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A TOUCH OF GREEN RELAY FOR LIFE High Springs Plans to Convert Abandoned Rails

Relay Olé Takes Over High Springs for One-Night Event

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page

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CONTENTS SPRING 2013 • VOL. 11 ISSUE 01

>> FEATURES 20

A Touch of Green

66

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

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Hot and Spicy Chili Cook-Off and Spring Celebration

BY SARAH BRAND

34

BY ALBERT ISAAC

82

Watermelons, Cowboys and Music in Our Town

44

Cedar Key Art Show Heart Stickers Let Visitors Pick Favorite Art

BY LARRY BEHNKE

58

Tree City

Passing Muster The 7th Florida Infantry Regiment Comes Alive Through Civil War Re-Enactors at Dudley Farm

Spring Festivals

BY KYRA LOVE

Rising Star Singer/songwriter and guitarist Jamie Davis has been steadily growing his fan base and wowing audiences for years with his original music.

High Springs Plans to Convert Abandoned Railroad

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN

86

Head in the Clouds Forest Towers Phase Out of Modern Forestry

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

100 Old School

Newberry’s Green Initiative

High Springs’ School Building is Reborn, Repurposed

BY SARAH BRAND

BY LARRY BEHNKE

10 | Spring 2013

ON THE COVER

PHOTO BY TOM MORRISSEY / LOTUS STUDIOS

We recently caught up with High Springs native Jamie Davis to check in on his burgeoning music career. Born in Gainesville and raised in High Springs and Branford, Davis is currently hard at work on his second solo album. He can be found playing in music venues throughout the area, and perhaps — if things go his way — even on National Television.

>> CANCER AWARENESS

52

Relay

by Sarah Brand

Relay Olé Takes Over High Springs for a Special One-Night Event

Cancer Awareness Every year, 7.6 million lives are lost to cancer worldwide — more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

And each year, more than 4 million people in over 20 countries take part in this global phenomenon to raise awareness and much-needed funds to save lives from cancer.

BY SARAH BRAND

D

arkness falls as volunteers begin to place white paper bags around the track.

Each bag, weighted with sand, have a candle inside. As they are placed, other volunteers come by and light the candles. The Luminaria ceremony has begun.

“I had never experienced it until last year and I really didn’t expect it to be as strong of an emotional impact it was but it just really grabs you,” said local Relay for Life publicity chair Dot Harvey. “When you just see all those lights and realize how many lives have been touched by this cancer, you know its just amazing.”

Relay for Life is the key

for Life

fundraising international event that the American Cancer Society sponsors every year to raise money to support its research, educational and assistance programs to fight cancer.

The Luminaria occurs at 9 p.m., but it is not the only activity at the event. There are auctions, fundraisers, arts and crafts and others.

This year’s Relay will be held at the High Springs Civic Center on May 3 at 6 p.m. to May 4 at noon.

Because it is an 18-hour all-night event, the planning begins shortly after the end of this Relay.

“Relay for Life really is a year-long process,” said Amanda Granozio, associate director for the Alachua Relay for Life unit. “We begin shortly after our relay ends.

Really by June and July we were already planning for next year.”

Each city unit begins by reaching out to those from previous Relays and assembling a committee. They discuss the positions and figure out who wants to do what in the planning.

After the positions are assigned, the committee begins to plan a kickoff event. The kickoff is the first official event of that year’s Relay. At this event, they try to recruit past teams that have participated. They also announce the theme for that year.

The kickoff party was held October 25 at the New Century Women’s Club, where they provided a buffet, handed out gift baskets and sold Mexican style arts and

PHOTOS BY ALBERT ISAAC and LINDA HEWLETT

TOP: Relay for Life volunteers at a January fundraiser in the on, High Springs Woman’s Club. l to r: Vicki Cox, Serenity Jackson, Trinity Jackson, Tina Jackson, Sandy Flaitz, Tina Collins, Toni Warner, Judi Lewis (with hat), Linda Hewlett (seated), Amanda Granozio, Suzie Clark and Susan Bier. d Survivors Ruth Bow (above) and Reuben Cohen participated in last year’s event.

