Ocala Gazette | November 20 - 26, 2020 by Magnolia Media Company

Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign has begun

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2020

Giant slayers

Trinity girls cap off dream season with improbable win over undefeated Westminster to claim state title

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 21

Christmas Parade canceled By Brad Rogers Ocala Gazette

The team hoists the championship trophy Saturday after their close win over favored Westminster in Fort Myers. [Photo by Amanda Whittamore, special to Ocala Gazette]

They weren’t favored heading into the state volleyball tournament, but the Trinity Catholic Celtics sure opened some eyes – and made a few wet with tears – as they captured the 3A FHSAA state volleyball crown. The team that graduated eight seniors last year knew early on that it wouldn’t be a rebuilding year and that they could surprise some people. “Even still throughout the season teams continued to overlook us, but we knew what we had,” coach Jeff Revis said. See more on page 12

he coronavirus pandemic has claimed another victim – the Ocala Christmas Parade. After months of planning and negotiating with local governmental bodies, organizers of the 65th Ocala Christmas Parade said Thursday they will cancel this year’s event due to concerns over the pandemic and a big drop in participation due to a School Board decision to prohibit students groups from taking part in the parade. “Factors considered include an increased and overwhelming concern about the COVID-19 virus, where we are seeing a continuing increase in the local positivity rate since Nov. 1 and the deleterious recent decision by the Marion County School Board to restrict students and school groups’ participation in 2020 parade,” Friends of the Christmas Parade Inc. said in a news release. “These items, in addition to the increased expenses holding an event this year would entail, the committee agreed that hosting the parade is not the safest nor most prudent way to proceed during such an unprecedented year.” The group said the parade traditionally attracts more than 50,000 spectators and more than

Trinity Catholic team celebrates after knocking off undefeated Westminster. [Photo by Amanda Whittamore, special to Ocala Gazette]

See Parade, page 16

Triscia Swineheart, a health support worker, right, helps a nurse collect samples from people during a COVID-19 drive-thru testing at the Florida Department of Health in Ocala in June. The Health Department director is working on a strategy for distributing the COVID vaccine expected out soon. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

See Vaccine, page 7

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elect Marion County residents might receive a vaccine for COVID-19 before the end of the year, the county’s chief public health official said Tuesday. During his biweekly coronavirus briefing to the County Commission, Health Department Administrator Mark Lander said the promising vaccines being developed by drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna could trickle down relatively soon. “We are hearing that if they can get these vaccines pushed over to the FDA for emergency-use approval, and where it has to go next,

we may have some limited vaccine out before the end of the year,” Lander said in response to a question by Commissioner Carl Zalak. “That is the hope,” he added. Lander told commissioners that the draft of the county’s immunization distribution plan has been completed and is under review by “community partners” for final approval before being sent to the state. Health Department officials in Tallahassee are urging local agencies to finish such plans “to be ready on a minute’s notice” of a vaccine becoming available, he added. Lander said his office

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By Bill Thompson Ocala Gazette

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Marion preps for arrival of COVID vaccine

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

News in Brief Changes to traffic signals on Magnolia Avenue The City of Ocala will soon begin to remove traffic signals along Magnolia Avenue. Effective immediately, the signals will flash red and all-way stop signs will be added to these intersections: • Fort King and South Magnolia – stop signs will be in place for southbound, eastbound and westbound traffic • Broadway and South Magnolia – stop signs will be in place for southbound and eastbound traffic • Northwest/Northeast Third Street and North Magnolia – stop signs will be in place for southbound, eastbound and westbound traffic • Northeast Third Street and Northeast First Avenue – stop signs will be in place for northbound, eastbound, and westbound traffic The signals will stay in flash mode for 90 days, after which the signals and traffic poles will be removed. Stop sign control will remain. Message boards and other devices will notify drivers of the new traffic pattern. For more information, call the City Engineer’s Office, Transportation Engineering Division, at 352-351-6708.

Ocala holiday schedules City of Ocala business offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27 in observance of Thanksgiving. There will be no residential collection for sanitation, yard waste or recycling routes Nov. 26. Residential sanitation collection regularly scheduled for Nov. 26 will experience a one-day delay and will be collected Nov. 27. Waste Pro recycling collection for city residents regularly scheduled for Nov. 26 will take place Nov. 27. For more information, call the City of Ocala Residential Sanitation Department at 352-351-6697.

Cooking oil recycling day The City of Ocala Water Resources Department will host a cooking oil recycling day from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park, 2105 NW 21st St., Ocala. The collection will be for vegetable oil only and it must be in a sealed plastic container. This event is part of the Water Resources Department’s “Don’t FOG Up Your Drain” campaign, which focuses on educating residents to not pour fats, oils, and grease (FOG) down the drain and to dispose of those items in the trash or through a recycling program. For more information, call 352-3516774.

Credit union expands services to Ocklawaha Ocala Community Credit Union has expanded services to the community of Ocklawaha, through online banking as well as two physical locations in Southeast Ocala and Marion Oaks. “This gives this Ocklawaha Community of over 8,100 people a reliable and secure way to handle their finances,” noted a spokesman in a news release. Ocala Community Credit Union now serves Ocala, Belleview, Anthony, Dunnellon, Summerfield, Silver Springs and Ocklawaha.

Under the new contract, the pay for beginning teachers in Marion County is being hiked 14.6 percent to $44,750 a year, while veteran teachers will receive a 2.3 percent raise.

Pay raise for veteran teachers not enough, union official says By Brad Rogers Ocala Gazette

he Marion County School Board voted last week to increase the starting teacher’s pay 14.6 percent, while at the same time giving veteran teachers a 2.3 percent pay hike. Teacher union representatives, who asked the board to give classroom veterans a 3 percent raise, are unhappy with the decision and say experienced teachers are getting shortchanged -- and that could lead to an exodus of experienced teachers. The School Board decision came on Nov. 11 at an impasse hearing that had been called after the school district and the Marion Education Association, the teachers’ union, could not reach a compromise through normal negotiations. So, now a beginning

teacher will make $44,750 a year, up from $39,050. Meanwhile, the 2.3 percent raise for veteran teachers will result in a $1,066-a-year increase for teachers making the district average of $46,351 a year, boosting them to $47,417. “What it’s done is compress the salary schedule,” said Chris Altobello, a teacher union executive. The road to last week’s decision is a long and complicated one. Last spring, the Florida Legislature approved spending $600 million so Florida’s 67 school district could raise every teacher’s salary, including starting ones, to $47,500. Problem is, the $600 million was not enough, so school districts were instructed to get as close to $47,500 as possible. In Marion County’s case, that was $44,750. The state also mandated that school districts give veteran teachers a 2 percent

raise. The union initially asked for a 4 percent raise for veteran teachers. The reason was two-fold, Altobello said – to give veteran teachers more money and separation from beginning teachers and because there is no performance pay for teachers this year. The School Board countered with an offer of 2.1 percent. The union came down to 3 percent and the district inched up to 2.3 percent. Negotiations reached a deadlock, and an impasse was declared. Altobello said whatever savings the district secured in the deal will likely be costly to our schools in the long run. “They were not willing to budge, and it’s going to cost us veteran teachers,” he said, adding “we know what they’ve been going through.” Moreover, Altobello said the board’s

decision “doesn’t move us anywhere around where we need to be to compete” when recruiting teachers. He said several neighboring counties pay much higher starting salaries, including Citrus ($46,000), Hernando ($46,150) and Sumter ($47,500). “At the end of the day we were asking for a $2 million commitment from the district and they were willing to give $1.3 (million),” Altobello said. “I asked the board one question: How are you selling Marion County when recruiting. That is the big question. I don’t see this offer moving the needle much. We’ve got work to do.” The raises are retroactive to July 1, according to the agreement, but Altobello said the Florida Department of Education has yet to release the funds to Marion County, so no one knows exactly when the raises will show up in paychecks.

Salvation Army sets $250,000 Red Kettle goal By Brad Rogers Ocala Gazette

he Salvation Army of Marion County kicked off its annual holiday Red Kettle campaign and Angel Tree program last week, and like so many other things in 2020 it will not be a traditional holiday season for the organization. The group launched its 2020 campaign last Friday on the downtown Ocala square with a virtual kickoff. With a goal of raising $250,000 to help uplift Ocala’s hungry and homeless, the Salvation Army will still have the famous red kettles outside a number of area businesses, but it will also be asking holiday donors to give in a number of other ways, said Maj. Dwayne Durham, corps officer of the local Salvation Army. Because so many people are not going out to many of the retailers which have historically hosted the red kettles due to COVID-19, or they do not carry cash, the Salvation Army this year will offer digital options for donors.

