could disclose confidential or privileged information of the victim. By establishing a ‘right to prevent’ disclosure, the constitutional provision indicates that action must be taken by the victim to assert the right.

At the end of the definition of ‘confidential crime victim information,’ I therefore would add the following phrase: ‘If the victim has asserted the right to prevent disclosure of such information.’”

Crill did not identify who the deputies feared harassment from, only that they were entitled to Marsy‘s law protection, which prevented the department from releasing their names.

Nine days after the incident, the exact location of the incident in Fort McCoy was released as were as the names of the decedents - James Levitz and Micah Brillhart.

Crill wrote by email, “I reached out to FDLE yesterday to iron out whether the deceased were protected under Marsy’s Law, and only then did we learn that they were not. Accordingly, we are releasing the names of the deceased. I apologize for the delay on it, but we at least had to do our due diligence to ensure that we complied with Marsy’s Law.” Without the names of the deputies involved in the shooting, the Gazette is unable to make a public records request for employment files reflecting their background and/or any prior relevant work and training history.

Dana Kelly, a spokesperson for FDLE says that MCSO is not required to report all their officer shootings to FDLE, rather MCSO “may opt to request FDLE to investigate their officer use of force (including officer involved shootings) incidents.”

“When local law enforcement agencies request that FDLE investigate an incident of their officer’s use of force, we conduct an extensive investigation that includes interviewing witnesses and officers, establishing a timeline and collecting and analyzing the evidence. Once complete, we send our investigative findings to the State Attorney’s Office, and that office determines whether or not to file criminal charges. Because each case is unique, there is no standard time estimate for how long each investigation will last.,” said Kelly.

Kelly also confirmed that this case is their only active officer use of force open with the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office.

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Villages to receive new Marion COVID numbers see slight increase, HCA Healthcare facility

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com The Villages is one of three Florida cities that will receive a new acute care hospital being built by HCA Healthcare.

Gainesville and Fort Myers are also slated to receive new hospital facilities.

The facility set to be built in the Villages will include 60-beds to provide acute care to the area’s residents.

Gainesville’s planned hospital will house 90 beds, while the Fort Myers hospital will handle 100 beds.

“Florida continues to experience rapid growth,” FCA Healthcare CEO Sam

Hazen said. “We are excited to expand our presence in Florida and enhance our ability to care for patients.”

The new hospitals are a continuation of HCA’s recent plan to invest approximately $3 billion over a three-year span. Included in the plan is the $360 million HCA Florida University Hospital, which opened earlier this month, as well as renovations and expansions to existing facilities.

Ocala Regional Medical Center and West Marion Community Hospital are existing HCA hospitals.

For more information, visit www.

HCAFloridaFamily.com.

OPD’s “E-Commerce Exchange Zone”

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com Anyone who has tried to sell something online, and experienced the alarming quantity of questionable inquiries, knows the uneasy feeling of such transactions.

While most e-commerce transactions completed between two otherwise associated parties on the internet go off without incident, some, unfortunately, result in crimes.

The Ocala Police Department’s (OPD) “E-Commerce Exchange Zone” is an example of one such step that many communities across the country are taking to help make the exchanging of products that are initially bought online safer to conduct for both the buyer and the seller.

“Unfortunately, there are criminals online looking to steal or take advantage of other people,” said Mike Balkan, chief of police for the OPD. “Our goal with this initiative was to help protect our citizens by providing a safe place to exchange money for items.”

Officially started in September of 2015, the exchange zone is a 24-hour surveillance area located in the parking lot directly in front of the department’s headquarters at 402 S. Pine Ave. Balkan said he hopes that a centrally located exchange zone placed near a police department may help deter many crimes from occurring.

For more information on the OPD’s “E-Commerce Exchange Zone,” please call (352) 369-7000.

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Omicron appears

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com Marion County Update COVID numbers in Marion County rose slightly last week as the county registered 145 new cases according to figures released by the Florida Department of Health Tuesday evening. The county reported 129 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 2.6% to 2.9%, and the cases per 100,000 went from 34.6 to 38.9 as well.

County hospitalization numbers were unavailable as data from the Health and Human Services has not been updated since Nov. 20.

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.

State Update While cases rose in Marion County, they dropped across the state as a whole, with the State of Florida recording 9,663 new cases of COVID-19 during the week of Nov. 19 to Nov. 25. Florida has now seen a drop in cases in nine of the last ten weeks.

Statewide, vaccines numbers continue to rise in children ages 5-11, as the state reported 137,250 doses of the vaccine were administered last week compared to the 103,522 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 8% of them are now vaccinated against COVID-19.

The state’s overall vaccination rates, however, dropped last to their lowest

Omicron The omicron variant was discovered over the Thanksgiving holiday, prompting the World Health Organization to label it a “variant of concern.” More than 40 countries have banned travel to South Africa since Omicron was first detected.

Despite the ban, the new variant has been detected in 16 countries. At this point, the United States is not one of them; although Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested over the weekend there is a good chance that the variant is already present in the U.S. Virologists are unsure how the new variant will interact with the vaccine, and what, if any, coverage the vaccines will offer.

MCPS Update Marion County Public Schools COVID numbers have not yet been updated to include the most recent week, the week of Nov. 20 – 26. As a result, the latest numbers posted cover the week of Nov. 13 – Nov. 19.

During that span, MCPS reported 15 total new cases as 13 students and two employees were confirmed COVID-19 positive by the Florida Department of Health in Marion County.

While cases held steady from previous reports, students and MCPS employees in quarantine dropped drastically, with MCPS reporting 67 students and no employees were quarantined due to direct contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19, down from the 195 reported three weeks ago.

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A6

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Mayor offends attendees of holiday celebration on town square Continued from page A1 people were present during Sunday’s lighting ceremony, adding that Mayor Guinn made these comments when he was addressing the crowd from the gazebo in the square.

“Everybody heard it. It was obviously said to the crowd,” added Scheraga. “I got so infuriated after the mayor made those comments that I got up and walked away.

“It was supposed to be a celebration for the holidays, of Jewish freedom,” she added. “[The mayor’s comments] were BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette totally inappropriate. It’s not like Mayor Kent Guinn speaks during an Ocala City Council meeting at Ocala City Hall on Aug, 18, it was before the election. This 2020 in this file photo. is after—it’s over. It’s done. She’s defeated. Why do you have to Not that it made any difference,” bring up Hamas?” adding “The mayor said Manal Other speakers during the Fakhoury is a front for a terrorist ceremony’s program included organization—someone who has Rabbi Yossi Hecht, co-director done so much for this city.” of the Chabad Lubavitch Jewish According to Jill, the Center of Florida, and Senator mayor left the event soon after Dennis Baxley, who represents delivering his prepared remarks.

District 12.

“It was about lighting the Preceding Guinn’s prepared menorah candles, and showing remarks, Hecht support for the made a disparaging Jewish people and a comment about Jewish holiday. But Fakhoury as well, using that platform according to several ALAN YOUNGBLOOD/Special to the Ocala Gazette to say anything citizens present at Manal Fakhoury, left, and husband Riadh political is wholly Fakhoury listens as her loss in the mayor race the ceremony. inappropriate, let was announced.

“He said alone demonizing something [to the Manal Fakhoury, who expressed strongly that his mayor] in regards to who is an excellent opinions are his alone and do not him being elected. citizen of our city,” represent those of The Jewish He said he was she said.

Club or Beth Shalom. “You elected because Rick Carel Her husband, would have thought that he had his opponent Event attendee Rick, who is defeated Hamas in the election [Fakhoury] didn’t president of The and not someone who has been like Israel,” said Jewish Club of On involved in making Ocala a better Scheraga.

Top of the World, as place to live.”

Jill and Rick Carel were also well as a member of Temple Beth “I thought he was more of a present at the event and heard Shalom, said he was shocked at southern gentleman than that,” both comments made by Hecht what the mayor said.

Rick added. “Hanukkah is about and Guinn.

“I heard him express disgust, the forces of good overcoming “It was horrible,” said Jill. disdain for the unproven the forces of evil. It means to “My husband and I were both and unfounded accusations dedicate yourself to your beliefs. horrified at what was said by that [Fakhoury] is a regular But if your beliefs are hate, what both the rabbi and the mayor. supporter of Hamas,” said Rick, beliefs are they? [His remarks] We actually shouted out, ‘Boo.’

“I thought he was more of a southern gentleman than that...”

had it all twisted around.

“This is a country of freedom of religion, and freedom from religion. You’re free to practice whatever you want or nothing at all,” Rick concluded.

Bonnie Schirmers, who lives in On Top of the World, said the mayor’s comments spoiled the whole event for her.

“Mayor Guinn couldn’t even comment on how lovely an evening it was or how he supported and appreciated the group and so on,” Schirmers said.

“He steered off into…it’s like he took a page from [Donald] Trump’s book. He started disparaging his opponent, even though the election ended in September.”

She added, “He won the election. It’s over—let it go. I didn’t feel it was necessary for him to make what I thought was an overtly political statement— an unsubstantiated statement.

Such bad taste. It was totally out of place.

“If that’s the kind of event that downtown Ocala wants to put on, on what should be a holiday celebration, then no—I won’t go again. I think he needs to apologize to his opponent.”

When reached for comment to ask how Fakhoury came up at the menorah lighting ceremony on Sunday, Mayor Guinn said via phone call, “We’re done.

Goodbye,” and hung up. Guinn reached out to the Gazette on Dec. 1 to say that he apologized personally to two individuals quoted in this story but said he stood by his remarks made on Sunday.

Fakhoury said via phone call that “Many of us have seen this side of [Guinn]. We’ve seen and heard it. It’s just another tactic used to create division in this community.

