Ocala Gazette | August 27-September 2, 2021 by Magnolia Media Company

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VOLUME 2 ISSUE 9

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Councilman tied to campaign of council candidate By Carlos Medina carlos@ocalagazette.com An Ocala City Councilman who works for a political consulting company reportedly pitched his services to a sitting councilmember and is working on the campaign of another candidate running against his fellow

councilman Brent Malever. Justin Grabelle, who is the current city council president and represents District 5, is listed as the director of business development for Gainesvillebased Data Targeting Inc. Barry Mansfield, who is running for the District 1 seat, previously said Grabelle was involved in his campaign.

Jay Musleh, the incumbent District 3 councilman said Grabelle approached him in March offering campaign services. Musleh said he passed. During this election cycle, the company has provided services to Mansfield, Ty Schlichter and Kent Guinn but is also connected to historically doing work for Accountability in

Government, Inc., a PAC that is active in this election Schlichter seeks the District 3 seat and Guinn is running for re-election as mayor. On Aug. 25, neither Grabelle nor Mansfield immediately returned calls for comment. Schlichter, meanwhile, said Grabelle does not work for his campaign, nor can he

remember directly speaking to him about using Data Targeting for services. “We got quotes from a bunch of direct mail companies. They were the most competitive. We got about five quotes,” Schlichter said. Guinn said his association with Data See Grabelle, page A3

Lucky Penny

The State of the

Penny sales tax boosts projects across city

Redfish

By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com

Ocala hosts inaugural redfish summit By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

or a day at least, the redfish industry’s attention was focused on Ocala during the 2021 Redfish Summit. The inaugural daylong event, presented by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, explored the status of the popular fish in Florida, its biology and management, and conservation efforts to restore and conserve its habitat. The Coastal Conservation Association of Florida, the Sea and Shoreline Aquatic Restoration, the American Sportfishing Association and the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida sponsored the 2021 Redfish Summit. The event, held at the Hilton Ocala, was well attended for an inaugural event, said Amanda Nalley, a spokeswoman for the FWC. “We had a good turnout of people that registered,” Nalley said. “It didn’t fill up quite as fast as the Snook Symposium did, but that symposium has been going on for seven years. And this is our first Redfish Summit ever.” Redfish—also known as red drum, spot tail, red bass and channel bass—inhabit inshore and offshore waters along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Key West and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. In Florida waters, redfish can reach lengths up to 45 inches and weigh as much as 51 pounds. The game fish is extremely popular in Florida due to its ability to fight for extended periods and its taste when cooked, according to FWC’s website. It’s also a fish found everywhere near shore in Florida. “The thing about redfish is that it’s really a success story,” said Nalley. “A few years ago, it wasn’t doing very well. Now, it’s doing a lot better, and that’s why we’re here, to continue asking, ‘What do you want us to do with this fishery?’” Nalley described the summit as a workshop. A collection of researchers, managers and concerned citizens gathering together in one spot to get a lay of the state as far as the redfish is concerned and help find solutions to big questions like stock decline. Summit attendee Michael Rogar cares deeply about the health of the redfish population.

Defund the Police became a slogan during the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis. Since then, politicians and candidates have used the phrase to decry any shift in funding for public safety. In the runup to the Sept. 21 Ocala elections, some local candidates have commented on shifts to planned allocations of penny sales tax revenue away from the city’s public safety departments in the context of defunding emergency services. During the first four years of the tax, which was passed in 2016 and raised nearly $35.5 million for the city, police and fire received equal shares of 52% of the revenue, while roads and transportation projects got 48%. Voters approved a four-year extension of the tax in 2020. The Ocala City Council gave city staff direction to shift spending to 60% for roads and transportation, and 40% divided equally between police and fire. See Penny Tax, page A2

See Redfish, page A2

CF shifts plans on health sciences programs By Carlos Medina carlos@ocalagazette.com Plans for a four-story healthcare education hub at the College of Central Florida have evolved into a mix of new and renovated sites on the Ocala campus. Jim Henningsen, CF president, recently unveiled what he called “Plan B” for additional spaces to house medical-affiliated programs from nursing to respiratory

therapy to paramedicine. The new plan includes renovating two existing buildings, including the gymnasium, and building a new 24,000-square-foot, one-story building on the campus at 3001 SW State Road 200. The new building would fill the space once planned for the four-story health sciences building. Original plans unveiled in 2017 eventually called for a $43 million structure. The

state would fund 80% of the cost over several years, with 20% coming from matching money from the Marion County Hospital District. But the legislature only approved $6 million over the last four years. In addition to the $1.2 million from the district’s 20% match, the money paid for site preparation. “We demolished the old building, did the site work, infrastructure, engineering… parking lot,

did the plaza. Everything is there except the building,” Henningsen told the Maron County Commission during a presentation on Aug. 17. Henningsen said he will present the new plan to the Marion County legislative delegation in September. He said the single-story building would cost $16 million. He hopes to get $13.6 million from the state and a 20% match from the district to pay for the construction.

The new building would house the nursing program, which the college hopes to expand to 325 students. “I think there is still an opportunity this (legislative) year. They still have federal dollars available,” Henningsen said of the upcoming legislative session scheduled to begin in January. But the hospital district has not committed to the See CF Programs, page A3

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AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Redfish, page A1 “I’m a professional guide and a redfish tour fisherman,” said Rogar. “So, I really care how they’re doing and want to learn more about them and what I can do to help.” Nalley explained that overall, catch rates for redfish have increased. In a 2020 population assessment, FWC researchers noticed a small decline in juvenile fish in one southeast corner of Florida near Indian River Lagoon. Since Florida estuaries

are vital nursery grounds for redfish, the deterioration of water quality or the loss of suitable habitats can drastically affect the number of young redfish that survive into adulthood. The decline in young redfish was one of the topics addressed during the summit. “(The decline) is still above our threshold,” said Nalley. “But if it goes below that line, then it’s not sustainable. Across the state, it’s above that threshold,

except in that southeast quadrant, which could be the result of many factors.” Terry Williamson, an environmental specialist for Brevard County since 2015, attended the summit to learn more about how water-quality issues may be affecting redfish populations near him. “When it comes to natural resources, we’re dealing with a lot of water-quality issues,” said Williamson. “So, I’m hoping to get a feel for what’s going

on. Projections. Any little nugget that might help me.” The FWC only requires a person to obtain a saltwater fishing license to catch redfish, unlike other species that require fish-specific licenses. While overfishing is always a looming concern, red tide is a more immediate issue, Nalley said. Red tides happen when algae grow out of control, known as algal blooms, producing toxins that kill fish and sicken people. The common name comes from the color of the algae. The state’s Gulf Coast is particularly susceptible to blooms every summer. “It’s definitely something we’re keeping our eyes out for,” said Nalley. Due to the red tide issues, temporary redfish harvest regulations—as well as with snook and spotted seatrout—are currently in effect in all waters of Manatee County north of State Road 64, including all waters of the Braden River, and all tributaries of Manatee River, excluding all waters of Palma Sola Bay, till Oct. 11. All waters of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties (excluding all waters of the Anclote River and its tributaries) are similarly regulated. “That area has remained

catch-and-release for redfish. And recently, red tide hit Tampa Bay, and we made that area catch-and-release as well,” Nalley said, adding they will meet on Oct. 6 and 7 to discuss the situation. While red tide is a concern, it doesn’t seem to have affected the redfish population too much, though researchers are working with data from 2019. “We’re trying to be precautious with these catch-and-release measures because of stock assessment uncertainty. To make sure that these very important fisheries are protected for the future,” Nalley said. Cody Rubner, from Stuart, is involved in the recreational fishing industry on the manufacturing side and is starting his own guide business. He understands the importance of Florida’s ecology to maintaining healthy redfish populations, as well as the power of his voice when attending summits like Tuesday’s. “As an up-and-coming angler, I think it’s really important to be engaged with the redfish fishery and understand that I have a share and an impact on it,” Rubner said. “I want to be able to ask questions and figure out how I can be better and influence other people to be better too.”

officers in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, said Jeff Walczak, OPD spokesman. Walczak said the department is approved for 194 sworn positions and 121 non-sworn positions, and they currently have 15 openings for eight nonsworn and seven sworn positions. OPD Chief Mike Balken has also previously said the council has not denied staffing requests in the past.

responder campus is located on Northeast 8th Ave. and houses Fire Station No. 3 and OPD’s East District Office. Additionally, the city used another $5 million of the penny sales tax to build the MLK first responder campus at 505 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. That campus includes Fire Station No. 1, OPD’s West District Office and a community center building. OPD will also use $1 million to expand its communications center, which houses 911 operations and takes emergency calls for police and fire.

Equipment OPD also purchased 242 new encrypted radios, shoulder microphones, batteries, and chargers for $1.2 million. Another $1 million went to buy 221 additional encrypted radios and base stations. Further, the city spent $64,461 to purchase multiple in-car video cameras and $57,261 on cameras for city parks. An unmanned aerial system worth $40,700 was purchased in 2018, as was a video recording system for police interview rooms, costing $46,895. Finally, CrimeView software costing $130,000 was purchased in 2019. The software is used to analyze, and map reported crimes, as well as provide a detailed analysis of crime patterns.

improvement projects. Of the 19 projects, only one is still in progress. In addition to specific projects, the city also used penny sales tax funds on city-wide microsurfacing of roads. The treatment helps refresh roads with minor wear and tear and can delay full resurfacing.

From Penny Tax, page A1 The tax adds a penny to the state’s 6% sales tax, which can only be spent on capital expenditures. The money cannot go toward staffing, payroll or recurring costs. Meanwhile, public safety officials with the city have said the council has not turned down requests for more police or fire employees in the recent past. Since 2017, Ocala Fire Rescue has hired 29 firefighters/EMTs, 12 firefighters/paramedics, one fiscal coordinator and two administration specialists. “We do not have any job positions that were denied funding for at this time,” according to an email from Beth Antis of Ocala Fire Rescue’s Logistics & Information Management. In fiscal year 2019, Ocala Police Department requested, and were granted 12 school resource

New Police and Fire Buildings Among the capital improvements paid for with the sales tax money is $5.2 million used to build one new standalone fire station and one first responder campus, which includes a joint fire and police station. The standalone station, Fire Station No. 7, is located at 885 SE 31st St. The first

New Vehicles The OPD used $1.3 million to replace 43 vehicles, purchasing 38 Ford Interceptor sedans/SUVs in 2018 and 5 in 2019. Public Safety Communications

Road/Transporation Projects The city spent $9.6 million on specific road

Budget Breakdown

Looking Ahead Ocala is projected to receive more than $8.5 million in penny sales tax funds in 2022. Specific projects have not been identified. Under the new breakdown, road projects would receive approximately $5.1 million, and public safety would receive $3.4 million for capital spending. A breakdown of how Marion County chose to spend its portion of the penny sales tax will appear in the Sept. 3 edition of the Ocala Gazette.

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From CF Programs, page A1

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20% match for the one-story project. “Our position is, we recognize there is a nursing shortage. All we want to do is make sure the nursing shortage is because there’s not enough people coming out of nursing school. There could be a whole bunch of reasons why there’s not enough nurses,” said Rich Bianculli, hospital board chairman on Aug. 24. Previously, the district’s trustees agreed to the 20% match, or $8.7 million. The district remains committed to the match for the four-story project, but the agreements expire in 2025 and 2027. Any balance not used by the college would revert to the district. Bianculli said the district hopes to get updated information to justify the need for the CF project. “What we don’t want to do is spend $8 million on the wrong solution. If that is not the solution, we’re real interested in what is the solution and see if we can help with that,” he said. The Hospital District is a special state board that owns the hospital currently operating as AdventHealth Ocala. AdventHealth operates the hospital under a lease. In 2014, the district agreed to lease the former Munroe Regional

The CF gym is shown in this file photo. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

Medical Center to a private operator. Part of the deal included $213 million in cash. The district invested the money and uses earnings to fund health projects in the community. The district’s portfolio was valued at more than $307 million on July 31. This year, CF received a $7.8 million commitment from the legislature to renovate the gym for health sciences programs. However, the final amount was $6.35 million, Henningsen said. The renovated gym will be home to respiratory therapy, cardiovascular technician, medical stenography and surgical technician programs. That project is in the early stages.

Henningsen hopes the legislature will approve the money for the new construction, which would begin in 2022. After that, the college would seek money to renovate the current 27,000-square-foot health sciences building. That space would include pre-major classes for nursing students, another lab simulation center, as well as the emergency medical services, emergency medical technology and paramedicine programs. “Demand has always been there for us. It’s the funding to expand. That’s what held us back,” he said. “We’re doing whatever we can. We’re making difficult decisions internally to meet that need.”

