Ocala Gazette | June 24 - June 30, 2022

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 25

$2

Page B7

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022

Marion Medals Again

THE SCHOOL CAPACITY CHALLENGE

WEC Jockey Club plans approved

By Rosemarie Dowell rosemarie@ocalagazette.com

T

School crossing guard Quentin Womack directs traffic and student in the crosswalk on the first day of school at Osceola Middle School in Ocala on Tuesday, August 10, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

How did we get here and who and what funding are going to fix it?

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

F

lorida’s class-size law limits the number of students in each classroom, and bricks-andmortar buildings and portables dictate how many students a school can accommodate.

But that has not prevented schools from becoming overcrowded, including here in Marion County.

What happens then? And, in a related question for a growing county like Marion, what should elected officials do when developers seek to build more homes, adding more kids to neighborhoods with packed schools?

Officials from Marion County, Ocala and the Marion County School District are tasked with finding the answers. And, as usual, the key issues revolve around money.

The various parties are supposed to be meeting now to revise an existing plan, known as an interlocal agreement, that spells out how to address these questions. But so far, they seem to be far apart.

The Gazette reported in May that district wide capacity was at 93%, with 42,087 students enrolled across all grade levels and a maximum seat capacity of 45,347, which leaves only 3,260 seats available.

The most troubling of the data has arisen lies in the southwest area of Marion County, where the schools have now reached 99% capacity. West Port High School has faced the most overcrowding in this area, and is now at 112% capacity, according to MCPS. Meanwhile, more developments are being proposed that would further stress local infrastructure, including Marion County’s schools.

Where’s the money?

The school district projects enrollment primarily based on local birth rates. However, that’s not the only factor in play. New residents moving into Marion, for

example, greatly swell the population.

“The district has projected growth at individual schools for years; however, the energetic economy, coupled with Florida’s popularity when it comes to people moving here, contribute greatly to the higher numbers we’re seeing in some areas of Marion County,” said district spokesperson Kevin Christian.

A key mechanism for helping local governments cover the costs of the impacts on local services from roads to hospitals these newcomers create is called, appropriately, impact fees. These are typically paid by developers, who often factor these costs into their customers’ bills.

However, the Marion County School Board suspended collecting the Education Impact Fees in 2013, saying at the time that the fees were not generating much revenue due to little construction activity.

According to the district, the only mechanism left to fund expansion or building new schools is “via voter-approved referendums and/or sales tax initiatives; however, such plans must sunset and be project-specific prior to going before voters for approval.”

In 2014, and again in 2018, Marion County voters approved and renewed a one-mill property tax increase via a referendum. The funds raised were to “fully restore art, music, library media services, physical education, vocational programs, meeting class size requirements, and retaining certified teachers and paraprofessionals along with school security.”

Notably missing was any reference to building new schools.

Adding to the challenge are changes in state funding. Florida no longer provides Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funding to maintain schools.

See School, page A2

he billionaire owners of the World Equestrian Center in Ocala Tuesday won approval from Marion County Commissioners to build a second venue in the county’s Farmland Preservation Area (FPA), despite county staff recommending its denial and objections from a slew of adjacent property owners and nearby citizens.

In three back-toback 3-to-2 votes during a sometimes tense nearly six-hour meeting, Commissioners voted to adopt both a future land use map amendment and associated text amendment to its Comprehensive Plan, which then allowed them to subsequently vote on and approve a Planned United Development (PUD) application from Golden Ocala Equestrian, LLC., owned by Larry and Mary Roberts.

Commissioners Kathy Bryant and Craig Curry cast the dissenting votes.

Commissioner Michelle Stone made motions to approve the Comprehensive Plan amendments and the PUD application, with Commissioner Jeff Gold seconding them.

“This is a very unusual developer that’s not short on funds,” said Curry prior to the vote. “If we allow it, it’s going to blow that place up; it’s gonna have a tremendous negative affect.”

The adoptions and approval, which rezoned the 1,029-acre property from mainly agricultural to PUD means Golden Ocala can now proceed with plans to build 94 homes, a 100-site RV park, 9,000-seat stadium, 120,000-square foot of retail space, polo fields with

clubhouse and a fuel station on the site of the WEC Jockey Club site, formally the Ocala Jockey Club.

“It’s disappointing; but we’re happy the developer made some concessions and are hopeful something good will come out of this,” Jerome Feaster, founder of Save Our Rural Land (SORA) said Wednesday.

Feaster spoke out against the project during the meeting, along with attorney Ralf Brookes, who represented several neighbors of the Jockey Club.

“If the rezoning request is approved, all of Marion County could become devoid of its greatest asset, the farmland that makes Marion County the Horse Capital of the World,” Feaster said during the meeting, which drew a capacity crowd of nearly 250 people.

Nearly three dozen others also voiced strong opposition to the development.

The property is located within the county’s Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) and outside its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), and is located on rural-two lane West County Road 318, about a mile west of I-75 in the community of Irvine in unincorporated northwest Marion County.

Many in the audience, like Feaster, pleaded for the Commissioners to protect the rural integrity of the FPA, as well as its wildlife, environment and water resources. Many questioned the fairness of allowing the developer to build 94 homes on three-acre or more sites, when the county requires ten-acre home sites within the FPA. Others questioned the need for a 9,000-seat stadium, which is large than WEC Ocala’s stadium by See MCBOCC, page A3

Chris Rison, the county senior planner, speaks during the Marion County Commission meeting on the WEC Jockey Club development in Ocala on Tuesday, June 21, 2022.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

READ DAILY NEWS AT OCALAGAZETTE.COM

INSIDE:

Adult Education............................ A4 UGB Workshop............................. A7 State News...................................... A8 Raiders Baseball........................... B3 Calendar......................................... B5

Subscribers will receive their paper through USPS on the USPS schedule.

Subscription orders must be received by 5 pm on Tuesday in order to be included in the following week’s delivery.

Starting at $10/month ocalagazette.com/subscribe

A2

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

School concurrency Continued from page A1 The last time Marion County received those funds was more than a decade ago.

“This means districts must raise/ allocate their own funds to maintain aging facilities,” explained Christian. Charter schools, however, receive state money to maintain their facilities.

As a result, the Marion County School Board has to allocate more of its budget to maintenance. The current budget allocation for maintaining over 7 million square feet of space is $11.4 million.

According to the district spokesperson, state laws also prevent MCPS from building “empty seats for students to eventually fill – students must physically exist before new schools are built.”

The 2008 interlocal agreement

A good place to start understanding the current disagreement among Marion County, Ocala and the school district over school funding is a 2008 contract they all signed. The 45-page agreement is straightforward. The school district needed to be kept in the loop on development projects that Ocala and the county were considering because these would impact the district’s planning.

As far back as the 1970s, the state was encouraging this sort of cooperation.

A January 1997 Florida Bar Journal explained the evolution of growth management legislation, “The 1972 Florida Legislature adopted comprehensive land use planning laws to address the burdens of fast growth. Three years later, the legislature passed the Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act of 1975, which required each local government to adopt a comprehensive land use plan with which zoning had to be consistent. In 1985, the legislature substantially amended Florida’s planning law and adopted the growth management act. Among other things, the growth management act mandates that each local government require adequate infrastructure to accommodate development.”

Legislators called this requirement concurrency.

“Adequate infrastructure” outlined in the statutes include such things as roads, sanitary sewer, solid waste disposal, drainage, potable water supply, parks and recreation, mass transit--and schools.

The 2008 contract set a two part formula for how to assess school concurrency so that it could be applied across the entire county.

One aspect of the formula was the level of service (LOS) standards. School district planner David Herlihy, who was around when the 2008 agreement was created, recalls those terms were very favorable to developers. The parties agreed that the LOS standards would be measured as percentages when it came to capacity: elementary schools, 105%; middle -schools, 105%; high schools, 100%.

The percentages, however, would not apply to a specific, overcrowded school.

Instead, they would be applied to an agreed-upon Concurrency Service Area (CSA) which was the second part of the concurrency formula.

Under the agreement, the service area was the entire district until 2011 and then the county was split into two service areas.

The impact of this split becomes clearer through the lens of development approvals. There are relatively low enrollment numbers at schools in rural areas of the county, while schools within the urban growth boundary might be overcrowded. By splitting the county in two service areas it contemplated challenges in certain parts of Marion where more development was expected.

Reassigning students from Belleview to Fort McCoy, where there are open seats, for concurrency purposes was not appealing.

2011, when school concurrency lost its teeth

In 2011, the Florida Legislature removed the mandate from the statute requiring local governments to consider school concurrency in development decisions

and instead made it optional. If the governmental body chose to continue considering school concurrency it needed to have an interlocal agreement to set criteria for applying it evenly.

The local governing bodies already did this in 2008. But in 2011, the parties agreed not to enforce school concurrency during a joint interlocal meeting. However, no new interlocal agreement was created and no formal actions were taken to terminate the 2008 agreement.

All of the government entities indicate the 2008 agreement is still the governing interlocal agreement between the parties; it just that the school concurrency portion of the agreement isn’t enforced.

Although the 2011 change to the statute did not nullify interlocal agreements between school districts and local government bodies, the city and county, took action following the 2011 statute change and removed the school element from their comprehensive plans.

The county removed it in 2011 and the city in 2012.

City attorney Jimmy Gooding provided the Gazette the city’s Aug. 21, 2012 council agenda item which addressed multiple changes to the city’s plan. The agenda item noted: “The Public Schools Facilities Element is no longer a required Comprehensive Plan Element and as a result of discussions at the Intergovernmental Work Session in August 2011, Marion County and all of the cities within Marion County agreed to eliminate the Element.”

About this time, the nation was still deep in a recession, and building permits for the county and city were nowhere near today’s levels so concerns about school concurrency were probably low.

Also, relations between Ocala and the school district were becoming strained.

The school district had to obtain a temporary injunction against the city from turning its electric and water off at schools while they navigated a dispute about fire and stormwater fees the city was adding to their utility bills.

The term school concurrency is not mentioned at all in the minutes from the city’s Aug. 21, 2012 meeting, however there was quite a bit of discussion about whether the school district should be allowed to use the city’s pools for students. Mary Sue Rich reminded fellow council members during the meeting that children would pay the cost of the district and city’s squabbles.

Hitting the reset button

Many things have changed since 2012: the economy has recovered, development requests are pouring in, and the three governmental parties are revisiting the 2008 interlocal agreement. Commissioner Michelle Stone is representing the county in discussions, while Councilmember Kristin Dreyer and Nancy Thrower represent Ocala and the school district respectively.

Discussions began earlier this year with staff from each government body. So far, only Thrower has given a progress report to her board. And none of the elected officials have publicly discussed where they stand on school concurrency.

Ocala spokesperson Ashley Dobb said the new agreement should be finished next month and will not include a school concurrency element.

Meanwhile, Thrower told the school board just a few weeks ago that she felt they were at least six months away from working out a consensus.

Ocala city attorney Rob Batsel, Jr., who has cautioned the city council from denying development decisions based on school concurrency because it could result in a lawsuit, puts the lack of school capacity squarely on the district for failing to plan appropriately.

In addition to representing the city, Batsel and law partner Jimmy Gooding in private practice represent some of the highest-profile developers in Marion County. It would seem likely that the firm would also be interested in how school concurrency could potentially impact

approval of their private client’s projects.

When the Gazette relayed the city’s position that the agreement would not include school concurrency, the school district’s representatives seemed genuinely surprised. Thrower maintains concurrency must be in the agreement and that government entities need to work together deal with school capacity issues since they are essential parts of the developments being considered by the county and municipalities.

School district attorney, Jeremy Powers, told the Gazette he was of the understanding that the interlocal agreement committee was exploring “revise” the 2008 agreement instead of completely disregarding its terms.

The city and county attorneys feel sharing their development decisions is enough for the district to plan and meet needs.

However, without school concurrency clause in the agreement, the school district has no obvious mechanism to get relief from local government and developers when they are in a situation like what they find themselves in now.

If school concurrency is to be considered, the biggest question could be whether it should be evaluated districtwide or by splitting the county as it was in the 2008 agreement.

According to Guy Minter, attorney for the Marion County Board of County Commissioners, Local municipalities still can require school concurrency in their comprehensive plans. However, Minter says that “if, school concurrency was adopted or applied locally, the school district was encouraged to evaluate concurrency on a district-wide basis, rather than on a particular school or service area basis.”

Minter agrees the decision on how to proceed is up to the local government bodies.

“While our comprehensive plan no longer has a school concurrency element, it still provides for “coordination” with the school board under the Intergovernmental Cooperation Element. I believe current activities to update an interlocal agreement are under the umbrella of that Intergovernmental Cooperation Element.”

Referring to a recent school district representation on how a development decision would impact local schools well over the capacity, Batsel said, “When a representative from the school board appears at council requesting denial based upon lack of capacity at a neighborhood school serving the proposed project and I am aware that the Interlocal provides for a district-wide concurrency service area (basing capacity on the entire district), which was supposed to be replaced by specific “School Concurrency Service Areas” in 2011, which never occurred, I have major concerns about basing that land use decision on local capacity and have an obligation to advise

council not to consider this as competent substantial evidence.”

What’s next?

The school district will continue to struggle with overcrowding at some schools unless the local governments make decisions that give the school district more breathing room to catch up on their capacity.

Yes, there are open seats available in the district, but they are in schools in rural areas, not in the southeast part of Marion. Rezoning students over these distances is problematic.

Where will the money come from if concurrency is rejected?

The Marion County school board will ask voters to renew the one-mill tax increase in a referendum in November. But that isn’t enough money to fix the current capacity issues.

At a recent school district workshop, Chief Financial Officer Theresa BostonEllis informed the school board on how much revenue the tax generated and how much of it was already budgeted.

“This year, our tax base was about $24.5 billion dollars, and that generated approximately $35 million dollars for our fiscal year for capital projects,” BostonEllis said. “Unless we get really excited about that…we do use those dollars to pay for debt, so of that $35 million that we are projecting for next year approximately $14 million of that is already relegated to debt payments.”

To make things more complicated, another change to Florida’s concurrency statute regarding schools, initiated by local Sen. Keith Perry, will take effect July 1.

“The bill … provides school concurrency is deemed satisfied when the developer tenders a written legally binding, rather than executes, a commitment to provide mitigation proportionate to the demand created by the development. The district school board must notify the local government that capacity is available for the development within 30 days after receipt of the developer’s commitment to provide school capacity. The bill also provides that proportionate-share mitigation paid by a developer, rather than being immediately directed toward a school capacity improvement, may be set aside and not spent until an appropriate improvement is identified.”

The analysis noted the amendment’s financial impact. “Private sector development may benefit to the extent that the bill streamlines school concurrency requirements.”

As for the financial impact for local governments, the analysis reads: “None.”

The Gazette has reached out for an interview with Senator Keith Perry to ask what legislatures envisioned on the mechanics of developers contributing their proportionate-share mitigation, but that interview was not granted before this article was published.

Attorney Jeremy Powers listens during a meeting of the Marion County Public School Board at the MTI auditorium in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

A3

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

COMMENTARY

A Love Letter to Air-Conditioned Activities

Editor’s Note:

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

By Sadie Fitzpatrick sadie@ocalagazette.com

A

hh, summer. For many, it signifies a slowdown, a loosening of schedules and routines. It means later bedtimes, pruney fingers from hours spent in the pool, and trips to sleep-away camps.

In Ocala, summer also signifies never-ending, oppressive heat and humidity, a time when any outdoor activities are done in the wee morning hours or under the cover of evening darkness, if done at all. It is days spent unsticking our sweaty thighs from our chairs, spending June through August cocooned inside with our AC cranked up.

There is a summer slowdown in Ocala, but not because of those storied “lazy days of summer.”

It’s just too hot to do much of anything—politics, events, living.

As a city, we basically say, “Y’all

come back out in September, we’ll see you then.” We retreat to our chilly, refrigerated refuges until the thermometer shows outdoor temperatures with an 8 at the beginning.

Though the weather outside is frightful during the summer, Ocala offers a wide array of indoor activities for all ages.

As the parent of two active preschoolers, this is much appreciated as there are only so many hours of Paw Patrol we can watch in a day.

Below are some of my recommendations for indoor, airconditioned entertainment for those both young and old: 1. Catch a matinee movie at the historic Marion Theatre.

Their Summer Kids Movie Series features a number of kids’ movie favorites and costs just $3 for children 12 and under, including a summer snack pack with juice, popcorn and gummies.

For adults, enjoy their “Classics and Cocktails” summer series featuring the cinematic classic Some Like It Hot served with a delicious cocktail.

