Lawmakers pass $115.1B budget, end session
By Jim Turner and Tom Urban The News Service of Florida
One of the more contentious legislative sessions in recent history came to a close late June 16 as lawmakers approved a $115.1 billion budget for next fiscal year and prepared to send it to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Senate unanimously passed the spending plan (SB 2500), while the House approved it in a 103-2 vote. Lawmakers finished the annual session at 11:19 p.m. — more than six weeks after the scheduled May 2 end of the session.
“Here we are at the end of the long and winding road,” House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said as the House convened.
The budget, which will take effect with the July 1 start of the 20252026 fiscal year, remains subject to DeSantis vetoes. But it would be about $3.5 billion smaller than the budget for the current fiscal year and is less than a $115.6 plan that DeSantis proposed in early February.
Lawmakers also approved a $1.3 billion package of tax cuts, dominated by the elimination of a commercial lease tax that has long been a target of business lobbyists.
The budget includes moves ranging from paying down state debt to giving most employees pay raises. Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Miami Republican who chairs the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee, described the spending plan as “lean yet strategic.”
The only dissenting votes on the budget were cast by Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, and Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami. While she voted for the budget, Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said it represented “a lot of missed opportunities.”
“There was just so much time spent on conflict and controversy, that a lot of issues that would benefit working families got left behind,” Eskamani said.
The House and Senate could not See Budget, page A8
‘Mr. Ma’ leads the way for Marion manufacturers
For nearly three decades, the Mid-Florida Regional Manufacturers Association has worked to build the area’s manufacturing base.
By Jamie Berube jamie@ocalagazette.com
In March 2020, Brian Ballard stepped out of a Mid-Florida Regional Manufacturers Association tour of a local manufacturing plant to find the world had been turned upside down.
“When we walked out of that tour, everything had changed during that hour,” he recalled. “You went from wondering what was happening to all of a sudden realizing everything just got shut down. It was scary, it was disruptive. There was
so much unknown, there was so much misinformation.”
As COVID-19 shut down the nation, MRMA became Marion County’s lifeline for manufacturers.
“I felt like MRMA came in and was an incredible steadying voice of collecting information, boiling that down to what is really going on and what do people in our industry really need to know, how can they react, where can they go to get masks, other PPE supplies. They just did a great job helping our members navigate through that,” Ballard said.
“Manufacturing was listed as an essential job. So, all of these places were still trying to work and navigate and communicate to their employees and get the materials that they needed. And it was scary, disruptive,” he said.
From that moment of crisis to its three-decade legacy, MRMA has been the backbone of Ocala’s industrial might, forging opportunities and resilience for a community on the rise. For 23 years, MRMA has united manufacturers, logistics
Shaping Ocala’s future
How Tye Chighizola’s vision and leadership transformed a city over more than three decades.
By Jamie Berube jamie@ocalagazette.com
When Tye Chighizola walked into Ocala’s city offices to begin his career in 1989, he was handed a
yellow tablet notepad as his “computer.” At a time when the city relied on a single shared PC with a greenscreen mainframe and floppy disks, Chighizola’s work depended on handwritten notes passed to an assistant for typing.
“When I first got here, I was like, ‘Where’s my computer?’ And they said, ‘We only have one.’ So, the assistant director handed me a yellow tablet and was like, ‘You write it down on that tablet,’” Chighizola said. In an era with few
personal computers and scant email, communicating for work meant phone calls or letters, and planning required patience and ingenuity. Yet, even with a yellow notepad as his primary tool, Chighizola’s t See Ocala’s future , page A4
Members of the Mid-Florida Regional Manufacturers Association, from left, Vice President Phillip Schuster, President Mitch Twardosky, board member and associate professor at CF Sam Ajlani and Program Chair Brian Ballard, talk during a tour of Custom Window Systems in Ocala on June 12, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
See ‘Mr. Ma’, page A6
Tye Chighizola, the longtime city of Ocala director of growth management, speaks during a City Council meeting at City Hall on Jan. 4, 2022. Chighizola retired on June 6 after 36 years on the job. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Record achievement
Allison Campbell will become the first Marion County representative to serve as president of the Florida School Boards Association.
By Lauren Morrish lauren@ocalagazette.com
arion School Board
Mmember Allison Campbell has been named presidentelect of the Florida School Boards Association and is expected to assume the presidency next year, becoming the first person from Marion County to lead the statewide organization.
Campbell told the “Gazette” that when she became a school board member, she noticed that no FSBA president had ever come from Marion County.
“I thought then, four years ago, I wanted to be a part of changing that history,” she said.
She was sworn in as the 2025-26 president-elect at the FSBA Annual Summer Conference in Tampa from June 11-13.
According to the FSBA website, except for the immediate past president, president and chief executive officer, all executive officers are elected by ballot of the membership in attendance at the annual meeting of the association.
She will begin her term as presidentelect on July 1. Her term will end on June 30, 2026, after which she will assume the position of president the following day.
If following the typical FSBA executive officer order, she will serve as president-elect this year, become president next year, and serve a final year as immediate past president. The president-elect assumes the president’s duties in their absence and will succeed to the presidency if the position becomes vacant during their term, according to FSBA procedures. This would not prevent them from their intended term as president the following year.
Besides mentoring the president in her term as president-elect, FSBA procedures say Campbell will oversee
the Insurance Trust, conferences and other meetings and will have a key role in chairing the Long-Range Planning Committee.
She told the “Gazette” that professional associations like FSBA add immense value to their members.
“I hope my own children and other students their age understand how valuable professional development can be for their futures and future careers,” she said.
According to its website, Campbell was elected to the Marion County School Board in November 2020 and re-elected in August 2024. An Ocala resident for nearly 25 years, she earned Accreditation in Public Relations and Certified Public Relations Counselor designations through the Florida Public Relations Association. A former Ocala FPRA chapter president, she also served on the state FPRA Board of Directors, the Public Education Foundation of Marion County and the Non-Profit Business Council.
She earned her doctorate in strategic communication at Regent
University. Her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in telecommunications and political communication come from Lee University and Regent University, respectively. She is an adjunct professor at the College of Central Florida and Southeastern University (Ocala campus).
Campbell told the “Gazette” how chairing the Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition, made up of 14 school districts in Central Florida, has been for the past six months.
“It has been an honor, bringing dynamic speakers, engaging topics and idea sharing to fellow board members and superintendents facing similar challenges we are,” she said.
“Being chosen to lead both the coalition and the FSBA, I’ll officially be president in 2026-27, shines a spotlight on the amazing community of educators we have in Marion,” Campbell added. Campbell said the many statewide collaborations and learning opportunities from appointed leaders in these organizations have brought her joy.
“The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Bruce Ackerman Photography Editor bruce@ocalagazette.com
Dani Eskridge Director of Operations & Sales dani@magnoliamediaco.com
Andy Fillmore Reporter andy@ocalagazette.com
Greg Hamilton Editor greg@magnoliamediaco.com
Susan Smiley-Height Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com
Belea Keeney Reporter belea@magnoliamediaco.com
Jamie Berube Reporter jamie@ocalagazette.com
News tips tips@ocalagazette.com
Distribution Inquiries info@ocalagazette.com
BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFS: AdventHealth opens
new building, Chariot
Eagle rebrands
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
ADVENTHEALTH OCALA OPENS NEW FACILITY
AdventHealth on June 12 showed off its new medical office building at 1219 S. Pine Ave., Ocala. The three-story, 60,000 square foot facility houses several departments.
The first floor is dedicated to AdventHealth Ocala’s Women’s Institute, featuring OB/GYN and maternal fetal medicine. The second floor houses the Cardiovascular Institute, with pediatric cardiology, general cardiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiothoracic surgery and vascular surgery. The third is home to the Neuroscience Institute, housing neurosurgery and interventional neurology, as well as the hospital’s orthopedic suites.
C“We are thrilled to officially open this incredible new building, which will help our providers reach patients more efficiently and make it easier for our community to navigate the health care system,” said Erika Skula, president and CEO of AdventHealth Ocala, in the news release. “This facility will ensure our community and visitors have greater access to exceptional, whole-person care and the best possible health outcomes.”
The first patient appointment for the new facility is scheduled for June 24.
To learn more, go to adventhealth.com/hospital/ adventhealth-ocala
OCALA COMPANY REBRANDS
hariot Eagle, a Cavco Industries company and builder of park model RVs, is now operating as Cavco-Ocala. Located at 931 NW 37th Ave., Ocala, Cavco-Ocala is among 31 Cavco-owned manufacturers and builders that have adopted the company’s national brand name. Cavco-Ocala employs approximately 80 people in the local community.
“Our local team continues to design and build high-quality Park Model RVs for customers across Florida. Although our name may have changed, our customers will continue to work with the same dedicated professionals here at our location,” said Ben Flores, Cavco-Ocala’s general manager, in the news release.
Follow us @ocalagazette
Our mission is to inform and uplift our readers by reporting on the events, issues and stories that shape Ocala with accuracy, fairness and passion. We also strive to serve as a forum where all voices can be heard and to chronicle our community’s history.
ocalagazette.com
©2024 Ocala Gazette, LLC
Ocala Gazette (USPS# 25590) (ISSN 27711595) is published weekly by Magnolia Media Company, LLC, PO BOX 188, OCALA, FL 34478. Periodicals postage paid at Ocala, FL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Ocala Gazette, PO Box 188, Ocala, FL 34478.
Share your news
The Ocala Gazette invites you to share your important news events with the community. Email your submissions to info@ocalagazette.com. Please include your name and contact information on the submission.
• Letters to the editor: 200 words or less.
• Honorable Mentions: 150 words or less about an individual or organization accomplishment in the business, education, community service, athletics or other area of endeavor. Attach a photo of the individual or group being honored, if available.
• Upcoming events: Are you holding a charitable or community event that is open to the public? Include the organization hosting the event as well as the time, date and a brief description of the event, along with registration information or other important instructions.
News tips: Include whatever information you consider relevant.
AdventHealth Ocala opened a new three-story medical office building on June 12. [Photo courtesy AdventHealth]
Allison Campbell of the Marion County School Board is applauded as she receives an award for her Improve Our Schools With ABC program during the Florida Public Relations Association, Ocala Chapter, Mid-Florida Local Image awards in Ocala on April 15, 2021. [File
photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
OPINION: BILL COTTERELL: EMPTY THREATS IN GAME OF ‘BEAT THE PRESS’
Nothing is backing up the DeSantis administration’s cease and desist letter, this Capitol Columnist writes.
By Bill Cotterell The News Service of Florida
In almost every gangster movie, some tough guys will gang up on a little shopkeeper and mutter something like, “Yeah, this is a real nice little shop you got here — be a real shame if something happens to it, if you know what I’m getting at …”
Gov. Ron DeSantis is a pretty good bully when he needs to intimidate school librarians or drag-show entrepreneurs, but he’s not so good at putting the squeeze on those who can fight back. The godfather of the GOP just made the “Orlando Sentinel” an offer it can’t respect — and came off looking more silly than ominous.
Maybe we should update that old line about never getting in fights with a guy who buys ink by the barrel — nowadays, papers generate online clicks by the mega-bandwidth, or something — but DeSantis has always shown the press a level of contempt gleefully reciprocated by most of the media. Obviously, he doesn’t need us so, like President Donald Trump, he rarely misses an opportunity to show his disdain.
As anyone paying attention to state politics is aware, an outfit known as Hope Florida
and its support organization, the Hope Florida Foundation, sparked the first real scandal of DeSantis’ six-plus years in the governor’s mansion.
Hope Florida, which supporters say helps poor people get off welfare and straighten out their lives, is a special project of First Lady Casey DeSantis. But the scandal stems from the foundation receiving $10 million as part of a $67 million legal settlement that Centene, Florida’s largest Medicaid managed-care company, reached last fall with the Agency for Health Care Administration.
After receiving the money from the settlement, the foundation gave $5 million grants to Secure Florida’s Future, a nonprofit tied to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Save our Society from Drugs. The groups within days made contributions to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee headed by James Uthmeier, who was then Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff and is now state attorney general. Keep Florida Clean fought a proposed constitutional amendment in November that would have allowed recreational use of marijuana.
A House panel during this spring’s legislative session investigated the money trail and
State Attorney Jack Campbell opened an investigation. The governor, of course, claims everything is just peachy, called the whole thing a political witch hunt and said Hope Florida is doing great stuff.
So, reporter Jeff Schweers of the “Orlando Sentinel” decided to ask some recipients of Hope Florida’s services how they’re doing. Well, we can’t have that. The press ought to take the governor’s word when he says things are going well. What does Schweers think this is, some kind of “Free State of Florida” (Where’d I hear that slogan?)
where you can question the government?
And that’s where our tale went from mystery to slapstick.
Someone at the Department of Children and Families decided it would be really neat to dispatch a “cease and desist” letter to the “Sentinel,” claiming that Schweers threatened and intimidated Hope Florida clients, trying to browbeat them into saying bad things about the program. “C&D” is lawyer language, so it’s significant that the little nastygram was unsigned and made no specific enumeration of what Schweers supposedly did to abuse Hope Florida folks.
One might surmise DCF lawyers know better than to sign such an absurdity. Maybe DeSantis, an attorney, didn’t know about the letter but he posted it on social media, remarking, “Bottom feeders gonna bottom feed.” So, like the Hope Florida quagmire itself, the DCF threat is the governor’s work.
I’ve never met any mafioso, but I suspect the first rule of a shakedown is, you’ve got to back up your threats. The intended victim shouldn’t scoff.
“We stand by our stories and reject the state’s attempt to chill free speech and encroach on our First Amendment right to
report on an important issue,” Roger Simmons, the “Sentinel’s” executive editor, said in a prepared statement. “The state’s characterization of our reporter’s conduct is completely false.”
On a personal note, I’ve known and worked with Schweers for more than 20 years and he’s an entirely ethical and skilled reporter. Moreover, despite what Trump and DeSantis want their followers to believe about “fake news,” no reporter gets information by harassing or pressuring a news source.
Aside from lacking a signature, it’s also noteworthy that the DCF edict didn’t contain an “or else” line. If Schweers and his paper don’t back off, or just start printing DeSantis press releases verbatim, what’s the governor’s office going to do about it?
A legitimate legal complaint would say, “This, this and this is what you got wrong, we demand a retraction, and we’ll sue if you don’t do it by Friday.” No lawyer would write, essentially, “We don’t like you talking to Hope Florida families, so cease and desist.”
Bill Cotterell is a retired Capitol reporter for “United Press International” and the “Tallahassee Democrat.” He can be reached at wrcott43@aol.com
Working toward a better future
This young mom and her children found independence through United Way’s Strong Families program.
By Beth Nelson Vice President Community Impact, United Way of Marion County
After a long journey toward stability and independence, Heather Evans and her children, 16-year-old Logan and 5-month-old Eli, finally settled into their new Habitat for Humanity of Marion County home in Summerfield. It has been a month since they moved in but the joy still radiates from their smiles.
