Ocala Gazette | April 16 - 22, 2021 by Magnolia Media Company

Earth Day is April 22

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 42

APRIL 16- APRIL 22, 2021

Marion Road Funding

Resident Terrence Johnson spoke at the meeting in favor of the road assessment, despite the price tag. “It’s difficult to walk on them, can’t have our grandkids on them,” Johnson said. “And I know it’s unfair in some ways to some of the people in the neighborhood, but we’d certainly like to see the county commission move forward with this.” Still, any construction is till months away. The Office of the County Engineer is responsible for county roads outside of neighborhoods. They pay for maintenance with funding from the gas tax and the penny tax, but things can get complicated fast. The county can work on county roads even if they travel through a city, but they can’t touch a city road or a state or federal road and vice versa, said Tracy Straub, Marion County engineer. See Roads, page A2

See Vaccines, page A2

It’s not as simple as it sounds

oads get no respect. No one pays attention to them until a pothole forms. Who’s responsible? Why hasn’t anyone fixed this yet? Don’t I pay taxes? But the answers can be as complicated as a two-lane roundabout. Roads and who must fix them are a complex subject. They can fall under private, city, county, state or federal authority. It’s not too hard to figure out that the state is responsible for Silver Springs Boulevard, also known as State Road 40. But it’s not as easy when it comes to a pothole in your neighborhood. The county, for example, does not pay to resurface neighborhood roads. Instead, neighborhoods must establish a Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU), which taxes the residents in the neighborhood for road

repairs or other improvements. The neighborhood votes on whether it wants to pay, and the Marion County Board of County Commissioners reviews and usually approves the plan. That’s exactly what happened just last week. County commissioners approved a road assessment for the Magnolia Shores / Smith Lake Acres Unit 1 area during its April 6 meeting. The development is located where Southeast 110th Street Road meets Southeast 101st Avenue Road near Lake Weir. The project will strip and repave nearly a mile’s worth of road and improve drainage. But getting to that point took two years. In April 2019, a petition first went out to residents. Eventually, after more meetings and plans, the assessment got the green light. The project is estimated to cost residents more than $6,000 per parcel over 10 years or a total of nearly $420,000.

By Brendan Farrell brendan@ocalagazette.com The Florida Department of Health in Marion County prides itself on the simplicity of setting up a vaccination appointment through its online system. Simply hop online, go to the online signup page, set up an appointment and then drive to the designated site. But that last part isn’t an option for everyone in Marion County. For those who are homebound and can’t get to a vaccination site, a vaccination team comes to them. Retired dancer and actress Peggy Ann Collins, 89, took advantage of the service recently. A friend pushed her to get vaccinated and stayed by her side the whole time. “I feel so relieved, I feel like that I’m prepared,” Collins said. Collins saw her son Bill for the first time in six months following her vaccination. “He was so happy to see me,” she said. “I kissed him all over. I moved the mask and I kissed him right in the mouth and I kissed on the forehead, the cheeks, the chin, his hand.” Mark Lander, the local DOH administrator, noted that the community reaction to the outreach missions has been positive. “I think it’s been very successful,” Lander said. “Just because there are individuals that cannot make it in to a site to be vaccinated.” David Anderson, a registered nurse who has been assisting with these efforts, said vaccinating the homebound has been an incredible experience and reinforces why he became a nurse. “Just knowing that people are getting vaccinated… you know the hope being that we can get back

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

By Brendan Farrell brendan@ocalagazette.com

Team delivers vaccines to homebound residents

County to weigh 680-unit development near Summerfield By Ainslie Lee ainslie@ocalagazette.com The Market of Marion could see neighbors soon – lots of neighbors. A proposed residential and commercial development spanning 82 acres near Summerfield, adjacent to the popular flea market, will come before the Marion County Board of County Commissioners on April 20. Property owner Nick Pucek seeks a zoning change to allow for a 680-unit residential development called Carissa Oaks, as well as 25 acres of commercial use, according to a request filed with the county. Plans for the property, located on Southeast 132nd Street Road and U.S. Highway 441, call for 62 twostory quadplexes and nine threestory apartment buildings.

In 2005, the property went from rural zoning to industrial, commercial and professional offices. However, the property remained untouched, just how some nearby residents like it. Sherry Thoresen’s family has lived in the area for six generations and owns about 300 acres off of Southeast 135th Street. “You can walk out on our front porch at night and see nothing but stars,” Thoresen said. “You add a three-story building; you’re going to see a lit-up apartment building.” The plan includes entrances on U.S. 441 and Southeast 132nd Street Road. A third entrance, off Southeast 135th Street, would serve 34 quadplexes or 136 residential units separately. “It’s a winding two-lane road,” See Carissa Oaks, page A3

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Sherry Thoresen talks about the planned 680-unit quadplex that she is opposed to as she stands in a field that has been owned by her family for six generations. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Inside: CF Hemp Program................. A2 OPD Swearing-In................... A4 State News................................ A8 Sports...................................... A10 Mall Mural............................... B1 Calendar................................... B5

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

CF approved to grow hemp at Ocala farm

Students at the College of Central Florida’s Vintage Farm Campus work with young hemp plants after the college received permission from the state to grow the plant as part of their agribusiness program. [Submitted]

By Carlos Medina carlos@ocalagazette.com The College of Central Florida is growing industrial hemp at its Vintage Farm Campus in Ocala, becoming the first state college in Florida to do so. The plant will join other crops studied in the college’s agribusiness program, including fruits and vegetables. The program also includes education on

greenhouse and nursery production, livestock production and marketing and sales. Hemp production will focus on seed germination, soil, water, nutrient and light requirements, proper pruning techniques, pest management, harvesting and curing of the crop. The idea to include hemp was spurred by the growth of the industry that produces everything from CBD oil to fabric and animal feed.

“It was a natural fit to add to the curriculum,” said Tavis Douglass, agribusiness program manager. Jobs in the hemp industry continue to grow. “There’s going to be a growing number of jobs in this field, clearly. So, what we want to do is really educate our students on not only how to grow the plants, but also, they learn about hemp,” said Rob Wolf, CF’s Dean of Business, Technology, and Career and

Technical Education. Douglass said the college’s cultivation activity also will add to the research on growing hemp in Florida. “Because hemp is a relatively unknown crop in our climate, not much is known of how it will perform. Therefore, we will be testing and growing plants under various growing conditions. Additionally, our program will focus on hemp products that may have use in agricultural sectors such as our local livestock and equine industries,” he said. While hemp is a variety of Cannabis sativa, the plants grown at CF are low in THC, the psychoactive component that produces a high when smoked. “It’s also very important to note that hemp is used for fiber for clothing, for feed for horses and cattle. There’s a lot of uses for hemp. The first thing people think about when they hear hemp is marijuana. There’s much, much more,” Wolf said. The college got its license to grow hemp from the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Division of Plant Industry. While it is low in THC, hemp has cannabinoid

compounds, including CBD and CBG, which may have therapeutic properties. Supplements and therapeutics including cannabinoid compounds are widely available for humans as well as animals. CF offers an Associate in Science degree in agribusiness management and a Bachelor of Applied Science in business and organizational management agribusiness specialization, which are not available at any other state college. They also offer certificate programs in nursery and landscape and livestock production management. Wolf said there are currently 80 students in the program, which draws students from other parts of the state. He expects the addition of hemp production to the curriculum to increase enrollment. The college also plans to introduce a short-term, non-credit course or lecture for the community as an introduction to industrial hemp in fall 2021 or spring 2022. For information about the programs, contact Douglass at douglast@cf.edu, 352-8542322, ext. 1737; or Wolf at wolfr@cf.edu, ext. 1281.

David Arias, the project manager for Focus Point International, right, talks to, from left: Shay Edwards, David Anderson, Clay Hansen, Kelli McCormack and Alexis Armstead. The group is part of the team that delivers COVID-19 vaccinations to homebound residents. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

From Vaccines, page A1 to some sense of normalcy again and with everybody beginning to get vaccinated and hopefully reach that herd immunity that we’re shooting for, and to know that even if I can be a teeny, tiny part of that, it’s an honor,” Anderson said. “I’m 57, and I’ve never done travel nursing like this. It’s

been fantastic. I think the people I work with, this whole crew, everyone you see sitting here, is one of the best groups of people I’ve worked with, and I’ve been a nurse for 25 years.” Lander also said that the county has switched to giving out Pfizer vaccines because of the national

pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson oneshot vaccine after six cases of blood clots out of more than 6.8 million doses. The county didn’t have that many Johnson & Johnson doses to begin with – just 5.2% of Marion County residents who have completed a vaccine

series have had Johnson & Johnson shots – and Lander said that everyone who had shots set up still received them. “It hasn’t been a problem for us because 99% of our vaccines that we’re putting out are Pfizer,” he said. “We get very limited, very limited Johnson &

Johnson, so it has not been a hindrance for us.” Registration for a homebound vaccine visit is available through the online appointment portal or by emailing HomeboundVaccine@ em.myflorida.com with a name and number or by calling 866-779-6121.

From Roads, page A1

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

However, sometimes different authorities work together to solve complex problems. For example, the county is working with the Florida Department of Transportation on a new interchange on Interstate 75, which is a federal highway. A planned feeder road is an Ocala project. The different agencies work to keep traffic flowing for everyone. “If you owned a paper and you send out one of your staff members to do an interview on somebody and he spends an hour extra on traffic, we didn’t help our business community either,” Straub said. “So, when we begin to see problems like that, we have to start working with our partners and say, ‘Hey, how do we fix these things?’” As the city of Ocala and the rest of the county continues to grow, the road system needs to support more people and keep traffic moving. In the case of the new

interchange, the goal is to collaboratively form an east-west corridor that can then connected to I-75 near Northwest 49th Street. But construction on the project won’t start until 2026. When it comes to roads, the process is usually methodical, in part because of the layers of authority, but mostly because of money. In Ocala, whenever an issue with a city road is reported, it is investigated, and its condition is evaluated. From there, it becomes a question of funding. “We have a design, we have a cost estimate, then we’ll have to see how are we going to fund it,” said Neil Cooper, transportation engineer for the city. “Are we going to apply for a grant... or we apply for assistance from the county or we can have our portion of the gas tax.” It all takes time.