There will an Apple Pay its “Registry for Good.” program. option at the kettles. Donors can go there The Angel Tree Also, there is a and purchase toys and works like this: Angel website donors can clothing and designate Trees are located in go to and give, as it to be sent to the the Paddock Mall and an individual or as Salvation Army. all area Walmarts, and a team. That site is: In addition to the donation bins are also givesalvationarmyusa. Red Kettle campaign, located in all Beall’s and org/team/317281 the Salvation Army Beall’s Outlets. People Durham said is also conducting its can take a tag off the individuals or teams annual Angel Tree effort Angel Tree and find a of people can sign up to gather Christmas toys child’s name and their on the website and and gifts for more than wishes for Christmas. raise money for the 1,000 local children 12 Then you buy the gifts organization. years old and younger, and return them to an Walmart is said Maj. Marion Angel Tree location partnering with the Durham, Dwayne’s wife or drop them off at Salvation Army and and co-corps officer in the Salvation Army’s offering their customers Ocala who oversees the administrative offices at the option of rounding Angel Tree initiative. 2901 NE 14th St., Ocala. up their purchase, with She said half of the In addition to the the rounded-up amount children signed up for 1,000-plus children going to the Salvation this year’s Angel Tree See Red Kettle, page 7 Army. For instance, program are new to the if your purchase is $23.44, the customer can round up to $24 and the 56 cents will go directly to the local Salvation Army. Walmart is also offering customers the opportunity Saira Singh, the Red Kettle Campaign coordinator, makes the first donation during to give on the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign and Angel Tree kickoff. The Salvation its website Army hopes to raise $250,000 through this year’s campaign. [Bruce Ackerman/ through Ocala Gazette] 2020.

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26 , 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

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

Ocala Council names Balken new police chief Swearing in ceremony will be held at a later date

- Thomas Jefferson Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@magnoliamediaco.com Bruce Ackerman, Photography bruce@ocalagazette.com Lisa McGinnes, Editor lisa@magnoliamediaco.com Brad Rogers, Editor brad@ocalagazette.com Susan Smiley-Height, Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com Bill Thompson, Editor bill@ocalagazette.com Morgan Willett, Sports morgan@ocalagazette.com

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By Brad Rogers Ocala Gazette

ike Balken was named Ocala’s new police Tuesday night after the Ocala City Council voted unanimously to support Mayor Kent Guinn’s recommendation. Balken, a 27-year veteran of the Ocala Police Department, has been deputy chief since 2018. He succeeds Greg Graham, who died tragically in an Oct. 25 plane crash near Dunnellon. Guinn has said Balken was Graham’s choice to succeed him. “That was the plan the whole time – for Mike to become chief when Greg retired,” Guinn said. Balken brings a wealth of experience within OPD to the job. After joining the agency in 1993 as a patrolman, he went on to be a field training officer, then a detective. He rose through the ranks to

be a sergeant, a lieutenant and a watch commander. He worked in special operations and internal affairs before becoming a captain in 2014 and a major in 2015, during which time he oversaw all OPD’s investigations Mike Balken, who has been with the Ocala Police Department for 27 years, will and led the succeed Greg Graham as the new chief. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020 patrol division. The charter calls for Guinn, from the countywide 1 “He understood as mayor, to recommend percent local sales tax -this was not his police someone to the City and left the department department,” Balken Council to fill a vacant in a strong position. said. “This is your chief ’s post. Under “Where did Chief department, the people the charter, the mayor Graham leave us?” of Ocala’s department. oversees OPD. Balken asked. “We’re … He was really a In an interview with in a position to make progressive leader. the Gazette last week, some great strides. We’re He was always on the Balken said he intends stronger now than any cutting edge of whatever to continue where time in my 27 years was coming down the Graham left off. He said here.” pike next.” under Graham, OPD Balken praised Balken and his wife, improved its equipment, Graham’s work to build Dawn, have a grown son technology and training trust and relationships in and daughter. Balken programs – much of it, the community and said enjoys surfing, scuba in recent years, in large he intends to carry on diving, hunting and part because of proceeds that approach. white-water rafting.

Campbell, Curry take oaths for School Board, County Commission Ocala Gazette Staff

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Two newly elected officials took their oaths of office this week in Marion County. Craig Curry, who served as mayor of Ocala more than three decades ago, returned to public office when he was elected to the Marion County Commission in the August Republican primary, narrowly defeating Mike Behar and Michael J. Saxe for the District 1 commission seat that had been held by David Moore. District 1 encompasses the southeast portion of Marion County. Curry was sworn in Tuesday morning at the start of the Marion County Commission meeting at the McPherson Government Complex.

Craig Curry is sworn in as a County Commissioner for District 1 by Judge Sarah Ritterhoff Williams, right, as Curry’s wife, Carol, second from right, holds the Bible and members of his family look on Tuesday, Nov. 17. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020

Also taking the oath of office on Tuesday was Allison B. Campbell, who was sworn in as the newest member of the

Marion County School Board. Campbell beat Lori Conrad for the District 1 seat during the general

Allison Campbell takes the oath of office for the Marion County School Board District 1 seat on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Administering the oath is her husband, Andy, left, as her sons, Cade, 12, Cole, 13, and Connor, 10, left to right, look on at the Marion County Public School Board office in Ocala. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

election earlier this month. Improving attendance was a point of agreement between Campbell and Conrad. Campbell said that “80 percent of success is showing up” and, after visiting every school in the district, those schools with the worst attendance records also have the worst academic performance. And Campbell, a public relations professional, made better communications at all levels of the school system, from students on up, a cornerstone of her campaign. She believes improved communications between those running the school district can improve the operation of our schools, but also that teaching effective communications to our children will enhance their futures as well.

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

FDOT unveils “diverging diamond” design for new I-75 interchange in Ocala Ocala Gazette Staff

tate Transportation officials on Wednesday night unveiled their concept for the new interchange at Interstate 75 and Northwest 49th Street in Ocala. The “diverging diamond interchange” design proposed by Florida Department of Transportation planners and engineers is a model that is becoming increasingly popular around Florida. The main lanes of traffic will crisscross at signalized intersections on either side of the interstate, negating the need for vehicles to make left turns across multiple lanes of traffic. FDOT officials say the diverging diamond pattern allows traffic to flow more efficiently and with fewer “conflict points.” The half-hour public hearing at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala was a critical next step in the FDOT’s march toward building the interchange. The project has been on the drawing boards for years at the request of Marion County and City of Ocala officials who want to open that stretch of I-75 to large-scale commercial development, particularly distribution centers. FDOT and local officials say the project will also take traffic pressure off the State Road 326 interchange to the north and the U.S. 27 interchange to the south. County and city officials

must sign off on the concept proposed by the FDOT before the project moves into the design phase, where FDOT engineers will create the blueprint for the project. Next, according to FDOT documents, the state will purchase the right-of-way needed for the project, then begin construction. Construction could get under way as soon as 2024. The total cost of the project is estimated at $86 million, including $45 million for rightof-way purchases and $41 million for construction. Wednesday’s hearing drew roughly two dozen visitors, many of them residents who live near the project, including The Fountains subdivision west of I-75 off Northwest 49th Street. A few expressed concerns about how they would be impacted by the additional traffic that the interchange would bring to the area and what FDOT would do to buffer them from noise. According to FDOT engineers, the area is becoming increasingly congested. If the interchange is not built, the eastwest Northwest 49th Street is projected to host 14,600 vehicles a day by 2045 and will fall to an “F” level of service grade for its ability to efficiently move traffic. And while building the interchange would bring even more traffic – roughly 21,500 vehicles a day to Northwest 49th Street by 2045 – the various improvements would keep the level of service at an acceptable “C” grade, engineers say.