From Grabelle, page A1 Targeting dates to 2019 when he used the company for his last mayoral campaign. He said Grabelle is not involved in his campaign. According to an archived webpage for Data Targeting from Sept. 25, 2020, Grabelle “creates and executes campaign plans.” Since at least early November 2020, Data Targeting’s webpage has featured a static splash page with its logo. Data Targeting is a political consulting firm specializing in Florida Republican campaigns. The company, led by CEO Pat Bainter, has come under scrutiny recently in the investigation of a vote siphoning scheme in a 2020 Florida Senate election in MiamiDade County. On Aug. 24, Alex Rodriguez pleaded guilty to charges he accepted an illegal campaign contribution in the race that unseated Democrat incumbent Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez last year. Alex Rodriguez also agreed to testify against former State Sen. Frank Artiles, who is accused of setting up the scheme, according to an Associated Press report. Prosecutors charged Artiles in March with felony campaign fraud charges, saying he secretly gave more than $44,000 to Rodriguez so that he could run in the 2020 election to confuse voters and siphon ballots from Jose Javier Rodríguez. The funds allegedly came from a dark money source. Artiles has pleaded not guilty, according to AP. At the time of the alleged

Justin Grabelle, right, speaks in a recent City Council Meeting, while Councilman Brent Malever, left, listens. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

scheme, Artiles was working for Data Targeting on “state legislative campaign assignments … to include certain Senate Districts in Miami-Dade County,” according to records from the Miami-Dade’s State Attorney’s office which were reported on by the Tampa Bay Times. There is no known connection between those issues and any of the Ocala campaigns nor Grabelle. Data Targeting has worked on hundreds of campaigns for decades. Mansfield’s campaign has spent the most with Data Targeting, including $3,500 for campaign management. The campaign has spent a total of $23,150 through early August, according to campaign expenditure reports. More than $12,000 of the spending was for mailers, They also

spent money on website services and campaign signs. Schlichter’s campaign spent almost $16,000 on mail services with Data Targeting, according to spending reports. He said he did not see anything wrong with Grabelle working for campaigns while still on the city council. “Everybody has a job outside the city council,” Schlichter said. Guinn spent the least with the company at just less than $3,500 for advertising, reports state. Grabelle announced he would not seek re-election for District 5 earlier in the year. He was first elected to the seat in 2017. Neither James Hilty nor Greg Steen, the two candidates seeking the District 5 seat, have spent any campaign contributions with Data Targeting, according to reports.

Arrest made in Ocala shooting death Ocala Gazette Staff A 27-year-old man was arrested on Aug. 19, accused of the shooting death of Sherman Samuels, 32, according to Ocala Police Department reports. Tyre Patrick Meggie, was arrested at the Sleep Inn & Suites at 13600 SW 17th Court, after police identified him as a suspect in the shooting, according to reports. Samuels was found dead in a red car that came to rest in a retention pond behind the Economy Inn on the 3500 block of West Silver Springs Boulevard on Aug. 18. He was shot once in the back of the head, reports state. Investigators spoke to a witness that was also in the car who said Meggie was sitting behind Samuels when he saw the gunman point a handgun wrapped in a red cloth at the back of Samuel's head and fire. After the car came to a stop, those

[Submitted]

in the car ran in different directions. The witness said he heard a second gunshot, reports state. Using witness testimony, along with surveillance video, detectives identified Meggie. Officers eventually found him in the motel room's bathtub, suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg. He was drifting in and out of consciousness when he was arrested, according to reports. Meggie was taken to a local hospital to be treated for the gunshot

wound he received days prior, according to police. He was charged with seconddegree murder with a firearm. The reason for the shooting was not immediately clear and neither were the circumstances behind Meggie's gunshot wound. OPD asks anyone with information about the case to call 352-369-7000 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-STOP.

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

COVID-19 keeps pummeling Marion County By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com COVID-19 numbers in Marion County continued to surge last week with county schools registering hundreds of cases and area hospitals nearing capacity as the virus continues its spread. Locally, numbers released by the Florida Department of Health on Aug. 20 showed there were a total of 2,840 new cases in Marion County last week compared to 150,118 new cases around the state. The positivity rate also jumped to 30% locally, compared to 19.8% for the state. Both are all-time highs for the area since the start of the pandemic. Marion County Public Schools recorded 387 positive cases in the district, including 313 students and 74 employees, according to DOH numbers between Aug. 14 – 20. MCPS also reported there were 1,995 people in quarantine because of a direct contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19, including 1,935 students and 60 employees. Meanwhile, the county’s percentage of vaccination is at about 58%, lower than the state average of 66%. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 99% of the county’s inpatient beds were occupied on Aug. 20, with 34% being covid patients. The county’s ICU beds were 93% full, with nearly half being COVID patients, according to HHS. As COVID patients

continue to make up a larger percentage of inpatient hospital admissions, local hospitals have had to adapt to the rising population. “Back in March 2020, we built a 52-bed COVID unit in preparation for a surge of patients. During the original peak of the virus, we were able to care for COVID-19 patients on that single unit and didn’t have a need for additional space. Since then, with the introduction of the more infectious Delta variant, we’ve had to convert previously unused units within the hospital to cohort COVID-19 patients,” said Dr. Michael Torres, Chief Medical Officer of AdventHealth Ocala. The Marion County School Board voted to approve a mandatory mask policy at an emergency board meeting on Aug. 16. The policy, however, allowed parents to opt their children out of wearing coverings without a medical or religious reason, and so far, 6,336 of the approximate 41,000 public school students have opted out. During their meeting, the board received guidance from Mark Lander, the administrator for DOH in Marion County, on when the mask policy could return to optional. Lander noted that the policy could change when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the county dropping to community transmission level of “substantial” for two weeks. Currently the CDC lists Marion County at a “high” transmission level. The number of cases at

the substantial level is below 100 per 100,000 population. Last week, Marion County averaged 762.5 cases per 100,000. Lander also said the positivity rate should also fall below 10% before relaxing mask policies. School employees and vendors are required to wear masks, unless they have a medical or religious reason. In addition to offering free testing at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, Marion County announced on their Facebook page they will be opening a second testing site at the Florida Horse Park on Wednesday, offering testing every Monday through Thursday. Torres understands even more accommodation might need to be made if cases continue to rise, but he is confident AdventHealth Ocala will be able to make the necessary changes.

As of Friday, there were 76 patients in the AdventHealth Ocala COVID wards and 10 in the ICU. “Our hospital is designed to create flexible and expandable spaces for patient care. We have sufficient equipment available to quickly and safely convert existing spaces in the hospital into standard patient rooms or ICU/critical care rooms, should they be needed due to increased demand,” he said. Along with rising admissions due to COVID, AdventHealth’s emergency room is also seeing increased traffic. While they are currently not diverting emergency room patients, Torres said they have in the past to improve ER wait time. “We are seeing very high volumes with people needing critical care but also many looking for a COVID-19 test in our emergency

department at AdventHealth Ocala. We encourage people to only come to the ER if they are having an emergency. We want to make sure we have the space to accommodate patients coming in with critical injuries and illness,” said Torres. The situation at Ocala Regional Medical Center and West Marion Community Hospital was not immediately available at press time, but as of Friday there were 162 patients in the COVID wards at the two hospitals and 52 patients in COVID ICU. The Food and Drug Administration announced on Monday that it had fully approved the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for prevention of the virus for individuals over the age of 16. The vaccine still has emergency approval for use with individuals between the ages of 12-15.

Healthcare workers are shown at AdventHealth Ocala in this screen capture from file footage. [Submitted]

Let’s Make Ocala An All-America City Again! As mayor, Manal will revitalize and reinvest in our community by addressing key issues from public health, to social equity, and investing in our youth, Manal will bring people together to move Ocala forward.

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AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Commentary

“A Letter to Our Candidates” relationship with our town is most evident during the local election season. This week, this space will be an advice column for our candidates running for both They’re City Council everywhere— and the mayoral at stoplights, races, a “Dear Sadie Fitzpatrick in empty Abby” political Columnist medians of version, if you overgrown grass, in your will. neighbor’s front yard. Clusters of campaign To Our Candidates: signs have invaded our neighborhoods, the This is the time when candidates behind the signs Ocala’s true character—its promising to make Ocala an integrity—can either be even greater place to live, upheld or denigrated by a work and play if you give select few who want to lead them your vote. our city. Ocala’s character—its You have chosen to charm, its appeal—is run for office because you something I write about wish to give back to the here frequently. I am both community that has given enamored with our city and you so much. You have furious with it at any given pledged to make Ocala time. This love-irritated a cultural and economic Editor’s Note: Sadie Fitzpatrick uses this space to explore the character and quirks that make Ocala uniquely wonderful and occasionally irksome.

destination. You promise to listen to the concerns and needs of Ocala’s citizens. We ask that you make good on these pledges. Don’t make them hollow sound bites. Follow through on what you promised at the many forums, radio shows and meetings you attended on the campaign trail. We’re counting on you. Mudslinging in politics has become commonplace. Our Southern manners, on which we Ocalans pride ourselves, does not mean you must avoid conflict. They do, however, require that you fight fair and fight honorably. You must also maintain a level of decorum, particularly towards those who have served our community well—even if you disagree with their prior decisions and think they must be replaced. Why are we still talking about the political maelstrom involving the fire

chief and the city manager? We want to know what you’re going to do about taxes, mask mandates, and providing fair compensation for our fire rescue and police departments. These are issues that affect our bottom line and the health of our families. City personnel decisions are not the concern of most Ocalans. Though Ocala has grown, we realize there is still a tendency toward “back door politics” and favoritism, typical of small towns. Don’t fall for this. You are running to serve the people of Ocala, not a select special interest group. We, the citizens of Ocala, are your special interest group. It boils down to this: We voters want what is best for our families, our businesses and our future generations. This is a similarity every Ocalan shares wherever they reside within city limits. We

want our children to have access to a good education, our small businesses to flourish and police and fire departments that can provide us with quality care when we need it. You, our candidates, have the power to provide us with these essentials. We need candidates who put the people first and the politics last. Thank you for your courage to put yourselves out there to run for office. No matter who wins, you played an integral role in giving residents the power to choose. Author’s note: Only 13.99 percent of the city’s population voted in 2017— get to the polls on September 21! Have your own observations about Ocala? Share them with Sadie at sadie@ ocalagazette.com

Letter to the Editor Kudos on mask decision The Bridges Project of Ocala Marion County applauds the Marion County School Board’s adoption of the mask mandate resolution with opt out provision for all students and staff of the MCPS system. With the beginning of school on Aug. 10, School Board member Rev. Eric Cummings expressed

concern over Ocala/ Marion County’s escalating infection rates and hospitalizations especially among our younger population including our children. We are aware of the pressure the school board faced in defying the politics of masking. But we feel that the school board’s

commitment must remain with taking every reasonable action for the health and safety of students, teachers, and staff in keeping with the Department of Health’s Basic School Health Service program. Following nearly 7 ½ hours of input from administration, principals, parents,

medical professionals, and concerned citizens at the Aug. 16 emergency meeting, the school board by a majority vote of 3-1, with School Board member Allison Campbell dissenting, adopted the resolution effective Thursday, Aug. 19. The Bridges Project of Ocala Marion County

commends the Marion County School Board for taking the lead to provide the students of MCPS and staff with a safe learning environment for the health, safety, and well-being of all. Barbara Fitos, president Miquell Mack, chair Education Working Group Board of Directors

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

A walk to raise awareness of the difficult conditions of those experiencing homelessness every day.

A Walk With Purpose | Become a Champion | Register | Sponsor | Volunteer

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SEPT 18 2021 9 AM

REGISTRATION

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Thanks to our sponsor

How It Works Participants arrive at the starting point and surrender their shoes and select a pair of donated (sanitized) shoes; carrying their personal shoes in a plastic bag. Show your support during the walk with cardboard signs in support of our homeless and Interfaith. Participants walk 1 mile from First Presbyterian Church to Interfaith’s Center for Life. Proceeds support Interfaith’s homeless shelter, where thousands of women, children and families have received love, support and an end to homelessness!

Join Us At the Walk Individuals: Minimum of $250 in donations ... $25 from 10 Champions!

Teams: Minimum of $500 in donations ... $25 from 20 Champions! There will be prizes for those that raise the most money!

Donations can be made online at IESmarion.org/donate. Be sure to include the name of the walker sponsored in the comments section. Mail your donation to Interfaith P.O. Box 992, Ocala, FL 34478. Have questions? IESmarion.org or call Karla at 352-209-7045.