“And that’s precisely why we need new leadership,” she added.

Statement from Rabbi Yossi Hecht: On Sunday November 28, 2021 we celebrated Chanukah with the Ocala community in the Ocala City Square.

Each year we hold a Chanukah gathering in the square and light the giant 12 foot Menorah. The Menorah is a Jewish symbol of light and freedom for all people .

We are grateful for city and county public officials who participate each year and share messages of hope and freedom. We appreciate Mayor Kent Guinn who has participated every year since 2009. This year he reiterated how important the Menorah is to him as his father in law was a Holocaust survivor and understood the importance of freedom.

His talk also included a message which was perceived by some as political rhetoric. Yet the Menorah lighting is not a political event but one that unites our community.

Again, we thank Mr. Guinn for participating this year as every year.

The eight day Chanukah holiday continues until December 6th. We hope and pray that this Chanukah will bring even more light and hope to our community.

Kingdom of the Sun, a community of musicians host Christmas concert

By Rosemarie Dowell Correspondent

W

hen bassoonist Libby Morgan moved to Ocala in 1990, it didn’t take her long to find fellow musicians who soon mentioned a fledgling community band.

“I was told a new band was forming and there had only been one or two rehearsals,” said Morgan, 61, whose father was her high school band director at Blackford High School in Indiana. “I hadn’t missed out on much.”

The former Houston resident quickly sought out the group and soon became one of around 35 charter members of the Mid-Florida Symphonic Band, which changed its name to the Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band the following year.

Now, 31 years later, the 90-plus-member community band is gearing up for its muchanticipated annual holiday concert. The all-volunteer group, under the direction of Les Muncaster, does five concerts each year, with performances on both Saturday and Sunday.

The band also performs at events and festivals throughout the year.

Kingdom of the Sun’s holiday concert, “A Christmas Prelude,” will take place at 2 p.m.

Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 4-5) at Marion Technical Institute, 1614 Fort King St., Ocala.

“I love all the concerts we perform, but the Christmas concert is special because it kicks off the holiday season,” said Morgan. “It’s always so much fun.”

Some of the musical selections featured will include, "Prelude on Adeste Fideles,”, "The Christmas Song,”, "Carol of The Bells,”, songs from “Babes in Toyland,”, “Minor Alterations,” and “A Home Alone Christmas.”

“I’ve changed it up a little bit this year,” said Muncaster, 84, who’s been at the helm of the non-profit band for 23 years, serving as conductor and music director. “I hope people leave the concert with an upbeat feeling and singing songs.”

The free concert will comprise some audience participation too, he said.

“We always like to do some toe-tapping sing-a-longs and get people in a merry mood,” said Muncaster, who served in the U.S. Air Force Band for 27 years, including 15 years

touring Europe, performing at embassies and beer and wine festivals.

Muncaster’s wife, Marcia, a vocalist who also served in the Air Force Band, is a member of Kingdom of the Sun as well. The couple has lived in Ocala for 29 years, moving from Biloxi, Mississippi.

“She sings the National Anthem to start each concert and usually performs a song or two,” he said.

The band members are a diverse group, ranging in age from just 13 up to 94-yearsold. A handful are retired music educators (Morgan’s father, who wintered in Ocala, was a member for nearly 17 years before he passed away, and her oldest son, Kyle, now a UCF student, also performed with the band), while others are former professional musicians.

“We have three middle school and three high school students,” said Muncaster. “The 13-yearold plays alto-sax, while the 94-year-old plays trombone.”

Navigating through the early 2020 COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent pandemic was difficult for the group. Rehearsals and concerts were put on hold for months.

“We were finally allowed back into the school to rehearse in October 2020,” said Muncaster, a native of Detroit. “It felt great to be together again and play music.”

However, indoor concerts were still a no-go, so the group held its concerts outdoors at the Ocala-Marion County Veteran’s Memorial Park.

“We started rehearsing in October and had concerts at the park in November, December, and in the spring this year as well,” he said. In July, Kingdom of the Sun was finally able to have performances at Marion Technical again. Concert-goers were encouraged to wear masks and maintain social distancing.

“It was wonderful; the audience was thrilled to have us back inside,” said Muncaster, who has a blended family of five adult children and a handful of grandchildren with Marcia.

While Morgan said she’s looking forward to this weekend’s holiday concert, there is a portion of the performance that she’s anticipating the most.

“We always do a salute to veterans at every concert and it always gives me chills to look out and see them stand up in the audience,” she said.

A7

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

MARION COUNTY

Plans workshop to discuss waste options

The landfill, which is 260 feet tall, is shown at the Marion County Landfill and Transfer Station on Southeast Baseline Road in Ocala.

Photos by BRUCE AKERMAN Ocala Gazette

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

W

ith Marion County experiencing growth, especially in its southwest portion, several considerations must be taken into account as businesses, homes, and roads expand.

One such consideration is solid waste as a growing population means a growing amount of waste. Marion County is in the process of scheduling a workshop where future plans and options regarding waste storage and removal will be presented and discussions will be held on their viability.

Communities have multiple options when it comes to waste disposal and storage. Two main options include storing waste in local landfills or transferring it to out-ofarea landfills located nearby.

Marion County’s only public landfill is almost full, said Jody Kirkman, Director of Environmental Services for Marion County, and is in

In this file photo, Waste Pro worker dumps a load of garbage in the transfer station at the Marion County Landfill and Transfer Station on Southeast Baseline Road in Ocala,

the design and permitting processes of closing.

“We have just about reached the capacity of the existing Baseline [Landfill] facility, and so we went into what’s called a transfer operation.

Basically, that‘s just bringing the product to the landfill, and then, we haul it to the Heart of Florida Landfill,” Kirkman said.

According to Heart of Florida Environmental’s website, Heart of Florida Landfill (HOF) opened in 2013.

“The 750-acre tract was fully permitted for use as a Class I landfill by [the] city of Bushnell in January 2011. HOF Landfill will meet the solid waste disposal needs for Sumter County and the surrounding areas for many years.”

“That‘s usually how it works,” Kirkman pointed out.

“You find a facility, you kind of make an arrangement with them and say, ‘Okay, we‘re going to have this much early on the county.’ This is way before my time, but they [the county] made an early investment in that facility and purchased airspace.

It actually helped them get off the ground to develop that landfill. So, we actually came in early at a good

rate.”

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) and HOF have an agreement on how much airspace the county has reserved, and Kirkman updated the MCBOCC at their Nov. 2 regular meeting on the remaining airspace and how much longer the county can plan to access it.

During his presentation, Kirkman relayed that based on a 2.5% growth rate between now and then, the county will run out of airspace at HOF in 2034, or 2037, depending on if certain types of waste are added or removed from the totals.

Once the airspace is gone, more will need to be found somewhere, said Kirkman.

“Bottom line is just gaining airspace and just finding it, whether it be internal within Marion County, which would mean creating a new landfill, or seeking it outside of Marion.”

Some of the needed airspace may already be in the county. Kirkman referenced a facility just down from Baseline as a possibility.

“It‘s a Waste Management facility, hasn‘t been in service for years. But they still have capacity. So we‘ve been in discussions with them. And we‘ve told the board that and it‘s one of the options.”

Reserving outside airspace sooner rather than later is sometimes preferred, as cost becomes a factor.

“If I‘m purchasing airspace, of course, the earlier I purchase it, the better price I‘m going to get because of inflation. So, it makes sense to start getting those things lined up,” Kirkman noted.

Constructing another landfill, as Kirkman mentioned, is an option, too. But it’s not an option that is available overnight.

“If the board so chose to build a landfill, you’ve got to purchase the land before you can do the design, do the construction. It‘s like anything, it‘s a seven-year process to get to where you got to be and I’ve got 14 years, well, okay, in seven we better have a decision.”

While 2034 might seem a ways off, Kirkman said discussions are necessary, and the workshop will provide a forum for them.

“That‘s where we‘re heading with this next workshop is at least to set the stage to have those conversations.

Yes, it’s 14 years, but let‘s start getting where we need to get to.”

In addition to operating the landfill, the county also operates 18 transfer or recycling stations, which are smaller satellite facilities around the county where residents can bring general solid waste and some special forms of waste such as recycling, batteries, furniture, etc.

Kirkman said that while they haven’t had any discussions about

adding additional transfer stations, there are ways the county can work to offer services to its residents.

“We haven‘t really considered [adding a transfer station in SW Marion County] yet, even in our current master planning, which we try to do on a five-year basis. So, that could change, but it‘s not in the current five-year outlook. What we are doing is exploring more universal pickup or curbside service.

A lot of the franchise haulers in the area actually offer those services to anybody who wants them. The county is at least exploring ways to make it more of a county function. We have a population density where it makes sense, and so, we‘re definitely going to explore it because by doing that, it relieves not having to have a recycling center in those areas that have universal service.”

There are also ways, Kirkman detailed, for the existing facilities to accommodate more customers should they need to.

“The current sites we have, we continually monitor them, we try to make improvements. If we know capacity is an issue, we‘re going to be looking at bringing larger units.

Instead of 40-yard units, we‘re bringing 60s. Instead of three units, we go to four, five, or whatever the case may be.”

One additional option is for Marion County to explore waste energy. Kirkman plans to approach the topic during the upcoming workshop.

“One of the things that will be discussed at the workshop is waste energy. Waste energy is burning garbage and creating power.”

That option has its own set of considerations, said Kirkman, but it also may be the future of waste disposal.

“We‘re going to talk about it…a lot of the larger communities, the Hillsborough counties, Pinellas, they‘re doing things like that. Pretty sure South Florida is doing it to a degree, too. But that‘ll be one of the things we talk about, along with new landfills and all the other options that may be out there.”

