Ocala Magazine May 2022 Digital Issue

Ocala’s City Magazine Since 1980 Serving the Horse Capital of the World® $5.95

OCALA MAGAZINE

MAY 2022

Age of Elegance Ocala women who are shining in their golden years

Nurse’s Month Ocala Hospital nursing unit captures top award in the midst of raging pandemic

Cook Book Inspiration

Luxury Equestrian Living

136+/- Acre state-of-the-art estate professionally sculped and architecturally designed main residence with 5 bed/ 4 bath overlooking your own private lake. The Inn offers 8 en-suite bedrooms plus Chef ’s kitchen and living area. 27-stall stable, 5/8+/- mile synthetic cushion training track. 5-stall quarantine stable. $12,100,000

Custom-built Palatial Chateau on 82+/- Acres Absolutely rare and hard to find 4 Bed/4.5 bath main residence, gourmet kitchen, formal dining, and spacious family room. 4-car garage with 1/1 guest quarters. Grand show stable with 18 stalls and 1/1 apartment. Great NW location. $9,105,000

Pending

13.75+/- Acre Equestrian Estate State-of-the-art equestrian sporting horse facility that has it all. 13+ Acres, main home with 3 bed/3.5 baths, gourmet kitchen, split floor plan, and 3 car garage. 24 Stall show stable, lush paddocks, plus apartment makes this farm perfect for any breed. $1,800,000

LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! 50+/- Acre equestrian farm located in the prestigious NW Ocala area with scattered live oaks and lush green pastures. Expansive office, 42-stall, Eurocizer, round pen, 26 paddocks and level ground for jump fields.

2 Employee homes. $1,995,000

In 2022: $20,275,560 Sold • $16,713,040 Pending

g

Pending Pending

40+/- Acres just minutes from WEC – Locate just minutes to World Equestrian Center- Frontage on HWY 27- Great Location! 3 bedroom/ 3 bath home plus 1/1 cabana. 18 Stall barn with office, full bath and tack room. Zoned A-1 with RL and MR Land use. $5,088,000

Pending

Close To World Equestrain Center- Prime 28.42+/- acres Snatch your opportunity to build your horse farm across the street from WEC property.

Beautiful building sites overlooking pond with magnificent sunsets.

Perimeter fenced. No Deed restrictions. $1,500,000

Pending

42+/- Acres just minutes from WEC- Located just minutes to World Equestrian Center- Highway 27 Frontage. Property includes pond, gated entrance, 20-stall barn, round pen plus open storage. Adjoining acreage is also available. $4,231,000.

Pending

Privacy and Tranquility on 23.21+/- Acres. 4 bed/3.5 bath residence. Open floor plan with spacious great room plus stone fireplace. Pool. 9-Stall barn, office, and apartment. Arena. $1,795,000

List with us today!

R E A LTO R ®

Considering Ocala?

Winding scenic drive leads you to the 2-story home on 28+/- acres. 4 bedrooms/ 3 baths, family room, brick fireplace plus extra-large windows to enjoy panoramic views. Barn/equipment building features guest quarters with full bath. A short distance to schools, hospitals, and restaurants. $2,750,000

ted Just Lis

Midwest Training Facility – State of the art training and rehabiliation center features cold water spa, expansive swim circle under roof, 3 barns with 120 stalls, ¾+/- mile track, and equipment building. Main residence, pool house, plus 2 managers residences. $4,750,000

ted Just Lis

11.77 +/- Acres in equine friendly gated community of Spring Grove located between World Equestrian and Florida Horse Park. Custom built brick home with 4 bedroom/ 3.5 bath home. 3 Car garage with upstairs bonus room.

77’ x 25’ Storage ares with concrete floors. $1,397,500

Bellwether Estates - 5.64 +/- Acres of gently rolling land in gated community.

This would make a perfect home site graced with Granddaddy Oaks. Bring your builder and plans. Deed restricted to 4,000 Minimum SF home. Great location close to shopping, medical and schools. $290,000

R E A LTO R ®

Gated Communities D REDUCE

Country Club of Ocala – Incomparable stone & brick construction- overlooking the 15th fairway. Incredible mill work and construction details throughout.

Oversized 3-car garage plus RV garage. This home offers plenty of room for entertaining with golf course living at its finest. Furnished. $1,750,000

New Construction! 4 Bedroom/4.5 bath home on 3.81+/- acres. Formal living, dining room, and office/library. Chef ’s kitchen and large owners suite with sitting area and walk-in closet. Recration room with 14’ ceilings, beverage area and fireplace that opens onto the pool and lanai. 3 -Car garage. $2,290,000

UCED Just RED

Leeward Air Ranch Estates- 2.62+/- Acres Timeless architecture and a pilots dream define this 4-bedroom, 5.5 bath home with direct access to 6200’ X 165’ grass runway. 3-Car detached garage, private 60 X 78 aircraft hanger. Located in a 500-acre private sport aviation community.

Call for pricing

Via Paradisus Lots ranging from 3+ Acres to 30+ Acres. Beautiful Granddaddy Oaks, paved streets and street lighting. Community offers access to Florida Greenways & Trails, and is across from Florida Horse Park. Equine friendly community. Deed restricted.

g buying or n ri e d si n o c e ’r u If yo call today! selling, give us a R E A LTO R ® For these and other properties, visit JoanPletcher.com for information, videos, and more choices.

352.347.1777 | Cell: 352.266.9100 | Cell: 352.804.8989 | joan@joanpletcher.com Due to the privacy and at the discretion of my clients, there are additional training centers, estates, and land available that are not advertised.

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CELEBRATING OUR 42ND YEAR!

MAY • 2022 FEATURES 16 The Age of Elegance 26 Ocala nursing team is pure gold 30 Sabrina Braun: A Marine, a mother, a nurse 34 OM Pulse

DEPARTMENTS 10 Letter from the Publisher 12 Words of Wisdom 14 From the Mayor

39 40 43

EAT Some delightful cookbooks Dining Out

45 46 58

PLAY Socially Speaking Anthology: Poetry in Motion

61 62

EQUINE Simplification’s road to the Derby

65 66

ETC Charity Spotlight: Circle Up Center for Practical Peacebuilding Health Journal: The county’s Medical Reserve Corps State of the City: Ocala’s Public Works Department State of the County: Marion’s history on display Kiwanis Korner Rotary Circle Looking Back: The Marion Hotel

Cookbook Inspiration — p. 40

ON THE COVER:

Ocala’s City Magazine Since 1980 Serving the Horse Capital of the World® $5.95

Lila Ivey OCALA MAGAZINE

Photographer: Ralph Demilio Stylist: Robin Fannon Hair/Makeup: CP Fredericks Fashion: Dillard's Ocala Jewelry: Shannon Roth Collection Shot on location at the Reilly Arts Center

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

MAY 2022

Age of Elegance Ocala women who are shining in their golden years

Nurse’s Month Ocala Hospital nursing unit captures top award in the midst of raging pandemic

Cook Book Inspiration

70 72 74 76 78 88

Volume 41, Issue 11

MAY 2022

OM

OCALA’S #1 MOST AWARD-WINNING CITY MAGAZINE

CELEBRATING OUR 42ND YEAR! Philip Glassman, CCIM | Publisher philip@ocalamagazine.com

Penny Miller | VP/Corporate Development penny@ocalamagazine.com

EDITORIAL Brad Rogers | Contributing Editor brad@ocalamagazine.com

ART Jessi Miller | Creative Director jessi@ocalamagazine.com

Carlton Reese | Senior Writer carlton@ocalamagazine.com Robin Fannon | Food + Lifestyle Editor robin@ocalamagazine.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Ralph Demilio | Chief Photographer ralph@ocalamagazine.com

CONTRIBUTORS Louisa Barton | Equine Columnist Christen Brown | Social Correspondent Mark Anderson/Marion County | Writer Ashley Dobbs/City of Ocala | Writer Mayor Kent Guinn | Columnist Bill Thompson | Writer OPERATIONS Randy Woodruff, CPA | CFO randy@ocalamagazine.com

Sharon Raye | Copy Editor

Ocala Magazine Wins Five 2021 Florida Magazine Association Awards!

EDITORIAL OR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES 352.622.2995

www.ocalamagazine.com OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER HOPS — Historic Ocala Preservation Society MEDIA PARTNER & PRESENTING SPONSOR of the Tailgating Competition at Live Oak International OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR 2022 International Women's Day Celebration EXCLUSIVE MEDIA SPONSOR FOR George Albright Annual Golf Tournament OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR FINE ARTS FOR OCALA

THE OFFICIAL CITY MAGAZINE OF

TEDxOcala · HITS · Equiventure

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OFFICE 743 E. Fort King St., Ocala, FL 34471 MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 4649, Ocala, FL 34478 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR by mail or email: editor@ocalamagazine.com SUBSCRIPTION One year - $49, Two years - $95, Single Issue - $5.95.

COPYRIGHT ALL contents copyrighted © 2021 by Ocala Magazine Publications. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use of editorial or advertising content in any manner without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Horse Capital of the World® is a registered trademark of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ & Owners’ Association.

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

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LETTER

from the publisher

Peace, practically.

IT’S NO SECRET THAT WE LIVE IN A RATHER POLARIZED society these days. Differences in politics, wealth, ethnicity and you name it, seem to divide people to a far greater degree than in the recent past. Conflict seems inevitable as opposing ideas clash around us constantly.

Unfortunately, most of the time conflict arises it is met simply with violence, either physical or verbal.

There’s an organization in Ocala now that hopes to make conflict resolution one that falls under the purview of peacebuilding instead of retribution: Circle Up. This month’s Charity Spotlight feature, the Circle Up Center for Practical Peacebuilding is perhaps the most unique organization we have been able to publicize in this magazine.

I also hope it turns into one of the more successful ones.

Cindy Grimes and Karin Dean are two local women who obviously care about their community, but even more so I think care about the human condition as it pertains to human interactions and relationship building. The two share an instinct that even people who are diametrically opposed to one another on a vital idea may find common ground leading to a peaceful and just outcome.

As is noted in the story, peaceful conflict resolution is especially vital for our youth who too often get in trouble and are thrown into a system that does not solve any issues, but more than likely exacerbates them. When our first reaction to a student getting in trouble is suspension or even expulsion, we have started the wheels rolling down a path of delinquency that only grows into a far bigger problem ahead.

With the Circle Up methodology, there is a chance real communication among perpetrators and victims can yield some positive fruit and stave off what Graves calls the “school-to-prison” pipeline. The method of the “Talking Circle” has been around since humans lived in caves, but its utility has been lost on modern man. Circle Up is reviving it and offers an alternative to a way that seems to yield little positive results. Why not give it a shot, then?

WITH THE MONTH OF MAY UPON US, it is time to honor mothers. I am grateful for my mother, Sharon Glassman, for not only giving me life but also for setting me down a proper life path. Mother’s Day is set aside to honor each individual mother, but I also think we should celebrate the institution of motherhood as well.

To give birth, nurture, teach, discipline and eventually send one off into the world is among the most special and demanding things a human can do, and only women can do it. I will never know the feeling of giving birth to a child and have only a slight notion of what the bond between mother and child is. I am not a woman, and as such I can never truly know.

In nature, we have countless examples of the selflessness of mothers in the animal kingdom. Mothers sacrificing themselves to protect their young is the norm, not the exception. It may look a little different, but the same is true among humans. The very act of being a mother is selfless by definition – one has to relinquish so many other things in order to do it well, and the reward is unconditional and unending love. Every mother deserves it; every mother has earned it.

Until next month,

PHILIP GLASSMAN, PUBLISHER

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

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words of wisdom

Bustling downtown just the start

O

cala has captured more than its share of the national limelight over the past couple of years because of its tremendous growth, its quality of life, its equine industry and its emergence as a regional logistics center.