UPCOMING EVENTS THAT SUPPORT RELAY FOR LIFE: lay.

March 26 Mason’s Tavern is donating 10% of all profits to Relay.

Come from 4:00 to 10:00 April 18

rs.

Pink and Purple on the Patio at the Great Outdoors. o The Great Outdoors very graciously has agreed to here donate all profits on the patio on 4/18 to Relay. There olks will be a live band. Sue Weller and other special folks will be bar tending. Times are 4:00 to 10:00.

April 20

Community Yard Sale. Teams signed up for Relay will put on a huge Garage Sale. Location and times to be announced.

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>> EQUINE SANCTUARY

94

Horsing Around

by Kelsey Grentzer

Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm

Mill Creek Farm The Retirement Home for Horses in Alachua is a nonprofit equine sanctuary that provides lifelong care for horses that have been neglected or abused or that are unwanted and destined for slaughter. In April, it will hold its Spring Sale with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the horses.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY KELSEY GRENTZER

F

or 84-year-old Peter Gregory, retirement means getting up at 6 a.m. and working a 12-hour day.

He rides a golf cart across his farm’s 265 acres of green pastures, chatting with volunteers, checking on horses and feeding the animals carrots along the way.

Gregory and his wife Mary run the nonprofit Retirement Home For Horses at Mill Creek Farm, an equine sanctuary in Alachua where old, abandoned or neglected horses can live out the rest of their lives in peace. The farm is home to about 130 horses, including those retired

from government service such as police patrol and military horses, those retired from riding programs, stage horses, horses that have been used for experimental purposes and those rescued by organizations such as the SPCA. Leaving a horse in a stall is like putting it in prison, Gregory said.

“These horses are lucky in that respect. They’ve got plenty of room to run around. They live like horses should, out in the wild with the trees and the grass and not being bothered by humans,” said Gregory, who does not believe in riding horses.

But running such a place comes

with its costs. In a year, the Gregorys spend about $12,000 on veterinary bills, $100,000 on feed and $10,000 on trimming the horses’ hooves, among other expenses.

Five years ago, one volunteer named Georgia Crosby decided she wanted to help offset these operating costs, and she started a sale to raise money for the care of the horses and the upkeep of the farm.

The farm will hold its 5th Annual Spring Sale on April 6 this year.

The sale offers donated household items such as books, pet items, tools, decorative items, jewelry and more, and typically earns about

OPPOSITE: A collection of reins hangs alongside a building at the Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm in Alachua. The farm is home to about 130 horses. Horses wait for carrots as visitors and families enjoy the farm on a Saturday afternoon. The farm is open to the public every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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www.VisitOurTowns.com

>> TRADITION

138

Cracker Rose

by Courtney Lindwall

Terry Stidham

Retired Park Ranger Terry Stidham

For many years this park ranger could be found at the Dudley Farm Historic State Park, dressed in period clothing and talking to visitors about the farm’s history and its gardens. Now retired, Terry Stidham invites visitors to her home — Cracker Rose Acres — to learn about growing heirloom roses.

BY COURTNEY LINDWALL

O

ld Florida is azaleas under oak trees. It is shaded rocking chairs on wraparound porches after hard work in thick heat. It is wild coreopsis, crepe myrtles and hydrangeas.

And to Terry Stidham — Old Florida is the roses.

Stidham, a long-time park ranger at Dudley Farm Historic State Park, is now sharing her love and knowledge of Old Florida gardening from her home, Cracker Rose Acres in Fort White.

She is opening up her garden

to tours, wedding receptions and photography shoots — or to anyone who wants to come on by. She wants to teach visitors about the simplicity of growing heirloom roses, while inspiring others through her own work.