While waste energy may be the future, it’s also the present. As Kirkman noted, Marion County is already generating some power from waste.

“The Baseline facility today actually captures the methane that‘s created from the process of decaying garbage. And we produce electricity today. I think we‘re producing just about two or maybe under two and a half kilowatts per day.”

Kirkman said he’s hopeful the workshop will be held in January.

The transfer station is shown at the Marion County Landfill and Transfer Station on Southeast Baseline Road in Ocala.

A8

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

A9

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State DeSantis pitches increase in law enforcement pay

By Jim Turner Florida News Service

P

romoting Florida as “greener pastures” for law-enforcement officers, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday teased a plan for salary increases and bonuses as part of his upcoming budget proposal.

DeSantis said the budget he will propose next week for the 2022 legislative session will include $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.

The proposal also will include a second round of $1,000 bonuses for first responders as a show of appreciation for work during the COVID-19 pandemic “Last summer, we made clear we had their (law enforcement officers’) back. We wanted to make sure our communities were kept safe,” DeSantis said while flanked by officers and motorcycles inside the Florida Highway Patrol Troop D building in Orlando. “And we wanted to show our appreciation that as other jurisdictions were defunding law enforcement, or taking money away, that we would fund and then some.”

DeSantis’ budget proposal will serve as a starting point for lawmakers, who will negotiate a final spending plan for the fiscal

year that will start July. DeSantis also has rolled out portions of his environmental and education budget proposals. The legislative session will start Jan. 11.

DeSantis on Monday reiterated his intention to secure $5,000 bonuses to help recruit law-enforcement officers to Florida, along with scholarship aid for students in lawenforcement academies and free certification exams.

“We feel that we have an opportunity strategically, to get an advantage and to recruit, not just great people in our state to go into it, which we‘ll do, but also some of the best throughout the country, who are looking for greener pastures,” DeSantis said.

The current average pay for a state trooper is about $45,000, while the average pay for troopers in all states is about $53,000.

In October, the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles made a $24.4 million funding request to the Legislature to boost pay for troopers to become more competitive with local lawenforcement agencies across the state.

“One thing that we continually hear about (from individual troopers) is, ‘Where are we going to be in 10 years, 15 years.’”

Pace Callaway, a research economist with the department, told members of the Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee on Oct. 15. “And that‘s something

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that we can’t offer that most local (police departments) and sheriffs can.”

Callaway said the number of trooper vacancies had grown from 198 in August to 238, “and most of the time it‘s due to a lack of pay.”

Other parts of DeSantis’ funding proposal Monday included $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.

The funding request will also include $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.

DeSantis said the Department of Corrections request “builds off ” a plan approved this month by the Joint Legislative Budget Commission to give correctional officers base-pay increases of at least $5,000 and newly hired officers one-time bonuses of $3,000.

The legislative plan, aimed at mitigating chronic staffing shortages at the Department of Corrections, called for base pay for correctional officers to be $38,750, up from $33,500. It called for base pay to go from $36,850 to $42,100 for sergeants; from $40,535 to $45,535 for lieutenants; and from $44,589 to

$49,589 for captains.

The plan is funded from $67.8 million in savings derived by closing New River Correctional Facility in Bradford County, closing 73 dorms at facilities scattered throughout Florida and placing “in reserve” 1,290 permanent positions at the Department of Corrections.

Veteran correctional officers who earn more than base pay will receive annual salary increases of $1,500.

The plan also gave the corrections department the authority to hand out one-time bonuses of $3,000 for new hires, $1,500 for correctional officers and $3,000 for probation officers.

A10

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service A lawsuit about whether a transgender male student should have been allowed to use boys’ bathrooms at a Northeast Florida high school has become a battleground for states across the country.

In two briefs filed at a federal appeals court, 40 states and the District of Columbia have chosen sides in the case stemming from a St. Johns County School Board policy that prevented Drew Adams from using boys’ bathrooms at Nease High School.

The latest salvo came Friday, when 22 states and the District of Columbia filed a brief at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that sided with Adams and said the school-board policy violates constitutional equal-protection rights and Title IX, a federal law that bars sex-based discrimination.

“The board’s policy needlessly denies Adams something most people take for granted: the ability to use a public restroom consistent with one’s lived experience of one’s own gender,” the brief said. “The policy singles out transgender students like Adams and forces them either to forgo restroom use or to choose between two other detrimental options: using common restrooms corresponding to their sex assigned at birth or using special single-user restroom s (i.e., those with no specific gender designation).”

Signing on to the brief were the attorneys general in New York, Washington, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Friday’s filing came a month after attorneys general in 18 other

STATES CLASH in Florida transgender student case states filed a brief that backed the St. Johns County policy and disputed it violated federal law.

That brief also pointed to broader implications of the dispute.

“The restroom issue that is presented in this case and similar issues that will inevitably follow involving locker rooms, athletic teams and pronouns involve sensitive policy considerations and myriad competing interests,” the Oct. 26 brief said. “Allowing a transgender student to use the locker room that corresponds to the student’s gender identity has repercussions for other students who may lose the ability to change clothing in private, without being exposed to members of the opposite sex. Likewise, allowing a transgender student to compete on an athletic team consistent with the student’s gender identity has repercussions for other students who may lose competitive opportunities or be subjected to an increased risk of injury. And allowing a transgender

student to dictate what pronouns other students and school employees must use has significant repercussions for the First Amendment rights of those other students and employees.”

Signing on to the brief were attorneys general in Tennessee, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia.

Adams was born a biological female but in eighth grade told his parents he was a transgender male, according to court documents.

The lawsuit, which Adams and his mother filed in 2017, stemmed from Nease High School requiring Adams to use a gender-neutral, single-stall bathroom or girls’ bathrooms. Adams graduated from the school as the lawsuit continued.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan, who is based in Jacksonville, ruled in favor of Adams in 2018, prompting the

school board to take the case to the Atlanta-based appeals court.

A panel of the court ruled in favor of Adams in July, but the full court subsequently vacated the ruling and said it would hear the case --- a move known as holding an “en banc’ hearing. Arguments are expected to be held the week of Feb. 21 in Atlanta.

In addition to the filings by the states, the case has drawn friendof-the-court briefs from numerous organizations across the country --- an indication of the high profile and controversy surrounding transgender-rights issues In the brief filed Friday, the states supporting Adams said they “share a strong interest in seeing that federal law is properly applied to protect transgender people from discrimination.”

“The unwritten policy of the school board of St. Johns County, Florida barring Adams from using the boys’ bathroom violates federal statutory and constitutional protections that prohibit such

invidious discrimination,” the brief said. “The policy violates Title IX by denying transgender boys and girls access to the same common restrooms that other boys and girls may use. Further, because the policy fails to advance any legitimate interest such as protecting public safety or personal privacy, its only function is to stigmatize a particular group, which violates equal protection.”

But the brief filed last month supporting the St. Johns County board said the “age-old practice of assigning students to restrooms based on biological sex does not violate the Equal Protection Clause or Title IX.” “Because Congress has not prohibited educational institutions from assigning students to restrooms based on biological sex, this court should leave to Congress and the political process any decision to make a different policy choice,” the brief said.

Lawmakers could shield churches from health shutdowns

By Jim Turner Florida News Service Churches and other religious institutions couldn’t be stopped from packing the pews during future health crises under a measure that started moving forward Tuesday in the Florida Senate.

The Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee backed a measure (SB 254) intended to shield religious services from being shut down because of state emergency orders. The proposal came after high-profile disputes in various parts of the country about shuttering churches during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bill sponsor Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, said the proposal wouldn’t preclude religious leaders from acting on their own to conduct services virtually during a crisis, but he thinks more people want the inperson experience.

“If you think about the act of going to a house of worship, for most, it functions very much like a restaurant,” Brodeur said. “If you wear a mask on the way in, once you're seated, that's kind of where you're sitting. And so, for folks, during

a pandemic, a place of worship may be the most essential service that they can have, more so than a grocery store or movie theater or restaurant.”

Brodeur’s proposal would prohibit emergency orders restricting religious institutions from holding services or activities. However, an emergency order could prohibit such religious activities if the order includes a general provision applying to all entities in an area and is considered to fulfill a compelling governmental interest.

In backing the proposal, Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville, sought assurances that church leaders would still get to determine how to operate.

"I miss my church. We're still doing virtual,” Gibson said. “And I see some of our congregation in the stores and things like that, and we all miss each other. For some of our seniors, this is their social time.

But, certainly, the power of determining what's best for that church rests within those who are head of the church."

Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, said the state shouldn’t allow local governments to close houses of worship during crises.

“During the pandemic I saw

many of our parishioners in Publix, and I said, ‘You know, if we can go to Publix, if it's safe enough to go to Publix, why can't we go to church?’” Harrell said.

Among the more than 50 supplemental COVID-19related executive orders issued

by Gov. Ron DeSantis after declaring a state of emergency on March 9, 2020, one provided that certain essential businesses and establishments could operate at reduced capacities, including churches, synagogues and other houses of worship.

The exemption came shortly after the pastor of a Tampa megachurch was arrested for holding two in-person church services in violation of a Hillsborough County ordinance prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people. The charges were eventually dropped.

A Senate staff analysis noted that by May 2020, when thenPresident Donald Trump called for the reopening of religious institutions, more than 90 percent of houses of worship were estimated to have been closed to in-person worship.

By April 2021, the U.S. Supreme

Court had at least five times rejected California’s COVID-19 restrictions on religious exercises, the staff report said.

Brodeur’s proposal would need to clear the Senate Rules Committee before it could go to the full Senate during the 2022 legislative session, which will start Jan. 11.

An identical proposal in the House (HB 215) by Rep. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, has not gone before committees.