So, when I saw an article about the World Equestrian Center in the last month’s Travel & Leisure magazine, I was a little taken aback by the headline: “There’s a Small Town in Florida You’ve Never Heard of…” it starts.

Never heard of? I mean, we’re no Atlanta or Miami, but never heard of? Good grief.

I mention T&L’s gross mischaracterization of Ocala because last month there was a big shakeup in City Hall. The City Council fired City Manager Sandra Wilson after 2½ years at the city’s helm.

The council named Assistant City Manager Pete Lee to be the interim city manager.

Now, you would think things must be a mess around Ocala for Wilson, who had been with the city for 22 years, to be fired. So, I sat down with Lee – another two-decade veteran of the city – to find out what’s wrong, what needs to be fixed, where are the failures.

Turns out, things are actually pretty good.

Downtown continues to add new businesses. Unemployment is at 3 percent.

Houses can’t be built fast enough. A second downtown parking garage is in the works.

A new hotel is open overlooking the downtown square.

There are condos and apartments going up downtown. The Mary Sue Rich Community Center on the westside is going to be a game-changer. There are more than 11,000 new housing units in the pipeline within the city limits. Development of the so-called “midtown” that would bring more restaurants, bars and shops north of Silver Springs

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Boulevard is gaining steam.

Residents of virtually every part of the city are seeing new and better all around them.

All this is a credit to the city staff and City Councils past and present. Early in the century the city implemented a downtown master plan, which was punctuated 12 years ago with the Vision 2035 plan that addressed the broader city. The plans emphasize a vibrant and diverse downtown and developing vacant land within the city to accommodate new growth rather than create more sprawl.

The downtown, of course, is the focal point of both plans.

“People like our downtown,” Lee told me. “A lot of people from other places like our downtown.

“We’re moving in the right direction. State Road 40 has been called ‘The Great Divide.’ I think there’s some things you can do with traffic.”

So much has changed about the community and the economy since Vision 2035 was written, and Lee believes it is time for an update of the plan with an eye toward making the business make-up of downtown more diverse. Specifically, more multi-family residential development, more hotels and more office space, all of which would bring more retail, as well as another parking lot north of Silver Springs Boulevard.

Lee, who worked his way up the city ladder by way of the Planning Department, said whoever succeeds Wilson – and he plans on applying – must also prepare Ocala for future growth. That means making sure the city’s services – from water and sewer to police and fire to recreation and even jobs – are adequate to handle the influx. If history is any guide, the city will meet that challenge, in no small part because the city staff has been following the plan and getting

BY BRAD ROGERS

it right for nearly a quarter century.

“We’ve been good at that,” Lee said.

“The department heads here are really smart people and they’re good at what they do.”

Then he added, “The city, in general, has been important to me. To be able to take plans and implement them is exciting.”

So, there’s a small town in Florida you’ve never heard of ? Well, you ought to get to know it. Because people who have heard of it, like it. A lot.

MAYOR

from the

Ocala’s hopes ride with Simplification

BY MAYOR KENT GUINN

I

n May all eyes turn to Lexington, Ky., and this year we send all our strong Ocala vibes with Simplification, the Florida-bred Bay Colt owned by Tami Bobo and trained by Antonio Sano.

When I went out recently to the Ocala Breeders Sales, I stopped by Tom Ventura’s office to tell him what a great job they had done with the sale and trainer Mark Casse happened to be there. I took the opportunity to pick their brains about a good horse to pick for the upcoming Kentucky Derby and Casse and both were quick to jump on Simplificiation. When someone like Casse, who trained War of Will to victory in the 2019 Preakness Stakes and Sir Winston to victory in the Belmont that same year, says he likes a horse then you had better take it seriously. I know on good authority there are other trainers out there saying the same thing.

If you’ve watched the horse, you’ll know it’s great at coming from behind; it just kind of hangs out there and finishes real strong. On top of that, Bobo tells me the horse loves running on the dirt, so the Derby could be a natural fit for him.

I was lucky enough to get to meet and speak with Bobo, and she will make it real easy to root for Simplification. She’s a great horsewoman and is very humble.

She truly is someone who has worked real hard to get where she is.

We talked about walk from the track to the winner’s circle and how special it would be, but also about the fair amount of luck involved. “I hope I get to walk that walk,” she said. Bobo remarked that it takes a combination of things to win the Run for the Roses: “You have to do all the right things to get lucky.”

On a side note, I’m always curious as to how horses get their names, and such is very much the case with Simplification. According to Bobo, the horse’s original name was Simple Confection, but the people working in the barn had a difficult time pronouncing it, mistakenly saying ‘Simplification.’ So, in order to “simplify” matters, Bobo decided to just call the horse Simplification.

I believe this horse is going to win and that’s why I am taking it for my annual friendly bet with Louisville mayor Greg Fisher, who has not yet revealed his pick. He generally puts up some Kentucky Bourbon while I offer up some Kendall Jackson wine – may the best horse win.

In four starts this year, Simplification has won twice with one second-place and one third-place finish. His victory came in March at the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, which basically qualified the horse for the Derby and which is no small feat as a Kentucky Derby prep race. The win there put Simplification in some pretty good company of past winners: Spectacular Bid, Tim Tam, Kauai King, Bet Twice, Forty Niner, Proud Truth and Thunder Gulch.

Here’s to Ocala’s next great horse coming down the stretch with a victory in its sights!

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Age of Elegance

BY ROBIN FANNON AND CARLTON REESE

The golden years are now for women of style, substance and beauty

T

he caricature of the aging female reveals many truths of society’s expectations and the low bar set for women who have supposedly crossed over from “youthful relevance” to “doddering eccentricity.” Gray hair knotted in a bun, horn-rimmed glasses, a creaky rocking chair and a mothball-scented floral muumuu: all ingredients of a stereotype too often succumbed to by the modern septuagenarian.

The picture of old age tends to frighten us in our youth, constantly whispering its inevitable arrival and subsequent reduction of all we cherish physically and mentally. Old age is seen as the other bookend of life’s arc, always before us, reminding us of our mortality.

I had not much contemplated the specter of a possible or pending caducity in my late years, but on my 60th birthday, I sud-

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denly became aware of all those fears and doubts. I noticed the wrinkles on my skin, the gray hues emerging through my blonde hair, and could detect that governor switch in my engine. I noticed other ladies in their 60s and 70s always “dressed to the fours” and trapped in a cyclical ritual of the trite and mundane. Here I was, on that very precipice, staring into the gaping maw of irrelevance, but I decided I would have none of it.

For some, the denial of one’s own femininity, sensuality, style and vitality starts at age 50 and accelerates at a rapid pace henceforth. The aging process becomes a firing squad of one’s former self instead of a parole

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RALPH DEMILIO STYLING BY ROBIN FANNON HAIR & MAKEUP BY CPFREDERICKS FASHION BY DILLARD’S OCALA JEWELRY BY SHANNON ROTH COLLECTION SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE REILLY ARTS CENTER

Top row: Kathy Judkins, Danuta Jacob, Leda Pérez, and Cynthia Driscoll Bottom row: Robin Fannon and Lila Ivey

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

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For me, the best example for how to approach old age came not from fashion idols or celebrity designers, but from my own mother. She embraced aging with a healthy attitude and uncommon humor, remaining active and engaged in life into her 90s. Her ritual was not trite, but absorbing of the mind – she would read up to 10 books a week and kept the air filled with classical music. She dressed not in some age-required uniform, but in what affirmed her refined tastes. All this, she instilled in me and my sisters, extinguishing any fears of the aging process.

When she broke her hip, I asked my mother if she was afraid of dying. Her response: “Well, there’s not a whole hell of a lot I can do about it, so why worry?”

We all have a choice: Embrace this new later stage in life with vitality and enthusiasm, or retire to a state of mental androgyny where the only future is looking backward. I choose the former – I plan to meet that challenge.

Not that all this is easy. Around us float images of hot, young women in mini-skirts, tight skin and airbrushed lips – enough to make one at any age surrender to the convenience of lethargy and bad hair days.

In the end, however, we are still the same women we have always been. My mind still operates as it did in my 40s – where is it written we must all abandon the tenets of womanhood we worked so hard to maintain our whole lives?

The aging process, wrought with insecurities and doubt due to the limitations it imposes, also offers opportunity if welcomed. Societal pressures eased, fashion Robin Fannon

from a life subjugated to hormonal cycles and societal mores. The models of emulation exist, yet we ignore their examples, deeming them a fantasy or creation of unattainable wealth. To witness an Iris Apfel, at 100 still flashing her iconic look and only three years removed from her most recent modeling gig, or a Maye Musk, who at 74 can still turn heads in an evening gown, is to give assurances that style, substance and beauty do not vanish altogether in the climacteric episode of menopause.

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sense tethered to the wisdom of experience, and the eventual exhilarating understanding of the male mind, grant a freedom to women realized only in their later years.

In Ocala, we have found five women who have made the same choice as I, and we would like to introduce you to them in these pages. They have risen to the challenge of aging gracefully, productively and with a zest for life. They’ve all made the choice to carry on as feminine, stylish forces in our community, remaining relevant professionally as well as socially, stylishly, and yes, sensually.

Each possesses tremendous self-confidence and lives life to the fullest. Theirs is not a myth of old age, witnessed solely in the pages of a Deborah Moggach novel, but a tangible reality on display to remind us all that the coming years are to be anticipated and not loathed.

INDIVIDUAL PROFILES BY CARLTON REESE

Cynthia DRISCOLL I

n her mid-30s she graced the runways of New York City fashion shows and was the object of photo shoots for Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. Now at 67, Cynthia Driscoll still smiles for the camera in elegant poses designed to sway the tastes of clothing and jewelry patrons.

The sad saga of the aging fashion model fading into irrelevance and unsung retirement in no way describes Driscoll. Exuding the same inner spirit and outer beauty that drove her career in younger days, Driscoll carries on in an industry that is not just tolerating older models but now finds a critical need for them.

For Driscoll, modeling at age 67 does not mean pandering to ancient stereotypes about seniors but about demonstrating the irrelevance of a number and providing an example of how years need not diminish physical beauty or inner spirit.

“I’m 67, and without surgery,” Driscoll proudly states, with her ageless alabaster skin and smile one could read by. “It’s just a number – it doesn’t define me.”

Born and raised in New York and having worked as a model there and in California, Driscoll, an Ocala resident for slightly less than a year, has no designs on “settling down” and she refuses to play the role of the hidden sexagenarian that wants the public to remember her only as she looked 40 years ago. No, Driscoll is proud to show off her timeless good looks and remain in the game as someone young women can look to with the confidence that getting older doesn’t mean cashing in your attractive display or your hip style.

“There are preconceived ideas of how we should be: We marry early and we have children,” Driscoll says. “Hair is supposed to be short, my clothes need to be attuned to my age, makeup and character should be more demure.

“But I always dress for me.

If everybody goes left, then I go right – just walking to the beat of a different drummer.”

Driscoll does not bask in fraudulent pandering reserved for the decrepit and homely – she genuinely pulls it off as easy on the eyes no matter how many years have passed. When she was 35, she had to pretend she was 25 in order to secure certain gigs.

Today, she boasts of her age and people are likely to once again think she is telling tall tales.

She has never undergone cosmetic surgery and laments the fact many young women in their 30s and even down to their teens are turning to the knife. It’s one reason she is still active in the modeling game.

“Absolutely I’m on a mission,” Driscoll said. “I expect people to say, ‘Who is that old woman?’ I want to get through to all the young women and I want them to say, ‘I want to look like that when I’m older.’”

Driscoll’s secret to remaining relevant and attractive may be multi-faceted. She gives credit to her vegan diet (though fish make many appearances, she says) and her spirituality.

“We are spirits in human bodies – the secret to youth would be that. See positives in your differences and embrace your uniqueness.

“At this age, the pressure is off. Life is a gift, so just be all you can be.”

