Senior struggles
Rising costs of food, housing and more are presenting daunting challenges for older people.
By Andy Fillmore
andy@ocalagazette.com
If you’ve shopped for groceries or an apartment lately, you get it—things have gone up.
Increases in food, housing, utilities and insurance costs have been felt by all consumers, but perhaps most hard hit are seniors living on Social Security income alone.
Deadly detox at MCSO jail
By Jennifer Hunt Murty Jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Detoxing from drugs or alcohol can be dangerous anywhere, but when it happens in a turbulent jail environment, the person going through the withdrawal symptoms can be in even greater danger.
The case of a Marion County jail inmate, who died five days after being incarcerated while he was overcoming admitted drug use, raises questions about the level of care being provided to inmates at the facility. Challenges detoxing in jails have been widely reported. According to a 2022 joint report by the Bureau of Justice Assistance within the US Department of Justice and the
See Deadly detox, page A3
The U.S. Census states that as of July 1, 2024, 28.5% of Marion County’s population of 428,905 was over 65 years old.
Karla Greenway, CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services, one of the largest nonprofit help agencies in the county, said she has definitely seen senior clients impacted by housing and cost of living increases.
“We have heard multiple stories from seniors on a fixed Social Security income that had their rent raised by $200 to $400 per month. For some, this increase exceeded the total amount of their monthly income,” Greenway wrote in an email.
“Add to that the increased cost of utility bills and they are no
WEC's massive sports complex hurtles toward finish line
Over strong opposition, commissioners send proposed development to state for review.
By Belea T. Keeney belea@magnoliamediaco. com
After more than four hours of discussion before an audience of over 200 people, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners on July 21 unanimously approved a controversial and expansive sports complex that World Equestrian Center owners plan to build on land previously designated for low-density housing and "equestrian estates."
The vote during the board’s Planning & Zoning meeting sends the plan to state agencies for review. The board anticipates getting the review back later this year, at which point a zoning change and potential planning restrictions will be negotiated and
See Sports complex, page A8
The College of Central Florida is introducing a Geographic Information Systems certificate program to help meet a growing need for people trained in the specialized technology.
By Margo Wilson margo@ocalagazette.com
These are but a few of the surprises one can find on maps on city of Ocala or Marion County government websites. And they are but a few of the many uses that Geographic Information Systems technology makes available to city and county staff, businesses and the public. To help accommodate a growing need for people trained in creating
and maintaining digital maps and related information, the College of Central Florida this fall is introducing a one-year certificate program in GIS.
The program should qualify graduates to serve as GIS technicians, map assistants and data assistants. Students also can apply the classes toward related two- and four-year
See GIS, page A4
Subscribers will receive their paper through USPS on the USPS schedule.
Subscription orders must be received by 5 pm on Tuesday in order to be included in the following week’s delivery. Starting at $10/month ocalagazette.com/subscribe
Housing, page A6
Shown with an interactive map projected on the wall behind them, Amy Osborne, the CF Computer Information Technology Program Manager for IT Programs, left, and Asir Khan, a CF student and a GIS programmer analyst, talk about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training in a computer lab at the College of Central Florida in Ocala on June 25, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
The Evangeline Booth Garden Apartments complex in Ocala is one of the local facilities accessible to low-income seniors. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]
Tim Gant, left, and Jerome Feaster, both of Save Our Rural Area (SORA) talk during the Planning and Zoning Commission and DRC Waiver Requests Public Hearing about the proposed World Equestrian Center sports facilities at the Marion County Commission auditorium in Ocala on July 21, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Juan Miranda Valentin and Keyshalin Costa wedding in 2015. [Supplied photo]
Christmas in July
The Salvation Army is conducting a red kettle drive this month to help with a funding shortfall.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
It’s not your imagination if you hear the tinkling of bells and spot a signature Salvation Army red kettle while shopping at a Marion County Walmart store in the July heat.
The Salvation Army of Ocala is holding a Christmas in July fund drive at area Walmart locations through July 31, according to retired SA Maj. Forrest McIntyre, who is overseeing the drive.
The funds raised will be used for the Center of Hope shelter, which now is operating on a “month to month” basis, McIntyre stated.
He said the local red kettle drive for the Christmas season of 2024 experienced a shortfall of funds.
McIntyre said the goal of the drive is $35,000 and that volunteers are needed especially in the southern part of the county.
To volunteer, call (352) 816-1059.
Marion County Fire Rescue boosts recruitment amid national shortage
Offers were made by the department to 40 candidates following a July 12 testing event in Ocala.
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Marion County Fire Rescue is ramping up efforts to support locals interested in firefighting careers as departments across the country struggle to fill their ranks.
According to a 2023 report by FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration, “in recent years there has been a steady decline in the number of firefighters in the nation. This decline is impacting all department types, leaving the communities they serve vulnerable to threats and increasing the stresses among firefighters and municipalities. It is imperative that we invest in programs and initiatives to incentivize individuals to join volunteer, combination, and career fire departments.”
Currently, MCFR has 51 open positions for firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, but saw success with a recent recruitment event held at Brick City Park on July 12.
According to James Lucas, a spokesperson for the department, the event drew 97 candidates who were “required to complete a series of physical benchmarks, including 25 push-ups in two minutes, 45 sit-ups in two minutes and a 1.5-mile run completed in under 12 minutes and 30 seconds.”
Out of the 97, 54 candidates advanced to the second qualifying round that “tested firefightingspecific skills such as ladder climbs, the Keiser sled strike, dummy drags, hose and nozzle connections and a charged hose line drag.”
“In total, 46 candidates successfully completed both assessments—marking the largest number of applicants ever progressing to the next phase of the Non-Certified Recruit Academy,” wrote Lucas.
Offers were made by the department to 40 of those candidates.
The county will cover the cost of firefighter and EMT training, valued at $6,700, in exchange for a threeyear commitment to MCFR following successful completion of the program.
However, Chief Drew Rogers said MCFR’s arrangement with the State Fire College—where department instructors are utilized—provides the county with cost savings of approximately $2,200 per trainee.
“And, if the trainee does not keep his three-year contract, then they will have to pay the county back for the tuition,” Rogers explained.
Fire union negotiations with the department are scheduled for Aug. 11. The results of those talks have become increasingly important as fire departments across the state and nation compete for qualified personnel.
“The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”
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Adding another element to the staffing challenges is the recent signing of House Bill 929 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The measure updates the Florida Firefighters Occupational Safety and Health Act by expanding its scope to include occupational diseases and suicide prevention.
The bill sets a cap on standard firefighter shifts at 42 hours per week to reduce burnout. MCFR currently schedules firefighters for 56 hours a week.
There is also growing awareness around national staffing recommendations that call for no fewer than four firefighters per engine. That standard gained renewed attention following a tragic fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, that resulted in nine deaths and 30 injuries.
In that case, the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Edward Kelly, emphasized the four-person staffing standard, noting that only two of Fall River’s 10 companies met that threshold.
While MCFR may have sufficient staffing at some stations, when paramedics are away on separate calls, only three personnel may remain on the engine. Those scenarios have raised concerns among some fire chiefs, particularly for larger incidents, and have been a topic in previous union negotiations.
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Retired Salvation Army major and volunteer drive coordinator Forrest McIntyre rings a bell by a red kettle in Ocala on Dec. 15, 2023. A
photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Battalion Chief Brent Murray addresses 96 candidates prior to test beginning of recruit event. [Photo courtesy Marion County Fire Rescue]
Deadly detox
Continued from page A1
National Institute of Corrections, 63% of those sentenced to jail have a substance use disorder, compared to 5% of adults who are not incarcerated.
Yet statistics from the Department of Justice from 2000 to 2019 reflect the nationwide number of inmate deaths at local jails who have died from drug/ alcohol intoxication during that period increased by 397%. Female inmates' deaths of drug or alcohol was nearly double the rate of males.
Since the median length of stay in jail before death from alcohol or drug intoxication is just one day, jail medical staff must be ready with detox protocols in place.
As part of an ongoing investigation into the uptick in deaths at the Marion County jail, records recently obtained from the jail indicate post-booking ER visits decreased by more than half compared to their historical average from 2022 through 2024 when some inmates died for reasons that could be attributed to delayed medical intervention.
Under a $14 million annual contract, the Heart of Florida Health Center provides medical care to Marion County Jail inmates, which includes the cost of emergency care. HOF, however, has refused to respond to a public records request by the “Gazette” for financial records for emergency care, and their bills to the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office, which operates the jail, do not provide detailed information.
Records show that the death rate of persons incarcerated at the Marion County Jail is four times the national average. As part of an ongoing investigation into this disturbing trend, the “Gazette”
examined whether delayed medical care and questionable oversight in the care of Juan Valentin lead to his death on Oct. 3, 2024, five days after his initial incarceration.
Juan Valentin
Valentin, 61, was a mechanic who struggled with drug addiction since he was a young man, according to his wife, Keyshalin.
The couple met when Valentin, originally from Puerto Rico, moved to Marion County, Florida in 2007. They were married in 2015.
Keyshalin said that despite her husband’s battle with addiction, she will always remember him as a “beautiful soul” and continues to miss speaking with him.
Medical records indicate that Valentin had gone through detox protocols in 2018 and 2020 at the Marion County Jail. Keyshalin questioned why jail medical staff delayed transporting him to a hospital when his symptoms became severe during his 2024 arrest.
With help from Keyshalin as Valentin’s next of kin, the “Gazette” was able to obtain HOF medical records for that provide a timeline for his care from the time he was incarcerated on two counts of petty theft to his death five days later while being transported from the jail to the hospital on Oct. 3, 2024.
It should be noted that the jail infirmary has no electronic monitoring equipment and relies solely on human monitoring, according to a source familiar with the jail clinic.
Valentin was booked at the jail at 4:46 p.m. Two hours later, during his medical intake, he admitted to using opioids and cocaine in the last 12 hours. His vitals are rechecked over the next four hours, and his history of hypertension and diabetes was documented.
According to Medically Supervised Withdrawal For Inmates With Substance Use Disorders put out by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the symptoms that clinicians watch for are “change in mental status, increasing anxiety, hallucinations, temperature greater than 100.4, insomnia, severe abdominal pain, upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding, changes in responsiveness of pupils, significant increases and/ or decreases in blood pressure and heart rate, heightened deep tendon reflexes and ankle clonus, a reflex beating of the foot when pressed rostrally, indicating profound central nervous system irritability and the potential for seizures.”
Records indicate a nurse checked Valentin’s blood sugar every night he was at the jail to monitor the risk of diabetes, but his blood sugar levels remained within a safe range.
The US Department of Justice has published guidelines for monitoring inmates that are detoxing and issued special cautions for people over the age of 55 with other comorbidities. Under those guidelines, inmates with a higher number of symptoms need a higher level of monitoring or potentially a transfer to a facility with more resources.
Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024
Valentin is assigned a bunk in the general population at 11:10 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024
At 1:20 p.m., he presented positive symptoms of withdrawal, joint pain, GI upset, anxiety/ irritability, restlessness. LPN Belinda Sullivan described it as “mild withdrawal.” Valentin receives a script that allows him to have a lower bunk.
At 4:31 p.m., Valentin was
given ibuprofen, anti-diarrheal medication and medication for nausea/vomiting by R.N. Christine Brown.
Monday, Sept. 30, 2024
At 8:44 a.m., Valentin was brought to the jail infirmary by a guard. Valentin will stay in the infirmary for the final days leading up to his death.
According to HOF records written by Nicholas Christofidis, APRN, Valentin presented body aches and headache and is said to be at 8/10 on the pain scale. Valentin’s blood pressure is an elevated 185/105. Christofidis prescribed Lisinopril, used to treat high blood pressure, for Valentin, without ordering lab work.
Typical blood pressure is usually lower than 120/8 for most adults, while low blood pressure is less than 90/60.
At 9:11 a.m., Valetin weighed in at 150 lbs. Records indicate he has lost 11 pounds since his booking. The notes reflect that Valetin’s temperature was 95 degrees, and the initial medical intake records indicate a temperature of 65 during booking. Both temperatures are so beyond the norm that it raises questions about their accuracy. Christofidis prescribed two more medications to treat high blood pressure, aspirin and diabetes medication, Metformin. His blood pressure had risen to 220/110, his pulse rate was 57.
At 11:45 a.m., Valetin’s blood pressure was the same, but his pulse has increased to 80. Christofidis prescribed Amlodipine which can relax blood vessels and reduce workload on the heart. Two hours later, he learns that Valentin had not taken his prescribed medications for hypertension and diabetes in more than 15 months.
Valentin’s next medical record entry at 5 p.m. showed
his blood pressure was 230/110. Dorisvel Ramos, R.N. called Dr. Jose Rodriguez, the jail medical director, who ordered that Valentin be admitted to the jail infirmary and prescribed additional medication to treat high blood pressure.
Two hours later, around 7 p.m., John Little, R.N. in the infirmary, records that Valentin reports a pain level of 0/10. His blood pressure was 186/104, pulse rate 86.
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024
Valentin’s vitals were checked 12 hours later at 7:30 a.m. by Ramos. Valentin’s blood pressure was listed at 190/130, pulse was 109, and his temperature is 98.4. The pain level is reported at 9/10 and his diet is listed as poor.
At 9 a.m., Christofidis assessed Valentin as “withdrawing from heroin and has elevated BP.” Valentin’s lisinopril is increased to 40 mgs daily despite having no bloodwork.