“I miss my church. We‘re still doing virtual, ... And I see some of our congregation in the stores and things like that, and we all miss each other.”

Sen. Audrey Gibson D-Jacksonville

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

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 JOBS PROPOSED TO MEET BRIGHT FUTURES REQUIREMENTS

REGULATORS URGED TO BACK NEW AREA CODE

By Florida News Service State regulators should sign off on creating an additional area code in Palm Beach County, as the 561 area code is in danger of running out of numbers, according to a recommendation by staff members of the Florida Public Service Commission.

The North American Numbering Plan Administrator, an agency that oversees area codes, filed a proposal with the commission in October to approve what is known as an “overlay,” which means a new area code would cover the same territory as the 561 area code.

New phone customers would receive the new area code, while existing customers would continue to use the 561 area code. With the commission slated to take up the issue Dec. 7, its staff last week recommended PALM BEACH COUNTY approval of the new area code.

The proposal came after the West commission Palm Beach during the past three years has approved new Boca Raton area codes for Central Florida, Northwest Florida and the Tampa Bay region amid GAZETTE STAFF concerns about long-established area codes running out of numbers.

The state’s telecommunications industry has undergone massive changes during the past two decades as residents have unplugged traditional phone lines and moved heavily to cell phones and technology such as internet-based calling.

By Florida News Service

FPO THE FLORIDA HOUSE REDISTRICTING COMMITTE

POLITICAL MAPS RELEASED BY FLORIDA HOUSE COULD HELP GOP

By The Associated Press

T

he Florida House released its proposed congressional maps on Monday, which appear to give Republicans more of an advantage than the Senate-proposed maps released earlier this month.

Of particular significance, the maps would make Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy‘s central Florida district more difficult to win. The House‘s two proposals carve up several central Florida districts in order to add a new 28th congressional district.

Florida’s population growth of 2.7 million new residents between 2010 and 2020 led to the new seat in the once-every-decade redistricting process.

The process of redrawing the new political maps is far from over. They need to go through the committee process, and the House and Senate must come to an agreement on the new lines. The first drafts were created by staff. Lawmakers can also suggest changes.

House members were advised not to talk with anyone who has a vested interest in how the maps are drawn.

The state constitution requires contiguous districts that aren’t drawn to favor or harm a political party or incumbent. The last time the state redrew political lines, the initially approved maps were declared unconstitutional and it took a threeyear legal battle before the Supreme Court finally approved them.

Two Republican lawmakers have filed proposals that would allow highschool students to meet part of Bright Futures scholarship requirements through paid work instead of volunteer service. Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, filed his Sen. Hutson, R version of the proposal (SB 1060) on Monday.

Rep. Lauren Melo, R-Naples, filed a similar bill (HB 461) this month in the House. The bills are filed for consideration during the 2022 legislative session, which will start Jan. 11. Currently, students seeking Bright Futures scholarships must complete volunteer Rep. Melo, R service, along with meeting academic requirements.

The bills would allow the use of paid work as an alternative to volunteer service.

WILDLIFEFOREVER.ORG

This drawing of a Brook Trout by Caitlyn King earned her Florida‘s 2021 first place winner in the 4th-6th grade category.

FWC TO ONCE AGAIN HOST FLORIDA STATE-FISH ART CONTEST

LAWMAKERS SEEK VEHICLE CHARGING PLAN

By Florida News Service Two state lawmakers have proposed requiring the Florida Public Service Commission to come up with rules for a plan about electric-vehicle charging stations. Rep. David Borrero, R-Sweetwater, filed a bill (HB 737) on Wednesday that was identical to a measure (SB 920) proposed last week

by Sen. Keith Perry, Rep. Borrero, R R-Gainesville. The bills call, in part, for a plan that “facilitates the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in a competitively neutral manner and that includes reasonable and affordable electric rates for investor-owned electric utilities that offer electric vehicle charging to the public.” As the use of electric vehicles Sen. Perry, R grows, the Public Service Commission has weighed issues involving charging stations. As an example, the commission last December approved a Florida Power & Light pilot program aimed at adding charging stations. The bills are filed for consideration during the 2022 legislative session, which will start in January.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Teacher Tonya Holland walks her son, Miles, 9, a fourth grade student, to school on the first of school at Eighth Street Elementary School in Ocala, on Monday, August 24, 2020

PARENTS , STATE SAY MASK CASE IS MOOT

By Florida News Service

A

group of parents and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration Monday asked an appeals court to dismiss a legal fight about a DeSantis executive order aimed at preventing school mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a joint motion, attorneys for the parents and the DeSantis administration said the case was moot because of a law passed during a special session this month.

The parents from various parts of the state filed the lawsuit Aug. 6, about a week after DeSantis issued the executive order. Following the executive order, the Florida Department of Health issued rules designed to carry out the executive order.

Leon County Circuit Judge John

Cooper sided with the parents, finding that DeSantis overstepped his legal authority in the executive order. The DeSantis administration appealed Cooper’s ruling to the 1st District Court of Appeal.

While the case remained pending, lawmakers met in a special session and passed a measure that barred school districts from requiring students to wear masks.

In the motion for dismissal Monday, attorneys for the two sides said the law “recently enacted by the Florida Legislature and signed by the Governor has superseded the executive order and the Department of Health rule that were at issue in this appeal.”

They also requested that the Tallahassee-based appeals court vacate Cooper’s ruling as part of the dismissal.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced on Nov. 4 that it would once again host the Florida State Fish Art Contest in 2022.

In partnership with Wildlife Forever, the FWC will select in four grade categories: kindergarten through third grade, fourth through sixth grade, seventh through ninth grade and tenth through twelfth grade.

“We are committed to increasing youth participation in freshwater and saltwater fishing through this effort,” said Eric Sutton, executive director of the FWC. “The State Fish Art program is a unique and creative way to connect to youth anglers and the FWC is proud to be sponsoring the initiative for Florida.”

Contestants in the free competition are contending for a chance to win state and national honors, as well as other prizes.

To enter, students from Florida should submit their entry consisting of the following: ■ An original horizontal 9”x12” piece of artwork featuring any fish from the Official Fish List.

■ A piece of creative writing, no longer than one page, about the chosen species (required for grades 4-12).

■ A Florida State-Fish Art Contest entry form.

Students from Florida can find submission details at www.wildlifeforever. org/home/state-fish-art/. The deadline to enter is March 31, 2022.

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

People, Places & Things North Marion’s

Harward SHINES ON AND OFF THE FOOTBALL FIELD

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

W

hen the name of Tommy Harward comes up in conversation with North Marion’s head football coach Greg Carr, his face lights up with pride.

“Tommy is a kid who is willing to do whatever it takes,” Carr said. “Whether it’s in the weight room, the classroom, or on the practice field, Tommy is one of the hardest working kids I’ve ever coached.”

Harwood was one of the stalwarts of the North Marion defense in 2021.

A linebacker, Harward was a tackling machine for the Colts. He averaged 9.7 tackles per game, recorded 5.5 sacks and tallied two interceptions.

Carr shared his thoughts on Harwood’s best games of the 2021 season.

“The Eastside game was a good one for him,” Carr said. “He played really well against Clay, too.”

Harward looks back fondly on practices with his teammates and coaches. Those practices helped to make him a better player and teammate.

“I wanted to improve, get better,” he said.

“Our coaches really helped me to do that.”

In addition to a stellar high school football career, Harward shines in the classroom as well. He currently carries a 4.0 grade point average.

When asked about his future after football, Harward plans to pursue a degree and career in physical therapy.

“I’d like to work in the physical therapy field after my football playing days are over,” he added.

This is an exciting time for Harward, who is entertaining offers from multiple college football programs. He currently holds offers from Methodist College, Ripon College, and Warner University. Warner, located in Lake Wales, is within driving distance of Citra.

“I’d like to stay close to home, if

possible,” he said. “But I want to play college football at the highest level I possibly can, so I am still accepting offers.”

Harward gives credit to Coach Carr for the person he is today.

“Coach Carr was always there for me,” Harward said. “I could call or text him, and he was always there for me. I’m thankful for that.”

There is a lot of gratitude for his parents as well.

“My mom and dad are so supportive,” Harward said. “If I ever got down on myself, my dad would talk me up. He told me to have heart and the will to succeed.”

No matter which college program he chooses to play football for, Harward’s future looks bright.

Like Carr, the North Marion community will be watching with pride.

Annual outreach gets underway

By Susan Smiley-Height

F

or many people, making ends meet is a constant challenge. When you add to that the stress of falling behind on the rent, having a hole in the roof of your home or not being able to pay the utility bill, life can seem pretty discouraging, especially during the holiday season.

But, thankfully, there is one annual outreach that is continuing to offer a hand up to those who are struggling.

The Community With A Heart campaign, which relies on donations, begins in early

November and runs through the middle of January. The nonprofit group is governed by a board of 13 members who are affiliated with area help agencies. Those who are seeking assistance must register with one of the agencies, present documentation of need and demonstrate selfsustainability.

“Community With a Heart is such a unique program because we can assist with things that most nonprofits can‘t, such as car repairs, property taxes and rental deposits,” said board chair Monica Bryant, the Family Violence Prevention

COMMUNITY WITH A HEART CAMPAIGN EMBARKS ON SEASON OF CARING Coordinator with the Marion County Children‘s Alliance. “A lot of landlords have increased

rental prices, so we‘re seeing a lot of requests for help with expenses to move in to a place. Most can afford the monthly rent, but can‘t come up with the money needed for the deposit and first and last month all at one time.”

The goal of the program, she explained, is to help families who have experienced an unexpected major life event get back on their feet.