“I just love to share,” Stidham, 61, said.

Gardening clubs, church groups or aspiring green thumbs can schedule an appointment to walk through Stidham’s home and acres of blooming Florida. She also sells the 10 easiest-to-grow roses and can help new gardeners get started.

Down a dirt road , Stidham’s

home brings visitors back to the bits and pieces of the Old Florida she has held onto — the pieces from her grandmother, from her 30 years as a farm wife, and from her career at Dudley Farm.

Cracker cows graze behind the tin-roofed farmhouse. The turkey, famous for its stint at Dudley Farm, paces at the edge of the garden.

And sweet-smelling heirloom roses border the trellis by the pond.

It has been a 20-year project in the making.

Stidham’s passion for horticulture developed throughout her life.

From her childhood to her career,

PHOTO BY LARRY SANTUCCI

Retired Park Ranger Terry Stidham at the Dudley Farm Historic State Park.

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The articles printed in Our Town Magazine™ do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Tower Publications, Inc. or their editorial staff. Our Town Magazine endeavors to accept reliable advertising; however, we can not be held responsible by the public for advertising claims. Our Town Magazine reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. All rights reserved. © 2013 Tower Publications, Inc.

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164 Published quarterly by Tower Publications, Inc. www.towerpublications.com

PUBLISHER Charlie Delatorre charlie@towerpublications.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Albert Isaac editor@towerpublications.com fax: 352-416-0175 OFFICE MANAGER Bonita Delatorre bonita@towerpublications.com ART DIRECTOR Hank McAfee hank@towerpublications.com PHOTO BY DEBRA NEILL-MARECI

Kelly Gridley, Dean of Emerging Technologies at Santa Fe Collge, with Elizabeth Garami at the 9th Annual Celebration of Biotechnologies held in Alachua.

>> FEATURES 146 Bright Ideas Solar Panels Help Power High Springs Community School

BY KELSEY GRENTZER

150 Horse Sense Healing From an Unexpected Source

BY ELLIS AMBURN

164 Celebrate Biotechnology Alachua’s Annual Event Showcases Biotechnology and its Growth

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

DESIGNER Neil McKinney neil@towerpublications.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ellis Amburn Larry Behnke Sarah Brand Kelsey Grentzer Janice C. Kaplan Courtney Lindwall Kyra Love Amanda Williamson INTERNS Sarah Brand Kelsey Grentzer Courtney Lindwall Kyra Love ADVERTISING SALES Jenni Bennett 352-416-0210 jenni@towerpublications.com Melissa Morris 352-416-0212 melissa@towerpublications.com

COLUMNISTS 32 76 134 166

Crystal Henry ............................................................ NAKED SALSA Kendra Siler-Marsiglio ..................................... HEALTHY EDGE Donna Bonnell ......................................................... EMBRACING LIFE Diane E. Shepard .................................................. MAMA MUSINGS

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INFORMATION 112 Community Calendar 128 High School Sports 129 Middle School Sports 12 | Spring 2013

154 Worship Centers 158 Library Happenings 168 Advertiser Index

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SPECIAL >> GARDEN CLUBS

Mary Lois Forrester founded the High Springs Garden Club in 1950, and it still stands the test of time.

Time to Bloom Camellias. Knockout roses. Crepe Myrtles.

Mary Lois Forrester’s yard blooms with an array of soft colors. The pinktinged buds smile gently into the bright High Springs sun, beautifying the Garden Club-founder’s backyard.

Established in 1950, the High Springs Garden Club still remains firmly planted within the community, especially among women aged 40-90. It allows members to learn new gardening skills, socialize with peers and enjoy guest speakers.

Not far away, Newberry tends its own Garden Club, a flourishing local organization established in 1947. The club currently has 50 members, and club member Linda Woodcock believes that is a lot of members for the small Newberry community of 5,000 residents.