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NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26 , 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Commentary Rigging the election is just not that easy By Brad Rogers Ocala Gazette There’s an old adage that Americans hate Congress but love their own congressman, and the poll numbers over the years prove it. While Congress consistently has approval ratings of less than 20 percent, more than 90 percent of incumbent members of Congress get re-elected every two years. I bring this up as we watch President Trump and his legal team traveling the country challenging elections results from Arizona to Pennsylvania and from Wisconsin to Georgia, trying to reverse the election result that shows Joe Biden easily winning, in both the popular vote and the Electoral College. And, amazingly, a new poll this week by Reuters/ Ipsos shows 52 percent of Republican voters believe Trump “rightfully won” the election, despite a growing number of the party leadership quietly conceding the president lost. So, if the numbers in the 50 states show Biden

is winning, and Trump’s endless court challenges are losing, where is this grand conspiracy to deny Trump re-election? And where is the outcry from local voters about the local results? How could Biden get 5 million more votes than Trump, and do it surreptitiously, when there are 3,141 counties across the U.S., all with their own elections apparatus, all with their own elections boss. I decided to ask Marion County’s own elections chief, Wesley Wilcox. Wilcox, a Republican who was just re-elected unopposed to a third term as supervisor of elections, chuckled when asked if he was part of a grand conspiracy to rig the election in Biden’s favor. He said he just focuses on running a “smooth” election, and he believes he did that in 2020. “I have never conducted a ‘perfect’ election,” Wilcox said. “Yeah, we have some isolated incidents, but all in all I’d give us a 96 percent. For the size, this presidential election is the best presidential election we’ve ever conducted.” Best means, among other things, secure from

tampering -- and Wilcox should know. He sits on the national board of ISAC, short for Information Sharing Analysis Center. ISAC is a national consortium of agencies and organizations that monitors the cybersecurity of America’s online infrastructure, and that includes its elections systems. “We are monitoring more things today than was ever conceivable four years ago,” said Wilcox, who holds a degree in computer technology. And as for a cabal of elections supervisors like him conspiring to throw an election, one way or the other? “I know these people across the U.S.,” he said of his fellow supervisors. “We get within six weeks of an election and politics is the furthest thing from our minds. We’re focused on administration.” In other words, Wilcox and his election brethren are worried about what poll sites are available, which ones aren’t, how many poll workers they need and whether the voting equipment is working. And being in Florida

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– or as some have dubbed us since the 2000 BushGore presidential election debacle, Flori-DUH – is an added benefit. “The lucky part out of this thing is we in the state of Florida have been in the spotlight since Nov. 7, 2000,” he said. “We are scrutinized every election. And it has led to legislative and structural changes, and those have paid off.” Wilcox, who rose from elections office systems administrator to deputy supervisor under former Supervisor of Elections Dee Brown before succeeding her, said another big change since the 2000 election is the role and the perception of supervisors of election. Their position is held in much higher regard and faces much more oversight. “Prior to November 2000, supervisors of elections were an afterthought,” he said. “Never had been a spotlight position. Never had been in the news … and they shunned attention because they weren’t the story, the people who were getting elected were. Then came Bush-Gore. “The position has never been the same since,” he

said. And, for Wilcox, the job has gotten bigger. When he joined the office in 2001, there were about 145,000 voters in Marion County. Today there are more than 267,000 voters across the county. The other thing that has changed, especially in 2020, is the rise of voting by mail. Some 90,000 Marion Countians voted by mail in this most recent election, Wilcox said, compared with about 800 “back in the day.” So, is there any real threat of voting fraud? Well, Wilcox sees one, especially with the proliferation of voting by mail. “What’s preventing someone from voting in Michigan and in Florida?” he asked rhetorically. Not much … right now. That said, Wilcox said ISAC is working feverishly with states to develop a national database that would monitor voting of individuals nationwide, a database Florida and Michigan officials would tap into to ensure no one is voting in two different states. No, the job of being an elections supervisor isn’t what is used to be.

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NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Tubers flocked to Rainbow River in 2020 County reports 6.4 percent increase in revenue from water-sports rentals By Bill Thompson Ocala Gazette

OVID-19 has wrecked much of the economy this year in Marion County and in communities across the nation. But part of county government’s revenue stream experienced a rising tide during 2020, not in spite of the coronavirus, but perhaps because of it. KP Hole, the county park at the headwaters of the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, reported a remarkable and unexpected revenue boost this summer. According to Parks and Recreation Department Director Jim Couillard, the county took in $980,800 this year from its water-sports business at the park, a key staple of which is the tuber rental and shuttle program. That was up 6.4 percent over the $921,500 the county generated at the park last year, Couillard said. “It’s been a banner year for us at KP Hole. We’ve exceeded all our goals, even with COVID,” Couillard said. For years KP Hole has offered folks around the region a refreshing and lazy recreational escape. Park visitors can rent an inflatable tube at the park and float down the Rainbow River, exiting the waterway four hours later at Blue Run Park of Dunnellon, where they are carted via shuttle

back to KP Hole. The whole package, including entry into the park, costs just $25. But earlier in the year, COVID’s tightening grip on the public consciousness threatened to strangle the county’s chances for significant success at the park. Couillard noted that KP Hole, along with the rest of the county park system, was shuttered for a few weeks in the spring to comply with directives on public gatherings. But as the spring went on, Gov. Ron DeSantis loosened such restrictions, and suddenly public health authorities were touting outdoor recreation as a way to blunt the effects of the virus. Reopening also helped more than just KP Hole, Couillard said, as traffic increased at other county parks, particularly those with water attractions. “Anything on the water was just slam-packed,” Couillard said. In Dunnellon, other factors aided KP Hole’s success this summer. For example, the county, encouraged by Dunnellon city officials, cracked down on a tubing contractor who was not complying with county regulations. The county also banned people from bringing their own tubes into the park, Couillard said. Such floatation devices are often cheaply made and

Tubers float in the Rainbow River near the Blue Run tuber exit in Dunnellon in September. Marion County Parks and Recreation officials reported a significant uptick in revenue from tubing and other water sports at KP Hole this year. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

cannot withstand the whole trip down river. Deflated and discarded, they create a garbage headache for the county. Additionally, their owners end up stranded in the middle of the trip and either need to be rescued or trespass on the docks or in the yards of waterfront homeowners. “I took a lot of flak for that,” Couillard said of the ban. “People were pretty upset about that. But at the end of the day, it boosted our business.” Dunnellon police Chief Mike McQuaig said he was surprised that the county was able to make extra money this year because of COVID. Yet he appreciated the county’s responsiveness in

addressing the problematic tuber population, especially during the pandemic. At one point, Couillard said, the number of daily tubers on the river peaked at 1,100. To clamp down on the effects of COVID, the county capped tube rentals at 325 a day, and pledged to the city that would remain the max. McQuaig, in turn, said that helped the city emphasize COVID-related social distancing measures and control crowds at the Blue Run exit and along the river generally. “Spacing tubers out worked well,” said McQuaig, who could not recall receiving a single complaint from an irate homeowner all summer. In fact, people were

calling with compliments, he added. “People along the river are happy. The City Council is happy. And I’m happy because I don’t have as many calls,” said McQuaig. “It’s really nice to have a partner you can talk to, put a plan together with, and stick to it.” Because of the ceiling on rentals, many KP Hole visitors prioritized getting to the park early, Couillard said. That helped revive a long dormant VIP program, whereby people could pay extra to reserve a parking space at the park. That alone brought in $10,640 this year, Couillard said. See Tubers, page 7

Creating a clean habitat for all of nature’s creatures. Toys Accepted November 2 - December 4

Ocala - Southwest Colin A Barrett 4701 SW College Rd. Suite 104 352-512-9715 Christina L Ebey 2575 SW 42nd St. Suite 107 352-237-2029 Anthony Montemurro, CRPC® 8441 SW Hwy 200 Suite 119 352-327-2008 Kelly Moore 7668 SW 60th Ave. Suite 100 352-237-0379 David R Nettles 8960 SW Hwy 200 Suite 3 352-237-2430 Marc C Stalvey, AAMS 4701 SW College Rd. Suite 104 352-512-9715 ®

Brittani Tilley 2575 SW 42nd St. Suite 107 352-237-2029

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2105 NW 21st Street Ocala, FL | 352-351-6772 The Ocala Wetland Recharge Park incorporates treated wastewater and stormwater from the Old City Yard a drainage retention area (DRA), that is located near the park, and has historically flooded during heavy rain events. Stormwater can contain many contaminants like: nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants from fertilizers and pet and yard waste, oil, grease, heavy metals, vehicle coolants, bacteria, and litter. These stormwater contaminants are the leading cause of water pollution. The park captures this polluted water, therefore reducing regional flooding. By sending this water to the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park, the total nitrogen can be reduced to nearly undetectable levels, and the total phosphorus will be greatly reduced. This freshly cleaned water will improve water quality and boost regional groundwater supplies.