“We don‘t put band aids on the problem. If they can‘t pay their bills each month, they won‘t qualify for the program. We have to be good stewards and use the money donated wisely,” Bryant

affirmed.

Over 35 years, Community With a Heart has collected more than $1.8 million, of which $74,290 was raised during the 2020-2021 campaign. The funds are used to help those in need in Marion County.

The board members meet once a week during the campaign to review applications that have been vetted by a case worker. The case worker will make a home visit and the applicant must show some Continued from page B1 certification of need, such as two See Community, page B2

B2

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Ocala Christmas Parade will close select roads on December 11

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T

he City of Ocala will host the annual Ocala Christmas Parade on Saturday December 11th at 5:30 p.m.

The parade will cause select roads near the parade’s path to be closed leading up to and following the parade.

The following is a list of road closures in effect for the Ocala Christmas Parade.

Road closures effective Saturday, Dec. 11, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: • SE 25th Avenue from E Fort King Street to SE 14th Street.

Detour routes: • NE 25th Avenue (southbound) – E Fort King Street to SE 22nd Avenue to SE 14th Street, back to SE 25th Avenue.

• SE 25th Avenue (northbound) – SE 14th Street to SE 30th Avenue to E Fort King Street to NE 36th Avenue to State Road 40 to State Road 492, back to NE 25th Avenue.

Road closures effective Saturday, Dec. 11, 3 p.m. to midnight: • State Road 40 from NE Third Street to N Pine Avenue/US 441.

• SE/NE 25th Avenue from SE 14th Street to State Road 492.

• E Fort King Street from SE 30th Avenue to SE 22nd Avenue.

• NE Eighth Avenue from State Road 40 to NE 14th Street/State Road 492.

Detour routes: • State Road 40 (eastbound) – US

• NE Eighth Avenue (southbound) – State Road 492 to US 441 to State Road 40 (westbound) or State Road 492 to State Road 40 (eastbound).

There may be other minor road closures as determined by the Ocala Police Department.

Any chairs placed along the parade route prior to Wednesday, Dec. 8 will be removed by the City of Ocala Public Works Department.

This policy is in place as a precaution to prevent chairs from interfering with vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

To retrieve chairs that have been removed by the Public Works Department, please call 352-3516733 to schedule a time to pick them up.

For more information regarding these road closures, please contact the City of Ocala Public Works Department at 352-351-6733.

441 to NW/NE 14th Street/State Road 492, back to State Road 40.

• State Road 40 (westbound) – NE Third Street to NE 25th Avenue to State Road 492 to US 441, back to State Road 40.

• SE/NE 25th Avenue (northbound) – SE 14th Street to SE 30th Avenue to E Fort King Street to NE 36th Avenue to State Road 40, back to NE 25th Avenue.

• NE/SE 25th Avenue (southbound) – State Road 492 to NE 36th Avenue to E Fort King Street to SE 30th Avenue to SE 14th Street, back to SE 25th Avenue.

• E Fort King Street (westbound) – SE 30th Avenue to SE 14th Street to SE 22nd Avenue, back to E Fort King Street.

• E Fort King Street (eastbound) – SE 22nd Avenue to SE 14th Street to SE 30th Avenue, back to E Fort King Street.

Community with a heart estimates from a home repair agency if they are requesting help to get that leak fixed in the roof.

“The board reviews case by case and votes on who receives support. It has to be a majority vote,” Bryant said. “And no money goes to the person; it goes to the landlord, or the car repair shop, or whatever.”

There is a cap of assistance at $1,200 and approved applicants may not apply again for five years.

Those wishing to seek help from Community With a Heart should contact one of these agencies for a referral: Marion County Children‘s Alliance, Brother’s Keeper, Interfaith Emergency Services, Marion County School Social Services, Salvation Army, Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida Inc., Ocala Housing Authority, Soul Harvest Ministries, Isaiah Foundation, City of Ocala, Central Florida Community Action Agency, Marion County Community Services and Habitat for Humanity.

In addition to monetary donations, here are other ways to support the campaign: ■ Marion County Children‘s Alliance: Funds for emergency shelter in motel/hotel for victims and survivors of domestic violence; gas cards, new,

unwrapped toys or gift cards for teenagers 12 to 18 years old. (352) 438-5993.

■ Brother’s Keeper: Gas cards, bus passes, unwrapped toys for children ages 1 to 12. (352) 622-3846.

■ Salvation Army: Shampoo and conditioner, coats for children ages 2 to 12, towels, bedding, bus passes and canned food items. (352) 732-8326.

■ Interfaith Emergency Services: Towels, coats for all ages, Bus passes and non-perishable food items.

(352) 629-8868.

“After 35 years, people still look forward to this program. We receive calls throughout the year looking for assistance from Community With a Heart because a lot of families are dealing with one crisis after another.

It‘s so amazing to see how this program changes people‘s lives and makes it possible for them to be able to take care of their families,” Bryant shared.

“Although the program runs November through January, donations are accepted year-round. And without the generosity of our donors, there would be no Community With a Heart.”

To donate, mail checks to Community With A Heart Fund, P.O. Box 1777, Ocala, FL 34478. Donations are tax

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Brother‘s Keeper

PREPARES Thanksgiving Day

250

DINNERS

On Thanksgiving Day, volunteers at Brothers Keeper’s Soup Kitchen gathered to serve 250 meals with all to area homeless. Meals on Wheels also coordinated delivery of the meals across Marion County.

Photos by BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Terry Ford, right, brings out another tray of hot turkey from the kitchen as Gerry Kreimeyer, left, Marv Brimer, second from left, serve Thanksgiving Day dinners.

Marv Brimer, Aadan Ford, 12, Don Fichaud and Cynthia DeSimone, left to right, pray together as they serve Thanksgiving Day dinners.

Sister Concepta Najjemba, who has been running Brother's Keeper Soup Kitchen for the past 21 years, center, hugs Marv Brimer, left, as Don Fichaud, right, looks on.

Abigael Benoit, 9, a third grade student at Blessed Trinity Catholic School, right, gives one of the 150 Thanksgiving cards she made for homeless people to Roger Coe, a homeless man.

Jodi Anderson, left, and Don Fichaud, right, serve Thanksgiving Day dinners.

Sandy Pflanz, left, and Rosemary Reilly, right, put pumpkin pies in Thanksgiving dinner bags as they serve Thanksgiving Day dinners for homeless people.

Rick Hiney, Marv Brimer and Howard Hrobak, left to right, prepare green bean casserole in the kitchen.

B4

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

MAKING HISTORY

Florida

FACTOIDS

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.

RIGHT HERE IN OUR BACKYARD From 1830 to 1845, a decade and a half of compelling (albeit tragic) American history was played out here in our Florida neighborhood.

During that period, on orders of President Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act, the U. S. Army was charged with uprooting and relocating more than 6,000 Seminole Indians from their adopted Florida home. Thus ensued the Second Seminole War, the longest, costliest and most bloody of America’s Indian wars. Much of the hostilities took place within a few miles of Ocala as Fort King was the epicenter of war planning and billeting troops for the long conflict.

This weekend, it all comes to life at the Festival at the Fort and we mark the occasion to test you on your knowledge of Ft. King, which now holds the honored distinction of National Historic Landmark.

1.

In the late 1700s, the Seminoles split from the Creek, their Georgia cousins, and migrated to our area, which was then the home of the: A. Cherokee B. Timucua C. Apalachee D. Army

2.

Upon completion in 1829, Ft. King was

named for Col. William King, who had

served as military governor of West

Florida for our fifth president, who was:

A. Thomas Jefferson

B. James Madison

C. James Monroe

D. John Quincy Adams

3.

4.

Before it was officially called a fort, Ft. King was a temporary military encampment called a: A. Citadel B. Garrison C. Cantonment D. Camp The seven-year Second Seminole War was triggered on December 28, 1835, when ________ killed Indian agent Wiley Thompson at Ft. King.

A. Jumper B. Alligator C. Osceola D. Micanopy

5. The biggest battle of the three Indian

wars, known as the Dade Massacre,

was fought on that same day near

what is now the Sumter County town of:

A. Bushnell

B. Coleman

C. Wildwood

D. The Villages

6.

After surviving the Second Seminole War, the chief known as Alligator became the most influential Indian leader in the Third Seminole War. He was also known as: A. Geronimo B. Emathla C. Micanopy D. Billy Bowlegs

7.

More than 100,000 native Americans from five civilized tribes in the Southeast were displaced by the Indian Removal Act, which history refers to as the Trail of _____.

A. Torment B. Tyranny C. Terror D. Tears

8.

In 1839, an Army colonel, nicknamed “Old Rough & Ready,” who would later become our 12th president, was named commander of Ft. King. He is: A. Winfield Scott B. U.S. Grant C. Robert E. Lee D. Zachary Taylor

9.

At the end of the Second Seminole War, the Army decommissioned Ft. King and it eventually became Marion County’s first: A. Jail B. City Hall C. County seat D. Church

10.

Saturdays are called “Sutler Saturdays” at Ft. King. A sutler is a _______ .

A. Blacksmith B. Cavalryman C. Provisioner D. Settler

Answers are on page B7

COMING DEC. 17: Ocala Decembers to Remember Contact Bob Hauck: bobhauck39@gmail.com

Q:

Why is Ocala sometimes called the “Brick City”?

A:

According to the City of Ocala‘s website, “The center of town was virtually destroyed by fire on Thanksgiving Day in 1883. In rebuilding, brick and other fire-resistant materials were used instead of lumber.

Thus, Ocala became known as the ‘Brick City’, a name still used today.”