2. Tap into your inner Picasso at the ArtSpace at the Appleton

Museum of Art. Open yearround, this unique space engages children ages 4 and up (and adults!) in hands-on experiences through colorful activities to promote an understanding and appreciation for art. You can sketch a self-portrait like Van Gogh or Frida Kahlo or draw on a glass wall. Admission is free for children 5 and under, $5 for youths ages 5-17, and $10 for adults. Make sure to check out the museum’s permanent collections of over 24,000 works of art featuring Florida artists, equine artwork, and much more.

3. On Wednesdays through July 27, children can listen to stories, play games, make crafts, and eat lunch as part of “Oceans of Possibilities” at the Marion County Library Headquarters.

Subjects include mermaids, sea creatures, and pirates. For adults, local

columnist Dave Schlenker will moderate a conversation with the mermaids who once worked at Silver Springs State Park and Paradise Park. This will take place at library headquarters, 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd., on July 28 at 3 p.m. These events are free to attend.

4. Sign up to take part in the Humane Society’s DogGone Good Reading Program. This program is open to children ages 6-13. They are invited to come read to a Humane Society of Marion County dog on select Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. Advance registration is required. There are a maximum of 12 children per session. A parent/ guardian must accompany the child and stay at the shelter (in a separate area) while the child is reading. This is done to provide a comfortable place for the child to read

with no outside criticism.

5. Check out the creepy crawlies and traveling exhibits at the Discovery Center. Serving as Ocala’s local children’s museum, the Discovery Center is in Tuscawilla Park and houses amphibians and reptiles on its first floor while hosting a rotation of exhibits on its second floor. Children can participate in a variety of hands-on STEAM activities and science experiments to learn about the world around them. Children ages 3-17 and adults are $8 for admission. Children ages 2 and under are free.

6. Cool off at the Lillian F. Bryant Splash Pad or the Citizens’ Circle Splash Pad. While these are outdoor activities, it’s a fantastic way for kids to cool off while playing in the water features. Find a spot in the shade and listen as your little ones shriek in delight as they play.

Stay cool out there, dear readers. I’ll see you outside in September.

MCBOCC approves WEC Jockey Club after nearly six-hour meeting Continued from page A1 1,000-seats.

Damian Guthrie, who said his property was now surrounded by WEC, said, “I guess all we ever wanted was a seat at the table, but I just feel that neighboring properties and adjoining property owners were never really given an opportunity to sit down with the applicant.”

Another resident, John Nolan said: “We don’t need another WEC facility in Reddick,” “What we need is beautiful farmland so that the kids and people that have never seen beautiful country can drive through and enjoy it.”

Golden Ocala’s original application called for a 200-room hotel on the site, but it was eliminated after Commission Chair Carl Zalak III told Golden Ocala’s representative, attorney Jimmy Gooding, that it was, “part of the non-starter issues we have.”

“I would like for you to talk with your client and see if we can remove this hotel,” said Zalak. “I think it would give the community a whole lot of peace of mind.” Audience members then broke out in applause.

Gooding later confirmed the hotel was off the table but commissioners agreed to let the developer retain the existing clubhouse on the property for use as meeting space and a restaurant.

The developer also reduced the size of its entrance sign by nearly half prior to the meeting, and made some other concessions in an alternative PUD application.

Tracy Straub, Assistant County Administrator, Public Works and Growth Services, outlined several traffic and road impacts the development would have on roadways, particularly County Road 318, and its 1964-era interchange at I-75, County Road 225 and others.

Most of the roadways would need to be widened or improved, with turn lanes and access points added, Straub said citing a traffic study that was conducted as part of the county’s review of the application.

“We recommend the developers pay their proportional share of the impacts,” she said. “It is important to know that Sunny Oaks (a recently approved PUD development at I-75 and County Road 318) and Ocala Jockey Club will be required to make their own access improvements.”

Total road improvements would cost more than $60 million, and the developers would foot the majority of the cost. Widening 318 would require the use of eminent domain, which allows a government entity or an agent to obtain private property for public use, with compensation.

Gooding, and David Tillman of Tillman

and Associates, who also represented the Roberts family, disagreed with the traffic study, saying it, “dramatically overstates the potential impact of our project.”

“These event type facilities, people trickle in, people trickle out,” Tillman said.

“It’s not one where everybody shows up and everybody leaves.”

Gooding said the sight will be a rural WEC and, “not a concert central for North Central Florida or anything.”

Resident Della Williams told commissioners: “I’m an eventer; you people don’t know jack about eventing.”

“We like rural settings. Horse trial three-day events occur on large pieces of property, not with fancy dancy restaurants and high-end Hermes saddles and all of that…. That is a pristine farm, and you’re going to screw it up,” she said Angel Roussel, Assistant County Administrator, Public and Environmental Services, meanwhile, discussed WEC Jockey Club’s need for a water plant and waste water treatment facility. The total acreage needed for both facilities would be roughly 25 acres.

Commissioner Curry said he was opposed to the development near I-75.

“I’m looking at what’s on the east side [of i-75 on 318] and I hate it,” Curry said.

“The west side is pristine pretty much.”

“When you start changing the Farmland Preservation Area and you use the east side to justify the changes you want to make on the west side, that’s what the next person is going to do, and the next person is going to do and where will it stop,” he said.

“Not just this project, but any project, I’m going to be opposed to it,” said Curry.

Commissioner Bryant, who is up for reelection in the fall along with Zalak, said she concurred with everything Curry said.

“Once you do this, you’re going to have serious issue with 318 and 75,” she said.

“We’ve sat up here long enough and we’ve all have learned as fast as our community is growing right now how important it is to have infrastructure in place when you’re talking about development.

“I’m not going to be able to approve this,” she said.

Several people who spoke asked Bryant and Zalak to recuse themselves from voting on the issue because they’ve recently accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the Roberts family.

But County Attorney Guy Minter said it was not illegal and not uncommon for public officials to vote on matters related to donors. Neither abstained from voting.

Golden Ocala is required to submit a master plan for approval, as well as a developer’s agreement on water, sewer and roadway improvements within 6 months.

Ralph Brookes, an attorney for the opposition to the WEC Jockey Club, front, works on making notes over a large satellite map as the auditorium was filled to capacity at 235, mostly with people opposed to the project, during the Marion County Commission meeting on the WEC Jockey Club development in Ocala on June 21, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Commissioner Carl Zalak, right, and Commissioner Craig Curry, left, during the Marion County Commission meeting on the WEC Jockey Club development in Ocala on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Commissioner Jeff Gold, left, and Commissioner Kathy Bryant, right, during the Marion County Commission meeting on the WEC Jockey Club development in Ocala on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

A4

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Grant application approved for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Project

Nancy Thrower of District 4 listens during a meeting of the Marion County Public School Board at the MTI auditorium in Ocala on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

S

tudents who are impacted by homelessness or housing uncertainty could potentially be benefitted by the grant application approved by the Marion County School Board on Tuesday.

MCSB has just given the green flag for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Project to continue for a second year, and if the grant is approved it could appropriate over $157,000 of Title IX funds for the 2022-2023 school year to reasonably quickly to students experiencing homelessness.

“We do have significant pockets of homeless populations,” said Board Member Nancy Thrower. “More than probably the community would ever be aware of, we have children that are growing up in pretty tough

circumstances.”

This year’s grant application sees a measurable increase from the 2021-2022 financial year’s budget of $120,000.

This increase of $37,000 could potentially be allotted towards services and resources promoting participation in school, academic achievement and regular school attendance by students experiencing homelessness.

The project specifically seeks to address improving the graduation rate of students who experience homelessness throughout their educational career, filling in the gaps in learning caused by homelessness,

and raising awareness for the McKinney-Vento Act (MVA) within the community.

MVA has been a game changer for students who face housing uncertainty, because in the case that they find themselves homeless, the act not only provides students with transportation, but also helps give them the emotional stability necessary to succeed in school, said Thrower.

“We would continue to provide bus transportation for those students so they could stay at the school where they were, where, you know, where relationships have been formed and keeping the same teacher especially with our younger students and our youngest students in elementary school,” Thrower said. “The school system tries to provide that net of stability and support in very uncertain circumstances for our kids.”

The grant will allow for two social work assistants to be hired, who will be assigned to work at Marion Technical Institute, Belleview, Dunnellon, Forest, Lake Weir, North Marion, Vanguard and West Port High Schools. They will work closely with school staff to identify students who fall into the category of homelessness

and create plans to benefit their likelihood of graduation.

The project largely seeks to improve the language skills of students who may have missed crucial checkpoints in reading and speech development due to their housing circumstances.

“To increase English Language Arts scores of students experiencing homelessness in grades 3-8, mastery of ELA standards is monitored throughout the year. MVA training is provided to increase the identification of homelessness resulting in more students being enrolled and their needs being met,” according to MCPS. While identifying students who may be categorized as homeless is the first step, it is often difficult to identify homelessness among disadvantaged students. The Ocala/Marion Joint Office of Homeless Prevention conducts an annual “Point in Time” count, a survey that assesses the number of homeless people living in shelter facilities and living unsheltered, and includes unaccompanied and homeless youth.

The PIT count conducted in January of 2021 found that 101 total people under the age of 18 were living as homeless, either in emergency or transitional shelters or unsheltered completely. The total number of persons in all age ranges totaled 512.

This is what makes MVA training so crucial, so that students such as these who are living in high-risk circumstances may be

“This is a real category, with real children and these are the lowest protected humans past their birth. As far as I’m concerned, if they don’t have a home, your home is where all your growth and power and security comes from.”

Don Browning

Marion County School Board member

identified in the first place to receive the necessary support and referrals to community programs such as the Ocala/ Marion Joint Office of Homeless Prevention.

The MVA training that the funding allows would “provide individuals an understanding of the law requirements and clarifies the stereotypical definition of homelessness and its causes,” according to MCPS. The grant budget period will last for the duration of July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, and the motion to approve the application was passed unanimously by all school board members. Board Member Don Browning pulled the item for discussion and offered his support and enthusiasm for the project to continue once the grant is approved.

“This is a real category, with real children and these are the lowest protected humans past their birth,” Browning said. “As far as I’m concerned, if they don’t have a home, your home is where all your growth and power and security comes from.”

Browning commended the local organizations making efforts to protect children affected by homelessness and thanked the district for recognizing the issues that afflict the students that are impacted by uncertain housing circumstances.

“Home is where security is and it’s a beautiful thing,” said Browning. “I couldn’t abide this [being passed] as a bulk agenda item without being recognized, along with the whole community being recognized for what we do and how much we care for putting a child in the best possible circumstance we can.”

Options for adult education go beyond the classroom into technical education

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

T

he Marion County School Board has approved a continuation grant application to the Florida Department of Education to continue its sponsoring of adult education.

If accepted, the grant will provide over $570,000 to The Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED) and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs. These allow for adult students to not only obtain an equivalent to a high school diploma, but to also figure out which career pathways might become available to them by doing so.

“I think it’s becoming more and more embraced [to pursue] career and technical education,” said Board Member Nancy Thrower. “Especially as the price of traditional college and university continues to skyrocket and with the associated student loans that are incurred.”

Marion Technical College, in coordination with local high schools and community programs, will purchase supplies and curriculum academic programs as they see fit.

“It will be materials and supplies that are directly related to the vocational programs that need the support, and that will be up to this staff to determine and then put that on a future agenda for the Board to approve,” Thrower said.

The programs additionally support students who do not speak English as a first language, and in turn have struggled in the work force due to barriers caused by communication. These skills will help the employability of many candidates who have received education as adults,

especially those who have received degrees in other countries but have been unable to find comparable work in the United States due to language barriers, according to MCPS. “This application will discuss how the institution will align with Florida’s vision for adult education to hold learners at the center and promote full participation in the workforce, result in credentials of value and close the equity and achievement gaps,” according to MCPS. In addition to the resources and curriculum decided upon by MTC, MCPS said that the grant will also fund the salaries of four paraprofessionals, two fulltime instructors, one career lab specialist, and one career education facilitator.

These staff members will be crucial in the part of the program that provides guidance and advising services to students and directs them towards an area of academic or technical education that would be best suited for the trajectory of their career.

The motion to approve the grant application was passed unanimously by all board members, including Thrower.

She said that not only would this funding benefit adults who go back to school, but also the high school students who seek an alternative route to the traditional university path.

“It can be a dual enrollment opportunity where students are still in high school, like we have with College of Central Florida for Westport High,” Thrower said. “All of those partnerships are really exciting to me, because that’s going to give our students number one, a much earlier window into the world of opportunity post school, and then hopefully will lead to relevance of what

Superintendent Diane Gullett listens during a meeting of the Marion County Public School Board at the MTI auditorium in Ocala on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

they’re currently learning in their regular school day.”

Thrower emphasized the importance of students knowing their options when it comes to higher education and said that money does not always have to be a barrier when it comes to improving your chances

at landing a good job.

“Now there are so many options in between to be able to walk out with a trade, career and certification,” Thrower said.

“As you’re graduating high school that’s something that’s so tremendously valuable.”

A5

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Florida only state not preordering toddler COVID-19 vaccines

Commissioner for the day

FILE - Syringes and colorful bandages are prepared as children from local schools prepare to get COVID-19 vaccines in Pittsfield, Mass., on Monday Dec. 13, 2021. [Ben Garver/The Berkshire Eagle via AP, File]

By Associated Press

F

lorida is the only state that hasn’t preordered COVID-19 vaccines for toddlers in anticipation of their final approval by the federal government, and Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that he won’t facilitate their distribution, though he said they’ll be available to those who want them.

White House spokeswoman Karine JeanPierre, who confirmed Florida’s outlier status on Thursday, said not preordering the vaccines could mean delaying their availability in children’s hospitals and other facilities that have relied on state distribution of the shots.

Florida officials said the jabs would be available at pharmacies and community health centers, which can preorder them directly from the federal government, and that children’s hospitals and other clinics would be able to order them from the federal government via a state portal and receive them quickly.

“Doctors can get it. Hospitals can get it. But there’s not going to be any state programs that are going to be trying to get COVID jabs to infants and toddlers and newborns,” DeSantis said at a news conference. “That’s not where we’re gonna be utilizing our resources.”

The final OK could come this weekend for vaccines for kids under 5. The Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisers gave a thumbs-up Wednesday to kid-size doses from Pfizer and Moderna for children as young as 6 months, deciding the benefits of the shots outweigh any risks.

Florida’s Health Department does not recommend COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children under 17, but says children with underlying health conditions should be

considered candidates for them. That advice contradicts the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which so far has recommended the vaccines for everyone 5 years and older, saying the shots provide strong protection against hospitalization and death.

In Florida, pharmacies and several supermarket chains, plus some community health centers, can preorder vaccines directly from the federal government. Other venues such as hospitals have previously benefited from the state’s preordering of shots. However, they also can order them directly from the federal government via a Florida government web portal and receive the doses within days or a week, said health department spokesman Jeremy Redfern.

Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital, which has several centers in South Florida, has previously has ordered vaccines via the state portal, officials said.

“As a healthcare institution, our goal is to keep our community healthy and safe, and we will follow the process in place to order approved vaccines for children,” said spokeswoman Kerting Baldwin.

Preordering the shots would mean the Florida health department would stockpile them, ship them to county-level health departments and then out to the hospitals, Redfern said. Hospitals that use the portal will be receiving the shots directly from the federal government, he said.

“The timing doesn’t necessarily change” in a significant way, Redfern said. “This just cuts out the middle man.”

Jean-Pierre, at a news conference in Washington, said parents would be able to access children’s vaccines through federal

M

alachi St. Louis, 12, of the Boy and Girls Club of Marion County, was chosen as the honorary “Commissioner for the Day” during the Marion County Board of County Commissioners regular meeting at the McPherson Governmental Complex in Ocala on Tuesday, June 21. Here he is seen standing next to Matthew Cretul, legislative coordinator for the county, on his special day.

distribution channels at pharmacies and community health centers, “but those are limited options.”

“We encouraged Florida on several occasions to order vaccines,” Jean-Pierre said. By not doing so, the state “will not have immediate, ready access to some,” she said.

Dr. Michelle Kirwan, a chief medical officer and pediatrician at the Center for Family and Child Enrichment in the suburb of Miami Gardens, said the center gets its supply directly through a

federal program.

But she said she was concerned that the state not facilitating the program might confuse parents. She also said some children in this age group may be at a higher risk and their families don’t know it yet.

“I think it adds to the anxiety, which leads to indecision and delays,” Dr. Kirwan said. “They will say ‘Who do I listen to?’ Is this going to harm my baby?’ They are between a rock and a hard place.”