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26 , 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Vaccine page 1

Robert England paddles a kayak through the clear waters of Rainbow River recently. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

From Tubers page 6 Reducing the tube traffic also meant that other types of users, such as kayakers and paddleboarders, flocked to the river, he said. Beyond that, Couillard added, the county benefited from fairer than expected weather over Dunnellon this year, as well as the COVID-related adjustments to the school calendar that kept kids out of the classroom longer. “This summer seemed like the endless summer,” Couillard said. County Commissioner Kathy Bryant, whose district includes KP Hole, said she was pleased with how the summer went at the park, and not just because of the additional revenue. “The operational changes we made were not to generate more revenue, but they were to make for a safer experience for all users,” Bryant said. “At the end of the day, this has become a better operational model. It goes hand-in-hand with the safety plan that we put together last year. It makes all the shareholders happy. And it makes for a better experience for all the disciplines by not having one discipline dominate so much,” meaning a reduction in the tuber population helps kayakers, paddleboarders, divers, boaters and swimmers. Couillard acknowledges things could change if the coronavirus is soon tamed. “This might not be sustainable. Or this might be the new normal. Time will tell,” he said. Still, “We’re pretty happy with this year.”

has been directed to develop tactics for distributing the vaccine, first in “priority areas” followed by “field vaccination sites.” Lander suggested nursing homes and other long-term care facilities could be among the first to receive the initial doses. Under guidelines from the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed, he added, the concept is for local chain pharmacies, such as Walgreens or CVS, to ensure they deliver the drug to patients in long-term care institutions. Lander also praised county Emergency Management Director Preston Bowlin for securing the specialized refrigerators his agency would need to store the vaccine. Pfizer’s drug, which the company reported as 90 percent effective, must be housed at 90 degrees below zero, while Moderna’s version, which has a reported efficacy rate of nearly 95 percent, must be kept at 20 degrees below zero. Because of Bowlin’s efforts, Lander told the board, “We’re ahead of that game ... We’ve got that cold-storage capability in Marion County.” Thus, he added, “We feel comfortable moving into the first phase with the amount (of vaccine) that we’ll get.” People 65 or older remain the population group that health

officials are most concerned about, Lander said. According to Health Department data as of Tuesday, 2,255 county residents 65 or older have tested positive for COVID. That’s 19 percent of the overall 11,838 positive tests as of that day. Yet that age group makes up 58 percent of total coronavirus hospitalizations in the community, as well as 83 percent of its 368 COVID-related deaths. That, Lander said, “just reiterates the focus on vulnerable populations, and emphasizing how to protect those populations.” Lander’s remarks came against a backdrop of rising positive tests in Marion County. Health Department data show that between Oct. 24 and Nov. 14, the weekly total of total positives jumped from 262 to 410. The average daily positivity rate for the weeks ending on those dates had also spiked, from 4.8 percent to 8.4 percent. “We’re starting to see it across the entire state of Florida. Now, we’re seeing it in Marion County as well,” Lander told the County Commission. Dr. Keith Singer, the department’s medical adviser, told commissioners that daily hospitalizations were moving up “a little bit,” as are the seven-day and 30-day trend lines. “There is some concern about the number of admissions going

up,” he said, noting that intensive care admissions and ventilator usage were also up. But he called it “reassuring” that longer-term trends still showed that total hospital discharges were outpacing new admissions. Lander attributed the recent increase in positives to a shift in where cases were occurring. Instead of interaction among family and small groups of friends being responsible, the issue more recently is in the workplace and in long-term care facilities, Lander said. Calling it consistent with “neighboring communities,” Lander said, “I’m seeing very small, little, sporadic outbreaks.” Before the commission, Lander had predicted positive tests would continue to rise within long-term facilities. “That’s a growing trend across Florida right now,” he said. “We’re seeing an increase in infections coming out of our long-term care facilities. Once again, that is our most vulnerable population.” As for a vaccine, Lander told the Gazette that the department has not yet determined the priority of its distribution. “Vulnerable groups, such as longterm care residents, would likely be included in included in first or second waves of vaccinations,” he said. “Final priority may depend on the amount of vaccine initially available.”

From Red Kettle page 2 the Salvation Army plans to provide with Christmas gifts, Dwayne Durham said red kettle proceeds will be used -- in addition to helping fund the organization’s year-round efforts in helping the destitute and downtrodden -- to provide Thanksgiving food baskets, including a turkey, to nearly 500 families. Another nearly 500 families will receive Christmas food baskets.

The Salvation Army last year provided assistance to 22,515 individuals, including 50,000 meals, 2,500 grocery orders and 15,962 nights of lodging at its Center of Hope in Ocala. Anyone with questions about giving to the Red Kettle campaign or about the Angel Tree program can call the Salvation Army at 352-6292004.

Lily Sukhu, left, and Christine Shelton, right, both of the Salvation Army, hang Angel Tags on the Angel Tree during the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign and Angel Tree kickoff. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

It takes a big heart to ride a big animal Dozens of young athletes descended on Ocala last Saturday to compete in the Florida High School Rodeo at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala. The rodeo featured a number of grueling events, including bull riding, roping and pole bending. The rodeo returns to the Livestock Pavilion Jan. 9 and 10. [Photos by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

AJ Class gets thrown off his bull during the bull riding event at the Florida High School Rodeo at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala on Saturday, Nov. 14. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Damie Schindehette competes in the pole bending event during the Florida High School Rodeo at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Hagen Meeks holds on as he tries to free himself from his rope during the bull riding event at the Florida High School Rodeo in Ocala. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Kolby Freed holds on tight as the bull tries to shake him free on Nov. 14 at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

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NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26 , 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Jerry Arthur, Gus Gray inducted into Marion County Agricultural Hall of Fame By Tammy A. Gantt Special to the Ocala Gazette

state and national judging teams. He has been a friend of agriculture, a valued resource and leader to many in the ag. industry in the county. He founded the North Marion Alumni and Friends of the SEYF, serves on the North Marion FFA Alumni board as co-treasurer, and spent countless hours raising money for youth programs. He is a member of the Marion County Farm

Gus Gray

Bureau and Marion County Cattlemen’s Association along with their state organization counterparts. When asked what the Hall of Fame honor meant to him, Arthur said, “Well, it means a lot. I kind of helped get it started. ” In fact, he recalls a letter he wrote to the Marion County Commission with the goal of naming an arena or building in honor those who had been so instrumental in promoting agriculture and the Youth Fair. Eventually, the idea of honoring others who came before him led to the creation of the very Hall of Fame that he, so many years later, is being recognized in. The 1991 book written about Lugusta

“Gus” Gray’s life, “They Call Me Gus,” details Gray’s gifted storytelling of more than 50 years in which he recounts his life spent with world-class thoroughbreds at Fred W. Hooper’s farm and Donald Dizney’s Double Diamond Farm. Some of the most legendary racehorses and stallions were handled by Gray, including Hall of Fame racehorse, the Florida-bred Susan’s Girl, and Florida stallions Precisionist and Tri-jet. Gray was the first person from Florida to win a Godolphin Award, a national thoroughbred industry employee award for lifelong dedication to the breeding of thoroughbreds. He is the only person to have been awarded all Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club honors as a breeder, a trainer and for community service. He is the first black See Hall of Fame, page 17

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wo local farmers who have spent much of their lives mentoring children and nurturing young people’s passion for agriculture are being inducted into the Marion County Agricultural Hall of Fame. Jerry Arthur and Lugusta “Gus” Gray will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of Farm City Week activities being held through November 25. The men’s achievements will be commemorated with a bronze plaque as part of a permanent Hall of Fame exhibit in the foyer of the Extension Service auditorium. Each plaque features their photo and a brief summary of their achievements in agriculture. Each honoree will also be recognized with a Hall of

Fame video released during Farm City Week and will celebrate at a Hall of Fame induction event planned tentatively for February 2021. Jerry Arthur was raised on a chicken farm and was in 4-H in his youth. For more than 40 years he has worked in the spreader and agriculture products business fertilizing, adding nutrients and providing pest control. He now delivers molasses and runs a small cow-calf operation. Arthur served on the Southeastern Livestock Fair board for many years, and in his youth he even showed there and was part Jerry Arthur of local,

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NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

World Equestrian Center to debut next month amid tiff over event sanctioning Staff Report

he World Equestrian Center-Ocala is less than a month away from its public unveiling. The site’s developers, the Roberts family, have promised a first-class operation for equine enthusiasts in or visiting Ocala. But Roby Roberts, owner and operator of the facility, known as WEC, said the venue will appeal to more than horse lovers. Equine competitions and shows are integral to WEC, he said in a recent interview. Yet the broader vision for WEC includes one day being an entertainment destination – with dog and car shows, musical acts, sporting events, movies on its “megatron” screens, and date nights for those who want dinner at one of its many restaurants or just to tour its grounds – with more to come. “There’s just so many things you can come and see and do and experience,” Roberts added. “It’s just endless what our plans will be.” The public will get a preview of that – with no admission cost – when WEC formally opens on Dec. 10. In the run-up to its premiere inaugural equestrian event, however, WEC has rankled one of the leading governing bodies for hunter, jumper and

horsemanship competitions. WEC’s Ocala Winter Spectacular is a 12-weeklong bonanza of hunter, jumper and horsemanship competitions that begins on Jan. 5 with $9 million in prizes at stake. Yet the U.S. Equestrian Federation, or USEF, has balked at Roberts’s choice of an alternate sanctioning organization for the event. USEF, which qualifies competitors for the U.S. Olympic equestrian team, has vowed that any riders or animals that participate in the Winter Spectacular will not earn points toward championships for the horse of the year title, overall top ranking and leading money winner. Moreover, USEF CEO Bill Moroney announced that his group has raised the issue with the International Equestrian Federation, or FEI, which could slap a sixmonth moratorium on its competitions for any FEIaffiliated officials, riders, or horses involved in the Winter Spectacular. Besides pulling back from WEC and threatening its participants, Moroney also announced that WEC would not host the FEI’s Jumping Nations Cup, the premiere team event of the sport, unless the FEI vetoed that plan. In a statement to the Ocala Gazette, an FEI spokesperson said the organization has noted the situation with WEC.