By 11 a.m., Valetin’s blood pressure is recorded as 220/115.
Valentin’s vitals were not checked until 2 p.m., and his blood pressure 210/120, pulse 69. He was prescribed an antihistamine sedative used to treat anxiety and tension.
Valentin’s vitals are checked at 7:20 p.m. and Little recorded his blood pressure at 136/100, pulse 102 and noted symptoms of “elevated pulse, stomach cramps and gooseflesh skin.”
Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024
Valentin’s blood sugar level was checked overnight, according to records, however his vitals were not noted again for 17 hours.
At 12:23 p.m. Melissa Burns, R.N. noted Valentin’s blood pressure at 100/71, pulse 120, See Deadly detox, page A5
degrees.
The 21-credit, sevenclass GIS certificate program will teach students such things as information about database management systems; programing concepts; GIS fundamentals, and applications in GIS, GPS and remote sensing; engineering graphics; spreadsheet applications; and microcomputer applications.
Amy Osborne, faculty member and program manager of information technology, said faculty and staff met with representatives of the city, county and business to develop the program.
Twice a year, college representatives join with people from industry and elsewhere to discuss workforce needs, technological changes and educational, governmental and other changes at the state level, she said.
Natasha Thompson, Marion County's GIS coordinator, said using GIS is becoming increasingly critical for a number of county staff and, "It has become clear that expanded training opportunities are essential."
The director for the GIS and mapping division of a local civil engineering firm, whose clients range from The Villages to the Florida Horse Park, said his company needs employees who are GIS-savvy. Members of his firm don't want to be forced to look outside Florida for skilled workers.
Marty Goodwin, of the engineering firm Clymer Farner Barley, said recruiting right now for those with GIS skills is "difficult. There's a lot of interest from people outside of the U.S. But we would prefer to hire someone local. They are more likely to stay. We're really looking to hire people locally and grow them."
Melissa Northey, who oversees GIS for the city of Ocala, said that having GIS skills is something "we can see our workforce needing."
She estimated about 50 city employes use GIS software.
And even though Northey's an old hand at using GIS, she has signed up for the college's GIS certificate program starting this fall.
"I want to see what it's
like," she said, explaining that she'll likely learn some new things and also wants to understand what potential employees and city staff who take the courses will learn so the city can adjust on-the-job training as needed.
Northey said when she started working for the city, staff put maps in drawers. As the city started digitizing its maps, "(We) traced paper maps with tracing paper."
Goodwin said the field of civil engineering, as well as mapping, has changed dramatically over the years.
Twenty or 30 years ago, knowledge of geography was important, as well as engineering concepts.
This knowledge still is significant, but so is programming and other IT skills, according to Goodwin.
The fields of engineering, computing and geography are converging. And if a person has visual presentation skills and can create pleasing-looking digital maps and other representations, that's a bonus, as Goodwin sees it.
"It's a mix of data, science and art," he said.
And that means firms like his often train people on the job because few employees come to the job with skills in every area.
One of the people getting on-the-job training is Asir Khan, a GIS programmer analyst with Marion County's IT Department.
A 2024 College of Central Florida graduate,
“It's a mix of data, science and art.”
he also has enrolled in the college's new GIS certificate program for the fall. His bachelor's degree is in business and organization management with a specialty in management information systems. The county hired him while he still was in college after "recognizing my computer programming skills," he said.
Although he's learned about GIS on the job, he previously hadn't worked with mapping technology. He said he's enjoyed discovering "how programming and mapping combine to better serve our community. This shows that GIS careers are accessible to people from various backgrounds; you don't need to start as a geography expert."
Khan said he enrolled in the college's GIS certificate program because "formal education will deepen my understanding of geographic analysis and mapping principles."
Osborne explained that some of the power of GIS is in using it to filter data. Relying on some of the same principles as that used in spreadsheet management, GIS maps can filter data so users can visualize things they wouldn't necessarily
realize otherwise.
Khan further illustrated the concept.
"For instance, if someone needs to identify all commercial properties outside flood zones near major roads, our GIS can filter thousands of properties instantly. I develop tools that help departments answer complex questions efficiently, saving time and taxpayer resources," he said.
The county's Thompson said she sees an ongoing need for people with GIS skills as GIS "continue(s) to play an increasingly important role in Marion County's operations."
As she puts it, "the where" aspect in making decisions "is especially vital in a geographically large county like ours."
One of many ways the city uses GIS is to plot on maps where potholes are. Another is to show how far on a map a fire and rescue team can travel in a certain time, say four minutes.
On the county's website, the public can use GISpowered interactive maps to see such things as transportation projects, traffic counts and safety data. Many county departments also use GIS in decision making.
To see some ways the city uses GIS, go to ocalafl. gov and click on the blue box in the upper right of the screen, "I want to." From there, click on "I want to learn," and then "city maps" and "learn more."
For the county, visit marionfl.org and go to the "I want to" link in the upper right of the screen, and then click on "Maps" under "View."
The college's Osborne said state education officials have identified GIS skills as an area for high growth. She said she feels that GIS jobs
should be fairly safe and not taken over by AI. Furthermore, "the skillset complements many careers," Osborne said. "And you're never too late."
She said her oldest student was 90. He studied computer applications and spreadsheets and did well. Similarly, the college has dual-enrolled students who are both high school and college students. Osborne said her youngest student was about 15.
For those considering pursuing the GIS certificate program, or a career in information technology, "You have to love technology," Osborne said. "You have to be interested in puzzles."
One of those who loves technology and GIS is Goodwin.
"I love the tech side," he said. "And I love this field so much. .... I like the spreadsheets and maps. ... I get to deliver something that users value."
The county's Thompson has found that by sharing "geospatial data and ideas" among departments and other agencies, she and others have helped "build relationships and uncover new ways to benefit the community and public."
Khan told how one rewarding project in which he was involved was creating a mapping application for the county engineer's office that streamlines the staff's daily work and the way they serve residents. Another project for the county administrator makes it easy to track development patterns and make decisions about growth.
For the city's Northey, "I like the fact that I know I make a difference. I like the visual. And I like that every day is different."
For information about the college's GIS certificate program, go to cf.edu/it or email Amy Osborne at osbornea@cf.edu.
Marty Goodwin, of the engineering firm Clymer Farner Barley, speaking about GIS technologys
Melissa Northey oversees Geographic Information Systems technology for the city of Ocala. [Photo by Margo Wilson]
Broadband projects and awarded areas are shown in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping portal in
computer lab at CF. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Asir Khan, a CF student and a GIS programmer analyst, points to some features on a map of Ocala as he talks about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Deadly detox
Continued from page A3
temperature 97.8. He was not eating and reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and a 7/10 pain level “all over his body.”
More than eight hours later, Andrea Younes, R.N., reports a blood pressure level of 115/81, pulse of 112, 10/10 pain for headache. Valentin was “mat on floor for precautions, receiving Phenergan, Vistaril and ibuprofen for pain management.”
Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024
Valentin’s vitals were checked at 7:42 a.m. and his blood pressure was 100/63, his pulse is 109, respiration rate was an elevated level of 22. Janice Gissendanner, R.N. indicated Valentin was hallucinating at times and having a hard time sitting up or ambulating. Since Valentin was not urinating, he was sent to the treatment room in a wheelchair where they decided to do a straight catheterization. They were unable to obtain enough urine from Valentin, and he was ordered to receive IV fluids.
Despite already having records of low blood pressure, medical records reflect that staff gave Valentin three medications that could lower his blood pressure even more, as well as medications with sedative effects.
At 8:54 a.m., Duanne Cunningham, APRN, indicated Valentin cannot urinate and has not had a bowel movement in three days. He noted that “nursing staff reports several attempts for IV unable to get started.” Cunningham ordered lab work for the first time and tells nurses to push Valentin to drink two cups of water, start Librium and “taper due to suspected detox and behavior.”
For the first time, Cunningham recorded concerns that Valentin may also be having alcohol withdrawals in addition to drugs. Valentin was forthcoming at intake about recent drug use but denied alcohol use, which his wife confirms has historically been the case.
According to a correction officer’s report, at approximately 10:57 a.m., Valetin was transferred to another
infirmary room with two padded mattresses on the floor. At some point shortly thereafter, one of the officers alerted nurses that Valentin is throwing up black vomit, “crashed” and began vomiting blood.
Paramedics are requested to transport Valentin to AdventHealth, but Valentin codes in the ambulance and is pronounced dead upon arrival at AdventHealth Hospital.
The follow-up “investigation” into Valetin’s in custody death
The medical examiner did an external review of Valentin’s body and attributed his cause of death to “chronic ethanol and drug use” with contributing conditions listed as “hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”
The medical examiner’s office confirmed they did not review HOF medical records, and they did not do an independent toxicology report. The omission is notable since HOF did not have any lab testing for Valentin either.
H. McMurray from MCSO Major Crimes was asked to follow up with Sgt. Nathan McClain at the Marion County jail for the death investigation. There were no cameras on the room where Valentin lay on two mats alone, but there were cameras on the “exterior which he would provide to me at a later time.” MCSO reports do not include any narrative of what that video reflected.
“I was advised by Sergeant McClain they initially expected the decedent to recover, so room number 105 had been cleaned prior to my arrival. I went inside of cell number 105, which had been cleaned/bleached,” McMurray wrote.
“The manner of death was listed as natural. Due to the manner of death being natural with no suspicious circumstances present, I request this case be closed,” McMurray concluded.
Public records requests by the “Gazette” to MCSO for the video of outside the cell where Valetin lay before calling paramedics have been denied, citing statutes meant to protect jail security.
Housing
longer sustainable. Food costs have increased 20% just in the past four years. That has a significant impact when someone is trying to survive on $1,000 or less each month,” she wrote.
Jason Halstead, executive director of Brother’s Keeper, an outreach of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church that helps the “needy and marginalized” said the ministry helps “easily” dozens of seniors weekly for help on utility bills, food and rent assistance.
“When costs increase, or an event such as car repairs, home repairs or health issues occur, many seniors struggle making ends meet,” Halstead wrote in an email.
The Ocala Housing Authority handles Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher Section 8 lowincome rentals and HUD Veterans Administration Supportive Housing, ocalahousing.org states.
OHA maintains 185 public housing units for eligible families in the Deer Run, Pavillion Oaks, Shady Hollow and Pine Garden complexes, which offer one- to four-bedroom apartments and some efficiency units. Under the HCV program, families choose the rental location and pay an adjusted percentage of the rent, according to the website.
OHA Compliance Director Jacalyn Brown stated in an email that the HCV program filled quickly during a recent application window.
“Our Housing Choice Voucher waitlist opened on June 24, 2025, at 9 a.m. We accepted 2,000 applicants. We reached the maximum quantity of 2,000 cut-off by 11:30 a.m. We had a list of 34 applicants that were elderly or disabled, one of which is an 84-year-old woman that sleeps in her car. She was recently evicted,” Brown stated.
Brown said the 84-year-old woman is now on a wait list.
“We do not have a definite number of the elderly because some of the applicants may have sought the assistance of family members to apply on their behalf. We have not evicted any seniors from our public housing or open market units,” Brown indicated.
“We continue to have new landlords apply to assist our families. We conduct landlord briefings on the last Wednesday of each month,” she stated.
According to the Urban Institute, “over the past two decades, the number of senior households considered severely cost burdened—those spending more than half their income on housing—has nearly doubled, rising from 5.2 million to nearly 11.7 million, according to American Community Survey data.”
“And the share of severely
cost-burdened senior households has increased. In 2000, 11.5 percent of households headed by someone 50 or older were severely cost burdened. By 2020, the share increased to more than 16 percent,” the website states.
Several local facilities offer affordable housing. Some have a multi-year rental unit waiting list.
Goodwill’s Heritage Oaks of Ocala at 2820 SW 34th St. is a 72-unit one-bedroom apartment complex that offers residents 62 and older, with limited income, housing tailored toward seniors, with a community room, sun room and “shopping and medical facilities nearby,” goodwillsuncoast.org states.
The complex is HUD subsidized to “reduce rent to 30% of income. The waiting list for these apartments are closed due to excessive wait times and we are not currently accepting new applications,” the website indicates.
Trinity Villas in Ocala and the Salvation Army’s Evangeline Booth Garden Apartments both provide HUD Project Rental Assistance Contract supported apartments where, for example, seniors may pay 30% of adjusted monthly income for rent.
The Catholic Charities of Central Florida website indicates that Trinity Villas Senior Housing is part of that ministry.
Rebecca Cronkite, assistant manager at Trinity Villas, which is located at 3728 NE 8th Place, said the complex has 162 one-bedroom apartments, 165 current residents and a renter waiting list estimated at two years plus.
Cronkite said she gets “so many homeless people calling,” perhaps
10 a day.
At the Evangeline Booth Garden Apartments, at 2921 NE1 4th St., Saira Singh, HUD Housing Program Director and a staff of four, oversee 65 units that were built in 2000. Singh said she gets many calls daily from people of all ages looking for affordable housing on a limited budget in an economy where a one-bedroom apartment might cost upwards of $1,200 monthly. She said the wait list has about 76 applicants and represents about a 3 ½-year wait.
Singh provided a tour of the apartment complex, which includes a community room, classroom for courses like crafts, a library with internet access and a community kitchen with a dining area.
Pets are allowed, with some restrictions and an initial fee. The 512-square-foot apartments have appliances and security phones to buzz in visitors. Residents must pay their electrical bills and meals. Internet is available in individual rooms.