WATCH YOUR SAVINGS

GROW! % 1.75 APY

Take Charge

of Your Story

65 MONTH CD $10,000 min. balance

A big part of living well is knowing what you need at every chapter of your life. That’s why, when it comes to your prostate and colorectal health, it’s never too early to start regular screenings. From digital examinations and scans to other noninvasive procedures, the preventative services at Radiology Associates of Ocala help you take charge of your health as you live out your 40s and beyond.

1.60

% APY

26 MONTH JUMBO CD $100,000 min. balance

0.75

% APY

13 MONTH JUMBO CD $100,000 min. balance

OR 1.50% APY I $5,000 min. balance

Start prioritizing your health and choose Radiology Associates of Ocala for your imaging needs.

OR 0.70% APY I $5,000 min. balance

IRA CD Specials also available flcu.org/cd 352-237-8222

www.RAOcala.com 352-671-4300

*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 05/11/22. Terms, restrictions and conditions apply. See share certificate agreement for current rates, terms and requirements. Must be funded with money currently not on deposit at Florida Credit Union. Minimum balance to open share certificate varies per certificate with a maximum of $5,000,000. After maturity, if you choose to roll over your CD, you will earn dividends according to the CD agreement or at the then current APY as stated on www.flcu.org at that time. Limited time offer subject to change at any time without notice. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawals which may reduce earnings. Fees may reduce earnings. Visit www.flcu.org for membership eligibility requirements. Florida Credit Union – P.O. Box 5549, Gainesville, FL 32627.

FCUMKNP0365-0522

Insured by NCUA

Country Oaks Branch, 9680 SW 114th Street • Maricamp Branch, 10 Bahia Avenue Lane Ocala Branch, 2424 SW 17th Road • Silver Springs Branch, 3504 E. Silver Spring Blvd.

A6

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Region’s jobs report for May shows strongest employment in 15 years

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

T

he unemployment rate in the tri-county region consisting of Marion, Citrus and Levy counties was 3.1% in May, according to a CareerSource CLM June 17 press release, 2.0 percentage points lower than the region’s year ago rate of 5.1%.

Across the region, the labor force in May 2022 was 209,108, up 2,790 for an increase of 1.4% over the year. There were 6,436 unemployed residents in the region and 202,672 employed—the most people with jobs in May in the last five years, according to Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO); and 7,495 more than in February 2020 before the pandemic hit the area.

The last time the region’s employment numbers in May were near as good, continued the DEO report, was in 2007 when the labor force was 209,106 and there were 200,612 employed but 8,494 unemployed.

Levy County held the lowest unemployment rate (2.8%) in the region, followed by Marion County (3.0%) and Citrus County (3.5%). The rates in all three counties rose by 0.2 percentage points.

Dale French, CareerSource CLM’s executive vice president, said that while the region continues to see historically low unemployment numbers, “area businesses are growing and hiring and training at a very fast rate.”

“There are lots of opportunities [in the tri-county area] for anyone seeking good, gainful employment,” he said.

Marion County had a labor force of 144,227 in May 2022, with 139,939 employed and 4,288 unemployed, earning its 3.0% unemployment rate.

The rate ties Marion County with Hernando and Polk counties for the 9th highest unemployment rate (not

seasonally adjusted) out of 67 counties in the State of Florida. Contextually, Highlands and Putnam counties had the highest unemployment rate in the state at 3.6%.

Additionally, compared to all the metros across the state, the Ocala metropolitan statistical area (MSA) had a 3.0% unemployment rate as well, ranked fourth in Florida, tied with LakelandWinter Haven. Sebring MSA (3.6%) had the highest unemployment rate, according to the jobs report.

Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.0% in May, unchanged from the April 2022 rate, and down 1.9 percentage points from a year ago. There were 313,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 10,592,000. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6% in May. Seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment was 9,299,100 in May in Florida, an increase of 11,200 jobs (+0.1%) over the month.

The state gained 468,100 jobs over the year, an increase of 5.3%. Nationally, the number of jobs rose 4.5% over the year.

Florida’s total nonagricultural and private sector employment surpassed the February 2020 (pre-pandemic) level in October 2021 and labor force surpassed the February 2020 level in June 2021.

Florida lost 1,282,500 jobs from February to April 2020, according to the DEO, and has since gained back all jobs lost (+1,506,100 jobs). All ten major industries experienced positive over-theyear job growth in May. The industries gaining jobs over the year included leisure and hospitality (+127,700 jobs, +11.7% increase); trade, transportation and utilities (+110,000 jobs, +6.0%); professional and business services (+94,900 jobs, +6.6%); financial activities (+34,800 jobs, +5.6%); manufacturing (+25,300 jobs, +6.6%); education and health services (+23,700 jobs, +1.8%); other services (+21,200

jobs, +6.4%); construction (+13,500 jobs, +2.3%); information (+10,800 jobs, +7.9%); and total government (+8,600 jobs, +0.8%).

Despite the gains, Florida has seen increases in people leaving jobs for 14 consecutive months to pursue better pay and benefits.

Jimmy Heckman, DEO bureau chief of workforce statistics and economics, said in a conference call with reporters that the growth of people leaving jobs indicates “individuals are more optimistic about their ability to find work if they leave their current job.”

“This pattern is also the result of the continued decline in total unemployment, as the labor force expands and the pool of people experiencing persistent unemployment shrinks, the voluntary transitions will naturally tend to grow as a share of employment,” Heckman said.

A looming recession remains a concern for economists, Heckman continued, as U.S. stocks fell last week with investors weighing the potential impacts of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates to fight inflation.

Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to reporters on June 16 in Miami regarding the cost of gas across the country.

“A lot of states are even higher than what we’re seeing in Florida [at the pump],” said DeSantis. “There’s been places like out in Nevada, California, they’ve been over five, six bucks for a while. And so, this is really, really problematic, and it has a huge impact on people’s ability to make ends meet. And it permeates things like what you see in the grocery store.”

State and local employment reports for June 2022 are scheduled for release on Friday, July 22.

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

Previous reporting done by “News Service of Florida” contributed to the writing of this article.

Follow us @ocalagazette

Branson, Vandeven appointed to full terms on Marion County Hospital District Board of Trustees

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

T

he Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) unanimously approved a motion to appoint two full members to full terms on the Marion County Hospital District Board of Trustees on Tuesday, June 21.

Rusty Branson, a banker with South State Bank, and Harvey Vandeven, a business owner with Miller Pipeline, were both chosen as the new appointees.

Their four-year terms will begin on July 1, 2022, and conclude on June 30, 2026.

Their responsibilities will be to oversee the Marion County Hospital District, which was created by a special act of the Florida Legislature.

Charisse Rivers, a financial planner with Zinnia Wealth Management, was the only other applicant.

Vice Chairman Sam McConnell and trustee Randy Klein’s terms on the Board of Trustees are set to expire on June 30, 2022. Neither member wished to reapply for their next term. Both members were serving their second terms on the board.

Branson is a member of the College of Central Florida Board of Trustees, as well as an Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership (CEP) treasurer and board member. He was also previously on both United Way and Advent Health Ocala’s boards.

According to his application, Branson served time on the Marion County Housing Finance Authority board from 1998 to 2008.

“I am a firm believer that both the quality of our educational system together with the quality and accessibility to healthcare are the core foundations to having a thriving and prosperous community,” said Branson in his application.

“And with the current resources made available to the [hospital district], while implementing a mission-minded

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

Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com Bruce Ackerman, Photography Editor bruce@ocalagazette.com James Blevins, Reporter james@ocalagazette.com Caroline Brauchler, Reporter caroline@ocalagazette.com Rosemarie Donell, Reporter rosemarie@ocalagazette.com Sadie Fitzpatrick, Columnist sadie@ocalagazette.com Greg Hamilton, Editor greg@magnoliamediaco.com Amy Harbert, Graphic Designer amy@magnoliamediaco.com Susan Smiley-Height, Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com

Director of Sales and Marketing Andrew Hinkle andrew@magnoliamediaco.com Account Executives Evelyn Anderson evelyn@magnoliamediaco.com

Distribution Inquiries info@ocalagazette.com

Our mission is to inform and uplift our readers by reporting on the events, issues and stories that shape Ocala with accuracy, fairness and passion. We also strive to serve as a forum where all voices can be heard and to chronicle our community’s history.

PO Box 188 Ocala, FL 34478 352.732.0073

ocalagazette.com ©2022 Ocala Gazette, LLC Ocala Gazette is published weekly by Magnolia Media Company, LLC, 1515 NE 22nd Avenue, Ocala, FL 34470.

Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Ocala, FL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Ocala Gazette, 1515 NE 22nd Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34470.

Share your news

[Supplied]

strategy that exercises great discipline, care and accountability when utilizing the resources, I see the organization having the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the people in Marion County for generations to come,” he added.

Vandeven listed his previous volunteer experience to include Marion County

Roadbuilders Association, United Way and the Open Arms Village of Ocala, according to his application.

“I believe that the [hospital district] board has the tools to help protect and improve the quality of life in Marion County,” he said.

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

• Letters to the editor: 200 words or less.

• Honorable Mentions: 150 words or less about an individual or organization accomplishment in the business, education, community service, athletics or other area of endeavor. Attach a photo of the individual or group being honored, if available.

• Upcoming events: Are you holding a charitable or community event that is open to the public? Include the organization hosting the event as well as the time, date and a brief description of the event, along with registration information or other important instructions.

• News tips: Include whatever information you consider relevant.

A7

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Notes from Marion County’s UGB workshop

By Rosemarie Dowell rosemarie@ocalagazette.com

M

arion County’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) does not need to be expanded because the county has enough vacant land within its boundaries to meet the highest estimated housing needs through 2050.

That UGB helps county officials condense urban development when considering growth decisions and plan for providing essential services like fire, police, utilities and schools to the developments they do approve. Efforts to keep urban development inside the boundary helps reduce urban sprawl.

That’s the major takeaway from Tuesday’s County Commission Workshop on its Urban Growth Boundary, scheduled following a May 9th meeting during which the Board said it wanted to learn more about how to effectively promote growth development within it.

County Growth Services Director Earl Hahn told the Board Marion County’s existing UGB includes almost 200 square miles and nearly 125,000 acres of land. More than 55,000 acres of that land is undeveloped and has a development potential of 151,357 dwelling or housing units.

Using the number of people that are shown in the population estimates, and dividing it by the number of persons per household, which is calculated by 2.4, gives the maximum amount of dwelling units that a UBG or specific area is expected to have, he said.

Even at the highest population growth estimates in 2045, that’s only 48 percent of the supply, he explained.

“So, what does that tell us,” Hahn said. “That when we talk about that policy that says you need to be able to show demand in order to modify the growth boundaries, there’s no demand for it.”

“Now that’s a totally different question from whether the densities and intensities are located in the right place, but I think that’s what we need to be focusing on,” he said. “It’s very clear from this day, that we have way enough

land to be able to accommodate growth to 2050 and the future.”

Other issues regarding the UGB discussed during the meeting included: • Inter-connectivity between developments and or subdivisions in order to keep traffic from clogging major roadways, and the potential need for sidewalks and other pedestrian-friendly pathways within them. Commissioner Kathy Bryant said funneling traffic from a new subdivision through an existing one seemed counterintuitive in some cases.

“I think it’s in the best interest of the properties that are next to these properties that are developing for us to be able to consider them on a case-by-case basis,” she said. “So, I don’t know that we want to demand interconnectivity anywhere.”

Commission Chair Carl Zalak III said: “But we do, we should; we should put it in there and then if you opt out of it because later on it becomes not the right call, then you can get that decision.”

• The need to develop where infrastructure is already in place, and getting feedback from public safety officials on any adverse impacts a new development might have, such as the need for additional law enforcement or a fire station and how to pay for it.

“I think that when we are looking at approvals that we have an idea of even of the land use portion of it, of what they are going to be bringing to us,” said Bryant. “And there should be a financial assessment done and some conversation had with both public safety entities…as to what does this mean in capacity and manpower and what are you going to have to add to accommodate this development.”

“And then make sure it’s going to fund them in the added value in the land,” she said. “I think these are things that we need to know; are we taxing our system.”

• The Planned Service Areas of

The Marion Commission meets on their agenda item for the decision on the approval or disapproval of the WEC Jockey Club development during the Marion County Commission meeting at the McPherson Governmental Complex in Ocala on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Silver Springs Shores and Marion Oaks and how to address future development and infrastructure needs in the communities.

• The three economic opportunity focus areas of the Florida Crossroads Commerce Park (within Marion Oaks), the Northwest 49th Street Interchange, between Interstate 75 and the World Equestrian Center and the Silver Springs Shores employment area.

• Commissioner Craig Curry brought up concerns about potential development in the Shady district, south of Ocala, which is outside the UGB. “That area is a major watershed for Silver Springs,” he said. “It’s out of the Urban Growth

Boundary for good reason; I think it needs to stay out.”

“I don’t want to see that area lost,” said Curry, who also brought up concerns about decreasing lot lines in residential subdivisions during the meeting.

Zalak said he thought the Board need to address in some form or fashion in the future Silver Springs Shores and Marion Oaks because while they are certainly outside the Urban Growth Boundary, they are developed like they are within it.

Zalak said if Curry doesn’t want to see any development in the Shady area, the commission should bring back a proposal to do something with it.

“At least have that conversation,” he said.

A8

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

State Andrew Gillum, once a Florida governor candidate, indicted

FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2018 file photo, Andrew Gillum, then-Democratic candidate for governor, speaks at a news conference in Tallahassee, Fla. Gillum, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida governor, is facing 21 federal charges related to a scheme to seek donations and funnel a portion of them back to him through third parties. The U.S. attorney’s office announced the indictment Wednesday, June 22, 2022. [AP Photo/Steve Cannon, File]

By Brendan Farrington Associated Press

A

ndrew Gillum, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida governor, is facing 21 federal charges related to a scheme to seek donations and funnel a portion of

them back to him through third parties, the U.S. attorney’s office announced Wednesday.

Gillum, 42, and co-defendant Janet Lettman-Hicks, 53, face 19 counts of wire fraud. Gillum is also charged with making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The U.S. attorney’s office said the pair “conspired to commit wire fraud, by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose.”

Lettman-Hicks then used her company to fraudulently give money to Gillum disguised as payroll payments, the office said in a press release.

“Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political. Throughout my career I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power.

There’s been a target on my back ever since I was the mayor of Tallahassee.

They found nothing then, and I have full confidence that my legal team will prove my innocence now,” Gillum said in a statement released by his lawyers.

Gillum met with undercover FBI agents posing as developers while he was mayor and during his campaign for governor. His associates sought donations from the agents, and suggested ways to provide money without listing them as political contributions, including paying for a fundraising dinner, according to the indictment.

The agents were asked to contribute $100,000 to Gillum’s campaign and said the money could be given to a private company in order to keep the agents’ names out of campaign finance documents.

The agents said they would want favorable consideration on development projects

and were told that wouldn’t be a problem, according to the indictment.

The agents also met with Gillum in New York City and paid for his hotel, food and drink, a boat ride and a ticket to see “Hamilton,” according to the indictment.

Later, other FBI agents interviewed Gillum and asked if he had contact with the undercover agents. Gillum told them that he never asked for or received anything from the “developers,” and stopped communicating with them after they tried to link contributions to support for their projects, the indictment said.

It’s the latest trouble for Gillum, who lost to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a race that required a recount. Gillum fell 32,464 votes short of being elected out of more than 8.2 million ballots cast.

Gillum served as mayor of Tallahassee before running for governor. He won a crowded Democratic primary against better funded candidates with 34.4% of the vote, stunning political observers. The charismatic politician won over the hearts of hardcore Democratic activists and ran a strong grassroots campaign.

After losing, Gillum was still seen as a rising star in Democratic politics and was hired as a CNN analyst.

Then, in March 2020, Gillum was found intoxicated and unconscious in a hotel room with two men, including one who works as a male escort. Two days later he entered a rehabilitation center, and later did a television interview in which he said he’s bisexual.

Scott: Texas GOP platform not ‘inclusive’ on homosexuality

By Jill Colvin Associated Press

F

lorida Sen. Rick Scott, chair of the GOP’s Senate elections committee, on Wednesday criticized the Texas Republican Party’s new platform for not being “inclusive” when it described homosexuality as “an abnormal lifestyle choice.”

Scott spoke to reporters at a breakfast just days after GOP delegates in the country’s largest red state approved the new platform, which also falsely labels President Joe Biden an “acting” commander-in-chief and says that Texas “retains the right to secede from the United States.”