“Logan is so thrilled he can’t stop hugging me,” Evans said. “He now has friends come over and enjoys having his own
room.”
It has been 10 years since the Evans family lived independently and, during that time, they had to schedule showers, ask permission to hang pictures and felt restricted in inviting friends over. The change has been liberating, but it did not happen overnight; it required 550 hours of “sweat equity,” working alongside Habitat for Humanity volunteers and staff as they built the new home.
Evans said her journey began almost two years ago, when HFHMC staff recommended she join United Way of Marion County’s Strong Families
Submitted photos
initiative. The program is a yearlong financial stability course that helps people increase their income, reduce their debt and get stable housing.
“The Strong Families budgeting classes helped me keep myself on track,” Evans said.
Education and support from her Strong Families Success Coach, Pebbles Vance, were instrumental in her achieving home ownership and Tori Arens, HFHMC’s Family Services director, walked alongside Evans, helping fill out paperwork and securing a loan.
“Heather has persevered. She’s had many ups and downs, and she could have quit, but
with Pebbles’ help she achieved her goals. The community support is instrumental to success,” Arens said. The community came out in force to welcome the Evans family into their new home. Neighbors showed up with pies and shears. HFHMC staffers were there to remind everyone of the hard work and prayer that went into this homeownership. At the wall raising, scripture verses had been written on the studs of the walls. Before the keys were handed over to Evans on move-in day, every staff member and community stakeholder passed around the keys and offered words of encouragement and blessings. Just when Evans reached out
to receive her keys, HFHMC President/CEO Rob Peters asked everyone to lay hands on the home’s walls and one last prayer was offered.
Then, with tears streaming down her face, Evans thanked everyone.
Evans, who for the past 13 years has worked as a certified nursing assistant with Hospice of Marion County and is used to caring for others, was overwhelmed with the community support.
“The hard work is worth it. I stuck with it and in the end, it is all worth it,” Evans said.
To learn more about Strong Families and other United Way of Marion County programs, go to uwmc.org
Gov. Ron DeSantis [File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Heather Evans and United Way of Marion County Strong Families Director Pebbles Vance.
Habitat for Humanity of Marion County President/CEO Rob Peters and others pray a blessing over the new home of Heather Evans and her children.
Continued from page A1
vision for the city of Ocala took shape, laying the groundwork for decades of growth through meticulous planning and community collaboration.
This low-tech start marked the beginning of his 36-year journey as city projects director, helping transform Ocala from a quiet town with some empty downtown streets into a vibrant urban hub.
At the June 3 city council meeting, Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano presented Chighizola with a key to the city, honoring his lasting impact on the community as he retired on June 6. Council president Kristen Dreyer introduced a tribute video that included testimonials of fellow city employees who have worked with Chighizola and many spoke volumes about his character, grit and leadership.
Holly Lang, fiscal manager for the city of Ocala, said she met Chighizola in the fall of 1990 when she started working in the building division. According to Lang, there was an incident where her daughter was trapped in a totaled car after an accident on State Road 200 and Chighizola emerged unexpectedly to help. In the video, Lang recalled the heart-stopping panic of her daughter’s frantic call, propelling her to race through Chighizola’s office in a desperate rush to the scene. To her surprise, he quietly followed her to the crash site, ready to lend a hand.
“He followed me, and he came out to the crash site. And he said, ‘What can I do to help?’ It’s little things like that. His heart, that means a lot,” she said.
Mary Sue Rich first met Chighizola when she became a city councilwoman.
“My first impression was that he was a nice young man. When I first started, there were a lot of things that I didn’t know anything about and I could always go and ask him things that I really didn’t know,” she continued.
Rich, the first Black woman on the Ocala City Council, served for 24 years before she decided to not to seek re-election in 2019.
Patti Hitchcock, the city’s growth management planning director, reflected fondly on Chighizola’s management role.
“I met Tye in 2008, when I was interviewing for an entry-level position. I got the job and they told me it might not lead to anything more, but it did. I was hired in 2023 as the planning director. So, I worked with Tye for 15 years. Tye was a very empathetic manager. He also has a memory that is legendary in the city,” she said.
Gerald Ergle, a former mayor of Ocala, described Chighizola as straightforward and honest.
“He’s the perfect professional. And more importantly, he was patient. So, I always appreciated the fact that he was a very patient professional,” Ergle said.
According to Lang, Chighizola was always thinking about Ocala.
“You know, we used to joke about him going on vacation. We would tell him to focus on his vacation and he couldn’t. He would always do something and come up with these really brilliant ideas from someplace else and say, ‘Wow, that would work for Ocala.’ So, he was always thinking about Ocala,” Lang said.
“I don’t think he sees himself that way, but he is a leader,” offered Jeff Shrum, the city’s growth management director. For me, he’s a mentor, and a friend.”
According to former city manager John Zobler, Chighizola was ahead of the curve, plotting moves in the way you might place chess pieces on a chess board.
“I always told Tye that he’s really a plotter, not a planner. He’s always moving these chess pieces around to get to the end game. You don’t know what the end game is, but he does,” Zobler said.
“The city of Ocala is really going to miss Tye Chighozola. Tye has
been here a long time, he’s done a lot of good things, I know I’m going to miss him,” said Jimmy Gooding, assistant city attorney.
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
In his time as director of city projects, Chighizola adapted to technological leaps and led transformative projects such as the 2004 Downtown Master Plan and 2035 Vision Plan.
“I never talked about it too much, but the 2035 vision was a great opportunity and the Downtown Master Plan. The 2035 vision was, I think, the catalyst to get things moving. And a lot of that happened during the downturn, that period between 2009 and 2012, we were able to concentrate on more of the planning, because we didn’t have many permits,” Chighizola said.
He said the 2035 Vision Plan’s high-level focus on Ocala’s future includes its role in expanding community redevelopment areas for West and East Ocala.
“It was a vision plan. It was a higher-level plan addressing where Ocala wants to be in the next 25 years, in terms of various aspects of it,” Chighizola said.
“Tye’s had an incredible role in a lot of very, very important, high profile projects through the years. And you know, if you’re of the opinion that I am, Ocala has become a different place. His fingerprints are on a lot of the plans and a lot of the projects that have been completed over those 35 or 36 years,” said City Manager Peter Lee.
The 2035 Vision Plan, crafted during the 2009–2012 economic downturn, facilitated the expansion of Community Redevelopment Areas for West and East Ocala, driven by community input. The Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, born from activist Ruth Reed’s relentless advocacy to stop pollution from the Royal Oak charcoal factory, exemplified this.
“Ruth Reed was one of those persons who wouldn’t let her dream die and that was one of the things that we always wanted to see happen. We were able to get that community center. And it’s called the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place and it’s a great facility,” Chighizola said.
Chighizola was known as the “historian” for recalling most any date asked of him.
“He’s just been invaluable in terms of knowing where everything lies and how and what occurred. He has an uncanny ability to recall. He remembers where everything is,” Lee said.
“I met Tye in 1994 when I started work. I can’t remember what date, but I’m sure that Tye knows what day it was, he might know what time it was, and he might know what I was wearing,” Lee shared in the tribute video.
“If I had to describe Tye in three words, it would be intelligent, creative and, most of all, caring,” he added.
According to Chighizola, his proudest achievement was drafting the 1990s comprehensive plan, driven by the 1985 Growth Management Act, which guided projects like the restoration of the Marion Theatre, which was revived from a shuttered building into a movie and entertainment venue.
“That’s always been my pet project, to always continue the restoration and the operation of the Marion Theatre but there were many people before me that had just as much passion,” Chighizola said.
“Tye did a lot with the Marion Theatre. That was one of his really important projects that he kind of took the lead on. There were a lot of people in the community who backed him up. But there was a chance that we could lose the theater and Tye played an integral part in saving it,” Lee said.
SHAPING DEVELOPMENT
According to Chighizola, his initial role with the city of Ocala in 1989 was a two-year position specifically focused on drafting the city’s first modern comprehensive plan, distinguishing it from earlier, less structured plans.
“I was only originally hired for two years, and they had comprehensive plans here, but they were kind of different. So, this was the first true modern comprehensive plan,” Chighizola said.
The comprehensive plan is a strategic framework mandated by the 1985 Growth Management Act, directing the city’s long-term development in areas including land use, housing, transportation and historic preservation. It ensures sustainable growth while preserving Ocala’s charm, serving as the backbone for projects championed by Chighizola.
Lee praised Chighizola’s mastery of the plan.
“He understood why we were doing different projects and the comprehensive plan, which is why he came here in the first place. He took it upon himself, really, to understand that from the
foundational levels,” Lee said.
“It was a big undertaking Florida wise. And so that’s why Ocala got some money from the state, to hire planners to do it.The comprehensive plan was kind of like the basis for my career, starting and then building off of that,” he said.
Chighizola emphasized the 2004 Downtown Master Plan’s effectiveness as a guiding tool that was actively implemented, shaping downtown’s development.
“I think that it’s been a successful plan. A lot of times people put plans on the shelves. I know we have done it in the past. And then you never use it, you go back and look at it 20 years later. But the Downtown Master Plan, everything had to be revolving around that. I think it was a great tool to get everything moving,” Chighizola said.
“He’s had an incredibly important role in downtown, and ruling every zoning decision that there has been for those 30 years, at least,” Lee said.
The 2004 Downtown Master Plan sparked a renaissance, enabling the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition facility, the Sovereign Building’s (Marion Hotel) current boutique hotel conversion and residential projects such as Watula South.
According to Chighizola, balancing growth with Ocala’s charm was challenging.
“All the growth on the other side of I-75 with the Fore Ranch and the Heath Brook projects, you know, there was a lot of passion there, because they were agricultural uses turning into shopping centers and residential development. So, there were challenges there,” Chighizola said.
“I say the big part of my career, in the middle part of the career, was dealing with road issues on State Road 200, getting that project from a two-lane to a six-lane, and a lot of the concurrency road issues that we had with that growth,” he continued.
According to Lee, Chighizola’s collaboration with local attorneys and developers shaped ordinances and growth while solving some of the city’s problems.
“I’ll miss his ability to help solve our problems, the deep, foundational kind of understanding that he had with state statutes and local ordinances. And working through different ordinances that we’ve written through the years, his ability to work with engineers and attorneys and developers and staff and citizens. He understood; he was diplomatic, and he knew how to get from point A to point B on things in a meaningful way, get things done without a lot of undue emotion, typically on either side,” Lee said.
Chighizola’s final years focused on SunTran, with plans for a trolley and electric vehicles. The city is the administrative agency for SunTran, which provides fixedschedule transportation service
See Ocala’s future , page A5
Tye Chighizola, center, who served for 36 years as the city of Ocala’s growth management director, received a key to the city from Mayor Ben Marciano, at right, on June 3, in honor of Chighizola’s retirement on June 6, with City Manager Peter Lee, at left. [Photo courtesy city of Ocala]
The Marion Theatre is a downtown Ocala gem and serves as a venue for movies, entertainment and community events. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Former Ocala City Councilwoman Mary Sue Rich, fourth from left, and community advocate Ruth Reed celebrate during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place in Ocala on Jan. 10, 2023. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette]
on seven routes in Marion County, mostly centered in Ocala.
“Hopefully we’ll have our trolley starting in the next few months, and then some of the other changes that are coming. So, we’ve been excited about that, you’re going to see a lot of things coming down, especially with diversifying our fleet to having some electric vehicles,” Chighizola said.
According to Lee, Chighizola was a self-starter with a strong work ethic and was a servant leader.
“Nobody had to tell him what to do. His work ethic was unquestioned. I mean, he never didn’t get something done. He always knew what had to be done, and he got it done. He worked across department lines easily. He helped coordinate things and get things done. He’s an example of how to work from beginning to end on projects,” Lee said.
“He cares about people. He’s got a very empathetic and moral compass that allows him to do the right things as it relates to people. He really is a part of the culture that I stress being a servant leader. He serves the people that he works with, the people who work for him,” Lee added.
“I hope that he stays active and does the things that he wants to do. Life’s not that long; life is short. I hope that he chases whatever his passions are,” Lee noted. “I’m sure that some of those will be helping people. He’s philanthropic and he’s liable to pop up anywhere on our landscape, working for the nonprofit or nonprofits that he believes in and doing something like that. I hope that he stays in touch with us, and I’m sure he will. But I also hope he chases his passions.”
“I’ve been blessed. I love this. I love the community, I love the job, and I love the people I worked with. We’ve had great city council members over the years that supported us, and we can’t do it without them, without their support. So, I made a lot of lasting friendships with people I got to know through this job over the years, met a lot of different great people and worked with a lot of great people,” Chighizola said.
“The hard part is leaving that behind. It’s a big part of my life. It’s going to be a little difficult. It’s hard to leave, but I think it’s time,” he added. “I think at some point, things change. You’ve got to go with the change.”
US Navy vet takes charge Daisy Diaz has been named director of Marion County Veterans Services.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Daisy Diaz, a 20-year U.S. Navy veteran has been named director of the Marion County Veterans Services Office. She has served veterans in the office since 2006 and brings to her new role not only military experience but the background of a female veteran.
Diaz replaced former director Jeffrey Askew, also a Navy veteran, who retired after 25 years of dedicated service to local veterans. Her leadership position became effective May 15.
Diaz is a native of the Bronx, New York, and joined the military due to a sense of “duty and adventure,” according to an announcement from the county, and as a member of a family with several veterans.
She was in the Defense Intelligence Agency, Navy Broadcasting Service and Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit 6. She served on the USNS Comfort hospital ship to give aid to Haiti and the USS Inchon in 1999 during Operation Shining Hope, during which she was deployed to locations including Kosovo, Egypt, Israel, Spain, Italy and France. She served in legal aid in Puerto Rico during one deployment.
Diaz retired from the Navy in 2003 as a chief petty officer and moved to Ocala. She
first worked with Sen. Dennis Baxley’s office and then joined the Marion County Veterans Services Office in 2006, where she began as a veterans service officer and later became a VSO supervisor.
Diaz said her action plan as director includes increasing awareness about the office among the county’s veteran community and collaboration with many organizations and nonprofits, from the Marion County Veterans Council to Veterans Helping Veterans USA to Volunteers of America, operators of the Ritz Veterans Village.
“Every veteran deserves to know what benefits they’ve earned. We’re here to help them get the support they need,” she stated in the press release.
Veterans Administration 2023 VetPop population tables indicated that Marion County had 33,686 veterans, about double the number of nearby Alachua County.
Diaz said she is one of five authorized VSOs in the Marion County Veterans Service Center office at 2703 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, who can help veterans navigate Veterans Administration benefits, gain access to military records and replace active duty decorations.