“The Baby Boomer doesn’t want to dress like her daughter, but she doesn’t want to dress like grandma, either.”

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

19

LilaIVEY

“All these things you hear about menopause, that you’re not a woman anymore, that’s absolute garbage.”

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W

hile most people let the recent pandemic crash onto them like an unforgiving tsunami, Lila Ivey rode its wave with the ease of a Kelly Slater, carving out a new life path and reinvigorating her love for the arts and travel.

Ivey had planned on travelling abroad with her savings, but with pandemic lockdowns making that impossible, it was time to shift gears. The Trips and Tours leader for the Appleton Museum and also the Director of Community Outreach for Hospice of Marion County, Ivey had to give those up amid the new COVID protocols.

Instead of staying home or donning the Walmart blue vest that is commonplace among retirees, Ivey decided it was time to start a new career in graphic design.

“When the pandemic hit, like so many people, I had to re-invent myself completely,” said Ivey, now 72 and approaching life with the same vigor as in her younger days. “I’m selftaught, so now I do our ads (for Hospice), our brochures and our videos. I used to outsource those jobs and now I’m doing them myself and I’m having a ball!”

Ivey’s love for the arts remains vital to her very being – she is still involved with the Appleton and the NOMA art gallery – and she recently travelled to Washington, D.C. on a solo trip to visit the myriad of world-class museums there. She even led a group to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas, but admits that may have been her swan song for group tours. “It wasn’t without its stress because it was high COVID time,” Ivey said. “When it’s just me, there’s no stress involved.”

Ivey remains the relevant professional woman and she dresses the part. The world ceas-

es to rotate on its axis the day someone catches Ivey sporting a pair of old sweatpants while grocery shopping. No, the most likely scenario is finding Ivey dressed as though she just came from presenting at a corporate board meeting. Even at 72, fashion is an important part of her life.

“I’m embarrassed to say how huge (fashion) is,” Ivey said. “I try to keep up with fashion and style – I don’t know if it’s vanity or what.”

Ivey describes her sense of style as “funky” and “edgy,” but when it comes to the office, she is always the consummate professional: “makeup; down to the nines.”

“I dress up every day because it makes me feel good and I’m fortunate that I have a lot of business clothes.

“In the old days, we would say we dressed for men. I don’t think so; I think we dressed for other women. Now, I dress for myself. Any opportunity I have to get dressed up, I will be dressed up.”

In her dresser is just one pair of jeans she has owned for over 15 years and it comes out on the rare occasions which demand it. “But I don’t have many occasions,” Ivey says. “I go with the flow and dress accordingly, so for anything that’s fun or funky I will rise to the occasion.”

A new career, healthy lifestyle and a fashion sense that belies her age are all part of a life’s philosophy that not only accepts the inevitability of growing old but welcomes and enjoys the prospect.

Ivey refuses to believe that menopause strips a lady of her womanhood and she proves it every day.

“Menopause was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Ivey said. “When you don’t have hormones, you don’t have a lot of grief. It’s the best time of your life – it’s freedom on all levels.”

Danuta JACOB F

or Danuta Jacob, the best was always yet to come, and now at age 69 during so-called “retirement” she is making her relevant mark in Ocala through the arts.

She used to work at the Appleton Museum and is an actress with the Ocala Civic Theatre. Recently, she performed in her biggest role to date as the lead in T.K. Lee’s world premier “Paper Thin” last October at OCT. In the 90-minute production, Jacob remained on stage the entire time.

“I’ve been doing community theater since 1988 and I’ve had some pretty big roles, but this one – especially since it was an original play and was a world premiere – there was some stress involved,” Jacob said of her role as Lucrece, witnessed in person

by Lee himself. “It was a huge commitment, but it was a wonderful challenge and I really enjoyed every aspect of it.”

In the play, her character sits on a roof with a bottle of whiskey explaining to her son how life goes on even after divorce. It is a character ready to move on to the next chapter of her life, and Jacob may draw a parallel to her own life, sans divorce that is. Having moved in 2012 with her husband from New Hampshire to Bascom, Florida, Jacob embraced life in the quiet rural outpost of the state’s Panhandle, all the while yearning for the culture that would come in a move to Ocala seven years later.

“I am so enamored with the cultural aspect of Ocala, all the opportunities for art,” Jacob

said. “It’s just rich in culture.

People think of Ocala as the Horse Capital, and I understand that and that’s definitely one of its claims to fame. But that is not all that’s here by any means.”

Jacob does not relegate her artistic sensibilities to the stage – she has taken to the canvas as well. When the pandemic hit, theater production halted and gave her the green light to tackle the medium of painting.

“I used to paint, many years before I ever started doing theater and I wasn’t real proficient at it, but I enjoyed doing it,” said Jacob, who has been studying portraiture under local artist Mel Fiorentino. “If you’re not learning, what’s the point? I’m not just sitting home playing computer games or anything like that.”

When it comes to fashion, Jacob takes little consideration as to her age, but more as to how she feels. She describes her look as “sophisticated bohemian, if that’s a thing” and privy to bright colors and pastels. She notes that she is just as comfortable dressing ultra-casual as she is ultra-sophisticated.

“Comfort is a big issue,” Jacob said. “I’m more comfortable in slacks or leggings than I am in dresses. I like the feminine embroidery or lacey kind of stuff also, so I would say I have a broad range (of tastes), now that I think about it.”

At her age, Jacob insists attitude is everything. “If you believe you’re old, then you’re going to be old. I have known 40-year-olds who act like they’re 80, and a lot of that has to do with your attitude.”

“Keeping active is important.

Use it or lose it, so I try to keep using it.”

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

21

KathyJUDKINS S

“Women want dignity, but we don’t need to say it. How we carry ourselves is not something that should be broadcasted – people should just be able to tell.”

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

imply uttering the word “retirement” brings a slight retching to Kathy Judkins. Almost 60 and with the standard retirement age just a few years away, Judkins relishes the thought of continuing her career and serving those around her much more than the thought of easing into a recliner and taking the proverbial breather to finish out her days.

“I really don’t like the term ‘retirement,’” says Judkins, the senior consultant for civic, charitable and government relations at SECO Energy. “I’m not even looking forward to that. I would just love to be able to set my time, when I go in (to the office) and how much time I spend there.”

When you love your job, you never work a single day – and that is how Judkins sees herself at SECO and as president for the Florida Chapter of American Association of Blacks in Energy, an organization that helps ensure the input of African Americans and other minorities into discussions and developments of energy policy, technologies and environmental issues.

With SECO and the AABE, Judkins has carved a relevant niche for herself that allows her the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those around her. It’s not something she is going to relinquish as she heads into her twilight years.

“I’m approaching (the aging process) by celebrating it,” Judkins says. “I approach it gracefully and have the understanding that I may not be able to do some of the things I did in

my 20s or 30s, but I’m learning to enjoy every single day.”

Altering some of her habits is paving a much smoother life path as she stares down her 60s.

Among the changes are alterations in her eating and sleeping habits which, “… are going to help me because I believe my health is my true wealth.”

Changes are also taking place in her professional habits.

Always a multi-tasker, Judkins now sees the value of focusing on one objective at a time. “I don’t need to be a squirrel, moving from one thing to another. I thought I could be a multi-tasker forever, but now I’m realizing maybe I need to slow it down just a little bit, do one thing at a time and do a really great job at that.”

Judkins credits meditation, deep breathing exercises and hydration as essential to her success as well as her mental and physical well-being, which are priorities at her age. Healthy in mind, body and spirit have proven barriers to the aging process that carries a different meaning to her than many others. For that, she can thank her mother who has passed on a sense of fashion that eschews the norms for aged women.

“I have a mother who’s 82 and she’s still dressing like she’s in her 50s, so I’ve had a great role model,” Judkins said. “When I go into a meeting I like to put my heels on and have a really nice outfit or business suit or dress. Then, there are days when I want to wear my flats or flipflops and just be casual.

“I like to coordinate what I wear and I refuse to look older.

I think people should dress how they feel and I don’t want to dress older like a grandmother in a rocking chair, yet.”

Leda PÉREZ O

ne might ask Leda Pérez her age, and she could truthfully answer that she doesn’t quite know. That is how irrelevant such a number is to her.

Now 65, Pérez remembers once being asked that very question and her response was, “What year is it?” For Pérez, there are no numbers that seemingly define a person, only a mind that dictates behaviors and outcomes. To call it “mind over matter” would be incorrect; for Pérez, mind is matter.

“I truly believe your thoughts can dictate what your body is feeling,” says Pérez, a fitness trainer who teaches “yogalates,” which is a hybrid of yoga and Pilates. “So, what I think and say is important to my body.”

The aging process has been kind to Pérez, who boasts of rarely getting sick. “I’m always vibrant. I speak to myself in a way that really honors myself.”

She began physical workouts at age 33 and at that time delved into literature of the mind, poring over the works of authors such as Ernest Holmes and Thomas Troward. A seminal period in her life, Pérez has since utilized this knowledge to guide her journey into post-middle age and enjoys a contentment few people experience. For her, contentment and happiness are built from within.

“What we think about, we bring about,” says Pérez, who has been in the health and wellness industry for over 30 years.

“When you see people that are constantly talking about terrible things in their lives, you would

not believe what happens, all the horrible things.”

That mindset is especially important as the years pass.

Pérez understands the fears most people have about growing old, and she admits to being among those at one point dreading her later years. But a long time ago she set her mind straight and embraced all the positives that come with the aging process, not dwelling on the negative aspects.

For Pérez, there is beauty in aging – all one must to do is keep acknowledging such.

“I used to think, ‘Oh, my God, I’m towards the end!’ But for me, there’s such a sense of freedom at this stage that I can say whatever the hell I want and if some people don’t like it, that’s OK. I don’t have to appease or please anybody.”

Pérez sums up the philosophy succinctly with Bernard Baruch’s famous quote: “Those who care don’t matter, and those who matter don’t care.”

Pérez may never retire in that she sees herself always involved in the community, living to serve in some capacity. And to her, that is where true enrichment resides.

“I think being involved with humanity and serving humanity is the greatest thing you can do,” Pérez said. “I never see myself not involved with my community. I want to serve in some way.

You want to leave a mark, you want to help other people rise to their greater good.”

It may also be key to living to a ripe old age. “I told my kids, ‘I’m going to be 114 before I leave, so make sure you have a tiny hole in the back yard for me.’”

“There’s a beauty in those wrinkles. There’s wisdom, there’s love, there’s experience and there’s so much to offer the younger people.”

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

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NURSES MONTH

The Gold

Standard Ocala Hospital nursing unit captures top award in the midst of raging pandemic

BY BRAD ROGERS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RALPH DEMILIO

A

s she talks about what her intensive care nursing unit at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital has had to endure over the past couple of years, Andrea Hunter wavers between beaming smiles of pride and tearful pauses of grief.

“When Delta hit last year, I don’t have the words to describe how horrible it was,” said Hunter, a mother of six and the clinical nursing manager of Ocala Hospital’s Trauma Intensive Care Unit. “If you compare it to the first wave (of the COVID-19 pandemic), multiply it 10 times. And it was people you saw at the grocery store. I had hard-core trauma nurses and I was holding them.

“To give you a scale, in an average month, we’ll have 20 to 30 deaths. Most of them are anticipated deaths. They’re very ill, it’s expected. Then in September 2021, we had 132 people die. And these were people in their 30s and 40s and 50s. These are young people and they’re dying.”

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Despite the large numbers of deaths brought on by COVID-19 – especially the Delta variant – and the horrors it inflicted on the patients, their families and those who cared for them, Ocala Hospital (formerly Ocala Regional Medical Center), recently won the gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). It is the highest award in the nursing profession and marked the first time a hospital in the 185-hospital HCA chain, the largest hospital company in the United States, has ever captured the gold Beacon Award, which also hands out silver and bronze awards.