“My experience is, you know, the Republican Party is inclusive.

And so I don’t — I wouldn’t have supported that, what they did,” Scott said when pressed on the homophobic language, which he said was not inclusive. He also reiterated that he accepts Biden’s election.

The platform, which falsely claims that Biden “was not legitimately elected,” underscores how far Texas Republicans have moved to the right and how deeply former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election have become ingrained in the party.

No evidence has emerged to support Trump’s claims of a stolen election, which top government officials, judges and even senior members of the former president‘s own campaign staff have rejected.

Indeed, an Associated Press review of every potential case of voter fraud in six battleground states disputed by Trump found fewer than 475 instances total — a number that would have made no difference to the outcome.

Scott, who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has been reluctant to criticize fellow Republicans as he works to flip the Senate this November.

Scott said be believes the party can win 54 seats and retake control of the chamber amid

soaring inflation and Biden‘s low approval ratings.

On Wednesday, he again dismissed growing concerns over the electability of two Republican Senate candidates: Herschel Walker, the party‘s nominee in Georgia, and former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who is seeking the Republican nomination in a highly competitive Aug. 2 primary to replace GOP Sen. Roy Blunt.

Greitens, who resigned in disgrace in 2018, recently released a campaign video that shows him brandishing a shotgun and declaring that he‘s hunting RINOs — a pejorative term meaning “Republicans In Name Only.” Walker, meanwhile, has been grappling with revelations that he dramatically inflated his business record and has several children that he had not previously publicly acknowledged.

Scott, who has declined to take sides in party primaries, said it was up to voters to pick their nominees, but predicted Walker would win

in November against Democratic As for the Texas platform, he incumbent Raphael Warnock. said, “Every state party has a right As for Greitens, Scott said he to make any decision they want.” hadn‘t seen the campaign video, “I don’t tell people what they but said: “I don‘t believe that we ought to run on,” he added. “We ought to ever be promoting any show people where the public violence.” is. But every state’s got different Still, he was bullish on the issues. And they ought to run on eventual nominee‘s chances. the issues that are important to “I think Missouri will make a them.” good choice. And I think whoever they choose is going to be the Republican senator from Missouri,” he said. “There‘s no reason to believe we won‘t win Missouri whoever our nominee is there.

We‘ve got good people running. But Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., arrives to speak at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s we‘ll see what “Road to Majority” event, Friday, June 17, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. [AP Photo/Mark Humphrey] happens.”

A9

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Tech law fight headed to Supreme Court

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

candidates from their sites and to require companies to publish --- and apply consistently --- standards about issues such as banning users or blocking their content. Companies could face penalties for violating restrictions in the law. For example, companies that remove political candidates from platforms could face fines of $250,000 a day for statewide candidates and $25,000 a day for other candidates.

NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association challenged the law, and Hinkle in June 2021 issued a preliminary injunction, calling the law “riddled with imprecision and ambiguity.” That led the state to take the case to the appeals court.

As the Florida case has played out, courts also have grappled with the constitutionality of a similar Texas law.

A U.S. district judge issued a preliminary injunction last year against the Texas law. But a divided panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in April issued a stay of that preliminary injunction — a move that would have allowed the Texas law to take effect.

NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association quickly asked the U.S. Supreme Court to vacate the stay, and the justices agreed in a 5-4 decision May 31. While that decision at least temporarily prevented the Texas law from taking effect, it did not resolve the underlying constitutional issues.

The attorneys for Florida and the industry groups cited the Texas case in the motion filed Friday at the 11th Circuit.

“The Florida law has been subject to a preliminary injunction since before its effective date. The Supreme Court recently acted to preserve the status quo and prevent the Texas law from going into effect pending Supreme Court review,” the motion said. “The (Florida) parties agree that maintaining the status quo (in district court and the 11th Circuit) while they seek clarity on whether and to what extent a state may regulate social media platforms would conserve resources and is appropriate under the circumstances.”

A

ttorneys for the state and online-industry groups plan to go to the U.S. Supreme Court in a battle about a 2021 Florida law that would crack down on social-media giants such as Facebook and Twitter, according to new court filings.

The filings effectively seek to put proceedings on hold in a federal district court and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals while the case goes to the Supreme Court.

The state plans to file a petition urging the Supreme Court to take up the case, and the online-industry groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association plan to file a cross-petition seeking Supreme Court review, according to a joint motion filed Friday at the Atlantabased appeals court.

“First, this case plainly presents important questions that warrant Supreme Court review,” the motion said. “Under review in this case is a ‘first-of-its-kind law’ that regulates social media platforms. Whether and to what extent states may regulate social media platforms is an issue of profound importance.”

The new filings came after a threejudge panel of the appeals court on May 23 upheld most of a preliminary injunction that U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued last year blocking the law. Hinkle and the appellate panel ruled that the law violated First Amendment rights.

The law, approved by the Republicancontrolled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis, targeted companies such as Facebook and Twitter over decisions to remove politicians and other users from the social-media platforms. DeSantis made a priority of the issue after Twitter and Facebook blocked former President Donald Trump from their platforms after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The law, in part, sought to prevent the platforms from banning political

Center for Dentistry

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

3300 SW 34th Ave., Suite 136 Ocala, FL 34474

EMERGENCY EXAM & X RAY

CROWNS or BRIDGEWORK

$1900

$69500

00140

By Florida News Service

T

he presence of write-in candidates will close six primary elections for legislative seats this year, preventing some voters from casting ballots.

Under state law, all voters are able to cast ballots in a primary if the candidates are from the same party. But when a write-in candidate enters such a race, it closes the primary.

For example, if a district has two Republican candidates and a write-in, only registered Republicans can vote in the closed primary. Without the write-in, all voters — regardless of whether they are registered Republicans — could cast ballots in the primary.

After the qualifying period for this year’s elections ended Friday, one Senate race and five House races will have closed primaries because of writein candidates. They include Northeast

File photo: Supreme Court

New Patient Special

WRITE-IN CANDIDATES CLOSE SIX PRIMARIES

352-873-4844

Florida’s Senate District 7, where Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, faces a challenge from fellow Republican Gerry James and two write-ins.

The other races are an open seat in House District 3 in Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties, where two Republicans and a write-in qualified; an open seat in Duval County’s House District 14, where four Democrats and a write-in qualified; an open seat in House District 15 in Duval and Nassau counties, where two Republicans and a write-in qualified; an open seat in Duval County’s House District 16, where three Republicans and two write-ins qualified; and an open seat in House District 30 in Volusia and Brevard counties, where two Republicans and a write-in qualified.

Write-in candidates rarely receive more than a handful of votes during general elections.

PENSION FUND ‘SOLID’ AMID MARKET VOLATILITY

By Florida News Service

market space,” Taylor said. Amid rising interest rates and inflation, Taylor said lorida’s pension fund remains “solid” it’s important to maintain exposure despite growing pressure from through “real assets,” such as real global market conditions, Lamar estate, commodities, infrastructure and Taylor, interim executive director of energy. DeSantis, Moody and Patronis, the State Board of Administration, said sitting in their role as the State Board of Wednesday.

Administration, said little throughout Overseeing about $250 billion in the 15-minute call. assets, the board invests money from the Asked after the call about the Florida Retirement System, along with condition of the pension fund, Taylor 25 other funds, and manages the Florida said, “We don’t know that there is going Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. Taylor, in to be a recession, but there is definitely a brief conference some pressure call with Gov. Ron in the market DeSantis, Attorney as the market is General Ashley repricing, based Moody and Chief on these higher Financial Officer interest rates.”

Jimmy Patronis, Asked if state said overall assets employees should handled by the be concerned, board are down Taylor replied, 6.25 percent from “You have nothing the start of the to worry about.” current fiscal He described the year, which will fund as “solid” end June 30. The and said the state pension fund is off invests long term. $18.8 billion.

“Last year, While part we had almost of the decline is a 30 percent a result of $600 return,” he said. million a month in “Of course, we benefit payments, knew that was not economic going to be what conditions, you’d see year including inflation, to year. So, we Lamar Taylor are a major factor. expect volatility, Interim executive director of the “What’s driving and we plan for State Board of Administration this performance that in our asset is a significant allocation. I think repricing of risk we are in good in the public shape.”

F

“We don’t know that there is going to be a recession, but there is definitely some pressure in the market as the market is repricing, based on these higher interest rates.”

Feel better. Live better.

Carewell Supportive Care Improving Quality of Life

Monday-Friday 8am-5pm www.flgentledental.com

DENTURES

CLEANING, X RAYS & EXAM

OFF

$2900

20%

per unit

Reline or Repairs

Porcelain & Noble Metal, 006242

D5751, D5750, D5761, D5760, D5619

New Patient Special 00220

EMERGENCIES & WALK-INS WELCOME The patient and any other person responsible for payment has a right to refuse to pay, cancel payment, or to be reimbursed for payment for any other service, examination or treatment which is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for the free discounted fee or reduced fee service, examination or treatment specials available with this coupon only. Not valid with any other offers.

C

hronic illness can be controlled with expert symptom and pain management by our specialists, working with your physician and your family. Live your best life!

We can make a world of difference.

Carewell Supportive Care — an affiliate of Hospice of Marion County your local not-for-profit hospice since 1983 1528 SW 1st Avenue | Ocala, Fl 34471 | (352) 291-5881 www.carewellsupportivecare.com

A10

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

State seeks to clear way for 15-week abortion limit

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

A

ttorneys for the state are fighting an attempt to block a 15-week abortion limit that is slated to take effect July 1.

Lawyers in Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office filed a 29-page document Monday urging Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper to reject a request by abortion clinics and a doctor for a temporary injunction against the limit, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law in April.

Cooper will hear arguments June 27 on the proposed temporary injunction in a case that could ultimately test whether a privacy clause in the Florida Constitution will protect abortion rights in the future.

The temporary-injunction arguments also show differences about issues such as fetal development and viability.

“At a minimum, the state’s interest is compelling in situations where the effect of HB 5 (the new law) is to encourage women to schedule their abortions earlier and results in a less dangerous medical procedure,” the state’s lawyers wrote

in the filing Monday. “As to protecting children in utero, the state defendants’ experts will show that a 15-week-old child is a distinct living being who is conscious and experiences pain.”

But the plaintiffs focused on Florida Supreme Court rulings that date back more than three decades. Those rulings have protected abortion rights based on the privacy clause in the state Constitution.

“Plaintiffs have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits because HB 5 is unconstitutional on its face,” the plaintiffs’ June 1 motion for a temporary injunction said. “Simply put, the right to privacy enshrined in the Florida Constitution protects the right to obtain an abortion before fetal viability, and the act (HB 5) contravenes that right by banning abortion months before viability.”

The Republican-controlled Legislature passed the law during the legislative session that ended in March. The 15week restriction is similar to a Mississippi law that is being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. A draft opinion leaked in the Mississippi case indicated justices could be poised to overturn the landmark

Roe v. Wade abortion-rights decision.

Several abortion clinics and a doctor filed a lawsuit June 1 in Leon County circuit court challenging the new Florida law, which includes limited exceptions for situations such as if abortions are needed to save pregnant women’s lives. The 15week limit is dated from women’s last menstrual periods.

While a potential U.S. Supreme Court ruling that strikes down Roe v. Wade could play a role in the case, the plaintiffs have focused heavily on the privacy clause in the Florida Constitution. Also, they argued in the motion for a temporary injunction that preventing abortions after 15 weeks could endanger women’s health by requiring them to give birth.

“In fact, the Florida Supreme Court has held repeatedly that the right to terminate a pregnancy is not just covered, but central among those liberties guaranteed by the privacy clause,” the motion said.

While the Supreme Court has cited the privacy clause in the past, the makeup of the court has changed dramatically in recent years. It is now controlled by a solid conservative majority that, at least

on some issues, has shown a willingness to toss out court precedents.

In the filing Monday, lawyers in Moody’s office raised a series of arguments to try to convince Cooper to reject a temporary injunction. In part, they contended that the plaintiffs don’t have legal standing and would not suffer “irreparable harm” from the law.

Also, the state’s lawyers argued that the vast majority of abortions are performed before 15 weeks. The filing said 79,817 abortions were performed in Florida in 2021, with 74,967 during the first trimester of pregnancy.

“In other words, for most women seeking an abortion, HB 5 will have no effect at all, much less cause a ‘significant restriction,’’’ the filing said, quoting a legal precedent.

A South Florida Jewish congregation also filed a separate challenge to the law this month. But Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith last week turned down a request to consolidate that case with the lawsuit filed by the abortion clinics and doctor.

DeSantis Campaign Eyes School Board Candidates

By Ryan Dailey Florida News Service

G

ov. Ron DeSantis’ political campaign this week launched a questionnaire designed to gauge how closely local school board candidates align with the Republican leader’s educational priorities.

The campaign is sending what it calls the “DeSantis Education Agenda” survey to school board candidates. The questionnaire also provides the opportunity for candidates to sign a certificate pledging their support for the governor’s agenda. According to DeSantis’ campaign, the questionnaire is not intended to be completed by people who aren’t school board candidates.

But the campaign is encouraging parents to evaluate whether such candidates’ views line up with DeSantis’ priorities.

As conservatives around the country are placing increased emphasis on school board races, DeSantis — widely viewed as a potential Republican candidate for president in 2024 — appears

to be building a roster of local candidates that he can endorse.

“The DeSantis Education Agenda is a student-first, parentcentered initiative focused on setting Florida’s children up for success, ensuring parental rights in education, and combatting the woke agenda from infiltrating public schools,” a description on DeSantis’ reelection campaign website says. “This statewide agenda is for school board candidates and school board members who are committed to advancing these priorities at the local school board level.”

Before filling out the survey, respondents are first prompted with notices advising that candidates’ responses can be used by the Ron DeSantis for Governor campaign for political ads and other materials.

“Note: Completing the DeSantis Education Agenda Survey does not authorize any school board candidate or member to represent that Governor DeSantis endorses or supports such candidate or member and should not be treated as such,” another notice says.

PANEL FINDS PROBABLE CAUSE TO REVOKE SHERIFF’S CERTIFICATION

By Associated Press

A

state panel found probable cause Tuesday to revoke the law enforcement accreditation of a South Florida sheriff appointed after the Parkland school shooting, after investigators found he lied repeatedly about killing another teenager almost 30 years ago.

The decision by the threemember Criminal Justice & Standards Training Commission means an administrative complaint will be filed against Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony. It would be unusual for a sitting sheriff to have accreditation revoked, but the accreditation is not necessary for the elected, administrative position.

Gov. Ron DeSantis fired the previous county sheriff, Scott Israel, days after becoming governor, over accusations that Israel had mishandled the response to the massacre, and then appointed Tony as interim sheriff. Tony was elected to a full four-year term in 2020.

Before the 2020 election, the Florida Bulldog website

reported that in 1993, when Tony was 14, he fatally shot an 18-year-old neighbor during a fight at his family’s Philadelphia home using his father’s gun. He was charged with murder, but was acquitted in juvenile court after arguing he acted in selfdefense. Tony never disclosed the shooting during his career, even when required, saying he did not see the need because of his acquittal.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement launched an investigation. In its 20page report issued Jan. 31, the agency said Tony repeatedly lied about the shooting. He also lied when asked about whether his driver’s license had ever been suspended and whether he had ever used hallucinogenic drugs.

Tony was hired by the Coral Springs Police Department in 2005. He resigned in 2016 to run a police consulting business, the job he held when DeSantis appointed him sheriff.

The day after FDLE’s report was released, DeSantis said he was going to review the findings.

The survey’s questions reflect some of DeSantis’ most highprofile policy positions, some of which have resulted in legislation that has sparked tense debates and garnered national media attention.

“Does CRT (critical race theory) belong in K-12 public education classrooms in Florida?” one question probes.

Some questions prompt the respondent to record a video answering the question or provide a written answer.

“How will you protect a parent’s right to publicly disagree with their school board?” one such question asks.

Another question asks if Florida students should “be locked out of school or subjected to forced masking,” an issue the governor has made a cornerstone of his approach to education.

The DeSantis administration’s clashes with school boards reached a fever pitch during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the governor pushed to block districts from enacting mask mandates at the beginning of the last academic year.

The DeSantis campaign

questionnaires come as Florida school board members for the first time face term limits.

State lawmakers earlier this year passed a measure (HB 1467) that will impose 12-year limits on school board members, a proposal DeSantis emphatically endorsed and signed.

“I’m a big believer in term limits. But you don’t always have to wait for that,” DeSantis said during a bill-signing event in March. “You can throw the bums out in the election.”