Ocala Gazette Staff

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGE B7

B5

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

holidays

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

DEC. 3

Symphony Under the Lights

10th Annual Christmas Boat Parade

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala

Carney Island Recreation, 13275 SE 115th Ave., Ocklawaha 5:30pm All are invited! Decorate your boat and join the fun! Boats are judged on originality—The more lights, the better! Call (352) 432-1292 or email captainspence65@gmail.com for more information.

Bring a blanket and some cocoa and set up your chairs at the outdoor stage for this free, familyfriendly holiday favorites concert by the Ocala Symphony Orchestra. Visit reillyartscenter.com

DEC. 4

Toys for Kids Cruise In Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, 13700 SW 16th Ave., Ocala 8am Enjoy the 21st Annual Toys for Kids Cruise In car show with hundreds of special cars on display.

More than 40 trophies will be awarded. Giveaways include Santa stockings, ladies gift bags, and more.

Visit garlits.com for details.

THROUGH DEC. 24

Photos with Santa

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 your Santa photos, visit paddockmall.com.

THROUGH DEC. 19

It’s A Wonderful Life

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.

THROUGH DEC. 21

Santa on the Square

Ocala Downtown Square Tue and Thau, 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, 6-8pm. 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.

DEC. 4

Annual Holiday Extravaganza Marion Oaks Community Center, 294 Marion Oaks Ln., Ocala 9am-2pm The annual Marion Oaks Holiday Extravaganza includes dozens of booths filled with arts and crafts, businesses, direct sales representatives, organizations, clubs, and food trucks. Special visits from Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves, snowmen, and entertainers. Holiday music will fill the grounds along with many free games for the kids. Visit ocalamarion.com/events for more information.

DEC. 4

Therapeutic Holiday Party Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center, 830 NE 8th Ave., Ocala 1-3pm Celebrate the holiday season connecting with friends while still socially distancing in a new way to have fun. Come out and dance the afternoon away during the Therapeutic Zoom-in Party. Listen to great music and create new memories with new friends. Light refreshments will be provided.

All ages are invited! No direct supervisor will be provided. Call LaToya Artis at (352) 456-86-79 to register for more information.

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.

Marion Technical Institute (MTI), 1614 SE Fort King St., Ocala Sat 2pm, Sun 3pm Join the Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band under the direction of Les Muncaster for “A Christmas Prelude” performance, featuring musical selections such as “Prelude on Adeste Fideles,” “Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Babes in Toyland,” “Minor Alterations,” and “A Home Alone Christmas.” For more information, visit kindomofthesunband.org or call (352) 3900491.

DEC. 4-5

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala Sat 7:30pm, Sun 3pm Back by popular demand, the Ocala Symphony Orchestra will bring Howard Blake’s score to the animated short film, The Snowman, to life, live along with the film itself! You can expect sleigh rides, sing-alongs, and a reading of‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. For more information, visit reillyartscenter.com

DEC. 4-5

A Christmas Prelude Marion Technical Institute (MTI), 1614 SE Fort King St., Ocala Sat 2pm, Sun 3pm Join the Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band under the direction of Les Muncaster for “A Christmas Prelude” performance, featuring musical selections such as “Prelude on Adeste Fideles,” “Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Babes in Toyland,” “Minor Alterations,” and “A Home Alone Christmas.” For more information, visit kindomofthesunband.org or call (352) 3900491.

Santa’s Calling Ocala Recreation and Parks has partnered with the North Pole to directly connect Ocala’s good little boys and girls to Santa! Schedule an evening call when Santa’s helpers will call your home, so your child can speak directly with Mr. or Mrs. Claus!

To schedule a call with Santa, fill out an online application by Nov. 30 at ocalafl.org/holidays.

Gingerbread House Decorating NOMA Gallery 1-5pm Kids and grown-ups can paint a premade gingerbread house in conjunction with artist Grace Netanya’s exhibition, “Fables.” Kids decorate 1-3 pm (parent or guardian must be present); adults decorate 3:30-5 pm. Visit nomaocala.com for details.

DEC. 7 & 21

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.

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.

Christmas in the Quarry Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens, 4990 NE 180th Ave., Williston 5:30-8:00pm 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.

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

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.

DEC. 18

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. 18-19, DEC. 22-23

DEC. 8

Christmas in the Quarry

Ocala Downtown Square 5-8:30 pm Join us at the Downtown Square for a wagging good time taking pet pictures with Santa!

Adoptable pets, vendors, and hot cocoa will be available. All pets are welcome to the familyfriendly event. $15 per photo includes digital and printed 5x7 portrait. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Marion County. Visit ocalamarion.com or call (352) 368-5517 for more info.

Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens, 4990 NE 180th Ave., Williston 5:30-8:00pm 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.

Santa Paws: Pet Portraits with Santa

government Ocala City Council Meetings

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.

Reindeer Romp Gift Giveaway: A Drive-Through Event

DEC. 7-9

DEC. 4

Holiday Movie: The Man Who Invented Christmas

DEC. 11-12

Pop! Goes the Holidays!

The Elliott Center, 3231 SW 34th Ave., Ocala 1-2:30pm Join The Monarch Center for Hope & Healing for an interactive grief workshop. Create a permanent memento in honor of your loved one. Bring 1-3 photos (4x5 or smaller) for this activity. RSVP at (352) 873-7456 to reserve your space.

The World Equestrian Center, 1750 NW 80th Ave., Ocala Nov. 26-Dec.26, 5-9pm The 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.

DEC. 10

DEC. 10-12

A Christmas Prelude

Keeping the Holidays Light: An Interactive Grief Workshop

Winter Wonderland

The Ocala Christmas Light Spectacular

DEC. 4-5

DEC. 6

THROUGH DEC. 26

THROUGH DEC. 31

DEC. 4

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.

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.

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

community DEC. 3

DEC. 7

Bring the Harvest Home

The Shores Market

Ocala Downtown Square 7:30am-1:30pm This local food drive event provides our community an opportunity to provide muchneeded food for local families in need. Donated goods will help fill pantries for the Salvation Army, Interfaith Emergency Services, and Brother’s Keeper. Donations of dry and complementary goods, canned meats, canned vegetables and fruit, baby items, and toiletries may be dropped off at locations across Marion County as well as during the Dec. 3 event on Ocala’s Downtown Square. For more information and a list of drop-off locations, visit bringtheharvesthome.com or facebook.com/ marioncountyflorida.

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. Visit fb.com/theshoresmarket for more information.

DEC. 3

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. 3

Sunset Cinema: The War with Grandpa Sholom Park: 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala 5pm Enjoy an outdoor movie experience under the stars at Sholom Park. Bring your lawn chairs and pack some snacks for the featured presentation: “The War with Grandpa” (PG). Advanced registration includes one freshly popped popcorn. Other snacks will be available for an in-kind donation. For more information or to register, visit sholompark. org/events.

First Heritage Skills Day at the Fort King National Historic Landmark in Ocala, Dec. 12, 2020.

DEC. 4

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. 4

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. 4

Ocala Pet Expo

110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala 10am-2pm Adoptable animals, pet supply vendors, demonstrations, contests, and more. Help our furry friends by bringing pet food, toys, and blankets, and “Let’s Stuff It” for local animal rescue organizations. For attendees’ safety, pets must be properly leashed and no intact males or females in heat are permitted.

DEC. 4

DEC. 4

Fillies/Mount Calvary Joint Yard Sale & BBQ Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 5000 SW College Road, Ocala 8am-3pm Stop by the Florida Thorobred Fillies Club and Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church’s joint yard sale and BBQ to shop a variety of yard sale items and enjoy the church barbeque. Visit facebook.com/filliesclub for more information.

arts

Breyer WEC Fun Day

The World Equestrian Center,1750 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 12-4pm Join Breyer Model Horses at the World Equestrian Center for WEC Fun Day! Enjoy a meet & greet with Laura Reece and Dani, the BreyerFest 2021 Celebration Horse, free Stablemates painting for kids, and shop your favorite models in the gift shop! Visit breyerhorses.com for details.

DEC. 4

First Friday Art Walk Ocala Downtown Square

Monday Morning Books and Coffee Fort McCoy Public Library, 14660 NE Highway 315, Ocala 10:30am Make new friends and talk about books. Visit library.marionfl.org.

DEC. 5

The Embot Experience

Event festivities include over 30 artist displays, monthly live entertainment, free family art activities provided by local arts organizations and extended shopping hours. Pick up your map on the square and take a self-guided tour of local artists displaying their works for sale in front of our downtown businesses.

Workspace Collective 6-9pm Local artist Emmeline Basulto, aka Embot, collaborates with The Gathering Cafe, The Grazing Haus, and EL Puente Catering to show her art while supporting local businesses. Visit facebook.com/ embotart for details.

For more information,

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 7:30pm Take 6 (Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea, and Kristian Dentley), heralded by Quincy Jones as the “baddest vocal cats on the planet!,” is the quintessential acapella jazz group and the model for vocal genius. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit reillyartscenter.com.

DEC. 7

Take 6

DEC. 8

Crafternoons Ocala Public Library Headquarters, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 4:30pm Enjoy crafting activities with fellow crafters.

Registration required. Call (352) 671-8551 to register or visit library.marionfl.org.

DEC. 9

Farmers Market

LMS Network Breakfast Networking Meeting

DEC. 7

Florida Thoroughbred Transformation Expo

DEC. 7

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

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Timber Ridge Center for Rehab and Healing, 9848 SW 110th St., Ocala 2pm Take part in a special ceremony to honor Mr. Jack Edge, one of less than 100 living survivors of Pearl Harbor, as well as all who served at Pearl Harbor.

DEC. 9-18 7:30pm

Orange Blossom Opry, 16439 SE 138th Terrace, Weirsdale 2:30pm & 7:30pm For more than 50 years, The Lettermen—Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton, and Rob Gulak—have kept the meaning of harmony alive with their soft, romantic, harmonic blend of music, which is as popular with their fans today as it was in 1961 when they recorded their first hit, “The Way You Look Tonight.” To purchase tickets, visit obopry. com or call (352) 821-1201.