She said service members have heard about local VSOs in boot camp for the last few years but she has had veterans ”80 years old who had no idea we existed.”
“We want to get the word out,” she said According to marionfl. org, available VA benefits may include pension, health care and education, as well as death and burial benefits.
Todd Belknap, executive director of Veterans Helping Veterans USA of Marion County, said he’s looking forward to a continued partnership with the Marion County Veterans Service Office.
“We look forward to a collaborative effort to benefit the entire veterans community in Marion County,” Belknap said.
To learn more, go to marionfl. org/agencies-departments/ departments-facilities-offices/ veterans-services
The Institute for Human & Machine Cognition opened in downtown Ocala in 2010. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Daisy Diaz [Photo courtesy Marion County]
“It was a challenge from almost 10 years ago, even before that, because nationwide, there’s been a shortage of high-skill, high-wage folks to come in and do a job in manufacturing. But here, being a heavy industrial base, it’s pretty tough.”
Sam Ajlani, associate professor of Business, Technology and Agricultural Sciences at CF and a member of MRMA for more than 10 years, about
providers and educators to drive economic growth.
Ballard is part owner of Express Employment professionals and has been a part of MRMA since 2010. He joined the board in 2012, as program chair, and has served in that role ever since.
According to its website, MRMA was formed in 1992 as a means for local manufacturing executives to meet and network with each other monthly.
Membership was initially limited to presidents, general managers and chief operations managers of manufacturing firms.
Despite its small size, the group established the organization legally, drafted bylaws and generated enthusiasm for a regional manufacturing association. Since the mid-‘90s, membership has opened to all employees of member companies. This allows workers at any level, from production floor staff to management, to engage in MRMA’s events, such as best practice tours or seminars.
“When MRMA was originally formed, it was just to try to find an avenue for local executives who were in that industry space, to have a place to start coming together with people that understood and spoke the language, understood the problems, the challenges and then find ways to kind of work through some of those things together,” Ballard said.
The tournament proceeds, totaling more than $70,000, ‘Mr.
“It was a much smaller group at that time and had a much more singular focus of just giving those executives a space to be able to just share and collaborate over time as they continued to
there was a lot happening from a legislative standpoint and there was no cohesive voice representing the manufacturing industry,’” he said.
Ajlani credits Adamiak for bridging industry and education, emphasizing his role in initiating programs that aligned workforce training with industry needs.
“Rob was one of the founding members. He helped hire me to make this work,” Ajlani said.
Adamiak’s unexpected passing in 2018 left a void, but his foundational work continues to guide MRMA’s growth and impact in Marion County.
expand, especially when it came to identifying and recognizing the needs for training and development of the workforce,” he said.
MRMA has since grown into a vital resource spanning Marion, Levy, Citrus and Sumter counties.
Sam Ajlani is an associate professor of Business, Technology and Agricultural Sciences at the College of Central Florida and has been a member of MRMA for more than 10 years.
“I’m one of the senior people because I’m over 10 years on the board, but I’m the education liaison, so I’m a non-voting member,” Ajlani said.
Ajlani affectionately dubs the Mid-Florida Regional Manufacturers Association “Mr. Ma,” giving the acronym, MRMA, a folksy charm that makes it sound like a trusted old friend in Marion County’s industrial scene.
A GROWING DRY PORT HUB
Ajlani highlights MRMA’s role in connecting companies to share knowledge and resources, particularly in the context of Marion County’s growth as a dry port hub. According to him, Ocala serves as a vital inland distribution hub, or dry port, attracting major companies including Amazon, FedEx and Chewy because of its strategic location for warehousing and supply chain operations.
“We’re trying to get manufacturers together so they can share resources and share knowledge. There’s a lot of networking going on, and that’s part of ‘Mr. Ma’s’ role in the community, to help provide networking between companies
so they can all benefit from everyone’s knowledge,” Ajlani said.
This underscores MRMA as a platform where businesses, from manufacturers to logistics providers, collaborate to solve problems and access vendors.
Phil Schuster, accounting manager at Phoenix Wood Products and an MRMA board member since 2012, emphasizes this collaborative culture.
“MRMA really feels like family. We have a lot of fun together and the group is so close-knit that it’s easy to share different opinions without tension. Everyone knows we’re working toward the same goal, so there’s a lot of trust and openness. That kind of culture makes it easy for manufacturers to connect, collaborate and support each other, all to the benefit of our community,” Schuster said.
According to Ajlani, MRMA was heavily involved in working to help alleviate some of the recent challenges of hiring workers for high-skill, highwage jobs. He says it has become more of a challenge in the past 10 years, alongside the timing of when Marion County became a dry port hub.
Marion County was designated a dry port hub eight years ago after a thirdparty audit by the chamber of
commerce, according to Ajlani. This attracted companies like FedEx and Amazon, increasing job opportunities. However, the local population had not grown, so employers were competing for a limited pool of workers. While some employees came with the companies, most were hired locally, shrinking the available talent pool even further.
“It was a challenge from almost 10 years ago, even before that because nationwide, there’s been a shortage of high-skill, high-wage folks to come in and do a job in manufacturing. But here, being a heavy industrial base, it’s pretty tough,” he said.
According to Schuster, one challenge that most manufacturers share is worker quality and availability.
“This issue seems to be a consistent concern across the manufacturing sector,” he said.
According to Ballard, Rob Adamiak, former executive director and training director of MRMA, recognized the isolation faced by industry leaders and the absence of a collective voice for manufacturers.
“There were two primary areas that (Adamiak) was very passionate about: creating that space for these executives to be able to share and collaborate because leadership can be very, very lonely. The other aspect of it was the recognition of, ‘Wow,
Ajlani emphasized the role of Johnny Lightfoot, a retired executive from a local metal company, as part of the original group, highlighting his contribution to the organization’s early development. Ballard also acknowledged the foundational involvement of companies like insurance agency Brown and Brown, noting their legacy in supporting MRMA’s formation.
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY
According to Ajlani, MRMA is deeply engaged in community support, particularly through educational outreach and fundraising.
“We have golf tournaments, bowling tournaments, we’re about to start up fishing tournaments. We got a whole list of 5K runs. We also bring in money to provide scholarships for students to go to college, we buy equipment for the high schools, we support Marion, Levy, Citrus, Sumter and Alachua,” Ajlani said.
According to Mary Jane Toscano, executive director of MRMA, over the past five years the association has raised significant funds through its annual golf tournament to support educational programs in manufacturing, distribution, logistics and supply chain management.
“Proceeds of this event… support educational programs for training of potential employment candidates in the manufacturing, distribution, logistics and supply chain management fields of work. In addition, the designated funds support the Rob Adamiak Memorial Scholarship and provide annual scholarships to the College of Central Florida,” Toscano said.
These efforts have directly impacted local students and programs, fostering career development and technical skills across multiple counties, with a total of 71 students awarded scholarships since 2000 through the Rob Adamiak Memorial Student Scholarship program.
Adam Walker, a design engineer for Custom Window Systems, talks about a hurricane impact test.
Mid-Florida Regional Manufacturers Association President Mitch Twardosky speaks during the tour.
A 2x4 bounces off a window during a hurricane impact test at Custom Window Systems.
People with the Mid-Florida Regional Manufacturers Association listen during a tour of the Custom Window Systems plant.
Brian Bliek, Custom Window Systems senior operations manager, talks with the MRMA tour group.
Ocala being an inland distribution hub, or dry port.
have supported a wide range of initiatives. Key allocations include $17,165 for Belleview High School’s Robotics Automation & Design Program for multiyear equipment purchases; $15,550 for additional Rob Adamiak Memorial Student Scholarships; $7,650 for Youth Career Expos in Marion, Citrus and Levy counties; and $11,637 for Withlacoochee Technical College’s Electrical and Industrial Machinery & Controls Technicians Programs, including support for the 2023 SKILLS USA Competition and the Made for the Trades program.
Other contributions include $8,450 for IHMC Summer Robotics Camp scholarships, $5,480 for Lockheed Martin’s STEMCon youth program, $2,500 for Virtual Manufacturing Tour Videos for Manufacturing Days and various equipment and program investments, such as $2,890 for the College of Central Florida’s FANUC Robotics Program, $2,040 for Sumter County’s CTE Welding Program and $1,000 for the new Levy County Welding Camp. MRMA has also earmarked funds for ongoing support of manufacturing programs across Citrus, Levy, Marion and Sumter counties, as well as the MRMA Fall funding cycle for area schools and programming.
“At a high level, our organization listens to the needs of the local manufacturing industry and responds accordingly. This includes providing scholarship assistance to students, supporting educational initiatives and promoting the success of local manufacturers and
related industries by fostering relationships, sharing best practices and facilitating collaboration,” Schuster said.
For students qualified to receive scholarship assistance but who may be skeptical of manufacturing work, Ajlani spotlights efforts to change perceptions of manufacturing careers.
“We set up a lot of tours for high schools, junior highs and college students. We have had a hard campaign letting folks know that going into manufacturing is not a dirty job and they’re shocked that, ‘Man, this is nothing like I thought it was,’” he said.
Ballard stressed the importance of changing the narrative of blue-collar work.
“There are so many people who serve on our board who started at that lowest level but are now in very high-level management positions. That upward mobility and pathway is there for anyone who is hungry and willing to put in the effort to grow and learn,” he said.
Schuster does not think most students are aware of the jobs that exist within their local community.
“MRMA shines a spotlight on these opportunities and the many pathways to pursue them. Additionally, our organization helps ensure the right tools are available for the students to have an immediate impact within these companies,” he said.
Addressing Marion County’s workforce challenges, Ajlani describes MRMA’s role in tackling employment shortages, especially for high-skill positions.
“I think one of the challenges
is employment, trying to find a skilled workforce, trying to fill technical positions, it is near impossible. This has been ongoing since some of the baby boomers started to retire,” he said.
“That’s partly my job, to help them get that so they’re working hard on trying to, I guess, fill positions that must have some sort of technical ability or skill. We’ve done a fairly good job of making that happen, but I think in a lot of cases, a lot has changed over the last, say, 10 years in the area, so it’s kind of gotten more specific on things. I think we’re meeting that challenge. And ‘Mr. Ma’ got involved with that early and that’s kind of over 10 years ago. That’s one of the reasons I was hired at the college, was to help alleviate a little bit of that and build a program that they can rely on,” Ajlani said.
NAVIGATING THE FUTURE
According to Ballard, manufacturing in Marion County faces several hurdles that reflect broader industry trends, including concerns about the future.
“There’s a lot of economic uncertainty out there right now. There’s just not a lot of clear direction of where things are headed. And that’s not a political statement, per se, but I think that uncertainty is always difficult, and manufacturing is feeling that on a number of levels,” he said.
According to Ajlani, MRMA meets once a month to facilitate collaboration by regularly hosting meetings where manufacturers can exchange ideas, gain insights from external experts and receive direct feedback on critical topics, such as regulatory changes or economic challenges, often involving state or federal specialists to address specific issues like tariffs.
“We bring people in; we bring ideas in from outside and we have meetings with manufacturers. We do one meeting every month on some topic or some event,” Ajlani said. “For example, we’re working on something with tariffs right now. I don’t know where we’re at exactly.”
MRMA has been more than an association for Ajlani. It has been a vehicle for helping others.
“I love helping people. I mean, that’s why I’m doing this. I could
be an engineer somewhere, but I kind of semi-retired to do this because I see the impact. The impact is huge on the economy and people’s lives,” he said.
“Being part of MRMA genuinely brings a smile to my face. Serving on the board has significantly contributed to my personal growth and development. I’m a strong advocate for service to others and strive to lead by example. While none of our board members are compensated, we each invest our time, energy and passion because we believe deeply in MRMA’s mission and the impact it has on our community,” Schuster said.
“I see MRMA’s vision as one of growth and impact, aiming to help position Florida as the manufacturing hub of the United States. Under the leadership of our current president, Mitch Twardosky, we’ve made great strides toward that goal. His direction and commitment have been instrumental in keeping us focused and moving forward,” he added.
From Adamiak’s founding vision to its modern role as a connector of industry, education and community, MRMA continues to shape Marion County’s industrial future.
“To stay effective, MRMA works hard to stay ahead of economic shifts and technological changes. We focus on keeping our members informed and equipped by sharing timely information and providing resources that help companies adapt. Whether it’s navigating a recession or embracing new technologies, our goal is to make sure manufacturers are prepared for what’s ahead,” Schuster said.
To learn more, go to mrmafl.com
Photos by Bruce Ackerman
Jay Lathrop, the scheduling and planning manager, left, speaks during the tour. ‘Mr.
reach agreement on a budget and tax cuts before the scheduled end of the 60-day session and returned this month to hash out their differences.
In addition to disagreements between the House and the Senate, Perez also has clashed this year with DeSantis. As an example, the House proposed cutting the state’s overall sales tax rate, while DeSantis wanted to give property tax rebates to homeowners.
Perez said he wouldn’t “shy away” from talks that may conflict with the Senate or governor.
“Our goal was to be a co-equal branch of government, have an opinion that matters, an opinion of value,” Perez told reporters on June 16. “I do believe now more than ever that the House’s opinion matters.”
Lawmakers did not pass DeSantis’ property tax rebates or reduce the overall sales tax rate. But Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and Perez said cutting property taxes remains a goal that lawmakers will revisit during the 2026 session.
Albritton said a focus of this year’s session was “normalizing the revenues of the state of Florida” after an influx of federal money in recent years stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We knew in the beginning we wanted to have a large-scale conversation about government efficiencies and work toward an even greater level of fiscal responsibility and accountability,” Albritton told reporters Monday. “That’s what you’ve seen. Now, was that compounded with some of the other things on the peripheral that made it look like there were some huge arguments going on? Sure, but, we stayed true to task. …. That’s the way the system is supposed to work. I don’t view this on day 105 (of the session) as a failure.”
In addition to the $904 million elimination of the sales tax on commercial leases, the tax package (HB 7031) also would require holding a tax “holiday” every August on back-to-school items, such as clothes, school supplies and personal computers. While such holidays have been held most years, they have needed annual approval; the tax package would make them recur every year.
The tax package, which was approved 93-7 by the House and 32-2 by the Senate, also includes sales tax exemptions for hurricane supplies such as certain types of batteries and portable generators. Other parts of the package include tax exemptions on such things as sunscreen, insect repellant, tickets to NASCAR championship races, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, life jackets, bicycle helmets and admission to state parks.
Calling All Community Champions!
High school sports are more than just games—they’re a cornerstone of our community. They teach teamwork, build school spirit, and create memories that last a lifetime. At the Ocala Gazette, we believe every athlete deserves recognition for their hard work and heart. Unfortunately, we have lost advertising revenue that typically supports this type of coverage and we are looking to community boosters like you to help us underwrite our high school sports coverage for the upcoming season.