DeSantis’ campaign survey also includes a section entitled “Parental Rights,” which has become an educational cause celebre for the governor and other Republicans nationally.

The new law that caps school board members’ terms also will increase parental involvement in the process of selecting books and materials for classrooms, an outgrowth of DeSantis targeting what he calls “indoctrination” in schools.

“Do you support a parent’s right to know what their child is being taught in the classroom?” a survey question asks.

CDC TOUTS VACCINE FOR GAY MEN FOR FLORIDA MENINGITIS SURGE

By Associated Press

H

ealth officials on Wednesday recommended that men in Florida who have sex with other men get a meningococcal vaccine following one of the worst outbreaks among gay and bisexual men in U.S. history of a bacteria that causes meningitis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement that there have been at least 24 cases and seven deaths among gay and bisexual men caused by the bacteria in Florida recently. The CDC also recommended that gay and bisexual men traveling to Florida should ask their health care provider about getting the vaccine.

“Because of the outbreak in Florida, and the number of Pride events being held across the state in coming weeks, it‘s important that gay and bisexual men who live in Florida get vaccinated, and those traveling to Florida talk to their healthcare provider about getting a MenACWY vaccine,” said José Romero, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacteria, and when the linings of the brain and spinal cord become infected, it is called meningitis.

Symptoms include a sudden, high fever; headache; stiff neck; nausea or vomiting; or a dark purple rash, according to health officials.

Prospective board members also are asked about their position on school choice initiatives and charter schools.

Other questions posed to school board candidates ask if they support DeSantis’ efforts to fund workforce, career and technical education programs, and how candidates will work to close student achievement gaps.

The survey drew criticism from U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, a Democrat who also is running for governor this year. Crist blasted the questionnaire as an effort to “politicize” classrooms.

“There are no limits to Governor DeSantis’s authoritarian impulses,” Crist said in an email when asked about the survey. “Whether limiting Florida families’ access to life saving vaccines for kids under five, building his own militia, or trying to handpick school board members to politicize Florida’s classrooms — his extremism is on full display every day. Florida deserves a governor who understands and values freedom — and that’s not Governor DeSantis.”

OFFICIALS: CHILD STABBED BY CATFISH BARB, HOSPITALIZED

By Associated Press

A

child was hospitalized after being stabbed in the chest by a catfish barb, officials said.

The child was injured while on a family fishing trip in New Port Richey, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) northwest of Tampa, officials said.

While being driven to the hospital, the child experienced breathing difficulties and the child‘s mother pulled over to call for help, Pasco County Fire Rescue said Monday.

Firefighters responded and evaluated the catfish barb lodged more than an inch (2.5 centimeters) into the child‘s chest, officials said in a news reelease.

The child was airlifted to a Tampa hospital as a trauma alert. Officials didn‘t release an updated condition Tuesday or release any other information, including the child‘s age.

Catfish have barbs, or spines, on their dorsal and pectoral fins. The spines contain a venom that can cause swelling around puncture wounds.

A11

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Judge weighs arguments on race-related instruction law

By Ryan Dailey Florida News Service

A

federal judge is expected to decide this week whether to block a new state law that would restrict the way certain racerelated concepts can be taught in public schools and in workplace training.

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker heard arguments Tuesday and promised an order “in a couple of days” on the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction. Though he didn’t make a decision, Walker said he had “grave concerns” about the plaintiffs’ legal standing to pursue blocking the law.

A group of plaintiffs filed the overall lawsuit April 22, the day Gov. Ron DeSantis signed what he dubbed the “Stop Wrongs Against Our Kids and Employees Act,” or Stop WOKE Act. Lawmakers passed the measure (HB 7) during this year’s regular legislative session after emotionally raw debates.

The law enumerates concepts that would constitute discrimination if they show up in classroom instruction or workplace training.

For instance, part of the law pertaining to schools says that instruction would be discriminatory is it “compels” students to believe that they “must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress

because of actions, in which the person played no part,” committed in the past by members of the same race or sex.

The law is slated to take effect July 1.

But attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that if the law isn’t blocked, it will “chill discussions of race,” restricting teachers’ speech and students’ right to access information. The attorneys also contended the measure will restrict employers’ speech by cracking down on what training exercises employers can conduct.

In requesting the injunction, the plaintiffs’ attorneys called the law “vague and overbroad.”

“The logical and intended effect of these broad principles is to chill employers’ and teachers’ speech when they discuss difficult topics related to race and sex. The state is the ultimate arbiter over whether a given statement violates one of these broad principles. When faced with such ambiguity, most teachers and employers will choose to err on the side of caution and either avoid these topics altogether or espouse ideas with which Florida’s conservative politicians agree, rather than risk discipline, loss of funding, or a lawsuit,” the court filing said.

Walker’s concerns about the plaintiffs’ legal standing stemmed, in part, from whether they would be directly affected by the law.

As an example, Tammy Hodo, a

consultant who performs diversitytraining exercises for employers, is one of the plaintiffs. Walker questioned the plaintiffs’ lawyers about whether Hodo can bring a claim that the law is limiting the speech of employers.

Also among the plaintiffs are University of Central Florida history professor Robert Cassanello and a Nassau County student who is set to begin kindergarten this year.

Charles Cooper, an attorney representing the defendants, argued that the professor’s injury claim is “conjectural” and hypothetical. The penalty for universities violating the law is that they could lose what is known as performance funding.

Walker pointed out that the universities’ penalty is “one step removed” from professors.

The judge also appeared skeptical about the plaintiffs’ claim that the incoming kindergarten student’s right to access information would be affected by the law.

“Here’s what I can see being taught in elementary school,” Walker said, “you need to be kind to everybody.”

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are DeSantis, the state education commissioner, members of the State Board of Education, members of the state university system’s Board of Governors, and Attorney General Ashley Moody.

Walker questioned the plaintiffs’

attorneys about DeSantis being part of the lawsuit, in contrast to people and agencies responsible for carrying out the law.

“I don’t understand how the governor is a proper defendant in this case,” Walker said.

Jesse Wilkison, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, argued that the governor is part of the lawsuit because he oversees all government employees and can direct lieutenants such as the education commissioner.

“Ultimately, what we’re fighting over is whether these ideas take hold or not shouldn’t be decided by the governor,” Wilkison said.

Elizabeth White, another attorney for the plaintiffs, acknowledged Walker’s standing question after the hearing.

“I think that each particular plaintiff has a different burden with standing.

Clearly, (Walker) had some standing issues and questions as it related to some of the parties as opposed to others,” White told reporters. “That’s why we come to court, so we can understand what his concerns are and attempt to address them.”

Walker said he would issue an order on a separate motion by defendants to dismiss the case “a lot less quickly” than he will rule on the injunction request.

Surgeons challenge ‘Brazilian butt lift’ restrictions

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

S

even plastic surgeons are asking an appeals court to block a new state emergency rule that placed additional restrictions on procedures known as “Brazilian butt lifts.”

The surgeons, who practice in Miami-Dade County, and the group Surgeons for Safety, Inc., filed the challenge Monday in the 3rd District Court of Appeal after the Florida Board of Medicine approved the emergency rule June 3.

The rule limits surgeons to performing three of the procedures a day and requires that they use ultrasound. The procedures, more technically called gluteal fat grafting, involve injecting fat to enlarge or reshape patients’ buttocks.

Attorneys for the surgeons disputed that an emergency rule was justified or fair.

“Gluteal fat transfers are not per se dangerous,” attorneys Bruce Rogow and Tara Campion wrote in a petition filed at the South Florida appeals court. “If improvements in carrying out the procedures were to be considered, there was no justification for doing so by emergency rule.”

But the rule pointed to 10 verified deaths during the past

three years of patients who underwent Brazilian butt lifts.

It also cited an emergency rule passed by the Board of Medicine in June 2019 to try to bolster safety of the procedures.

“The board continues to believe that an outright ban on gluteal fat grafting procedures is not necessary, but the fact that there has been at best a de minimis reduction in the number of deaths related to gluteal fat grafting during the 36 months following the board’s June 17, 2019, emergency rule, leads the Board of Medicine to conclude that the status quo is unacceptable and that it continues to present an immediate danger to the health, safety and welfare of Florida’s patients,” the new emergency rule said.

Brazilian butt lifts have drawn widespread attention in recent years, with Board of Medicine member Kevin Cairns saying during the June 3 meeting that Florida has become “ground zero” for the procedure.

“And what … we see is, patients from all over the country are flying to, often, South Florida,” Cairns said, according to a transcript of the Board of Medicine meeting filed with the legal challenge. “They’re bringing a suitcase, and the first time they’re meeting their surgeon is when they … appear

at office surgery.”

In the procedure, surgeons remove fat from areas of patients’ bodies such as abdomens or thighs and inject it into the buttocks, according to an explanation that is part of the emergency rule.

Deaths have occurred because of pulmonary fat embolisms, which involve fat getting into the patients’ bloodstreams.

In limiting surgeons to performing three Brazilian butt lifts a day, the emergency rule cited decreasing surgeon fatigue and distractions to minimize errors. But the legal challenge described the limit as arbitrary, as surgeons could perform other procedures on the days they do Brazilian butt lifts.

“If ‘fatigue’ was the theoretical basis for the ‘emergency’ limitation, the limitation is neither rational nor fair,” the challenge said. “Especially where there has not been a proper, full opportunity to be heard with relation to the consequences — practical, economic, safety and patient welfare-wise.”

The emergency rule would require the use of ultrasound to help guide cannulas, which are instruments used in injecting fat. But the challenge said using ultrasound, in part, would require adding equipment and training.

“The ultrasound rule is demanding that the procedures

Buttocks before and after plastic surgery.

be done in a way that surgeons have not been trained to do,” the surgeons’ attorneys wrote. “In order to incorporate ultrasound use into gluteal fat transfer procedures surgeons would need additional training because ultrasound is not a technology used in plastic surgery. Nor is ultrasound taught as a technique to be used.”

In a prepared statement Tuesday, Rogow said emergency rules “should not be used in this manner or enacted with broad sweeping changes and little evaluation or consideration of the impacts.”

“The emergency rule does not promote safety; it actually

NEW! Same Day Dispensary Service!

WWW . CMMDR . COM

threatens patient safety by imposing an unproven, radical departure from accepted techniques for performing gluteal fat transfers,” Rogow said. “The Board of Medicine has created an environment that is contrary to all that has been taught over the past 10 to 15 years. No evidence or medical data supports the promulgation of this emergency rule.”

But the rule said the Board of Medicine is “of the opinion that its actions are a measured regulatory approach that protects Florida’s patients while maintaining the availability of this popular aesthetic surgical procedure.”

A12

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

B1

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

People, Places & Things Camp Kiwanis = Summer fun for kids!

By Eadie Sickler Correspondent

O

Campers race each other into the lake from the beach on June 14, 2022.

Ryan Boyles, 11, does a penguin slide over an overturned canoe with other campers.

cala’s Camp Kiwanis is in full swing during the month of June, with more than 100 campers and 34 staffers making memories during each of the four weeks of the camp, as local kids have done for nearly 75 years.

“It’s like a small town,” camp coordinator Scott Mitchell said of the community that blossoms each week at Mill Dam Lake, 19300 SE Third St., Silver Springs.

Campers from age 7 to 13 stay for one week, from Monday through Friday, and experience a camp like no other in Marion County.

For starters, Camp Kiwanis stays true to its roots by offering traditional fun for a new generation of youngsters.

“They can be a kid and play outside like a kid. No cell phones or computers. Just being kids…playing and being outside,” Mitchell said. “There is a fantastic set of role models, and activities include swimming, canoeing, field games, arts and crafts, archery, skits, relay races, battle ball and a dance. Activities are designed to be fun, safe, and letting kids be kids.”

The camp is a unique partnership between the Marion County Public Schools and the Kiwanis Club of Ocala. All staffers are hired by the school board, including the coordinator and assistant, high school and college age counselors, activity instructors who are all certified classroom teachers, kitchen staff, nurse, bus driver and a secretary.

All staffers must complete a background check, training and testing before being hired.

“The school board deserves a lot of credit for supporting this opportunity,” said Mitchell, who also works for the school district as coordinator of the Silver River

Museum and Environmental Education Center, 1445 NE 58th Ave., Ocala.

Mitchell marvels at the longtime popularity of the camp, which next year will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its summer program. “Open registration completely sold out in 35 minutes,’’ he noted.

The camp has deep roots in the community. As many as three generations of local families have had children who have attended Camp Kiwanis.

The site at Mill Dam Lake in the Ocala National forest was first used as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp for workers during the 1930s.

Later, it served as a quarantine hospital during World War II. The camp subsequently fell into disrepair, and the Kiwanis Club of Ocala leased the property from the U.S. Forest Service in the late 1940s and began refurbishing the facilities.

In 1948, Camp Kiwanis opened with a focus on providing a fun and safe summer camp for children. Over the years, a dining pavilion was added in 1952, and air-conditioned dormitories replaced aging wooden cabins. In 2003, a large multipurpose pavilion replaced the old dining hall.

For those looking to give this unique adventure to their children, the tuition is $260.00 a week and there are two ways to pay, either by direct payment or through scholarships from the Marion County schools. Camp officials say 75% of the campers are through direct pay, and 25% attend through scholarships.

School guidance counselors select scholarship recipients based on family situations. The Kiwanis Club helps maintain the facility and runs fundraisers during the year to benefit the camp, sponsoring over 100 scholarships each summer.

Zionne Guyton, 11, left, gets some pointers in archery from camp counselor Leon Lam, right.

Camp instructor Kayden Prestipino, who is known to campers as “Kayak Kayden,” looks on as she waits for campers to arrive for their canoe activities.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Emma Beck, 12, left, and Mahri Lingle, 12, right, stand with games instructor, Kristi Gibbs, center, as they play “Capture The Flag.”

Campers practice archery.

Landon Boyles, 10, Grant Villella, 9, and Gavin Sizemore, 8, left to right, get a push on a tire swing from Michael Hayes, 9, far left, in the playground.

Karsyn Stathas, 12, Blake Hammett, 7, and Javier Ubri, 11, left to right, stay hydrated during their juice break.

B2

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Paging All Dogs

LOCAL CHARITY PLANS TO BREAK A GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

By Beth Whitehead Correspondent

O

cala might break a Guinness World Record this Saturday. Local nonprofit Hearts Healing Hearts is hosting a movie night at the Ocala Downtown Market at 5:30 p.m. The goal? Beat the world record of 120 dogs in attendance by 30—Hearts Healing Hearts is paging 150 dogs and their handlers.

Hearts Healing Hearts founder Jennifer Lucas grew up with dogs. After becoming an adult, she became a foster mom, but she always had dogs around.

Maybe it was in being a foster mom and a dog owner that she realized that she wanted to build an organization that served as a two-way street for helping hurting kids and hurt dogs.

Out of this goal, Lucas founded Hearts

Healing Hearts on Jan. 1. of this year.

The 501c3 is a brand-new dog rescue— and a brand-new way of helping dogs and kids in Ocala.

“You know how the horse therapy ranches are where you come out and the troubled kids can work with horses?”

Lucas said. “Our goal is to have that same thing with dogs.”

Hearts Healing Hearts’ goal is to found a ranch for “people to come out and work with dogs,” but until the ranch is established, they are developing a network of therapy dogs (or dogs that would be good candidates for therapy training) to partner with hospitals, libraries, schools, and other locations where people would benefit from the healing presence of a pet.

Hearts Healing Hearts recently announced their H3 Therapy Dogs program—a training and certification for therapy dog teams. They are opening a new location this summer

for training therapy and ESA dogs and their owners.

“We hope to grow into having a small kennel where we can train rescue dogs until we can find them a perfect family of their own,” Lucas said.

But to get there, Hearts Healing Hearts is hosting a fundraiser that could go down in international records. The largest count of dogs attending a film screening was 120 at an event hosted by Universal Pictures Brasil in 2019, according to Guinness World Records.

Hearts Healing Hearts hopes to bring 150 dogs (aged one year or more and with no excessive hair styles including dying) and their handlers to see Clifford: The Big Red Dog on Saturday at the Ocala Downtown Market. Participants arrive at 5:30 p.m. for the count, with the movie to begin at 8:30 p.m. on the Ocala Drive In’s movie truck. Tickets are $10 to win the chance of

breaking a world record (and helping the neighborhood charity).

For those not participating, the event is free with a donation of a dog toy, treats or food. Chairs are available for rent for $2 (you’re encouraged to bring your own) and vendors, food trucks, games as well as a raffle and auction are your preentertainment during the count and before the movie begins.