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Out With the Old A worker with Cross Construction Services operates an excavator to demolish the old Porsche of Ocala building on State Road 200 in Ocala on Wednesday. Three old buildings on the property former Porsche BMW and Volkswagen dealerships are being demolished to make way for an AdventHealth facility. The dealerships moved down the street in 2014 and AdventHealth purchased the property earlier in the year for $4.5 million. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

The Musical

Book by Jeffrey Lane • Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek Based on the film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, written by Dale Launer and Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning Original Broadway production directed by Jack O’Brien

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AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State News Florida school mask struggle goes before judge By Curt Anderson and Terry Spencer Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG — Florida’s power struggle over wearing masks in school to guard against coronavirus infections landed Monday before a judge considering a lawsuit that challenges Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order reserving the mask decision for parents. The three-day hearing before Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper pits pro-mask parents against the Republican governor and state education officials who say parents, not schools, should choose whether their children cover up inside schools. The hearings come as the highly contagious delta variant causes a surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths across Florida, where the school year is already being disrupted. Some districts belatedly began requiring masks, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and numerous medical organizations, after classroom exposures forced them to send thousands of students and hundreds of teachers and staff into isolation or quarantine. At least seven school districts representing more than 1 million Florida students were defying the governor’s order as of Monday morning and others have scheduled votes soon on the issue. State education

officials have vowed to financially punish districts that don’t comply with the order, contending they are violating state law unless they allow parents to opt-out their children for any reason. Charles Dodson, a former judge representing the parents challenging the governor’s order, said in an opening statement that the delta variant affects children more than the previous virus strain and places them at greater risk in crowded schools. “Because of the delta variant, our schools are not safe and secure unless everyone wears a mask,” Dodson said. “It is certainly an emergency.” The Florida Constitution and state law give local school boards the authority to decide health and safety matters affecting their students, Dodson said. He asked the judge to block the DeSantis order. “Each local school board, and only each local school board, should be able to decide in each district whether to make masks mandatory,” Dodson said. A lawyer for the defendants — DeSantis, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, the state school board and education department — said the governor’s order comports with the state constitution and law, particularly the Parents Bill of Rights measure that took effect in July. That law states that only parents and legal guardians can “direct the upbringing,

education, health care, and mental health” of their child, attorney Michael Abel said. Abel said the state’s experts will testify that requiring students to wear masks causes many harms — speaking difficulty, mood changes, breathing issues and depression — while scientists disagree on their effectiveness against the coronavirus. Citing state statistics from 2020 — before the delta variant swept across the U.S. — Abel said 40 of the 67 Florida school districts mandated masks, and yet still had positive virus tests for 48 of every 1,000 students. Districts without mask requirements had positive tests for 50 out of every 1,000 students. “Mask mandates are unnecessary,” Abel said. “We will show that all of the state’s actions were consistent with the Florida Constitution and state statute.” The mask issue has sparked heated debates at local school board meetings, with one side claiming that a ban on mandatory mask rules denies their children a safe education, and the other contending such requirements amount to government overreach and even tyranny. Miami-Dade schools, the nation’s fourth-largest district, started classes on Monday for its 340,000 students with a strict mask mandate. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district would wear any punishment the state doles

out as a “badge of honor.” “I know it (wearing masks) is an inconvenience but it is a necessity considering the explosive nature of COVID-19 transmission in our community,” Carvalho said. The largest school district in Florida that hasn’t imposed a strict mask policy is Orange County, where parents and teachers protested outside the district headquarters on Monday demanding that Superintendent Barbara Jenkins and the board make masks mandatory. Sarasota County implemented its new mandatory mask policy on Monday -- much to the chagrin of some students. Masks were optional the first two weeks of classes, but outbreaks districtwide prompted the school board to impose a strict mandate. Only students who provide a

doctor’s note will be excused, an opt-out mirrored by other districts with mask requirements. “I’ve struggled with wearing a mask. I know a lot of my friends have, too,” Mya Mamazza, an 11thgrader, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune outside school Monday. “I have asthma, so it’s really hard for me.” She wants the district to offer online classes if masks are mandatory, so she won’t have to wear one. This hearing is scheduled to end by Wednesday. It’s not immediately clear when Cooper will rule, but the judge has said he prefers to issue his decisions from the bench — and he acknowledged Monday that time is of the essence. “I want everyone to have enough time, but I think we need to move as quickly as we can,” Cooper said.

[Bruce Ackerman/OG]

Transgender bathroom fight goes to full appeals court By Jim Saunders News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Tossing out a July decision, a full federal appeals court will hear a battle about whether a transgender male student should have been allowed to use boys’ bathrooms at a St. Johns County high school. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday vacated a July 14 ruling by a three-judge panel that said a St. Johns County School Board policy preventing Drew Adams from using boys’ bathrooms was “arbitrary” and violated equal protection rights. After the 2-1 panel ruling, the school board asked the full Atlanta-based appeals court to hear the case – a request known as seeking an “en banc” hearing. The court issued a oneparagraph order Monday granting the request and vacating the panel ruling. As is common, the notice did not explain the court’s decision. Adams was born a biological female but in eighth grade told his parents he was a transgender male, according to the July ruling. The lawsuit, which Adams and his mother filed in 2017, stemmed from Nease High

School requiring Adams to use a gender-neutral, single-stall bathroom or girls’ bathrooms. U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan ruled in favor of Adams in 2018, prompting the school board to appeal. The appellate panel in July said the school district’s policy about bathroom use is arbitrary because it relies on information submitted when students enroll in the district, rather than on updated information. Adams enrolled in the district in fourth grade, with information listing him as a female, but he later obtained legal documents listing him as a male. He has graduated from Nease High School as the court fight has continued. The panel said, in part, that the policy could lead to a transgender male being able to use boys’ bathrooms if he is listed as a male on enrollment information, while Adams was barred because his initial information listed

him as female. The panel said the policy “runs afoul of the Fourteenth Amendment (guaranteeing equal protection) because it does not even succeed in treating all transgender students alike.” “The school district gives no explanation for why a birth certificate provided at the time of enrollment takes priority over the same document provided at the time the bathroom policy is applied to the student,” said the panel ruling, written by Judge Beverly Martin and

joined by Judge Jill Pryor. “And we have come up with no explanation of our own. Mr. Adams has a birth certificate and a driver’s license issued by the state of Florida stating that he is male. But the school district refuses to accept for the purposes of the bathroom policy Mr. Adams’s sex listed on those current government-issued documents.” But Chief Judge William Pryor wrote a lengthy dissent to the panel decision. “When shorn of misunderstandings of the school policy and the legal standards that govern sexbased classifications, this appeal is straightforward,” the chief judge wrote. “The school policy protects longstanding privacy interests inherent in using the bathroom, and it does so in an ancient and unremarkable way --- by separating bathrooms on the basis of sex. That policy is not unconstitutional.” But in the majority opinion, Martin fired back

at the dissent, writing that “this case is not about challenging sex-segregated bathrooms.” “The policy turns solely on the information provided at the time of enrollment, and a transgender student who updates his documents prior to enrollment would not be barred from using the bathroom matching the sex on his legal documents,” Martin wrote. “This, of course, is in contrast to the treatment Mr. Adams received. Despite the dissent’s imagined parade of horribles, this opinion does not resolve any other issue of student privacy.” In a document this month asking the full court to hear the case, attorneys for the school board argued that the panel ignored broader issues in the dispute. “This case has always been about whether a definition of sex founded in the real and enduring biological differences between boys and girls substantially advances the important privacy interests of students to use the bathroom free from members of the opposite biological sex,” the document said. “Yet, the court has not answered that question. The school board requests that the entire panel of this court do so.”

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Ocala hits daily double at Hall of Fame ceremony

Mark Casse [AP Photo]

Todd Pletcher [Stock Photo]

Casse, who in his induction speech shared a story about visiting the Hall of Fame at the age of 11 with his father, Norman Casse, in 1972. A prominent Florida horseman in his own right, Norman, who passed away in 2017, was co-founder of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company in 1974 and served as chairman of the board of OBS for 28 years. He also established Cardinal Hill Stable in Ocala. “At the end of the visit, I confidently told my dad, ‘I’ll be in here someday. As any good father would do, he told me, ‘Yes, Mark, you will.’

Well, we did it.” A winner of 13 Sovereign Awards in Canada for outstanding trainer, Casse, 60, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has saddled the winners of two Triple Crown races—War of Will in the 2019 Preakness Stakes and Sir Winston in that year’s Belmont Stakes. Numbered among his five Breeders’ Cup winners is Florida-bred World Approval, victorious in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Mile and that’s year’s Champion Turf Male for owner Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Stud in Ocala, one of Casse’s principal clients. “How very fitting that Mark is now proudly installed as a member of the Hall of Fame. Mark has contributed his enthusiasm and energy to the industry and brought the fun of the sport back to Live Oak Plantation with the talent that he has helped develop so that we can be industry leaders. He is a talented and deserving member (of the Hall of the Fame) and I’m delighted to have him on our team,” Weber said. Casse owns and operates Casse Racing Training Center in Ocala and like Pletcher, has strings of runners around the country, including in Canada at Woodbine where he has been leading trainer 11 times. He obtained his trainer’s license at age 17 and saddled his first winner at Keeneland in 1979. In the 1990s, he served as private trainer and general manager of Harry T. Mangurian’s famed Mockingbird Farm. At the time of the induction ceremony, Casse had

saddled the winners of 3,062 races with earnings of $186,958,901. During his induction speech, Casse credited his family for their guidance and support through the years. When he was overcome with emotion in recalling tough decisions that had to be made during his childhood when his parents divorced, Casse asked his wife, Tina, to read part of his speech. “I asked my mom a simple question that would change the course of my life,” Casse had written. “’Mom do you truly love me?’ ‘With all my heart,’ she said. I said, ‘Mom if you truly love me, you’ll let me stay with dad.’ I know that had to have killed her, but she granted me a true sign of love by letting me stay on the farm. Who knows where my life would be today if it wasn’t for her sacrifice.” Hall of Fame honors are nothing new to Casse. He was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2016, becoming just the fourth trainer to be a dual member of both Halls of Fame. He joins such legendary figures as Horatio Luro, Lucien Lauren and Roger Attfield. “I’ve been very fortunate in my life to win many big races and awards, but none greater than this honor,” Casse said. “The last few weeks I’ve spent much time reflecting on various paths my life has taken. It amazes me that every experience, relationship, meeting, conversation with friends, family, and clients have molded and shaped my career.”

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This year’s National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Aug. 6 in Saratoga Springs, New York, had a distinctly Ocala feel. With last year’s induction ceremony postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s combined festivities honored the classes of 2020 and 2021 and included trainers Mark Casse (class of 2020) and first-ballot selection Todd Pletcher (class of 2021), both of whom have deep ties to Ocala/Marion County. Both trainers knew at a young age that the horse business was their calling, and the respective accomplished careers of the first-class horsemen have been chock-full of achievements. Pletcher, 54, grew up in Texas and started training in 1995. He is the son of veteran horseman J.J. Pletcher who owns and operates the 80acre Payton Training Center in Ocala where J.J. prepares runners for Todd before they are shipped out to join one of his son’s strings based primarily in Florida, New York or Kentucky. A lifelong horseman, J.J. is married to Todd’s stepmother, Joan Pletcher of Joan Pletcher Real Estate. Todd’s mother, Jerri, also attended the ceremony, which was held at Fasig-Tipton’s Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion. In an exceptional career, Pletcher has saddled a pair of Kentucky Derby winners

in Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017), three Belmont Stakes victors, and 11 Breeders’ Cup winners. In addition to having captured 60 individual meet titles, including 17 at Florida’s Gulfstream Park, Pletcher holds the record for career earnings at $405,791,977 and ranks seventh in wins with 5,118 at the time of the ceremony. “I can’t tell you how humbled I am to join this esteemed group,” Pletcher said during his induction speech. “So many of these guys were my childhood heroes, role models, mentors, competitors…I’ve been blessed with some of the best team members, co-workers, friends that have contributed so much to this (success). It really is a team award in my opinion. “Of course, training is tough on family life,” Pletcher continued. “My wife, Tracy, Payton, Kyle, and Hannah, I missed a lot of soccer games and school nights, but one of the cool things about being a horse trainer is pretty much every day you bring them to the workday. And we shared a lot of great moments, too.” A seven-time Eclipse Award winner as top trainer, Pletcher isn’t slowing down. He is having another banner season this year with earnings of $7,686,786 through May 4. He won the Kentucky Oaks in May for the fourth time in his career with Malathaat who on Aug. 21 also annexed the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga. The 2020 class was enshrined alongside the 2021 inductees and included

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AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports 2021 Girls’ Volleyball Preview Region 3A-1 champions, 3A State Final Four, Class 3A State Champions Key Returners: Kiana Laborde, junior, OH; Amelia Fitzpatrick, junior, OPP; McKenna Yates, sophomore, L/DS; Elayna Johnson, sophomore, MB/RS; Rose Gravel, sophomore, OPP/ MB; Emily Hirst, junior, MB; Camden Crews, senior, DS/L; Olivia Grantham, senior, DS/L Key Newcomers: Delaney Baker, freshman, OH Key Losses: Izabelle Sanchez and Chloe Teter

The Trinity girl's volleyball team celebrates a win in this file photo. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com

in a close game, 3-2, to advance to the state final, which it won much easier in another shutout, defeating Westminster Christian 3-0. Head Coach Jeff Reavis understands that his team faces expectations coming into 2021, but expectations and pressure work hand in hand for his team, and they’re ready for both. “They’ve earned the right to be in that conversation,” said Reavis. “And that in itself is a great thing. If we didn’t have that pressure, or those expectations, none of this would be possible, and it wouldn’t be fun.”