Boosters will support award-winning game photography, athlete profiles, and weekly scores and standings. With your help, we can ensure these young athletes receive the recognition they deserve while strengthening community pride.
Benefits to You as a Booster:
• Business size card advertisement featured alongside our sports coverage each week (print & digital editions)
• Recognition on a special “Community Boosters” thank-you page on our website.
• Shout-outs on our social media channels and in our e-newsletter
• The opportunity to show your support for local youth and schools
Our goal is to secure 40 businesses that will contribute $100 per month from July 2025 through March 2026.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a lasting impact in our community. Please let us know if we can count on your support this season. For more information please email marketing@ocalagazette.com
Some of the heaviest debate Monday came on bills linked to the budget, including on what is known as an implementing bill (SB 2502). Democrats criticized part of that bill that could lead to the governor’s Office of Policy and Budget reviewing the budgets of local governments.
Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, asked if the governor would “send a bunch of 20-year-old bros” to review local governments. But Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Sunny Isles Beach lawmaker without party affiliation, backed the measure, saying he’s seen cities in his district “blowing untold amounts of money on really stupid things. On trips all over the world. On productions and shows.”
The House approved the implementing bill in an 87-18 vote, while the Senate approved it 24-8.
Among other concerns raised Monday by Democrats were the potential impacts of federal funding cuts in programs such as food stamps and Medicaid. Albritton said legislative leaders and the governor will address any impact “when it gets here.”
“We don’t know what those numbers are going to be yet, so our budget does not contemplate what they could be,” Sen. Jay Trumbull, a Panama City Republican who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee, said.
Linked to the tax package is a plan (HJR 5019) to ask voters in 2026 to increase the ceiling of a rainy-day reserve, known as the Budget Stabilization Fund, from 10 percent of general revenue collections to 25 percent. The plan includes setting aside $750 million in each of the next two fiscal years in anticipation of the ballot measure passing.
Legislative leaders said the reserve fund would help future lawmakers if the state faces disasters or economic downturns.
“If there is a recession, that (future) Legislature will thank this body for the hard decisions that we made today to save money that could have very easily been spent on a bunch of pork,” Perez said.
The budget includes $580 for paying debt and lawmakers approved a separate bill (HB 5017) that requires an annual $250 million repayment of state bonds.
Also, the package includes 2 percent pay raises for most state employees, with state law enforcement officers and firefighters in line for additional 8 percent to 13 percent boosts.
The spending plan also includes a 1.59 percent increase in per-student funding in schools, from $8,987.67 to $9,130.41. In addition, it includes $691.5 million for Everglades restoration, the same as in the current year, $675.2 million for water improvement projects and $170 million for flood and sea-level grants.
— News Service Executive Editor Jim Saunders contributed to this report.
House Speaker Daniel Perez, left, and Senate President Ben Albritton, right, took part in a traditional hankydrop ceremony marking the end of the legislative session. [Photo courtesy The News Service of Florida/Tom Urban]
Government advisory board vacancies
Staff report
Consider having your voice heard in local government by helping out on a volunteer board. Your experience and knowledge can influence governmental decisions and help you, your fellow citizens and local government. It gives you an inside look at the governmental systems and lets you participate more closely in your community. These are the current vacancies for various boards in the cities of Marion County and the county itself.
CITY OF BELLEVIEW:
The city’s general link is here: belleviewfl.org/151/Boards-Committees
The general application document is here: belleviewfl.org/DocumentCenter/View/39/ City-Board-Application-PDF?bidId=
Youth Council
Several vacancies are open for members the 2025-26 school year
Description: The Belleview Youth Council is a leadership and civic engagement program designed to connect local high school students with their community through education, service and hands-on experiences. Open to students in Belleview and the surrounding area—including those enrolled in public, private, or homeschool settings—the council offers an opportunity to learn about local government, develop leadership skills and make a positive impact in the community. During sessions, members engage directly with city and county leaders, department heads and staff to explore how municipal government functions. Activities include facility tours, Q&A sessions and discussions about civic responsibilities and public service.
Meetings will be held monthly at 4:30 pm, starting Sept. 25. Dates are on the webpage.
For more information, visit belleviewfl. org/202/Youth-Council
CITY OF DUNNELLON:
The city’s general link is here: dunnellon.org/government/boardscommissions
Historic Preservation Board
1 vacancy for 2nd alternate member term
Description: The purpose of the board is to promote and preserve educational, cultural and economic welfare of the public. The board has established uniform procedures to preserve the city’s historic resources by enhancing public participation and involvement in the preservation and protection of such resources, including buildings, structures, monuments and other historic resources. In keeping with its purpose, the board has developed the Application for Historic Preservation Grant Facade Renovations. Interested person(s) should complete the application and submit to the Community Development Department for submission to the board.
Meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm.
For more information, visit dunnellon.org/ government/boards-commissions/historicpreservation-board
Planning Commission
1 vacancy for alternate member (term ending July 12, 2026); 1 vacancy for staff liaison
Description: The commission has an administrative review function whereby it reviews all changes to the city’s Comprehensive Plan, by amendment, evaluation, addition and appraisal for consistency with the existing plan, and reviews all land-related/zoning ordinances to determine consistency to the plan. The commission holds quasi-judicial hearings with regards to land planning/zoning cases, site plan reviews, variances, special exceptions and review/appeal of administrative orders and forwards its findings/recommendations to the City Council.
Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm.
Learn more at: dunnellon.org/government/ boards-commissions/planning-commission
CITY OF OCALA:
The city’s general link is here: ocalafl.gov/government/city-departmentsa-h/city-clerk/boards-and-commissions
The City Council appoints individuals to serve on more than 20 boards, advisory committees and commissions. These volunteers are from all over Ocala and their experience, knowledge and expertise help influence decisions affecting the city by providing advice and feedback to city leaders and council. All are welcome to submit an application for consideration to a board or commission. Many boards have specific
requirements, such as living within the city limits, being a qualified city voter or owning real property within the city limits. These requirements, if any, are detailed for each board on its page. If you have questions, contact clerk@ocalafl.gov or call the Office of the City Clerk at (352) 629-8266.
Board of Adjustment
Description:The board of considers applications for zoning variances and special exception considerations for business and residential construction projects within the city limits. Hear and decide appeals where it is alleged there is error in any order, requirement, decision or determination made by the building official in the enforcement of the zoning code (chapter 122), authorize special exceptions as provided in the zoning code authorize variances as provided in the zoning code.
Vacancies: 2 current vacancies, terms run to March 1, 2028.
Size: 7 Members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
Brownfields Advisory Committee
Description: The purpose of the committee is to promote and receive public comment on the identification, rehabilitation and redevelopment of identified Brownfield sites. The committee shall provide guidance in areas such as land use, employment opportunities, development proposals, community safety and environmental justice. The committee consists of 11 members appointed by the Ocala City Council from boards, committees and organizations primarily representing West Ocala.
Vacancies: 3 current vacancies, terms running through March 1, 2028 and 2029.
Size: 9 Members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
Downtown Redevelopment Advisory Committee
Description: The committee shall advise the Community Redevelopment Agency on redevelopment efforts of the established subarea pursuant to Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes. The committee shall consist of seven members appointed by the CRA Agency and City Council from property owners and organizations representing Downtown Ocala.
Vacancies: 2 vacancies for terms ending March 1, 2027 and 2029.
Size: multiple members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
East Ocala Redevelopment Subarea
Advisory Committee
Description: This committee is an advisory board to the CRA Agency and City Council for the area defined as the East Ocala Redevelopment Subarea and shall advise on redevelopment efforts of the subarea pursuant to Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes.
Vacancies: 1 vacancy for term ending March 1, 2029.
Size: multiple members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
Historic Preservation Advisory Board
Description: The board oversees the historic resources of the city and advises City Council and city departments on matters relating to these resources, as well as manages Certificates of Appropriateness for properties within the Tuscawilla Park and Ocala Historic Districts. Make recommendations to city council for matters relating to historic resources in the city; attend informational or educational meetings, workshops and conferences; advise on development of goals, objectives and policies for historic preservation; advise city departments on matters relating to historic resources in the city; advise individuals on preservation of historic structures; educate public on economic benefits of same; and submit annual report to SHPO covering annual activities. The board approves Certificates of Appropriateness for exterior alterations to properties located in the Tuscawilla Park and Ocala Historic Districts.
Vacancies: 1 current vacancy for an architect, term expired
Size: 9 Members
Term Length: 3 years
Term Limit: n/a
Municipal Code Enforcement Board
Description: The Code Enforcement Division enforces codes that pertain
to zoning laws, nuisance abatement, contracting and permitting requirements of the city of Ocala and the state of Florida, occupational licenses, sign codes, alcohol location permits and many other local ordinances and state statutes. The board hears cases relating to code violations. Examine code violation cases presented by City Code Enforcement Officers. Empowered to levy fines and place liens on property if, violation is not corrected.
Vacancies: 2 current vacancies for alternate members
Size: 7 Members
Term Length: 3 years
Term Limit: n/a
Police Officers’ Retirement System Board of Trustees
Description: The board is responsible the administration and operation of the retirement plan for city of Ocala police officers.
Vacancies: 1 citizen term, expired; two through August 6, 2025
Size: 7 Members
Term Length: 2 years
Term Limit: n/a
West Ocala Redevelopment Advisory Committee
Description: The committee is appointed as an advisory board to the CRA for the area defined as the West Ocala Redevelopment Subarea and shall advise on redevelopment efforts of the subarea pursuant to Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes. Meets at least two times per year.
Vacancies: 1 current vacancy for term ending March 1, 2029
Size: 9 members
Term Length: 4 years
Term Limit: n/a
MARION COUNTY
Marion County shows vacancies on the following boards: Board of Adjustment, Code Enforcement, Hills of Ocala MSTU Advisory Council, Rainbow Lakes Estates, and the Tourist Development Council. These are volunteer positions and have specific qualifications and criteria depending on the board’s focus. The county commission appoints members in regular BOCC meetings.
An online application can be downloaded here: marionfl.org/mycommissioners/advisory-boards and can be printed or saved as a PDF. Email completed forms to commissionadmin@ marionfl.org upon completion. Applications can also be obtained at the Marion County Board of County Commissioners’ Office at 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala, or by calling (352) 438-2323.
Code Enforcement (1 full member, 2 alternate members –Terms expire February 2026 and April 2028)
Qualifications/ restrictions: Members shall be residents of Marion County.
Responsibilities: Members should have experience or interest in zoning and building control, and shall, whenever possible, be in the field of architecture, engineering, general contracting or subcontracting. Members shall have the power to adopt rules for the conduct of its hearings; subpoena alleged violators and witnesses to its hearings; subpoena records, surveys, plats and other documentary evidence; take testimony under oath; issue orders having the force and effect of law, commanding whatever steps are necessary to bring a violation into compliance and establish and levy fines pursuant to county ordinance. Members are required to e-file Form 1 (Statement of Financial Interest) with the Florida Commission on Ethics.
Hills of Ocala MSTU Advisory Council (1 full member –
Term expires May 2029)
Qualifications/restrictions: Applicants must reside within the boundaries of the MSTU.
Responsibilities: May participate in the preparation of the annual budget, make recommendations regarding capital expenditures, operations, programs, staffing and proposed budget increases or decreases. Provide information and assistance to residents of the district and the county regarding district business. Provide a forum for residents of the district and other interested parties to discuss district business. All members serve without compensation. The county commission shall confirm and appoint members. Each appointed member shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing commissioner and member terms shall run concurrently with that of the appointing commissioner.
Rainbow Lakes Estates MSD Advisory Council (2 full members – Terms expire May 2027 and December 2028)
Qualifications/restrictions: Applicants must be registered electors residing within the Rainbow Lakes Estates Municipal Service District.
Responsibilities: Members serve three-year terms. The council submits a letter to the county commission requesting ratification of members elected by the residents of RLE. The district board shall appoint an advisory committee consisting of seven registered electors residing within said district, six to be residents of Marion County and one to be a resident of Levy County to serve for a term of one year or until their successors be appointed. Participate in the preparation of annual budget request; review and comment on programs, activities, goals and objectives and make recommendations on these and other issues as directed by the Board of County Commissioners.
Tourist Development Council (1 full member – Term expires February 2026)
Qualifications/restrictions: Applicants must be registered Marion County voters with an interest in tourism development and/or be owners or operators of lodging subject to the tourist development tax.
Responsibilities: Make recommendations to the County Commission on the effective use of tourist development tax revenues. The TDC meets at least once a quarter and may make recommendations to the county commission for the effective use of the tourist development tax revenues.
Public Notice
New elementary schools to open without school zones
Drivers should be mindful that young children will soon be in and around new SW Marion County schools.
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Two new Marion County elementary schools are slated to open in August and will start accepting young children without established school zones that reduce the speed limits in place.
Generally, parents of children within a two-mile radius of a school must make their own arrangements to get to school. However, ensuring safety on the roads for students requires coordination with the city of Ocala and Marion County government, which control signage and vehicle speeds around the new schools.
Public records exchanged between the agencies indicate it has not been a smooth collaboration, particularly as it relates to Winding Oaks Elementary.
Ross Prairie Elementary School, located at 14320 SW 70th Ave. Road, is within the county’s jurisdiction. It sits off Marion Oaks Manor, which has a speed limit of 45 mph and does not have sidewalks or crosswalks. The school district estimates that the families of 184 students will make their own arrangements to get them to school.
Winding Oaks Elementary School, at 7200 SW 49th Ave. Road, is located in the city of Ocala limits, but on a county road with hills and speeds of 45 mph posted. The Marion County engineer’s office has indicated that a school zone reducing vehicular speeds during certain times around the school was not warranted.
The district estimates 197 students live within two miles of Winding Oaks and will have to walk, ride their bike or be delivered to the school by parents.
“We will have one Ocala police officer as its School Resource Officer,’’ according to a school district spokesperson. “Typically, public school districts do not handle traffic control measures (lights, stop signs, crosswalks, etc.) because city and/or county municipalities usually provide those.”
As recently as May 13, county officials were hashing out what would be feasible for the county to implement before opening Winding Oaks. The school district wanted a crosswalk directly in front of the school at the intersection of Southwest 49th Avenue Road and Southwest 71st Place Road, which is also located near a housing development currently being built.
According to an internal district memo, the county informed district officials that the developer would be installing the traffic signal under a development agreement with the city. Based on the anticipation of that signal, the county felt it was not warranted to reduce speeds in the meantime.
Donald Watson, senior engineer for Marion County, wrote to the Safe Schools department for the district. He shared a report his office had provided to Amber Gartner of the engineering firm Kimley-Horn: “Attached are the comments our traffic team provided to Kimley-Horn on their engineering study for a proposed school zone on SW 49th Avenue Road. The primary purpose of reducing the speed limit near schools is to provide safe crossing opportunities for school-aged pedestrians walking to school. We believe that the signalized intersection planned on SW 49th Avenue Road at SW 71st Place Road will provide a safe crossing opportunity for pedestrians since it will stop traffic on SW 49th Avenue Road. In this case, reducing the speed limit is not necessary.”