The award is based on six “pillars” of nursing care, including leadership structures, adequate staffing and staff engagement, effective learning and development, evidence-based practices and processes, and outcome measurement.

Richard Rivera, assistant nursing officer at Ocala Health, said the gold-level award –

one of only 45 given across the nation and one of only two in Florida this year – is particularly impressive given the pressures being felt in the nursing profession during the pandemic.

Not only is there a national nursing shortage, but COVID presented unique challenges because it was new and ever-changing.

“The nursing shortage – it’s here,” Rivera said. “The shortage is not a surprise. But the pandemic just added a layer to the complexity of the problem.”

And the level of emotional toll it took on health care workers had never been experienced before on such a sweeping scale.

“It was a war zone,” Rivera said. “There’s no better way to describe it.”

“No one likes to deal with death,” he added. “End of life is the most challenging piece of critical care. … But the sheer number and frequency of the deaths made it much more difficult.”

Rivera said he has had “a lot of training for mass casualty events, but there’s no training

for the magnitude it presented or prepare you for the emotional impact.”

“The term ‘unprecedented’ was legitimate,” he added.

Hunter said the grief among nurses – from seeing so many people die, from having to deal with angry anti-vaccine families, from having to be alone at the bedsides of dying COVID victims – took such a toll that Ocala Hospital brought in grief counselors for their nursing teams.

“It was the first time I saw the grief cart brought in for patients and nurses,” said Kaitlyn Butler, the hospital’s spokeswoman.

THE WINNING PRESCRIPTION Winning the Beacon Award, Ocala Hospital officials agree, was not only a proverbial feather in the medical center’s collective hat – and a big one – but it also was something of a salve on the emotional wounds the staff incurred during the worst of the pandemic.

“This award shows that no matter how many deaths we had, we still provided excel-

“Compared to the rest of the country, we outperformed most ICUs. It’s huge. If we don’t have great nursing care, there’s no way we can save people’s lives.”

—DR. DARWIN ANG TRAUMA MEDICAL DIRECTOR AT OCALA HOSPITAL

lent nursing,” Hunter said. “This is why you do it. It did mean something, what you did.

It really did. The people who come through those doors got great care.”

Dr. Darwin Ang, trauma medical director at Ocala Hospital, put it more succinctly when asked the significance of the award.

“Compared to the rest of the country, we outperformed most ICUs,” he said. “It’s

huge. It’s teamwork. If we don’t have great nursing care, there’s no way we can save people’s lives.”

As head of one of Florida’s busiest trauma units, with more than 4,000 patients last year, Ang said the Beacon Award not only bolsters his fellow physicians’ confidence in Ocala Hospital’s nursing team, but it should also boost the community’s confidence in

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

27

them as well.

“We’ve got some of the best nurses I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “And they’re expected to do a lot. So, the Beacon Award represents this whole critical care system. It’s not just what we do but how well we do it.”

Ang said winning the award required tremendous data collection and daily communications between nurses and those charged with helping them cope with a new medical crisis. The hospital Beacon Award entry was a compilation of patient outcome data gathered weekly as well as frequent peer reviews and constant examinations of “what went right and what went wrong.” And, Ang added, it’s not just an award HCA and Ocala Hospital should celebrate, but one the community should be proud of, too – considering the award goes to less than 1 percent of nursing units nationwide.

“It’s great for the community,” Ang said.

“Winning the gold award is kind of icing on the cake.”

One of the key metrics in measuring nursing unit effectiveness is the rate of infections a hospital reports, Ang said. And during the pandemic, COVID was deemed an infection, thus making the award even more difficult to win.

Charlotte Davis, the hospital’s clinical practice quality coordinator for critical care services and a member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses board of directors, compiled the 50-page Beacon Award entry. She said the achievement is remarkable on its own, but to win it during the COVID pandemic is exceptional.

“It took the commitment of the entire team,” she said. “We not only met those six benchmarks, we exceeded them.

As a result, we have thousands of people who are alive who shouldn’t be.”

She said winning the award required “a perfect storm” of doctors, nurses, support staff and administration coming together and following the science, often as the science about COVID-19 was just emerging. But in the end, she noted, nurses are the frontline force in patient care.

“Nurses drive the clinical outcomes of patients – period,” Davis said.

She echoed Rivera’s acknowledgement that the challenge of the ongoing nursing shortage makes winning the Beacon Award

28

| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

even more special.

“It is like a pink unicorn,” she said.

“You’re not going to find another one. It’s very rare.”

Rivera said the Beacon Award not only exemplifies the skill level of Ocala Hospital’s nurses but their passion for what they do.

“You can teach skills,” he said. “You can’t teach attitude.

“I like to say our nurses now have, what do you call it, swag. There’s a professional pride with achieving the award. There’s a continual passion to provide or achieve excellence in patient care.”

LINGERING EFFECTS Beacon Award gold medals or not, where do nurses and the nursing profession go from here? Clearly, COVID changed the profession, indeed the world.

Rivera pointed out the changes are both psychological and structural. Nurses have become more mobile, hence the growth of so-called “travel nurses.” More people are coming into the profession who care about their community. Veteran nurses are taking early retirements. And, of course, there will be almost daily challenges with changing equipment, technology and medications.

Yet, Rivera believes people will continue to be drawn to the nursing profession.

Hunter is more pragmatic, still caught up in the moment.

“It’s been rough, really rough,” she said, holding back tears. “But to come through

“To give you a scale, in an average month, we’ll have 20 to 30 deaths. ...

Then in September 2021, we had 132 people die. These are young people and they’re dying.”

—ANDREA HUNTER

all that and be able to say we’re a Beacon Award-winning unit gives us something to hold onto.”

Hunter described her own feelings about what she and her fellow nurses have been through the past couple of years.

“This is the first time I’ve been able to

talk about it without crying,” she said. “We’re suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). I think a lot of nurses are doing a lot of soul-searching right now. They’re going to lower-acuity jobs.

“Every nurse who was here through the whole of it, it’s like an adrenaline dump. A lot of them are like, ‘What do I do now?’

There’s a lot of PTSD.” Yet, Hunter believes the Beacon Award is strong medicine for her emotionally battered charges.

“It reignites your passion for nursing,” she said. “This award shows that no matter how many deaths we had, we still provided excellent nursing. I think a lot of us, though, are kind of waiting for the next shoe to drop.”

Sabrina Braun, chief nursing officer at Ocala Hospital, said she is confident in the future of nursing. She says it is a profession built on having a passion for people, for the community.

“It’s about finding that passion for people,” she said. “Sometimes your patient needs that smile. … And I can tell you touching stories all day long about nurses and their patients. I want to have a hospital that I would bring my family to.”

But Hunter says while the nurses in Ocala Hospital’s trauma ICU revel in winning one of their profession’s top awards, there is still plenty of healing that needs to happen.

“There are a lot of people who are lost,” she said. “They ask, ‘Do I want to do this anymore? I can’t forget about the last two years that just wrecked my soul.’

“How do you put it into words when you’re in the middle of it? How do you tell how you feel when you don’t know how you feel?”

For now, though, the 155 nurses of the Surgical Trauma ICU at Ocala Hospital can find solace in knowing that they were among the best in their profession during the worst of times.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

29

NURSES MONTH

Veteran, nurse, mother From Marines to head nurse, Sabrina Braun is on a leadership journey

A

30

| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

“I never wanted to be a leader, leadership found me.”

idents to join the nursing profession, she and Ocala Hospital partner with high schools and colleges in the community to recruit and train more nurses.

And when those future nurses join her at Ocala Hospital, they will find a boss who lives by this motto: “Patients first, employees only.”

“What I’ve found is, if you give them the supplies, equipment and the staff they need, they’ll do an outstanding job,” Braun said.

Away from work, Braun is married and her husband, Robert, is a retired Army drill sergeant. They have two children: daughter Nicole, who attends Notre Dame University, and son Logan, who attends Vanguard High.

She said her passion for family and nursing cross paths, at least in her soul.

“Family is very important to me,” she said, adding later, “I want to have a hospital that I would bring my family to.”

Photos provided by Sabrina Braun

s a child, Sabrina Braun was surrounded by nurses. Her mother was a nurse. Her family founded the first hospital in Fitzgerald, Georgia. She says she “grew up going to the hospital volunteering.”

When she neared high school graduation, she wanted to go to college and to travel.

So, she decided … to join the Marine Corps.

That’s right. Braun saw the Marines as a way to see the world and go college, and she soon left her home in Hazelhurst, Georgia, at age 18, to become a Marine.

Hers was not your typical Marine enlistment, because she spent her nights and weekends working part-time jobs to pay for her nursing classes. Yes, she went to school at night, too.

Today, now 43, Braun is married, is the mother of two and is the chief nursing officer at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital (formerly Ocala Regional).

With the month of May being National Nurses Month, National Military Appreciation Month and with Mother’s Day falling on the second Sunday of the month each year, Braun checks all the celebratory boxes.

These days, however, Braun is focused on nursing and, more specifically, the nursing staff at Ocala Hospital.

“I never wanted to be a leader,” she said. “Leadership found me. The Marines taught me leadership – that you speak up for your people.”

While she says family always comes first, she is passionate about her profession and the people who work for her.

“I’m very passionate about taking care of people,” said Braun, who has been in Ocala for seven years. “And I want people who want to be here, who want to take care of the community.”

In hopes of encouraging more local res-

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Each month, Ocala Magazine showcases the tastes, opinions and desires of its readers through its online survey. For May we discovered these insights:

84% 38% OF OM RESPONDENTS SAY THEY HAVE NO PLANS TO ATTEND AN MLB SPRING TRAINING GAME THIS YEAR.

OF RESPONDENTS SAY THEY RELY ON STREAMING SERVICES FOR THEIR TELEVISION VIEWING EXPERIENCE. 31% rely on cable services and 25% rely on a satellite dish.

13% OF OM RESPONDENTS SAY THEY HAVE CURBED THEIR DRIVING HABITS SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF FUEL. The remaining respondents say they have curbed their driving habits only slightly or not at all.

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

62.5% OF OM RESPONDENTS SAY THEY DO NOT PLAN ON CELEBRATING CINCO DE MAYO WHILE 37.5% SAY THEY WILL.

Tulips ARE THE OVERWHELMING FAVORITE FLOWER TO BLOOM IN MAY AMONG OM RESPONDENTS. ROSES AND MAGNOLIAS ARE ALSO POPULAR.

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OF OM RESPONDENTS SAY THAT HIGH GAS PRICES HAVE NOT MADE THEM CONSIDER PURCHASING AN ELECTRIC CAR; 7% are now considering such a purchase.

% 0 5

EY AY TH ARD S S T DEN IFT C SPON THER A G E R M OF O THEIR MO AY. D me, GIVE OTHER’S he ho t r o f gift ON M give a . ey say th ive clothes % 2 4 g 8% while

63% OF OM RESPONDENTS SAY THEY LIKE TO PLANT FLOWERS OR GARDENS THIS TIME OF YEAR.

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OF OM RESPONDENTS SAID THEY HAVE NOT BEEN BACK TO THE MOVIE THEATER SINCE THEY RE-OPENED FROM THE PANDEMIC.

OF OM RESPONDENTS SAY THEY WILL DO NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR MOTHER’S DAY. 28% WILL TAKE THEIR MOTHER TO A RESTAURANT, WHILE 18% WILL CELEBRATE THE DAY AT THEIR MOTHER’S HOUSE.