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”

360-unit apartment complex one step closer

- Thomas Jefferson Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@magnoliamediaco.com Carlos Medina, Managing Editor carlos@ocalagazette.com Bruce Ackerman, Photography Editor bruce@ocalagazette.com Ainslie Lee, Associate Editor ainslie@ocalagazette.com Brendan Farrell, Reporter brendan@ocalagazette.com Sadie Fitzpatrick, Columnist sadie@ocalagazette.com Lisa McGinnes, Editor lisa@magnoliamediaco.com Susan Smiley-Height, Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com

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An artist rendering shows what a proposed apartment building at Pointe Grande would look like. [Submitted]

By Ainslie Lee ainslie@ocalagazette.com Despite complaints from nearby residents, the City of Ocala’s Planning & Zoning Commission on Monday gave its unanimous approval to the development of a 360-unit apartment complex across from the College of Central Florida campus. The proposal now goes before the Ocala City Council, tentatively scheduled for May 4, for its consideration. The commission approved an amendment to the future land use agreement to facilitate the multifamily complex called Pointe Grande Apartments. The 35-acre property, located at 3527 SW 20thSt., was approved for 116 homes in 2005. The owners, listed as Williamson Linda Ann Trust and Hillpointe, LLC on paperwork filed with the city, changed that scope, which requires city approval. Plans now call for 12 threestory apartment buildings. The conceptual plan for Pointe Grande also features a pool, clubhouse and 622 parking spaces. Hillpointe is based in Winter Park and lists Steven Campisi as its manager in filings with the state. A website detailing complexes either just opened or opening this year uses the same Winter Garden address, but spells the apartment complexes Pointe Grand. The site features several properties in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Apartments in Kingsland and Savannah, Georgia are leasing and feature two-bedroom, twobathroom floorplans ranging

from $1,492 to $1,662 per month. Proposed rents for the Ocala project were not immediately available. A message left with Hillpointe was not immediately returned. The proposed Ocala complex would be just off Southwest 20th Street behind Paddock Villas, a deed-restricted community. Multiple residents of Paddock Villas attended Monday night’s meeting, but just one took the podium to voice the collective concerns of the 89-unit community. Paul Worthman, who wrote commissioners an email prior to the meeting, reiterated his concerns – many of which had to do with the impact the proposed development would have on traffic in the area. “Currently we cannot get in and out on 20th Street at peak times the way it is,” Worthman said. “You’re just going to make this problem worse. And until that road is fourlaned, I just don’t see it beneficial to the residents to Paddock Villas at all.” Allison Campbell, a non-voting member of the commission and Marion County School Board member, nodded in agreement as Worthman spoke. Fred Roberts, an attorney representing the property owners, assured board members that a traffic study had been conducted and did not find the planned development would cause an issue. Campbell questioned whether the study considered the fact that the CF has been virtual all year and hasn’t seen typical traffic numbers. “It is a new traffic study, but based on a longer period of background history,” Roberts said. “Typically, it is not a one-year cycle, it’s a much longer cycle.”

Campbell also voiced concerns about the proposed three-story buildings overlooking the nearby College Park Elementary School, which will share a property line with the complex. “Having a three-story building overlooking a school is something different that I don’t think we have anywhere else in the entire county,” Campbell said. Alleviating some of Campbell’s concerns would be a 50-foot-wide landscape buffer running along the perimeter of the complex. Campbell also worried how the proposed development would affect the capacity at nearby schools. According to paperwork filed with the city, Pointe Grande would be served by College Park Elementary, Liberty Middle and West Port High schools. “Should this be approved, from a school board perspective, we already know that College Park Elementary is already bursting at the seams,” Campbell said. “We’ll be monitoring this if it does go through city council because this is something we will have to have on our radar for sure.” Pointe Grande Apartments would also be joining a proposed planned development off State Road 200 that will also service Liberty Middle School and West Port High School. Currently known as Winding Oaks Farm, developers are proposing 3,148 residential units spanning across 960 acres. A variety of commercial uses are also included in the plan. The Winding Oaks development will be revisited by the Ocala City Council for its second reading on April 20.

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A large banner opposing the 680-unit quadplex is shown posted on a fence on U.S. Highway 301 and Southeast 135th Street in Summerfield. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

From Carissa Oaks, page A1 said Thoresen, who lives on Southeast 135th Street. “It’s got a pond on it, a running creek through it. We’ve got wildlife that’s always here... It would really impact this area.” County planning officials also have traffic concerns. One condition of approval would require a traffic study on the three roads with access points to the development. Additionally, county staff recommends adding sidewalks and recreational amenities to the development. While the proposal meets the required minimum of 20% open space, the county suggests requiring recreational amenities because there are

none within two miles. The proposal could also have effects on the schools that service the area, especially Belleview High School. Thoresen, whose daughter attends Belleview High, said before the pandemic, the school was experiencing overcrowding. Thoresen said she plans to speak out against the plans at the commission meeting. “I want my grandchildren to run this property and grow up like my daughters did,” Thoresen said. “And for me not to have to worry about who my neighbors are. Because now I’ve got 680 new people over here that I have no idea about.”

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

To support, protect and defend Ocala Police Department holds swearing-in ceremony By Carlos Medina carlos@ocalagazette.com For a year, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ocala Police Department did not hold public swearing-in ceremonies for their officers. On Wednesday, with vaccines more prevalent and cases stabilized locally, the department caught up all at once at a socially distanced ceremony at First Baptist Church of Ocala. Among those included in the ceremony was Chief Mike Balken, who took the chief ’s role in November after Chief Greg Graham died in a single-engine plane crash in October. Lou Biondi, also took his ceremonial oath as Deputy Chief, the department’s second in command. Balken previously served in that role. “We’ve hired and promoted a tremendous number of talented and

deserving individuals,” Balken said of the 34 officers sworn-in on Wednesday. Balken reflected that the life of the police officer often means missed birthdays, delayed Christmases and postponed anniversaries. “This profession can be challenging to say the least,” he said. “We couldn’t do what we do without someone backing us up at home.” While mostly staid and disciplined, the ceremony had its share of lighter moments. One came when Mayor Kent Guinn started administering the oath to Chief Balken. “I, Michael J. Balken…,” Guinn started. “I, Michael T. Balken…,” Balken responded, emphasizing his correct middle initial and eliciting chuckles from the crowd. “I’ll have to talk to the printers about that one,” Guinn said referring to his script.

Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken, left, is sworn in by Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn, right, as his son, Jacob, daughter, Riley, and wife, Dawn, left to right, stand alongside him. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Later, after Biondi took his oath, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, shouted his support for his friend “Luigi” from the back of the church. Woods was a longtime OPD officers before he was elected sheriff in 2016. “Thanks, Woodsie,” a slightly embarrassed Biondi quietly responded into the microphone. Those sworn-in on Wednesday included: Officers – Dale Hollingsworth, Jason Santos, Hailey Sheridan, Joseph Tussey, Danielle Braun, David Barry, William Bode, Travon Boyd, Branden McCoy, John McCurdy, Natawi Chin, Jacob Zaino, Tyler Gleason, Phillip Matthews, David Alverez and Robert Crossman. Sergeants – Mike Hilton, Conner Tuck, Dan Wright, Jared Sieg, Rob Brown and Miguel Gauthier. Lieutenants – Eric Hooper, Michelle Green, Anthony Vizzini, Matt Bos and Lenny Uptagraft Captains – Robert Douglas, Mike Sommer, Dustin Keuntjes and Sandra Duryea. Majors – Corey Taylor, Steve Cuppy and Greg Martin. 911 Dispathers – Diane Belland, Karlie Bishop, Lexie Blanton, Zachary Dougherty, Paulina Edmond, Alexis Flenniken, Briana Fryer, Charlotte Merkley, Austin Poole, Kaylee Pope and Taylor Rea.