A beautification project is underway and Singh said her motto is that the facility should be kept like she would want her mother to live in.
Three residents who preferred to be identified only by first their names, Larry, Janet and Fannie, discussed living at the apartments, which are named after the daughter of the founder of the Salvation Army. Janet, in her 70s, said she feels “safe” at the complex and all three residents indicated that comparable housing at a similar price is likely not available.
Singh said a number of residents gather to search specials
include seniors, 60 and over, as well as disabled and disadvantaged persons under age 60 on a disability.
Marion Senior Services Executive Director Jennifer Martinez said she’s “definitely seen an increase” in persons on a fixed income seeking help, especially in light of increases in the costs of housing, food and more.
“People are barely hanging on and anything can tip the boat and upend a budget,” Martinez said.
Martinez said having “a heart” for the people the agency serves is essential.
Marion Senior Services oversees daily group meals for about 425 seniors in their homes or in group meals at the agency’s main headquarters at 1101 SW 20th Court, Ocala, and at the Marion Oaks and Forest community centers.
and clip coupons to maximize their shopping budget and make group trips to the market.
Singh refers some callers inquiring about available units who do not qualify for the facility to other shelters or agencies and distributes a booklet put out by the Ocala/Marion County Joint Office on Homelessness. The booklet provides contact numbers for various help agencies like Interfaith Emergency Services, Salvation Army, Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA) and the Arnette House for ages 10-17.
The nonprofit Marion Senior Services can provide help for qualified seniors in areas of food, transportation and in-home light housekeeping, shopping and laundry assistance and meal making services, which may provide budget relief.
Marion Senior Services officials said most people want to stay in their own homes and that calls are received daily about services. According to figures provided by the agency, incoming calls asking about services have increased from about 1,500 last June to 1,989 calls this year.
The agency aids about 70,000 people annually, with a budget of $12,000,000, an agency official stated.
Marion Senior Services is funded by the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Florida Department of Children and Families Services, Florida Department of Transportation, Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, United Way of Marion County and private donors, according to agency literature. Those served
For guests like “Renee,” age 65, assistance from Marion Senior Services has allowed her to remain in her apartment and care for her 86-year-old mother. She expressed some frustration with the wait time to enter Marion Senior Services but an official explained that a “risk factor” scale is used in processing applications and enrollment times may vary.
“Renee” said now that she’s set with Marion Senior Services, their help is “wonderful” and she is working toward a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice online.
The Marion Transit Division of Marion Senior Services maintains a fleet of 50 buses to assist “transportation disadvantaged” persons with physical or mental disabilities or due to age cannot drive, according to Florida statutes, the website indicates.
Passengers are helped with transportation to essential destinations such as doctor appointments or shopping by drivers like US Navy veteran George Myers III, who pilots one of the 14 passenger vans which can also accommodate three wheelchair passengers.
Cindy Moody, Marion Senior Services fund development officer, said the transportation service makes all the difference for some seniors.
“A passenger told us once ‘I would never have known what a beautiful day it was if you hadn’t picked me up,’” she said.
Elizabeth Colon, community resource specialist with Marion Senior Services, said she has seen cases as extreme as seniors calling from their hospital beds after being discharged with no place to go.
Moody said the “common thread” with seniors is “isolation.”
To learn more, go to marionseniorservices.org, mariontransit.org, Iesmarion. org, ocala.salvationarmyflorida. org and bkocala.org
Trinity Villas Senior Housing is part of The Catholic Charities of Central Florida and offers subsidized apartments. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]
Saira Singh, HUD Housing Program Director, shows a recently upgraded room in a unit that will soon be occupied at the Evangeline Booth
Garden Apartments in Ocala. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]
Vicki Harper, a human services case manager with Marion Senior Services, left, gives a meal to Violet Kuntz at her home in Ocala on Feb. 15, 2023, as part of team that visits elderly people and others in the community who need medical assistance and support. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Noted Ocala attorney dies
76 Dock Blanchard worked
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
Dock Austin Blanchard was a proud graduate of Harvard Law School, among other accomplishments. He graduated from Boone High School in 1966, then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard in 1971, followed by a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida in 1973. He practiced law in Ocala with the Blanchard, Merriam & Adel firm for decades.
Blanchard, who was born on May 20, 1949, in Gainesville, passed away on July 9 in Ocala at the age of 76.
According to the law firm’s website, Blanchard focused on complex commercial litigation, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, and supervised the firm with medical malpractice actions and complex family law matters.
“Mr. Blanchard has broad experience in both State and Federal Courts in Florida, the Federal District Court of New York, Federal District Court of Arizona and the Federal Appellate Courts in Atlanta, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. He has argued before the Supreme Court of Idaho and appeared before the Supreme Court of Florida. Additionally, he is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Blanchard is a member of the Florida Justice Association, where he is a former Chairman of its Amicus Curiae Committee and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates,” the site states.
Garry Adel, a partner in the firm, said Blanchard was “probably the most competent lawyer I ever worked with. He was a very dependable resource. You could walk into his office, give him any set of facts that you might be struggling with, and he would immediately give you advice that was usually spot on. We were partners for almost 40 years.”
“He went to college at Harvard, which he would tell you the first couple of minutes after he met you, then he came home and went to law school at UF. He was a local boy with the exception of spending four years in Boston,” Adel noted.
“He was very charming. He was very well liked, and everybody knew who he was. When I would have cases with lawyers out of town, nobody knowns who I am, but I would tell them, ‘You might know my partner, Dock’ and it was surprising how many people either knew him personally or by reputation,” Adel added.
“Colorful is a perfect adjective to describe Dock. He was very entertaining, could tell stories with the best. For me, my most enduring memories of him will always be what an incredibly great resource he was to me for the work that we did. I have worked with a lot of good lawyers over the years, but I have never worked with anyone who was better at just listening to a set of facts and evaluating them and identifying what the issues are, which is of course all that lawyers do. He was the best,” Adel said. Owen & Associates, owned by Kelly Owen McCall and Shelly Owen, provides reporting services in civil and criminal proceedings in state and federal courts. Shelly Owen posted on social media following Blanchard’s death that, “It was with great sadness we heard Dock Blanchard passed away. He was a brilliant attorney ... and a super-fast talker! Normal speech is around 180 words per minute, but reporters are prepared for the occasional emotional outbursts of 400 words per minute. That was Dock ALL DAY LONG.”
She also noted that, “Dock was always interested in the latest thing. He loved technology and being on the cutting edge of it. We had put in video conference immediately after 9/11, thinking no one would ever want to fly again. It was an extremely expensive setup, and you had to find someone with the same setup in the area your witness was in, which could take weeks to ferret that out. You guessed it! Dock was the only local attorney for the first couple of years to use it. He will be missed, and never forgotten.”
Kelly Owen McCall later said via an email message that, “As a court reporter working locally, I've known professionally and worked with Dock since I came here in 1987. I would just say that excellent and successful trial attorneys are hard to find, and that Dock Blanchard was both of those. I'm pretty sure any of our local bar would say the same.”
Blanchard was a boardcertified member of the Florida Bar. Materials provided by family members noted that, “He dedicated his life to his passion for law, serving as an esteemed
attorney since 1974. Dock was one of only five lawyers in the state of Florida to be board certified by the Florida Bar in both civil and appellate Law and earned recognition as one of the top-rated attorneys in the nation.”
His family members include daughters Ashley Danielle Bowman and Chanel Blanchard Culley.
“He truly loved life and gave his all until the very end. Anyone who knew him understands the immense heart he carried and the joy he brought to those around him,” Bowman said.
She said some of her fondest memories of her dad are “his love for his dogs and his dedicated quest for the perfect Sunday brunch always brings a smile to my face.”
As for life lessons she learned from him, she shared, “One of the lessons he instilled in me is that
persistence is key; if you never give up, you can never truly fail.”
Culley offered that one thing she learned from her father is, “You can never have too many dogs.”
The provided materials noted that Blanchard “found joy in his hobbies, including boating, playing handball and enjoying Sunday brunch with family and friends. He was involved in community organizations such as The Royal Dames and the Elks Lodge #286, where he formed lasting friendships and made significant contributions.”
Culley’s fondest memories include “time spent out on Lake Weir. We would spend hours out on the boat and dad would pull us tubing and wakeboarding. His happy place was our lake house on Lake Weir, I think it reminded him of my mom as it was also her happy place.”
“He put on a hard exterior, but he was one of the most giving kind-hearted people. He was always willing to stand up for the ‘little guy’ and fight for what he thought was right, not necessarily popular. He had an unprecedented passion for law and never wanted to live a day not being able to practice,” Culley added.
In addition to his daughters, Blanchard is survived by his brother, Joe Lane Blanchard; his mother-in-law, Sandra Harton; and grandchildren Clara Culley and Bray Bowman.
According to Chanel Culley, a celebration of life gathering for Blanchard will begin at noon on Aug. 2 at the Bank Street venue in downtown Ocala and will include a parade procession starting at 2 p.m., which will end at Ivy on the Square. All are welcome to attend.
Dock Blanchard [Submitted photo]
Dock Blanchard [Photo courtesy Blanchard, Merriam & Adel]
Sports complex
Continued from page A1
voted on. That will be the third and final hearing on the project applications. Sports at WEC hopes to have Phase 1 in operation in spring 2026.
Golden Ocala Equestrian Land LLC, the entity for the WEC organization, requested a Comprehensive Plan Large Scale Text Amendment to allow for part of the sports complex on the agricultural land, a comp plan map amendment to allow for sports facilities in the Urban Area within the current Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) fronting State Road 40 and an additional 300room hotel on the parcel.
"The allowance for Sport Facilities aligns with the WEC’s existing recreational and hospitality functions,’’ according to a county staff report. “However, by requiring explicit FLUE (Future Land Use Element) Policy approval, the County retains control over these uses, ensuring they are compatible with the rural character. Moreover, the amendment retains the restriction that commercial uses in the Urban Area must be equestrian-related, which is critical to preventing urban sprawl and maintaining rural integrity."
SPORTS AT WEC PLANS TO HOST A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES
Eric Sullivan, representing Sports Facilities Companies, based in Clearwater, which will develop the complex, presented plans for the various indoor and outdoor sports facilities. There is a need for this complex in north central Florida, Sullivan said, citing a previous study the county received from Hunden Strategic Advisors. Sullivan showed examples of the company's previous work in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas and said weekend and weeklong sports events would benefit tourism and local sports teams that need places to play and practice.
Commissioner Craig Curry asked Sullivan how local children would benefit from the project if the facilities would be available for public use such as after-school programs and local leagues. Sullivan said they would be available and would not interfere with other scheduled sporting events.
Wyatt Stephens, director of sports at WEC, spoke to the need for quality facilities for local athletes. "High-level athletes" in Marion County, he said, are underserved and have to travel to Tampa, Orlando or father to access events. Sports at WEC, he said, would allow for the growth of local athletes and give them opportunities they don't currently have.
WEC, he said, currently hosts a variety of nonequine events in its expo halls, including summer soccer camps, graduation
ceremonies, dog shows, expo/ vendor sales events and "open field play" for adults on select evenings.
GENERAL LAYOUT OF COMPLEX
The parcel is divided by Northwest 92nd Avenue Road. On the southeast side of the parcel, a mix of synthetic and natural turf soccer/lacrosse fields are planned. Additionally, the project includes eight fullsize synthetic turf multipurpose soccer, lacrosse and football fields; three natural turf soccer/lacrosse fields; and a championship soccer field with covered seating. This section also includes an "elevated covered parking" structure.
To the north, an indoor facility will allow for two fullsized ice sheets, eight full-sized basketball courts with the ability to function as 16 volleyball courts, and a full-sized synthetic turf soccer pitch. Plans for that building also allow for graduation ceremonies, concerts and food services with retail operations. A "sports entertainment" venue on the northwest corner could host miniature golf and pickleball events and includes a restaurant and retail section.
On the west and southwest side, six baseball/softball fields are slated. The complex also would house two restaurants and multiple fan-support buildings containing concessions, restrooms and field maintenance needs, according to the documents. Sports at WEC envisions outdoor field sports events, concerts and a hotel along with two restaurants and a site for food trucks.
SPEAKERS PRO AND CON
Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano addressed the board first during the public comment period and spoke in favor of the project. He cited the positive effects that playing sports have on children and how sports helps them learn teamwork. Sports participation, he said, offers positive self-esteem and good adult role models.
More than two hours of public comment followed, with about two-thirds of the nearly three dozen speakers opposing the project.
Several former and current athletes spoke in favor of the
complex, citing the logistical challenges and expense of traveling for weekend competitions. Some also mentioned the lack of high-level opportunities to reach college or professional echelons. Scouts don't attend individual school games anymore, one speaker pointed out. They go to regional tournaments instead to find youth talent.
William Kerns also spoke in favor, saying the Roberts family, owners of WEC, have created a "sustainable equine community" already and that the sports complex would allow kids "who may have never seen a horse" to see equestrian competitions alongside their own sports.
Matt Brockway, attorney for Horse Farms Forever, along with attorneys representing Charlotte Weber, owner of Live Oak Stud and Bernie Little, owner of Misty Lane, LLC and president of Horse Farms Forever, opposed the changes.
Brockway said a "highintensity sports tourism development with unlimited concerts" was at odds with the surrounding area and previous legal agreements made. The lawyers presented a 2016 settlement agreement made between Weber, Rebecca Lord and Michelle Sivilich with the GoldenOcala/WEC team that designated "one home per three acres" was a future restriction on development of that section of the parcel.