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

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!

Visit circlesquarecommons.com for more info.

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 10am-5pm Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month. Practice the art of staycation and visit the permanent collection and special exhibitions.

Make art in the Artspace and enjoy beautiful outdoor spaces with large-scale sculpture (perfect for selfies!). Big Lee’s BBQ food truck will be onsite for lunch from 11 am to 2 pm.

6-9pm

visit ocalafl.org/artwalk or call (352) 629-8447.

DEC. 6

Puffs

The Lettermen

DEC. 3

Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E Fort King St., Ocala 10am-4pm Step into the 1800s at the Festival at Fort King! This two-day event will feature historic themed crafts, games, workshops, activities, living historians, vendors, food, drinks, and much more. The pinnacle of the event is a re-enactment of the event that fueled that start of the Second Seminole War. Admission is $5 person; veterans and children under 5 are free.

First Free Saturday at the Appleton Museum of Art

DEC. 5

Art Walk

DEC. 4-5

Festival at Fort King

DEC. 8

Wednesday Midday Market

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 Funks 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.!

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

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.

DEC. 10-12

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S Highway 475, Ocala This three-day expo features competition in seven 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.

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.

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.

For more information, visit ocalafl.org.

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. Visit appletonmuseum. org for details.

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

&

music nig ghtlife nightlife

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

SUPPLIED PHOTO BY MARION BALLET

The Nutcracker enchants once again in Marion County

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

By Julie Garisto Special to the Gazette

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

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

“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.

F

or almost 40 years, thousands of Marion County residents were wowed by “The Nutcracker” performed at the Ocala Civic Theatre by members of Marion Ballet Theatre, formerly the resident ballet company of the Benson Academy of Dance. While the group is no longer active, the tradition lives on.

On Saturday, C. Anderson, the artistic director and founder of the Lake Marion Ballet Dance Company, will take us once again on Tchaikovsky’s enchanting dance odyssey. The production, staged at the College of Central Florida’s Charles R. Dassance Fine Arts Center, is a collaboration with Elevations Academy of Dance.

The tradition of presenting “The Nutcracker” at Christmas time is relatively recent, said Miles Hoffman, the violist of the American Chamber Players and author of “The NPR Classical Music Companion.”

Based on a story by E.T.A.Hoffman, “The Nutcracker” transports audiences to a lavish fantasyland of treats and graceful enchantments that provide a graceful contrast to the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

“The very first performance, which was in St. Petersburg in Russia in 1892, did take place around Christmas,” Hoffman explained during an NPR interview.

“But the ballet itself wasn‘t terribly

successful. Everybody liked the first act with the big Christmas tree and the children and the toy soldiers and the battle with the Mouse King. But there‘s really hardly any drama in the second act. It‘s just essentially a series of colorful dances and many people just didn‘t find the story terribly convincing.”

The first complete performance outside Russia didn’t see a stage until 1934 in London. A decade later, the San Francisco Ballet performed “The Nutcracker” on Christmas Eve of 1944.

“But it wasn‘t until the 1960s that performances of the complete “Nutcracker” ballet really took off as an annual Christmas tradition around the country,” Hoffman said.

According to letters by the ballet’s famed composer, the holiday favorite was not Tchaikovsky’s best effort.

Using only the upper registers of the orchestra, which means no cello, bass or brass, the ballet fairytale begins with a young girl, Clara, who is gifted a toy nutcracker by her eccentric uncle. The toy becomes a prince and defeats a rat battalion before escorting Clara to a snow kingdom.

In act two, the most familiar swells can be heard, those sonorous flutes we’ve come to know and love.

Clara is now in the Candyland of Sweet Things, where the Sugar Plum Fairy reigns and oversees flying cooks and living confections.

The queen calls for a suite of dances to commemorate the Nutcracker‘s victory over the Mouse King — with a bit of help from Clara‘s slipper.

Each dance signifies a holiday indulgence: from the sultry, chocolatey sway of the Spanish Dance to the enchanting Arabian Dance and the acrobatics tea, the flute of the Chinese Dance, the leaping Russian candy-cane dancer to the Mirlitons marzipan flute trio.

Let’s not forget the Polichinelles (clowns) performed by young children dancing with Mother Ginger.

In a story by yourclassical.org, we learn that Tchaikovsky uses one of his signature techniques to change the mood with an extended harp cadenza before the Waltz of the Flowers. The story culminates with a grand finale spotlighting the Sugar Plum Fairy with the Nutcracker Prince.

And what makes the “Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy” so magical and memorable is that twinkly sound that’s reminiscent of a music box, explained Hoffman. It comes from an instrument called the celesta, which had been invented in Paris in 1886 by Auguste Mustel.

Celesta, a derivative of the word celestial, means heavenly. When Tchaikovsky visited Paris in 1891, he heard the instrument played and was so captivated by the celesta’s sound that he decided to use it for his ballet.

The College of Central Florida is at 3001 SW College Road.

Performances of “The Nutcracker” will take place at 2 and 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 4. For tickets, visit elevationsacademydance.com/ upcoming-shows.html.

ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4 1. B, Timucua

Florida

FACTOIDS

2. C, James Monroe 3. C, Cantonment 4. C, Osceola 5. A, Bushnell

COMING DEC. 17: Ocala Decembers to Remember Contact Bob Hauck: The Mudds

SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

bobhauck39@gmail.com

6. D, Billy Bowlegs 7. D, Tears 8. D, Zachary Taylor 9. C, County seat 10. C, Provisioner

Sudoku

Newsday Crossword

from generation to generation...

Ocala’s best kept secret.

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3231 SW 34th Avenue | Ocala, FL 34474 www.hospiceofmarion.com/donate Donations: (352) 291-5143 | Referrals: (352) 873-7415

of Marion County Feel better. Live better.

DR. JOHN BORCHERS, DDS. PA DR. MICHAEL T. MCKEE, DDS MS.PA. DR. WALTER VANNESS, DDS

352-873-4844 3300 SW 34th Ave., Suite 136 Ocala, FL 34474

Conference Services We would love to meet with you and help you plan your next event.

352-291-4441 CF.edu/OcalaConferences or visit

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DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 9, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports Gators hire Napier as new football coach Napier entrusted to return UF to prominence

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com The University of Florida announced they have agreed to a deal that will bring Billy Napier to Gainesville.

Napier, who has turned the University of Louisiana-Lafayette football program into a perennial winner, will

take over a Gator football program that has fallen mightily over the past calendar year.

Dan Mullen was fired as Florida head coach on November 21st after a multitude of disappointing losses in 2021, along with what appeared to be a disinterest in leading the program any longer.

Mullen was seen as a

candidate for a handful of NFL coaching vacancies after the 2020 season, but never received serious attention from any teams.

What followed was a nosedive of epic proportions.

The Gators stayed close with Alabama, losing by two points in an early season match-up. But after subsequent losses to Kentucky, LSU and Georgia, Mullen found

himself firmly on the hot seat.

The final straw came in what seemed to be an unorganized and uninspired loss to Missouri in overtime.

The next day, Mullen was gone.

Scott Stricklin, the University of Florida athletic director, wrapped Florida’s coaching search in See UF, page C3

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Billy Napier walks the sideline during an NCAA college football game against Georgia State in Lafayette, La., Thursday, Nov. 4.

Celtics season ends with loss to Florida High, 17-12

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Haley Davis, 14, a freshman at Forest High School, who plays golf on the girls golf team, poses for a photo at the Ocala Golf Club in Ocala, Nov. 19. Davis placed second in the FHSAA Class 3A girls golf tournament that was held at Las Colinas at Mission Inn last Tuesday and Wednesday.

Forest golfer Haley Davis SHINES AT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

F

or Forest High School freshman Haley Davis, the game of golf is a family affair.

“I learned that I love the game from my dad,” Davis said.

Scott Davis began teaching his daughter the intricacies of golf when Haley was eight years old.

The Freshman golfer finished second in class 3A state tournament “He taught me how to play golf and I decided that I wanted to continue to get better,” she said.

The younger Davis qualified for the FHSAA 3A state tournament. She did not disappoint during her first appearance.

Davis shot a three-under par 69 on day one of the state tournament and shot a par 72 on the final day of competition. Her two-day total of 141 was good enough to finish second overall.

Playing in her first state tournament was exciting for

In what would be a fiercely contested playoff football game, the Florida High Seminoles from Tallahassee outlasted the Trinity Catholic Celtics by a score of 1712 at Al Dunlap Field.

The Seminoles defense held the Celtics offense in check for most of the night, preventing Trinity Catholic from connecting on any big yardage plays.

Trinity Catholic took the early 3-0 lead on a 35-yard field goal by junior kicker Justin Arroyo.

Kicker Brooks Hickman nailed a 34yard field goal for the Seminoles to tie the game 3-3 late in the first quarter.

Seminoles senior quarterback Tre Donaldson, an Auburn University football commit, would connect with junior running back Rhyder Poppell on a 54-yard touchdown pass, putting the Seminoles ahead 10-3 with 5:17 left in the first half.

The Celtics would cut into the Florida See Season, page C3

Davis.

“Playing in the state tournament was really cool,” Davis said. “It felt like all my hard work paid off during the season, just to be there.”

The pressure of playing for a state championship would understandably rattle most golfers, especially for a freshman competing for the first time.