Corey Taylor’s son, Kaiden, 9, holds the Bible for his father, as Taylor shakes hands with Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn after Taylor was sworn in as a Major. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Deputy Ocala Police Chief Lou Biondi, left, is sworn in as his son, Giovanni, wife, Carin and daughter, Siena, 15, left to right, look on. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette]

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APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Florida Center for the Blind hosts teen transition program By Ainslie Lee ainslie@ocalagazette.com No one gets a free pass in the Florida Center for the Blind’s teen transition program. The program focuses on aiding visually impaired children and adults ages 14 to 22 in their transition from high school to their next step in life, whether it’s college, work or independent living. “The goal is to really help teens move from the home, into their own... you know, kids are moving out. They’re moving out of their home. They’re going out on their own,” said Sue Draddy, the center’s chief development officer. “They’re going off to college. They’re at a time when they’re completing high school and going out to work. So, we offer solutions through all of that.” The Florida Center for the Blind, located at 1411 NE 22nd Ave., serves eight surrounding counties and a few hundred visually impaired teenagers in its year-round teen transition program, which hones skills ranging from cooking and laundry to college applications and job interviews. During the school year, participants spend one weekend of the month together for various lessons, field trips and work experiences. Career exploration is a large part of the program’s

focus. The teen transition program welcomes guests from various industries to talk with the participants about possible career paths in fields that might interest them. “Does your visual disability preclude you from certain jobs? And if it does, what other career paths are there,” Anissa Pieriboni, the center’s CEO said. But the fun ramps up in the summer when school gets out. In a sleepaway-style summer camp, students spend up to two weeks in an immersive experience that throws them right into the real world. “Their days are full,” Pieriboni said. “And when I say full, I mean 16-hour days.” Participants are paired with roommates. They are responsible for getting themselves up in the morning and reporting to class or work. Students visit local companies to learn about career opportunities. Throughout the day, they earn credits based on performance. The credits pay for hypothetical bills. They must pay their cell phone bill, their electric bill and rent. Phones have been confiscated, lights have been disconnected and some have been “evicted” from their rooms if they don’t earn enough credits, Pieriboni said. “It’s not easy. They got to really think through it,”

Past participants of the Florida Center for the Blind’s teen transition program are shown during one of the different excursions that are part of the program, which teaches independent living skills. [Submitted]

she said. “It’s done in fun, but in serious attitude. I’ve seen huge growth every time we’ve done that in the summer.” There wasn’t an immersive experience last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the program is expected to return in 2021. For years, the number

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of participants has averaged about six. The teen transition program is preparing for at least 12 this year. While the program is helpful to those who attend, Pieriboni admits the separation can be hard, especially on the parents. “That separation is hard… but the growth is immense,” she said. “All of

a sudden a child realizes; I can do this. I may spill the milk, but guess what, any kid learning to pour milk is going to spill their milk.” The teen transition program and the other programs at the center are free. Information about the services is available at flblind.org or by calling 352873-4700.

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APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Next Up With COVID-19 vaccination now open to all adults in Florida, vaccination sites, including the one at the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park in Ocala, have seen an increase in younger people. When the vaccines began flowing in late December, Florida focused its efforts on vaccinating those 65 and older. Right: Susan Catalanotto of Ocala, right, receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination from Jackie Charlot at the horse park. Bottom right: Kiera Williams, a nurse, shows off a button declaring she is vaccinated. Below: A dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is drawn into a syringe in preparation during a vaccination event at the horse park. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

New charter high school proposed By Brendan Farrell brendan@ocalagazette.com The Marion County School Board will hold a public hearing on April 27 to discuss an application to create Ocali Charter High School. The school hopes to open by August 2022 and is looking at using an existing building on East Silver Springs Boulevard, according to school spokesman Kevin Christian. The high school proposal comes from Clear Choice Academies, Inc. which established Ocali Charter Middle School in 2014. If approved, it would be the county’s ninth high school. Originally formed as Francis Marion Charter School, it shared a campus with Francis Marion Military Academy. The middle school, however, was not a feeder to the defunct Francis Marion academy. The two schools split in 2016 following financial disputes, and the middle

school became Ocali Charter Middle School. It moved to the Church of HOPE in a strip mall at 3233 SE Maricamp Road. Then-principal Mary Pinson was arrested in 2016, accused of stealing school funds and charged with one count of grand theft involving more than $20,000. Pinson was fired. Court records do not show the disposition of the charges. Teresa “Teecy” Matthews took over as principal. Matthews reinvigorated the school before transitioning to the school’s executive director position. The school eventually moved into storefront space next to the Church of HOPE, where they remain. The school earned a “C” grade in 2019 the most recent available grade after the state suspended the measure in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic. School grades are based in part on performance on state assessments, learning gains on state assessments

News in Brief

A student walks into the Ocali Charter Middle School front office at 3233 SE Maricamp Road on April 15 [Carlos Medina/Ocala Gazette]

and the proportion of students who passed an end-of-course assessment. The middle school caters to students who benefit from learning in smaller groups not available at public schools, according to the school’s website. Now, organizers hope to

offer a similar program at the high school level. And with Matthews at the helm, School Board Chair Nancy Thrower is optimistic about the project. “I know that Teecy Matthews... has a great track record with student improvement and really

CF to disburse $2.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds The College of Central Florida will distribute $2.5 million from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to current students whose lives have been disrupted. Approximately 3,400 CF students will receive the funds to be used for course materials, technology, food, housing, health care and child care. “It is important that students prepare themselves for a career that will provide for them when times are good and when they are more challenging,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “We are pleased to distribute these funds so that students can continue on their educational pathway.” While colleges have discretion over how to award the aid, they must prioritize students with the greatest need. Therefore, CF will prioritize aid to Pell eligible and other federal Title IV eligible students.

Temporary lane closures Motorists can expect temporary lane closures along several stretches of roadway in the county. Work is scheduled along Southeast 36th Avenue/ Southeast 38th Street between the intersections of Southeast 33rd Court and Southeast 31st Street, through June 17. Art Walker Construction, Inc. will do pavement repairs. Another project will cause temporary lane closures along Northwest 150th Avenue between the intersections of Northwest County Road 464B and West County Road 326, through Sept. 5. Ranger Construction Industries, Inc. will be reclaiming the roadway. Crews will place barricades and signs to direct traffic through the work zones. Travelers should expect delays and use alternate routes when possible. Adverse weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances may affect schedules. For more information, contact the Office of the County Engineer at 352-671-8686.

FEMA to help with COVID-19 funeral costs The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing financial assistance for funeral costs associated with COVID-19. FEMA began accepting applications for financial assistance for COVID19-related funeral expenses beginning Monday. The funding comes from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021. In order to be eligible for funeral

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meeting students’ needs in a smaller setting,” Thrower said. “I feel like the high school that she is proposing will likely fulfill the same need for a niche of students that need a different approach and have certainly benefitted from our middle school.”

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APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State News Florida halts Johnson & Johnson vaccine News Service of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was recently vaccinated with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, said Tuesday that Florida would halt the vaccine’s use following a recommendation from federal health authorities. DeSantis said he understood the need for caution because the vaccine was only approved for emergency use, but he added that he did not think Floridians need to worry. He said the only effect he experienced was that his arm was “sore for 45 minutes” and said the Johnson & Johnson track record in the state had been good. “I don’t think people

should be freaking out,” the governor said during a news conference. “We’re following the recommendation to pause in the meantime. We are going to look closely at what they end up saying and doing. But my hope would be that this is something that is a little bit of a speed bump.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended a pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot. Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said in a statement that President Joe Biden’s administration did not

anticipate the pause would have a “significant impact” on ongoing vaccine plans. He said the administration was receiving enough doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to ensure enough supply to maintain the current national pace of 3 million shots a day. DeSantis echoed that, telling reporters that he expected Florida would continue to have a “robust” supply of doses. While the state received 300,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last week, he said that number had already been scheduled to be reduced because of production issues. More than 7.29 million people in Florida have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the latest available data.

[Cyndi Chambers]

Anti-protest bill moves forward in Senate

By Dara Kam News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Senate is poised to deliver one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top legislative priorities, after spending hours Wednesday considering a controversial proposal that would create a new crime of “mob intimidation,” enhance penalties on riot-related offenses and make it harder for municipalities to trim spending on law enforcement. The bill (HB 1) has become one of the 2021 legislative session’s most contentious issues, not only due to its content but also because of its timing. The Republicancontrolled Senate took up the measure as jurors on Wednesday continued to hear testimony in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of murdering George Floyd by kneeling on the Black man’s neck for more than eight minutes last May. DeSantis laid out the framework of the legislation in September, after Floyd’s death sparked largely peaceful protests focused on racial disparities in policing and other aspects of American life. The measure has drawn fierce criticism from civilrights advocates, Democrats and Black legislators, who argue it would have a disproportionately negative effect on people of color

who are arrested and incarcerated at higher rates than white people. But with Republicans firmly in control of both legislative chambers, the measure – approved in a party-line vote by the House on March 26 – could be headed to DeSantis as early as Thursday. Senate sponsor Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, fielded questions from Democrats during Wednesday’s floor session, after Republicans swatted down more than a dozen amendments that would have scaled back the measure. Sen. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, asked how the bill would affect Black youths he mentors. “Are you comfortable with this bill and me allowing them to go out and express themselves, that they’re not going to find themselves not just in harm’s way, based on your bill, and that they won’t be saddled with criminal convictions?” Thurston, who is Black, asked Burgess. “I’m comfortable with the bill that we have identified the difference between a peaceful protest and one that is not,” Burgess said. “I think there’s a clear line there, so I don’t believe this will have a chilling effect on those who seek redress through peaceful means.” The bill proposes a host of changes to criminal and civil laws. The new crime of “mob intimidation” would make it unlawful “for a person, assembled

with two or more other persons and acting with a common intent, to use force or threaten to use imminent force, to compel or induce, or attempt to compel or induce, another person to do or refrain from doing any act or to assume, abandon, or maintain a particular viewpoint against his or her will.” The bill also addresses the destruction of “memorials,” an issue that has drawn heavy attention after statues of people associated with slavery were torn down or destroyed following Floyd’s death. The measure also would create a new felony crime of “aggravated rioting” that carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Sen. Bobby Powell, DWest Palm Beach, asked whether the bill would have negatively affected civil rights legends such as the late Congressman John Lewis and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “Do you believe that this piece of legislation could stifle the future heroes and leaders that could impact not just the state but this nation?” Powell asked. Burgess argued that the enhanced penalties and new crimes are necessary. “We can’t allow riots and violence to prevail within our society. We are a nation of law and order and we need to govern ourselves as such,” he said. Democrats also questioned whether the bill would give law enforcement officials too much leeway

to interpret what would be considered a “peaceful protest.” The measure would establish an “affirmative defense” for defendants in civil lawsuits involving deaths, injuries or property damage if the injuries or damages were sustained while plaintiffs were participating “in furtherance of a riot.” Critics assert that provision would lead to vigilantism, pointing to the 2017 death of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Va. Heyer died after a car rammed into a group of counter-protesters at a white supremacist rally. But Burgess said the bill is aimed at protecting people who cause damage or injury with their vehicles if they are in fear for their safety. “That person rammed a vehicle into those people to hurt them. He wasn’t defending himself. He rammed it into them purposefully to hurt them, to kill them, to cause damage. That is not OK and that is in no way shape or form protected in this bill,” he said. “If in the course and conduct of trying to defend your family by getting them to safety, that is where this would apply, not with somebody with the intention to actually go out and hurt somebody. That would never be OK.” The Senate set the measure up for a final vote as a coalition of civil-rights organizations condemned it. During a conference call with reporters on