The change, one attorney said, "dismantles the settlement agreement previously done." The board was also reminded that a 2020 amendment to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) also specified low-residential usage in that section to act as a buffer between WEC and the horse farms and rural land to the west.
The presentation cited multiple examples of FLUE policy and subsections that specifically listed "low residential" and "equestrian estates" as the intended and approved uses for that section of the parcel.
Additionally, Brockway pointed out, the required traffic impact analysis was not completed and included, which makes the application incomplete and therefore not ready for state review.
County staff reported on the various amendments for the
entire WEC operation, beginning with the initial application and approval in 2016 and showing various PUD rezoning and special use permits granted over the years.
Tim Gant, president of Save Our Rural Area, said the project was "a breach of public trust" and reminded commissioners that the change in 2017 was to allow for equestrian estates not a "Disney-fied" complex larger than the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex currently in operation near Orlando.
Ira Stern brought a water spigot as a prop and asked commissioners about the water usage for the multiple turf fields, the new hotel and various retail venues proposed. He cited that WEC already uses 2.4 million gallons of water a day and questioned the sustainability of additional new uses.
Marion County School Board member Nancy Thrower urged the board to "stay vigilant against zoning creep," and another speaker quoted Commissioner Carl Zalak's own words during the 2017 initial hearing for the original WEC complex. People "expect rural peace and quiet," not concerts and non-horse sports, Zalak said at the time. "This feels like a swindle," the speaker said.
Other speakers spoke about the special soil in the northwest part of the county and how its unique limestone base helps horses grow. It also, however, can prompt sinkholes. Additionally, the area is a watershed for Rainbow Springs and speakers pointed out the potential environmental dangers from the fertilizers and nitrogen
commonly used to maintain sports fields.
Some speakers were enthused about the overall concept but felt the location near the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) made it an incompatible use.
After nearly two hours of public comment, the commissioners questioned attorney Jimmy Gooding and engineer David Tillman, who represented the WEC team. About the 2016 agreement with the Webers, Gooding said there were no restrictions on making future changes.
"You can change the rules," he stated. He also reminded the board that the entire parcel was not in the FPA but was, in fact, in the UGB.
Zalak spoke at length about the generosity of the Roberts family and how they've helped Marion County. He was confident, he said, that the Roberts would do a world-class operation in sync with the other WEC endeavors.
Commissioner Matt McClain also spoke positively about the importance of the FPA and acknowledged the impact that horses have on the county.
"There's room for both," he said.
Commission Chair Kathy Bryant also chimed in about the challenges of traveling for youth sports and said she felt that "children should be involved in youth sports." Learning to be a team player is crucial to development, she said.
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
An artist's digital rendering of the proposed sports facilities is shown during the hearing.
This is another artist's digital rendering of the proposed WEC sports facilities.
Eric Sullivan of The Sports Facilities Companies speaks during the public hearing.
People fill the County Commission auditorium during the meeting. Members of the Marion County Commission took part in the hearing.
This slide was presented during the hearing. [Image from Gardner Brewer Hudson]
A barely balanced budget
School district financial team navigated most challenging year yet.
By Lauren Morrish lauren@ocalagazette.com
The Marion County School Board on July 22 received a $1.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2025-26 which requires the district to use half of its reserve funds to balance it.
The budget, which includes a $420 million fund balance carryover, will be discussed further at a public hearing July 29 and work sessions on Aug. 7 and 14.
Marion County Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Theresa Boston-Ellis outlined the process and problem-solving that led to balancing the budget. She said the budget process began in January but state revenue projections were delayed, so the finance team moved forward using an estimated budget based on the previous year’s numbers.
By March and April, the district discovered that proposed expenditures exceeded the projected
revenue by $64 million. Boston-Ellis explained that $50 million of that shortfall was because federal ESSER (COVID-relief) funding had expired and because of the costs of building two new schools.
Since the required local effort tax rate dropped slightly by .003 mills and property values in Marion County rose another 10.9% from last year, Boston-Ellis said property owners will see increased property taxes.
To overcome these financial constraints and balance the budget, Boston-Ellis said the team worked “diligently” with department heads and school leaders to begin reducing the general fund operating budget.
She said the district was able to lower expenditures by nearly $47 million by cutting 265 vacant positions at $25.9 million in salary and benefits, $8.8 million from department budgets, and $4.8 million from operational costs.
Boston-Ellis said figures from
the state’s conference report also provided some relief as the projected revenue came in higher than the estimated revenue the team used from 2024-25.
She said layoffs would have been made if it weren’t for the fund balance carryover, the conference report that brought in $17.4 million in additional revenue, and the board’s committed fund balance being cut by 50%.
Two years ago, the board decided to put $14 million in a committed fund balance for a future rainy day. Board members mentioned that part of this balance could be used to balance the budget, but as a last resort.
Boston-Ellis said the financial team decided to use that fund, and $7.5 million of it was released to further balance this 2025-26 budget.
Board member Allison Campbell said, “The $64 million that we were short, we’re now balanced, we have that $64 million. But that is inclusive of the $7.5 million cut that this board member (Campbell) specifically did not want us to do.”
Campbell said that by balancing the budget with reserve funds, the board is technically violating a policy
it enacted two years ago to reserve a portion of the fund balance. She said that policy will need to be formally changed if the budget is approved as proposed.
Despite dipping into saved funds, Boston-Ellis said a capital outlay millage of 1.5 mills will bring in more money this year, and the district’s voter-approved half-cent sales tax increase will generate an additional $5 million to help offset rising costs associated with school safety and Safe Schools resource officers.
Board members and Boston-Ellis additionally attributed a portion of financial growth to Marion’s rising enrollment. The district projects 1,800 more full-time equivalent (FTE) students than previously expected.
An FTE student who meets certain educational requirements is a key metric for funding.
Out of the 1,800, Boston-Ellis estimates 1,200 will count toward the Family Empowerment Scholarship, meaning the money the district would have received from those students will be redirected.
Campbell said with the uncertainty of federal dollars, she is
thankful students continue to come to Marion County and help relieve some of these costs.
Campbell asked Boston-Ellis for the district’s current fund balance percentage, since Florida requires districts to meet a minimum of 3%, and many are struggling to meet that. Boston-Ellis responded that Marion County’s general fund operating reserve is over 5%, putting the district in a relatively stronger financial position than others.
Campbell thanked Boston-Ellis and her team for bringing a balanced budget to the board, and for all the work that they put in. Boston-Ellis said she gives the credit back to the board for setting aside millions of dollars in an accessible fund.
Chair Lori Conrad called for acceptance of the tentative budget, and the four board members in attendance voted to support it.
Conrad said the proposed budget was to be posted on the Marion County Public Schools website on July 23.
Boston-Ellis said, “I think Mrs. Conrad said it, ‘This is probably the most challenging year, and it’s not even halfway over,’ and I agree with you.”
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People, Places and Things A new normal
Kinsey Bogart is a dynamic young woman who has transcended numerous health challenges.
By Margo Wilson margo@ocalagazette.com
Life may never be "normal" for Kinsey Bogart, 21, of Belleview, but since late December she has found a new normal that makes life both doable and enjoyable.
And that's in part because she has started home hemodialysis and has a loving care team of her mother, Holly; father, Damon; and medical staff. She also draws upon her deep Christian faith and innate cheerful and impish personality.
Kinsey's kidneys and liver failed in 2004 when she was 8 months old and although her liver started functioning again, she has been on dialysis since then, except for 2 1/2 years after she had a kidney transplant in 2015. But that transplant failed.
Born prematurely at 35 weeks, Kinsey first was misdiagnosed as having the rare atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. But that was incorrect and what causes her kidney issues remains undiagnosed. She is a member of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network. She does have some genetic abnormalities, as well as cardiomyopathy, autism, ADHD and chronic pain in her hips and spine. She is not eligible for another kidney transplant because that also could fail since doctors can't determine why the first one didn't work.
For 11 1/2 years, starting when Kinsey was a baby, Holly hooked her daughter up to an at-home peritoneal dialysis machine that would run for 10 hours at night.
Kinsey would get off the machine in the morning and attend Ward-Highlands Elementary School in Ocala and later, Belleview Middle School. Holly worked as a school nurse in Ocala, while Damon worked for Marion County. He now is employed by the city of Wildwood's Public Works Department.
Kinsey had problems tolerating the transplant that she received when she was 12 and a sixth grader. She made it through eighth grade, but by July was hospitalized and put on hemodialysis when her transplant failed.
Dialysis is needed when people's kidneys can't process all the fluid they take in. With peritoneal dialysis, a fluid that removes toxins is pumped into the abdomen, left for a set time and is then removed. The procedure can be done at home and the equipment can be portable. However, this dialysis needs to be done daily. With hemodialysis, the blood is cleansed when the dialysis machine pulls it from the body and then returns it. Hemodialysis often is done at a center and usually is offered three times a week.
When Kinsey went on hemodialysis, she and Holly traveled three days a week for 6 1/2 years to UF Health Shands Children's Hospital in Gainesville, starting their hour-long journey many days in darkness so Kinsey could be on the machine by 7 a.m.
Since late December, however, she's been working with the home therapy clinic of Fresenius Kidney Care and receiving home hemodialysis, a service available to those adults who qualify for the treatment.
Holly explained that home hemodialysis is not available for children in this area and the closest place for such children's treatment is in the Panhandle area. But Kinsey is an adult now.
And with the hemodialysis, which Holly supervises four days a week, Kinsey's blood pressure is down, she is off of several medications "and I feel more energetic and less tired," she said.
But there's more responsibility for Holly. It takes her about onehalf hour to set up the machine. She has to order supplies and do labs to monitor Kinsey's blood. Holly takes the blood samples to Walgreen's in an ice pack and the results are back in a day or two.
Holly has quit her job to be more available for Kinsey.
Although the caretaker's tasks for home hemodialysis patients might seem daunting, Fresenius' Angeliz Ramos reassures those who might consider it that caretakers get hands-on training, as well as continuing support. You don't need to have previous medical training to take on the athome dialysis supervisor role.
Ramos manages Fresenius' home therapy clinics in the Ocala market, which also includes The Villages area as well as Inverness.
Caretakers are trained at a clinic and learn how to troubleshoot complications that may arise. Fresenius helps patients and caretakers initially set up the
equipment. Then, a nurse is on call and technical support is available over the phone, according to Ramos.
Ramos said that because home hemodialysis can be done more often than the standard three days a week at a clinic, the at-home dialysis can run more slowly, gently and less aggressively than at a clinic. And patients tend to be exposed to fewer side effects and complications.
Kinsey is pleased to be home. She can do art projects and play the piano while on dialysis. She said, however, that she misses her friends at Shands, including fellow dialysis patients, and she misses working with an art teacher once a week, who is part of Shands' Arts in Medicine program.
Nevertheless, Kinsey keeps up a Shands' connection as she still has multiple medical appointments that require her to visit various specialists there. She also is involved with the Dance Marathon at the University of Florida, a student-run group that benefits Shands Children's Hospital through the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Children's Miracle Network is a fundraising group supporting pediatric
hospitals. Kinsey raised $12,178 for the 2025 Dance Marathon this spring. Since she started working with the Dance Marathon in 2018, she has raised $47,000.
She has a Facebook page, Caring for Kinsey, and an Instagram account, kinseywarrior. For 2026, she has a goal of reaching $5,000 for the Dance Marathon and has raised $250 so far. A link for Dance Marathon fundraising is on her Facebook page.
Kinsey sometimes sells her art to help support the Dance Marathon. She has a coloring book, "My Vibrant Island," that Shands' Arts in Medicine teachers helped her prepare.
She likes painting with acrylics, or using colored pens or crayons. She fashions bracelets and keychains from beads and likes painting on wood, completing paint-by-numbers projects, doing diamond art and creating cards. She is attracted to vivid colors.
In the fall, her family hosts the Kinsey Lynn Bogart Benefit Golf Tournament to raise money for her medical needs. They could use a generator, Holly said, because if the power goes out, Kinsey's dialysis machine needs to keep
functioning.
Kinsey told about an orthodontist from Houston who saw her Instagram account. She has 46,800 followers. The orthodontist sent Kinsey some Nintendo equipment for her birthday two years ago.
When it arrived, "I was hysterical," Kinsey said. "I was crying. I thought, 'Jesus is blessing us.'"
Kinsey does not take her partnership with Jesus lightly. Her family attends Trinity Baptist Church of Ocala and in late March, Kinsey gave a testimony before the congregation. Her video is on the church's YouTube page.
In it, she tells how for a while, when she was awaiting a kidney transplant, she also was waiting for a heart transplant. She asked her father if the surgery would hurt. He told her the kidney surgery would hurt, but the heart surgery would hurt more.
She said she joked with him that "I couldn't have a heart transplant because Jesus is in my heart."
Jesus may have been listening because her heart condition improved and she no longer needed a heart transplant.
She told the congregation she didn't tell them about what she's experienced in life, "so you'll feel sorry for me but to testify to the power of Jesus in all of us."
So, what would Kinsey recommend to someone facing some of the challenges she does?
"You can do it if I can go through it. Stay positive. Think of good things," she said.
Mom Holly echoes Kinsey.
"Never give up on your child," she said. "God has a plan. It may not always be what you want it to be. But in the end, it's not always what the doctors say it will be either. Don't give up."