62%

OF OM RESPONDENTS SAY THEY ONLY WEAR A PROTECTIVE MASK WHEN IT IS REQUIRED. 25% say they never wear a mask and 13% say they wear masks whenever indoors.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAR 2022 |

35

We provide food to over 148 agencies

We pick up fresh food for our Marion County family daily across Florida

We work hard to get food to those in need

We start work at 3am and ride buses to get the food to you

We deliver everywhere

We provide emergency aide

We provide food handouts and food event deliveries an average of 58 times per month throughout Marion County

We stock food for Marion County Emergencies

We get the freshest foods

We provide in-date food to area restaurants for free

We go everywhere to get food

We even work with clowns

We pick peaches, harvest cucumbers, and glean fields

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HIS Compassion Food Bank 352-351-0732

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eat

Try “Taco Thursday” on Cinco de Mayo or any other Thursday this month!

Cook Book Inspiration p40 | Dining Out p44

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

39

Cook books that are more than just recipes

BY ROBIN FANNO

T

N (IG: @RSVP_ROBIN)

he last time we rev iewed cookbooks wa s Spring 2019, and there are a slew of beautiful ne w books that have come out in the last three years.

Yes, the pandemic had all foo d lovers, writers, blo creatives busy in the gg ers and kitchen. These books all have interesting, deeper stories than jus t recipes. They are sn apshots into the lives of the writers, seen through the len s of the meals they have prepared and en joyed. Not just the pro cess of cooking, but also the shoppin g, prepping and the sto ries behind the process. W hile it wa s difficult to narrow it down, these three books have become ind ispensable for me, an d I’m working my way through each on e … slowly! One bo ok, one recipe, one meal, one bite at a tim e. I hope you pick on e (or all of them) up and dive in. It’s a most enjoyable pastime and one of life’s greatest joys. Bon ap petit!

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

The Forest Feast Road Trip

Simple Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by My Travels Through California WRITTEN, PHOTOGRAPHED AND ILLUSTRATED

BY ERIN GLEESON

Salad Freak

BY JESS DAMUCK PHOTOS BY LINDA PUGLIESE FORWARD BY MARTHA STEWART Imagine being responsible for preparing lunch for Martha Stewart everyday. Now, imagine doing this with such vague instructions from Martha like “I would like something that is light, fresh and truly delicious.” Apparently Jess Damuck kept the Domestic Diva happy, because she remained employed in the test kitchen for Martha Stewart Living for several years. This lovely, colorful book is full of light, fresh and truly delicious recipes that are perfect for the warm summer months.

Jess also has a passion for food styling and her recipes show her talented eye for visual composition.

She considers salad making an art and anything but boring.

This colorful, happy book is actually part travel journal, part cookbook and might be my all-time favorite (OK, maybe it’s in the top five) . Visually stunning with simple recipes and easy-to-follow instructions, this is a book to curl up with and then get in the kitchen and have fun.

It epitomizes the plant-based approach to eating that so many embrace, and I am slowly savoring my way through each recipe. So far, my favorite is this Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad, which is hearty enough to satisfy you as a main course meal and also holds up well in the refrigerator for several days. Prepare a batch Sunday night and enjoy it through the week.

Old World Italian

Recipes and Secrets for our Travels in Italy

BY MIMI THORISSON PHOTOGRAPHS BY ODDUR THORISSON Mimi Thorisson is renowned for her writing, blogging and cooking expertise with France and French cooking, but she, her husband , photographer Oddur Thorisson, (and their five children) as well as an insane amount of dogs, vacationed regularly in Italy, and fell in love with the country. This book, as she describes it, is “in part my family’s story of how we experienced Italy and the Italian food we have always cooked and loved.” It is incredibly artistic and beautifully curated, full of mouth-watering recipes that are totally approachable for most foodies. While there are many delicious pasta and meat recipes, I choose this simple asparagus recipe, in keeping with our current season. It also includes egg and cheese, which gives it a heartier appeal, and can actually be enjoyed by itself for lunch or a light summer dinner. It’s a beautiful addition to any cookbook enthusiast’s collection.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

41

Chili Crisp from Salad Freak

by Jess Damuck

The ultimate “Umami” garlicky relish that is truly a “secret weapon” that is wonderful spread on sandwiches, burgers, tossed on noodles or added to salad dressing.

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

INGREDIENTS » » » » »

3 small shallots 2 heads of garlic, cloves separated.

1 1/2 cups safflower or peanut oil 1 3-inch piece of peeled ginger root, grated 1/4 cup crushed red pepper (use less if you prefer less heat) » 1 Tbsp. local honey » 2 Tbsp. soy sauce » 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

• Peel and thinly slice the shallots and the garlic on a mandolin. Place in a small pot with 1 1/2 cups oil and simmer over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. You want them deep golden brown but not burnt, or they will be bitter.

• In a small heat-proof bowl combine ginger, red pepper flakes, honey, soy sauce and cinnamon.

• Carefully strain the pot of garlic and shallots through a sieve over the bowl.

• Let the crispy bits continue to crisp up on a paper towel lined plate. Let everything cool down and then combine.

• Store in a jar in the refrigerator for about a month.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad from The Forest Feast Road Trip

by Erin Gleeson

A super simple, fresh and satisfying salad that virtually anyone can easily master.

Make this recipe your own by adding fresh corn, avocado, or put your choice of protein on top. I like to serve it with warm tortillas or Naan

INGREDIENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS

» Two sweet potatoes cut into cubes, roasted or sauteed in olive oil, sea salt and pepper until fork tender ( about 15 minutes)

• » » » » »

Cool potatoes in a mixing bowl and stir in: one can of black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cucumber cubed 1 small red pepper, cubed 1/2 red onion, diced one bunch of cilantro, chopped.

• » » » » »

Toss with the following simple dressing: zest and juice for 2 limes 2 Tbsp. local honey 1 Tbsp. olive oil pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

43

dining out

EAT

Ocala is going out!

Advertise with us to connect with our hungry readers.

Call 352.622.2995 and reserve your space.

Ivy On The Square Whether gathering with friends or family for lunch or a night out, you’ll enjoy fresh salads, mouthwatering comfort food, late-night tapas and drinks. Specials include our Pecan Salmon, Southern Fried Lobster and famous baked Krispy Chicken. After dining enjoy a stroll in our boutique where we offer a variety of gifts, jewelry, home decor and clothing. Looking to host a special event or dinner? Call and talk to one of our staff members on the options we have available.

Let us cook for you...

Make Mother’s Day reservations!

Gift certificates available.

53 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala | (352) 622-5550 Closed Mon, Tues 11am-2pm, Wed 11am-9pm, Thurs 11am-9pm 106 NW Main St., Williston | (352) 528-5410 Sun-Wed 11am-2pm, Thurs-Sat 11am-8pm | ivyhousefl.com

West 82° Bar and Grill From wild, locally caught seafood to regionally grown produce and beef sourced within Florida, West 82⁰ Bar & Grill brings delectable farm-to-table plates while guests overlook the beautiful Kings Bay and Crystal River. Bring your own catch of the day, and the restaurant will prepare it for you flawlessly.

Join us for Sunday Brunch featuring hot and cold stations, a carving station, an omelet station, and an assorted dessert display.

Call for reservations and weekly specials.

Breakfast, Daily: 6:00am-10:30am | Sunday Brunch: 11:30am - 2:00pm Lunch, Daily: 11:00am - 2:30pm | Dinner, Daily: 5:00pm - 9:00pm For reservations, call 1.800.632.6262 9301 West Fort Island Trail, Crystal River, FL 34429 | (352) 795-4211 www.plantationoncrystalriver.com

44

| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

9301 West Fort Island Trail Crystal River, FL 34429 (352) 795-4211 plantationoncrystalriver.com

play

Artwork by Kim Darling Painted wood From the April exhibit at 8th Street Gallery, Ocala Society p46 | Anthology—Poetry in Motion p58

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

45

EVENTS

society

H.O.P.S. Historic Home & Art Tour

BY ANDREW GRUNTHER PHOTOS BY ROBIN FANNON AND JESSI MILLER

T

he over 500 attendees enjoyed glimpses into the beautiful and unique homes throughout two of Ocala’s Historic Districts. The Historic Ocala Preservation Society (HOPS) has a long history of conducting both Spring & Winter home tours. Visitors get to admire first hand the beauty of the architecture and appreciate the early history of Ocala.

Thanks to the generous support of the sponsors, and an unprecedented attendance, HOPS was able to raise over $20,000 dollars to benefit preservation, education, and continued engagement with our local community.

Local artists Ryan Neumann, Justin Alsedek, & Andres Garcia had their work on display at three of the homes on the tour. Local plein air artists were on location painting various aspects of the facades and gardens.

Housed within the historic Ocala Union Station, The Magnolia Art Xchange (The MAX) & The Depot on Magnolia restaurant both opened their doors for attendees to explore the gallery, meet with artists, and sample treats from the soon-to-open restaurant.

Each of the homes on tour were special in their own way. Visitors learned the history of the early property owners and other interesting facts. Victorian, Frame Vernacular, & Bungalow style homes were included as a showcase of the varying architectural styles throughout the districts.

Board members, sponsors, homeowners, and artists were treated to a post-tour VIP event hosted by Andrew & Michael Grunther at the Luman House; their home in the Tuscawilla Historic District, to celebrate the culmination of months of planning and hard work by all involved.

With more events on the horizon, make sure to follow The Historic Ocala Preservation Society on socials and become a member to stay up to date on what is happening in our city’s historic districts and receive invitations to the plethora of events, classes, and galas that are scheduled. Memberships are available online at www.DonorBox.org/HistoricOcala

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

G.S. Scott Home — owned by Rick Perry

Peyser Home — owned by Stacy Cruz

McCullough Home— Leslie McCullough

Artist rendering the Luman Home — owned by Andrew Grunther

Gorgio Berry and Sean Gallaway

Peyser/Stacy Cruz Home with Michelle Rhodes Artist rendering

Andrew Grunther, Brian Stoothoff, Clay Walkup, Rhoda Walkup and Emily Irving.

Photo by Holly Yocum

Rebecca Dallman, Pamela Stafford, Dr. Sol Anker, Linda Anker, Michael Grunther, Jena Butler, Andrew Grunther, Holly Yocum, Caryl Lucas

Danielle Sheldon and Dr. Lela Kerley

Elizabeth McMurray and Melissa Townsend

Dennis and Pat Cardigan

Bonnie and Anibal Rodriquez

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

47

EVENTS

society

Kiwanis Beef Sale Honoring Croswell Branch

BY DIANA WILLIAMS

T

he Kiwanians had a wonderful crowd with lots of guests that joined to bid on the steer. N.C. helped market this year’s program to honor Croswell Branch—passed President of Kiwanis Club, founder of Seminole Feed, and Croswell’s 30+ years of perfect attendance setting a fabulous example for all Kiwanians. It was a great reminder for the newer Kiwanis members about the history of our club, the dedicated members of the past who set these great traditions, the almost 70 years of purchasing a steer at the Southeast Youth Fair, and ultimately supporting almost 25% of the scholarships each summer at Camp Kiwanis.

This year really brought the steer auction to acknowledge the full “circle of life.” Alan Martinez Jimenez joined the auction, he was the student at Lake Weir High School’s FFA club that raised the steer and he expressed his appreciation to the Kiwanis Club. He shared that the proceeds from the steer will be the seed money to fund the Lake Weir’s FFA steer for next year.

Leena Williams recruited Judge Lori Cotton as a “runner” and Kiwanian Dennis McElhinney helped as well. Lori’s husband, Steve Tweedle, and Arman Reyes, both from Hier’s Baxley Foundation Partners, did lots of bidding and buying, and enjoyed the excitement. Our auctioneer, Tom James, did his usual great job getting the highest bid to benefit the camp, and he sold every pound by 1:00 p.m.!

The Club also honors Croswell Branch, Doug Oswald, Jim Kirk, and others that have set the stage for the future of Kiwanis and the dedication to the children of our community.

Hoping the next generation will carry on these great traditions. It is great to be a Kiwanian!

Leena Williams with Hiers Baxley team.