Wednesday, Black Voters Matter co-founder and executive director Cliff Albright said the legislation is a backlash against the passion expressed by “young folks” in the aftermath of Floyd’s death. “And in response to that, for the state to say, we’re going to criminalize your activity. We’re going to criminalize your passion. We’re going to criminalize your protest. That’s not what democracy looks like,” Albright said. The coalition called on seven Florida corporations to stop contributing to the campaigns of state legislators who support the anti-protest measure and an elections bill that would make it harder for Floridians to vote by mail. Sean Shaw, a former state House member, noted that Chauvin’s trial is underway as the Senate prepares to vote on the protest bill. “We’re trying to get justice for George Floyd right now. And as this trial is going on, we can’t even pay attention to that because here in Florida we are trying to make it so that you can’t protest about things that led to the death of George Floyd. You can’t do some of the things that oppressed people do when they’ve been oppressed for so long,” Shaw said. “So it’s frustrating, but we’re gonna make sure corporations understand that we’re watching. And what’s good for democracy is good for business.”

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Gaming bill may lift some horse racing requirements By Dara Kam News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Murmurs, and at times shouts, of a renewed gambling deal between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida have bubbled during legislative sessions stretching back nearly a decade. But every year, a deal satisfactory to all the players in the complex issues fails to emerge. The House, the Senate, the governor and the Seminoles are the central figures in trying to reach a deal, known as a “compact.” But the talks also include horse racing and jai alai pari-mutuel operators and global casino giants willing to drop big bucks in the state to tap into the tourist market and a growing affluent population. Marion County, the heart of the state’s thoroughbred breeding and training farms, follows the yearly discussions closely. The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, based in Ocala, is one of the players in the discussions, urging legislators not to do away with a requirement that pari-mutuel facilities conduct live horse racing to offer more-lucrative card rooms, a process known as “decoupling.” While the larger compact discussions continue, this week the Senate Regulated Industries Committee approved a decoupling bill (SPB 7080) that would allow pari-mutuels that have harness racing,

quarter-horse racing and jai alai to drop the performances and allow them to keep operating the cardrooms. Thoroughbred racing would remain coupled at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach and Tampa Bay Downs in Hillsborough County. In south Marion County, Oxford Downs operates a quarter horse facility that critic slam as a sham because of the lack of racing facilities, the use of nonprofessional jockeys and non-racing quarter horses. The facility also operates a cardroom that grossed more than $3.1 million between July and February, according to the state records. Up north, near Orange Lake, Ocala Gainesville Poker and Jai Alai also has been blasted by critics for putting on lower-level jai alai performances. That cardroom pulled in less than $700,000 from July to February, state reports show. Florida voters in 2018 approved a constitutional amendment that banned live greyhound racing at the state’s dog tracks but allowed operators to continue to conduct card games and to offer slots in South Florida. Thoroughbred breeders and owners support the current Senate plan, but a Gulfstream executive told the Senate panel Monday that allowing other parimutuels to do away with live racing and jai alai would put the track at a disadvantage in South Florida. “The consequences of creating an uneven

playing field among slot permit holders would be devastating to the Florida thoroughbred industry, which is one of the largest agricultural sectors in the state of Florida,” said Mike Rogers, president of the Stronach Group, which owns Gulfstream. Rogers noted that Florida first authorized pari-mutuel wagering in 1921. “We’re very concerned that this path could jeopardize thoroughbred racing on its 100th anniversary,” he argued. The Senate proposal would allow the state’s only harness-racing track – Isle Casino Pompano – to do away with horse racing and keep slots and poker. But Sen. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, questioned the rationale behind decoupling harness racing while requiring thoroughbred tracks to continue live races. “I think everyone has seen that with the quarter horses and the standard quarter horses and the jai alai, that many of the facilities that are doing that

are really just going through the motions. I don’t think most people would view what’s happening there as legitimate contests,” Rodrigues said. Thoroughbred races are “legitimate races, competitive contests … so excluding them, I think, that makes sense,” he added. Harness racing “also appears to be legitimate,” Rodrigues said, asking committee Chairman Travis Hutson what the “thought process” was behind allowing harness racing to decouple. Hutson, who sponsored the bill, said thoroughbred track owners did not want to be included in the decoupling plan but harness-racing permit holders “did not have that same vibe.” “They were kind of 50-50 on whether they wanted to be decoupled or not,” Hutson, R-St. Augustine, added. The Florida Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association, however, opposes the approach.

Harness racing or standardbred racing “enjoys a tradition in Florida that is over half a century long, and it’s doing quite well,” Lauren Jackson, a lobbyist for the organization, told the panel. “If the casino that holds the sole harnessracing permit is allowed to decouple, the entire industry would be left with nowhere in the state,” she said. Rodrigues voted in favor of the measure Monday, but expressed reservations. “The testimony we’ve heard today does concern me, particularly because I think harness racing is still legitimate racing,” he said. Under the other measure approved by the committee Monday, members of the proposed gaming commission would be appointed by the governor and require Senate confirmation. The House Commerce Committee is slated to consider similar proposals on this week. The Ocala Gazette contributed to this report.

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Top workforce minds aT your fingerTips April 22, 2021 | 8 A.M. - Noon

CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion is an equal opportunity employer/program supported by the U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies as part of awards totaling $8.7 million, revised annually. Auxiliary ads/services are available upon request in Spanish and to persons with disabilities. Voice phone numbers may be reached using TTY/TDD equipment via Florida Relay at 711. For accommodations, call 800-434-5627, ext. 7878 or email accommodations@careersourceclm.com at least three business days in advance. CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion is a proud partner of the American Job Center network and member of CareerSource Florida. AD Ocala Gazette.indd 3

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APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports On the cutting edge CF Patriots baseball use technology that rivals the big leagues By Brendan Farrell brendan@ocalagazette.com In the College of Central Florida’s baseball dugout, coaches and players huddle around a sturdy wooden table. Painted on the table legs - in the team’s red, white and blue color scheme - is their four-step motto: Sleep Well, Eat Right, Lift Heavy, Hit Bombs. But it’s what’s on the table that’s become the Patriot’s not-so-secret weapon. During home games, it’s not uncommon to see one coach feeding play-by-play data into a computer on the table, while on another, players are charting every pitch. Pitchers and fielders with the day off gather around the table to debate the pitches thrown. The table is the Patriots’ gameday operations center, complete with pro-level technology gathering a plethora of metrics. Pitching coach Zac Cole says the Pats are one of the most technologically advanced programs in the country across any level of collegiate baseball. “I would venture to say that we’re more advanced on the technology than a lot of college baseball programs at any level and, you know, maybe even, you know, some professional teams,” Cole said. “We’re doing more on the technology side than what a lot of Major League Baseball teams were doing just a few years ago.” Marty Smith’s tenure as Central Florida’s coach started before his players were even born. The twotime state champion earned his 800th career win in February. To have that kind of longevity and success, you must be willing to adjust as the game changes. Technology and analytics

are prime examples. For the Patriots, it all started a few years ago with former pitching coach Zach Bove, who is now the assistant pitching coordinator for the Minnesota Twins. Bove, who Smith says secured a job in the majors because of his love of analytics, data and development, showed Smith the potential in using technology to help players improve. “He got us in our foot in the door and then showed us some things that we could do, some things that Pitcher statistics are shown on the screen as pitcher Troy Britts throws in the bullpen during practice at the College of would help us, some Central Florida on April 13. Coach Marty Smith embraced the use technology to improve their pitching and hitting. [Bruce things that would get Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] us from here to here with just showing guys how of the baseball. So those When I throw it here, it’s not their systems at Goodlett much they’re improving things are really valuable very effective.’” Field at no cost as part of instead of telling guys how in us developing our guys The introduction of a pilot program for their much they’ve improved,” and having them be more Statcast, the MLB’s tracking products. Smith said. “You get a hard effective in what they’re technology, in 2015 helped All players have access number on exit velocity, trying to do.” popularize metrics like to their data and can look at velocity, spin efficiency, how An ad for Yakkertech exit velocity (how fast the their reports while they’re their pitch moves, how the runs across the bottom ball comes off the bat) and studying in the library, ball’s coming off their bat, of the scoreboard at launch angles (the angle at killing time between classes not to mention on the track Goodlett Field, CF’s home which the ball is hit), along or relaxing in their dorms. side of things that we get field, right next to one for with a mile-long list of other Additionally, pitchers will from this program and just Baseballcloud, another trackable metrics. receive a post-game “report gains in the weight room, baseball analytics service. Being able to track exit card” showing their velocity movement, screening to see The data from Yakkertech velocity, for example, can be and pitch locations to show how people move.” comes back in the form of a incredibly useful for both them what worked and what Four cameras hang spreadsheet that the coaches pitchers and hitters. The didn’t in that outing. For over the Central Florida then put into Baseballcloud. idea is that pitches that are redshirt sophomore Evan dugout, part of the Patriots’ From there, the coaches can smacked harder are more Michelson, a relief pitcher Yakkertech setup. The show their hitters where likely to turn into hits, which from Jacksonville, Florida, cameras catch the ball in they’re hitting well or poorly, can turn into more runs. A being able to look at his flight from when the pitcher and the pitchers can see struggling hitter can see that pitches’ spin efficiency (how throws to the end of the play. where their pitches have he has been a little unlucky much the ball “breaks” when With that, the Patriots track been the most effective. if he’s been hitting balls thrown) is important. a wealth of data. “It’ll show you every hard directly at fielders, “I’d say it’s one of the “It’s able to capture pitch that you threw, you or pitchers can see when bigger things,” he said. every event that happens know, and you can sort any they dodge a bullet when “Getting your ball to move with a ball in flight, so it date range you want,” Cole a hanging curveball gets evenly is something that can capture exit velocity said. “You could show the drilled only to get caught at helps a lot of with the way and tell us how far the ball last month, you could show the warning track. your pitches move and how traveled and the spin of the the last week, you could It’s one thing for Major far they move away from baseball that’s batted,” Cole show the last single outing, League teams to have the their origin of the pitch.” said. “And also, on the other and you can sort that whole technology to track those Players have been side of that is it can tell us, thing. And it’s going to give metrics, but it’s a different responsive to the Patriots’ you know, the velocity of you all that actionable data story for junior college new-age player development the pitch, you know, the where you can see, ‘Hey, teams like Central Florida. program, and the Pats spin direction and all the when I throw my curveball Smith said Baseballcloud different metrics of the spin here, it’s really effective. and Yakkertech installed See Sabermetrics, page A11