Kinsey can be reached via her
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
Kinsey Bogart, 21, at her home in Belleview on July 9, 2025, shows off some of the artwork she has created while she has been doing dialysis at home instead of spending three days a week traveling to Gainesville. She has sold her art to raise funds for the Children’s Miracle Network and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. Last year, she raised $12,178 by selling her artwork and almost $46,000 since she started in 2018.
Holly Bogart, an RN, describes how she helps her daughter, Kinsey, with dialysis at home. This is a coloring book created by Kinsey Bogart.
Kinsey Bogart poses with her parents, Holly and Damon.
This is the cover of Kinsey Bogart's "My Vibrant Island" coloring book.
This is some of the artwork created by Kinsey Bogart since she has been doing dialysis at home.
Kinsey Bogart is featured in this UF Health Shands Children's Hospital/Children's Miracle Network poster.
Sweeten the day with peaches
Although many desserts make for a sweet ending to delicious meals, there’s something so inviting about a moist and tender cobbler to add that yum factor. Cobbler consists of a fruit filling covered in a biscuit batter of sorts. When baked, the ingredients blend together to form a spoonable treat that is tender but with the right amount of bite.
Enjoy this recipe for “Peach Cobbler” courtesy of Taste Better From Scratch and contributor Lauren Allen.
Peach Cobbler (9 servings)
5 Peaches, peeled, cored and sliced (about 4 cups)
3⁄4 Cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 Teaspoon salt
For the batter:
6 Tablespoons butter
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1⁄4 Teaspoon salt 3⁄4 Cup milk Ground cinnamon
1. Add the sliced peaches, sugar and salt to a saucepan and stir to combine. If using canned peaches, skip steps 1 and 2 and follow the directions
Mourning the ‘giant’
Radio personality and artist Larry Whitler dies in Ocala at age 70. Staff report
Testimonials have poured in for local radio personality Larry Whitler, hailed as an artist and community advocate on social media, who died as the result of a traffic crash in Ocala on July 17, 2025.
Whitler, 70, a native of Merrick, New York, graduated from Dunnellon High School in 1973. He is survived by his partner, Robin MacBlane. The pair formed the children’s music duo “Robin and the Giant,” which “blossomed into books video and art” and hosted the community based “AM Ocala Live” morning show for about 20 years, before retirement in 2020, according to an online obituary.
Tom Schmitz, Whitler’s coworker at radio station WOCA in Ocala, said people there are mourning the loss of a “family member” and “legend.”
“As for us at WOCA, the loss of a legend like Larry is not just a tragic loss for WOCA but a tragic loss for the entire community that is Marion County,” he said via text message.
Schmitz said the WOCA family is “encouraged” that MacBlane, who was injured in the same traffic crash according to local reports, is recovering and that “her laughter is still here with us.”
Former city of Ocala police chief Morrey Deen met Whitler and MacBlane in the late 1980’s while working on crime prevention announcements and as a public information officer for the Ocala Police Department. Deen also made public service announcements with the two as OPD chief through the early 2000s.
“Whitler was down to earth and he loved this country,” Deen said, adding that Whitler’s on-air persona of the “giant” was inspired by his height and size.
Deen said Whitler became involved with Ocala Honor Flight and served as a chaperone for World War II veterans on some flights, which for several years transported hundreds of veterans to Washington, D.C., and the World War II Memorial. Deen said Whitler listened to many of the Honor Flight passengers’ stories, like those from combat veterans of Iwo Jima.
Whitler and MacBlane composed and a song and video on YouTube titled “Honor Flight,” which pays tribute to the “courageous” veterans who left their homes and loved ones to serve yet said they were only doing
their jobs.
According to the website larrywhitler.com, he was born Feb. 8, 1955, and his family moved to Florida when he was 17. He was a noted local artist and the site contains many examples of his works, which he also shared on social media.
A July 4, 2023, article in the “Marion Citizen” stated that, “Through Larry’s artwork, he’s brought awareness to and raised funds for various entities within his community, including: raising over $28,000 for the Marion County Literacy Council; creating a portrait of Hammet Bowen Jr., the first medal of honor recipient in Marion County, which now hangs in the Hammet Bowen Jr. Elementary School in Ocala; creating two portraits for the Ocala Shrine Club to bring awareness of their work with children; and creating a portrait of the dog Phoenix to raise awareness of the work of the Marion County Humane Society.” The article indicated all the artwork was provided by Whitler “en gratis.”
Larry Whitler’s Facebook page carried a post signed by his son, Alex.
“We are still waiting for Robin's doctor to give her the go ahead to be able to attend Dad's service, so no official date yet. The thought that he's in a place with everyone and everything he holds dear is comforting. I imagine there's more paint than he knows what to do with and guitars that never go out of tune,” the post states.
“Again, I can't thank everyone enough for the kind words and allowing us time to grieve, to laugh, to be together, and to do our best to make Dad proud. We love you, Dad,” the post read in part.
Whitler also is survived by another child, Brie Heald; a grandson, Eli; and brothers Thomas and William Whitler.
starting at step 3.
2. Cook on medium heat for just a few minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and helps to bring out juices from the peaches. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice butter into pieces and add to a 9-by13-inch baking dish. Place the pan in the oven while it preheats, to allow the butter to melt. Once melted, remove the pan from the oven.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, just until combined. Pour the mixture into the pan, over the melted butter and smooth it into an even layer.
5. Spoon the peaches and juice (or canned peaches, if using) over the
batter. Sprinkle cinnamon generously over the top. 6. Bake at 350 F for about 38 to 40 minutes. Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.
Have a recipe you would like to share? Email us at recipe@ocalagazette.com
Sevilla: Hold on to your castanets!
Sevilla, the capital of Spain’s southern Andalucía region, is as soulful a place as I’ve ever been. It’s a wonderful-to-bealive kind of town, buzzing with festivals, heat, color, and guitars.
The gateway to the New World in the 16th century, Sevilla boomed during Spain’s golden age. The explorers Amerigo Vespucci and Ferdinand Magellan sailed from its great river harbor, discovering abundant sources of gold, silver, cocoa, and tobacco. For a time, these New World riches turned Sevilla into Spain’s largest and wealthiest city.
Today’s Sevilla has its share of impressive sights, including the world’s largest Gothic cathedral (with the tomb of Christopher Columbus) and a fantastic Moorish palace and garden (the Alcázar). But the real magic is the city itself and its unique traditions.
Sevilla swings easily from the sacred to the secular. Holy Week, between Palm Sunday and Easter, is celebrated with intense devotional fervor here. Over the course of the week, about 100 floats depicting some aspect of the Passion of Jesus Christ are paraded over the cobblestones at all hours by the faithful.
As the religious holiday wraps up, the mood shifts to party mode. A week or two after Easter, much of Sevilla packs into its vast fairgrounds for the April Fair. Countless tents line the lanes, each one a private party zone of a family, club, or association. Hold on to your castanets as it’s a week of all-nighters, with the focus on dancing, drinking, and socializing.
On opening day, the cream of Sevilla’s society parades around the fairground in carriages or on
horseback. Men wear traditional suits with fitted pants and a short jacket, and women turn out in brightly colored flamenco dresses.
Because the party tents are open only to members and their guests, invitations are coveted. If you’re not lucky enough to have a Sevillian friend who can get you in, make your way to one of the seven public tents. Inside, drink flows freely, and the food is fun, bountiful, and cheap. Wandering the fairgrounds, it feels like a thousand wedding parties all celebrated at once.
Sevilla is the birthplace of another kind of party: flamenco. It’s still the best place to experience this emotive danceand-music form of snapping fingers, stamping feet, and clicking castanets. Many of the concerts in town are designed for tourists, but they are real and riveting. If you stay up to the wee hours, you might be lucky enough to catch a latenight set in a casual bar. In these cases, flamenco is a flamboyant happening, with bystanders clapping along and encouraging the dancers with whoops and shouts. Even food is a theatrical event in this town. The colorful tapas tradition got its start in Andalucía, and Sevilla is the region’s noshing capital. Classic, old-school tapas bars are everywhere, but nowadays gourmet places, with spiffedup decor and creative menus, are the rage. If you want a good “restaurant” experience, your best value is to find a trendy tapas bar that offers table seating and sit down to enjoy some raciones (shareable dinner platesize portions). As the tapas scene goes from early to very late and it’s the standard way for locals
to “eat out”, the adventurous traveler will find it the most memorable and fun way to “eat local.”
I always learn something new when I travel. This time in Sevilla, my tapas guide demonstrated how quality jamón (cured ham), sliced thin, will stick to a plate when you upend it. I’m not sure what that has to do with quality, but one thing I am sure of: When in Spain, life’s too short to eat mediocre jamón. At least once, pay extra for the best ham on the list (Iberico). For a different twist on tapas, look for an abacería, an old-time grocery store that doubles as a tapas bar. The combination isn’t completely unexpected, as many tapas chefs rely on Spain’s high-quality canned foods in composing their tasty tidbits. Squeeze into the back room of one of these spots, and you’re squeezing back in time. Rubbing elbows with local eaters in an abacería, surrounded by tinned sardines and canned peaches, you’ll feel like you’re in on a secret…almost a Spanish speakeasy.
To walk off a meal on a balmy evening, wander into the Barrio Santa Cruz, Sevilla’s oncethriving Jewish quarter. This classy maze of lanes is too tight and tangled for cars but perfect for meandering among small plazas, tile-covered patios, and whitewashed houses draped in flowers. Getting lost is easy … and recommended. Orange trees abound, and when they blossom for three weeks in spring, the aroma is heavenly. Rhythms change quickly in Sevilla, from the intensity of flamenco’s beat to the quiet of its back alleys. It’s street theater that everyone can both enjoy and be a part of.
Robin MacBlane and Larry Whitler [Photo by Dave Schlenker]
An abacería—part grocery store, part tapas bar—is the ideal place to rub elbows with locals. (Rick Steves, Rick Steves’ Europe).
RICK STEVES' EUROPE
Milestone memories abound
Members of the Central Florida Flight Attendant Club gather monthly to share new adventures and reminisce about their times in the air.
By Marian Rizzo Correspondent
Now that they have their feet on the ground, many of the airline industry’s retired flight attendants have settled in Central Florida. Members of the Central Florida Flight Attendant Club gather monthly for lunch and field trips to local attractions. During their times together, they share their “war stories,” including accounts of anxiety, heart-warming episodes and moments of comic relief.
As a member of the club, conversations often take me back to my own 17 years of flying, starting in 1969 with Lake Central Airlines, then, as companies merged, with Allegheny Airlines and ultimately with US Air, until I retired.
Aside from the time we hit birds and lost an engine over Binghamton, New York, I didn’t experience any nerve-wracking trips.
Among my favorite memories was the day we took a planeload of Japanese tourists to Washington, D.C. Those small in stature men with smiling faces and cameras dangling from their necks were very excited to be visiting our nation’s capital.
As we flew over the city en route to the airport, the captain gave a little spiel, pointing out various landmarks. “On your right is the Washington Monument and on your left is the Lincoln Memorial, and over here is the White House.” This set off a flurry of activity in the cabin.
The captain called me up to the cockpit and asked, “What’s
going on back there? I’m having trouble keeping this thing level.”
“It’s your fault,” I informed him. “Your tour of the city has gotten everyone rushing from side to side to take pictures.”
One of Edie Marie Rattner’s fondest memories didn’t take place on an airplane but during one of her overnight stays. After spending 41 years flying with Delta Airlines, Rattner clearly remembers the 24-hour layover she had in Barcelona, Spain.
“I had time for myself, so I took one of the tours to Costa Brado,” Rattner recalled. “A young lady I sat next to was a college student. We started chatting and we toured together. The first place we stopped was a town called Girona, where they filmed ‘Game of Thrones.’ It was the sixth season. Neither she nor I had ever watched it, but everybody else on the bus got all excited.”
Sometimes, coincidences abound. When a passenger died on one of Rattner’s flights to Dubai, the pilot’s wife happened to be on board and sat with the wife of the deceased man to comfort her. It turned out that both women had sons who were doctors at the same hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.
“We went up and told the captain and he was able to get a message to his son and let him know the other doctor’s father had passed away,” Rattner recalled. “The mother was able to talk to her son. She was more concerned about how her son was going to feel.”
Such incidents were rare. Most of the time, flights were fairly routine. For Rattner, the
most memorable moments centered around important people who came aboard.
“I was standing at the boarding door of the 727 greeting passengers and a tall recognizable man walked past me and said hello,” recalled Rattner. “My first thought was that he looked just like Vincent Price. However he proceeded to economy class, and I thought, ‘Well that’s not him.’ In my small-town mind, I thought that all celebrities only flew first class. When we were ready to close the boarding door, the gate agent gave us the manifest of passengers on board. Sure enough, it was Vincent Price and he was seated in coach!”
Tommi Chappell is certain that flying for three years with Trans World Airlines (TWA) changed her life for the better.
“I grew up in a log cabin in the boondocks of Illinois,” said Chappell. “I attended school in a one-room schoolhouse with my brother. We had only lived in four states before I was 21 years old. I
had never seen the ocean, never been on an airplane, never been out of those four states.”
A friend convinced her to go to the Indianapolis airport to interview with three major airlines. Though her friend wasn’t accepted, Chappell was approved by all three interviewers. She had made up her mind not to go if her friend couldn’t, then her father pushed her out of the proverbial nest.