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Tom James

Diana Williams and Alan Martinez Jimenez

Seminole Check Presentation

Keith Knorr

Tammy Hoff with Brooklyn Lori Cotton Kevin Lopez

Shelley Sizemore

UPCOMING EVENTS

Ocala's home for live entertainment!

National Artists, the Ocala Symphony Orchestra and more!

Artrageous: Interactive Art and Music Experience

Dueling Pianos May 6 | 7:30 PM

Dancehall Meets African Pop May 14 | 8 PM

May 14 | 3 PM

Max Weinberg's Jukebox

Reilly Noir: Global Jazz Collective

May 26 | 7:30 PM

Jumpin' June Swing Dance Social

May 27 | 7:30 PM June 4 | 8 PM Support provided by:

Classic Albums Live

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers May 20 | 7:30 PM

Red, White and Ocala Symphony Blue July 3 | 3 PM

Concerts, classic films, special events and more!

The Marion Theatre has something for everyone with a great lineup of movies and live concerts.

Additionally, this unique space is perfect for private film events! Host your next birthday party, company outing, or gather friends to watch your favorite film by renting the theatre.

Scan the QR code for a complete listing of Reilly, Symphony and Marion events!

Grease Sing-A-Long-A May 14 | 3 PM & 8 PM

Remembering John Denver, a tribute starring Ted Vigil

ReillyArtsCenter.com | 352-351-1606 | 500 NE 9th Street

Media Support provided by:

July 16 | 3 PM & 8 PM

MarionTheatre.org | 352-820-3049 | 50 S Magnolia Ave

EVENTS

society

CF Donor Appreciation Luncheon PHOTOS COURTESY OF COLLEGE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

T

he College of Central Florida Foundation hosted its annual Donor Appreciation Luncheon on Wednesday, April 6, at the Webber Center. Featured student speaker Jaysander Rodriguez shared the impact a privately funded scholarship has had on his educational journey. Faculty speaker Nancy Abshier, program chair for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Management degree and program manager for Office Administration, presented on CF’s growing bachelor’s degree programs. Chris Knife, vice president of Development and CEO of the CF Foundation, and Dr. James Henningsen, CF president, gave updates on the foundation and the college.

Chris Knife, Kathy Judkins and Curtis Wynn

Cheryl Fante, Nancy Abshier and Joyce Fabian

Robert Landt, Michelle Stone and Charlie Stone

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Tom Weaver, Cash Pealer and Dr. James Henningsen

EVENTS

society

Southern Sportsman Whitetail Foundation Fundraiser

SSWF appreciates Circle S Ranch Hunt Club for allowing us to host our event at their property and for their support.

T

he Southern Sportsman Whitetail Foundation mission: We have strived to build a relationship based on our common beliefs and goals that those who have a disability or a handicap from disabled veterns to handicapped people of all ages still dream of spending time outdoors hunting should have the ability to do so. We believe that with a little help from people like us they can overcome their disability or handicap, with our help and have fun hunting in the woods.

We have witnessed numerous people who thought that it was not possible to go out to the woods and hunt any longer, only to contact us and through SSWF have been able to hunt and be successful in obtaining their deer, turkey or even hogs.

For information contact: President Avery Duval 239-777-1817, Email: sswf.ocala@gmail.com, and follow us on facebook www.facebook.com/SSWFOCALA

Front (L-R): Keith Winchel, Jonathan Nash, Snuggles – Phillip Starling, Robbie Waters Back (L-R): Mark Moats, Joe Preston, John Brady – Barn light electric, Avery Duval, Phillip Starlight Sr. and Jim DeSart

Sapp children

Gene Cooley - 4 Wheeler Winner

Heather Wireman

Madison Friend and Davis Carrasco

Joan Pletcher and Keith Winchel

Neila Friend

Robbie and Myron Waters

Avery Duval, president of SSWF

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

51

Nurses: A Voice to Lead.

Nurses: A Voice to Lead.

Hospice Hospice of of Marion Marion County County Celebrates Celebrates 2022 2022 National National Nurses Nurses Week Week -- May May 6-12 6-12

At At Hospice Hospice of of Marion Marion County, County, every every week week and and every every day day our our dedicated dedicated team team guides guides their their patients patients and and family family during during life’s life’s most most difficult difficult transition transition with with expertise expertise and and compassion. compassion. Appreciate Appreciate aa nurse nurse you you know! know!

Our Our nurses nurses enjoy enjoy what what many many call call aa dream dream job job -- ample ample time time to to spend spend with with patients, patients, fulfilling fulfilling work work and and lasting lasting relationships relationships plus plus we we have have an an excellent excellent benefits benefits package package and and generous generous sign-on sign-on bonuses. bonuses.

Scan Scan the the code code to to see see what what we we offer: offer: hr@hospiceofmarion.com hr@hospiceofmarion.com or or search search Careers Careers at at www.hospiceofmarion.com www.hospiceofmarion.com for for current current openings. openings. We’ We’d d love love to to hear hear from from you! you!

TM Hospice since 1983 1983 Hospice of of Marion Marion County County -- your your Hometown Hometown Hospice HospiceTM since 3231 3231 SW SW 34th 34th Ave Ave || Ocala, Ocala, Fl Fl 34474 34474 || (352) (352) 873-7400 873-7400

EVENTS

society

Behind the Mask OCT hosts fund raiser for theater youth programs

PHOTOS BY DAVE SCHLENKER

S

everal hundred people turned out on Monday, April 26, for a spectacular evening of music as the Ocala Civic Theatre hosted “Behind the Mask: An Enchanted Evening.”

The highlight of the evening was Grant Norman, Broadway star whose credits include starring as Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast” and as the Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera.” Norman not only performed a number of songs, but also served as emcee.

“Behind the Mask” was a fund raiser to raise money for OCT’s renowned youth programs. The community theater offers acting and other theater training programs for the young people of Ocala/Marion County.

Norman, who has a long-running relationship with OCT, was joined on stage by Maestro Bill Doherty, a virtuoso on the piano. Doherty has played many of the world’s most prestigious venues and is internationally recognized as a composer, conductor, pianist, singer and teacher.

Max Russell and David D'Allissandris

The Ocala Civic Theatre team

Grant Norman and Victoria Sexton

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Champagne being served to Kelly McAtee, Dean Blinkhorn and Sullivan Hogan

Bill Doherty, Grant Norman and Victoria Sexton

Scott and Danuda Jacobs

Photo by Jessi Miller

Ocala Civic theatre supporters with Laurie Zink

Nadia and Frank Rasbury

Photo by Jessi Miller

Victoria Sexton, Max Russell, Carla Lord and Grant Norman

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

55

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PLAY

anthology — poetry in motion

Un expected

BY JERRY GLASSMAN

I know there is a war in Ukraine.

It can really rattle your brain to imagine all that pain.

It was unexpected I know inflation is on the rise I got a hint when I opened up my eyes.

It was unexpected I know COVID made me mask up. and it could happen again.

It was unexpected I know the climate has many problems.

Problems can be solved, but we have to have resolve.

The problems were expected.

Not unexpected ... expected.

58

| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Don’t let it get you into a bummer.

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ELITE EQUESTRIAN

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Celebrating The Equestrian Lifestyle

We are America’s Favorite Equestrian Lifestyle Magazine, Published Since 2008.

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Celebrating The Equestrian Lifestyle

CURO- Diagnostics “Revealing the Unseen”

NIC ROLDAN Peek Inside His Life SPRING Fashion

AIKEN, SC Highlight

Volume 21 Issue 2 Complimentary

TRAILER SAVING A TREASURE Maintenance Persano Breed www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

is not a gentle hobby, Ridingto bea horse picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire.

I t is a grand passion.

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Gracious Living in the Horse Capital of the World®

Everything Equine p62

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

61

EQUINE

everything equine

Simplifying the Road to the Derby

BY LOUISA BARTON

T

62

| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

With Simplification being sired by Not This Time, one must ask, can he get the distance for the Derby?

Meric. He did not vet for the sale because he had some sesamoiditis, so the First Finds team decided to buy him and keep him with a plan to race him. That decision has definitely paid off as we get closer to the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby. Bobo says that sesamoiditis is very typical of young horses and, in her opinion, it is just growing pains.

Simplification’s trainer is Antonio Sano,

and he is like family to Bobo and her husband. Actually, Sano calls Bobo his sister and she could not be happier to be on the Derby trail with him. Simplification, Bobo says, is getting better and better and his bullet works show just how sound he is now.

With Simplification being sired by Not This Time, one must ask, can he get the distance for the Derby? With his dam Candy

Photos courtesy of Louisa Barton

ami Bobo entered the thoroughbred racing industry only 11 years ago after spending the early part of her career training quarter horses and being involved in website development.

Bobo is Ocala-based with her husband, Fernando de Jesus, and together they operate First Finds, a smaller boutique pinhooking operation. Pinhooking is an old Kentucky tobacco term used when a speculator would buy a farmer’s young plants and later identify them with a pinned note at market. Buying the plants low and selling high would return a substantial profit.

In terms of thoroughbred auctions, pinhooking yearlings describes the practice of buying yearling horses at auction or privately, overseeing their breaking and training, and eventually re-selling them as 2-year-olds in training. The same practice can be done with weanlings to resell as yearlings, but they are only brought along, taught some ground manners and prepped by their consignors as they are not old enough to be trained under saddle yet.

Bobo owns one of the top contenders for the Kentucky Derby this year, a Florida-bred horse by the name of Simplification, who was the winner of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream and runner-up in the Holy Bull Stakes. Bobo had another Derby horse during her career, 2012 Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy, the first thoroughbred she ever bought. She has also had many multiple graded stakes winners and Grade 1 winners, but Derby points are not easy to earn and being in the top 20 horses out of tens of thousands on the Derby trail is never easy.

Bobo originally bought Simplification by private sale from Tristan and Valerie de

Ride being a two-turn horse, Bobo says that she has no concerns there.

Bobo says she feels blessed to own Simplification and believes he is a very talented colt. Bobo says they are always open for discussion when the offers come, which they often do with horses of this caliber, but they feel God has a plan and that’s for Simplification to make it to the Kentucky Derby and take them all on the ride of their lives together.

Ocalans delight in seeing a Flori-

da-bred horse make it to the Derby – and one that was also started here by one of the local trainers is just an added bonus. The Horse Capital connections show up strong each year in the Run for the Roses and the hope is to see this Florida-bred colt showing the other horses just how he can simplify his trip to the Winners Circle in the

Kentucky Derby.

Louisa Barton is the Equine Initiative Director at the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership, Showcase Properties of Central Florida Farm Realtor and host of the Horse Talk Show on the Sky 97.3, Audacy.com and Equus Television

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

63

SETTING A NEW STANDARD OF CARE FOR CANCER TREATMENT

Advanced treatment options offer faster, more precise radiation therapy If you are diagnosed with cancer, it’s important to learn about all of your treatment options. Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) is at the forefront of science and research, providing the most up-to-date treatments personalized for your unique needs.

Shorter courses of radiation treatment are quickly becoming the standard of care for prostate, lung, breast, bone and brain cancers. These advanced options are available from FCS, many offered exclusively in Marion County.

Targeting tumors with greater precision Successful radiation therapy depends on delivering the proper amount of radiation to the cancer in the best and most effective way, destroying cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.

A treatment technique known as hypofractionation delivers the total dose of radiation more precisely and in fewer sessions, compared to standard radiation therapy. Patients can complete their course of radiation therapy much faster with optimal outcomes and a better overall experience.

Shorter treatments for prostate and lung cancer One in six American men can expect to develop prostate cancer in their lifetime; the average age at diagnosis is 66. The good news is that the survival rate is extremely high, thanks to a range of advanced treatment options.

Traditional prostate treatments are time intensive (typically requiring daily treatment for nine weeks).

Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that the use of shorter treatment schedules (daily treatment for five weeks) results in similar positive outcomes, no increase in side effects, fewer trips and less expense. In select cases, another emerging treatment — stereotactic body radiotherapy — can be delivered in as few as five treatments as an alternative to surgery for patients with prostate cancer and early-stage lung cancer.

Advanced technology [to better target tumors] offered exclusively in Ocala Advanced techniques use SpaceOAR gel to reduce the risk of rectal damage during prostate radiotherapy.

FCS is the only provider in Ocala offering SpaceOAR to protect healthy rectal tissue.

Breast Cancer FCS is the only cancer center in the area to provide two modern treatment techniques that protect the heart during radiation treatment for breast cancer. Traditional methods of blocking the heart may place patients at higher risk for a heart attack. Deep inspiration Breath Hold creates more separation between cancer and the heart, making treatment more precise. This video demonstrates the specialized deep inspiration breath hold technique.

See the technology in action:

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Opening of Grandpa Joe’s candy store downtown Ocala Photo by Ralph Demilio

Charity: Circle Up Center for Practical Peacebuilding p66 | Health Journal p70 | State of the City p72 State of the County p74 | Kiwanis Korner p76 | OM Marketplace p77 | Rotary Circle p78 | Looking Back p80

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

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charity

May the Circle be Unbroken

Circle Up brings peacebuilding efforts to conflict resolution

BY CARLTON REESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RALPH DEMILIO

I

n native American culture, the “Talking Circle” has been a traditional means of bringing people together for the sake of teaching, sharing and even healing. Today, most such circles seem to revolve solely around some sort of group therapy, but two Ocala women are hoping to revive the circle as a means of communication in order to facilitate conflict resolution, or at least understanding.

Cindy Grimes and Karin Dean are co-founders and directors of Circle Up Center for Practical Peacebuilding, a nonprofit organization that has revived the ancient talking circle to foster healthy relationships where conflict seems to exist. The organization takes a cue from what is happening in Gainesville at the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. Grimes and Dean were both involved with RPCP and figured something similar would be needed in Ocala.

“The idea is based on indigenous practice, which is about bringing people together in a circle,” Dean said. “Like the campfire, we sit around in a circle and talk, which now seems almost a lost art with all of our attachments to our devices.”

With their training in practices such as social and emotional learning, trauma

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awareness, restorative justice and resilience building, Grimes and Dean are hoping to bring some new yet ancient methodology to businesses and schools here in Marion County that will yield peaceful resolutions from caldrons of conflict.

The key is communication.

“Our specialty is going to be working with people who work with others,” Grimes said. “Kind of like the ‘train the trainer’ model. We’re talking about building relationships, understanding ourselves and especially our own emotions and those things that cause difficulties in our relationships.”

The rise of conflict in any setting is nearly inevitable as long as opposing ideas exist.

These conflicts take place in schools, offices, public domains, practically everywhere multiple human beings gather and interact.

Resolving these conflicts where the ends are both peaceful and just is the ultimate goal.

As part of the program, four questions are asked among the participants of said conflict: 1. What happened? “Everyone is sharing from their particular perspective,” Grimes said. “Imagine a 360-degree camera that’s in the middle of an event and capturing everyone’s point of view.”

2.

What was the impact? “What did that do to you and what was the fallout?

Everyone gets to speak one time from their angle.”

3. How do we fix it? “It’s about repairing the relationships.”

4. How do you keep it from happening again? “If this takes place in the juvenile justice system and the young person goes through the process and does whatever they need to do to make things right, then they won’t have a record.”

Gathering people together from opposite sides of an idea where there has been notable conflict, Circle Up facilitates conversations between people who have been pitted against each other for various reasons.

“Conflict is unavoidable,” Dean said.

“But we need to give people a way to transform it into something positive, because conflict is a part of growth.”

Sometimes when lines of communication are opened between rival parties, a better understanding develops as to the reasons why, and the resolution need not be violent.

This is especially true among adolescents who experienced trauma and later developed

“The conversation goes from ‘What’s wrong with you?’ to ‘What’s happened to you?’”

negative tendencies in their lives, be it socially, criminally or even health-wise.

“This movement started in the ‘70s and where it’s probably used most prominently is with youth that are just coming into the system, kids that get into trouble and are in juvi-detention,” said Grimes, who used the methodology to great success with prison inmates. “Maybe they’ve stolen something or they’ve gotten into a domestic violence situation at home and you don’t want to put these kids into the (juvenile detention) system.”

Grimes describes children who have undergone trauma, be it abuse or neglect, then get into trouble and are seemingly lost forever in the penal system. She refers to it as a “school-to-prison” pipeline.

Before entering the pipeline, dialogue facilitated by Circle Up and those trained in the methodology can help deter the negative consequences.

“You bring the youth who has caused the harm and the person they harmed together in a facilitated dialogue conversation,” Grimes said. “You bring that child and maybe their parents, maybe a teacher or relative, whoever their support is, and the same for the child who was harmed. There may be some resource folks in the conversation and it could be two hours or it could be a half a day.”

In the conversation, the four aforementioned questions are discussed and the open dialogue can yield peaceful resolution.

According to Dean, “There needs to be a better answer than just addressing violence with violence.”

A main aspect of the methodology is recognizing what is known as “Adverse Childhood Experiences,” or ACEs, which

Karin Dean and Cindy Grimes

the Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes as having a “tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity.”

An ACE can range from divorced parents to sexual and physical abuse while growing up.

Grimes notes there are 10 ACE factors and children with multiple ACEs are statistically more likely to face either incarceration or even serious health concerns as an adult. It is childhood traumas that should be taken into consideration and dealt with when handling situations of conflict.

“There’re all these people walking around with this pain from things that happened to them,” Grimes said. “We know there are people who have been through horrific things and have come out (functioning

well) on the other side. So, what makes the difference? That’s what this work is about; this is to help people tap into that resiliency.

“The conversation goes from ‘What’s wrong with you?’ to ‘What’s happened to you?’”

Circle Up is in its early stages, but has already been administered to great success in the community at several businesses and nonprofits seeking some conflict resolution. Grimes and Dean hope it can be used in the school system as a first response to troublemaking as opposed to suspensions and the risk of engaging the “school-to-prison” pipeline.

“It’s simple, but it’s not always easy,” Dean said. “We really hope to show people that they can do this, and at a grassroots level start weaving our society back together.”

Anyone interested in donating to or becoming involved with Circle Up can gather the proper information at www.circleupcenter.org.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2022 |

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health journal

County’s Medical Reserve Corps in need of volunteers to help during crisis

BY BILL THOMPSON

I

n mid-April a handful of folks gathered at the Ocala office of the Florida Department of Health in Marion County. They were there to hear a presentation about how to open and operate a special-needs shelter as a hurricane approaches.

Not exactly the sexiest topic in the world, with talk of the “incident command structure,” how “shelterees” are designated by wristband colors and understanding that government specialty of which forms must be completed when.

Still, it was important to them. For one thing, forecasters have recently predicted a busier-than-usual storm season in the Atlantic Ocean, meaning more potential opportunities to open such refuges from Mother Nature.

But the attendees were volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corps, or MRC, a little known but important component of the county Health Department that augments the agency’s mission in times of crisis, such as a hurricane or a pandemic.

This month, DOH-Marion staff are marking the 16th anniversary of the MRC’s service to Marion County — and seeking to recruit more civic-minded volunteers who can help fill gaps the agency’s own personnel cannot cover.

Lana Spirko serves as coordinator for

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the MRC, a job she took over last September after joining the department in March 2021.

Prior to that, however, she was an MRC volunteer for 10 years.

“I’ve enjoyed volunteering over the years and when the opening became available it seemed like an extension of that,” she explained. “I believe in the MRC program and I’m excited to see it continue.”

Currently, she manages 75 volunteers, about 85 percent which come from the medical or health care sectors. They come from all over Marion County, and even include some snowbirds who participate when they are here.

Spirko said they enlist in the MRC because of a sense of community and a drive to help others in times of need.

But growing the ranks during the pandemic has been a challenge. Spirko said she’s added just one new member since September.

She’s hopeful that as the pandemic transitions to become more endemic, more people will step up.

“Responding to a crisis is very demanding, both physically and emotionally. More volunteers give us the ability to use our resources without burnout,” said Spirko. “I think if we could double our numbers in the upcoming year we would be in a good position. It’s not just about planning for current

needs but future needs as well.”

The MRC was born out of tragedy.

Following the 9/11 attacks, president George W. Bush called upon Americans “to the service of your neighbors and nation” and encouraged people to volunteer the equivalent of two working years. Part of the volunteerism would meet the critical need of medically-skilled first responders in largescale disasters.

“America,” said Bush, “needs retired doctors and nurses who can be mobilized in major emergencies.”

Accordingly, the MRC began as a pilot project in which 42 local units were started with volunteers from medicine, public health and other community-oriented pursuits.

In December 2006, Congress passed the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, which required the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create what formally became known as the MRC. Its purpose was to provide an “adequate supply” of volunteers to help with a public health emergency at any level.

Since then, thousands of MRC volunteers have assisted with tens of thousands of hours of service during calamities such as the H1N1 flu outbreak, Hurricanes Sandy, Irma, Harvey and Maria, the Ebola scare, and California’s wildfires.

Marion County’s MRC started in May 2006. Over that time, it has responded to disease outbreaks and hurricanes, as well as helping local medical professionals train for biohazard incidents.

It was H1N1 that launched Joan Matlock’s service with the MRC. Matlock, a retired nurse in Ocala, spent 10 years as an infection control preventionist at Munroe Regional Medical Center, now known as AdventHealth Ocala. Her duties included notifying DOH-Marion of diagnoses of reportable infectious diseases.

When the H1N1 outbreak occurred, she volunteered to help the department vaccinate people. “It was really fun to get to know people we had only known over the phone,” she recalled.

Fast-forwarding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Matlock reached out to the department because she understood the gravity of what was coming. “With what I know, I contacted the Health Department and said, ‘What do you need?’”

While she had experience with contact-tracing, Matlock formally joined the

MRC in December 2020, as COVID vaccines were rolling out.

“It was a great place to jump in and help,” said Matlock. “For me, it was a great way of to give back and felt like you were doing something for the community.”

The pandemic also led June Benoit to become an MRC volunteer.

Previously a nurse practitioner for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Benoit relocated to Marion County from Vermont in 2016. Although it was a retirement move, Benoit said she wasn’t ready to be idle.

She did not know the MRC existed until she came across the program while searching the web for local volunteer opportunities.

“I really believe in volunteering, serving the community and using my nursing experience. I really enjoy helping the public. I wanted to be involved and I was interested in public health. The MRC allowed for that opportunity, especially for nurses to come together and work. I’ve met some really incredible people,” said Benoit.

She spent two to three days a week on average over a few months during 2021 assisting

DOH-Marion with COVID-19 vaccines.

“I really enjoyed it, meeting all the people and helping them feel comfortable, because the pandemic was so scary,” she said.

Benoit added that she leads a group of retired nurses in her community, Stone Creek, and also serves with its Community Emergency Response Team. In these spheres, she routinely champions volunteering.

“I am always talking about different volunteering opportunities, including the MRC,” said Benoit. “I tell them there is a need to serve the community. And the MRC helps reduce the cost of services by utilizing volunteers. Being able to feel good about what you’re doing, and helping others, is really crucial.”

While many MRCs in large communities experienced around a 74 percent growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, Marion County’s remained “static,” according to Spirko.

Yet Marion County did not see anything close to that growth. Instead, Spirko described its recent recruitment trend as “static.”

“We have been able to hold our count, but we are just now looking for events and ways to expand our numbers,” Spirko said.

DOH-Marion Public Health Preparedness Coordinator Randy Ming, whose duties include organizing, training and deploying the MRC, said opportunities abound for those without a health care background.