Its board will discuss the matter, including the Nations Cup, at a Nov. 25 meeting. The controversy stems from WEC’s scheduling proximity with HITS, the New York-based outfit that has produced USEFsponsored hunter/jumper equestrian events in Ocala every winter since 1985. Its 2020-21 program kicks off Dec. 9, the day before WEC opens. WEC officials wanted the USEF’s blessing for all 12 weeks of its competitions, and sought an exemption to the mileage mandate, according to Moroney. For Florida competitions, USEF rules say simultaneous events must be 50 to 225 miles apart, depending on the type of activity. At just 11 miles apart, the WEC-HITS situation obviously failed that criteria. The USEF listened at first, and while it didn’t go as far as WEC requested, the organization showed a willingness to make some accommodations. USEF approved four of the 12 weeks of the competitions, identified for WEC some “lower level” events that it would sanction and endorsed WEC as host if it did the Nations Cup. It supported the latter, Moroney said, “even though this is the first year of operation of this venue, and the organizer has never hosted an FEI event.”

Yet the USEF backtracked as Roberts tapped the National Snaffle Bit Association, or NSBA, to govern WEC’s events not under USEF’s domain. Moroney, in his remarks, said USEF withdrew because using two licensees was “confusing” to participants, “jeopardizes horse and human safety and welfare,” and is not in “the best interests of the sport.” Roberts downplayed USEF’s reaction. “There are multiple federations you can have a horse show with,” he said. “With HITS being so close, we just went with a different federation.” As for the NSBA, he said, “They have horse shows with 4,000 to 6,000 horses. They’ve been in business for 40 years. They have made their reputation. To us, it’s no different than buying a Chevy or a Ford car. They’re very similar to each other.” Stephanie Lynn, executive director of the National Snaffle Bit Association, noted in an email to the Gazette that her group has been sanctioning horse shows for more than three decades and runs more than 450 shows a year across the country. “We look forward to welcoming a new community of equestrians to our organization and providing services to the owners and exhibitors participating in the hunter/jumper events,” she said.

“The Roberts family is providing a beautiful venue for all equestrians to experience.” Roberts pointed out that FEI, which is based in Switzerland, does not apply mileage rules. He said he wasn’t sure how that organization would react to USEF’s complaint. As for the USEF distance mandate, he added, “That doesn’t at all bother us because there’s other federations, there’s other avenues. It is what it is. If you go to Chevy, and they don’t have the truck you want, you can go to Ford or Dodge, and they have the truck you want. To me, it’s just not a big deal.” Roberts said he didn’t believe the controversy would cause people to flee WEC, and instead suggested WEC and HITS would mutually benefit by running events at the same time. “We’re going to be full. I think HITS is going to be full also. I think that HITS and us together is amazing because we’re just going to bring more horse people to town. It’s not like one has to succeed and one has to fail. I think we can help each other. We can feed off each other,” said Roberts. Some competitors, he maintained, would want to participate under both organizations and would “bounce back and forth” between the shows. “It See WEC, page 16

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NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26 , 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Locals stepping up support for area food pantries Charitable organizations say need is greater this year because of COVID

he holidays are always a busy time of year for local food banks and nonprofits that feed area families, but with COVID forcing businesses to shut down or cut back, a flood of out-of-work newcomers is swelling the demand for food and everyday staples. Prior to the pandemic, St. Theresa’s Catholic Community’s food pantry in Belleview served 35 to 40 families a day Monday through Friday, said Jack Nettis, Jr., St. Theresa’s Catholic Community director of social services. “Since the pandemic, in the early days of that, we jumped way up to about 70 or so, and then we went down a little bit toward the end of the summer, and now we’re back up to 70 or 75, and some days as high as 80 families are being served.” St. Theresa’s has had the good fortune of being able to obtain their food from several different sources, said Nettis, Jr. Much of their food comes to them from the USDA, through the First Step Food Bank. And local families have also helped. “There’s certainly going to be an increase in need over the holidays, but we’re very blessed that people have made financial donations,” said Nettis. “People recognize what we’re doing, so they’re

dropping off food, and through the pandemic, the U.S. government has been distributing food out to the different food pantries like ours.” The soup kitchen at St. Theresa’s is open 365 days a year, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was serving about 135 hot meals a day. The average is increasing again, with between 200 and 250 people being served Monday through Friday, said Nettis, Jr. Community altruism has been critical in helping keep families fed. “In order to satisfy the needs of the people, we rely on the USDA, but some of those things that we get from the First Step Food Bank we have to buy ourselves,” said Nettis, Jr. “We rely upon financial donations that come to us or grants. FEMA has extended some grants over the past summer. I just applied for some additional FEMA grants for the county to help make up for the increases in food that we’ve had to buy. People have been so generous, not just people who go to our church, but people from other churches as a whole as well as communities, the retirement communities in this area.” The Salvation Army has been making sure their pantries are stocked so people can come and receive the food they need, said Maj. Dwayne Durham, Salvation Army corps officer, who serves

alongside his wife Maj. Marion Durham in that capacity. The Thanksgiving and Christmas distributions will be contactless. People will be driving through instead of coming into the building. The Christmas distribution will not only include food, but toys Steve Clem, the food distribution manager, walks through an empty freezer that is normally and clothing for filled with turkeys for Thanksgiving at the Interfaith Emergency Services Reuben Brawner children for those Food Distribution Center in Ocala. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020. families who’ve applied. help families through a little hard to get around “When we do our challenging time, and they’re the holidays,” said BeldingThanksgiving and Christmas getting help. They’ve seen an Miller. “But in general, the distribution, we’ll have increase in food donations bulk food that we supply, people sign up for that, from houses of worship in we do grocery bags, fresh and I’m still waiting on the area as a result of the fruits and vegetables when the complete numbers on need, said Robert Beldingwe have them and bread. how many families we’ll be Miller, Community of Our grocery bags are about working with,” said Durham. Gratitude executive director. two weeks of food for one “We’ll have turkey and the “Fortunately, a good person. We break it down trimmings in the meal for portion of our food comes from one to two people, or that. But at the same time, from the USDA, and we three to five people, so it we still have our daily food haven’t experienced any depends on the size of the pantry that’s open Monday shortages, but there are family and how much they through Friday, and in certain items like cranberry get. We give about a week’s addition to that, people can sauce, for example, and worth of food for everybody get a hot breakfast and hot green beans, which are a in the house.” dinner through our feeding program at the Center of Hope at 320 NW 1st Avenue. I’m confident that we in the community are doing a pretty good job of insuring people The Marion County Medical Society is holding a food are fed.” drive for Interfaith Emergency Services. To arrange Organizations like the pickup of large donations, email mcmsocala1@gmail. food pantry at Community com or call 732-8883. Donations can also be dropped off of Gratitude in Ocklawaha Dec. 5 at 409 East Fort King Street. have done their part to

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NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports

The Trinity Catholic Celtics girls volleyball team pose in the courtyard with the FHSAA Class 3A State Volleyball Championship trophy a Wednesday. The girls won the State Volleyball Championship in Fort Myers on Saturday. Back row, from left: Amy Young, Olivia Grantham, McKenna Yates, Campbell Crews, Camden Crews, Izabelle Sanchez, Kiana Laborde, Cayleigh Pelletier, Shyanne Marker. Front row, from left: Emily Hirst, Amelia Fitzpatrick, Chloe Teter, Elayna Johnson, Isabella Basile, Emily Ewers, Rose Gravel. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Trinity Catholic wins state title By Morgan Willett Ocala Gazette