The clubs stay active by visiting local gardens and broadening members’ knowledge on gardening topics.

“We try to cover a big spectrum of things — from problems in the

14 | Spring 2013

garden to potted plants and flower arrangements,” said Suzie Clark, the High Springs Garden Club president.

Recently, the High Springs Club welcomed a local UF professor, Dr. James Ellis, who specializes in honeybees.

“We wanted to hear about pollination,” Forrester said. “I thought we were going to spend the night there.

They kept asking so many questions.”

The clubs participate in community beautification projects, such as landscaping the High Springs City Hall and the Newberry High School.

High Springs Garden Club member Luell Everett, who retired from the local school system, said the main goal of the club is to keep the city beautiful.

In Newberry, the Garden Club designated one “Yard of the Month” during the spring and summer.

“It’s good to encourage the community to beautify their yards,” Woodcock said.

While High Springs gains most

of its funding through dues, the Newberry Garden Club hosts two fundraisers during the year. Its Spring Plant Sale will be held on April 6 at the Newberry United Methodist Church from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., and will feature lily bulbs, caladium bulbs, shrimp plants and more.

Woodcock said she encourages any vendor selling garden supplies or plant-related items to show up at the church. The club does not charge booth rental.

Money raised from the event goes toward supporting the club and providing a scholarship each year to one Newberry High School senior.

For many of the gardeners, the club provides a way to communicate with others passionate about the same thing they are. For both cities, the clubs’ dedication stem from women and men invested in beautifying their yards and their cities.

“It’s a stimulus for your home gardens,” Everett said. “It’s a very active club.” s

MESSAGE >> FROM THE EDITOR

FIFTY-FIFTH ANNUAL

Spring Fever!

What’s with the arctic blast that wiped out our multitude of blooming azaleas while we were in Tennessee in search of snow? I do believe on some nights it was colder here than it was in Gatlinburg. Don’t get me wrong, we did find some snow at the higher elevations — and 17-degree temperatures — in which to romp and hike and freeze. It was a winter wonderland. I loved it.

But I wasn’t home to cover the azaleas (not that I’ve ever covered the azaleas, there are too many) or to bring in the unfortunate corn plant that was once again killed off by the freezing temperatures. Every year I bring that plant in from the cold, and back out and back in, and every year there’s that one surprise hard freeze that wipes it out. That 20-plus-year-old plant was a wedding present and would probably be 20 feet tall by now if it didn’t get frozen back every year.

But this isn’t supposed to be about freezing temperatures. It’s SPRING! And with the blissfully mild temperatures it’s time to start thinking about getting outside and enjoying Mother Nature.

Festivals abound. In our area alone we can enjoy the big ones: Newberry’s Watermelon Festival, High Springs’ Pioneer Days and Alachua’s Spring Fest. Great times can be found at all of these events, and if you haven’t been you should read all about them in this edition and then head on out for some fun. A lot of hard-working volunteers get together to make these events a success and we should all take advantage of their offerings.

There’s also the annual spring sale at the Retirement Home for Horses at the Mill Creek Farm, one of Alachua’s best-kept secrets. I picked up some pretty nifty items there the last time I went – and it goes to a good cause.

Speaking of horses, fundraisers and good causes, the nonprofit Horses Helping People (HOPE) is holding its annual Preakness Party and Feast at the Rembert Farm in Alachua.