Tre Hondras swings as Connor Bishop catches during the Patriots’ practice at the College of Central Florida in Ocala. The team used high-end analytic technology to help improve players’ pitching and hitting. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Sabermetrics, page A10

Collin McBride, a data analyst coach, right, talks with pitcher Francisco Mateo, left, about his pitching, as data from the Yakkertech system is displayed on a laptop from their game against Santa Fe during practice at the College of Central Florida on April 13. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

actively recruit players who are open to the technology side, such as freshman Shawn Guilliams. They’ve seen how it’s being used in the majors and how it’s now trickling down to junior college baseball. “It obviously helps because I think these amateur players are seeing what’s happening on the professional level, so they’re seeing the impact that technology has made on professional guys,” Cole said. “So, they obviously want to be in an environment where people are doing things like that, so that makes us attractive on a couple of different levels. But the big thing for us is finding guys that want to do the things we’re doing because that’s how we get the most out of them.”

The Patriots think that they have a significant advantage because they can show their players their exact strengths and weaknesses. Cole estimates that there are 100 on-field tracking technology units across all levels of college baseball, six of which are Yakkertechs in Florida. He recalls how the College of Central Florida was the first school of any level to acquire a Rapsodo unit, which also tracks pitches, and the bigger schools in the state followed right behind them. “They were calling here asking like, ‘Hey, how do we use this dang thing?’” he said. Things get a little more complicated when the Patriots hit the road, as the Yakkertech cameras aren’t

portable. But they’re still able to use the Rapsodo unit to give pitchers feedback, and they can chart pitches by hand. Still, the Patriots think that they’re ahead of the curve. “I like to keep that quiet,” Smith says with a laugh. “I don’t want other teams to catch us. I think it’s a tremendous advantage for us and our players. But I’m not going to go out there bragging about it because if they don’t want to buy in, I’m fine with that.” It’s not just computers and fancy stats for the Pats, though. Smith and the rest of the staff have also bought into more modern player development practices. Bove approached Smith in 2016 about a book called “Hacking the Kinetic Chain,” which was written by Kyle Boddy, the founder of the baseball performance company Driveline Baseball. Along with the book came a set of weighted plyometric balls and bands. The $450 price tag was a bit steep, but it was the first step the program took toward modernizing player development. There was another book that Smith cites as being influential on the program: a book called “Practice Perfect.” One of the chapters in the book is about an 80/20 rule about practicing the stuff you use 80% of the time and less of the less

important aspects of the game. “If we’re out here for two-and-a-half hours for practice, those two-and-ahalf hours we’re going to be doing stuff that is going to get them better,” Smith said. The big change is the Patriots’ focus on getting players bigger, keeping them eating and lifting and, eventually, increasing their pitchers’ velocity. Longdistance running was one of the old baseball practices eliminated from CF’s program, as Smith believes that the game is more about explosive speed than endurance. Running poles – a recovery exercise for pitchers where they run from one foul pole to the other – is no longer a requirement in Smith’s program, much to the chagrin of his former players. “My former coaches, we’ll put something on Twitter, my former players from 15-20 years ago go ‘What the h-ll are you doing,’” Smith said. “Gotta change with the times, man. They understand it, but it’s like ‘Geez, we didn’t do this, I wish we didn’t have to run poles, I wish we didn’t have to run distance and everything else.’” Adjacent to the Central Florida dugout is a room with another table dedicated to feeding hungry Patriots with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This way,

the players can always eat something, even during games. “I want them always eating and gaining weight and getting stronger,” Smith said as shortstop Edrick Felix walks behind him to fix himself a sandwich. “We want to get them better when they leave here. We want them to be physically bigger. We want them to be better players. We want all of their numbers, their exit (velocity), their bench, their deadlift, their squat, their sprint time, their velocity, everything to be better when they leave here. The byproduct is it wins us some games.” For Smith, Central Florida’s revamped focus on player development with the help of technology has revitalized his coaching tenure. Smith won back-toback state championships in 1997 and 1998, but complacency started to set in during the years that followed. “Since we’ve been doing this, we’ve won a lot of games, which isn’t even the goal,” Smith said. “The goal is to develop players and get ‘em better. It’s a by-product of what we’ve done. It’s rejuvenated me coming to the field every day to get players and knowing when kids leave, we got them better, we got them bigger, we got them stronger. We got them going to good schools or getting drafted.”

Lady Patriots sweep Santa Fe in doubleheader

The College of Central Florida’s Emily Dixon (6) slides into second base against Santa Fe’s Grace Prom (16). [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

By Ainslie Lee ainslie@ocalagazette.com No. 13 was unlucky for the Santa Fe Saints on Thursday after the College of Central Florida Lady Patriots softball team posted 13-5 and 13-3 wins in doubleheader action from the CF Softball Complex. The Lady Patriots briefly trailed the Saints after Santa Fe’s Madison Dixon sent a two-out shot over the leftfield fence in the top of the second frame to take a 2-0 lead. CF answered in the bottom of the inning after freshman Hannah Meyer, a Forest alum, lifted a leadoff double to right field and later scored off a pair of singles by Isabella Pinto and Reese Barley. Madison Edwards, the Lady Patriots’ starting pitcher, saw a combined eight batters in the third and fourth innings, giving up a lone, solo home run to Santa Fe sophomore Story Giebeig in the fourth.

Sparked by three straight base hits in the bottom of the fourth by CF’s Gabbie Haas, Chloe Nadler and Gianna Guerriero, the Lady Patriots would end up scoring five runs. Glory Thompson drew a bases loaded walk, while Emily Dixon, Meyer and Pinto each recorded singles to score runs. A Saints error in left field allowed Sierra Carter to score from third and bring the score to 8-3. “Our top of our order has been huge for us, our catalyst,” CF head coach Mike Lingle said. “They kinda set the tone. They kinda put pressure on the (defense) right away.” The Lady Patriots strung together another five-run inning in the fifth after Santa Fe reliever Taylor Barrett gave up two walks to open the inning. A double from Guerriero, a single from Thompson and three more walks helped CF earn the run-rule victory in the opening game. Thompson went 3-for-3

with two RBIs. The nightcap game started eerily similar to the opener. The Saints jumped out to a 2-0 lead after Santa Fe’s Neely Peterson and Ashlyn Rodgers tagged CF sophomore pitcher Savannah Barnett for backto-back solo home runs. But the Lady Patriots strung together some small ball offense in the bottom of the second frame for three runs. “I feel like anytime we get behind it’s no big deal,” Lingle said. “Pretty calm and cool under pressure.” The three-run inning started with a leadoff double from Meyer, followed by a two-RBI single from Thompson to put CF ahead 3-2. And just like the game before, once the Lady Patriots were on top, there was no looking back. A six-run inning in the bottom of the fourth blew the game wide open. CF’s Odalys Cordova capped off the high-scoring

inning by popping a threerun home run to center field, her second long ball of the afternoon. Barnett and the Lady Patriots allowed just one more run the rest of the game. CF tacked on four more runs in the fifth inning to secure a second run-rule victory. Guerreiro finished the second game 4-for-4 with

two RBIs, while Cordova went 2-for-2 with a home run and five RBIs. “That was huge for us. It was us and them at the top of the conference standings,” Lingle said of the Saints. “And by us sweeping them, that’ll put us up three (games) with only six to go.” The Lady Patriots (35-6) are the No. 5 junior college softball team in the country.

College of Central Florida players celebrate in the dugout after scoring an additional 5 runs on Santa Fe in the 5th inning. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

People, Places & Things

E.J. Nieves in front of “Paddock’s Valkyrie. Photography by James LaSalle with InfinityPhotos19.