“We’re going to try to make it an annual event breaking world records,” Lucas said.

In addition to their first annual world record attempt, Hearts Healing Hearts is also holding a community open Soggy Doggy Splash Party this fall at the Jervey Gantt pool in partnership with the City of Ocala and a “Dogtober” Fest in October.

To sponsor the world record attempt, volunteer or secure a spot as a vendor, go to the Hearts Healing Hearts website at H34dogs.com.

‘Finding Beauty’ exhibition now on display at CF Appleton Museum of Art

By Ocala Gazette Staff

T

[Supplied]

he Appleton Museum of Arts’ latest exhibition, “Finding Beauty,” a unique collaboration between the Appleton and the Ocala Civic Theatre, is currently on display, according to a June 20 press release.

The exhibition merges costume drawings and more from the theatre’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” with works from the Appleton collection that inspired them.

“After a highly successful run of performances,” said Lisa McGinnes, manager of marketing and public relations at the College of Central Florida, “‘Beauty and the Beast’ has come to a close and a selection of costumes are now on view in the museum’s ‘Finding Beauty’ galleries.”

Award-winning costume designer Eryn Brooks Brewer designed the costumes, working closely with museum staff. She gained inspiration from two- and threedimensional Rococo-style art and objects in the collection, according to the press release.

Along with the costumes, museum visitors are fully immersed in the creative design process from

start to finish, discovering how a static object, such as a clock, can eventually become the costume for a living actor to magically transform into a character such as Cogsworth, said McGinnes.

The exhibition also includes set photos, video, a touch table of fabrics and costume embellishments, a photo op with props and more.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, the community is invited to a special photo op including Belle, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There is no fee to pose with the princess. Admission to the museum is free all day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as part of the monthly Free First Saturday program.

The “Finding Beauty” exhibition is open through Jan. 15, 2023.

The Appleton Museum, art space and store are open TuesdaySaturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on S.R. 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free.

For more information, call (352) 291-4455 or visit www.

AppletonMuseum.org.

[Supplied]

Current Adoption Specials: Ocala Gazette regularly brings you two furry friends that are available for adoption from local animal rescue organizations.

Beans

This six-year-old guy is excited to be featured this week. After spending months in the shelter, he was selected to join the FIDO Project and be trained by inmates at the Marion Correctional Institution. He is learning all basic commands in the hopes that someone might let him join their family.

Sable

Cats-$5 (June is Adopt a Cat Month) Dogs-$25 For more information about Marion County Animal Services and adoptions please visit MarionFL.org/Animal

Three-year-old Sable is sleek, shiny, and social. She doesn’t mind having her photo taken and she would be an ideal social media starlet. Just look at her giving good face!

B3

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Strength in Diversity

The Ocala Rotary Raiders All-Stars baseball team is proving that inclusion is the secret sauce in their special blend of teamwork.

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

M

anager Randy Lamb insists he isn’t standing on a soapbox when discussing the diversity of his all-stars baseball team.

In reality, he feels he’s simply standing in his dugout, leading by example and encouraging his young players to do the same on the field and in life.

“They’re just being kids,” Lamb said.

“They’re tearing walls down and they don’t even know they’re doing it.”

The Ocala Rotary Raiders All-Stars baseball team, consisting of athletes as young as 10 and as old as 12, is made up of nine players in total. Of those nine players, four are from Latin American countries such as Ecuador, Cuba and Puerto Rico, and two players are female—a rare occurrence for any little league team in America.

Lamb said he was the first coach in Florida to pick two girls to play on his team.

“It was pretty simple: they’re just really good players,” said Lamb. “There was no decision based on them being girls. But the fact that they are, I think, is pretty cool.”

Diversity on his team is important to Lamb—the more, the better, he said. It’s all about inclusion, and giving those who have the ability and desire the chance to play.

On June 8, the Raiders bested the No. 1 seed Sumter County in the Cal Ripken League District Tournament at the Ocala Rotary Sportsplex, 5220 S.E. Maricamp Road. Then they beat the No. 2 seed Mount Dora 16-6, becoming the topseed in the tournament heading into the semifinals.

Ultimately, Lamb’s squad would lose on

June 10 to tournament rival Sumter 8-7, but the game was a barnburner, going to extra innings to be decided.

“They’re committed,” said Lamb of his team. “There’s no quit in them.”

Lamb described the forming of his baseball team as something that just happened naturally. But once he saw it develop, he knew it was something he could stand behind.

Opposing teams take one look at the Raiders and are often not very impressed, admitted Lamb. They’re small. They’re diverse. They don’t look like they’re going to be much of a challenge.

And that’s where they’d be wrong, he added.

“Most of these teams are really huge, full of big 13-year-olds. We were always the underdog. But when we got on the field, size didn’t matter,” he said.

Early on in the Raiders’ development, Lamb, assistant coaches Jaron Seuis and Anderson Hurtado, did a lot of team building exercises outside of baseball, giving his kids time and space to connect as human beings and become friends before becoming teammates.

“I brought the kids to a University of Florida baseball game. Some of them had never been to a college baseball game before. They all got to hang out and eat popcorn, drink sodas and have hot dogs,”

Lamb said. “I asked them to watch their position player, learn something. We did that a couple of times.”

Lamb didn’t stop there. He also took the team to a Tampa Bay Rays game as well.

He bought the team a suite. They rode to and from the game in a limousine bus.

“They were like rock stars,” laughed Lamb. “I had the Rays put my team’s name on the jumbotron. They’re all freaking out.

It was a truly special day.”

For Lamb, it’s all about the experience.

And baseball, he said, is the vehicle for that experience for these kids.

“You know, it’s funny. Kids see things so purely. They don’t see a girl. Like none of my boy players on the team said, ‘Well, we got girls on our team.’ Not every team is like that. I’ve played in tournaments and the other teams were not very friendly,” he said.

Lamb doesn’t want to make the diversity of his team a story about race.

He just wants to show that diversity is good, especially for young children to see and experience.

“We need to, as adults and coaches, show diversity and encourage all these kids to come out and play baseball. I look at every kid and what they have to offer, along with their unique characteristics and personalities,” said Lamb. “This core group of kids just got along really well.

“We need to, as adults and coaches, show diversity and encourage all these kids to come out and play baseball...This core group of kids just got along really well...They all played for each other.”

Manager Randy Lamb

All photographs provided by Randy Lamb

There were no egos on this team. They all played for each other, which is amazing after only being put together basically eight weeks ago.”

In the end, it was the players that taught the coach something new.

“I’ve learned some humility, learned to try to be more patient. At the end of the day, we’re playing a game,” Lamb said. “But also at the end of the day, as their coach, I need to make sure we’re doing everything right by them. It’s been a great experience.”

“It’s bigger than baseball,” he added.

“Baseball is the window for these kids to look through and learn about being better citizens and people in this world.”

2022 Ocala Rotary Raiders 10-12 All-Stars Roster Brody Lamb, 12 (1B, 3B, OF) Jerimiah Secor, 12 (P, OF, DH) Cuba Ayla Hurtado, 10 (C, SS, OF) Ecuador Jean Pablo La Torre, 12 (3B, 2B, OF) Puerto Rico Kamden Politte, 11 (OF, 2B) Aiden Seuis, 12 (P, SS, 2B, C) Carlos Sanchez, 11 (SS, P, C) Puerto Rico Conner Blomlie, 11 (OF, 3B, P) Jazmyn Rivas, 11 (OF)

B4

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

FLORIDA,

Florida

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

FACTOIDS WE’VE GOT YOUR NUMBERS!

In today’s quiz, we query you all about Florida’s numbers.

But before you start, try this quick and easy numbers drill, which in a millisecond magically reveals the numbers on your Florida driver’s license. Here’s how: 1. Google Unique ID Florida 2. Click Driver’s License Calculator 3. Enter a couple of facts about yourself on the green screen and then click submit, and there’s your number.

WORD FIND Works every time; don’t ask me how. Now, here’s today’s quiz all about Florida’s numbers.

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in an 6.

2.

How many of the 50 states have more tidal coastline than Florida?

A. One B. 2 C. 3 D. Zero

7.

3.

Until the 1970s, Florida’s license plates had a numerical prefix that was based loosely on each county’s population ranking. What was Marion’s prefix?

A. 4 B. 9 C. 14 D. 32

How many flags of sovereign nations have flown over Florida since since our discovery in 1513?

A. 3 B. 5 C. 7 D. 9

8.

Ocala’s 1900 population of about 3,000 made us larger than which of these Florida cities?

A. Miami B. Orlando C. Gainesville D. All of the above

9.

How many bridges do you cross on the 113-mile overseas highway trek from Key Largo to Key West?

A. 11 B. 32 C. 42 D. 66

10.

With a population density of about 1,500 persons per square mile this Bay area county is by far the most crowded in the state. It is: A. Hillsborough B. Pinellas C. Polk D. Sarasota

4.

How many of Florida’s 67 counties are named for U. S. presidents?

A. 3 B. 5 C. 7 D. 10

5.

In the 2024 presidential election, Florida will have the third-most electoral votes of all the states, with ______.

A. 18 B. 24 C. 29 D. 30

A catchy Florida TV advertising promo once said that no matter where you are in our state, you’re never more than ________ miles from the water.

A. 29 B. 55 C. 60 D. 99 1/2

Answers are on page B7

Fun on the beach Solution: 16 Letters

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

What is the official highway mileage between Pensacola and Key West, two of Florida’s most extreme cities?

A. 1132 B. 832 C. 632 D. 509

Asleep Bake Bask Bathe Bays Bikini Board Burn Bushfire Camera Cans Clouds Coast

Crab Daylight Drive Enjoy Eski Finds Fish Guys Hail Hats Heat Ideal Lawn

Mangoes Message Music Pier Plan Pool Reef Rest Rope Rubber duckies Salad Sea

Sharks Shore Support Surf Swim Thongs Towel Tube Uncover Walk Water Zinc

n: Sunshine and waves

1.

always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when pleted the puzzle, there will be 16 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

COMING JULY 8: The movies are back!

Contact Bob Hauck: bobhauck39@gmail.com

Creators Syndicate 737 3rd Street • Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-337-7003 • info@creators.com

B

M lo g, ro in d U s K ifie le rt ar Ce Ch oard

D

Dr. King provides comprehensive and exceptional urology services here in the local Ocala area. He is board certified and has over 30 years of experience in male and female urology. st gi

Non-invasive treatment options Full range of diagnostic services including: • Urodynamics • Digital Cystoscopy

• Urinalysis • PSA Screening

Timber Ridge Medical Center 9401 Sw Hwy 200, Suite 403, Ocala, FL 34481

• Prostate Ultrasound • Image-guided Prostate Biopsy

Ocala Office 2850 Se 3rd Court, Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 310-8281 uicfla.com

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGE B7

Date: 6/24/

B5

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

community JUNE 24

Friday Foodie Fest at Lake Lillian

Lake Lillian Park, Robinson Road north of Southeast Hames Road, Belleview 5-9pm Each fourth Friday, Lake Lillian Park and the city of Belleview host this celebration with a variety of food trucks, vendors, music and activities for youth, such as rock painting, train rides and face painting. Family-friendly; free to attend. Check belleviewfl.org for more info.

JUNE 25

Barbergators Chorus Concert

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 2pm Classic barbershop harmonies and tunes performed by the Barbergators Chorus will include doo-wop, gospel, pop and comedy, all done in stellar a capella stylings. Tickets are $10-$20 and available at ocalacivictheatre.com.

JUNE 25-26

Wellington Classic Dressage

JUNE 24 & JULY 1

Marion County Friday Market

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

Florida Horse Park, 11008 South Highway 475, Ocala All day The Wellington Classic Dressage series are USEF and USDF recognized shows that showcase the precise sport of classical dressage. Horses and riders perform specific movements in a test that some say is like ballet on horseback. The Florida Horse Park often has food truck options. Free for spectators. Check flhorsepark.com for more info.

JUNE 25 & JULY 2

JUNE 25

Retro Run 5K-Run Ocala Race Series Citizens Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala 8am-12pm Put on your retro duds and run/walk this 5K through the downtown and historic district areas. You can wear your old high school team running shorts or maybe some Chuck Taylors (there’s a competition for those wearing them).

Awards include Top 3 overall and Top 3 for each age group. For more info, facebook.com/ events/452299339640024/

JUNE 25

Guinness World Record AttemptMost Dogs at a Movie Screening

Downtown Market Square, 403 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala 5:30-10pm Hearts Healing Hearts, Inc., a local nonprofit that trains therapy dogs, is attempting to beat the Guinness World Record for Most Dogs at a Movie.

Dogs have to be accompanied by a well-behaved human, be leashed and at least 1 year old. Clifford, the Big Red Dog will be shown. For details, see the events page at H34Dogs.com

Yoga in the Park

Sholom Park: 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala 9am Snake into your cobra pose and get your downward dog going. Stretch out by the Sholom Park stage; recurs every Saturday morning. Visit sholompark.org for details.

JUNE 25 & JULY 2

Ocala Farmers Market

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St., Ocala 9am-2pm A variety of vendors offer local fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, fresh pasta, honey and arts and crafts. Check out some local food trucks and the occasional guest entertainer.

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

JUNE 25 & JULY 2

Farmers Swap Meet

Rural King, 2999 NW 10th St., Ocala 9am-2pm A true farmers swap meet where chickens, goats, turkeys, rabbits and sometimes even ponies are

available along with horse tack, home-grown plants, produce and hand-crafted items. Booth types vary with occasional meat vendors, food trucks and other goods. Saturdays, weather permitting.

JUNE 25 & JULY 2

Summer Sunset Polo

Florida Horse Park, 11008 South Highway 475, Ocala 6pm Once the sun goes down, the breeze kicks in. Free to the public. Tailgate right next to the polo field and enjoy a unique evening out. Saturday evenings through September. For more info, ocalapolo.com

JUNE 24-26, 28-JULY 3

Ocala Summer Series Weeks 3 and 4-Hunter/Jumper Show

World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala All day Enjoy horse shows sanctioned by the United States Equestrian Federation and see a variety of horses and riders work the courses. Shows will run through August. Many take place in the indoor arenas and the Grand Prix take place Saturday nights in the Grand Arena. More than $3 million is prizes will be awarded. Spectators welcome. WEC has restaurants onsite and shopping options. For more info, worldequestriancenter.com

JUNE 27-30

IHMC Robotics Camp, Session 1: Eighth Graders

IHMC, 15 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala 9am-3pm Middle school students have the change to dive into computer programming and working with robots. An introduction to scientific research, hands-on creating and working through Lego Mindstorms challenge exercises. Campers will develop problem-solving skills, learn teamwork and enhance their confidence. No prior experience is required. The camp fee is $180, and financial assistance is available for qualified candidates. For more info, ihmc.us/robotics-camp

government JUNE 27

Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting

McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 5:30pm First hearing meetings are held monthly on the last Monday; dates vary.

arts JUNE 24

Bobby Randall and the OBO Band

Orange Blossom Opry, 16439 SE 138th Terrace, Weirsdale 7pm Another Friday night shindig starring the Orange Blossom Opry’s own house band. Expect classic country, rockabilly, new country and more in this variety show. Tickets are $16-25. See obopry.com for more info.

JUNE 24

Aren’t We Fabulous? A Priscilla Queen of the Desert Screening/ Dance Party

Reilly Arts Center, NOMA Black Box, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 6pm movie; 8pm dance party To cap off Pride Month, the Reilly Arts Center hosts a movie and dance party featuring The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, starring Terence Stamp and Guy Pearce. Tickets are $15 for the dance only; $25 for movie and dance party. Find out more at reillyartscenter.com/events

JUNE 28

City of Belleview Code Enforcement Board 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 5:30pm-6:30pm

rhythm. The June 24 band will be Melvin Williams; July 1 will be Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts and is the last night of the series. For more info, ocalafl.org or facebook.com/levittampocala

JULY 1-9

The MCA Experience: Glimpses of India

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala 6:30 pm, opening reception; other event times vary Step into this immersive experience celebrating the music, culture and arts of India. Local artist Dr. Sheni Meghani will narrate and sing Indian folk stories and exhibit her paintings depicting folk-life, art, festivals and the saris of the women of India. Events include lectures, guided tours, art workshops and an opening reception. Free to attend, but registration is required. Days and times vary; see mcaocala.org for more info.