“We understand that the school plans to open prior to installation of the traffic signal on SW 49th Avenue Road at SW 71st Place Road. In this case, we would not permit a crosswalk on SW 49th Avenue Road until the signal is installed. The crosswalks on SW 49th Avenue Road at SW 71st Place Road should be signalized to provide the safest crossing for pedestrians. Reducing the speed limit on SW 49th Avenue Road is not necessary in this case, since the
over the perceived hazardous location, and a representative of the municipal police department for a municipal road, a representative of the sheriff’s office for a county road, or a representative of the (Florida) Department of Transportation for a state road.”
School board member Nancy Thrower expressed frustration to the “Gazette” about a lack of cooperation from local government for road safety concerns around other new schools as well. She suggested the reason was due to local government “taking a lot of heat for traffic congestion, so they want to avoid slowing any down.”
Cohoon said the county has plans for a signal and crosswalks for those students approaching from the north of the school at SW 49th Avenue Road and SW 66th Street, but it won’t be installed until December at the earliest.
Cohoon confirmed by email the closest crosswalk for students coming to Winding Oaks from the south will be at SW 49th Avenue Road and SW 80th Street, which is more than 339 feet from the school. Additionally, due to the winding road and hilly nature of the area, you cannot see the school from that crosswalk.
Cohoon told the “Gazette” on June 17 that the county would be putting a sign before school opened at that intersection to make sure students approaching from the south would understand which side of the road to approach the school. He also indicated he was waiting on school consultants to suggest other signage that would alert drivers that they were approaching a school but not require them to reduce their speed. Cohoon indicated those signs would be up by the time school started.
crosswalks will not be installed before the traffic signal is installed,” the email said. There is no estimated date from the city or county for installing crosswalks or signals at SW 49th Avenue Road and SW 71st Place Road. The “Gazette” has requested a copy of the developer agreement that includes the signal in front of the school, but did not receive it prior to publishing.
Steve Cohoon, the county engineer, told the “Gazette” he believes the agreement for the signal allows for a phased approach as the developer builds homes.
A memo from the county engineers’ office dated Feb. 15 said, “Per Section 15.3(4) of the FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) Speed Zoning Manual, School zones and signalized intersections are independent traffic control devices, and the use of one neither requires nor precludes the use of the other. Should the school open prior to installation of the traffic signal, the crosswalks on SW 49th Avenue Road would not be permitted. In this case, a
school zone is not warranted due to the absence of pedestrian crossings on SW 49th Avenue Road.”
A May 15 email exchange between School Board member Allison Campbell and Dennis P. McFatten, executive director of Safety and Security for MCPS, reflects a disagreement about what is warranted. Campbell referenced Fla. Statute 1006.23 defining hazardous walking conditions that the board obtained from board attorney Jeremy Powers. Campbell pointed to one of the definitions of hazardous conditions as “a road that has posted speed of 50 or greater.” She also noted a part of the statute outlining a methodology for school districts to resolve disputes with a state or local governmental entity over who has “jurisdiction concerning a condition perceived to be hazardous to students in that district who live within the 2-mile limit and who walk to school.”
The statute reads: “Such condition shall be inspected jointly by a representative of the school district, a representative of the state or local governmental entity with jurisdiction
The Florida Highway Patrol, the agency that oversees road safety in and around the school, offers tips for child pedestrian and bicycle safety.
According to FHP website, “Always walk on the sidewalk if there is one. If no sidewalks are present, walk against the direction of traffic so that you can see oncoming vehicles.”
There are sidewalks installed leading up to Winding Oaks, but there is only a small strip of sidewalk leading up to Ross Prairie.
An important reminder for those navigating drop-off and pick-up lines: Never enter the street from between parked cars. If crossing mid-block cannot be avoided, pedestrians must yield right of way to vehicles on the roadway. FHP encourages parents to admonish their children to pay attention, which includes avoiding walking or riding a bicycle to school wearing headphones so the student can hear the traffic and pedestrians around them. Also, students should never text or look at their cellphone when crossing the street.
Motorists drive near the entrance to the Winding Oaks Elementary School, which is under construction on Southwest 49th Avenue Road near the intersection of County Road 475A in Ocala on May 30, 2025. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Mostly peaceful ‘No Kings’ protest held in Downtown Ocala
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
A“No Kings Day” protest drew at least 1,000 people to downtown Ocala’s square on June 14, and the event remained mostly peaceful. However, of the six protesters arrested throughout the state during similar events, three were at the Ocala protest.
Stephen Libardoni, 65, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of battery. Alexandra Krolman, 35, was charged with one misdemeanor count of battery. Michael Loren, 47, who was wearing garments identifying him as one of the Proud Boys, was charged with battery but also a felony for possession of a weapon by a felon.
The “Gazette” has made a public records request for the arrest affidavits for the three arrested in Ocala, but at the time of publication had not received them.
According to a report from the “Tallahassee Democrat,” six in total were arrested throughout the state in conjunction with the protest, with Tallahassee, Orlando, and Panama City Beach each having one.
An estimated 5 million people around the country showed up for “No Kings Day” protests on Saturday, opposing the administration of President Donald Trump and countering the military parade in Washington, D.C. in honor of the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. It was also Trump’s 79th birthday.
There was a relatively small counterprotest in Ocala compared to the rest of the crowd. Some were driving around the protestors on the square with pro-Trump signage. Sometimes, they revved their engines.
One man with the Proud Boys group, who identified himself only as “Wood,” told the “Gazette” they were there to “educate” people that the United States is a republic, not a democracy, and to advocate for limited government. He also said they came to assist law enforcement if needed.
Although at least one member of the group was arrested, Wood described the event as a good example of a peaceful protest.
Cindy Gardner stood near the counter protesters, repeating, “Peaceful protest. This is peaceful protest.” When asked if she was one of the organizers, she smiled and said, “No, I’m just a mom. This is what moms do.”
Trish Kilgore, a senior citizen, told the “Gazette” that today was the first time she ever participated in a protest.
Counter protester Logan Cline said he was there to show support for Trump.
“Sure, there are some things that are not so good,” Cline said. “We call that friendly fire in the armed services.”
Cline, who wore fatigues, told the “Gazette” he formerly served in the Air Force.
Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano told the “Gazette” after the protest, “Overall, I’m very proud of how our city prepared for it, and how everything went off. Today was a good example of how to peacefully protest.”
Marciano observed the protest from the balcony of the Hilton on the square, alongside Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken and City Manager Pete Lee.
The city posted to social media the day before the event, explaining the fencing placed along the sidewalk between the downtown square and State Road 40:
“The City of Ocala fully supports the public’s right to assemble and express their views peacefully. We want to clarify that the fencing placed along the sidewalk … is strictly for public safety.”
Marciano said the precaution was recommended by Balken, and he praised OPD for how the event was handled.
Among the protest participants was Joel Morris, who carried an American flag and wore a T-shirt reading, “Be Excellent to Each Other.” Morris said he was protesting the growth of executive power and a perceived shift in American values.
Erica Delacuz, one of the event organizers and a member of Ocala Blue Dots, told the “Gazette” at the end of the event that volunteers planned to begin cleaning up the square.
“We want to leave the square
in better shape than before the protest,” she said.
Sharon Libardori said her husband, Steve, was one of the counterdemonstrators arrested.
“He’s a Navy veteran who would never hurt anyone,” she said.
Libardori claimed her husband was arrested for simply walking through protesters while filming video.
Hundreds of people protest during the gathering in Ocala.
A small number of "Holler Boyz," part of the "Proud Boys" gather on the opposite side of the downtown square from other protestors.
A large presence of Ocala Police Department officers were on hand to prevent protestors from getting unruly during the protest.
Officers with the Ocala Police Department try to prevent protestors from getting unruly.
Chad Scroggie and other MAGA supporters fly Trump flags from their vehicles as they drive around the square.
Protestors are shown with fencing installed for their safety on a frontage road.
Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken, left, and Capt. Anthony Vizzini, keep a close eye on protestors from the second-floor balcony of the Hilton Garden Inn.
A police sniper keeps an eye on protestors from the roof of the Concord Square building during the June 14 "No Kings" protest on the Ocala downtown square.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman
Seeing your baby for the first time is a moment you’ll never forget. That’s why, along with extra monitoring and advanced care through our Level II NICU and McKenzie Kearney Gray Maternal Fetal Medicine program, we offer The Birth Day Experience® — thoughtful, memorable touches that help make your baby’s arrival even more special. At AdventHealth Ocala, the only hospital in Marion County specializing in labor and delivery, our physicians and birth care advocates provide exceptional care to support your baby’s one-and-only birth day. The
People, Places and Things
Flag Day in Ocala
Local events included a replica of George Washington’s tent at Valley Forge and honoring student essay winners.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
Flag Day events at the Ocala/Marion County Veterans Memorial Park on June 14 and 15 included a visit from George and Martha Washington and the Marion County Veterans Council announcing the winners of a patriotic essay contest for local fourth graders
Members of several area chapters of the Florida Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, including the Ocala and Withlacoochee chapters, provided a look at the Revolutionary War era with an exact replica of George Washington’s military field tent, which he used from 1776 to 1783.
David Hitchcock, with the SAR, said the tent project took about four months to assemble and that the camp bed inside was a replica of the one used by Washington at Valley Forge.
The tent also contained a table, flintlock pistol and case containing candle molds, scissors and pieces of eight coins. The coins got their name because users would break off up to eight pieces of them to equal specific amounts, according to display guide Stephen Burke, who was dressed as a Revolutionary War era militia man.
In a previous “Gazette” article, Hitchcock said the actors portraying the Washington’s were Bill and Cara Elder, both retired educators. She also is a firstperson Martha Washington interpreter for the Daughters of The American Revolution.
“We have plans to travel throughout Florida,” Hitchcock said of the exhibit. “We are an educational outreach program. We would love to bring our program to school campuses around the state.”
Several early Colonial and United States flags on display through the weekend predated the stars and stripes design recognized today. A mannequin dressed in period uniform at the tent entrance represented a member of the 1st Regiment of Rhode Island which, according to display signage, had companies of Black soldiers in 1777 to 1780 who served at Valley Forge.
Ron Oppliger, chairman of the Friends of Marion County’s Veterans Park Foundation, a group that supports the park, places monuments and offers programs, invited the SAR displays. He said the presentation by the Elders on Saturday was “awesome.”
“This is a first for the park,” Oppliger stated on a social media post.
Dee Collier was introduced on Sunday as Rachel Walker Revere, the wife of Paul Revere, famous for his horseback ride announcing “the British are coming.” Collier, in character as Rachel and dressed in period garb, spoke about life in the
1770s, meeting and marrying Paul, the political struggles of the times and their family life, including him calling the children “lambs.”
Bill Stone of the SAR had a Brown Bess rifle on display. He said the Revolutionary War era British weapon fired a .68 caliber ball. The rifle was found in Afghanistan and is now owned by an area resident.
On Sunday, the Marion County Veterans Council held their annual Flag Day program with a group pledge of allegiance led by 101-yearold World War II veteran and Ocala resident Howard Mautner. The Marion County Memorial Honor Guard provided a color guard.
The program recognized the winners of the council’s annual patriotic essay contest, with a certificate from the council and $25 prize donated by local veterans’ groups and private veterans for each winner, according to Suzanne McGuire, MCVC secretary.
McGuire said more than 50 students submitted essays this year.
Retired U.S. Army Col. Craig Ham, immediate past president of the MCVC, spoke of developing a “deep, abiding respect for our flag” with the fourth-grade essay contest.
John Roberts Jr. was one of the 25 essay winners. He said the essay focused on the “history” of the American Flag. He was accompanied by his parents, Molly and John Roberts, and brother and sister, 8-year-old twins, William and Emma.
Molly Roberts said she is “very proud” of her son.
In addition to Roberts, the other essay winners were Taylor Bramlet, McKenzie Calamela, Harper Goldsmith, Charlotte Jarvis, Edwin Keeton, William Kyle, Brawnson McCandless, Elliot Quest, John Ruppel, Parker Yancey, Dominic Rivera, Elena De Palma, Elijah Ramos, Briggs Magamoll, Finn Miller, Bennet Zirkle, Brody Boutwell, Cassidy Bostic, Kenley Ann Futch, Cameron Pozzutto, Elizabeth Harper, Sophia Arellano, Noah McDonald and Emerson Ayers.
The Ocala/Marion County Veterans Park at 2601 SE Fort King St. is home to hundreds of commemorative engraved bricks, numerous benches, monuments and historical markers honoring veterans of America’s military conflicts and wars. The park is overseen by the Marion County Veterans Service Office.
A monument to Medal of Honor recipients is at the middle of the park and has a center panel devoted to Ocala resident Hammett Bowen, who died in the Vietnam War while saving the lives of several of his comrades.
To learn more about the park, go to marionvetpark.com and marionfl.org
For information about local SAR chapters, go to fb.com/ OcalaSAR and withsar.org
Fourth grade student John Roberts Jr., with his mother Molly Roberts, shows his handwritten patriotic essay, which was one of the 25 winning entries recognized at the Marion County Veterans Council Flag Day program on June 15 at the Ocala/Marion County Veterans Memorial Park.
Dee Collier, portraying historical character Rachel Walker Revere, the wife of Revolutionary War figure Paul Revere, is assisted by an audience member during the Sons of the American Revolution event on June 14 and 15 in Ocala.
David Hitchcock attends to a mannequin representing a Black soldier of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, circa 1777, as was part of Flag Day events at the Ocala/Marion County Veterans Memorial Park.
This replica of Georgia Washington’s pistol, which was made in England, was on display during the SAR presentation.
Presenter Stephen Burke, right, explains the exhibits in the Sons of the American Revolution’s Washington Military Field Tent replica to Filipe Zuniga, foreground, and Caetany Zuniga.
[Photos by Andy Fillmore]
HELLO, OCALA! Meet your neighbor: Shirley Beattie
By Eadie Sickler Correspondent
All the way from the United Kingdom, Shirley Beattie has settled at On Top of the World in Ocala. Her locating here, however, followed having her feet on American and foreign soil in many different parts of the world.
“When I was growing up, my dream was to travel the world. I’ve learned that with God, all things are possible,” she said.
Bravely, when she was 21 years old, Beattie set out by herself to travel to America in 1973, on a visitor’s visa, to visit a cousin who lived in New York. The two had been pen pals since childhood. Moving from there to Washington, D.C., she worked for an insurance agency. It was there that she got her green card authorizing her to live and work in this country. From D.C., Beattie decided to move to Fort Lauderdale.
Her parents followed her lead and also moved from England to New York, then later to Fort Lauderdale.