Paddock Mall unveils destination art mural Ocala artist EJ Nieves’ ‘Paddock’s Valkyrie’ is meant to be interactive By Susan Smiley-Height Ocala Gazette

hen the Washington Prime Group launched a mural project across the country to bring local art to some of their town centers, the group’s Paddock Mall property was one of those chosen. Ashley Wheeler-Gerds, general manager for the mall and Gaitway Plaza in Ocala, said she wanted something to make the city stand out “along the likes of Tampa, Nashville and Atlanta.” The massive “Paddock’s Valkyrie” mural created by EJ Nieves, located at the entrance to the food court,

is a real eye-catcher and is attracting plenty of people to stop and take a photo— which is exactly what it is supposed to do. Wheeler-Gerds said the project took months to plan and bring to completion. “I had met EJ and he was still up and coming in our community. I knew what I wanted and commissioned EJ to help me bring it to life,” Wheeler-Gerds stated. “He listened to each idea and looked at every inspiration photo for a destination piece. I gave him specifics on color combinations to stay within our Paddock Mall and Washington Prime Group brand. He really elaborated on those and brought it to something I fell in love with.”

Nieves said it took him two weeks to create the spray-painted mural and that he worked mostly after hours. “When I was painting it, the initial concept was wings. They sent me some ideas and I took theirs and mixed them with mine,” he said. “The wings looked very angular, more warrior than angelic. A friend said it reminded him of a Valkyrie. Then I added the gold on the tips as a symbol of strength. I think it really looks strong, like a warrior, so that’s where the name ‘Paddock’s Valkyrie’ came from.” Wheeler-Gerds said the mural was a perfect fit. “We delivered a gift to the community that can

safely unite us as one. Hundreds of photos, videos and TikToks already flow bi-coastal, helping put Ocala and Paddock Mall on the destination map. We have had visitors from other cities come just to take a photo, stop on a road trip, or just locals wanting to be part of the movement.” Josiam Vargas follows Nieves on Facebook and said he was keeping tabs on the project. “When it was finished and I saw how great it came out, I knew I had to get my wife and son to take a picture,” Vargas said. He went before the mall opened recently and had to fight the rain to get the snap. “I think the most interesting part of it is that the beauty and meaning is in the eye of the beholder,” Vargas said. “Some people see different things within it. I see it as a metaphor for

starting over and birthing a new you.” Nieves said he finished the mural at 4:18 a.m. on the Saturday before Easter as Wheeler-Gerds had said they would like for it to be available that weekend. “I went home for a little bit that morning then came back in early so we could do a Facebook live,” Nieves said. “After that, I sat down in the food court and I saw a father taking photos of his wife and daughter with the mural. That really was a heartfelt moment.” Wheeler-Gerds said more art projects are planned for the mall. Mall visitors are encouraged to visit the mural and snap photos, then upload them to social media using the hashtag #paddockmural. To learn more about Nieves’ art, find him on Facebook and at officialnehs.com.

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Creative’s Corner

Mike Zeak poses with the Brick City Center For The Arts neon sign that he recently reworked. Zeak is a metal fabricator and has several of his works of art on display locallly at Tuscawilla Park and the Appleton Museum of Art. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Metal Magic

Local fabricator creates unique sculptures By Lisa McGinnes Ocala Gazette A very recognizable piece recently left Mike Zeak’s workshop to go back to its home. The vintage art deco Brick City Center for the Arts neon sign, which he spent the past couple months restoring, was reinstalled at the Marion Cultural Alliance gallery on Southwest Broadway Street on Thursday. But you’ve likely seen the metal fabricator’s artwork somewhere in the community. He’s been working with metal for 45 years, the last nine at his Zeak Technique shop. One of Zeak’s favorite pieces is “Childhood Memories,” which is currently part of the Appleton Museum of Art’s Sculpture Walk. It spent a year at Tuscawilla Art Park after Zeak created it for the 2013 Ocala Outdoor Sculpture Competition. The piece is a favorite with the public, too. Not only do the bright, primary colors and recognizable shapes of oversized kids’ blocks draw them in, this

sculpture is meant to be touched. “It’s interactive. People see it, they touch it, they feel it,” Zeak said. The blocks spin to spell out four words: Fun art for all. Downtown, at Citizens’ Circle, another of Zeak’s best-known works, “Metallic Fluttering,” is an eye catcher. Originally displayed at the Discovery Center, the enormous metal butterfly is adorned with cutouts of colors that match the blue, orange, green and maroon in the City of Ocala’s logo. While Zeak has created multiple sculptures, he considers himself a metal fabricator that dabbles in art. “There are fewer artistic jobs than billpaying jobs,” he said, adding that he enjoys the “non-creative” jobs he completes day in and day out. He said his work requires problemsolving skills and attention to detail. But he admits he can go from fabricating equipment for Signature Brands to designing a commissioned artwork with ease.

In fact, Zeak’s artistic work is all around the downtown area. The big globe in front of the Discovery Center is his work, as are the entrance gates to the Ocala Skate Park around the corner on Northeast Ninth Street. If you’ve visited Bank Street Patio Bar in downtown, you’ve probably noticed the artistic vault door and the gleaming copper penny waterfall feature, both created by Zeak in his workshop. He also does smaller pieces for customers, like the spinning copper on limestone sculpture he created to memorialize a family’s pets lost in a house fire. He likes working with just an idea instead of formal plans. Those are the kind of projects he likes best, he said, when the client leaves it in his hands. “There’s no plans, no blueprints, you just make it,” Zeak said with a grin. “I’m not afraid of challenges. My favorite customer is the one who walks in the door and says, ‘I’ve got this really crazy idea’ because I know it’s either something that’s really hard or really unique.”

Mike Zeak welds at Zeak Technique on Northeast 16th Avenue. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

“Childhood Memories” [Carlos Medina/Ocala Gazette]

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Then....and Now

The Ocala downtown is shown in this photo circa 1940. In the center of the photo is the historic Marion County Courthouse. The building went up in 1906 and featured a Roman design with a clocked dome. It was finished with a veneer of sandstone on the exterior. After efforts to save the structure failed, it was demolished in 1965. While the site was designed as a public square in the original city layout in 1846, it served as home to three county courthouses starting in 1851. After the 1965 demolition, the area finally fulfilled its original intent as a public square. [State Archives of Florida] In this 2021 photo of the downtown square, the recently opened Hilton Garden Inn can be seen in the bottom right. The site was the home of the Ocala House Hotel, the first version of which opened in 1846. Part of the historic hotel is seen in the photo above. That building was also torn down in the 1960s. In the upper left portion of the 2021 photo, a parking lot is visible next to the Sovereign Building. In the historic photo, a row of buildings is shown in the space. Those buildings were home to several department stores including Sears, J.C. Penney and Belk-Lindsey. The whole block was razed after the buildings fell into disrepair. [Alan Youngblood/Special to the Ocala Gazette]

WORD FIND

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction but always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have completed the puzzle, there will be 19 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

At the barber's

Solution: 19 Letters

Heat Jokes Mirror Moustache Music Parlour Plait Product Radio Razor Rinse Roots Salon Scissors

Shave Shine Sport Style Sweep Talk Telephone Tidy Towels Trendy Trim Volume Wash Wigs Youthful

o appointment needed

Aesthetic Afro Basin Beard Boys Brush Cancellation Care Chat Clean Comb Cuts Damage Dyed Hair

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Fueling a community Leroy Johnson spent his life quietly helping others By Emily Papa Correspondent While growing up, Larry Johnson never fully grasped the role his father, the Rev. Leroy Johnson, played in the history of Ocala. He grew up knowing his father was a kind man who faced hardship, but the depths of his contributions to the Black community in Marion County remained largely unknown until after the man’s death. Larry Johnson spent eight years researching his father’s life. Thanks to his efforts, Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn recently issued a proclamation honoring Leroy Johnson for his contributions to the area. Leroy Johnson was born on Jan. 6, 1937 in Cotton Plant, a small farming community in southwest Marion County. He was the son of Frank Johnson, a sharecropper. “In that time period in Ocala, black people were stuck in a rut. The women would be maids and housekeepers while the men would be sharecroppers or take care of lawns. Even at a young age, my father knew that there had to be a better way of living,” Larry Johnson said. After graduating from Howard High School, the segregated high school in Ocala, Leroy Johnson went north to Harlem. “My father wanted to get away from Ocala,” Larry

Johnson said. “He saw (in Harlem) that Black people were not trapped by white barriers and that they were able to make names for themselves.” Eventually, Leroy Johnson decided to try and bring some of that freedom to Ocala, so he returned and bought property with the money he earned in Harlem. “He bought a diner called Diner on the Square and he became very successful. Though there was still segregation, his soul food brought both black and white clientele to his diner. He was always very kind and giving, which he learned from his mother, Maggie Scott, and from his experience in Harlem. He would even give food from his diner to the homeless,” Larry Johnson said. “When the government abolished segregation, black people stopped coming to his diner because they went to the white restaurants. My father didn’t want to get rid of the diner, but he was losing money and didn’t have a choice, so he sold the diner and became a sheriff.” Leroy Johnson was one of the first Black deputies at the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office. During his training, however, he faced abuse. Officers spit on the ground in front of him as he crawled through the obstacle course. One lieutenant stepped on his back to keep him from finishing the course. But Leroy Johnson persisted and passed his physical and

The late Rev. Leroy Johnson receives his Sheriff ’s badge that was given to him when he became a Marion County Sheriff ’s deputy in 1968. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

written tests. His trials didn’t end there. Vandals struck his patrol car, slashing his tires and breaking out windows. He eventually quit and in 1969 bought a Gulf gas station on the corner of Pine Avenue and Southwest 10th Street. A Wawa convenience store now sits on the old Gulf station property. More vandalism followed. Broken windows and racial slurs painted on the walls were common. He even got death threats from the Ku Klux Klan, Larry Johnson said. But again, Leroy Johnson persisted and even loaned money to those in the local Black community who wanted