“My dad said, ‘You’ll never get out of the Midwest if you don’t take this opportunity,” recalled Chappell. “I got on an airplane for the first time and prayed that I wasn’t going to get sick. I flew to Kansas City for training. My first base was New York City. There were eight of us that were from the Midwest that had never been to New York City. We got a three-bedroom apartment near the East River. But we were never there all together. We weren’t sure if the front doorman knew we were different. We all looked alike coming and going in our
uniforms.”
Sharon Matiyow’s career began with a tale of terror and ended with a bit of nostalgia. She was in her third month of flying with American Airlines when a hijacker held her at gunpoint for several hours in the back of a Boeing 727.
Matiyow still remembers the incident with a twinge of trepidation. During the flight, a man wearing a wig, dark glasses and surgical gloves emerged from one of the bathrooms carrying a sawed-off machine gun. He also had a briefcase filled with weapons, including a hand grenade, a knife, a pistol and some dynamite. He chose an aisle seat in the last row and always had one of the flight attendants sitting in the seat in front of him. This was 1971 before the FAA tightened up security.
I was 22 years old. I was scared. We were all scared. He said to me, ‘Miss, would you like to come back here and sit beside me?’ I said, ‘No.’ But I went back and sat in the seat by the window. I was praying, ‘Just bring him the money. Bring him what he wants and let him go,’” Matiyow said.
The hijacker requested $500,000 and five parachutes. He intended to leap from the back exit the way D.B. Cooper had successfully done several months before. When they landed in St. Louis for fuel and to remove most of the passengers, FBI agents sent aboard the requested bag of money and the five parachutes.
Once again in the air, the hijacker attached the bag of money to his belt, donned a
See Memories, page B4
Marian Rizzo poses with photos of herself from the time she was a flight attendant and a model of a Lake Central Airlines Douglas DC-3 at her home in Silver Springs Shores, Fla. on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The propeller-powered DC-3 was the first plane she worked on when
she started as a flight attendant in 1966 with Lake Central Airlines. She went on to work for Allegheny Airlines and U.S. Air before she retired in 1983. Rizzo is a member of the Central Florida Flight Attendant Group, which meets monthly at different locations around central Florida. 2025.
“Gazette” correspondent and local author Marian Rizzo is shown in old photos from the time she was a flight attendant.
Tommi Chappell (TWA), Beverly Carroll (Eastern and Delta) and Marge Parnell (American), left to right, look over pictures and memorabilia from the time they were flight attendants.
parachute and leaped from the rear stairway. On his way down, the money bag detached from his belt and landed in a farmer’s field in Peru, Indiana. The hijacker, now known as Martin McNally, was apprehended by FBI agents. Matiyow attended his trial in December 1972. McNally went to prison for 20 years, attempted to escape a few years later and ended up getting more time.
In November 2020, Matiyow reconnected with her hijacker when a West Coast cinematographer, Eli Kooras, did a podcast called “American Skyjacker” and interviewed Matiyow and McNally on separate occasions. Matiyow asked if she could exchange cell phone numbers with her hijacker.
“He called me the next day. He was very pleasant. I still get texts from him from time to time. He’s 81 years old now,” said Matiyow. “I texted him on June 23, 2025, and said, ‘Well, today is the 53rd anniversary of our chance encounter.’ And he said, ‘Thanks for reminding me. Of those 53 years I was under the control of the government for 44 years. What a wasted life.’”
Kooras recently produced a film, also titled “American Skyjacker,” and expects it will hit selected theaters in late September.
Marge Parnell was among the founding members of the Central Florida Flight Attendant Club and served as its president for four years. Reflecting back on her career with American Airlines, she said, “It was one of the finest experiences of my life. I have wonderful memories.”
“The thing that really left
the biggest impression on me was all the people that we met— incredibly famous people—movie stars, athletes, all kinds of celebrities would cross our paths and we’d cross the country with them from San Francisco to New York,” recalled Parnell. “We’d have a conversation with them. It was very personal and it was first class, everything was top of the line meals. One of the people I met was John Wayne. He was traveling with his son Patrick at the time. His voice was so strong and so vibrant, it bounced off the walls, and he was so friendly. He just left such a wonderful impression on all the people.”
Other kind notables who left an impression on her were Lamar Hunt, who owned the Kansas City Chiefs; Billy Wilder, director of numerous feature films; and actor Richard Boone, who played cards with her.
“We played cards with a lot of people,” Parnell said. “They loved it.”
The flight attendant club’s current president, Beverly Carroll, said about 36 airlines are represented. Out of approximately 105 members, several are still flying. Carroll herself looks back on a 17-year airline career having flown four years with Delta and 13 with Eastern.
“Delta at the time would not allow you to be married, so when I got married, I had to resign,” explained Carroll. “I went with my husband to finish college, graduated cum laude and came back to Atlanta. Then I went back to Delta for an interview and was told, ‘We don’t rehire employees that quit.’ That would never happen now. Eastern was interviewing, so I said, ‘Well, fine. I’ll just go over and interview
with Eastern.’ They had a class starting in two weeks. I had smooth sailing for 17 years. I’m thankful that I didn’t have any incidents.
When Carroll left the airline industry, having trained in college in health education biology, she went into medical sales and equipment and thoroughly enjoyed that career as well.
MAYO CLINIC
“After having spent 20 years in medical sales, it’s so meaningful to step back and be part of a group like this,” she said of the flight attendant club. “It’s a nostalgic group. It just brings back memories.”
Going plant-based: Exploring the myths, health benefits
DEAR MAYO CLINIC:
More and more of my friends are following the plant-based diet trend. Is that the same as going vegan? Is it healthy for you? What can I actually eat?
ANSWER: Plant-based foods go beyond a “boring salad.” With a whole-food plant-based diet, we focus on eating foods that are primarily coming from plants and that occur in their natural state. Veganism also takes that into account but can incorporate other social and justice factors into that lifestyle.
Certainly, it can be difficult to go 100% whole-food plant-based, especially if that’s something you’re not used to. My recommendation is to start by introducing an additional fruit, vegetable or whole food into your diet slowly and one at a time. One of the things I recommend is taking what is part of your normal routine and simply adding to it. So, if you’re a person who enjoys eating oatmeal for breakfast, perhaps you’ll add an
additional serving of fruit.
One of the biggest misconceptions people have when they hear about plant-based is that they might not get enough protein because they’re so used to eating meat, whether that’s from animal protein, dairy products or eggs. But the fact is, we can get a lot of our protein from plant-based foods such as legumes, lentils, tofu, nuts and seeds.
Another way to look at protein needs is to look at what is on your plate. When building your plate, half of the plate should be vegetables, a quarter of the plate can be a protein and the last quarter of the plate could be a carbohydrate. The plate method is visualizing what’s on your plate to help meet your daily needs. The protein of choice should be about the size of a deck of cards. Hopefully, in the future, you can supplement some of your animal proteins with plant protein.
Having a variety of fruits and vegetables is equally important
as meeting the recommended intake of five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The colors of different fruits and vegetables signify phytonutrients that can boost your immune system. Buying seasonal products can get us to try new foods that we may not typically go for year-round. Sometimes we might find that we like (or maybe not like) those new foods that we try. We might want to dive deeper into, “Is it the flavor that I don’t like or the texture? And if so, can I cook it or prepare it a different way to make it more enjoyable?”
For example, I am very sensitive to raw broccoli. It has a strange aftertaste to me. But then I discovered broccoli sprouts, which are broccoli plants that are 3-5 days old. Broccoli sprouts carry a cancer-protection effect. So I’m able to add broccoli sprouts in place of having the full adult broccoli. I’ll typically use it on top of a salad or add it to a sandwich as an added crunch. It’s a way I
can get my broccoli nutrients in. One of my favorite go-to ingredients for protein are lentils. Lentils provide an adequate amount of protein and are quite easy to add to any dish. I like to add lentils to any chilis or soups that I’m making as a thickener or as a meat alternative for meatless meatballs or tacos. Lentils are an important part of a plant-based diet because they’re not only high in fiber but also contain great sources of potassium as well as protein. They’ve been shown to lower the lipid profile in people who are overweight or obese with type 2 diabetes. They’re also a great source of prebiotics to help diversify the gut and protect it from digestive diseases. Another important part of the whole-food, plant-based diet is the incorporation of mushrooms. Interestingly, mushrooms are not vegetables or fruit, but a fungus. These fungi have been well studied throughout medical nutrition, and they’ve been shown to have
immune-boosting properties supporting brain health and antioxidant effects. Mushrooms have a high-flavor profile and can add extra flavor to any dish, especially when cooked. They also can take on all the flavors of the seasonings around them.
The ultimate goal is to nourish our bodies in a way that is sustainable and that works for us. Having a completely 100% whole-food, plant-based diet might not be for everyone, but we do know that incorporating fruits and vegetables in the diet serves beneficial and long-term health effects. So, if that means adding one thing at a time, or shying away from one of those foods that we typically avoid, such as red meats, dairy, or unnecessary oils and fats, then we do so slowly. If you get stuck at any point in the process, you can always talk to your healthcare team for extra assistance.— Christine Nguyen, D.O., Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
Photos by Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette
Marge Parnell (American), Tommi Chappell (TWA) and Sharon Matiyow (American), left to right, reminisce during a meeting of the Central Florida Flight Attendant Group.
These wings and a Stewardess Corps pin belong to Marge Parnell, who started working as a flight attendant for American Airlines in 1957.
Marge Parnell (American), Edie Marie Rattner (Delta), Tommi Chappell (TWA) and Sharon Matiyow (American), left to right, pose with some of their pictures and memorabilia.
Sharon Matiyow (who was Sharon Wetherley when she started working as a flight attendant for American Airlines in 1972) is featured in a book about the time she was hijacked.
Tommi Chappell, who started working as a flight attendant for TWA in 1966, is shown on the right in an old photo.
Members of the Central Florida Flight Attendant Group met at the Orange Blossom Hills Country Club Restaurant in The Villages on July 21, 2025.
Using apps to save money: Part 2
By Christy Jones Special to the Gazette
Ihope you checked out some of the restaurant and gas apps I recommended in Part 1 of “Using apps to save money.” If you missed it, that column can be found on my website.
Since almost everyone has a smartphone nowadays and money-saving apps are free to download, it’s something easy you can use to save a few dollars. This week we focus on apps that can be used at any store, which are typically referred to as third party apps. I only mention apps I have had experience with and that meet the following criteria: I’ve personally downloaded and used them, the app saves you money and is easy to use and it can be used locally.
Grocery store apps - If you haven’t downloaded the Walmart app, you’re missing out, not just on savings, but on avoiding that inevitable moment when you walk in for bananas and walk out with a kayak and a garden gnome. It’s so easy to make a grocery pick-up order and not having to go inside the store not only saves you time but can also help you stick
to your budget. There are no impulse buys, plus you can see your sub-total in the app as you add items to your order. I use the Walmart app most weeks for a grocery pick-up order and one of my favorite features is that it remembers your items from week to week. It will even remind you if you forget something like milk or bread. How cool is that? Not to mention there are many offers to save money such as manufacturer’s digital coupons as well as Walmart Cash you can earn by buying certain items (usually you have to buy two of the same item but not always).
The Publix app also allows pick-up orders and has coupons you can use by just clicking a box in the app or by simply entering your phone number at checkout if you prefer to shop inside the store.
The Winn-Dixie app is similar and has rewards available that build up over time and your phone number can also be entered at checkout.
I hope you give one of these grocery store apps a try since they’re easy to use and can save you money every week.
Third party apps - There are so many apps out there that allow you to save
money. One of the easiest apps I’ve found to use is Fetch. With Fetch, you take a picture of any receipt—that means your gas station coffee, your Friday night pizza, even that emergency chocolate bar from CVS. You earn points that can be easily cashed in for gift cards to places like restaurants, Amazon and even Walmart. Fetch also has the option to link your email account, your Walmart account and your Amazon account to earn even more points. This can be especially helpful if you lose your printed receipt since the app can simply pull your purchases from your linked account(s).
Ibotta and Rakuten are similar. They work by partnering with brands and stores, then sharing a slice of the commission they earn for sending you there. Basically: you shop, they earn, and they pass a little love back your way. It’s capitalism with a side of cashback.
That’s it for Part 2, so stay tuned for Part 3, where we’ll dive into even more ways to keep your wallet happy. And, as always, if you're hungry for more moneysaving tips from The Frugal Teacher, head over to frugalteacherlife.com. Your budget will thank you.
A most colorful ministry
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
If you have driven past Grace Episcopal Church in downtown Ocala recently, you surely will have noticed all the brightly colored ribbons waving in the summer breezes.
The ribbons tied the iron fence at the historic venue are an artistic ministry of the church’s Daughters of the King group. To learn more, the “Gazette” did a Q&A with Rev. Frans Van Santen.
How did the ribbon ministry get started?
The idea came from Saint Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Charleston, South Carolina. While visiting the area, one of our Grace families shared pictures of the fence line from St. Matthew’s. We contacted the church and Tricia and Barbara graciously shared the basics of their ribbon ministry experience, “a hit among the general public and parishioners.”
Our Grace chapter of DOK, the Amy Harold Chapter of Daughters of the King, decided this would be a great outreach effort to extend to our Ocala community and the ribbon ministry is now in full swing and sway as new ribbons are being added each day.
How many ribbons have been placed so far?
The number of ribbons so far number in the hundreds; we hope
to have thousands over the course of next months for a fence line at full capacity before starting a new campaign. Wherever, there is a need for prayer there will be a ribbon available.