The Trinity Catholic High School girls’ volleyball team won a state title a year ago. Vanguard nearly did the same, earning a coveted place among the state final four in 2020. What’s in store for prep volleyball teams in 2021? Only time and a lot of wellplaced service points will tell. Here’s a look at how local squads played last year, and what they’re looking to accomplish on the court this year: Trinity Catholic In 2020, Trinity Catholic made short work of No. 2 seed Taylor in the District 3A-3 semifinals, 3-0, before winning the whole tournament against No. 4 seed Father Lopez in another three-set shutout. The Lady Celtics would then make a beeline to the Class 3A state title. The Celtics beat Orangewood Christian (3-0) in the 3A Region 1 quarterfinals, Trinity Prep (3-0) in the semis, Pensacola Catholic (3-1) in the regional final, taking home the 3A-1 title. In the 3A State Final Four, Trinity Catholic beat Bishop McLaughlin Catholic

Reavis said that having a target on their backs, as returning state champs, is something that they embrace. “It makes us come to practice and work harder every day. So for us, I think it’d be different if we didn’t have that target. It’s obviously special [winning a state title] and we don’t take it for granted at all,” said Reavis. District: 3A-3 Head Coach: Jeff Reavis, 7th season Last Season: 18-6 overall, District 3A-3 champions,

Elayna Johnson spikes the ball over the net during a drill in practice at Trinity Catholic High School on Aug. 25. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

Vanguard For Head Coach Luis Perez, his goal for the Lady Knights in 2021 is simple: Have fun. No matter the result on the scoreboard. “It is not just about winning and losing,” said Perez. “It’s about going out on the court with our heads held high and having fun, even if we lose.” In 2020, Vanguard defeated No. 3 seed Belleview in the District 5A-5 quarterfinals, and then defeated No. 1 seed Lake Weir to win the district championship. From there, Vanguard earned a spot in the Class 5A State Final Four: it won its regional quarterfinal match against Lake Minneola and its regional semifinal match against Pine Ridge in three straight sets, respectively. In similar fashion, the Knights won the 5A Region 2 final over Fivay, 3-0, as well. In the state final four, Vanguard met its match, losing to Ponte Verde, the eventual Class 5A state champion, in three straight set. “That was a great accomplishment for the girls,” Perez said of reaching the state final four. “We’ve been rebuilding the team for a long time after losing eight seniors, so last year’s team was made up mostly of freshman and sophomores— and they’re all returning this year.” Vanguard competes in the same district as

Belleview and Lake Weir. District: 5A-5 Head Coach: Luis Perez, 2nd season Last Season: 15-3 overall record, 5A Region 2 champions, 5A State Final Four Key Returners: Emma Ehmann, junior, OH; Ruby Owen, junior, OH/MB/ OPPS; Sophie Reed, junior, S/OPPS; Adyla Kerley, DS; Christina Light, senior, MB Key Newcomers: Sarah Beville, freshman, OH/ OPPS; Taylor Cady, freshman, MB/OPPS; Lillian Hart, freshman, MB/ OPPS Key Losses: None. Belleview The Lady Rattlers lost their opening game in the 2020 5A District 5 tournament as the No. 3 seed, losing in three straight sets to the No. 2 seed and eventual district champion Vanguard. In 2021, Belleview will face several tough games during its regular season campaign, including Vanguard at home on Sept. 28 and Trinity Catholic on the road on Sept. 29. If the Lady Rattlers qualify for the postseason, they will more than likely face Vanguard once again in the district tournament Belleview started the 2021 season off well with a win in its first game against Leesburg 3-0 on Aug. 24. District: 5A-5 Head Coach: Lindsay Seek, 2nd season Last Season: 4-9 overall record Key Returners: Luclia Cheesman, senior, MB/OH; Kyla Zisa, senior, MB/RS; Brooke McDonald, senior, DS/L; Haley Wooten, senior, DS/L Key Newcomers: Kahleah Lancaster, freshman, MH/ OH Key Losses: N/A Dunnellon As the No. 1 seed, Dunnellon had a bye See Volleyball, page A10

Game of the Week:

Buchholz at Trinity Catholic By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com The Trinity Catholic Celtics will open their 2021-22 regular season against the Buchholz Bobcats at 7:30 P.M. on Aug. 27 at Trinity Catholic High School. The Celtics finished their 2020 season 7-4 and reached the FHSAA state semifinals. Leading the Celtics is senior quarterback Cole Gonzales, who finished with more than 1,300 combined passing and rushing yards as a junior. In the backfield, Gonzales is protected by an impressive offensive line. Juniors Tommy Kinsler, Jacob Smith and Brayden Ramey—all three

measure 6 feet, 6 inches tall and hover between 285 and 310 pounds—return to keep the Celtic offensive motor running. Trinity Catholic and Buchholz have not played one another in some time, said second-year Head Coach John Brantley, but he’s excited for the early challenge. “I’m really looking forward to that game,” said Brantley. “I’m interested in seeing what that game teaches my players about themselves.” Buchholz (a 7A school) went 9-2 last year, losing in the Region 1 semifinals to Niceville. Junior quarterback Creed Whittemore returns to lead a high-octane Buchholz offense. Senior Quan Lee recorded

over 1,400 receiving yards in 2020 for the Bobcats. If Trinity Catholic were to win this opening game against such an explosive Bobcat offense with playoff pedigree, it could prove to be a huge statement game for the school’s program going forward in 2021. Other local football games on Aug. 27: Umatilla at Belleview—7:30 P.M. St. Augustine at Dunnellon—7:30 P.M. Gainesville at Vanguard—7:30 P.M. Jesuit at West Port—7 P.M. North Marion at Forest—7 P.M. Lake Weir at Palatka—7 P.M. No games: Ocala Christian Academy, St. John Lutheran

Trinity Catholic's coach, John Brantley is shown in this 2020 file photo. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

A10

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Volleyball, page A10 in the 2020 District 4A-5 quarterfinals. But then ran into No. 5 seed Crystal River who beat them in the semifinals in three straight sets. The Tigers are hoping to turn their fortunes around in 2021. Dunnellon hopes to score some early wins at home against Wildwood on Sept. 2 and on the road against West Port on Sept. 7. District: 4A-4 Head Coach: Ashlee Winn, 2nd season Last Season: 1-12 overall record Forest Head Coach Jimmy Collins expects his Wildcats team to challenge for a conference, district and state title in 2021. Forest returns all of its starters from a year ago, including “Co-Marion County Player of the Year” Emma Truluck. “We will play the most difficult schedule this season in all my years at Forest,” said Collins of the 2021-22 season. “But our program has the best fans, and we have the best support of any team in the state. Our ‘Squad’ of students is incredible and gives our team [what we need].” In 2020, Forest won its 6A District 5 semifinal match against No. 3 seed Buchholz 3-1 (25-13, 22-25, 25-11, 25-22). They then defeated the No. 1 seed Gainesville 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-23) to win the District 6A-5 trophy. The Wildcats went from there straight to the 6A Region 2 championship match—winning in the regional quarterfinals against South Lake (3-0) and in the regional semis against Gainesville (again) in a forfeit—only to lose its first match of the season in a highly competitive game against St. Petersburg 3-1

(25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 27-25). Forest’s first match of the 2021 regular season was a loss against Santa Fe 3-0 on the road. District: 6A-3 Head Coach: James Collins, 12th Season Last Season: 16-1 overall record, 6A Region 2 runners-up Key Returners: Sheridan Turner, seniors, S; Abby Eckenroth, senior, RS; Mackenzie Williams, senior, M; Paris Masi, senior, MH; Emma Truluck, senior, OH; Maddi Jarold, senior, L; Aubrey O’Cull, senior, MH Key Newcomers: Kaylin Howard, sophomore, Mackenzie Danner, sophomore, S; Ava Kuentjes, sophomore, DS/S Key Losses: None Lake Weir Lake Weir was the No. 1 seed going into the 5A District 5 championship, but eventually lost to Vanguard in the championship game in three straight sets. The Lady Hurricanes would forfeit its next game against Pine Ridge in the Class 5A regional quarterfinal. In her first season as head coach, Jenna Duplessis, who is replaces Ashley Hubner, recognizes that with a lot of seniors comes a lot of expectations, and she’s determined to help her team realize their ambitions. “They had a great season last year,” said Duplessis. “But I have a lot of seniors this year, which is exciting, and all of them are absolutely phenomenal.” With the help of Assistant Coach Brittney Velez, Duplessis and company is approaching 2021 with renewed vigor. “We’re working hard and excited to be back out there on the court,” said Duplessis. “This is an amazing program to be a part of.” Lake Weir shares a

district this year with Belleview and Vanguard. District: 5A-5 Head Coach: Jenna Duplessis, 1st season Last Season: 1-13 overall record North Marion In 2020, the Lady Colts started the District 4A-5 tournament with a win against the No. 6 seed Citrus, winning decisively 3-0. But North Marion would ultimately lose to Crystal River in the District 4A-5 championship, 3-1. During the 2021 regular season, North Marion, which shares a district with Dunnellon, will face the Lady Tigers on Sept. 23 on the road. District: 4A-4 Head Coach: Richard Guerrero, 2nd season Last Season: 8-7 overall record, District 4A-5 runners-up Key Returners: Kinley Manning, senior, OH/MH/ DS; Alexa Switzer, senior, MH/MB/DS; Emma Sinkler, senior, DS/L/S; Lainee Hall, junior, OH/MB; Kendall McCubbin, junior, MH/MB; Brooke McConnell, junior, S/OPP; Catherine Rivera, junior, DS/L Key Newcomers: Jadair Gutierrez, freshman, OH/ MB/DS; Kensey Thomas, sophomore, OH/MH/MB; Ainsley Grubbs, sophomore, MH/OPP; Jayda Kinsler, sophomore, S/OPP/DS West Port West Port competed in 7A District 5 and finished the 2020 season with a 7-6 overall record. The No. 2 seed Wolf Pack lost their opening match against the No. 3 seed East Ridge Knights in the District 7A-5 semifinal. East Ridge would go on to win the district championship.

In 2021, West Port has a stacked first few weeks. The Wolf Pack will start the regular season on the road against Forest on Aug. 30. They will then face Dunnellon, Sept. 7, Belleview, Sept. 9, North Marion, Sept. 14 and Lake Weir, Sept. 15. West Port follows that home stand with road trips against Vanguard on Sept. 16, St. John Lutheran on Sept. 20, and Belleview on Sept. 21. District: 7A-1 Head Coach: Edwin Montalvo, 6th season Last Season: 7-6 overall record Key Returners: Ekathya Melendez, senior, OH/ DS; Paola Briceno-Lago, senior, OH/OPP; Mileydie Maysonet-Ortiz, senior, S/RS; Yarielis Melendez, senior, OH; Makenzie Fricton, senior, MB/MH; Victoria Goodrich, junior, DS/L; Pressley Sutter, junior, S/RS; Paige Farouq, junior, OPP/DS; Taylor Baker, junior, OPP/RS/MB; Elayne Arenas, junior, MH/ MB Key Newcomers: Kendall Smith, sophomore, OH/L; Taylor Demankoswksi, sophomore, L/DS Ocala Christian Academy After finishing the 2020 season with a 1-8 record, the Ocala Christian Academy is looking to course-correct its program in 2021. The Crusaders lost their first game of the regular season against Countryside Christian (Gainesville) 0-3 on Aug. 24 (13-25, 4-25, 10-25). OCA plays Peniel Baptist Academy next on Aug. 30 on the road. The Crusaders are looking for younger players to step up and fill muchneeded roles in 2021, as Allison Forsyth-Abney takes the reins in her first season as head coach.