JULY 2

Free First Saturday at the Appleton Museum of Art

JUNE 24 & JULY 1

Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series

Webb Field at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex, 1510 NW 4th St, Ocala 7-9pm Free music concerts sponsored by the city of Ocala and Marion Cultural Alliance. A variety of music genres will get your toes tapping, your feet dancing and your heart pumping along with the

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 10am-5pm Free admission to the permanent collections and special exhibits. Take this opportunity to explore this art-filled space and the garden atrium. Big Lee’s BBQ food truck is onsite 11am-2pm. For more info, appletonmuseum.org

JUNE 30

Farmers Market

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 80th St., Ocala 9am-1pm Large selection of fresh seasonal produce from local growers as well as baked goods, plants, handmade soaps and more; recurs every Thursday.

Visit circlesquarecommons.com for more info.

JUNE 30

Brazen Bash

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala 10am-2pm To help young people learn to set goals and reach for excellence, Ocala’s own Rashad Jones, owner of Big Lee’s Serious about BBQ, partners with the Florida Department of Health in Marion County to anchor the day’s activities. Participants will enjoy food, music and prizes and try out rock-climbing, an obstacle course and more. For ages 11-18. The event is free to attend. For more info, check out brazenbash.org

JULY 2

Ocala Cars & Coffee

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

JULY 2-4

American Freedom Festival

Silver Springs State Park, 5656 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 10am-6pm Hosted by the Community First Support Foundation, Inc. Join in activities and check out the park. Food vendors, arts and crafts for sale, live music, glass-bottomed boat tours and a kids’ activity zone. Parking is free. Park entrance fee is $2. Lear more at silversprings.com

JUNE 28

Marion County Transportation Planning Organization Board

McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 4pm Held on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

JULY 3

Red, White and Ocala Symphony Blue

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 3pm Celebrate the red, white and blue with patriotic music from the Ocala Symphony Orchestra.

Marches and American music are slated, along with music from the movie, The Patriot. Also, a special salute to our troops. Tickets are $15-$40 from reillyartscenter.com

THROUGH JULY 28

Summer Spotlight XXV: Town and Country

College of Central Florida Webber Gallery, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala Mon-Fri 10am-4pm This special collection, by the Visual Artists Society, is part of its Summer Spotlight series that displays local artists’ works in a variety of mediums.

Experience the creativity and see artwork done in photographs, digital media, paintings, 3-D objects and more. For more info, cf.edu/student-life/artsand-culture/webber-gallery

THROUGH JULY 31

Reed’s work can be viewed in the collections of the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago. Visit appletonmuseum.org for details.

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 13

Journey to My Soul: Landscape of My Mind by Kelley Batson-Howard

City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration Building, 828 NE Eighth Ave., Ocala Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm This free art exhibits showcases the work of artist Batson-Howard, who creates abstract works to bring beauty to the world. Her work is variable, often colorful and full of whimsy. Open to the public. For more info, Kbatsonart.com

THROUGH NOVEMBER 6

Invented Observations: Photographs by Steven Benson

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm The works of professor, educator and artist Benson represent the human search for meaning. For more info, appletonmuseum.org for details.

A Strange and Picturesque Country: Etchings by Earl H. Reed Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm Prints from the permanent collection by Earl Howell Reed. Although a largely self-taught artist,

VISIT OUR EVENTS CALENDAR ONLINE OCALAGAZETTE.COM/EVENTS

B6

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

&

music nightlife nig ghtlife JUNE 24

Slickwood

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons 8405 SW 80th St., Ocala 7-10pm Free and open to the public. Visit circlesquarecommons.com for details.

JUNE 24

Jeff Jarrett

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm Dinner, drinks and entertainment. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com

JUNE 25

West 27

Charlie Horse 2426 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 7pm Live music. Also, karaoke Wed.-Sat.

JUNE 25

Stella Beat

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons 8405 SW 80th St., Ocala 7-10pm Free and open to the public. Visit circlesquarecommons.com for details.

JUNE 24

Humans in Disguise

Charlie Horse 2426 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 7pm Live music. Also, karaoke Wed.-Sat.

JUNE 25

The Mudds

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm Dinner, drinks and entertainment. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com

JUNE 26

JULY 1

Doug Adams

Justin Lee Partin

Charlie Horse 2426 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 2pm Live music. Also, karaoke Wed.-Sat.

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm Dinner, drinks and entertainment. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com

JUNE 29

JULY 2

Blue Jams

Charlie Horse 2426 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 6pm Live music. Also, karaoke Wed.-Sat.

Tipsy Sparrows

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm Dinner, drinks and entertainment. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com

JUNE 30

John Copeland

JULY 2

Charlie Horse 2426 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 6pm Live music. Also, karaoke Wed.-Sat.

The Rundown

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons 8405 SW 80th St., Ocala 7-10pm Free and open to the public. Visit circlesquarecommons.com for details.

JUNE 30

Joey & Jenny Duo

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm Dinner, drinks and entertainment. For details, visit worldequestriancenter.com

Ice is nice!

D

espite the rain, the Human Society of Marion County conducted an Ice Bucket Challenge fundraiser on Saturday, June 18, in order to raise money for the new medical low-cost spay and neuter facility it plans on building for the public at their location in Ocala, 701 N.W. 14th Road. By the end of the day, $1,600 had been raised, but the nonprofit wished to remind all that the Humane Society conducts many such fundraisers for more causes than just the planned spay and neuter facility. For more information, call (352) 873-7387 or email social@humanesocietyofmarioncounty.com

Franklin Robles, center, gets doused with ice buckets by Sam Calhoun, left, and Amanda Thurber, right.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Left: Austin Burnett, Amanda Thurber, and Terri Walker, left to right, do a Facebook Live with their goal chart in front of them.

Franklin Robles, left, gets a pie in the face from Courtney Hollister, right, during the Ice Bucket Challenge fundraiser at the Humane Society of Marion County in Ocala on Saturday, June 18, 2022.

Eddie Leedy, the executive director of the Humane Society, Taylor Kline and Kelvis Peacock, left to right, hang onto their tent as they try to prevent it from blowing away as a heavy rain squall moves through.

B7

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Special Olympians from Marion County win multiple medals at Orlando Games Making Marion County proud

Adrienne Bunn (L) Amanda Kenny (R) [Supplied]

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

(1:26:49). Triathlete Zachary Deonath (with Jeff Meister) won bronze as well (1:34:27).

In the open water competition, a 1,000-meter swim, Bunn (with Kenny) won the bronze medal in a time of 27:54.35. Welsh (with Northup) placed fourth (23:42.36). Deonath (with Meister) won gold (29:31.70).

During the equestrian competition, the first-ever as part of the Special Olympics, Marion County had four athletes compete—all four earning medals.

Kathy Gray won gold in Trail and Equitation and bronze in Dressage. Adam Warch placed fourth in Equitation but won silver and bronze in Dressage and Trail, respectively.

Becky Richter won bronze in Equitation and silver in Trail, while Ashley Quesnel won a silver medal in Equitation and placed fifth in Trail.

Alexia McCue, who lives in Levy County but trained all year with Coach Betty Gray, head equestrian coach, in Marion County, won a gold medal for Equitation, Trail and Dressage.

T

wo weeks ago, a total of eight athletes in several different disciplines represented Marion County during the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando.

By the closing ceremonies on June 12, all eight athletes had medaled in their respective events, some multiple times.

“The USA Games were an incredible opportunity for our SOFL [Special Olympics Florida] athletes to show what they are capable of to a national audience,” said Justin Copertino, senior regional director for Special Olympics Florida.

“Both the athletes and the staff of SOFL worked for years to prepare for the Games, and we are thrilled to see how everything came together.”

Adrienne Bunn, along with Amanda Kenny (her Unified partner), won the gold medal in the triathlon, completing the race in a time of 1:22:30. Thomas Welsh (with KC Northup) won bronze in the triathlon

Bunn, 16, who has been training and competing since she was 9, was first diagnosed with autism when she was 4 years old.

For several years, she used therapeutic horseback riding to help improve her speech, balance, social skills and focus, before crystallizing her deep love for swimming, cycling and running by competing in the triathlon.

Originally from Clear Lake in Orlando, Bunn, daughter of Bob and June, is the first female on the autistic spectrum to compete in the triathlon at the Games and one of the four triathletes from the original pilot program before the triathlon was a sanctioned sport in Florida, and the only girl amongst that initial group.

Today, according to John Robles, head coach of Florida’s USA Games triathlon team, Bunn is the number one female triathlete in Florida. Triathletes compete in a 440-yard swim, a 12.5-mile bike ride and a 5K run.

Bunn called the experience of competing in the Special Olympics “exciting,” adding that it felt a little overwhelming winning both the gold and bronze medals.

“I’m so proud to be part of such a great team and a great community of people,” she said. “I’m so happy I could make Marion County proud.”

Going into the triathlon, Bunn said she knew she was prepared and hoped for a great race to win gold.

She especially thanked her Unified partner Amanda Kenny for helping her stay mentally strong in front of all the cameras during competition.

“The support from my school, my friends, my church, my family, the YMCA, Sheriff [Billy] Woods and all of law enforcement has been amazing,” said Bunn.

Her next goal is to become a professional triathlete when she turns 18 competing in Ironman triathlons, which consist of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile

bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2-mile run, raced in that order. It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.

Copertino believes that this month’s Games in Orlando are just the beginning for Bunn and her fellow competitors.

“Adrienne’s accomplishments, and the accomplishments of all our athletes, are a testament to the athletes’ discipline and dedication,” he said. “They trained long and hard to become incredible athletes, helped along the way by some truly exceptional and committed coaches.”

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities and foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health and leadership.

To learn more, visit www.specialolympicsflorida.org.

Adrienne Bunn (L) Amanda Kenny (R) [Supplied]

ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4 Sudoku

Newsday Crossword

Florida

FACTOIDS COMING JULY 8: The movies are back!

Contact Bob Hauck: bobhauck39@gmail.com

1. B 832 2. A One 3. C 14 4. C 7 5. D 30 6. C 60 7. B 5 8. D All of the above 9. C 42 10. B Pinellas

Join the

Team

FULL-TIME POSITIONS

PART-TIME POSITIONS

Faculty – Cardiovascular Technology, Program Manager

Adjunct – Visual and Performing Arts

Faculty – Sonography, Program Manager Fine Arts Center Manager, Visual & Performing Arts

Admissions Technician Public Safety Officer Testing Assistant

Staff Assistant II – Printing & Postal Staff Assistant III - Mathematics Trades Specialist - HVAC HOW TO APPLY

E

very Friday, James Blevins, this newspaper’s in-house reporter and poet—who has seen his work previously published in “Salt Hill Journal,” “Pretty Owl Poetry,” “Stoneboat Journal,” “Mud Season Review” and

“AZURE,” as well as numerous other outlets both online and in print—chooses one poem for publication.

Additionally, Blevins will share a poem of his own, just for good measure, at the end of each calendar month.

My Heart is a Bucket.

By James Blevins

My heart is a bucket.

Simple, humble.

Collecting rain.

Only I can.

Pour my heart out.

Or top it up.

My heart is a bucket.

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

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

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

3001 SW College Road, Ocala, FL 34474 CF is an Equal Opportunity Employer

James Blevins was born in Oak Harbor, Ohio, in 1981. He is an award-winning poet and journalist who graduated from the College of Central Florida in 2017. Bitterzoet

Press published his first chapbook, “What Nature Keeps Secret,” in 2018.

Blevins is currently working on a new collection of poems.

B8

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

YOU’LL BE AMAZED AT HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHEESE AT HOME!

Putting your best foot forward with diabetes

By Stephanie Kvas, D.P.M. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

D Ricotta can lean sweet or savory, depending on what you want to eat. [Ashley Moore]

By America’s Test Kitchen You may have heard the nursery rhyme that begins with, “Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey.” But what are curds and whey? They’re two products of cheese making!

Cheese is made by adding an acid (such as vinegar or lemon juice) or rennet (an enzyme that can come from animals or plants) to milk. Adding acid causes the proteins in the milk to link together and clump tightly. This process is called coagulation. The solid lumps held together by the milk’s proteins are the curds, and the leftover liquid is the whey. Cheeses made this way include ricotta, cream cheese, goat cheese, queso blanco, and paneer. Maybe Little Miss Muffet was eating ricotta on her tuffet?

How to use ricotta cheese

You can use creamy ricotta cheese in both sweet and savory dishes. One of our favorite options? Spreading it on warm, crunchy toast. For a sweet version, try topping your toast with 1 to 2 tablespoons of ricotta, your favorite berries, and a drizzle of honey.

Or go savory: Top ricotta toast with halved cherry tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Or swap in jarred artichoke hearts and chopped chives. Ricotta is also delicious dolloped on top of pasta or pizza. Yum!

DIY Ricotta Cheese Makes 2 cups

8 cups pasteurized (not UHT or ultra-pasteurized) whole milk 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, plus extra as needed 1. Line a colander with a triple layer of cheesecloth (let extra cheesecloth hang over the edge of the colander). Place cheesecloth-lined colander in the sink. Place a large bowl next to the sink.

2. In a large saucepan, combine milk and salt. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often with rubber spatula, until milk registers 185 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Turn off heat and slide the saucepan to a cool burner. Slowly pour in vinegar and use rubber spatula to stir until milk solids clump together, about 15 seconds. Let sit, without stirring, until mixture fully separates into solid curds on top and watery, yellowish whey underneath, about 10 minutes.

4. Use a rubber spatula to gently pull milk solids (called curds) away from the edge of the saucepan to see if they have clumped together and if liquid left behind (called whey) is mostly clear. If the whey still looks like milk instead of mostly clear liquid, stir in 1 more tablespoon of vinegar and let mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes until curds separate.

5. Carefully pour mixture into cheesecloth-lined colander in sink. Let sit, without stirring, until the whey (liquid) has mostly drained away but cheese is still wet, about 1 minute.

6. Working quickly, gather edges of cheesecloth into a bundle and transfer cheese (inside cloth) to a large bowl next to the sink. Slide cheesecloth out from under cheese (leaving cheese in bowl) and discard cheesecloth. Use a rubber spatula to break up large cheese curds.

7. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir cheese before serving. Ricotta can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days.

(For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands -- which includes Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, and America’s Test Kitchen Kids -- offers reliable recipes for cooks of all ages and skill levels. See more online at www.americastestkitchen.com/TCA.)

EAR MAYO CLINIC: I recently was diagnosed with diabetes and am learning about various components of my health care that require special attention. For instance, I was told I’d need to take special care of my feet. Can you explain why foot care is so important and what is necessary? Do I need to see a special type of doctor?

ANSWER: You’re among the millions of people in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Managing your medications, adapting your diet and incorporating activity into your lifestyle are important for managing this disease.

Foot care also plays a big part in maintaining your health.

Two complications of diabetes are nerve damage and restricted blood flow to the legs and feet. Both increase the risk of various foot complications.

Nerve damage decreases the feeling in your feet, a condition called peripheral neuropathy. Reduced blood flow to the feet makes it harder to heal an injury or resist infection. Left untreated, even minor cuts and blisters can become serious infections that ultimately may require toe, foot or leg amputation.

This is why it’s important to have a podiatrist on your care team. Podiatrists are doctors who specialize in conditions of the foot and ankle, including complications related to diabetes. Working closely with your podiatrist can reduce the risk of developing foot, ankle and leg issues, such as neuropathic ulcers, infections, nerve and bone damage, Charcot neuroarthropathy ( joint damage) -and even amputations. Studies have shown that patients with a diabetic foot ulcer who have a podiatrist on their team can reduce amputations by 36%.

If you don’t have any diabetes-related foot and ankle complications, it’s still recommended that you see your podiatrist every year.

During this visit, your podiatrist will help you put your best foot forward by: Performing a comprehensive foot evaluation.

Testing for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Discussing preventive measures, such as foot care and diabetic shoes and inserts.

You should see your podiatrist at least every six months if you’ve been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy or have a personal history of diabetesrelated complications.

In addition to examinations by a health care professional, developing a daily at-home foot care routine is an important aspect of managing foot health.

This four-step routine can minimize serious infections and injuries: 1. Pick a time of day.

Picking a specific time of day can help you form a routine. Try taking a few minutes when you get home from work or before going to bed to examine your feet.

2. Begin with your socks.

People with peripheral neuropathy may not feel an injury when it takes place. When you take off your socks, look for any signs of infection or injury, such as dried blood or yellowish-brown drainage. Speaking of socks, wear clean ones every day. Also, you may want to check out socks designed especially for people with diabetes. They have extra cushioning, no elastic at the top and the fabric wicks away moisture.