We’ve worked hard to bring you a large variety of stories and information about the good things our communities have to offer so I hope you can sit back with your favorite beverage and enjoy Our Town. s

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STAFF >> CONTRIBUTORS Kelsey Grentzer

Amanda Williamson

is a journalism and sustainability student at UF. She is a freelance writer and photographer who loves animals, traveling and going to the beach.

is a recent graduate of UF’s College of Journalism and Communications. She has been writing for as long as she can remember. She enjoys spending time with her friends, family and animals.

kagrent@gmail.com

awilliamson@ufl.edu

Janice Kaplan

Ellis Amburn

has been a freelance writer since 2005. In her spare time Janice loves cooking, Gator sports, Jimmy Buffett anything and spending time with her husband and kids.

is a resident of High Springs as well as the author of biographies of Roy Orbison, Elizabeth Taylor and others. ellis.amburn@gmail.com

kaplan_ janice@yahoo.com

Sarah Brand

Kyra Love

is a junior studying journalism at UF. A lover of travel and adventure, she one day hopes to be a freelance journalist living in New York City. In her spare time she enjoys listening to classic rock, reading and sleeping.

is a student in UF’s College of Journalism and Communications. When she’s not writing, she enjoys doing craft projects, watching TV and traveling. kyraelove@gmail.com

sbrand6@ufl.edu

Larry Behnke

Courtney Lindwall

is an artist, writer, photographer and a graduate of the University of Michigan in cinematography and painting. He has used solar electricity since 1984 and lives in a dome home.

is a Florida native, now studying journalism at UF. She loves telling and hearing good stories. In her little bit of free time, she enjoys hiking, camping and eating delicious food.

larry@towerpublications.com

c.lindwall@ufl.edu

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>> RAILS TO TRAILS

Touch of Green High Springs Plans to Convert Abandoned Railroad

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON he day dawns on a cloudless summer sky, streaked with airplane trails.

Warmth radiates from the ground, and all of High Springs stretches out into the sun. It is a day to be outside, to wander down to the Santa Fe River, to cast the fishing line or launch the canoe. It is a day to meander through the O’leno State Park, bicycles dashing through the leaves and sending them flying. It is a day to dip into the springs.

But in a couple years time, there will be another option for High Springs’ recreation. The city plans to convert the old railway line into a trail for bicyclists, hikers,

T

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Eventually, the old railway will become one of 1,400 other railway trails protected by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s ideology. In Florida, the organization boasts 77 trails extending for 944 miles. horseback riding or just the casual pedestrian, starting at the center of town. In total, the trail will stretch for five miles from High Springs to the Santa Fe River.

“This would lend very nicely to our ‘Enjoy Our Good Nature’ brand, our eco-tourism and our railroad history,” said High Springs Mayor

Sue Weller. “I’m very excited about this project.”

According to a PowerPoint presented by Weller at the City Commission meeting in February, bicycling is a popular sport in this area. There are 900 members in the Gainesville Bicycle Club and 50 members in the High Springs Yellow

PHOTO BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

The proposed trail winds around the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, cutting through the city center. It carves its way through the forested area on a two-mile track to the Santa Fe River. Pedestrians, bicyclists and more will one day be able to enjoy the outdoor fun.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

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City Mayor Sue Weller was inspired by a high-rise railroad in New York (inset photo) that was converted into a public park, complete with flowers, benches and lots of green space.

“Once the railways are converted, you can create public pathways,” Weller said. “You can use them for recreational corridors for bicycling, skating, equestrian uses.”

22 | Spring 2013

PHOTO BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

Bellied Sliders Bicycling Society.

Eventually, the old railway will become one of 1,400 other railway trails protected by the Rails-toTrails Conservancy’s ideology. In Florida, the organization boasts 77 trails extending for 944 miles.

“Rail-trails create healthier places for healthier people,” according to

the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s website. They serve as wildlife conservation and historical preservation corridors, stimulate local economies by increasing tourism and promoting local business, offer safe and accessible routes for work and school commuting, and promote active lifestyles for all ages.”

www.VisitOurTowns.com

While High Springs may not utilize the organization to complete the project, other Rails-to-Trails projects exist in the area, such as the Ichetucknee to O’leno Trail and the Gainesville to Hawthorne trail.

Both extend more than 10 miles across the Florida landscape.

Weller said she hopes to eventually connect the city’s trail to the one branching off Ichetucknee, a Rails-to-Trails project.