District: Florida Christian Division (Independent) Head Coach: Allison Forsyth-Abney, 1st season Last Season: 1-8 overall record Key Returners: Natalie Reffner, senior; Cori Williams, senior; Alexa Botticello, junior Key Newcomers: Brianna Ray, sophomore; Kadyn Tuman, sophomore St. John Lutheran St. John Lutheran defeated No. 5 seed Saint Francis Catholic 3-0 and No. 1 seed Redeemer Christian 3-1 to earn a spot in the 2020 District 2A-4 championship match, which they would win in an epic final tiebreaker set, 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 25-22, 11-25, 15-10). Despite winning the district title, the Saints would ultimately fall to St. Johns Country Day in the Class 2A Region 1 quarterfinal game 3-1. After winning its 2021 regular season opener against Seven Rivers Christian 3-0 on Aug. 24 (25-10, 25-10, 25-22) St. John will play Seven Rivers once again on Aug. 31. District: 2A-9 Head Coach: Brad Ewers, 2nd season Last Season: 14-6 overall record, District 2A-4 champions Key Returners: Samantha Kreitenstein, senior, OH/ OPP; Logan Wilemon, senior, MH; Saylor Spears, junior, S/OPP Key Newcomers: Sophia Ochoa, freshman, OH; Kathleen Pittman, sophomore, OPP; Payton Nazzari, freshman, DS/L; Isabel Freeman, Sophomore, OPP/OH; Angely Antonio, freshman, DS; Ashley Downs, freshman, S/DS; Rylee Palmateer, freshman, S/OH; Isabelle Baluyot, freshman, DS/L

Tough task for No. 13 Florida: replacing Pitts, Toney, Trask By Mark Long AP Sports Writer GAINESVILLE — Florida’s most prolific offensive trio in decades, maybe even in school history, is gone. Tight end Kyle Pitts, receiver Kadarius Toney and quarterback Kyle Trask left behind gaping holes for the 13th-ranked Gators to fill this season. Not even ultra-confident coach Dan Mullen is willing to say it’s doable. “We always have really high expectations of ourselves,” Mullen said. “We’re going to try to be better than we were last year. That’s kind of our expectation. … We’re just going to do it a little bit different way.” The Gators (8-4) averaged 510 yards and 40 points a game in 2020 – the program’s most yardage since Steve Spurrier’s final year in 2001 and its most points since Urban Meyer’s second national championship team in 2008. And they did it against an all-Southeastern Conference schedule in the regular season. Pitts was a matchup nightmare. Toney was an equally daunting threat. And Trask was so good at dissecting defenses and finding open guys that Mullen barely even tried to run the

ball. Together, they made Florida a legitimate title contender for the first time in years. The Gators were in the hunt for the College Football Playoff before three consecutive losses: a stunner at home to LSU, a close one to top-ranked Alabama in the SEC championship game and another without several starters in the Cotton Bowl to Oklahoma. Mullen spent the last eight months trying to rebuild a unit that lost Pitts, Toney, Trask – drafted fourth, 20th and 64th by NFL teams, respectively – and three more starters. Emory Jones steps in for Trask after waiting three years for his shot. Jones is a multi-dimensional quarterback, the first one Mullen signed after taking over at Florida in November 2017, and has a stronger arm than Trask and way more mobility. “This guy, he can launch that ball,” running back Dameon Pierce said. “That’s probably the most underrated aspect of his game." Kemore Gamble and Keon Zipperer have the daunting task of trying to fill Pitts’ shoes. Gamble and Zipperer combined to catch five touchdowns while Pitts recovered from a broken nose

in November, but the duo also dropped several balls in the bowl game. “If I keep grinding how I’m grinding, I think I can be the best tight end in the nation, not just SEC,” Gamble said. “That’s how I feel.” Jacob Copeland will get the first crack at becoming Florida’s go-to receiver. He had 23 receptions last season for 435 yards and three touchdowns, flashing at times but never showing Toney’s speed or wiggle. “I don’t know anybody the same" as Toney, Mullen said. “I don’t know if there’s anybody that we would utilize the way we used him within our roster.” The Gators will get their first real look at all three key replacements when they open the season Sept. 4 against Florida Atlantic. Here are some other things to know about Florida, which begins SEC play two weeks later against defending national champion Alabama: Defensive Makeover The worst defense in Florida history got a minor makeover in the offseason. Mullen surprisingly retained veteran defensive coordinator Todd Grantham but replaced secondary coaches Ron English and

Florida head coach Dan Mullen. [Butch Dill/AP]

Torrian Gray with Wesley McGriff and Jules Montinar. McGriff and Montinar are tasked with helping turn around a unit that allowed 30.8 points and 428 yards (257.5 passing) a game, all school records. Muzzled Mullen Few coaches had more public relations problems than Mullen in 2020. He was admonished for wanting to pack the stadium during a pandemic, fined for inciting a benches-clearing brawl and placed on probation for NCAA violations. Despite his problems, Florida gave him a raise and a contract extension. But Mullen has started holding his tongue on anything that might be considered controversial, at least so far.

New Specialists For the first time since 2013, Florida will enter a season with a new kicker and a new punter. Kicker Evan McPherson left school after his junior season and was drafted in the fifth round by Cincinnati. Punter Jacob Finn transferred to Virginia. The Gators are expected to turn to Australian punter Jeremy Crawshaw and fifthyear senior Jace Christmann, who kicked for Mullen at Mississippi State in 2017. Already Hurting Cornerback Jaydon Hill, a projected starter opposite allSEC selection Kaiir Elam, will miss the season after tearing a ligament in his left knee in training camp. Hill sustained a similar injury to his right knee in high school.

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AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Colts run out of steam late in 18-13 preseason loss By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com SPARR—Despite having a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter, the North Marion Colts high school football team were unable to convert on four straight shots at the end zone as time ran out in regulation, ultimately losing to the visiting Gainesville Hurricanes, 18-13, in preseason action on Aug. 20 at Stan Toole Memorial Stadium. In the game’s final minute, North Marion was first-and-10 at the Gainesville 30-yard line. Sophomore quarterback A.J. Cussins made several valiant efforts to target a Colt in the end zone, but the Hurricanes’ secondary prevented every Colt receiver from coming down with a potential gamewinning catch. Turning over on downs, the ‘Canes assumed the victory formation and drained out the rest of the clock, shutting firmly out any possibility of a Colts comeback. Despite the loss, North Marion Head Coach Gregory Carr saw a lot of things out on the field that

bodes well for his team coming into the 2021-22 season. “I never doubt the heart of these guys,” said Carr of his players. “I know that’s there. They just kept fighting, despite shooting themselves in the foot at times. They just kept fighting and going after it.” Punting away its first two possessions, North Marion would end the first quarter on a Cussins sack in its own end zone, gifting Gainesville a two-point safety before the whistle blew and the field was flipped, giving the ‘Canes the 2-0 lead after the first 12 minutes. In the second quarter, Gainesville would strike early, hitting a 20-yard field goal to add to its lead, 5-0, with 10 minutes remaining in the half. The ‘Canes would score again five minutes later after gaining possession of the ball from a Cussins interception. Quarterback Shooby Coleman would convert that costly Cussins turnover into more points by connecting with wide receiver Arnold Strachen for a 60-yard touchdown pass, extending Gainesville’s advantage to 11-0 with 5:39 remaining in the first half.

North Marion special teams would block the ensuing P.A.T. to keep the score within reach. Before the end of the half, after the North Marion defense recovered a Gainesville fumble, Colts’ running back Bravis Cave would finally find the end zone for North Marion, running in a first-and-goal rush touchdown, cutting into the ‘Canes’ lead, 11-7, after kicking the extra point. At 5:56 in the third quarter, Gainesville would answer. Coleman’s pass to Jaleighk Patterson would lead to another 60-yard touchdown run, giving the ‘Canes the 18-7 advantage after adding the P.A.T. But North Marion would answer back almost as quickly. Cussins hit Kelveyon Johnson in stride for a 70-yard touchdown pass with 1:39 left on the clock, drawing the Colts within five points of the ‘Canes after Cussins failed to connect with Caleb Rollerson for the two-point conversion. The very next play, Gainesville would fumble the ball and Colt Andrew Zock would recover it deep in ‘Canes territory with 1:13 left, leading to North Marion’s last-ditch effort

North Marion's Tommy Harward (18) celebrates his interception on Gainesville with Jeriahmiah Mack (5) during a preseason game. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

late in the fourth to pull off the comeback win— but ultimately failing and finishing the game at its final tally, 18-13. North Marion had some early struggles with penalties, earning as many as seven in the game, most coming in the first half. Carr expects that his team will clean those up as the season progresses. “You want to see more crispness,” admitted Carr of his team’s overall play in

their first game back on the field. “You want to see more disciplined football. And we lacked that at times. It came back to bite us a bit I think earlier in the game. But we go better as we went,” he said. “There’s a lot to improve on,” he quickly added, “but a lot to be happy about too.” North Marion plays Forest next on Aug. 27 on the road to open its regular season.

Chasing Tide: Alabama is No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25 again By Ralph D. Russo AP College Football Writer Another college football season will start with everyone chasing the Tide. Alabama is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll for fourth time in the past six seasons. Coming off its sixth national championship under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide enters the season loaded with potential replacements for the record-breakers and NFL draft picks who have moved on, including Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. The Florida Gators open the season at No. 13. Alabama received 47 of 63 first-place votes from the panel of sports writers and broadcasters in the poll presented by Regions Bank. Oklahoma is No. 2, just ahead of No. 3 Clemson (each received six first-place votes). Ohio State, which lost to the Tide in last season's championship game, is No. 4 after receiving a first-place vote. Georgia received three first-place votes and rounds out the top five. The 2020 Buckeyes were emblematic of a bizarre season played through the pandemic, suiting up for only eight games after the

Big Ten didn't kickoff until late October. The season was riddled with postponements, cancellations, and players and coaches missing games across the country because of COVID-19. There was little nonconference play and none among Power Five conference teams. Amid all the chaos and frustration was a familiar ending: The season came to a close with Alabama on top. Last year’s Tide staked a claim as the greatest team of the Saban dynasty. Alabama went 13-0, facing 11 Southeastern Conference teams and playoff showdowns with Notre Dame and Ohio State. “The challenge is you’ve got to rebuild with a lot of new players who will be younger, have new roles, less experience, and how do they respond to these new roles?” Saban said. “That’s why rebuilding is a tremendous challenge. That’s why it’s very difficult to repeat.” The most powerful offense in the country lost Smith, quarterback Mac Jones and running back Najee Harris, all first-round NFL draft picks this year. The next wave of blue-chippers stepping into bigger roles includes running back Brian Robinson, receiver John Metchie and quarterback Bryce Young, a

SCORE BOARD

former five-star recruit from California. “Bryce has endless potential,” Saban said. Since the AP started the preseason poll in 1950, only 11 teams that started No. 1 also ended the season as No. 1. Alabama was the last do it, in 2017, the middle season of three straight in which the Crimson Tide took the preseason top spot. Alabama finished second in 2016 and '18. No program faces higher expectations than Alabama going into any season: The Crimson Tide is the only team in the country to start each of the last 13 seasons ranked in the top five. And no program has been better at meeting those expectations: Along with the six national titles, the Tide has three more top-four finishes over the previous 12 years and has never ended a season ranked lower than 10th. Poll Points Alabama is now tied with Ohio State for the second-most preseason No. 1 rankings with eight. Oklahoma has the most with 10. Only two teams have gone wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country during a season. Southern California

The Aug. 19 and 20 results of Marion County high school preseason games • Belleview 14, Forest 14 • Dunnellon 47, Lecanto 6 • Tavares 35, Lake Weir 6 • Gainesville 18, North Marion 13

was the last in 2004, with Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart. The first was undefeated Florida State in 1999, possibly the best team of the Bobby Bowden era. Bowden died earlier this month at 91. No. 8 Cincinnati of the American Athletic Conference is the first team from outside the Power Five leagues to be ranked in the preseason top 10 since Louisville started ninth in 2012. That was the Cardinals' final season as a member of the AAC before joining the Atlantic Coast Conference. The defending AAC champion Bearcats have the best preseason ranking for a non-Power Five or BCS conference team since Boise State was No. 5 to begin 2011. The Broncos out of the Mountain West finished that season No. 8. Rarities And Firsts Sun Belt rivals No. 22 Coastal Carolina and No. 23 Louisiana-Lafayette are ranked in the preseason poll for the first time. It's the first time the conference has had any teams ranked in the preseason. No. 7 Iowa State is ranked in the preseason for the third straight season after having only one previous appearance in the preseason poll (1978).