eventually tie the score at 21-21 and then 23-23. Answering the he Lady Celtics of need for a big play, Trinity Catholic Trinity’s Elayna completed a Johnson, who was Cinderella season with formidable at the a dominant win over net all night, came undefeated Westminster up with a huge Christian of Miami on stuff block, giving Saturday to claim the 3A the Celtics a lead FHSAA state volleyball of 24-23. Following title. a long grueling Trinity swept Westminster rally with each – ranked third in the state team refusing to let and 19th in the nation – in the ball touch the straight sets, 25-20, 25-23 floor, Westminster and 25-23. was finally able Entering the State to celebrate, or Championship game with a so they thought. record of 17-6 and facing a A controversial The Trinity Catholic volleyball team erupts in celebration moments after beating undegoliath on the other side of call by the down feated Westminster in the FHSAA State Volleyball Championship game on Saturday at the net, it would have been ref gave Trinity Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers. [Photo by Amanda Whittamore, special to easy to be intimidated or the win at 25-23, Ocala Gazette] self-implode, but the Lady putting them up Celtics refused. two sets to zero. “All though the summer Once more people kept saying that this Trinity chalked up would be a rebuilding year the first point in the for us, since we graduated third set, however, eight seniors last year,” said Westminster soon Trinity coach Jeff Reavis. jumped ahead to a “But, from the beginning of 3-2 lead. In response, the season when the team Laborde smashed competed in the Berkeley through the block Premier Invitational, we and tied the score at thought we had something 3-3. special. We took that feeling Laborde led the and built on it and grew team with fourteen our confidence. Even still kills and Chloe Teter throughout the season teams contributed another continued to overlook us, but twelve, both stats we knew what we had.” made possible by A Trinity player stuffs a Westminster player at the net en route to the Celtics’ win over Trinity came out blazing the hands of setters the undefeated team from South Florida. [Photo by Amanda Whittamore, special to in the first set while the Izabelle Sanchez Ocala Gazette] Warriors of Westminster (twenty assists) and To run such an offense, handle the pressure, as he Amelia Coach Reavis looked to the has always instilled in them Fitzpatrick senior leadership of both to “focus on the reaction to (ten assists). Teter and Sanchez. Both a mistake, not the mistake Trinity girls plan to further their itself.” running a volleyball career next year, As a result, the Celtics 6-2 offense with Sanchez signing with remained calm and throughout the University of West collected changing up the the season Florida in Pensacola and attack and confusing the allowed them Teter continuing her play at block, by setting dominant to spread out Life University in Marietta, right side hitter Fitzpatrick their offense Georgia. who came up big getting by always The two teams would back-to-back kills and having three continue to volley back paving the way for Trinity hitters in the and forth throughout the to push ahead and take front row; set; however, Trinity had the lead at 23-22. From however, such difficulty pulling ahead and that moment there was an offense is found themselves down on no looking back for the not possible Seniors on the Trinity Catholic Celtics girls volleyball team, from left: Emily Ewers, Amy Young, points. Although trailing for Lady Celtics, who secured without two 17, Izabelle Sanchez, 17, Chloe Teter, 17 and Campbell Crews, 18, pose in the courtyard of the most of the third set, Reavis the coveted title of State consistent school with the FHSAA Class 3A State Volleyball Championship trophy on Wednesday, four said he knew his girls could Champions. days after winning the state Volleyball Championship. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020. setters.

Christian struggled. Trinity’s relentless ability to keep the ball in play took its toll on the Warriors who in turn battled with service errors and poor communication. With Trinity leading 17-10, Westminster was forced to take a timeout to regroup, but Trinity remained composed and marched forward for a first set win of 25-20. It was the first set Westminster dropped in their last 51. Trinity again took control in the second set, but Westminster rallied to tie the game at 10-10. The two teams pressed on exchanging point for point. The Celtics continued to put up a strong block on the front lines, allowing touches on multiple attacks from the Warriors and permitting their defense to fill the holes and pick up dig after dig. While Westminster had more kills in the match at 41, in comparison to Trinity’s 38, the Celtics scrappy play kept the Warriors at bay. Freshman libero, McKenna Yates with her catlike reflexes, had a total of 25 digs on the night, followed closely behind by Kiana Laborde at 23. With the second set score at 20-18, Camden Crews served an ace to push Trinity’s lead to 21-18. The Warriors, however, would not back down, continuing to battle for each point to

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26 , 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Vanguard, Dunnellon dominate in first postseason action North Marion also wins as trio advance to second round of playoffs tonight; Forest out By Morgan Willett Ocala Gazette

ndefeated Dunnellon continued its rampage through Central Florida last week with a thrashing of Gainesville’s Eastside High School, 50-0, in the first round of the playoffs, setting up a rematch with the North Marion Colts this week. Two other local teams, Vanguard and North Marion, won their first postseason matchups, and in convincing fashion. Vanguard manhandled Crystal River, 38-0, and North Marion annihilated Belleview, 47-0. Forest and Lake Weir didn’t fare as well. Forest dropped its playoff game to Edgewater of Orlando to finish the season at 3-4, while Lake Weir suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss to Atlantic. Here is a closer look at last week’s postseason play and a preview of this week’s matchups: Dunnellon 50, Eastside 0 With an undefeated record in the regular season, the Tigers of Dunnellon charged full steam ahead into the postseason, and Eastside simply had no reply. As always, Dunnellon’s offense was led by quarterback Trent Townsend who racked up 147 yards passing and three touchdowns. His leading receiver was Julius Gardner with three receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns, followed by Le’Var Fitzpatrick with 31 yards and one touchdown. The Tigers were also formidable on the ground

Dunnellon High’s Julius Gardner (10) grabs a pass as Dunnellon beat Eastside 50-0 in Gainesville last Saturday. Gardner had three receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns. [Alan Youngblood/special to the Ocala Gazette]

with 174 rushing yards. Demetrius McCants led the assault with 73yards, aided by Brody Luckey with 44 yards and Townsend with 23. Remarkably, Dunnellon posted all 50 of its points in the first half, forcing the referees to start a running clock in the second half as Dunnellon rested their starters and gave theor underclassmen some reps. Leading the way defensively for the Tigers was Avery Braden with eight tackles. Jermain Fashaw contributed another five and two interceptions. North Marion 47, Belleview 0 Having beat Belleview 38-13 in the last game of the regular season, North Marion knew exactly what to expect out of the Rattlers and used it to their benefit, blanking Belleview 47-0. Although the Colts scored the first seven points in the first quarter, it was a rocky start with two turnovers. The first was

a fumble and the second was an interception by Belleview’s Elija Turner. Entering the second quarter, North Marion continued to drag a bit, but with five minutes left on the clock they added another six with a rushing touchdown, followed by a successful point after, bringing the score to 14-0. North Marion entered the second half up 20-0. The Colts started to pick things up in the second half, scoring a five-yard rushing touchdown to push the score to 27-0. As Belleview’s offense continued to struggle, North Marion’s defense came up with an interception for a touchdown Up 41-0, the Colts threw for another touchdown in the fourth quarter. The crushing loss sends Belleview packing, ending their 2020 season with a record of 0-7. Vanguard 38, Crystal River 0 Vanguard, having lost only

to Dunnellon in the regular season, traveled to Crystal River to take on the Pirates, who had no answer for the Knight’s offense. Vanguard’s Grandin Wilcox got the scoring started for the Knights with a 15-yard field goal, and it was all Knights from there. Following the field goal, Crystal River was unable to make anything happen and was forced to punt. Vanguard’s Dewhitt Betterson answered with a long run, setting up a 21yard pass from quarterback Alexander Law to Tony Johnson for six. A missed point after left the score at 9-0 Vanguard. Refusing to go down without a fight, Crystal River’s defense intercepted a Vanguard pass to end the first quarter; however, they were unable to capitalize on the turnover and were forced to punt. Vanguard promptly marched down the field, ending the drive with one-yard touchdown run by Betterson. A failed

two-point conversion left the score at 15-0. Vanguard ended the second quarter strong, with their defense getting a safety for two points, followed immediately by Mykel Randall adding another six on a 70-yard kick return. The point after allowed Vanguard to enter halftime up 24-0. Although the Knights slowed a bit in the second half, they put another seven on the board in both the third and fourth quarters for a final score of 38-0. Vanguard’s offense was led by the throwing arm of Law, who threw for 131 yards, including 42 of those to Johnson. On the ground, Betterson led the charge with 70 rushing yards, followed closely by Tyrell Randall with 63. The Knights’ defensive stance was led by Jordan Woods with five solo tackles and four assists, for a total of nine tackles on the night. See Football, page 14

Vanguard’s Tyrell Randall (4) makes Crystal River’s Zach Van Fleet (20) miss as he breaks off a long run in Vanguard’s shutout of Crystal River Nov. 13. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Campbell, page 13 Sergio Gunsby and Bryce Langston contributed another six apiece. Atlantic 6, Lake Weir 3 Finishing the regular season with only one win on the books, Lake Weir was hoping to turn things around in the postseason against Atlantic out of Port Orange. Turnovers, however, plagued the Hurricanes. Although the Lake Weir offense struggled, their defense held strong, putting pressure on Atlantic’s quarterback with five sacks on the night. Amiel Raymond tormented Atlantic ballcarriers with nine tackles and Jearld Smith added eight. The defenses of both teams kept this game scoreless through all four quarters. forcing the game into overtime. Lake Weir put the first

points on the board in OT with a 23-yard field goal by Amari Kiner. Unfortunately, the Sharks answered back with a touchdown for a final score of 6-3, concluding the Hurricanes 2020 season. Edgewater 47, Forest 14 With their last two regular season games ending with a close loss of 10-7 to Marion County top dog Dunnellon and then a sizeable win over Lake Weir at 38-0, the Wildcats had high hopes for their postseason play; however, the Eagles of Edgewater had no plans of going down without a fight. On paper, with comparable records, Forest at 3-3 and Edgewater at 4-2, it appeared the matchup would be a close game, but the Wildcats’ defense could not hold off the offensive front presented by the Eagles