Recently an observation was made known about a significant increase in the number of white ribbons (representing Yahweh Shalom, the Lord is peace) after news reports were taunting a third world war was on the horizon. Prior to this, the blue ribbons representing healing, Yahweh Rophe, had been the most used ribbon.
How does this fit with the mission of the church?
The campaign centers around the names of God and his character or ability, such as healing, provisional care, peace, praise and deliverance. The DOK chapter at Grace are a group of dedicated prayer warriors and each has taken a vow to pray for the kingdom of God, country and community. The hope and prayers of the DOK for this ribbon ministry is to serve as encouragement to our neighbors and community inside and outside of the walls of Grace Episcopal Church.
To learn more, stop by the church or go to graceocala.org
I’m Christy Jones, aka The Frugal Teacher, a high school educator on a mission to help you save more and spend smarter. Tune in weekly for my not-sogreat attempts at humor and plenty of practical tips to help stretch your dollars without stretching your sanity.
Colorful ribbons tied to the fence at Grace Episcopal Church are part of a special ministry. [Submitted photo]
Members of the public are invited to visit Grace Episcopal Church and participate in the ribbon ministry. [Submitted photo]
Government
JULY 28, AUG. 4, 11, 18 AND 25
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.
AUG. 5 AND 19
Marion County Board of County Commissioners
McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala
9am
The commission meets 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
The commission meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video available at belleviewfl.org/200/agendas-minutes
AUG. 12 AND 26
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
AUG. 13
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
State of the County presentations
July 28 and 31, Aug. 26 and TBA
Various locations and times
Marion County Commission Chairman Kathy Bryant will be presenting four State of the County presentations that are open to the public and which include updates on public safety, roadways, infrastructure, economic development and upcoming projects. For details, go to marionfl.org/soc
Community Arts
Activities at Fort King Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E. Fort King St., Ocala
Thursdays through Aug. 14
6-8pm
The Summer Night Lecture Series is free and open to all ages:
July 31 – Florida’s Seminole Agents with Dr. Joe Deklinski Aug. 7 – The Life and Legacy of William King with Historian Dale Cox Aug. 14 – Native Plant Uses in History with Amanda Marek, University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences For more information, call (352) 401-6980 or visit fortkingocala.com
JULY 28
Talking History: Wachaoota Reddick Public Library, 15150 NW Gainesville Road Reddick
10:30am
According to local historian Annabelle Leitner, Wacahoota is an area in Northwest Marion County that has been inhabited for hundreds or maybe thousands. One of the older spellings of the community was Wacahootee. Leitner will delve into the interesting history in this ongoing series. The presentations are free to attend. To learn more, call (352) 438-2566.
AUG. 1 AND 2
Friends of the Ocala Public Library book sale Library headquarters, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Aug. 1, for Friends members (memberships available at the door), 1:30 pm-3:30 pm Aug. 2, open to the public, 10 am-2 pm Proceeds of the sale will benefit children and adult programs, materials, audio and ebooks, and staff development at Ocala main, Reddick, Fort McCoy and Sankofa branches of the Marion County Public Library system. All children’s books and paperback books are 25 cents each and all hardbacks are 50 cents each. Cash and check only.
AUG. 5
US Armed Forces Purple Heart Recognition Day McPherson Governmental Complex Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 9am Marion County Veterans Services will host the event. For more information or if you are a Purple Heart recipient, call (352) 671-8422.
AUG. 9
First Gen 5K Baseline Road Trail, 4255 SE 58th Ave., Ocala 7:30am Eduardo Diaz, a collegiate cross-country runner at Stetson University, and his sister, Ximena Diaz, a cross-country team captain at West Port High School, both first-generation students, have organized the inaugural First Gen 5K. Proceeds will benefit causes that support first-generation students, including the Vida Valiente Foundation, First Generation Foundation and select local scholarships for students in Marion County. To register for the run, go to runsignup.com/Race/ FL/Ocala/FirstGen5K. To learn more, email firstgen5k@gmail.com and find @FirstGen5K on Instagram.
JULY 25-27
“The Importance of Being Earnest”
Streaming online Times vary
Unboxed Productions presents the comedy of errors, manners and mores by Oscar Wilde. The play is directed by Jan Thomas, co-founder of UP, an online-only theater company. Actors are directed live with costuming, props and backdrops. Audience and actors meet after the show. Audience members may make a suggested donation and receive a link to the show through UP’s gofundme page. Disarming Love, a nonprofit for children of the incarcerated will be a beneficiary. To learn more, go to unboxedproductions.org or email co-founder Kim Sandstrom at info@unboxedproductions.org.
JULY
25
An Evening with Here Come The Mummies
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
7:30pm For the “Terrifying Funk from Beyond the Grave” performance, this eight-piece band of 5,000-yearold Egyptian mummies delivers a wild, high-energy show packed with funk, rock and pure mayhem. Learn more at reillyartscenter.com
THROUGH JULY 25
Summer Kids Film Series Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala Times vary Movies will be screened every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 10am, 11am, 12:30pm and 1:30pm each day. The series is sponsored by Ocala Electric Utility and Panzer Medicine. Tickets are $5 for adults and children. A summer snack pack is included for children 12 and under. Guests are encouraged to bring new or gently used books, particularly for children from birth to age 5, to support the Early Learning Coalition. To learn more and get tickets, go to reillyartscenter.com/summerkids-film-series
JULY 26
Dueling Pianos
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 6pm Grab a seat at a café table in the new NOMA Black Box 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 or six, so bring friends or meet someone new. Get tickets at reillyartscenter.com
JULY 26
Dueling Pianos Late Night Show
Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala 9pm Unleash your wild side on the dance floor as pianists engage in hilarious and unpredictable musical mash-ups while cocktail servers dish up favorite drinks. Get ready for a night of laughter, outrageous requests and a high-energy, adultsonly atmosphere. Learn more at reillyartscenter. com
AUG. 1-30
“Art of Aging” Gallery of Gratitude” exhibit
Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala
Tuesday- Friday, 10am to 5pm; Saturday 11am to 4pm
Art of Aging is an annual collaborative partnership of Marion Cultural Alliance and Marion Senior Services that celebrates aging through art, stories and education. The alliance invited members of the creative senior community ages 55+ to submit artworks in any medium that relates and interprets this year’s theme. Admission to the gallery is free. To learn more, go to mcaocala.org or call (352) 3691500.
AUG. 6
Art of Aging 2025 | Lunch & Learn: The Healing Power of Writing
Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala
11:30am
Join Amy Roberts, a licensed clinical social worker and certified mindfulness meditation teacher for the Robert Boissoneault Oncology Institute, to explore how writing can be a therapeutic tool for self-expression and healing. Admission is free and a light lunch will be provided for registered guests. Limited spots are available, so registration is required to attend.
AUG. 8
Comedian Killer Beaz
Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala
7:30pm
The outrageously funny Killer Beaz is celebrating the milestone of 10 seasons on Discovery Channel’s hit series “Moonshiners” and continues to make regular performances at The Grand Ole Opry. And now he’s running the roads, loaded down with laughs, delivering his clean comedy on tour. VIP tickets include seating upfront, a meet and greet, signature card and photo op. To learn more, go to ocalacivictheatre.com
AUG. 8
Unlimited Devotion: Celebrating the Music of the Grateful Dead Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
7:30pm Blending the spirit of the Grateful Dead with their own jazz and funk influences, this tribute band delivers high-energy, exploratory performances that keep fans coming back for more. From massive block parties to packed venues, this South Florida quintet brings the groove—and the good vibes—every time they hit the stage. Get tickets at reillyartscenter.com
AUG. 9
Girls Night: The Musical Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala
7:30pm Grab your friends and get ready to laugh, cry, and dance in the aisles. This Off-Broadway hit follows five friends on a hilarious and heartfelt journey through love, loss and friendship, all set to a soundtrack of favorite hits like “It’s Raining Men,” “I Will Survive” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.” Learn more at reillyartscenter.com
AUG. 14
Noir Night: A Midtown Station Mystery Midtown Station, 235 NE Watula Avenue, Ocala 6:30pm Step into a world of intrigue, romance and timeless jazz. This mysterious evening will transport you to the silver age of film noir, where smoky melodies, vintage glamour and whodunits reign supreme. Slip into your finest black-and-white attire and sip on specialty cocktails crafted to capture the vibe of a bygone era. Under the glow of dim lights, the smooth sounds of live jazz by Becky Baby & Her Boys will sweep you away into a night of plot twists and fun. Presented by Infinite Ale Works, Sipping Grounds, Becky Baby Music and The Civic to benefit the Save the Civic campaign. Learn more at ocalacivictheatre.com
THROUGH JAN. 18
“The Human Pulse: Photographs by John Elliott”
Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
The exhibit features 42 black-and-white prints from the Ocala-based photographer’s ongoing series, “The Human Pulse,” shaped by his life and travels across 32 countries. His photographs reflect a dreamlike vantage point: floating somewhat above, sometimes even at a great distance, but still connected to the moment. Learn more at appletonmuseum.org
THROUGH
SEPT. 1
Blue Star Museums free admission for military veterans
Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Hours vary Through Labor Day, the annual Blue Star Museums program will provide free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and up to five family members. Blue Star Museums is a nationwide initiative led by the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and museums across the country. Free admission is available to those currently serving in the United States military, including the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Space Force, as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps and NOAA Commissioned Corps. Eligible participants must present ID. To learn more, go to appletonmuseum.org/visit/planyour-visit/blue-star-museums/
Among the area’s Purple Heart recipients is James Curley Sr. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette]
The Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala offers free admission for veterans through Labor Day. [File art by Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
Get your groove on with Unlimited Devotion: Celebrating the Music of the Grateful Dead at the Reilly Arts Center on Aug. 8. [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.
IN THE COUNTY COURT FOR THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL DIVISION ON TOP OF THE WORLD (CENTRAL)
OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., Plaintiff vs. Case No. 24-002927-CC
RUTH E. EGGING, DECEASED, AND THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, OR OTHER CLAIMANTS CLAIMING BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST RUTH E. EGGING, and UNKNOWN TENANT(S), Defendants. NOTICE OF ACTION TO: RUTH E. EGGING, DECEASED, AND THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, ASSIGNEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, OR OTHER CLAIMANTS CLAIMING BY, THROUGH, UNDER OR AGAINST
RUTH E. EGGING YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for foreclosure on the following property in Marion County, Florida: LOT 31 PARCEL D, OF ON TOP OF THE WORLD, FURTHER DESCRIBED AS PHASE 1A SECTION 2A, PER PLAT
THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 4, PAGES 110-122 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. PA#3530-0231004. Subject to the Declaration of Covenants, Restriction, Easements, Charges and Liens recorded in O.R. Book 2407, Page 1533 of the Public Records of Marion County, Florida. PARCEL ID NO.: 3530-0231004 (“Property”)
Property Address: 9224 Southwest 93rd Circle, Ocala, Florida 34481 A Lawsuit has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, on or before 30 days after the first publication of this Notice of Action, on Rabin Parker Gurley, P.A., Plaintiff’s Attorney, whose address is 2653 McCormick Drive, Clearwater, Florida 33759, and file the original with 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. This notice shall be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in The Ocala Gazette. WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court on this 15th day of 2025. If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Human Rights Office, 400 South Fort Harrison Avenue, Suite 500, Clearwater, Florida 33756, (727)4644062 V/TDD or 711 for the hearing impaired. Contact should be initiated at least seven days before the scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than seven days.
RABIN PARKER GURLEY, P.A. 2653 McCormick Drive Clearwater, Florida 33759
Telephone: (727)475-5535
Counsel for Plaintiff For Electronic Service: Pleadings@ RPGLaw.com Gregory C. Harrell, Clerk of Court BY: DEPUTY CLERK
Copies Furnished to : Gregory Allen Fox, Esquire Fox & Fox, P.A. 2515 Countryside Boulevard, Suite G Clearwater, Florida 33763
Service Email: greg@foxlawpa.com
Secondary Email: paula@foxlawpa.com
Unknown Tenant
9224 Southwest 93rd Circle Ocala, Florida 34481 Any Unknown Heirs, Devisees, Grantees, Assignees, Creditors, Lienors, Trustees, or Other Claimants claiming by, through, under, or against Ruth E. Egging (Deceased), 9224 Southwest 93rd Circle, Ocala, Florida 34481
IN THE COUNTY COURT FOR THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA
CIVIL DIVISION ROAN HILLS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., Plaintiff, vs. Case No. 25-CC-000735
MICHAEL THOMAS GLEASON, JR., AS TRUSTEE OF THE MICHAEL THOMAS GLEASON JR. REVOCABLE TRUST, Defendants. NOTICE OF ACTION TO: MICHAEL THOMAS GLEASON, JR., AS TRUSTEE OF THE MICHAEL THOMAS GLEASON JR. REVOCABLE TRUST YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action to enforce and foreclosure a lien on the following property in Marion County, Florida: Lot 247, CALESA TOWNSHIP ROAN HILLS PHASE 2, a subdivision according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 14, Page 184, of the Public Records of Marion County, Florida. PARCEL ID NO.: 3546-200-247
(“Property”)
Property Address: 6100 Southwest 70th Court, Ocala, Florida 34474 A Lawsuit has been filed against you in Marion County Court, VILLAGE LAKE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC. v.