• West Nassau County 12, Trinity Catholic 0 • Vanguard 6, Columbia 6 • West Port 28, Williston 0 Regular Season Game: • Ocala Christian Academy 28, Riverside Christian 26

The Cyclones had never been ranked better than 20th to begin a season. They also have never been ranked higher at any point than the No. 8 they reached last year on the way to finishing ninth. No. 10 North Carolina has its best preseason ranking since being No. 7 in 1997 during coach Mack Brown's first stint with the Tar Heels. No. 17 Indiana is ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 1968. The Hoosiers finished last season at No. 12, the second-best final ranking in program history. Indiana has never started and finished a season ranked. Conference Call No. 6 Texas A&M starts with its best preseason ranking since 1995 when the Aggies were No. 3. Coach Jimbo Fisher's team also gives the SEC three teams in the top six, joining Alabama and Georgia. Breakdown by conference: SEC — 5 (Nos. 1, 5, 6, 13, 16) Big Ten — 5 (Nos. 4, 12, 17, 18, 19) Pac-12 — 5 (Nos. 11, 15, 20, 24, 25) ACC — 3 (Nos. 3, 10, 14) Big 12 — 3 (No. 2, 7, 21) Sun Belt — 2 (Nos. 22, 23) American — 1 (No. 8) Independent — 1 (No. 9)

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

People, Places & Things

[Meagan Gumpert]

Ready For Takeoff Flying Boat Tap Room opens doors in Ocala By James Blevins

james@ocalagazette.com

his month a new dining and drinking experience touched down in Marion County. It is an experience straight out of the head of two retired pilots (with the help of a local chef.) By all accounts it was a smooth landing— at 9672 SE 58th Ave. The Flying Boat Tap Room—owned by Tim Kirby and Bill Bow and managed by Tucker Bengoa—opened

[Meagan Gumpert]

its bomb bay doors to the public on Aug. 14. The new restaurant and craft beer taproom offers fine food, and 28 beer taps pouring Florida-brewed beer in a setting that harkens back to the “Golden Age” of aviation, said Kirby “This is not your mom’s typical pizza and beer joint,” Kirby said. “We would like to think that we’re providing more unique Florida craft beers on tap than anyone else in Marion County right now.” Kirby, a native Floridian, retired from Pan American World Airlines as a flight engineer. He got his passion for aviation from his father, also a retired airline pilot, who was a flight instructor during World War II. “I’d always had this fascination with flying boats,”

said Kirby. “With that in mind, as I grew older, I developed a passion for beer. I wanted to combine my passion for beer— craft beer especially— and my love for the flying boats of that golden era of flying in this one place.” Inside, adjacent to the bar, poking into the dining room, almost like the nose [Meagan Gumpert] of the “Spruce mind except that propeller. Goose” itself, That’s it,” said Kirby of their is a floor-to-ceiling propeller. early design ideas for the The prop primarily came business. from eBay, said Bow, and The building required was built piecemeal out of extensive renovation. It had various parts. But Kirby sat empty for at least seven also got pieces from former years and featured a “big, jobs he had in the airline ugly boat,” on the property, industry. Kirby said. One blade came from a While the boat is gone, plane that Kirby flew when it did feature prominently he was 22 years old in 1984. in the early idea of the “Other than the floor establishment. plan, we had nothing in

“I drove Bill over here one day and I said, ‘Broken Boat Tap Room.’ And he just sat there for a second. I said, ‘Craft beer on tap, and a little pub.’ He sat for a second longer. Then he goes, ‘I like it.’ And that’s what started it,” Kirby said. Bill Bow retired as a pilot from UPS Airlines in 2017. He and Kirby not only share See Flying Boat, page B2

Mischief and glamor highlight OCT’s season opener By Julie Garisto

Special to the Ocala Gazette Ocala Civic Theatre’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels whisks audiences to the Riviera this week, launching the theater’s 2021-22 travelthemed season, “Join Us for the Journey.” Theatergoers can expect a full-tilt farce with splashy numbers, kooky slapstick and sassy one-liners. A deco-vintage stage design complements a vibrant cast and booming orchestra, emphasizing Katrina Ploof ’s expert command as the director, and how as the community theater’s artistic director, she’s taking the company full steam ahead during an otherwise turbulent time. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels first hit the big screen in 1988 as a blockbuster

The cast rehearses a scene from “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at the Ocala Civic Theatre. The musical will be live on stage at the Ocala Civic Theatre from August 26 - Sept. 19. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

comedy starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin. A decade-and-a-half later, the script got the theatrical treatment as a musical, landing on Broadway with A-list actors John Lithgow and Tony-winner Norbert Leo Butz as the lead con

artists. The music and lyrics of David Yazbek and book by Jeffrey Lane keep in the same cheeky spirit of the film. The play begins with a lavish ensemble number followed by veteran grifter Lawrence Jameson (James

R. Taylor III), sauntering onstage with panache, bilking jewels from naive heiresses like Muriel Eubanks (Angie Brahim). The gent’s easy-breezy ride gets bumpy when younger novice, Freddy Benson (Jonathan Williams),

muscles in on his turf. Freddy covets Lawrence’s lavish life as a casino playboy and seeks to snatch the 24-karat pebble from Lawrence’s hand, but the elder con man is less interested in mentoring a buffoon. He would rather shoo away the obnoxious pest and placate him with a compromise: Whoever can swindle the “American soap queen,” Christine Colgate (the impeccable Megan Wager) can stick around, and the loser must leave. Lawrence’s droll assistant and sidekick, André Thibault (Alex Dagg), helps with the shenanigans. High jinks ensue, and the winner surprises everyone involved. Ploof says that filling the shoes of heavyweights was one of her top priorities. “When you are looking at a role that is written for See OCT, page B3

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Flying Boat, page B1 serves tapas, sandwiches, tacos, salads and desserts. “One of the reasons we went with Tucker,” said Kirby, “was his great eye for food. He’s never had the complete autonomy to do whatever he wanted. Here he does.” Since its grand opening on Aug. 14, Kirby, Bow and Bengoa have slowly seen their business grow. But on day one, it didn’t look promising to the nascent business owners. In fact, it looked empty. “The first day, nobody showed up—except Tucker,” laughed Kirby. “But we’re getting there. There’s going

to be constant fine-tuning, but we’re getting there.” Not unlike the giant flying boats that Kirby and Bow love and that helped to inspire the creation of their business venture: The two pilots (and a chef ) will have to continue tinkering with their aircraft if they hope to keep it flying. “We’re providing something unique here,” said Kirby. “And it may not be for everybody. We had people come by and ask if we got pool tables. No, that’s a different kind of place… You can’t make everybody happy, but I don’t see the problem with trying.”

Chef Tucker Bengoa is shown in the kitchen of the recently opened Flying Boat Tap Room. [Meagan Gumpert]

a love of flying, they live in the fly-in community of Leeward Air Ranch near the Flying Boat. They both also have a passion for craft beer. “The craft beer industry is kind of like a big group of artists,” said Bow. “Everybody does something a little different. Even though it’s still the same formula, but they add things differently every time.” The taps at the Flying Boat offer Florida-brewed craft beers from as far south as Miami and as far north as Tallahassee. They also serve beer from the Hiatus Brewing Company based in Ocala. Currently, the beer menu includes everything from hard seltzers, IPAs and lagers, to wheat, fruit, sour and dark beers. Kirby thinks that 25 to 30 beers on tap are ideal. “People can still make choices; you can still have a

Operating hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday: Closed wide variety. But you don’t have to worry about people not purchasing it and it going bad. So, I think 28 for now is good,” said Kirby. Bow thinks a variety of beer is what life is all about. “Before craft beer,” Bow said, “everybody just had the beer that they drank, right? Budweiser. Miller Light. And I tend to look at beer like this: Do you only eat vanilla ice cream? Or do you eat chocolate ice cream sometimes? There

are just too many f lavors out there to only drink one beer.” Unique f lavors are also Tucker Bengoa’s raison d’etre, which is why Kirby and Bow approached him to be the Flying Boat’s chef. Much like the craft beers on tap, Bengoa’s menu is heavily inf luenced by Florida: Chicken and waff les with fireball syrup. Tomahawk steak and egg tacos with a house chimichurri sauce. Herbcrusted shrimp covered in cheddar cheese grits. Bengoa, who worked at other Ocala eateries in the past, wanted Flying Boat’s menu to be inventive. “I’ve worked with pizza before,” he said. “But we decided to go a different route. We added a smoky f lavor to it. We use hickory and cherry wood to smoke the pizzas.” Along with firestone pizza, the Flying Boat also

[Meagan Gumpert]

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From OCT, page B1 someone as substantive as John Lithgow, or as free and spontaneous as Norbert Leo Butz, you’ve got the baseline of what those two artists are capable of,” she said. About Taylor and Williams, she said she was lucky to find leads who could deliver the goods. The leads, by the way, demonstrated their vocal chops to audiences at the end of last season in Million Dollar Quartet, which ran May 27-June 27 at OCT. Williams played Elvis Presley, and Taylor played Johnny Cash. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ music director, Philip King, played Jerry Lee Lewis, Scott Nadenik, who played Carl Perkins, plays guitar in the orchestra. When asked how a theater with a much smaller budget could pull off a spectacle like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Ploof says that the script provides suggestions on what can be modified to make the staging work. “I think I took advantage of maybe three out of a pretty long list of maybe 20,” Ploof shared. “We changed one minor scene ending because our scenic design does not involve a $2 million revolver and two stories on it.” Costume Designer Eryn Brooks Brewer’s outfitted the women in the cast with stunning jewel-toned gowns and dresses circa the late 1940s to early 1960s. Her choices aligned seamlessly with the vintage aesthetic Ploof was after from the outset. “When I talked to both the scenic and costume designers, I said, ‘We’re on the French Riviera. Let’s go look at To Catch a Thief, Cary Grant, and Grace Kelly. Let’s go look at Monaco. Let’s go look at that world and re-create it a little bit visually because it is just infinitely more attractive than 1988,’” Ploof recalled. Indeed, the retro look will be enjoyed by movie lovers who feel nostalgia for the chic of the mid-20th century. Think old Bond films starring Sean Connery and Alain Delon in Purple Noon. OCT’s theme last year centered on the feeling of home — something relatable during a pandemic. “It was all plays that either took place in people’s real homes, where they were able to become their truest selves because of where the story took place,” she said. This year shifts the dynamic. “I thought, well, let’s travel, let’s go all over the world to contrast that. I sought plays about transformation about what going somewhere else can do to us,” Ploof said. “And so, in all of our plays this season, characters change. Something within the stories changes them and alters them in a real, fundamental way, not just a little tiny tweak, but a real basic inside-their-soul change. And that happens to Freddy, Lawrence and Christine. Through the telling of this story, they all change. They make a discovery about themselves that they didn’t know before.”

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Ocala Civic Theatre 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd. Runs: Aug. 16-Sept. 19 General admission: $30 18 and younger: $15 ocalacivictheatre.com

Top: Angie Brahim as Muriel Eubanks, left, and Alex Dagg as Andre, right. Bottom: James Ray Taylor III as Lawrence Jameson, Alex Dagg as Andre and Jonny Williams as Freddy Benson, left to right. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

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A (small) Victorian affair

Gail Anderson poses with her large 3-story, 10 room dollhouse that has thousands of intricate details inside and out. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

Dollhouse is Ocala woman’s labor of love By Rosemarie Dowell

Special to the Ocala Gazette

Gail Anderson’s Magnum Opus is a jaw-dropping magical marvel in miniature. For much of the past year, the former teacher has dedicated countless hours to completing a Victorian dollhouse, a labor of love she began roughly 35 years ago. With meticulous attention to detail, the home is an authentic replication of what a typical middle-class home looked like in the late 1880s. All ten rooms are chock-full of curated, historically correct to-scale furnishings, wallcoverings, and household items, right down to real silver candlesticks, a crystal chandelier from Belgium, and drapes from Ukraine. The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines, which kept Anderson home for most of the past year, coaxed her into completing the two-story home. “It kept me sane. It was therapy,” said Anderson, who received occasional assistance and lots of encouragement from her husband of 52 years, Gary. The couple, who met in college, moved to Ocala

three years ago from Indianapolis. “It forced me to think about a much simpler time,” said the mom of two adult children. “Before the internet and the modern world.” The 74-year-old’s passion for all things miniature was ignited in the early 1980s during a family trip to England, where they discovered a show featuring aweinspiring miniature homes. Anderson was hooked. According to the National Toy Hall of Fame, the genesis of miniature homes can be traced back to wealthy Europeans in the late 1500s. Back then, the homes were exclusively for adult play, and not only showcased finely made furnishings but also served as symbols of wealth. By the 17th and 18th centuries, German toymakers produced a variation of the “baby” house—now called a dollhouse—for children. “It’s been a popular hobby over there for years, and it still is. Queen Mary had one,” said Anderson, who immediately began attending miniatures shows after returning from England. It was a 1986 visit to a shop in Elgin, Ill., that

started the Ohio native on her journey as a miniature home enthusiast. “It was a display piece, but I talked them into selling it,” said Anderson. “I love the Victorian era, so I decided to focus on the 1880s.” She did her homework too. At first, Anderson delved into books and periodicals, culling valuable information about the period and learning what a home from that era would look like. The advent of the internet was a Godsend. “I researched and researched,” said Anderson. “When the internet came along, that made things much easier.” First, she painted the pink exterior a deep green with white and red trim. Then, she began the task of filling the four-bedroom home with reproduction décor and furnishings. Anderson worked on the house on and off for years but put it aside for roughly ten years at one point. Now the finished project includes a parlor featuring a piano with a bust of Beethoven, a phonograph, and matching wingback chairs and couch, along with a real needlepoint display. The baby’s nursery has a wooden crib with a lace canopy and a wooden

riding toy. “All the woodwork in the home is walnut. I laid the flooring myself,” said Anderson. “The crib is hand-carved.” The home’s exterior is surrounded by lush landscaping with bushes and trees; a push mower leans against the house. The finely furnished dining room is set up for an afternoon tea complete with china and a raspberry sponge cake. A cat sits in a chair. There are real tintypes on the wall, and Anderson fashioned the tablecloth from an antique handkerchief. Meanwhile, the kitchen features a wood-burning stove, a butter churn, copper pots and pans and myriad knick-knacks and goods. There is also a maid’s quarters with a single bed, bookcase, desk and chair, and a sewing room with a wooden ironing board and Singer sewing machine in the back. The attic has a roll-up rug, a dollhouse, a lonesome teddy bear, a wheelchair, a Christmas wreath, an old sled, and other treasures from the bygone era. Along with all the authentic reproductions, in true teacher fashion, Anderson decided to