3. Examine your feet.

Next, examine your feet, including the tops and bottoms, and your toes. If you aren’t able to see the bottoms of your feet ask a family member, friend or caregiver to help or use a long-handled mirror. Look for any cuts, scratches, ulcers, blisters, dryness, redness, warmth, swelling or pain. Also, check your toenails for any discoloration, thickness or ingrown borders. If you’ve developed callouses or corns, don’t try to remove or treat them yourself.

When it comes to foot issues, make an appointment with your podiatrist to discuss diagnoses and treatment.

4. Wash your feet.

To reduce the chance of infections, wash your feet with a soft cloth, warm water -- about the temperature you’d use to bathe a newborn baby -- and soap. Be sure to dry them thoroughly when finished. It’s OK to moisturize your feet to keep dry skin from itching or cracking. But don’t moisturize between the toes, which could encourage a fungal infection.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind: Cut your nails straight across but not too short, which might result in an ingrown toenail.

Don’t go barefoot, even around the house. Wear shoes or slippers to avoid cuts or scratches.

Shake your shoes out before putting them on. Your feet may not be able to feel a pebble or other object, which could end up injuring your foot.

Once you’re in the groove of your new foot-care routine, it will seem like second nature. And your feet will thank you for it. The key to keeping your best foot forward is catching an injury early and treating it appropriately. -Stephanie Kvas, D.P.M., Podiatry, Mayo Clinic Health System, New Prague, Minnesota (Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.)

YOU CAN SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! Sign up for a FREE e-edition or a paid print subscription at

OCALAGAZETTE.COM

B9

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

WOMEN’S EXPO FOSTERING EMPOWERMENT – INSPIRING PASSION 10am-3pm Saturday, June 25 Klein Center, College of Central Florida, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala

T

he Ocala Style Women’s Expo is designed to foster empowerment and inspire women to pursue their passions. And, with an eye to supporting our future leaders, ticket sales from the event will benefit PACE Center for Girls – Marion, which helps transform the lives of local girls.

This one-day event will feature a slate of inspiring guest speakers, demonstrations, shopping, networking, food, giveaways and a chance to take home some awesome raffle prizes.

Local vendors, who will be situated in “wings,” such as home and lifestyle, fashion and beauty, and health and wellness, will showcase an array of goods and services that may help you find your new favorite fashion statement or prompt you to sign up a for girl’s day out with your besties.

In between perusing the displays and networking to make new friends, guests can sit in on speaker sessions ranging from insights about being in politics to tips for personal safety.

The speaker sessions include: 11:15am

Women in Politics: County Commissioner Michelle Stone & School Board Member Allison Campbell arion County Commissioner Michelle Stone and School Board District Member Allison Campbell will share some of the hurdles they’ve navigated and what to expect if you are thinking of entering politics.

M

Michelle Stone graduated from the Florida School of Banking at the University of Florida and earned a diploma from the American Institute of Banking. She has long been involved in community and civic service with numerous area organizations. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, and long-distance running.

Allison B. Campbell, APR, CPRC, was elected in November 2020. She graduated from Lee University (bachelor’s degree) and Regent University (master’s degree) and is a doctoral student at Regent. She is an adjunct professor at the College of Central Florida and Southeastern University. She has served with numerous community organizations.

1pm

Following Your Passion: Dr. Katherine O’Brien Veterinarian Katherine O’Brien, DVM, is the owner of Maricamp Animal Hospital.

She and her staff are committed to a positive culture and delivering more than clients expect. She believes people must take personal responsibility in order to succeed and that to grow into an industry or community leader, you must find what “feeds your soul.”

1:45pm

Grow Your Small Business: Stacey Ansley Stacey Ansley is a business coach who helps business owners who are feeling overwhelmed, are on the brink of burnout and are wishing there were more hours in the day. She offers personalized strategies to help owners recover time, have greater impact and build an asset. Thus, the name of her business is Build. Change. Impact.

12pm

Family Law/Wills & Probate: Mary Catherine Landt & Janet Behnke ttorneys Janet Behnke and Mary Catherine Landt will share some of the family law and probate situations they’ve helped clients navigate and the take away lessons from the experience.

A

Mary Catherine Landt has more than three decades of experience in family law and believes it is more nuanced than people realize. She has been chair of the Family Law Committee of the Marion County Bar Association for nine years. She is involved with several local nonprofits and women’s groups.

Janet Behnke has practiced in Ocala for more than 40 years, in almost every area of civil law. She is a former Marion County judge and former president of the Ocala Marion County Chamber of Commerce and Marion County Bar Association. She has served with a number of regional and local community organizations.

10:15am

Women’s Safety: Ocala Police Department Major Angy Scroble ajor Angy Scroble of Ocala Police Department will be delivering practical ways women can make decisions that contribute to their own safety.

“When I was 16 and just starting to drive, a caring adult took me to a seminar put on by local law enforcement about how to be street smart. I have no doubt that receiving such frank sensible advice from an adult other than a parent helped keep me safe growing up in a large city. I hope this seminar can provide that for women of any age who attend.”

– Publisher, Jennifer Hunt Murty

M

Angy Scroble earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Florida State University and then attended Lively Law Enforcement Academy. She began her career with the Ocala Police Department in 1994. She has served as an officer and supervisor in a number of departments. She is currently a major in the Special Operations Bureau.

Expo ticket sales will benefit PACE Center for Girls — Marion, a nationally recognized organization providing girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy. The Ocala center is part of a network that includes 21 centers in Florida and one in Georgia. Carole C. Savage-Hagans, APR, CPRC, is executive director of PACE programs in Marion and Citrus counties.

Tickets for the Women’s Expo are $5.46 in advance ($5, plus .46 cent processing fee) or $10.46 the day of the event and may be purchased at ocalastyle.com/ womensexpo Above photograph y by Meagan Gumpe rt

B10

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Cynthia Erivo on bonding with Ariana Grande for ‘Wicked,’ and the future of Broadway

Cynthia Erivo attends the 51st NAACP Image Awards, Presented by BET, at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Feb. 22, 2020, in Pasadena, California. [Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET/TNS]

By Antonio Ferme Variety

A

long her journey of becoming a hit Broadway star, one of the valuable lessons that Cynthia Erivo said she learned was accepting “no” as an answer.

“Sometimes no’s are the best way to protect you from the thing that you’re not supposed to be doing because it creates the space for the yes that you’re supposed to have in the first place,” Erivo said on Sunday afternoon during a storyteller conversation at the Tribeca Festival.

“When the no comes, even though it stings in the beginning, sometimes you’ll know deep down it’s okay.”

For Erivo, that yes was accepting the role of the green-skinned Elphaba in Jon M. Chu’s upcoming two-part film adaptation of “Wicked.” Erivo will star alongside Ariana Grande, who will be playing Glinda the Good Witch. While the project isn’t set to start production until later this summer, Erivo revealed that she has been video chatting with her co-star to prepare for the highly-anticipated film.

“I saw her a couple of months ago, we’ve been FaceTiming and talking,” Erivo

told Variety on the red carpet. “I get to speak to her a lot now. We’re gonna be in each other’s lives for a bit.”

Set before the events of “The Wizard of Oz,” “Wicked” tells the story of how Elphaba goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West -- the titular antagonist of the 1939 film.

“The most exciting thing about bringing [Elphaba] to the screen is getting to ground her out and seeing the reasons why she is the way she is,” Erivo said.

“Finding the beginning stories where we know her and just trying something different and new. I’ve never played anything like that before.”

Accompanying Erivo during her Tribeca panel was “Hadestown” star Andre De Shields. The two Tony Award-winning actors discussed Broadway’s comeback and previewed a series of exclusive clips from Time Studios’ upcoming documentary “Back to Broadway.” Directed by Jamila Ephron, the film will explore “how issues of race, identity, and labor play out in the lives of the people responsible for making New York City the beacon for dreamers, artists, and tourists around the world.”

One commonality shared between Erivo and De Shields revealed during their

conversation was that neither of them dreamed of being on Broadway. Erivo, who grew up in the United Kingdom, said a lot of that had to do with the environment she was raised in.

“The reason I didn’t dream of it is because I didn’t know it was possible,” Erivo said. “The United Kingdom is a place where a lot of people are made to feel like they are not good enough and should not even consider being better than they are at any point. So people settle often.”

She continued, “I was the shit starter that did not settle, ever.”

Erivo went on to reveal that she was initially attracted to acting because of the way it changed other people’s emotions.

“I knew when I was five that something I was doing was able to make people smile,” Erivo said. “I wanted to keep getting happiness from people. I knew that something I could give could change the state of a person, and I wanted to do that for as long as I could.”

De Shields, on the other hand, expressed that he wanted to become an entertainer to evoke social change.

“If you do the etymological research on the word entertainment, you will find out that it means to hold one’s attention until they are ready to hear what you have to say,” De Shields said. “If any of you are familiar with the W.E.B. Du Bois, he said the problem of the 20th century would be the crisis of the color line. Here we are in the 21st century and we have yet to resolve the crisis of the color line. That’s why I’m on Broadway: to resolve the crisis of the color line.”

One of the major shifts that the theater industry has seen in recent years is the element of streaming, which allows people from around the world to watch Broadway shows at home. De Shields pushed back against the idea that streaming has truly

changed the industry.

“Only the plays that make money are going to be live-streamed. The capitalist bastard hasn’t changed,” De Shields told Variety. “There are a lot of plays that should be seen by people who choose, for whatever the reasons, not to leave their home.”

De Shields said he believes the experience of watching a live performance is unmatched.

“If you’re watching a film or television, it’s always going to be removed. Why? Because it never changes,” De Shields said. “Live theater changes all the time, which reflects what the universe is: constant change.”

Erivo echoed De Shields’ sentiment and said substantial change can happen once leaders begin to value the impact of Broadway over profit.

“I say this as someone who’s looked at the faces of most of the decision makers -- we need other decision makers,” Erivo said. “Those decision makers aren’t making decisions from here [points to heart], they’re making it from here [makes money making gesture].”

Currently, Broadway tickets are even more expensive than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. The average price of a Broadway ticket has risen to $189 in 2022, according to SeatGeek data.

“It pains me to know that you have to pay over $100 for a ticket, there are kids who can’t see shows,” Erivo said. “When the show gets good, instead of going, ‘let’s get everyone in to see the show,’ they go, ‘let’s rack up the prices.’ That isn’t transformation. That isn’t making the door wide open for a little girl who looks like me and doesn’t even know that this can be something she wants to do. That’s where we have to change it.”

“I think it can happen,” she concluded.

“We just have to be brave enough.”

“The United Kingdom is a place where a lot of people are made to feel like they are not good enough and should not even consider being better than they are at any point.

So people settle often.”

Cynthia Erivo

B11

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

In search of Edelweiss

By Rick Steves

I

t’s a glorious Swiss Alps morning. I’m spending my day walking with my schoolteacher friend, Olle, exploring the alpine landscape high above his home in Gimmelwald.

We come to a bluff and pause to look down at his village. It’s a pastoral setting -- a zigzag in the narrow paved service road lined with traditional wood homes, many of them two centuries old.

In this peaceful community, nearly everyone has one of two last names and the children don’t play house...they play barn.

A mighty gondola connects it -like an iron-cable umbilical cord -- with the valley floor a mile

below and the summit of the towering Schilthorn mountain a mile above.

As we continue our walk, a pastel carpet of flowers trims the scene: golden clover, dandelions, bellf lowers, and daisies. “For me, it’s like meeting old friends when the flowers come out again in the spring,” Olle says. All but abandoning me for the flowers, he rummages through his rucksack and pulls out a weathered handbook describing the local flora. “My bible,” he says. “When the cows eat this grass with all these flowers, it’s a good mix for the milk.”

“OK, Rick, you will now risk your life for a flower.” He leaves the trail and creeps over an

edge and out of sight to find an edelweiss. Loose rocks, huge drop, no helicopter in sight...I don’t really care about finding edelweiss.

Then I hear Olle holler, “Yes, I found some! Come around.”

Feeling fat and clumsy, I leave the trail. Pulling gingerly at weed handholds, I work my way around a huge rock and across a field of loose shale.

Olle comes into view, looking younger than he did a moment ago. “There are three edelweiss here. But this is a secret for only you and me. This spot must not go in your guidebook.” At this point I am not concerned about my guidebook, only my survival.

Olle grabs my hand with hands that have grown strong and tough after 14 years of high-

(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves. com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This article was adapted from his new book, For the Love of Europe.

You can email Rick at rick@ ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)

up FINANCING to 60 MONTHS SEE ASSOCIATE FOR DETAILS

Central Florida’s LARGEST selection of IN-STOCK furniture, accents & accessories. Over 80,000 sqft of showroom! starting at

starting at

19

$

$

PER MO*

starting at

38

$

PER MO*

Save $500 ACCRINGTON

899

$

Sectional

WAS 1399 $

Save $400 RAWCLIFFE

1799

$

3 Piece Sectional

WAS 2199 $

Save $600 Queen Storage Bed with Dresser & Mirror

DUNWELL

1199

$

Power Headrest Sofa

WAS $1499

$

starting at

40

PER MO*

KANWYN

Save $300 MATTRESSES

starting at

$

25

PER MO*

1899

$

WAS 2499 $

OUTDOOR FURNITURE SALE!

399

25% OFF

ALL OUTDOOR FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

Top brands, In-Stock and Ready for Your Patio

CHECK OUT BLOCKER’S MATTRESS GALLERY

SEE IT, BUY IT, TAKE IT HOME!

Savings and to view our Monthly Flyer, visit: www.BlockersFurniture.com

A winding path in Switzerland’s Berner Oberland region. [Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli/Rick Steves’ Europe]

They told me, ‘You can’t, it is private.’ That is for me perverse.

This is unthinkable here in Switzerland. We are guests of this Earth.” Like welcome guests, we make ourselves at home, stopping at a peak that stands dramatically high above Gimmelwald. Olle shares a snack as we sit quietly to savor our perch.

Switchbacking steeply back down, we pass through a thick forest and step out at the top end of Gimmelwald. We’re cheered on by a fragrant finale: a field vibrant with flowers, grasshoppers, bees, crickets, moths, and butterflies.

Olle says, “This year farmers obeyed tradition and not their eyes. They waited too long and had to take cows directly to the high Alps. They skipped this lower field. For these flowers, it is a fine year -- no hungry cows.”

Switzerland embraces its traditions with such gusto that locals like Olle fear visitors think it’s an underdeveloped nation. It’s certainly not. And the good news: The traditional alpine culture survives most heartily -- like edelweiss -- in its most remote corners.

For even more

altitude village life.

As if to pump up the drama, he whispers, “For me, it would not be a hike without a little danger.”

“That’s why your school is so small,” I whisper under my breath.

“Edelweiss. It means ‘noble white.’ In the valley, it’s noble gray. Only at high elevations do they get this white. UV rays give all flowers brighter colors at this altitude.” Creeping with me to the ledge, Olle gently bends three precious edelweiss toward the sun. Pinching off a petal, he assures me, “This will not affect reproduction.”

Petting a petal gently, I note that it feels like felt.

“Yes, like felt,” Olle agrees.

“This protects the plants from dehydration. I collect and press flowers but have never pressed an edelweiss. Edelweiss has been picked nearly to extinction.”

As we struggle back to the trail, Olle talks on. “Here in Switzerland we are getting serious about our environment. Twenty years ago, our rivers and lakes were very polluted. Today you can nearly drink out of Lake Thun.

Now we understand. You don’t pee in your living room, do you?”

I assure him that I do not.

Finally reaching the safety of the trail, we walk more quickly, with ease. “Do farmers mind if we walk through their property?” I ask.

“This is a human right -- to walk through the land,” Olle says. His environmental passion crescendos with his voice.

“When I was in Boston, I asked, ‘How can I get to the lake?’

10AM — 6PM *Payments shown based on 48 month financing estimates. Your payments may vary based on your credit approval. See associate for details. Prior sales not included. Due to early advertising deadlines, some items may be sold or out of stock. See or call store for details on total delivery area. Delivery is additional. Product photos are for illustration only, actual product may not be as pictured. Not responsible for typographical errors

B12

JUNE 24 - JUNE 30, 2022 | OCALA GAZETTE

Every Minute Matters Know where to go in an emergency.

From stopping a heart attack in its track to treating a stroke at the first sign of symptoms, our team is ready for every emergency.

And, with three locations in Marion County, AdventHealth makes it convenient to access expert emergency care 24/7. So when minutes matter most, you never have to delay getting the care that can save your or your loved ones’s life.

To find an AdventHealth ER near you, visit

TheERExperts.com

874031264-02-2022-AHO-ER-OcalaGazette-PrintAd-11.22X20.indd 2

6/3/22 12:05 PM