Larry Johnson poses with historic photos and a Marion County Sheriff ’s Office badge from his father, the late Rev. Leroy Johnson. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

to start businesses of their own. In 1973, he sold the Gulf station and bought the GATE gas station on the corner of Southwest 13th Avenue and State Road 40. Things only got worse. “The death threats from the KKK escalated, so my father began carrying a pistol on him at all times for his own safety. He wanted to be protected, but the death threats did not scare him,” Larry Johnson said. As a 6-year-old in the mid-1980s, he remembers witnessing a confusing incident. “I was leaving for school and my dad was leaving to open the gas station. I saw

Two gas stations that the late Rev. Leroy Johnson owned, a Gulf Station which was at the corner of Pine Avenue. and SW 10th Street from 1969-1973, and a GATE Gas Station (19731984) are shown in photos. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

a piece of paper in my dad’s hands that looked like the ghost in Scooby Doo, but I would later learn that it was a threat from the KKK. My dad was still dealing with racism into the ‘80s, and did for most of his life,” Larry Johnson said. His father served as pastor at New Zion A.M.E. Church in Raleigh and later, Bethel A.M.E Church in Gainesville. “When people were short on money and needed gas, my father would write a receipt and allow them to pay him at a later date when they could afford it, and the same with kerosene. He knew the plight that Black people were facing and would do anything he could to help people,” he said. Leroy Johnson eventually sold the gas station, which is now a restaurant, after the corporate office forced him to go self-service. “They told my dad that he had to stop pumping gas and checking peoples’ oil. He refused to do that, because he viewed it as a community gas station,” Larry Johnson said. He then opened a construction business and served as pastor of Bethel A.M.E until his death in 1998. “After my dad’s death I always had people thanking me for my dad’s acts of kindness,” Larry Johnson said. “Until that point, I didn’t realize that my dad was such a big piece of Marion County history.”

Spring a Shelter Pet Special: Half oﬀ adoption fees in April View more adoptable pets at www.marioncountyﬂ.org/animal Adoption price includes up-to-date vaccinations, county license, microchip and spay/neuter surgery.

Aquarius

Bindy

Full of Potential Affectionate 6-year-old female mixed breed dog will be your loyal companion. She’ll do best in a home without other pets where she can give you all her attention.

Super Snuggly Sweet 8-year-old female mixed breed dog seeks a relaxing home. This girl is always down for chilling on the couch and loves to cuddle.

352.671.8700

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Community

Now The Villages Polo -5/23

The Villages Polo Club, 703 N Buena Vista Blvd, The Villages 3pm Fridays, 1pm Sundays Watch competitive matches from the club’s elevated two-level stadium with optional tailgating. Visit thevillagespoloclub.com for tickets and more information.

4/16

Marion Oaks Farmers Market

4/16

Marion County Friday Market

4/16 4/17 4/17 4/17 4/17 4/17

Marion Oaks Community Center, 294 Marion Oaks Lane 9am-12pm Fresh vegetables, artisan food products and handmade crafts. McPherson Government Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave. 9am-2pm Shop locally fresh fruits and veggies, cinnamon buns, jerky, freeze dried treats, olive oils and seafood. Virtual 11:45am-1pm The Ocala Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association will host speaker Justin Brennan presenting “How To Market to a Multicultural Society.” Visit fpraocala.org for more information. Chestnut Cemetery, 698 NW 13th Terrace 8am-12pm Volunteers are needed to assist the City of Ocala Public Works Department with cleaning headstones, raking leaves and cleaning up debris. Call Tom Casey at (352) 351-6723 for more information.

Biz Promoters Networks Group

4/21

Exceptional Mornings

4/21

1 Million Cups Ocala

4/21

Novels at Noon Book Club

4/21

Earth Day Presentation

4/21

Wednesday Midday Market

4/22

Farmers Market

4/22

Vermicomposting for Beginners

4/22

Ocala Candidate Workshop

Yoga in the Fort

Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E Fort King St. 9am Bring a mat and enjoy a free, socially distanced yoga class for all levels. Visit fb.com/ocalarecpark for more information.

Annual Fishing Derby

Lake Lillian, Southeast Robinson Road, Belleview 9am-12pm A free family fishing event. Prizes will be awarded for biggest fish and most fish caught in two age groups for kids 15 and under. Visit belleviewfl.org or call (352) 245-7021, ext. 2122 for more information.

Ocala Downtown Market

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

Brownwood Farmers Market

2726 Brownwood Blvd., Wildwood 9am-1pm More than 70 vendors offer fresh produce and crafts. Visit thevillagesentertainment.com for more information.

4/17 -7/3

Magnificent Magnets

Timberline Farm, 3200 SE 115th St., Belleview 10am-6pm Saturday, 12pm-6pm Sunday Enjoy blueberry shortcake and blueberry plants for sale as well as family activities including a butterfly house and butterfly garden, train rides and hay rides, farm animals and crafts. Visit timberlinefarm.net for more information. Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave. 10am-4pm The new exhibit offers opportunities to discover the awesome science of magnetism and how it is used in everyday life as well as cutting-edge experiments. Open Tuesday-Saturday. Visit mydiscoverycenter.org for more information.

4/17

Marion County Farmland Preservation Festival

4/17

Ocala Horse Sale

4/19

4/20

Chestnut Cemetery Cleanup

4/17 -19

4/19

NonProfit Business Council

Ocala FPRA Professional Development Meeting

Timberline Farm Butterfly & Blueberry Festival

4/17

4/20

Rock Star Arena, 20751 NW 87th Avenue Road, Micanopy 10am The 13th annual event includes a tractor and horse parade, live music, a farmers market, farm animals, crafts, agricultural exhibits, blacksmith and bee keeping demonstrations and fair food vendors. Visit farmlandfestival.org for more information. Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road 11am A sale of horses of all ages, disciplines and breeds. Visit ocalahorsesale.com for more information.

Classics and Cocktails: Citizen Kane

Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave. 5pm Experience the 1941 Oscar-winning film with a signature Rosebud cocktail. Visit mariontheatre.org for more information.

Health Sciences Open House

Virtual 9-11am The College of Central Florida invites potential students to meet faculty and learn more about EMS, dental assistant, physical therapy assistant, radiography, surgical tech, health care management, health information technology and nursing. Visit cf.edu or email recanzop@cf.edu for more information.

The Great Recipe Exchange

Marion County Public Library Headquarters, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd. 11am Bring written copies of your favorite recipes to share with fellow foodies. Call (352) 671-8551 to register.

4/20 -23

Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale

4/20

Tuesday Talks

Ocala Breeders’ Sales, 1701 SW 60th Ave. 8am Both online and in-person bidding on thoroughbred horses will be available. Visit obssales.com for more information. Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, 310 SE Third St. 8:15am April Savarese, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County, will present “Crafting Your Elevator Speech.” RSVP to andrea@ocalacep.com.

4/12 -19

Ocala Police Department, 402 S Pine Ave. 8:30am Guest speakers Cheryl Martin and Nick Bennett from Marion County Community Services will present “Community Development Block Grant Funding.” Visit ocalafoundation.org for more information.

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Ave. 11:30am Call Stephen Nelson at (352) 450-1281 for more information about this CEP referral networking program.

Church of Hope, 3233 SE Maricamp Road 7:30-9:00am The Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership hosts guest speaker Charles Caulkins, who will discuss the Florida Business Agenda, exclusively for CEP partners and their guests. Call (352) 629-8051 to register.

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Ave. 9:30-10:30am Two local startups present their business idea to an audience of community entrepreneurs. Email ryan@ocalacep.com for more information.

Marion Oaks Public Library, 294 Marion Oaks Lane 12pm Join a discussion of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “The Water Dancer.” Call (352) 438-2570 to register.

Virtual 12:30-1:30pm The College of Central Florida is hosting researchers from the Gulf Archaeology Research Institute, who will highlight the importance and connections between our shared natural and cultural resources. Visit cf.edu/events for more information.

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St. 1-6pm Shop a selection of produce, meat, natural and handmade products and food trucks. ocaladowntownmarket.com

Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 80th St. 9am-1pm Locally grown seasonal produce, baked goods, plants and more. Visit circlesquarecommons.com/farmersmarket for more information.

Freedom Public Library, 5870 SW 95th St. All ages are invited to learn about recycling naturally with worms. Call (352) 438-2580 to register.

Marion County Supervisor of Elections, 981 NE 16th St. 6pm Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox will cover the fundamentals of the City of Ocala candidate process for qualifying, finance, reporting requirements, election law and more at this free workshop. Call (352) 620-3290 to register.

Before I Die

Arts

Tuscawilla Art Park, 213 NE Fifth St. Sunrise-sunset This interactive art display is based on artist Candy Chang’s chalk painting prompting neighbors to answer the question “Before I die I want to ___.” Attendees are invited to add their hopes and ambitions. On April 16, Hospice of Marion County volunteers will be on-site from 10am-3pm to facilitate conversations about mortality and adding meaning to our daily lives. Visit ocalafl.org/culturalarts for more information.

Now The Art of Adventure -4/25

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm An exhibition of 1970s serigraphs by Clayton Pond highlighting artworks from Pond’s “Leisure-time Obsessions Series.” Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Now Young in Art -4/25

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm Artwork created by Marion County Public School students highlights the importance of art education. More than 200 works from 42 schools are on display. The Superintendent’s Art Show in the museum café showcases one work selected from each school. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Now -5/1

Then and Now

Now -5/2

Crimes of the Heart

Now -5/7

Visual Arts Student Exhibition

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St. Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm A collective show featuring works by Ocala Art Group members. Opening reception March 5, 5–6pm; exhibit open Tuesday-Saturday through May 1. Visit mcaocala.org for more information.