The city could decide to plan the trail through the Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Greenways and Trails.

The Recreation Trails program has helped more than 40 counties establish and expand trails. The EPA believes trails fuel the state by providing improved quality of life, increased property values, alternative transportation and healthy recreation.

The Office of Greenways and Trails saw Orange County trails support an estimated $42 million of economic impact, as well as business owners in Pennsylvania and Maryland attribute 25 percent of their revenues to the proximity of the trail.

The project is still in its early stages. High Springs City Manager Edwin Booth recently discussed the idea with the Department of Transportation.

“They were very enthusiastic about doing a Rails-To-Trails project in this area,” he said. “They have the funding, and have never done a major project here.”

Weller believes the department plans to provide funding for the project.

A Rail-Trail begins when railways become abandoned, which happens when rail service is discontinued.

The Surface Transportation Board approves the abandonment and the railway files an abandonment consummation notice.

Weller said the city learned that CSX wanted to abandon the rail in High Springs more than a year ago.

Once abandoned, CSX strips the rails to be sold as scrap and

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MAPS PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE CITY OF HIGH SPRINGS

In the map presented during the February commission meeting, the trail winds from High Springs to the Santa Fe River. In the future, the commission plans to connect the trail in High Springs to Newberry, which extends to the Nature Coast Trail. The city can expect to see construction begin on the initial trail in the next two to three years.

then decides how to distribute the land. Usually it is sold to nearby businesses.

John Manley of High Springs contacted the city about preserving the railway. Weller said he intended to save the track for transportation purposes to bring economic development into the area. He planned to establish a tourism train between High Springs and Newberry.

However, the dream never came to fruition.

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Inspiration hit Weller when she saw pictures of New York’s High Line, a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side.

Though High Springs sits on the edge of nature, with its city borders nearly indistinguishable from the woods beyond, the benefits of

green space within any city are unmistakable.

Green spaces provide water and air purification, erosion control, and recreation and stress reduction, according to the Environmental Health Research Foundation.

Once the DOT agrees to allow High Springs to convert the railway

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into recreational land, the city and the project’s governing agency has to contact the railway and railbank the pathway. Railbanking involves a voluntary agreement between the rail company and the trail agency to allow a footpath on the out-ofuse rail line. “Railbanking has preserved more than 4,000 miles of rail corridor in 33 states that otherwise would have been abandoned,� according to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. “There are more than 100 railbanked trails in the United States.�

Once the rails are railbanked and the metal disposed of, many trail agencies and the local cities decide to use asphalt to create a manageable trail.

Along the trail from High Springs to the Santa Fe River exists a piece of history. The rail yard remnants remain hidden among the brush. A roundhouse once sat inside the rail yard, where up to eight engines at a time could be rotated inside the building for repairs.

Weller wants to clear the vegetation to expose the foundation for the old railroad station, and then place signs showcasing the historical landmarks. “As people go through the trails, they can see where the rail used to be and what is was used for,� Weller said. “It really builds to the flavor of High Springs, an old railroad town.�

The trail will create a space for citizens to meet and socialize.

Plus, it will be ideal for bicycling. A couple of years ago, Bicycle Florida rode through the small North Florida city, bringing large groups of tourists into the area. “Now, the State has recognized that the Rails-to-Trails program is a big economic engine to bring bicycle tourism into Florida,� Weller said.

Booth agrees, stating that the state advertises the trail on its website. Therefore, the trail creates exposure for the city, reaching out to any person interested in eco-tourism. “The biggest impact is those

, y l l a Fin l that shares a schouor values. o Why Parents Love The Rock School...

tourists may want to move here,� he said.

However, the project still has not moved past the planning phase. The city manager estimates it will still be another two to three years before the project is completed. The rail company could speed up the project or delay it. CSX still owns the tracks, and are required to come in and remove the metal before construction on the trails can begin.