Ming noted, “MRC volunteers can work in different capacitates within the medical community. They can work in hospitals, you can see them manning first-aid tents at sporting events, providing education to the public on diabetes, heart disease and any other public health related issues. MRC volunteers can be seen working closely with DOH-Marion staff providing vaccines or directing traffic for drive-thru vaccine events.”

Spirko said she hopes the COVID-related timidity of getting involved is waning, and that people will come forward to help.

“Recruiting has been affected, but we are starting to get out in the community to inform people,” she said. “One drop at a time causes the ripple.”

Bill Thompson is the public information officer for the Florida Department of Health in Marion County in Ocala.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | MAY 2022 |

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state of the city

Ready and Resilient: City of Ocala Public Works

BY ASHLEY DOBBS

W

hen we hear the words “Public Works,” many instantly think of garbage collection without much thought about the other services provided by this department. While they might be best known for household and yard waste pickup, what they contribute to the City of Ocala provides immeasurable benefits that improve the daily lives of our citizens. Often considered one of the key departments to keep the city running efficiently, there is more to this department than meets the eye.

The city’s Public Works Department consists of 102 full-time employees who contribute to the city’s success every day. These professionals provide a variety of public health and safety services, including street maintenance, sidewalk maintenance, traffic signs and signals, pavement markings and stormwater maintenance. Additional services include sanitation and mosquito control.

When asked what his favorite part of his job is, City of Ocala Public Works Director Darren Park said, “Resolving concerns and helping people. No two days are ever the same!”

Many times, the public is unaware they are utilizing services provided by Public Works. However, it would dramatically impact their lives if the resources didn’t exist.

“Quality of life, convenience and reliability. Every day more than 230,000 motorists drive in and through the city limits.

Without realizing it, they benefit from their use of the city’s transportation system (roads, traffic signals, pavement markings and traffic signs) and the city’s stormwater management system (pipes, ditch lines, and drainage retention areas) to travel to and from work, shopping and leisure activities. These systems operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Park said.

It goes without saying that it takes every city department, across the board, to keep our municipality moving forward. A unique example of this includes Public Works and

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

the Ocala Police Department.

“Occasionally we are called upon by OPD to assist in locating weapons used in the commission of a crime by draining water retention areas, checking storm drains, or using heavy equipment to quickly scour undeveloped property,” Park said.

The department is also responsible for essential emergency management services, including storm preparedness and storm disaster recovery operations. With hurricane season quickly approaching, residents are encouraged to begin their preparations now.

“Trim trees, remove dead trees or limbs.

Develop a plan for your family whether you travel away from an impending storm or remain in place,” Park said. Many times, staff from this city department will be among the first deployed to assess the damage, clear blocked roadways and begin the recovery process.

During the week of May 15-21, we celebrate National Public Works Week, where the theme focuses on being “Ready and Resilient.”

“Most people don’t realize or think about how Public Works impacts their daily lives until something happens that changes their nor-

mal routine,” said Park. “Citizens may not appreciate the services provided by Public Works until something is broken or isn’t working, and that’s when we hear from them.”

National Public Works Week helps challenge the public to view the hard work and services provided not only in Ocala but across the nation.

We are fortunate to live in Ocala and for the staff that consistently serves our citizens.

The guiding principle of this city department is to continuously improve and accomplish more with less and the contributions made

by Public Works positively impacts our daily lives and keeps our community thriving.

Ashley Dobbs is the Marketing and Communications Manager for the City Of Ocala.

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state of the county

Rich History on Display

BY MARK ANDERSON

T

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Volunteer-run Marion County Museum of History and Archaeology holds hundreds of Marion County historical artifacts from time periods dating back thousands of years

by indigenous Floridians thousands of years ago that was found by chance and painstakingly restored.

“The canoe was found in Ocklawaha in the 1980s when the water was low,” he explained. “It was taken to Tallahassee and treated in sugar water for five years.”

Each section of the museum is dedicated to a different time period of Marion County’s history — maps documenting the county’s various railroad lines in the 1800s hang across the hall from a rifle used in the Second Seminole War, which is in the same room as a detailed model of the W.H. Fore Homestead in the late 1800s and early 1900s in Scrambletown.

Many of the artifacts, maps and other items displayed are donations from people throughout Marion County and the state of Florida, Landrum said.

One such donation tells the story of Ocala native Louis Dosh and the SS Ocala Victory. A soldier in World War II who

died as a prisoner of war in the Pacific theater, Dosh’s story is told at the museum through photos, letters, medals and other items, even a copy of the July 4, 1938 issue of LIFE Magazine, in which Louis and his wife, Betty Drummond Bloxsom, appear on the cover.

Part of the story is that when Dosh was being held prisoner, Betty held the honor of christening a Victory ship (a special type of cargo ship built during the war) that was named the SS Ocala Victory. The wine bottle remnants and pouch used during the christening are on display at the museum.

Documenting Marion County history is a passion Landrum and other volunteers, and donations are what make the museum one of the best places to learn about Marion County and the people who lived here throughout its history.

Anyone who has an interest in local history owes it to themselves to stop by and take in everything the museum has to offer.

Mark Anderson is a public relations specialist for the Marion County Government.

Photos courtesy of Marion County

hough it was named more than 175 years ago, Marion County has artifacts dating long before then, some several centuries old. Whether indigenous peoples, European explorers, early American settlers, or turn-of-the-century residents, much of that history is on display at the Marion County Museum of History and Archaeology, located at the northeast end of the McPherson Governmental Campus.

Enter the museum and you will be greeted by an array of old documents and photographs, farming gear, hunting rifles belonging to early farmers, and scores of artifacts from homes, businesses and government buildings throughout the county’s past.

Price Landrum is the museum’s president and a volunteer. All of the staff at the museum are volunteers.

Landrum spends a few days a week at the museum, giving tours and curating displays throughout the building.

“I first became involved with the museum when I joined the Marion County Historical Commission in the late 1980s when it was coming to the end of remodeling East Hall into a museum,” he explained. “I began giving tours, and my background as a teacher must have helped because I got positive feedback. I enjoyed it, so I expanded to three days a week (at the museum).”

Now, Landrum is just one member of a team of volunteers who give tours, build displays and conduct research at the museum.

Exhibits at the museum range from artifacts dating back thousands of years to more recent historical pieces.

One particular piece in a display of animal bones always gets a few raised eyebrows, Landrum notes.

“Most of these were found in Silver Glen Springs,” he said. “In fact, you may find one in there that surprises you — a camel in Marion County. It’s indigenous, and it was a miniature camel.”

The display with bones and arrowheads sits next to one of the museum’s largest pieces— remnants of a large wooden canoe used

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Kiwanis

Korner

Kiwanis of Ocala

Celebrating Marion County Day and Special Guest Speakers

H

appy Birthday to long-time Kiwanis member and pianist, Tommy Ball and his little fur baby, Pongo.

During the month of April, Kiwanis members participated in the annual Marion County Day while honoring the guest speakers each week representing various business entities and 501c3 organizations. Honored speakers included Dr. Alethia Pantazis, MD, Board Certified in Ophthalmology, Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. She specializes in Oculoplastic Surgery and shared her passion for wellness and health for all that she serves. Denise Wormald from Vitality Medicine, LMA spoke on their various services they have to offer.

Chad Frazier and Benjamin Whitehouse, directors of Marion County Public Schools, spoke on the programs that enhance the educational and technical skills of various trades and careers along with the most recently added programs and courses.

They addressed the importance of our young men and women of Marion County being able to choose a career that truly fits their interests and that they can enjoy and excel in.

Dr. Norman Anderson, RBOI founder, is an Accredited Radiation Oncologist and owner of the Cancer Treatment Center in Ocala. He updated members of various services and treatments.

Roseann Fricks, Past President and Lt. Governor, spoke on upcoming events and special programs for the Marion County Literacy Council for our youth of Marion County and how supporting these programs makes a difference in our children’s learning.

Jim Phillips, long-time Kiwanis member and a State Attorney, spoke on the Marion County Cold Case Unit and various aspects of how they assist in ‘reviving’ real cases that have not yet been solved, some being over a period of many years.

Tommy Ball

Dr. Althea Pantazis

Dr. Norman Anderson Denise Wormald

Beverly Angelotti

Benjamin Whitehouse

Jim Phillips

Chad Frazier

Roseann Fricks and Shelly

Karen Dailey

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www.facebook.com/KiwanisClubOfOcala

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| MAY 2022 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

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State of the County Veterans Benefits

77

The Rotary Clubs of Marion County:

Giving Back Through Service Rotary’s 2 official mottoes are:

The Rotary Clubs of Marion County Support Many Charitable Causes. Some of those include:

• Service Above Self • He Profits Most Who Serves Best

• Interfaith Emergency Services • Discovery Science Center • Annual Rotary Discover Fest Fundraiser

Rotary International serves to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services and to advance goodwill and peace not only in their own communities, but around the world. There are over 35,000 member clubs worldwide and over 1.2 million individuals known as Rotarians.

• Boys & Girls Club of Marion County • Wear Gloves • Kimberly's Center • Marion County Literacy Council • Domestic Violence Center of Marion County • Honey Packs, Inc. • Pace Center For Girls

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looking back

The tallest and the oldest The Marion Hotel has seen its share of good times and bad

BY CARLTON REESE WITH THE HISTORIC OCALA PRESERVATION SOCIETY

I

f there is such a thing as an Ocala skyline, its most prominent feature would be the seven-story Marion Sovereign Building, known to all native Ocalans as the Marion Hotel.

The tallest building in Ocala has been such for nearly 100 years and has enjoyed its share of ups and downs during that time.

Built in 1927 and designed by Peebles and Ferguson, the building was originally called Hotel Marion, and at the time was the jewel of the city and meant to accommodate the booming tourism of the area. Of course, timing could not have been worse with the Great Depression looming around the corner.

Financing for initial construction of the hotel was taken on by citizens of the city. The Community Hotel Corp. was able to raise $500,000 in just six weeks to begin construction of the steel and concrete structure that would be home to 100 rooms for guests.

For much of its history, the Hotel Marion would be the rival of Ocala House, a grand hotel located one block south where the Hilton Garden Inn stands today. Back then, Ocala House represented the old brick style while the Hotel Marion featured a more modern look and rose above all else in the downtown area.

Today, with its flanking 2-story wings, the Marion Hotel is one of the last Mediterranean Revival buildings of the 1920s within the county.

For a few years before World War II and for 27 years beginning in 1948, Ocala was home to professional baseball spring training teams, mainly from the Boston

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Red Sox organization. Often, players would be housed at the Marion Hotel during their stays and stories are told of players seen resting with their socked feet sticking out of the windows. When residents saw the socks sticking out of the hotel, they knew it was spring training season.

As the 1970s and 1980s approached, the hotel fell under hard times as the whole downtown area suffered. The survival of the building was ensured with its placement on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980 followed by a façade easement to protect the building in 1985.

Its practical use gained traction in the 1990s as it was converted to office condominiums and housed the Ocala National Bank, which proudly shined its red neon sign from the rooftop for many years.

Today, the building is in need of repairs and is looking to undergo yet another ma-

jor transformation that should thrust it back into the city limelight. Local entrepreneurs David and Lisa Midgett have bought the majority of the individual units in the building and would like to enact their vision of a high-end boutique hotel replete with 48 rooms, fine dining, fine art, cocktail lounges and coffee shops.

The goal may seem lofty, but the Midgetts have pulled it off many times before.

They renovated the old Coca Cola bottling plant and converted it into NOMA Gallery and NOMA Records, restored the Smith House on NE 8th Avenue as well as the Barnett Bank building downtown.

The Marion Hotel has a long history of being the tallest building in Ocala. Is it time now for it to be the grandest?

Chandra Wellness Center

Chandra Wellness Center

352-861-0224

1920 SW 20th Place, Suite 202, Ocala OOffice of Dr. Tina Chandra in Cala Hills)