Interior details of the Parlor. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

Anderson fashioned her dollhouse after an 1880s home and it is a masterpiece that is 35 years in the making. She was able to finish it as a project during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

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include things that would entice visitors to look inside each room with a critical eye; modern-day items are conspicuously placed beside old ones. For instance, the bathroom has a hairdryer and straightener, the attic a television, and the baby’s room a package of Pampers. “I wanted to encourage people to look at everything in the rooms,” said Anderson. “It forces them to study everything in them.” She also cleverly placed photos of family members in the home, and a note in the middle of its interior section, detailing its history and how it was finished amid the pandemic. Now that Anderson has finally completed her miniature dream home, she’s content to just enjoy her creation for a while. Her two young granddaughters will see it for the first time when they come for a visit in October, but Anderson says the home is best enjoyed with the eyes and not so much the hands. “It took a lot of time and energy, and now I just want to enjoy it,” she said. “I don’t know where it will end up.”

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Creative’s Corner Works of Heart Settling down helped nomadic artist find creative success By Lisa McGinnes

Ocala Gazette

Artist Justin Alsedek has always followed his heart. He enjoyed photography and art in high school so he attended the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, he hit the road with his easel, spending winter in Key West and summer in Ocean City, Maryland, drawing tourist portraits. “It was very fun,” he recalled. “I’d go to tourist areas, getting people to commission me to draw their kids or grandkids or pets. I was always a gypsy. That’s why I call myself Gypsea Arts, because I would go from beach town to beach town.” For a decade, he enjoyed his nomadic lifestyle. Then in 2016, Alsedek and his

Artist Justin Alsedek of Gypsea Arts poses with a self-portrait of himself titled “I Wear Cause I Care” as some of his other works are shown in his studio, 8th Avenue Gallery. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

wife Sarah moved to Ocala to settle down near her family and prepare for the arrival of their son Ki. It was the right place and time for him to start painting again. “I used to paint in college,” he said. “But oil painting, you can imagine trying to do all that stuff while you’re living out of a van or on a sailboat or adventuring about. I could have a sketch book; I could roll things up in a tube and mail to people. All my art was just drawing for a while.” The artist knew he didn’t

Alsedek works on an untitled piece. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

“The dream was always just to be able to paint whatever you want.” -Justin Alsedek

want a “real job” so he immersed himself in Ocala’s growing arts scene. “I joined MCA (Marion Cultural Alliance),” he said. “I started doing art walks. I had gotten into FAFO (Fine Arts For Ocala). I started to paint again. I knew I wanted

to make a splash.” The wildlife he and his wife encountered on their first walk at a local spring inspired the painting Alsedek entered in MCA’s “Ocala’s Backroads” show in April 2018, and he’s continued to draw inspiration from Florida’s natural beauty. Last summer he painted “Creative Refuge,” a butterfly and flower mural, in the courtyard of the Brick City Center for the Arts. His “Endless Summer Bliss” is currently on exhibit in NOMA Gallery’s “Summer in the Sun” show.

Since March, Alsedek has been the gallery manager and artist-in-residence at Ocala’s 8th Ave. Gallery, where he curates exhibits featuring both well-known and up-and-coming artists and spends his days creating his own works in the gallery’s studio. “This has definitely been a good thing for my career,” he said. “I never would have guessed that things would blossom in Ocala. The dream was always just to be able to paint whatever you want, so fortunately for right now I’m riding that wave.”

One of Alsedek’s paintings, “Mood Swings”. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

News in Brief Art walk is back

CEP announces new addition

First Friday Art Walk returns to downtown Ocala on Sept. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. The walk is scheduled for the first Friday of each month from September to May. The following activities will be included in September’s event:

The Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership announced Beth McCall as its newest director of talent development. “I’m excited to join the CEP,” said McCall. “I am passionate about our community, children and education. I believe that the three E’s (Enrollment, Enlistment, Employment) implemented by the school system in partnership with the CEP can lead to student success as well as helping fill the needs of Marion County’s workforce. I look forward to continuing to strengthen the partnership with the schools and our businesses.” McCall has been a fundraising executive for 20 years. In 2016, McCall was elected to District 2 of the Marion County School Board where she served until June. In 2018, she was hired as the executive director of the Marion County Children’s Alliance where she continues to serve today.

• Hands-on art activities and demonstrations for all ages provided by local non-profit arts and cultural organizations. • Local artists selling their works throughout Downtown. • Participating businesses with extended hours. • Buskers (musicians) stationed throughout the downtown area, including My Uncle’s Friend and Prestine Allen playing ambient music. • Live musical performance will return to the Downtown Square, featuring Taylor Rich. Additionally, in the courtyard of Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 W. Broadway St., will be the presentation of the Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series guitar at 7 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the event will move to the Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St. For information, please contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Department at 352-629-8447 or artinfo@ocalafl.org; or visit www.ocalafl. org/artwalk

SECO Energy donates $3,000 for schools SECO Energy’s back-to-school program donated $3,000 to the Public Education Foundation of Marion County for the benefit of Marion County Public Schools. The funds will support teacher requests for support of STEM-related projects in the classroom.

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AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Spurrier restaurant uses memorabilia to create one-of-a-kind feel By Mark Long AP Sports Writer GAINESVILLE — Steve Spurrier stashed six decades’ worth of memorabilia in closets and cabinets, scattered between his office, his home and his nearby beach house. Jerseys and cleats. Helmets and visors. Trophies and trinkets. Rings and pictures. Spurrier’s collection was as massive as it was impressive. He stored another assortment of keepsakes in his head: “ball plays,” some of them as famous as his notable one-liners. He has gathered all those treasures – even the plays he jotted down from memory – and proudly put them on display at Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille. The one-ofa-kind restaurant opened recently in Gainesville and doubles as the Head Ball Coach’s personal museum. Spurrier and his investment team spared no expense in putting together a “polished casual” eatery that serves farm-to-table food. They visited nearly 60 celebrity restaurants across the world, stopping at places owned by Troy Aikman, John Elway, Gloria Estefan, Pelé, Mike Shanahan and Tiger Woods. They also studied what caused others to falter. “We believe we got a plan that’s in place to be very successful,” Spurrier said. “Location, food, service, we got all that. Hopefully, we got all that. We believe we do.” Spurrier gave The Associated Press a tour of the 18,600-square-foot restaurant that cost more than $12 million to build

weeks before the grand opening, and the details and décor stood out. Spurrier has his Heisman Trophy on display along with 14 championship rings, including Duke’s 1989 Atlantic Coast Conference title, South Carolina’s 2010 Southeastern Conference Eastern Division championship and his latest one from the Orlando Apollos (He claims the Alliance of American Football title after the league suspended operations in April 2019 with Spurrier’s Apollos atop the standings at 7-1). The cleats he wore while kicking a 40-yard field goal to beat Auburn 3027 in 1966 and clinch the Heisman Trophy are on display and so is the game ball from that one, both on loan from the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. He has glass cabinets filled with trophies awarded to former players. There’s a wall-sized mosaic of Spurrier from his quarterback days adorning the main entryway, plaques recognizing Spurrier’s “Gator Greats” — the inaugural class featured Spurrier, Carlos Alvarez, Emmitt Smith, Errict Rhett, Danny Wuerffel and Percy Harvin – and hundreds of other items spread throughout. A hole-in-one display from the par-3 course at Augusta National. Congratulatory letters from Hall of Fame coaches Pat Summitt and John Wooden. Fifteen keys to cities. An array of bowl watches. Pictures with President Bill Clinton, entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and comedian/ actor Jackie Gleason.

Steve Spurrier stands in front of a display of helmets of teams that he previously played for or coached at his new restaurant, the Gridiron Grill. [AP Photo/John Raoux]

Photos of Spurrier from every decade of his coaching career, beginning before he switched from hats to his trademark visors. Speaking of Visors — that’s the name of Spurrier’s rooftop bar where, of course, he has a collection of about 250 of them on display. He also had two specific bar stools reserved for the “HBC” and his wife, Jerri. “It’s all me? Yeah, it’s a little weird, I guess,” Spurrier said. “But a lot of team pictures, too, which is very important.” There are five private dining rooms, which make Spurrier’s a hot spot for meetings and parties. Current Gators football coach Dan Mullen and men’s basketball coach Mike White will broadcast their weekly shows from the restaurant. There’s also a podcast room that houses every helmet from every team Spurrier has even been associated with.

The upstairs bar displays Steve Spurrier’s signature on the wall at his new restaurant, the Gridiron Grill. [AP Photo/ John Raoux]

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now covers both upstairs bathrooms. A few of them came from lopsided wins against hated rival Georgia, of course. Others: Terry Dean connecting with Jack Jackson in a victory against Alabama in the 1993 SEC title game; Wuerffel to Reidel Anthony on a fourth-and-12 play versus Tennessee in 1996; Doug Johnson hooking up with Jacquez Green on a curl-and-go that set up the winning score against Florida State in 1997. Spurrier’s menu, meanwhile, has several items that are sure to elicit smiles from the Florida faithful, too. Main courses include the Ike Hillard Catch of the Day, the Tomahawk Porkchop and the Emory & Henry. Drinks include The Kick (for Spurrier’s 40-yarder against Auburn), CiTrUs 75 (for his “you can’t spell Citrus without U-T” joke) and the 52-20 Pale Ale (the score of Florida’s first national title). For Spurrier, creating the restaurant stirred fond memories. And he hopes it will do the same for his fans. It might also fill a void since the winningest football coach in the history of two schools (Florida and South Carolina) has more time on his hands than he expected when he temporarily walked away in 2016. “Life doesn’t always go the way you plan,” he said. “I thought when my coaching days were over, I’d get good at golf again. But guess what? I grew arthritis in the fingers. ... My golf game is not near what it used to be. But you get to the play the senior tees.”

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ESPN has placed a rental deposit on part of the restaurant for the weekend of the Alabama-Florida game, scheduled to be played Sept. 18. “This is built for Gator Nation,” said Freddie Wehbe, who collaborated with Frankel Media to handle most of the heavy lifting in getting Spurrier’s from conception to completion. “How would you not? UF is the program that Coach created.” Spurrier was Florida’s first Heisman winner and coached the Gators to their first national championship 30 years later. He has a statue outside the stadium and is a member of the program’s exclusive ring of honor. Spurrier also nicknamed the stadium “The Swamp.” The Gators went 122-27-1 in 12 seasons under Spurrier, including a staggering 68-5 at home, and won six SEC titles. The Gators renamed their football field after him in 2016, calling it Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. He’s without question the most beloved personality in school history. Spurrier’s daughter, Amy Moody, urged him to build a restaurant just to get all his memorabilia organized and on display. Spurrier didn’t do much else to get the place up and running other than sit in meetings and tweak ideas from countless consultants. One thing he did provide: those plays. Spurrier recreated dozens of his most famous and successful plays on paper and had them turned into wallpaper that

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AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

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

Obituary

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Angelica Faith Ard “Jelly”, 20, was born in Ocala, Florida on Feb. 7, 2001 and went home to Jesus on Aug. 1, 2021. She graduated Forest High School in 2019, attended the College of Central Florida, and worked in retail while owning a clothing line. Angelica was passionate about animals (especially lizards), caring for others, and living her life fully. Her beautiful and loving personality touched the lives of many, and her humor will be greatly missed. She is lovingly remembered as the daughter of Trisha Chenail and Robert Ard, and the sister of Starley Ard. A celebration of life was held at Meadowbrook Church on Aug. 11. A memorial motorcycle ride will be held on Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. at Gibson Kustoms.