“That is when God was first presented to me,” Beattie noted.
In 1975, during a visit to the beach, two young people approached and asked if she were to die, did she know where she would spend eternity? She didn’t have an answer. The girls shared the gospel and Beattie prayed to accept Jesus into her life, she recounted. She joined the young people in Bible studies in basic Christianity. She drifted away from the teaching, though, and left Florida in 1977 to travel to Los Angeles, invited there by a friend.
Because of her previous experience, she was hired into the insurance department of the Merle Norman Cosmetics company in L.A., eventually becoming the firm’s convention coordinator. She loved the experiences travel presented and worked for the company for seven years. She obtained her citizenship while in L.A., in 1981, at the L.A. Colosseum, among a group of 10,000 people.
Beattie moved back to Fort Lauderdale to be with her parents when she was pregnant with her son.
“Then God got ahold of me,” Beattie recalled.
She was offered a job at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church as assistant to the director of Evangelism Explosion, a training ministry instructing lay people to share their faith. During her time there, she went on mission trips to Switzerland, St. Thomas and India, doing training with
local churches in evangelism. She stayed in that position for seven years. For the next 13 years, she worked for EE International, organizing international conferences for delegates around the world.
She also worked for the president of EE International and organized the International Congress of Nations, the first in Kuala Lumper in Malasia. Delegates were there from all over the world. Many other conventions took her all over the world, including South Africa (where she was able to go on a safari) and Fiji.
Beattie retired from EE in 2017. Because she had been volunteering for Xtreme SOULutions, the organization offered her the position of parttime office manager. Now living
Visit with an icon
Smokey Bear will make an appearance in Ocala on June 26.
By Susan Smiley-Height
susan@magnoliamediaco.com
Smokey Bear is one of those largerthan-life characters that sticks with a person, no matter how young or old you are.
The iconic fuzzy fellow in the trademark hat and blue jeans will be making an appearance at 2 p.m. on June 26 at the Headquarters-Ocala Public Library at 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd. in Ocala for the 2024 Robert E. Browning Jr. Awards Ceremony
This year’s recipients include Florida Forest Service fire training officer
George Risko Jr. and the Marion County Public Library System, which led a statewide campaign in to celebrate Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday using games, videos, live programs and magazine features to teach wildfire safety and boost children’s literacy. Their work reached more than 100,000 people across Florida and helped promote Smokey Bear’s wildfire prevention message during his milestone birthday year, according to the news release.
Also being honored is a multiagency team from the Ocala National Forest, Florida Forest Service Waccasassa Forestry Center, Florida Park Service
at On Top of the World in Ocala, she received a phone call from her niece who worked North Lake Presbyterian Church in Lady Lake. They needed an office manager and Beattie applied for the job and was hired.
“I love it,” she shared. “I have people around me all day long.”
Beattie’s father died in 2017 and her mother lived with her for three years until she passed away in 2023. Beattie’s son, C.J., lives in DeLand with his wife, Morgan, and they have a son and a daughter. Beattie has three brothers and a sister, all younger than herself. One brother lives in England but the others are in the United States.
Beattie has several hobbies, including creating glass art, painting and writing. She has created books for her family and for friends with whom she traveled to Tuscany.
She has been a member of College Road Baptist Church for about 10 years. She recently facilitated a class there, using the “Experiencing God” curriculum.
“I love the preaching, fellowship and just the whole church,” she said. “They feel like family.”
“Basically, my story is that God has been working on me from the beginning and I can see how experiences in the past have helped me in my current ministry position,” she offered.
Silver Springs State Park, Marion County Fire Rescue, Marion County Parks & Recreation and the Ocala National Forest Alliance, which hosted the Rudy Wendelin Smokey Bear Art Exhibit, drawing 17,000 visitors in two weeks. Their broader prevention activities reached thousands more locally to help reduce human-caused wildfire risks, the materials noted.
The Robert E. Browning Jr. Award Is named in memory of southern wildland firefighter Robert E. Browning Jr., who lost his life battling a wildfire in Colorado in 1994, the award honors those who go above and beyond in the fight against human-caused wildfires.
To learn more about a wide range of programs at county libraries, go to library.marionfl.org/programs-events/ programs-and-events/programs-andevents-calendar
Shirley Beattie poses for a photo at her On Top of the World home in Ocala on June 6, 2025. Originally from Scotland, she moved to the United States in 1973. She is currently the office manager at the North Lake Presbyterian Church in Lady Lake.
Shirley Beattie talks about some of the books she had printed, including a vacation book, a book about a writer’s retreat in Tuscany she went to and one she made as a tribute to her parents.
Shirley Beattie likes to make glass artworks such as these.
[Photos by Bruce Ackerman]
Florida Forest Service fire training officer George Risko Jr. led a statewide awareness campaign on wildfire safety for groups of all ages in celebration of Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday in 2024. The two will be together in Ocala on June 26. [Photo courtesy Marion County]
Celebrating Juneteenth
A dinner dance and fundraiser will continue helping programs for local students.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
R.A.M.A.L. Educational and Social Services, Inc., on June 14 hosted its fifth annual Juneteenth Celebration Dinner and Dance Fundraiser at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place in Ocala. Juneteenth commemorates the historical celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States. In 1865, approximately 250,000 slaves were informed of their freedom and emancipated in Texas.
The event in Ocala included entertainment, spoken word poetry, raffles and a live art auction.
R.A.M.A.L. was founded by Barbara Brooks, who received her Associate of Arts degree in liberal arts from Central Florida Community College, Bachelor of Arts in social science from the University of West Florida and Master of Social Work, Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Michigan.
She said on Monday that guest speaker Charles Eady, and artist and art teacher, shared some history of art and culture.
“A R.A.M.A.L. Educational and Social Services, Inc. video was debuted at the event. The video featured pictures of programs and services, testimonials from people knowledgeable of our work in the community and a plea for volunteers and donations,” Brooks wrote in an email message.
Brooks noted that Allie Gore, a supporter and event committee member, presented checks to her in appreciation of her “16 years of leading R.A.M.A.L. to help people in the community.”
During the event, 13-year-old Zuri Alban did a spoken word presentation and received a standing ovation. Michelle Johnson sang a rendition of Anita Baker’s “Rapture.”
Brooks noted that a “delicious soul food dinner” was served and “Don Brown brought old school R&B with renditions of ‘Dance With My Father’ and ‘Once in a Million.’” There also was dancing in the aisles to “Boots on the Ground” and other line dances.
The event included raffles and 50/50 drawings and “guests walked away with items from the silent/live auction, which included art,” Brooks said.
“The feedback from the attendees was positive with
comments such as, ‘Great time,’ ‘Really enjoyed this,’ ‘The singers were outstanding’ and ‘The food was good,’” she shared. Proceeds from the event will enable R.A.M.A.L. to continue tutoring and improving student’s academic performance, providing scholarships to adult college students and offering financial
literacy workshops aimed at creating opportunities for homeownership and generational wealth.
To learn more, go to ramalservices.org
Cynthia Wilson-Graham, Whitfield Jenkins and Monica Bryant, left to right, pose during the fifth annual Juneteenth Celebration Dinner and Dance Fundraiser hosted by R.A.M.A.L. Educational and Social Services, Inc., at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place in Ocala on June 14, 2025.
From left, Rosalea Thomas, Jay Thomas and Mellissa Thomas, enjoy the celebration.
Kimberlyn Roberts, Patty Torres and Michelle Johnson, pose together.
Linda Goldberg, Brian Stoothoff, Alina Stoothoff and Christine Perry, left to right, attended the event.
Front: Deborah Winston, left, and Gwendolyn Bailey, right, and back: Kathy Martin, left, and Phyllis McNeal.
Charles Eady, Allie Gore, R.A.M.A.L. Educational and Social Services, Inc. founder Barbara Brooks, Joanne Ohlman and Simone Campbell pause for a moment.
Charvon and Freddy Jones at the Juneteenth Celebration Dinner and Dance Fundraiser.
[Photos by Bruce Ackerman]
Teeing it up to help
The annual Helping Hands golf fundraiser to help local women and children set a new record this year.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
It is kind of amazing that spending a few hours on a beautiful golf course can do so much good for so many who need a helping hand.
And that’s exactly what happened on June 14 when 113 avid golfers teed it up for the 11th annual Helping Hands Golf Tournament at the Ocala Golf Club.
The faith-based nonprofit got its start in 2008, when Brad Dinkins encountered a homeless man outside an eatery and helped him find shelter. Within six months, Dinkins and others were
providing housing to a dozen people and helping them rebuild their lives.
After the tournament, which raised a record-setting $201,056, Dinkins explained how the funds will be used.
“To fund Helping Hands’ transitional housing and care program for women and children who are facing homelessness and other difficult life situations.
Helping Hands is currently housing 17 adults and 31 children,” he said.
“This year set a new fundraising record. The previous record was $174 010, set in 2024,” he noted.
The tournament had numerous sponsors who contributed funds well before the first ball hit the green on game day, such as the Adam Hanson Better Communities Fund and Fidelity Manufacturing, Abundant Life Planning and Eastern Metal Supply.
Dinkins is the owner of Fidelity Manufacturing, which offers job opportunities to those who are part of Helping Hands programs, which include “transitional housing, practical assistance and transformational discipleship.”
“We provide our residents with the unconditional love of God and the care, counseling, teaching and resources that enables them to overcome life’s setbacks to build a new and better life,” he said.
The organization operates thrift stores in Ocala at 8820 SW State Road 200 and 9536 SE Maricamp Road, which help fund the housing and support programs.
We asked how else, in addition
to financial donations, people can support Helping Hands throughout the year.
“We always have vehicle needs for the single moms who come to us. This is because many come without a job, the ability or money to have childcare, or transportation to take their children to school. Without a car, it is most difficult for our single moms to get and maintain a job and provide for the needs of their children,” he shared.
“We also need volunteers to help with childcare on Tuesday nights. This is because Tuesday night is a special night we set aside just for the women so they can have a meal together, fellowship, worship, pray and hear teaching that leads to a new and better life,” he added.
To learn more, donate or volunteer, go to helpinghandsocala.org
Pickleball courts dedicated to John Hunt
By Susan Smiley-Height
susan@magnoliamediaco.com
John Hunt was an admired local leader for many years. Among his many accomplishments, he was the founder of First Avenue National Bank.
Over the years, he was chairman of the board of the chamber of commerce, Marion Cultural Alliance and Public Policy Institute, and president of the Ocala/Silver Springs Rotary Club. He was a world traveler, scuba diver and avid pickleball player. Hunt passed away in Ocala on Sept. 13, 2024. Recently, Marion County Parks & Recreation, in partnership with the Ocala Pickleball Club, installed signage at Coehadjoe Park dedicating the pickleball courts in Hunt’s memory.
“Surrounded by friends, family, and community leaders, the ceremony served as a poignant reminder of the impact one person can make. Parks & Recreation
leadership joined Hunt’s widow, Patti, his daughter, Angela, members of the county commission and fellow Ocala Pickleball Club members to honor the legacy of a man who helped turn a shared passion into a thriving public amenity,” the county news release noted.
“John Hunt was more than a player — he was a visionary. He recognized early on the need for dedicated, publicly accessible pickleball courts in Marion County and was instrumental in advocating for their construction at Coehadjoe Park. His tireless efforts led not only to the creation of these courts but also to the blossoming of a diverse and enthusiastic pickleball community. Today, the courts are a hub for players of all ages and abilities, promoting health, connection and fun,” the release noted.
For more information about the park or the pickleball courts, call (352) 671-8560 or email parks@marionfl.org
The Helping Hands Golf Tournament winning team members were Jay King, Anna Logan West, Perry Crenshaw and Bill Searcy.
Brad Dinkins presents a title sponsorship award to Stan Hanson, in memory of his son, Adam, for whom the Adam Hanson Better Communities Fund is named.
Ken Dinkins, CEO of Helping Hands, helped keep things running smoothly.
Helping Hands board member Pete Whirle and resource specialist Jessica Garvin welcomed the participants.
They didn’t win the cash, but one of the more popular contests during the tournament drew the attention of Kirk Glenn, Mike Wojo, Will Crosby, Curt Missell and Mitch Twardosky.
Submitted photos
The Coehadjoe Park Pickleball Courts have been named in memory of John Hunt. [Photo courtesy Marion County]
Cooking up savings: How to cut your food costs
By Christy Jones Special to the Gazette
Groceries are expensive! I don’t know about you, but my grocery spending is at an all-time high. With inflation hitting the grocery aisles as well as restaurants, it’s crucial to find ways to cut food costs. There is one place you can still take control—your kitchen.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. household spends more than $3,600 per year eating out—that’s nearly $70 a week. By cooking at home just a few more times a week, you could save hundreds, even thousands of dollars annually. Here are some easy-to-implement ways to cut costs:
1. Plan before you shop
Meal planning can reduce grocery waste by up to 30%, according to USDA estimates. If your average weekly grocery bill is $150, that’s $45 saved per week, or $2,300 per year, just from planning out your meals. Make a weekly meal plan and schedule a grocery pickup order so you have everything you need to cook at home. Try not to go into the grocery store without a list, as impulse buys can really add up. Meal planning also helps avoid midweek takeout splurges, which can easily cost $15 to $25 per meal.
2. Cook in batches
Preparing large meals and freezing leftovers reduces both food waste and energy costs. Say you replace two $15 takeout dinners each week with batch-cooked meals that cost $3 per portion: that’s $24 in weekly savings, or more than
avoid just two restaurant meals a month it can pay for itself in under six weeks. Plus, these tools often use less energy than a full-sized oven and have tons of uses. I recently cooked pork chops coated with parmesan cheese in my air fryer in 11 minutes and they were amazing!
5. Be smart about bulk buying
attempts at humor and plenty of practical tips to help stretch your dollars without stretching your sanity.
$1,200 annually. It really adds up! If this seems overwhelming, consider watching some YouTube videos on it. There are so many easy ideas that it’s worth trying at least once to see if it will work for you.
3. DIY snacks and drinks
Store-bought snacks and beverages add up fast. If your family needs quick and easy snacks on the go, consider buying in bulk to save (see below). Making your own coffee can easily save $5 per day if you’re a regular café-goer, which adds up fast. Going to the ball field? Pack a cooler with water, drinks, snacks and ice to avoid spending money at the concession stand or drive-thru.
4. Invest once, save for years
A $40 slow cooker or $100 air fryer might seem like an expense, but if it helps you
RICK STEVES’ EUROPE
Bulk buys only make sense if you’ll actually use the items. But buying items you know your family will eat regularly really does make sense (cents?) if you’re careful about it. Yes, a Sam’s Club membership will cost you $50 a year but they have specials and rebates all the time to make it worth it. Plus, you can fill up your car with cheaper gas while you’re there and they also offer curb-side pickup through the app. Not to mention, a membership allows for two cards so you could split the cost with a family member and not be breaking any rules—making it $25 a year. Worth it.