See Golfer‘s, page C2

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Trinity Catholic‘s John Hayes (17) looks for extra yardage as he is stopped by Florida State‘s Micahi Danzy (34) during the 3A-1 Regional Final at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, on Nov. 26.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Vanguard Lady Knights @ Forest Lady Wildcats

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

In this file photo, Vanguard‘s coach Terrance Lewis works with his players on the bench as they play Forest during a basketball game at Vanguard High School in Ocala on Jan. 5.

The Lady Knights from Vanguard High School will renew their in-county rivalry this week with the Forest Lady Wildcats.

The Lady Knights enter the game with a 2-2 record, coming off a tough win over Lecanto, 44-30.

Forest has struggled early in the regular season but will look to bounce back with a rivalry game win

versus the Lady Knights.

Vanguard senior guard Jadah Kingcade is leading the Lady Knights in scoring at 13.0 points per game, while also leading the team in rebounding at 6.3 per contest.

Senior guard Rain Smith is averaging 10.0 points per game while junior Jyla Gunsby is contributing 10.3 per game. Gunsby also leads the team in assists with 2.7 per game.

Vanguard head coach

Terrance Lewis is excited for the matchup with the Marion County rival.

“We are looking to improve on our in-game execution and to get everyone involved, getting a complete game effort on both sides of the ball,” Lewis said. “We have a lot of respect for the Forest program and their coaching staff.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 on Friday at the Forest High School gym.

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BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Ocala Christian Academy‘s Jordan Raines (13) drives to the basket as he is defended by Temple Christian Academy‘s Cameron Carpenter (5) during a basketball game at Ocala Christian Academy in Ocala, on Tuesday.

Crusaders Soldiers OUTLAST

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Haley Davis, 14, a freshman at Forest High School, who plays golf on the girls golf team, poses for a photo at the Ocala Golf Club in Ocala, Nov. 19.

Golfer‘s hard work pays off

Continued from page C1 “The course wasn’t too difficult,” Davis said. “It had some tricky holes, but I wasn’t too nervous because I play in tournaments every weekend.”

Mark Owens, girl‘s golf coach at Forest High School, said that Davis was not phased by the big stage.

“She thrives on competition,” Owens said. “She is mentally tough and knows how to prepare to play the course.”

Owens is excited for Davis’s high school career to unfold.

“It will be exciting to watch Haley compete over the next

three years in high school and beyond that,” Owens said.

College is still three years away for Davis, but she expressed her desire to play at the next level should the opportunity present itself.

“I would love to play at a D1 college for golf,” Davis said.

One professional golfer that Davis admires is Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood, 30, is a professional golfer on the European Tour.

“I love Tommy Fleetwood’s swing,” Davis said. “It is just perfect.”

Davis credits her father and coaches for her success on the links.

“I want to thank Coach Spencer for getting me to where I am today,” Davis said.

“Coach Owens, my high school coach, has always supported me and really helped me get to the state tournament. And I want to thank my dad for always being there.”

Davis will have three more opportunities to capture a state championship. If her second place showing as a freshman is any indication, fans should keep an eye out for her name on the leaderboard.

The Forest High School family and Marion County will be watching.

IN E ARLY SE A SON CONTEST

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

T

he Ocala Christian Crusaders boys’ basketball team found itself in a battle with Temple Christian Academy on Tuesday night.

Despite some chippy play, OCA was able to hold off the visiting Soldiers 49-31.

The Crusaders found themselves up by two points at the half, and the game was a back-and-forth affair until midway through the third quarter.

With 4:33 left in the third, all but four TCA players had fouled out of the game. Two players were disqualified via the technical foul.

Senior captain Mikell Dixon

was the first player to foul out for TCA, leaving head coach Xaviar Bankhead visibly frustrated on the bench.

With the Soldiers shorthanded, OCA was able to dominate in the paint and on the perimeter.

The Crusaders were led by senior Trey Woods with 15 points and 17 rebounds. Fellow senior Sherrick McGill racked up 11 points and an astounding 19 rebounds in the winning effort.

With the victory, OCA moves to 1-2 on the season. Up next on the schedule is a road contest against Redeemer Christian School on December 6th.

Tip-off for the non-district contest between the Crusaders and the Redeemer Lions is set for 7:00 p.m.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Ocala Christian Academy‘s Cori Williams (10) and Emalie Young (11) battle for a loose ball with Temple Christian Academy‘s R. Beckham (12) during a basketball game at Ocala Christian Academy in Ocala, on Nov. 30.

Lady Crusaders cruise past Temple Christian, 34-9

By Joel Bronson joel@ocalagazette.com

board, due in large part to the sound defense played by OCA. First year TCA head coach Yasha Main, a former Ocala Christian used crisp Belleview High School passing and sound defense to basketball player, was pleased overwhelm the Lady Soldiers to see her team play its first from Temple Christian game of the season.

Academy in Jacksonville on “We are young, and only Tuesday night. three of our players have ever The trio of junior Alexa played in a game before,” Main Botticello, sophomore Charlotte Culver, and freshman said. “We have a group of kids Brianna McQuaig each scored that we can coach up and watch grow.” eight points for the Lady Lady Crusaders head coach Crusaders.

Lauren Castillo looks forward The young and to building off the win. inexperienced TCA squad had trouble putting points on the “We need to learn to run

the offense,” Castillo said. “It was our third game. We will get better at running the plays we practice.”

Castillo praised the growth of Culver, who scored 24 points on the road against Countryside Christian the previous game.

Culver also grabbed three rebounds and notched two steals for the Lady Crusaders, who improved to 1-2 on the season.

Ocala Christian will play next Monday at Redeemer Christian School. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

ABOVE: 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).

LEFT: Ocala Christian Academy‘s Sherrick McGill (3) tries for a shot on the basket as he is fouled

by Temple Christian Academy‘s Cameron Carpenter (5).

Photos by BRUCE ACKERMAN/ Ocala Gazette

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UF gets a SCORE BOARD new coach HIGH SCHOOL

PREP FOOTBALL SCORES

SELECTED MARION COUNTY

Nov. 26

SPORTS

Jones 28 Vanguard 26 Florida High Trinity Catholic

17 12

BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES Nov. 22 Interlachen 68 Belleview 39

RESULTS NOV. 22 - 27

Forest 66 Forest Lake Academy 32

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

Trinity Catholic 77 Dunedin 39

Nov. 23 Lake Howell 40 Forest 39 Vanguard 71 Lake Weir 65

Nov. 26 Dunnellon 53 Vanguard 51

GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

Nov. 27

Nov. 23

49 37

Columbia 67 West Port 49

HEART Homeschool Ocala Christian

52 29

Umatilla 78 St. John Lutheran 55

Belleview 55 Saint Francis Catholic 32

The Villages Charter Trinity Catholic

57 55

Trinity Catholic Boca Ciega

Forest 73 Fort White 37

Nov. 27

Trinity Catholic Santa Fe

West Port Trinity Catholic

HEART Homeschool Ocala Christian

50 45

Umatilla 78 St. John Lutheran 55

49 43

Season ends

48 39

FOR THE

Continued from page C1

about a week.

“I’ve followed and studied Billy Napier’s career with interest,” Stricklin said. “He became the primary target immediately after the position came open.”

Stricklin stated that Napier was the only candidate he met with during the coaching search.

Napier will be formally announced as the new Gators head coach at a press conference on December 5th, after Louisiana’s contest with Appalachian State for the Sun Belt Conference championship.

Louisiana takes on App State this Saturday, December 4th.

In a press release, Napier shared his excitement to lead the UF football program.

“We are excited and honored to accept this incredible opportunity to be the head coach at the University of Florida,” Napier said.

“Our team, staff and entire organization will work daily to establish a program with integrity and class that we can be proud of.”

Napier is widely known as a tireless recruiter, one talent that Mullen seemed to lack.

Stints as an assistant for Dabo Swinney at Clemson and Nick

Continued from page C1 High lead on an Arroyo 37-yard field goal to make the score 10-6 at the half.

Donaldson would break free for a 42-yard scramble to the Celtics four-yard line late in the 3rd quarter. Two plays later, sophomore running back Micahi Danzy would punch it in from four yards out to put the Seminoles ahead 17-6.

The Celtics would score their lone touchdown of the game on a three-yard run by Marquis Jones.

The drive was sparked by a 30-yard pass from senior quarterback Cole Gonzales to sophomore receiver John Hayes.

The failed two-point conversion attempt left the score at 17-12

Celtics LEFT: Trinity Catholic‘s Beau Beard (20) is taken down for a loss by Florida State‘s DeJohn Johnson (27) during the 3A-1 Regional Final at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, on Nov. 26.

BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette

Saban at Alabama appear to have provided Napier with the blueprint to building a successful football program.

After taking over a program that went 5-7 in 2017, Napier amassed seasons of 7-7, 11-3, 10-1 and currently stands at 11-1 going into the Sun Belt title game on December 4th.

Napier will inherit a program with talent but needs to use his recruiting acumen to return the Gators to the prominence they enjoyed with Urban Meyer during the ’06 and ’08 national title runs.

Napier previously turned down overtures from other SEC programs such as Auburn, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

LSU was seen as a natural fit for Napier, but Stricklin and UF swooped in and made the hire before the Tigers could get a meeting.

Napier will arrive around ten days before early signing day takes place on December 15th.

with 9:32 left in the 4th quarter.

The Celtics defense was able to stop the Seminoles offense on third down with 1:11 left in the fourth quarter, but a disastrous personal foul penalty would give Florida High the first down.

Trinity Catholic was out of time outs and could not stop the clock.

Celtics junior running back Beau Beard led his team with 69 yards rushing but was corralled by the Florida High defense for much of the night.

Donaldson ended the game with 87 yards both rushing and passing for Florida High, overcoming two first-half interceptions to lead the Seminoles to a hard-fought road playoff win.

Florida High will move on to play in the 3A state semifinals next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

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