Vanguard coach Edwin Farmer works with quarterback Alexander Law (12) on the bench against Crystal River. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

and Forest’s 2020 season came to an end. State Bracket Matchups: Here’s a look at the upcoming postseason games: Class 3A Having advanced to the semifinals with a forfeit by Melbourne, Trinity Catholic faces Taylor out of Pierson on Friday night. Although these two have not played each other or any of the same opponents this season and have comparable records Dunnellon High School quarterback Trent Townsend (15) drags Eastside defenders for extra (Trinity: 5-3; yards during Dunnellon’s throttling of the Gainesville squad Nov. 14. [Alan Youngblood/ Special to the Ocala Gazette] Taylor: 6-3), Trinity carries the superior where they would face the turnovers. ranking in winner between Menendez Class 3A (9th) into the out of St. Augustine and Class 8A game. Orange Park. With fewer teams in the Also, Friday at 7:30 Class 8A bracket and Class 5A p.m., Vanguard will have a bye in round 1, West For this week’s home field advantage Port’s opening game of the quarterfinals matchup, against Ridgeview out of postseason will be in the Dunnellon will again travel. Orange Park. quarterfinals against the This time, however, the trip And, although Vanguard Hawks of Spruce Creek will be to familiar territory opened the postseason with High School out of Port as the Tigers take on the a definitive win, they will Orange. The Hawks, with Colts of North Marion in need to take better care a current record of 5-3, Citra on Friday at 7:30 p.m. of the ball in this Friday’s will travel to West Port on Having ousted North matchup. Unlike Crystal Friday to take on the Wolf Marion 32-8 in the regular River, Ridgeview, with a Pack, whose regular season season, Dunnellon expects record of 7-3, likely has record was 4-2. The game to dominate the matchup the ability to capitalize on starts at 7:30 p.m. and move to the semifinals,

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NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26 , 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Now -1/2

Community Astronaut Academy

Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm Kids of all ages learn about space travel with hands-on exhibits exploring the space station, Mars rover and rockets. www.mydiscoverycenter.org

11/20 Friday Talks Business Advancement Series

Virtual 8:30-9:30am In this CEP program, a team from College of Central Florida will present information on tuition assistance as an employee benefit. Email andrea@ocalacep.com to register

11/20 Marion Oaks Farmers Market

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

11/20 Marion County Friday Market

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.

11/20 Drive-Thru Santa’s Arrival

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Rd. 6-8pm Come welcome Santa in a safe, drive-thru format. Children receive a gift bag and greetings from Santa, the Grinch and other holiday characters. Proceeds benefit the Marion County Children’s Alliance and space is limited. Visit fb.com/ paddockmall for details.

11/20 Sunset Cinema

Sholom Park, 7110 SW 80th Ave. 7:30pm Bring your chairs, blankets and snacks and enjoy a family friendly showing of “Free Birds” under the stars. Visit sholompark.org for tickets.

11/21 11/21

11/21

Brownwood Farmers Market

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

Ocala Downtown Market

Ocala Downtown Market 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.

Hot Cars & Cool Cats Car Show

2250 NE 70th St. 10am-3pm A car, truck and motorcycle show set in a large field under the oak trees to benefit the Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary (EARS). The family-friendly event offers food, music and vendors as well as an educational tour to meet Maximus the Siberian tiger. Call (352) 266-2859 or visit earsinc.net for more information.

Let’s Talk Turkey-Beaujolais, Rosé all the way!

Agapanthus, 18 SW Broadway St. 12-3pm Drop in for a free tasting to explore natural and organic wines to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. shopagapanthus.com

11/23 Veteran Café

Hospice of Marion County, 3231 SW 34th Ave. 9-11am Veterans are invited to socialize, share stories, provide support and enjoy refreshments. Call (352) 873-7441 to RSVP or for more information.

11/24 Networks CEMG

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Ave. 8:15-9:15am Email tom@ocalacep.com for more information.

Arts

Now Paint What You Love Exhibit -11/28

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St. Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm A collective art exhibit featuring artworks in all mediums by more than 40 student artists of Marion Cultural Alliance artist Carol Basso. The opening reception will take place November 6th from 5-6pm. Email Ashley.justiniano@mcaocala.com for more information.

Now Seasons of Change -11/28

NOMA Ocala, 939 N. Magnolia Ave. 12-6pm Thursday-Saturday A curated exhibition featuring the works of more than 20 artists in all style and mediums interpreting the theme “Seasons of Change.” Visit nomaocala.com for more information.

Now A Christmas Carol -12/20

Ocala Civic Theatre 2pm & 7:30pm The timeless holiday story of Scrooge presented in live theater. Performances Thursdays-Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 2 and 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm. Visit ocalacivictheatre.com for tickets.

Now -1/1

Hinterlands

Now -1/3

The Spaces Between

Now -1/3

Mid-Century Tourism on the Silver River

Now -1/3

The Art of Adventure

Now -1/15

Florida: Explored

11/24 Stiletto Network

CenterState Bank, 1632 E. Silver Springs Blvd. 4-5pm Email April Savarese at asavarese@bgcofmarion.com for more information.

11/25 1 Million Cups Ocala

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.

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. 10am-5pm Thursday-Saturday; 12-5pm Sunday A mixed media exhibition featuring the theatrical landscapes of Christian Duran. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. 10am-5pm Thursday-Saturday; 12-5pm Sunday An exhibition featuring Bruce Mozert’s iconic Silver Springs photographs plus ephemera from Silver Springs and Paradise Park. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. 10am-5pm Thursday-Saturday; 12-5pm Sunday The serigraphs of 1970s artist Clayton Pond highlighting his “Leisure-time Obsessions Series.” Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration, 828 NE Eighth Ave. 9am-5pm Ocala artist Dan McCarthy’s exhibition includes pieces created during his exploration of Indian Lake State Forest, a hidden gem in Marion County, capturing the mood and feeling of this wild space. Open Monday-Friday. Call (352) 629-8447 for more information.

11/20 Playing with the Elements

8th Ave. Gallery, 1531 NE 8th Ave. 6-9pm Enjoy an opening reception for the exhibition featuring the abstract works of Vandy Shake. Exhibit continues through December 20th by appointment only. Visit fb.com/8thavegallery for details.

11/24 WinePO

The Keep Downtown, 36 SW 1st Ave. 5:30-7:30pm Young Professionals Ocala’s monthly social series for current and future members. Enjoy 10 percent off The Keep’s food and beverages. Email andrea@ocalacep.com for more information.

City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. 8am-5pm Artist Megan Welch, a portrait painter and educator who lives in Northeast Florida, has created an exhibition of portraits in oil and graphite that portray the stories of those navigating the temporal nature of life, the unknown and the human condition. Open Monday-Friday. Call (352) 629-8447 for more information.

11/21

Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi-The Four Seasons

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St. 3pm The Ocala Symphony Orchestra, featuring concertmaster Stewart Kitts on violin, performs Max Richter’s fresh yet familiar new hybrid composition—a 21st century view of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Limited seats are distanced by family groups. Call (352) 351-1606 or visit reillyartscenter.com for tickets and more information.

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Government

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

11/23 Marion County Development Review Committee

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.

11/23 City of Belleview Site Plan Committee

City Hall Commission Room, 5443 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 9am Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

20 21

7pm Heather Ard One Woman Cabaret The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center

7-10pm Houston Keen

11/23 Ocala Housing Authority Board of Commissioners

Ocala Housing Authority, 1629 NW 4th St. 6pm Participate online via ocalahousing.org. Call (352) 369-2636 for more information.

11/24

7-10pm The Big Bad

City Hall Commission Room, 5443 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 5:30-6:30pm Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

11/22 Creating Polymer Clay Earrings

Sovereigns & Scoundrels, 56 SE 1st Ave. 1-4pm A workshop with Sweet Spirit Jewelry artist Megan Garland. Learn and take home your own pair of lightweight polymer earrings. Visit sovereignsandscoundrels.com to register.

7-11pm Conrad Marcum

Marion Cultural Alliance, 23 SW Broadway St. 7-9pm Spoken word artists of any style—beat to baroque, formal to freestyle—are invited to share community-friendly content in an open mic event in The Brick’s courtyard. The socially distanced event will also be shared on Facebook Live. Find details on Spoken Word Ocala’s Facebook page.