Shoe shopping Solution: 21 Letters

Angelica Faith Ard “Jelly”

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction but always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have completed the puzzle, there will be 21 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

Obituaries may be submitted at ocalagazette.com

News in Brief The Petunia Park project at the Humane Society of Marion County has officially begun and will benefit shelter dogs while they wait to find their forever homes. Construction of the park started recently and will feature a splash pad, a ballpark, an obstacle course and a tunnel and chew zone and much more. Petunia Park is currently looking for community sponsors for the park as well as donations of the following items: Large hula-hoops, toy balls of all sizes, chew bones, waste receptacles, benches, shade sails, extra-large foldable dog pens, an ice cream machine and plants and mulch. All needed items can be found on Petunia Park’s Amazon wish list at https://amzn.to/3gtnsUC, while monetary donations over $300 will be recognized by the park. Email Mary Wrye-Rutt at MWrye@HumaneSocietyofMarionCounty. com regarding donations or for receiving any additional information about the park. The Human Society of Marion County is located at 701 N.W. 14th Road, Ocala, FL. 34475. Phone number: (352) 873-PETS.

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Date: 8/27/21

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Community

8/27 -29

Summer Dressage Show

8/27

Marion Oaks Farmers Market

8/27

Marion County Friday Market

8/27

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

8/27

World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave. 8am This dressage competition is open to spectators. Admission and parking are free and leashed dogs are permitted. Visit wec. net for more information.

Marion Oaks Community Center, 294 Marion Oaks Lane 9am-12pm Fresh vegetables, artisan food products and handmade crafts.

McPherson Government Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave. 9am-2pm Shop locally fresh fruits and veggies, cinnamon buns, jerky, freeze dried treats, olive oils and seafood.

McIntosh Civic Center, 5835 Avenue F, McIntosh 3-6pm The Florida Department of Health in Marion County will offer vaccinations for residents age 12 and older. Call (352) 6442590 for more information.

9/1

Drive-Thru COVID Testing

9/1

1 Million Cups Ocala

9/1

WinePO

9/1

Genealogy Help Center

9/1

Wednesday Midday Market

9/2

Farmers Market

9/2

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

9/2

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road 8am-2pm For more information, contact the Florida Department of Health in Marion County at (352) 624-0137.

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

The Keep Downtown, 36 SW First Ave. 5:30-7:30pm Young Professionals Ocala’s monthly social gathering. Visit fb.com/youngprofessionalsocala for more information.

Ocala Public Library, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd. 12:30-3:30pm Genealogy gurus from the Marion County Genealogical Society will be available to help with your family history search. Call (352) 671-8551 to register.

Food Truck Friday Woodstock Party

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St. 5-9pm Families and leashed pets to enjoy food vendors, live music and a costume contest with prizes. Visit fb.com/ ocaladowntownmarket for more information.

8/27

FTBOA Champions Award Show

8/28 -29

Partners of the Park Schooling Show

Virtual 7pm Horse Capital Television will broadcast the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association annual awards online. Visit fb.com/horsecapitaltv for details.

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S County Highway 475 8am Equestrians will compete in dressage, stadium jumping and cross-country events to raise funds for the Florida Horse Park. Visit fb.com/partnersoftheparkpop for more information.

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

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

Rainbow Lakes Estates Oberman Building, 4040 SW Deepwater Court, Dunnellon 9:30-11:30am The Florida Department of Health in Marion County will offer vaccinations for residents age 12 and older. Call (352) 6442590 for more information.

Marion Oaks Community Center, 280 Marion Oaks Lane 1:30-3:30pm The Florida Department of Health in Marion County will offer vaccinations for residents age 12 and older. Call (352) 6442590 for more information.

9/3-4 Ocala Shrine Rodeo

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road 7:30pm The 38th annual rodeo features bareback bronc riding, bull riding and bull fighting by Ultimate Bull Fighter. Visit ocalashrinerodeo.com for more information.

Arts

[Bruce Ackerman]

8/28

Community Garden Replant Day

8/28

Ocala Downtown Market

8/28

EqualiTea

8/28

8/30

Ocala Wellness Community Garden, 2233 W Silver Springs Blvd. 8:30am Purchase your own garden plot and join in the community planting day for fall seasonal seeds. Visit ocalafl.org/garden for more information.

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

Virtual 12:30-3pm The Democratic Women’s Club of Marion County will host guest speakers including Former State Attorney Amaris Ayala, candidate for Congressional Seat 10. Call (352) 792-1375 for more information.

Summer Sunset Polo

8/27

Drive-Thru COVID Testing

Now- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 9-19

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S County Highway 475 6pm Spectators are invited to tailgate and bring chairs and a picnic for a family experience watching equine athletes playing the sport of kings at this week’s Sportsmanship Cup. Visit ocalapolo.com for details.

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road 8am-2pm For more information, contact the Florida Department of Health in Marion County at (352) 624-0137.

8/31

Why CF? Information Session

8/31

The Shores Market

Virtual 2-3pm The College of Central Florida invites prospective students to learn about college and receive a waiver of application fees. Visit cf.edu for details.

Silver Springs Shores Community Center, 590 Silver Road 5-7pm This new weekly indoor farmers market includes farm fresh goods, artisan food products and arts and crafts vendors. fb.com/theshoresmarket

Summer in the Sun

NOMA Gallery, 939 N Magnolia Ave. 12pm-5pm Last day to see the juried exhibition or works based on the theme “What Does Summer in the Sun Mean to You?” Visit nomaocala.com for more information.

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd. 2 & 7:30pm The Broadway musical adaption of the classic film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin delivers all the hilarious hijinks and clever capers in a jazzy musical romp along the Riviera. Visit ocalacivictheatre.com for tickets and showtimes.

Now Ready Set Go -9/25

Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm This new, hands-on exhibit explores the many modes of transportation that move people and goods around the world with experimentation stations and activities including a toy engine auto garage and a kid-sized drag race strip with food-powered cars. Visit mydiscoverycenter.org for more information.

Now Countenance -9/26

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm A selection of works from the permanent collection examine the ancient tradition of portrait-making through a new lens. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

B10

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Now -10/2

Works

8/27

Public Art Gathering

Now -10/2

ART-CALA

8/28

Classics and Cocktails

Now The Game of Life -10/18

8/28

Art by Animals Pop-Up Exhibit

Now Highlights from the Equine Collection -10/24

9/1

Yarn Lovers

9/1

DIY Art

9/1

Crafternoons

9/2

Easy Approach to Portraits

9/2

Coffee, Cake & Community

Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration, 828 NE Eighth Ave. Monday-Friday 9am-5pm This art exhibit showcases the works of Aliye Cullu, a painter and graphic designer who specializes in plein air landscape oil paintings. Visit ocalafl.org/culturalarts for more information.

Barbara Gaskin Washington Adult Activity Center, 210 NW 12th Ave. Monday-Friday 9am-4pm Artworks from Art Army Ocala were created by participants at the First Friday Art Walks during 2020-2021. Visit ocalafl.org/ culturalarts for more information.

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. Monday-Friday 8am-5pm This new exhibit features works by Jacksonville-based illustrator and painter Elena Øhlander, who explores identity, gender issues, individuality and pop culture with a Japanese context. Visit ocalafl. org/culturalarts for more information.

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm This exhibit of works from the permanent collection highlights more than 60 pieces which relay Arthur I. Appleton’s love of horses. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Now -11/7

A Breeze Through Fertile Gardens

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm This collection of paintings and drawings by Andrew M. Grant are inspired by the four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Now Alison Saar: Works from the Permanent Collection -1/22/ 2022

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm This exhibit of printed works curated from the Appleton’s collection showcases Alison Saar, an internationally acclaimed artist who incorporates spiritual and political themes. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

8/27 -28

Creature Feature

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St. 10am-5pm Friday, 11am-4pm Saturday An exhibit of animal art by Marion Cultural Alliance member artists captures how and why animals — from house pets to mythical creatures — excite the human imagination. Visit mcaocala.org for more information.

E. D. Croskey Recreation Center, 1510 NW Fourth St. 12pm The City of Ocala Cultural Arts and Sciences Division, along with Fine Arts for Ocala, the Racial Harmony and Cultural Awareness task force and the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission will gather public input for a new mural at the center. Call (352) 629-8447 for more information.

Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave. 2pm This month’s classic film is “West Side Story” and the accompanying craft cocktail is Riff and Bernardo’s Knife Fight. Visit mariontheatre.org for details.

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St. 12-3pm Ambassadors of Nature will present art made by animals at the closing party for Marion Cultural Alliance’s “Creature Feature” exhibit. Visit fb.com/ambassadorsofnature for more information.

Dunnellon Public Library, 20351 Robinson Road, Dunnellon 10am Make new friends and learn some new stitches. Call (352) 4382520 to register.

Forest Public Library, 905 S County Highway 314A, Ocklawaha 10:30am Adults are invited to participate in a rock wrapping activity. Call (352) 438-2540 to register.

Ocala Public Library, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd. 4:30pm Adults are invited to craft stapled charms. Call (352) 671-8551 to register.

Rainbow Springs Art, 20804 W Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon 12:30-3:30pm Instructor Di Cita Timperley will help participants interpret photo references in new ways, exploring line drawings, expression and color splashes. Visit rainbowspringsart.com for more information.

NOMA Gallery, 939 N Magnolia Ave. 1-4pm Need a new space for inspiration? Bring your current project and enjoy some together time with other creatives. Visit fb.com/nomagalleryocala for more information.

Government

8/30

Marion County Development Review Committee

8/30

Marion County Hospital District Board

8/30

Marion County Planning & Zoning Commission First Hearing

9/1

Marion County Development Review Committee Staff Meeting

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

Hospital District Office, 2547 E. Silver Springs Blvd. 5pm Call (352) 622-3662 for more information.

McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 5:30pm The Planning & Zoning Commission conducts hearings for zoning changes and special use permits. Call (352) 438-2600 for more information.

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

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR 27

5pm John Mazz

Morevino

5pm Gilly & the Girl

6pm John Johnson

Shuckin’ Shack

6:30pm Stephen Lopez

6:30pm Nate Mercado World Equestrian Center Yellow Pony

8pm Radlin Rootz

8pm Comedian Karl Anthony

6pm Conrad Marcum

6:30pm Miranda Madison World Equestrian Center Yellow Pony

7pm Baby Boomer Bash

7pm Brandon Dull

7pm Mike Monetti

7pm The Damnselves O’Calahan’s

8pm Honey Hounds O’Malley’s Alley

2pm Jeff Jarrett Eaton’s Beach

9/2

Circle Square Commons

8pm Fareeza The Corkscrew

Infinite Ale Works

Shuckin’ Shack

7pm Titans of Rock Journey/Bon Jovi Tribute Circle Square Cultural Center

Orange Blossom Opry

Bonkerz Comedy Club

The Crazy Cucumber

The Corkscrew

Eaton’s Beach

7pm Bobby Randall and the OBO Band Orange Blossom Opry

6pm Jeff Jarrett Ocala Downtown Square

9/2

7pm Orange Blossom Showcase Orange Blossom Opry

B11

AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Then....and Now

The 1933 memorial located in the former burial grounds where soldiers and civilians who died at the historic Fort King during the Seminole Indian War from 1835-42 is shown in this undated photograph. The fort which was originally built in 1827 to the northeast of the burial ground served as the nexus of what would become Marion County. [State Archives of Florida]

The memorial is seen in August and now sits in the shadow of a full-scale replica of the fort which was built on the original site in 2017. The area, now known as Fort King National Historic Landmark, holds educational and family events celebrating Marion County history. The memorial at the burial ground, from which the remains were removed decades ago, was erected by the Ocala Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]

Current Adoption Specials: It’s Clear the Shelter month. ALL adoptions are FREE in August. Adoption includes up-to-date vaccinations, county license, microchip and spay/neuter surgery.

Ellie

Beauty and Brains Stunning, charcoal-colored 3-year-old female cat seeks a human companion she can consider her intellectual equal. She loves toys and is hoping for a cat tree in her new home.

View more adoptable pets at Marion County’s website: MarionFL.org/Animal This database is updated every hour. 352.671.8700

Fred

Good Boy Mature but active 4-year-old male dog seeks a home with friendly people. A favorite of staff and volunteers at the shelter, he pays attention and enjoys socializing.

Answers for pages B8

Ocala Gazette publishes fond remembrances of your loved one Visit ocalagazette.com to submit an obituary