If you’re eating out three to four times a week and switching even half of those meals to home-cooked alternatives, you could save $2,000 to $4,000 a year. Add in smarter grocery shopping, fewer food related splurges and total yearly savings could really impact how much money stays in your bank account. So next time you’re tempted by a $5 coffee or a $15 pasta dish or pizza, remember—your kitchen can do it better and a whole lot cheaper.
For more money saving ideas visit frugalteacherlife.com
European Union
101: The history of the EU
Double-sided benches — with bottle-green planks separated by a thin backrest — are a trademark of Paris, lining the bustling sidewalks of the Champs-Elysées and the treedotted banks of the Seine. And so I was intrigued when I learned there’s one in Washington, DC… and even more so when I found out it’s a memorial to an architect of modern Europe. Because right here, in the US government’s backyard, is where the European Union (EU) was drawn up.
The EU — and its evolving relationship with the USA — has been in the news a lot lately. And while frustrations with its sometimes-clunky policies and heavy-handed bureaucracy are genuine, with so much misunderstanding in our world today, it’s important to remember why the EU exists. In the late 1940s, Europe had to take a good hard look in the mirror. Brawls between its combustible countries had sparked two World Wars in just 25 years, decimating generations, economies, cultures, and global
stability. So the Continent collectively wondered: How can we stop this from happening again?
The Treaty of Versailles, which tried to answer this question after World War I, didn’t work. The sanctions it slapped on Germany – ceding territory, paying fines, reducing military, and essentially being required to take full blame for WWI – proved too harsh. Instead of knocking Germany down, it stoked German anger and sparked the rise of the Nazi party. Arguably, the Treaty of Versailles didn’t just end World War I…it started World War II.
So after WWII concluded, a French politician named Jean Monnet proposed the opposite approach. Monnet lived in Washington, DC, and was fascinated by the United States’ system of united states: Parts of a whole that operate independently, but still share essential resources and work toward a collective prosperity. On his walks home from government meetings, Monnet dreamed up a similar model for Europe. That Parisian bench – now at the
French Embassy – is a nod to Monnet’s love for nearby Rock Creek Park, where inspiration struck.
Monnet pitched his idea for a united Europe, and America bought in. Through the Marshall Plan, the US helped European countries get back on their feet while Monnet put his brainchild into action. America’s thinking here was twofold. First, European collaboration greatly reduced the chance of infighting sparking another World War. Second, the US could benefit significantly. With the Soviet Union looming behind the Iron Curtain at Europe’s eastern fringe, America’s support could ensure western European nations emerged from WWII as democracies, allies, and trading partners…instead of as communist adversaries.
As the United States helped western Europe rebuild, Monnet
and France’s Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, drafted a plan for the American-backed countries to mimic the US and pool resources. They opted for coal and steel – war materials – which allowed participating nations not only to collaborate to achieve better manufacturing and quicker prosperity…but also to keep an eye on each other.
On May 9, 1950, the “Schuman Declaration” launched the European Coal and Steel Community – and six nations agreed to try it out: France, Italy, West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. And while the name “European Union” wouldn’t emerge until 1992, this is the founding of the EU as we know of it today. Like America celebrates July 4, the EU celebrates May 9 as “Europe Day.” It worked. Within years, those
six countries were doing so well that they wanted to move beyond coal and steel. They added more areas of collaboration and formed an elected government – the seed for today’s gigantic European Parliament – ensuring their citizens could democratically vote on representatives to this growing union. More success came, and by the 1970s, other European countries asked if there was room for them, too.
Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom joined in 1973, then Greece in 1981, then Spain and Portugal in 1986. Over decades, this “European Union” grew to 28 countries (now 27, after the UK famously left via Brexit), including some former Soviet states – a major victory for global democracy. With each enlargement, the EU assumed new problems to solve and adopted new citizens to care for.
Today’s European Union is a true family of nations. It recognizes that common European problems are best solved by working together, instead of “every nation for itself.” And, the thinking goes, with that collaboration also comes a better chance of prosperity and happiness for all of Europe.
This vision may seem overly utopian. (And, at times, it is.) But at its core, and as that bench in DC reminded me, the European Union was founded –and continues to succeed – as a peace project. This May 9 marks 75 years without war between EU countries. And, after Europe leveled itself with two World Wars in 25 years, that’s quite an accomplishment.
The European Union was founded years ago as a peace project. It’s still succeeding as one today. [Photo credit: Cameron Hewitt, Rick Steves’ Europe]
Government
JUNE 23 AND 30
Marion County Development Review
Office of County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave., Building 1, Ocala
9am
The committee meets each Monday to review and vote on waiver requests to the Land Development Code, major site plans and subdivision plans. See marion.fl.legistar. com/calendar.aspx for agenda and minutes.
JULY 1 AND 15
Marion County Board of County Commissioners
McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala
9am
The commission meets in the morning of the first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video are available at marionfl.legistar.com/calendar.aspx
Ocala City Council
Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala
4pm
The council meets each first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas and minutes are available at ocala.legistar.com/calendar.aspx
Belleview City Commission
Belleview City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview
6pm
Meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video available at belleviewfl.org/200/agendasminutes
Community Arts
JUNE 21
JUNE 24
Marion County School Board 1614 E Fort King St., Ocala
5:30pm
The board meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Agendas and minutes are available at go.boarddocs.com/ fl/marion/Board.nsf/Public
JULY 9
Dunnellon City Council
Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 River Dr.
5:30pm
The council generally meets the second Wednesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video are available at dunnellon. granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=1
AUG. 1
Deadline to apply for street banners
The city of Ocala Public Works Traffic Division is accepting applications for the 2026 street banner lottery. Two banner locations are available for one-week reservations: the 1100 block of East Silver Springs Boulevard and the 1300 block of West Silver Springs Boulevard. Only nonprofit organizations are eligible to reserve a banner location. Applications are available in person at 1805 NE 30th Ave., Building 300, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To request an application by email or fax, call (352) 3516733 or email pubworks@ocalafl.gov. The deadline to apply is Aug. 1.
College of Central Florida Application Day
AdventHealth Center for Nursing, CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road
9-11am
At this event, future students can apply to the college with no fee, start the financial aid application, speak with advisors about program and degree options and tour the campus. The college will give away free CF merchandise and attendees may enter to receive a scholarship to cover tuition for one class at the in-state rate. Students also may choose to take a placement test, which starts promptly at 8 a.m. at the Bryant Student Union. Prospective nursing students will be invited to take a tour of the new AdventHealth Center for Nursing. An event also will be held June 23, from 4-6 p.m. at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto. For more information, visit cf.edu/appday
JUNE 23
Marching to Fort Drane history talk
Reddick Public Library, 15150 NW Gainesville Road, Reddick
10:30am Area historian Annabelle Leitner will discuss what was happening at Fort Drane in northwest Marion County during the 2nd Seminole War and Duncan L. Clinch’s Auld Lang Plantation where the fort was located, along with information from diaries of soldiers and newspaper clippings published from the time. The talk is free to attend. To learn more, call (352) 438-2566.
JULY 4
Patriotic Skies 4th of July celebration
Tuscawilla Park, 800 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala
6-10pm
The city of Ocala, in partnership with Ocala Main Street, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners and Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau, is hosting the event. Access to the park is free. There are fees associated with a VIP event at the nearby Midtown Station. The city of Ocala is hosting live entertainment, family activities and food trucks, while Ocala Main Street will present the fireworks display. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. Midtown Station and Infinite Ale Works are hosting the VIP party, with ticketsfrom $20 to $60, at midtownstation.ticketspice.com/fourth-of-july-party To learn more, including a list of FAQs about
JUNE 20
Dueling
NOMA
the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 6pm Grab a seat at a café table and enjoy dueling pianos, cocktails and an evening of fun with friends. Performing sing-along classics of soft rock and pop that spans decades. Guests will be seated at tables of four
Dueling Pianos Uncensored
NOMA
as talented pianists engage in hilarious and unpredictable musical mash-ups while our cocktail servers dish up your favorite drinks. Get ready for a night of laughter, outrageous requests and a high-energy, adults-only atmosphere that’ll leave you begging for an encore. Get tickets at reillyartscenter.com
JUNE 27
JUNE
JUNE
JULY
THROUGH JULY
Chi-Town Transit Authority will
at the Reilly Arts Center. [Photo courtesy Reilly Arts Center] The Ocala Symphony will perform its annual salute to veterans on June 19. [Photo courtesy Reilly Arts Center]
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.
BUILD AND PROGRAM ROBOTS!
IHMC’s 2025 Summer Robotics Camp will offer students the opportunity to learn about computer programming and robotics. Campers will further develop their teamwork skills, confidence in problem solving, and creativity. They will hear short presentations about state-of-the-art research at IHMC and have the opportunity to eat lunch with an IHMC research scientist in a small group. In both sessions, we will work with Lego Mindstorms robots. In the second session, campers will also get some exposure to the Python programming language.
SESSIONS
1
2
Ocala Session 1: Rising 8th Graders
June 23–26, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Ocala Session 2: Rising 9th and 10th Graders
July 7–10, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
DETAILS
Each session costs $225. Students should select one camp session (only) based on grade level. Space is limited to 20 participants per session. Financial assistance may be available for qualified candidates. Acceptance is on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to students who haven’t attended in prior years.
Please register via EventBrite at ihmc.us/robotics-camp
Phone: 352-387-3050
E-mail: uschwuttke@ihmc.org
Mail and Camp Location: IHMC Robotics Camp, 15 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala, FL 34471
Website: www.ihmc.us/robotics-camp
Broom
Filing # 225218694 E-Filed 06/13/2025
02:42:30 PM RAINBOW PRINGS PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., a Florida non-profit Corporation, Plaintiff, VS. RHONDA P. CALDERONE; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF RHONDA P. CALDERONE, et al, Defendant(s). IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 5TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA
CASE NO. 24CA001376AX
NOTICE OF SALE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 45
(To be published in The Ocala Gazette)
AV, Mechanical, Sports and Play Areas.
Please contact Steve Masucci at steve.masucci@skanska.com or 813-244-1906 for prequalification information and access to BuildingConnected.
Please contact Joseph Younes at joseph.younes@skanska.com or 407-795-1560 for any general questions.
NOTICE OF RULE MAKING
NAME OF AGENCY: The School Board of Marion County, Florida RULE TITLE: 2025-2026 MCPS Mental Health Assistance Allocation Plan
RULE NO: Board Policy 2.25
SUMMARY: Hold a Public Hearing at the July 22, 2025, School Board meeting to approve the 2025-2026 MCPS Mental Health Assistance Allocation Plan.
SUMMARY OF RULE: The 2025-2026 MCPS Mental Health Assistance Allocation Plan was developed to comply with the requirements of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, Senate Bills 7026 and 7030. This plan will promote mental wellness and will allow for the early identification of mental health concerns that may impact the safety of students and the orderly operation of the school environment.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COST: The additional resources required will be provided by the mental health assistance allocation created by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act to assist school districts in establishing or expanding school-based mental health care. Any person who wishes to provide information regarding the statement of estimated regulatory costs or to provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Student Public Safety Act, Senate Bills 7026 and 7030
A Public Hearing will be held at the following School Board meeting: TIME: 5:30 p.m.
PLACE: Marion Technical Institute Auditorium, 1614 E. Fort King Street, Ocala, Florida 34471
DATE: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Men-
tal Health & Wellness Director, Marion County Public Schools; PO Box 670; Ocala, FL 34478
NAME OF AGENCY: The School Board of Marion County, Florida RULE TITLE: Instructional Materials RULE NO.: Board Policy 2520
SUMMARY: Schedule a public hearing with the Hearing Officer present, if needed, to be held on Tuesday, July 8th, to approve the 2024-2025 Instructional Material Titles for Adoption.
SUMMARY OF RULE: Revisions align policy with current statutes governing instructional materials.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COST: There are no additional costs required other than those of advertising.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 1001.41, 1001.42 Fla. Stats. (2024). Law(s) Implemented: 1003.41, 1006.28, 1006.283, 1006.29, 1006.30, 1006.31, 1006.32, 1006.34, 1006.36, 1006.38, 1006.40, 1006.41, 1006.42, Fla. Stats. (2024).
A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD IF NEEDED:
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
PLACE: Browne Greaton Cole Auditorium, 1614 E. Ft. King Street, Ocala, Florida 34471
DATE: July 8, 2025 (if needed)
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE RECOMMENDED TITLES FOR ADOPTION, CONTACT: Braegan Hughes, Coordinator, Curriculum & Instruction Marion County Public Schools PO Box 670 Ocala, FL 34478
Notice of Rule Making
NAME OF AGENCY: The School Board of Marion County, Florida
RULE TITLE: Code of Student Conduct 2025-2026
RULE NO: Board Policy 5500
SUMMARY: Hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, to review the 2025-2026 Code of Student Conduct, which will reflect changes in legislation in order to comply with F.S. 1006.07.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COST: Upon approval, the document will be posted on the District’s website and has minimal direct costs. Any person who wishes to provide information regarding the statement of estimated regulatory costs or to provide a proposal for a lower-cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: Section 1006.07 Fla. Stats. (2024)
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 1006.07 F.S. District school board duties relating to student discipline and school safety.
A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD:
TIME: 5:30 P.M.
PLACE: School Board Administration Office, 1614 E. Fort King Street, Ocala, FL 34471
DATE: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
A copy of the proposed Code of Student Conduct may be obtained by writing to: Student Pathways, Marion County Public Schools, PO Box 670, Ocala, FL 34478
Fernades garage items/tools
The
and
with
on www.storagetreasures.com.
until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated June 12, 2025, entered in Case No. 24CA001376AX in the Circuit Court in and for Marion County, Florida wherein RAINBOW SPRINGS PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., is Plaintiff, and RHONDA P. CALDERONE, et al, is the Defendant, I will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash online on: JULY 21, 2025 at www.marion.realforeclose.com the Clerk's website for online auctions at 11:00 AM ET in accordance with section 45.031, Florida Statutes, the following described real property as set forth in the Final Judgment, to wit: LOT 8, BLOCK 146, RAINBOW SPRINGS FOURTH REPLAT, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK "S". PAGES 54 THROUGH 74, INCLUSIVE, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA.
A/K/A: 21555 SW 102ND STREET ROAD, DUNNELLON, FL 34431. ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM BEFORE THE CLERK REPORTS THE SURPLUS AS UNCLAIMED.
Dated June 13, 2025. SERVICE LIST
FLORIDA COMMUNITY LAW GROUP, P.L.