11/24 Teaching Tuesday: Positive & Negative Space

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

From WEC, page 10

From Parade, page 1

makes it even better for the horse world in Ocala,” Roberts added. Because of USEF’s position, Roberts noted that the NSBA, which was initially set to judge 10 of WEC’s events, will now oversee all of them. “We were already heavily weighted to the NSBA anyway,” he said. “And it doesn’t seem like our spectators care. “I don’t see any negative in it whatsoever.” Since the dispute has gone public, equestrian competitors have flooded social media with opinions about “prohibitive” rules and costs associated with USEF shows. One particular Facebook post by Ann Glavan that was shared almost 6,000 times opined that the “Roberts and WEC understand what no one seems to be able to get into anyone at USEF’s heads: 95% of us do not care about Horse of the Year awards. We do not care about ‘money won’ points or young horse this, green horse award that. We do not care about any of the new random championships or awards USEF invents every year.” Glavan insisted, instead, that the majority of competitors cared most about receiving having access to safe facilities, decent food and good classes at a fair price. Erin Webb, a spokesperson for HITS, said the group had no comment on the issue.

6,000 participants. “Our volunteer committee is very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event as our goal each year is to create a diverse, communitywide event where people of all ages and socioeconomic sectors of the community can come together in the spirit of goodwill and community,” the release continued. “… The public, participants, law enforcement and volunteers are always at the forefront of our planning and this decision was extremely hard to make, but public safety and responsible use of taxpayer resources must be a priority.” Longtime parade committee Chairwoman Sue Mosley called the decision “a shame.” “What’s a parade without kids, without bands?” she said. “And I just couldn’t, in good conscience, do it because of the costs – of set-up, of police. The kids, though, are the ones who lose.” The cancellation came just two days after the Ocala City Council voted 4-1 to issue a parade permit for the event that was scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12. The council vote came after city staff evaluated safety considerations in the midst of a pandemic and recommended the permit be issued. County Health Department Administrator Mark Lander also weighed in, telling council members he was not worried about the parade becoming a superspreader event, based on current COVID-19 trends in the community. Despite having the city permit in hand, the Marion County School Board voted last week to prohibit school groups, like bands and ROTC units, from participating in the parade. Mosley said not having school groups would downsize the parade from about 120 units to about 50 or 60 units. At the same time, she said, putting on the parade would cost the same, about $100,000,

7-11pm Heather Lynne

9pm-12am Jeff Jarrett Pi on Broadway

7pm The Music of Alabama Orange Blossom Opry

22 20

Spoken Word Ocala

8-11pm Conrad Marcum The Black Sheep on Broadway

Infinite Ale Works

8pm Glass Onion Marion Theatre

O’Calahan’s Pub & Eatery

McPherson Government Complex Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 4pm Call (352) 438-2630 or visit ocalamariontpo.org for more information.

7-10pm Just Plain Bob The Corkscrew

Ocala/Marion County Transportation Planning Organization Board

11/24 City of Belleview Code Enforcement Board

11/24

The Crazy Cucumber Eatery and Bar

7pm John Denver Tribute Orange Blossom Opry

The Corkscrew

11/24 Soil and Water Conservation District Board Workshop USDA Ocala Service Center, 2441 NE Third St. 12:30pm For more information, call (352) 622-3971, ext. 3.

7:30pm Classic Albums Live: Creedence Clearwater Revival Chronicles Reilly Arts Center

6-9pm The Shadow Ridge Band

4-6pm Conrad Marcum Eaton’s Beach Florisiana Cuisine

3-7pm Jeff Jarrett Gator Joe’s Beach Bar & Grill

Circle Square Commons

6pm Conway Twitty and Johnny Cash tribute Rainbow Springs Club

6:30-9:30pm The Mudds Hiatus Brewing Company

whether there were 120 units or 50 units. It is the second major holiday event in Ocala that has been cancelled due to COVID-19 fears. Last month, based on a city staff recommendation, the City Council voted to cancel Light Up Ocala, an annual event held to celebrate lighting the downtown Christmas

6-9pm Jeff Jarrett Ivy on the Square

9pm-1am Heather Lynne Molly Maguire’s

lights display. Council members said they were worried about the concentration of the crowd for Light Up Ocala as well as the risk to city employees who would have to work the event. Light Up Ocala is sponsored by the city. The parade is sponsored by the private, nonprofit Friends of the Ocala Christmas Parade.

NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26 , 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Forestar to acquire Trilogy at Ocala Preserve from IHP Ocala Gazette

real estate development operations and become a member of the Ocala Preserve team,” Forestar said in the press release. “We believe Ocala Preserve is a wonderful place to call home for many residents, and we are excited to build upon the lifestyle experience and home ownership journey for many future residents.” Trilogy at Ocala Preserve is a 55-and-old community spanning more than 600 acres set among groves of majestic live. It features a 7-acre lake, three themed parks and an expansive network of walking, biking, and hiking trails as well as a Tom Lehman-designed golf course and club. In a letter to Trilogy homeowners last week, Shea Homes Area Vice President Michael Fraley said the new owners would likely drop the name Trilogy and refer to the community as Ocala Preserve going

orestar, IHP Capital Partners (IHP), and Shea Homes have announced that Forestar is under agreement to acquire and control the real estate operations, club operations and the homeowner association business of Trilogy at Ocala Preserve on U.S. 27 in Ocala. “Forestar is an excellent addition to the Ocala Preserve development team,” IHP stated in a press release this week. “The company brings decades of experience delivering desirable communities throughout the U.S. to this special place within the heart of Florida. Forestar’s expertise will further enhance the amenityrich resort lifestyle for all Ocala residents.” Forestar representatives expressed excitement over the acquisition. “We are excited for the opportunity to acquire the

forward. Fraley indicated that homeowners’ warranties would not be affected. Shea Homes would likely remain involved in the project, and, according to Fraley’s letter, is trying to purchase the 84 remaining lots in the community and perhaps additional land to continue expanding.

Shea Homes did not address its plans in the joint press release with Forestar and IHP, but said it is “excited to share our passion for the Ocala Preserve community with Forestar. “Ocala Preserve, in all its natural beauty stands apart in Ocala as a premier resort lifestyle master

planned community,” Shea Homes representatives said. “Considering the mature landscaping, the great park/ golf complex and The Oak House and all it’s fantastic amenities, Ocala Preserve is well positioned to continue providing incredible lifestyle and real estate opportunity.”

and school children and what you enjoy doing,” said passersby with stories of Gray. famed thoroughbreds and “I still have one more industry personalities. goal left in me, to win the “This has to be one of the Kentucky Derby,” he added. highest honors that I could Since its inception achieve. A lot of people in 2003, the Marion don’t make it into any kind County Agricultural of Hall of Fame and for Hall of Fame has been me just being a nominee recognizing individuals who is a great privilege and a have made tremendous blessing from God. I thank contributions to the God every day for letting me furtherance of agriculture live and be successful in my in the community. Previous life because I know where I Hall of Fame honorees came from. People tell me include 29 men and three to retire, but I tell them, women credited for their 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt ‘What’s there to hang up?’ advancement in Marion You don’t hang up life and County’s agricultural

history. The last inductee in 2018 and was Russ Randall, an agriculture teacher at Dunnellon High School for 12 years and a longtime announcer and executive board member for the Southeastern Youth Fair. He became the second agriculture educator named to the Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Fame honorees include Bud Boyer, Jim Williams, Franklin Walter “Frank” Smith, Adolph “Al” Kunz, Harry Mangurian, Jr., Arlen Jumper, D.A. Lewis, Jr., Nathan Mayo,

Michael and Joseph O’Farrell, Marilyn Grant, Kay Richardson, Bill Reese, Carey Robbins, E.L. Strickland, Carol Harris, Elmer Heubeck, Jo Ann Smith, James M. ‘Jimmie’ Glisson, Barnard Grant, Edsel W. Rowan, Charles Seiler, Jr., Dr. William R. Brawner, Jackson C. Dudley, Carl Rose, Ned H. Folks, O.D. “Buddy” Huff, Carl G. Rose, Leroy Baldwin, T. Richard Barber, Jr., Bonnie M. Heath II, Douglas H. Oswald, Robert Renner, David Baillie, Jr. and Marion Roche.

From Hall of Fame, page 9 American to produce a day’s sales topper at the Ocala Breeders Sales Company in the 1980s. A dedicated community leader, he continues to inspire at-risk youth to work hard, speaks at community centers about the history of the industry, advocates for his 147-yearold historic church built on what once was the Bonnie Heath Farm, and has spent countless Fridays on the porch at Fred Hooper’s farm from the 1960s to the 1990s, where he regaled busloads of tourists

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