MICHAEL THOMAS GLEASON, JR., AS TRUSTEE OF THE MICHAEL THOMAS GLEASON JR. REVOCABLE TRUST , and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, on or before 30 days after the first publication of this Notice of Action, on Rabin Parker Gurley, P.A., Plaintiff’s Attorney, whose address is 2653 McCormick Drive, Clearwater, Florida 33759, and file the original with 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. This notice shall be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in The Ocala Gazette.
WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court on this 22nd day of July, 2025.
If you are a person with a disability who needs an accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Public Information Department, Marion County Government Center, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala, FL 34471, Phone (352) 401-6710 (voice), 352-438-2300 (voice) 711 for the hearing impaired. Contact should be initiated at least seven days before the scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than seven days.
RABIN PARKER GURLEY, P.A. 2653 McCormick Drive Clearwater, Florida 33759 Telephone: (727)475-5535 Counsel for Plaintiff For Electronic Service: Pleadings@ RPGLaw.com Gregory C Harrell, Clerk of Court BY: DEPUTY CLERK Copies Furnished to : MICHAEL THOMAS GLEASON, JR., AS TRUSTEE OF THE MICHAEL THOMAS GLEASON JR. REVOCABLE 6100 Southwest 70thCourt Ocala, Florida 34474
NOTICE OF MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MARION COUNTY MARION COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD LEASING CORPORATION - COP
Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Marion County School Board Leasing Corporation will meet on August 12, 2025, @ 5:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the School Board Administrative Office, 1614 E. Fort. King Street, Ocala, FL, 34471. An agenda will be published seven days prior to the meeting and may be obtained at the Administration Office at MTI, 1614 E. Fort King Street, Ocala, FL 34471, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The agenda is also available from a link on the District’s website: www.marionschools. net.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA File No. 2025-CP-1520 IN RE: ESTATE OF ROBERTO MANUEL
SANTOS DE HOYOS
Deceased.
PROBATE DIVISION
Francis Santos Williams, as a beneficiary and an interested party, Petitioner, Division v. Roberto Santos Williams, as an interested party
Respondent.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Roberto Manuel Santos De Hoyos, deceased, whose date of death was May 28, 2023, 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 ON OR BEFORE 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.
The personal representative 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 ss. 732.216732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 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 July 25, 2025.
Attorney for Personal Representative:
Personal Representative: /s/ Lisa M. Miles
Lisa M. Miles
Attorney
Florida Bar Number: 1036064
DOUGLAS LAW FIRM 100 Southpark Blvd, Suite 414 St. Augustine, FL 32086 Telephone: (904) 671-8395
Fax: (386) 385-5914
E-Mail: Lisa@dhclawyers.com
Secondary E-Mail: Paulette@dhclawyers.
com
Francis Santos Williams 2475 Avenida Lazaro Cardenas San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico 66273
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION IN RE: ESTATE OF CARLOS OVIDIO PONS, a/k/a CARLOS O. File No. 2025-CP-001415 PONS, a/k/a CARLOS PONS, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS (Summary Administration) TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS OR DEMANDS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE: You are hereby notified that an Order of Summary Administration has been entered in the estate of CARLOS OVIDIO PONS, a/k/a CARLOS O. PONS, aa/k/a CARLOS PONS, deceased, File Number 2025-CP- 001415, by the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1st Ave., #1, Ocala, FL 34471; that the decedent's date of death was October 31, 2024; that the total value of the estate is $0.00 and that the names and addresses of those to whom it has been assigned by such order are: Name Address Debora Soraida Pons, a/k/a Debora Pons 1210 Osprey Way, Apopka, FL 32712 ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE NOTIFIED THAT: All creditors of the estate of the decedent and persons having claims or demands against the estate of the decedent other than those for whom provision for full payment was made in the Order of Summary Administration must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702. ALL CLAIMS AND DEMANDS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER APPLICABLE TIME PERIOD, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The personal representative 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 ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The date of first publication of this Notice is July 25, 2025.
Attorney for Person Giving Notice: /s/ Veronica Anderson VERONICA ANDERSON, ESQ. Attorney for Petitioner Florida Bar Number: 791997 E-Mail: veronica@consultlawoffice.com ANDERSON AND ASSOCIATES, P.A. 225 North French Avenue Sanford, Florida 32771 Phone: (407) 843-9901; Fax: (407) 8439903 Secondary E-mail: jocelyn@consultlawoffice.com
Person Giving Notice: CARLOS E. PONS, a/k/a CARLOS PONS 18206 Portside St. Tampa, FL 33647
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: ESTATE OF CAROL JEAN KERCHAERT Deceased. PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025-CP-1744
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, August 26, 2025, to review the 20252026 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 COSTS: Upon approval, the document will be posted on the District’s website and will have 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, August 26, 2025
A copy of the proposed Code of Student Conduct may be obtained by writing to: Student Discipline, Marion County Schools, PO Box 670, Ocala, FL 34478
Notice of Rule Making
NAME OF AGENCY: The School Board of Marion County, Florida RULE TITLE: Instructional Materials RULE NO.: Board Policy 2521
SUMMARY: Schedule a public hearing to be held on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 to approve the 2025-2026 Instructional Material Titles for Adoption. Schedule an additional Public Hearing to be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 with a Hearing Officer present, if needed.
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 that of advertising.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 1001.41, 1001.42Fla. Stats. (2022). 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. (2022). Two (2) public hearings for textbook adoptions will be scheduled at the following School Board meeting: TIME: 5:30 p.m. PLACE: Browne Greaton Cole Auditorium, 1614 E. Ft. King Street, Ocala, Florida 34471 DATE: August 26, 2025 and October 14, 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
the Board should register with the Chairman prior to 7:10 a.m.
Any person deciding to appeal any decision made by the Board at the meeting will need a record of the proceedings and, for such purpose, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence on which the appeal is to be based.
NOTICE OF A SCHOOL BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE BRIEFING AND WORK SESSION
Notice is hereby given that the School Board of Marion County, Florida, will meet in a work session on August 7, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at the MTI Auditorium, 1614 E. Ft. King Street, Ocala, Florida, 34471. An agenda will be published seven days prior to the meeting and may be obtained at the Administration Office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The agenda is also available from a link on the District’s website: www. marionschools.net.
BAY LAUREL CENTER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2025/2026 BUDGET; AND NOTICE OF REGULAR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING.
The Board of Supervisors of the Bay Laurel Center Community Development District will hold a public hearing on August 19, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at the Circle Square Commons, Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th Street, Ocala, FL 34481 for the purpose of hearing comments and objections on the adoption of the budget(s) of the District for Fiscal Year 2025/2026. A regular board meeting of the District will also be held at that time where the Board may consider any other business that may properly come before it.
A copy of the agenda and budget(s) may be obtained at the offices of the District Manager, 219 E. Livingston Street, Orlando, FL 32801, during normal business hours, or by visiting the District’s website at http://blccdd.com.
The public hearing and meeting are open to the public and will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Florida law for Community Development Districts. The public hearing and meeting may be continued to a date, time, and place to be specified on the record at the meeting.
There may be occasions when one or more Supervisors, staff or other individuals will participate by speaker telephone.
Any person requiring special accommodations at this meeting because of a disability or physical impairment should contact the District Office at (407) 841-5524 at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the Florida Relay Service 1-800-955-8770, for aid in contacting the District Office.
Each person who decides to appeal any decision made by the Board with respect to any matter considered at the public hearing or meeting is advised that person will need a record of proceedings and that accordingly, the person may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which such appeal is to be based.
George S. Flint Governmental Management Services –Central Florida, LLC District Manager
Division NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The administration of the estate of Carol Jean Kerchaert, deceased, whose date of death was June 2, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1st Ave, Ocala, Florida 34471. 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 ON OR BEFORE 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. The personal representative 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 ss. 732.216732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes. The written demand must be filed with the clerk. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.
ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORI-
DA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 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 July 25, 2025.
Attorney for Personal Representative: /s/ Lisa M. Miles
Lisa M. Miles
Attorney
Florida Bar Number: 1036064
DOUGLAS LAW FIRM 117 N. 2nd Street
Personal Representative:
Raymond Evans 16590 NE 141st Court Fort McCoy, Florida 32134 Palatka, FL 32177
Telephone: (904) 671-8395
Fax: (386) 385-5914
E-Mail:
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 2024-CP-0242 IN RE: The Estate of STEVEN JAY CLARK, JR., Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the Estate of STEVEN JAY CLARK, JR., deceased December 31, 2023, is pending as Case No. 2024-CP-0242 in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court in and for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW First Avenue, Ocala, FL 34475. The name and address of the Personal Representative, who was appointed by the court on July 8, 2025, and the Personal Representative's attorney, are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against the decedent's estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE 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.
The personal representative 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 ss. 732.216-732.228, Florida Statutes, applies, or may apply, unless a written demand is made by a creditor as specified under s. 732.2211, Florida Statutes.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATIONS OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE SAME TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 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 notice to creditors was July 25, 2025.
ADAM S. TOWERS, ESQ. Fla. Bar No. 36654 BOGIN, MUNNS & MUNNS, P.A. 4411 NW 8th Avenue, Suite B Gainesville, FL 32605 Phone: (352) 332-7688 Fax: (352) 332-7692 atowers@boginmunns.com
Attorney for Personal Representative
Personal representative: JASON JAY CLARK 14355 SW 34th Terrace Rd Ocala, FL 34473-2474
Answers: To explain in detail exactly how he lost so much weight, he — EXPOUNDED
CF students premier new musical Aug. 1-3
Staff report
The musical theatre students at the College of Central Florida will offer the world premiere of a new musical, “In Willowbark Woods,” on stage Aug. 1-3 at the Black Box Theatre.
The new production is described by its creator, Joshua L. Mazur, CF adjunct instructor of music, as “a meditation on change.” “In Willowbark Woods” is directed by Jason Longtin, CF professor of music and choral director.
Students registered for a special two-week section of the college’s Advanced Play Production class, were assigned roles and were set to rehearse the original theatrical work from July 21-31, then perform the show live Aug. 1-3.
“‘In Willowbark Woods’ is about change in a place that seems unchanged,” Mazur said in the news release. “Through spare dialogue, vivid moments, intimate songs and an atmosphere that feels both familiar and strange, ‘In Willowbark Woods’ becomes a portrait of ordinary people who, despite the stillness around them, cannot avoid confronting their own transformation. Audiences are invited into this small,
imaginary community not as spectators alone, but as fellow travelers—reflecting on how even the quietest corners of life conceal tides of change we all must eventually meet.”
Mazur d will give a free talk, “Making a Living: Being a Composer in 2025” at 3 p.m. July 29, at the Black Box Theatre sponsored by Norman and Susan Reid, at 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala. “In Willowbark Woods” performance times are 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, and 3 p.m. Aug. 3. Tickets are $10 for adults and can be purchased at cf.universitytickets.com or by calling (352) 873-5810. Tickets are free for CF students, faculty and staff with valid I.D.
To learn more, go to cf.edu/theatre
SERIOUSLY SIMPLE
Summer fruit crisp with mascarpone custard is
Diane Rossen Worthington Tribune Content Agency
Recently I had a crowd over for a barbecue that included kids and adults. For dessert I did a reinterpretation of my favorite summer dessert: fruit crisp. Usually, a crisp is made with a layer of cut-up fruit and a streusel topping. This time I wanted to put a custard layer in the center for a subtle yet decidedly creamy surprise.
It was not only a hit with the adults, but 4-year-old Jack looked up at me and said “Diane, can you make this for me every day?” That certainly made my day.
In this fruit crisp update, I combined softened mascarpone cheese with eggs, vanilla and flour and spread it across the fruit mixture. Crowned with a brown sugar crisp topping, this is my vote for Summer’s Best Dessert. Know that you can combine your favorite fruits together like pineapple, strawberries, plums or nectarines.
I have tested this in different ovens and sometimes it takes longer for the top to crisp and brown, so start looking at the crisp after 40 minutes to make sure it is cooked all the way through. If you want, you can gild the lily with a scoop of vanilla ice
the
season’s best dessert
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
SUMMER FRUIT CRISP WITH MASCARPONE CUSTARD
Serves 6 to 8
For the fruit: 1 1/2 cups raspberries (1 6-ounce package), cleaned and picked over 1 1/2 cups blueberries or blackberries (1 6-ounce package), cleaned and picked over 3 medium white or orange peaches, pitted and cut into 2-inch dice
1/4 cup sugar For the custard:
2 eggs 8 ounces softened mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon allpurpose flour For the crisp topping: 6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2
unsalted butter
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. In a mixing bowl mix together the fruit, 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 sugar until the fruit is well coated. Transfer to an 8-by-10 or a 9-by-12-inch greased gratin pan or baking dish. Press down with a spatula to make an even layer with no gaps. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. For the custard: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs well. Add the softened mascarpone and vanilla and beat until blended. Sift in the flour, whisking well to make sure the custard is smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
4. In a bowl mix together the brown sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest. Add the vanilla and melted butter; mix until it becomes a soft dough.
5. Spread an even layer of the custard cream mixture over the fruit. Crumble the dough mixture with your fingers evenly over the fruit. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and completely cooked through. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Make ahead: This may be prepared 4 hours ahead, covered and kept at room temperature before serving. Reheat in a 375-degree oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Crossword
Jumble
EXPEL
NERVY
HAIRDO
FONDUE
Sudoku
Gasoline Alley
Broom Hilda
Middletons
ANSWERS FOR PAGE B7
Joshua L. Mazur [Photo courtesy College of Central Florida]
cream alongside the warm fruit dessert.
refreshing treat. (Noel Barnhurst/TCA).