Attorneys for Plaintiff P.O. BOX 292965 DAVIE, FL 33329-2965 JARED@FLCLG.COM
RHONDA P. CALDERONE 21555 SW 102ND STREET ROAD
DUNNELLON, FL 34431
FLORIDA COMMUNITY LAW GROUP,
P.L. Attorneys for Plaintiff P.O. Box 292965 Davie, FL 33329-2965 Tel: (954) 372-5298 Fax: (866) 424-5348
Email: jared@flclg.com By: /s/ Jared Block
Jared Block, Esq. Florida Bar No. 90297
PUBLISH IN: THE OCALA GAZETTE CASE NO. 24CA001376AX
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: ESTATE OF PEGGY L. PATRICK, DECEASED.
CASE NO.: 2025-CP-1497
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Peg-
gy L. Patrick, deceased, whose date of death was May 19, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is, 110 NW 1st Ave., Ocala, Florida 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative's attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
All other creditors of decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.
The personal representative or curator has no duty to discover whether any property held at the time of the decedent's death by the decedent or the decedent's surviving spouse is property to which the Florida Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act as described in sections 732.216-732.228, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under section 732.2211. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The first date of publication of this notice is June 20, 2025. Attorney for Personal Representative, Caleb V. Smith, Esquire The Florida Legal Advocacy Group, P.A. 445 NE 8th Ave., Ocala, Florida 34470 FL Bar No.: 1008368 Tel: 352-732-8030 Fax: 888-399-3129 cs@FlagOcala.com Personal Representative, Jason W. Patrick, 26818 Lakeside Mill Lane Magnolia, TX 77354.
NOTICE UNDER FICTITIOUS NAME LAW
PURSUANT TO SECTION 865.09, FLORIDA STATUTES NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious names of Parker’s Tree Service and Parkers Tree Service, located in Marion County, Florida, intends to register the said names with the Division of Corporations of the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Parker’s General
6592 W Anthony Rd #3 Ocala, FL 34479
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION IN RE: ESTATE OF PETER J. WOLF, Deceased. FILE NO.: 2025-CP-1500 NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of PETER J. WOLF, deceased, whose date of death was April 28, 2025; is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division; File Number 2025-CP-1500; the address of which is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475. The name and address of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons, who have claims or demands against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, and who have been served a copy of this Note, must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court, WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. THE DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE IS JUNE 20, 2025.
Personal Representative: R. WILLIAM FUTCH 1890 S.E. 15th Avenue, Ste. 101 Ocala, Florida 34471 Attorney for Personal Representative: DAVIS R. WATSON III Florida Bar No.: 117996 DAVIS R. WATSON III, P.A. 2201 S. E. 30th Avenue Suite 202 Ocala, Florida 34471 (352) 732-8080 Email: davis@daviswatsonlaw.com
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA ROBERT CARBONE, Plaintiff, V. ESTATE OF COLLEEN KIERNAN f/k/a Colleen Carbone; ESTATE OF JAMES E. KIERNAN; ESTATE OF PATRICIA M. LOGERFO; MICHAEL J. LOGERFO; and CHRISTOPHER A. LOGERFO, Defendants. NOTICE OF ACTION Case No.: 2024-CA-0507
To the following Defendant: Estate of Patricia M. Logerfo Last known address: 215 N 3rd Street, Bethpage, New York 11714 Current address: Unknown Electronically Filed Marion Case # 24CA000507AX 05/27/2025 09:26:10 AM YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a lawsuit has been filed against you regarding the following described Real Property: Lot 25, Block 279, Unit #17, as shown and designated on Map of SILVER SPRINGS SHORES, filed in the Office of County Clerk of Marion County, Florida, according to the Plat thereof as recorded in Plat Book J, Page 143, of the Public Records of Marion County, Florida. You are required to serve a copy of your written defenses to this action, if any, on Daniel J. Raymer, counsel for Plaintiffs, whose address is 445 NE 8th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34470 on/or before JULY 17TH, 2025.
The original must be filed with the clerk of this court either before service on Plaintiff's attorney or immediately thereafter; otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint filed herein. Dated this 2nd day of June, 2025 Gregory C. Harrell, As Clerk of the Court
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA ROBERT CARBONE, Plaintiff, V. ESTATE OF COLLEEN KIERNAN f/k/a Colleen Carbone; ESTATE OF JAMES E. KIERNAN; ESTATE OF PATRICIA M. LOGERFO; MICHAEL J. LOGERFO; and CHRISTOPHER A. LOGERFO, Defendants. NOTICE OF ACTION Case No.: 2024-CA-0507 To the following Defendant: Estate of James E. Kiernan Last known address: 456 Secatogue Avenue, Farmingdale, New York 11735 Current address: Unknown YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a lawsuit has been filed against you regarding the following described Real Property: Lot 25, Block 279, Unit #17, as shown and designated on Map of SILVER SPRINGS SHORES,
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA
IN RE: ESTATE OF PROBATE DIVISION
CARLENE A. SHERNOWITZ File No. 2021-CP002801AX
Deceased. NOTICE OF ACTION (Formal Notice by Publication)
TO: Miranda Renae Shernowitz, 10701 Dark Water Court, Clermont, FL 34715
YOU ARE NOTIFIED that a Notice of Final Accounting and Petition for Discharge has been filed in this court. You are required to serve a copy of your written
The
Thomas J. Upchurch, Esquire Florida Bar No. 0015821 Upchurch Law 1616 Concierge Blvd. Suite 101 Daytona Beach, Florida 32117
Telephone: (386) 492-3871
Email: service@upchurchlaw.com
2nd Email: clutes@upchurchlaw.com Attorney for Personal Representative
RAINBOW SPRINGS PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., a Florida non-profit Corporation, Plaintiff, VS. JEFFREY HARTEY; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF JEFFREY HARTEY, et al, Defendant(s). IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 5TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO. 25CA000078AX NOTICE OF SALE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 45 (To be published in The Ocala Gazette) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated June 2, 2025, entered in Case No. 25CA000078AX in the Circuit Court in and for Marion County, Florida wherein RAINBOW SPRINGS PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., is Plaintiff, and JEFFREY HARTEY, et al, is the Defendant, I will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash online on: JULY 17, 2025 at www.marion.realforeclose.com the Clerk's website for online auctions at 11:00 AM ET in accordance with section 45.031, Florida Statutes, the following described real property as set forth in the Final Judgment, to wit: LOT 6, BLOCK 181, RAINBOW SPRINGS FIFTH REPLAT, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK T, PAGES 46 THROUGH 59, IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. A/K/A: 10051 SW 189 CT, DUNNELLON, FL 34432. ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM BEFORE THE CLERK REPORTS THE SURPLUS AS UNCLAIMED.
Dated this day of 2025. Gregory C Harrell As Clerk of Court
PUBLISH IN: THE OCALA GAZETTE CASE NO. 25CA000078AX
Melanoma stage determines treatment plan
DEAR MAYO
CLINIC: My 36-yearold sister recently noticed an unusual mole on her shoulder. She is scheduled for some tests. Her primary care physician believes it might be melanoma. What is melanoma? What treatment options are available, and is surgery necessary? Have there been recent advancements in treatments?
ANSWER: While melanoma is much less common than other types of skin cancer, it is the most serious because it is more likely to metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.
Melanoma starts in the melanocytes, which are cells that make the pigment that gives skin its color. The first signs of melanoma often are either a change in an existing mole or the development of a new pigmented or unusual-looking growth on the skin.
The ABCDE guide helps you determine if a mole or a spot may indicate melanoma or another type of skin cancer:
A is for asymmetrical shape. One half is unlike the other half. B is for border. Look for moles with irregular, notched or scalloped borders.
C is for color. Look for growths that have changed color, have many colors or have uneven color.
• D is for diameter. Look for new growth in a mole larger than 1/4 inch (about 6 millimeters, or the diameter of a pencil eraser).
E is for evolving. Watch for moles that change in size, shape, color or height, especially if part or all of the mole turns black. Moles may also evolve to develop new signs and symptoms, such as itchiness or bleeding.
If you notice any of these signs, make an appointment with your primary care clinician or a healthcare professional.
A few types of tests are used to diagnose melanoma. The first is a punch biopsy performed with a circular blade pressed into the skin around the suspicious mole. Another technique is called an excisional biopsy, which uses a scalpel to remove the entire mole and a very tiny bit of normal skin around it. It’s also important to have a total skin exam at the initial diagnosis because some patients will have a second primary melanoma found at the same time.
Once melanoma is diagnosed, your care team will determine the extent of the cancer by measuring its thickness, identifying whether it has spread to the lymph nodes and looking for signs of cancer beyond the skin. If there’s a chance the cancer could spread to nearby lymph
nodes, you might need a sentinel node biopsy. During this procedure, dye is injected into the area where your melanoma was removed and flows to the closest lymph node or nodes. Those lymph nodes, called the sentinel lymph nodes, are removed and tested for cancer cells.
Understanding the stage of melanoma will help your healthcare team create a treatment plan. Melanoma treatment often starts with surgery to remove the cancer. The treatment for thinner melanomas generally removes the melanoma with a margin of tissue, typically 1 to 2 centimeters of normal tissue. If the sentinel lymph node biopsy determines that the cancer has spread or your melanoma grows deeper into the skin, active surveillance with imaging, additional surgery and/or systemic treatment may be recommended. Other treatments include radiation therapy and systemic therapy. Recent advancements have significantly improved the prognosis for patients diagnosed with melanoma. These include targeted therapies, an approach that uses medicine that attacks specific chemicals in cancer cells, and immunotherapies, which use medicines that help the body’s immune system to kill cancer cells. Either option might be recommended for selected patients. Some patients also may benefit from systemic therapy before an operation.
Clinical trials have led to recent advancements in melanoma treatment because physicianscientists can test new and better approaches. Efforts are being made to enhance the accessibility and ease of patient participation in clinical trials. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, ask your care team about what options might be available.
While melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer, you can reduce your risk. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light is considered the leading cause of melanoma. UV light comes from the sun and tanning lamps and beds. You can reduce your risk by avoiding tanning beds, wearing broadspectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, avoiding sun exposure during peak hours (10 a.m.–3 p.m.) and wearing sun protective gear outdoors. Use about 1 ounce of sunscreen and reapply every two hours, or more if you’ve been sweating or swimming. If you notice rapidly growing or changing skin lesions, it’s important to notify your primary care physician or a care team member. The earlier melanoma is found, the better the chance of successful treatment. —
Tina Hieken, M.D., Breast and Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Still going strong
The Stuff the Bus campaign continues to put school supplies into the hands of local students each year.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
The Stuff the Bus outreach has gotten essential school supplies into the hands of needy and homeless Marion County students for about two and a half decades.
The initiative began with yellow buses parked at local retail stores and volunteers seeking public donations but now is handled by local veterans’ organizations.
Stuff the Bus was originally organized by Marion County Public Schools when Suzanne McGuire served as the organization’s homeless liaison.
“I was invited to speak at a luncheon for the Military Officers Association and they wanted a project. I said it would be great if I could get a bus and go around the county collecting school supplies for homeless and needy children and the community would stuff it with school supplies. Stuff the Bus was started, and Col. (Lamar) Hunt was the force with the veterans, and we were co-chairs for many years,” McGuire wrote in an email.
A 2002 MCPS press release indicates the program was “cosponsored by Marion County Public Schools and the (Retired) Officers Association, Kingdom of the Sun Chapter.”
A “decorated school bus with ample room to ‘stuff’ donations inside” was parked at local stores to collect donations in earlier years of the program, according to information provided by Kevin Christian, the longtime director of Marion County Public Schools Public Relations.
Christian said the Stuff the Bus program “has provided tens of thousands of backpacks and countless school supplies during its lifespan.”
Stuff the Bus is now overseen by members of the Kingdom of the Sun Chapter, Military Officers Association of America; the Marion County Veterans Council and private volunteers. McGuire remains active in the program as a member of the council and as a Stuff the Bus officer.
Former MCPS Deputy Superintendent retired U.S. Army colonel Craig Ham “has been spearheading the program the past few years,” McGuire stated.
Ham, who is CEO of Stuff the Bus, Inc., noted in an email message that last year, Stuff the Bus also provided enough age-appropriate kits of school supplies to fill the 5,000 backpacks secured by the Ocala/Marion County Community Foundation for its annual Back to School Community Give-Back program.
This year, the Stuff the Bus program is set to provide about 25 backpacks for each elementary, middle school and charter school in the county. Each pack is filled with age-appropriate and teacher recommended items such as pens, pencils and markers, including a recently added white board marker.
The school district had 1,556 homeless students in the 2024/25 school year and Stuff the Bus backpacks were distributed through the district’s Homeless and Needy Student Program and school counselors, according to Christian.
He said that MCPS now has 32 elementary schools, including two new schools, the Ross Prairie and Winding Oaks elementary schools, one K-8 school, nine middle schools and five charter schools including all grade levels.
On June 13, volunteers met at a local storage facility for the first backpack stuffing session for the upcoming school.
Vanguard High School Navy
JROTC cadets Lt. Cdr. M’Terriana Council, CPO Chief M. Lightsey, Master Chief Hayden Wise, Lt. Cdr. Amarianna Weem and Chief Kamilla Gonzalez were joined by members of the On Top of the World Veterans Club at the session.
Navy Master Chief Gary Wise, a VHS faculty member and JROTC instructor, and his wife Erica and their son Lincoln, 10, also volunteered, along with veteran Doug Juhl, a naval aviator who served from 1964 to 1986.
Ham stated in a text that about 725 backpacks were stuffed at the session and that he expects more than 400 will be stuffed at another session on July 5. He and other volunteers will distribute the backpacks to the schools in the next few weeks.
“This year’s materials are all purchased with donations from individuals and some businesses,” Ham stated.
“Stuff the Bus has also enjoyed support from the Marion County Veterans Council and its affiliates. Stuff the Bus has always been, and will remain, a veteran-driven organization. We ask donors to ‘Help Vets Help Kids,’” he wrote.
“We are an all-volunteer program with backing from veteran groups and every penny of the nearly $40,000 we raise goes toward the acquisition, storage, sorting and delivery of our product—a brighter academic future for the neediest among us,” he noted.
To learn more, go to fb.com/StuffTheBus.Florida/
Kamila Gonzalez, 15, left, and Amarna Weems, 17, cadets with the Vanguard High School NJROTC, fill backpacks.
A volunteer loads school supplies for backpacks for Stuff the Bus.
Hayden Wise, 17, a VHS NJROTC cadet, helps with the packing session.
U.S. Navy veteran Doug Juhl, left, and Erica Wise, right, open backpacks.
Col. Craig Ham, U.S. Army, retired, president/ CEO of Stuff the Bus, carries supplies to be loaded into backpacks.
Meyarie Lightsey, 16, left, and M’Terriana Council, 17, right, both cadets with the Vanguard High School U.S. Navy JROTC, pack backpacks for Stuff the Bus in Ocala on June 13, 2025.