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd. 2 & 7:30pm Three sisters reunite amid scandal at their Mississippi childhood home in this 1970s Southern Gothic dramedy. Visit ocalacivictheatre.com for show times and tickets.

CF Webber Gallery, 3001 SW College Road 10am-4pm A variety of artworks created by College of Central Florida visual arts students will be on display Monday-Friday. Visit cf.edu for more information.

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Now -6/21

People

Barbara Gaskin Washington Adult Activity Center, 210 NW 12th Ave. 9am-4pm This new exhibit of works by artist Shirley S. Wulff celebrates her memories, feelings and thoughts about collaborations with others. Visit ocalafl.org/culturalarts for more information.

Now The Audience -6/25

Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration, 828 NE Eighth Ave. 9am-5pm A new exhibit featuring the paintings of Ocala-based Emmeline Basulto, artistically known as Embot, reflect herself in representational and abstract forms. Her works are also on display at the Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center at 830 NE Eighth Avenue. Both locations are open Monday-Friday. Visit ocalafl.org/culturalarts for more information.

Now Luminous Worlds -6/27

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm An exhibition featuring the large abstract canvases of Kristin Herzog, a Naples, Florida-based artist and former civil engineering draftsman. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Now -7/7 4/16 4/16 -18 4/17 4/20 4/20 4/21

4/19

Marion County Development Review Committee

4/19

Local Mitigation Strategy Plan Public Review

4/19

Ocala Board of Adjustment

4/20

Marion County Board of Commissioners

4/20

Marion County Hospital District Committees

4/20

Marion County Commission Planning & Zoning Final Hearing

4/20

City of Ocala Community Redevelopment Area Agency Board

4/20

Ocala City Council

4/20

City of Dunnellon Planning Commission

4/20

Belleview City Commission

4/21

Marion County Parks and Recreation Advisory Council

4/22

Marion County Development Review Committee Staff Meeting

4/22

Marion County Tourist Development Council

4/22

City of Belleview Youth Commission

Spectrum of Creativity

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. 9am-5pm This student and emerging artist competition features the work of high school students and artists with less than 10 years’ experience. Visit ocalafl.org/culturalarts for more information.

Levitt AMP Concert Series

Webb Field, 1510 NW Fourth St. 7pm The free outdoor concert series kicks off with Sunny War supported by Caly and Meagan. Visit ocalafl.org/levittamp for more information.

Fiddler on the Roof

West Port High School, 3733 SW 80th Ave. 2 & 7pm West Port High School’s Omega Theatre Company presents the popular musical set in a 1905 Russian Jewish community. Friday-Saturday performances begin at 7pm; Sunday’s performance begins at 2pm. Visit wphs.seatyourself.biz for tickets.

Art Gone Wild

Magnolia Art Xchange, 531 NE First Ave. 6-9pm Ambassadors of Nature will bring a few ambassadors animals plus artwork painted by animals including penguins, lions and elephants. Visit fb.com/maxocala for more information.

Teaching Tuesday: Paper Sculpture

Virtual 7:30pm 10-10:30am The Appleton Museum presents a live streaming art project that the whole family can make at home with basic art and craft supplies. Online at fb.com/appletonmuseum.

Appleton Book Club

Virtual 7pm This month’s selection is “Now I Sit Me Down” by architect and writer Witold Rybczynski, which chronicles the history of the chair from ancient Egypt to today. Visit appletonmuseum. org for more information.

Watercolors 101

Reddick Public Library, 15150 NW Gainesville Road 1pm Create your own masterpiece under the trees with artist Susan Starling. Call (352) 671-8551 to register; materials provided.

Government Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave. 9am The DRC votes on waiver requests, drainage/site plans, subdivision master plans, preliminary plats, improvement plans and final plats. Call (352) 671-8686 for more information.

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. 4:30pm The LMS Working Group will present and take questions on a plan identifying natural and manmade hazards with methods to minimize and mitigate impacts and speed recovery from disasters. Visit ocalafl.org or call (352) 351-6733 for more information.

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. and virtual 5:30pm Visit ocalafl.org for more information. Visit https://zoom. us/j/94696168190 to participate online.

McPherson Government Complex Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 9am Call (352) 438-2323 for more information.

Hospital District Office, 2547 E. Silver Springs Blvd. 12pm Call (352) 622-3662 for more information about the audit, finance, investment, operations and strategic initiatives committee meetings.

McPherson Government Complex Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 2pm Call (352) 438-2600 for more information about this public hearing.

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. and virtual 4:45pm Call (352) 629-8401 for more information. Visit https://zoom.us/j/446885807 to participate online.

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. and virtual 5pm Call (352) 629-8401 for more information. Visit https://zoom. us/j/446885807 to participate online.

Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 River Drive 5:30pm Call (352) 465-8500 for more information.

City Hall Commission Room, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 6pm Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

Parks and Recreation Conference Room, 111 SE 25th Ave. 3pm Call (352) 671-8560 for more information.

Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave. 8:30am Applicants may discuss proposed or current projects with county review staff prior to meeting formally with the Development Review Committee. Call (352) 671-8686 for more information.

Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Convention Bureau, 109 W. Silver Springs Blvd. 10am Call (352) 438-2800 for more information.

City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 4:30pm Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR 16

3 & 7pm Spring Fling: It’s Time to Sing! Savannah Center

5pm DJ Richie Rich

6pm Iron Stokes

6pm Jack Johnson

Locos Grill

6:30pm Becky Sinn La Cuisine French Restaurant

7pm Sunny War with Caly and Megan Webb Field

7pm Charity Cox

7:30pm Friday Night Live

2:30pm Atlantic City Boys World Equestrian Center

8pm Jam Night with Adam Rountree The Keep Downtown

5pm Robert Stewart Country Band & Friends Forest Community Center Sandhill Park

5pm The Big Bad

7pm Heather Lynne

5pm New York, NY Dueling Pianos World Equestrian Center

7pm Orange Blossom Showcase

5pm Houston Keen

Bank Street Patio Bar

Horse & Hounds

1pm Charity Cox The Crazy Cucumber

Bank Street Patio Bar

Orange Blossom Opry

3pm Grass Campers Gator Joe’s

Horse & Hounds

The Corkscrew

The Crazy Cucumber

World Equestrian Center

6:30pm Stephen Lopez

7pm George Trullinger Orange Blossom Opry

Orange Blossom Opry

APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

The BIG FIX, a big job Marion County animal welfare groups combine to sterilize 300 cats By Ainslie Lee ainslie@ocalagazette.com It was a long, busy day on Wednesday as volunteers and veterinary teams sterilized, vaccinated, dewormed and microchipped more than 300 cats. The free services were part of the BIG FIX event, a partnership between the Marion County Humane Society, Marion County Animal Services, Sheltering Hands and Voices of Change Animal League (VOCAL). At VOCAL’s facility, located at 6393 SW 52nd St., co-founder Linda Norman rallied her team of over 30 volunteers together at 6:30 a.m. VOCAL had 180 appointments scheduled for domestic cats. Across town, Sheltering Hands filled 165 appointments to sterilize feral cats. “We’re in the middle of kitten season, so this

is perfect timing for this,” Norman said. According to Norman, the collaborative effort began with fundraising. The groups raised a combined $10,000 to fund the event. Each spaying or neutering costs between $35-$45 per feline. Marion County Animal Services contributed the microchips for the event. Norman said the procedures are usually straightforward. “Female spays are a little more complicated,” Norman said. “Depends; some of them might be pregnant and the pregnancies have to be terminated, unfortunately. But it prevents more unwanted litters of kittens that don’t have any place to go.” Norman said she’s been told there are between 40,000-60,000 unsterilized cats in Marion County. Sterilizing them is the most humane way to deal with the

overpopulation issue. “It is a big problem,” Norman said. “And unfortunately, there’s not enough shelter capacity to shelter them all.” Not to mention, feral cats rarely fare well in shelters, Norman added. The BIG FIX is slated to become a semi-annual event. Organizers are already eyeing a date in the fall. “This is the first time VOCAL participated,” Norman said. “It happened last year. But we were not able to participate last year. But believe me, we’re going to be participating from now on.”

A technician checks on a cat coming out surgery during The Big Fix event on April 14 at Sheltering Hands. Middle right: Volunteer Teri Schwartz takes a cat to surgery during The Big Fix. Bottom right: A cat lays on a table just after sterilization surgery. Above: A cat wakes up in the recovery area after surgery. VOCAL, Sheltering Hands, The Humane Society of Marion County and Marion County Animal services teamed up to sterilize, microchip, vaccinate, flea treat 300 cats in one day. [Alan Youngblood/Special to Ocala Gazette]

Marion Theatre offerings include Star Wars event Ocala Gazette Staff The Marion Theatre has a few special events slated for May, including a nod to Star Wars with a May the 4th Be With You event. On May 4th the theatre will screen the 1977 original “Star Wars: A New Hope.” But the action will start before the house lights go down. Before the screening, the theatre’s bar will feature Star Wars-themed cocktails and the sounds of the Cantina Band, among other music featured in the movie. There will also be Star Wars trivia in the auditorium before the show, and guests are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Star Wars character.

There will be prizes for trivia winners and for best costumes. May’s monthlong Classics and Cocktails feature is “An American in Paris”. The 1951 Academy-Award winning film will be paired with themed cocktails. Duke Energy’s Reels and Reading Series features the 2005 movie “Pride and Prejudice.” The May 20 screening of the movie is free and includes a small popcorn. Guests are encouraged to bring a donation of school supplies, or cash to support Marion County Literacy Council when they attend any of the showings of the movie. For the full list of films scheduled for May, visit Ocala’s Marion Theatre on Facebook.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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