After the project is completed, High Springs intends to maintain the trails, which would involve mowing, cutting back impeding shrubbery and other such landscaping.

Local bicyclists Tom and Linda Hewlett of the Yellow Bellied Sliders Bicycling Society are excited for the future trails. “It’s a beautiful trail,� Linda said. “Trees are growing alongside the path. You can’t see the roads.

It’s all forested. When you get to the river, you’ve gone two miles.

But at that part, you can see the inherent beauty.� s

“We drive our kids from Steinhatchee everyday to send them to The Rock School because I want them in a safe place, protected from the scary things in this world.

I’m confident they’re in the best environment and I don’t have to worry about what they’re learning and what they will come home saying. When I drop them off, I feel good about it... and that makes it

worth the drive!�

Danielle

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>> GOOD TASTE

Hot & Spicy Chili Cook-Off and Spring Celebration at O’Leno State Park

BY SARAH BRAND utside under the shade of trees, guests learn about water conservation. They are taught about sinkholes. They stir their chili pots.

The O’Leno State Park will hold its sixth annual chili cook-off on March 23 in conjunction with a spring celebration.

“Its two events rolled in one,” said Alachua county water conservation coordinator Stacie Greco in a telephone interview.

Greco has been with Alachua County since 2004, and said the events have been merged together for the past four years.

The chili cook-off begins first, with registration opening at 8 a.m.

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It is separated into two categories, one that requires participants to follow the Chili Appreciation International Society rules and another that does not follow the CASI rules. Participants pay either $20 for one category or $35 for both.

CASI, a non-profit organization that helps other organizations host cook-off events, requires its participants to make chili without beans. The organization helped O’Leno with its cook-off since the event first started.

“We partnered with them, and put the first one on, and we’ve been moving along ever since,” said Ed Bisch, president of O’Leno’s Citizen Support Organization. “Now we have an open category where people can have other than CASI chili.”

Bisch said the cook-off is a competition to make the best chili according to a panel of judges.

“Then we go in for a first, second and third categories, and these judges — there’s an impartial group of them — they taste the chili. And it’s all blind category,” Bisch said.

He said that the judges do not know anything about who cooked what chili, and the participants do not know who the judges are.

“And it all goes on what these 10 or 12 people think is the best tasting stuff,” he said.

Once the chili is done, the Friends of O’Leno sell $5 tasting kits for anyone at the park to sample the chili.

“It’s really fun because there’s a people’s choice award, so you get to

PHOTOS BY STACIE GRECO

Greg Owen with Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (top) and Bob Ulanowicz with the Santa Fe River Springs Basin Working Group — with a gator — were at O’Leno State Park for the 2011 event.

Various environmental organizations, non-profits and local businesses set up exhibits.

vote for your favorite chili,” Greco said. “And a lot of the chili cooks decorate their booths because there’s a best-in-show also, so the one that gets the most votes is the one that looked the best.”

The purpose of the cook-off is to raise money for O’Leno to build a screened-in room in the back of its present nature center, to hold classes for different activities without having to worry about mosquitoes.

“And to have fun,” Bisch added.

The spring celebration begins at 11 a.m. after the cook-off. Greco said the idea of the spring event is to get people from the community together and celebrate the springs at O’Leno. Various environmental organizations, including government entities, non-profits and local

businesses, will set up exhibits.

Some people bring turtles to show guests examples of what kind of species live in the Santa Fe River.

“So, while participants are waiting for the chili to be ready they can walk around and learn about issues such as water conservation and minimizing fertilizer use, all those things that are really important to the future of our water resources,” Greco said.

There will also be a children’s area where they can participate in educational interactive games.

“One thing we have is ‘Springo’ instead of Bingo,” Greco said. “So we have Springo and they can win prizes.”

Music and live entertainment will also be at the events.

The winners of the best-tasting chili, the people’s choice and the

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best in show will each receive a cash prize. Bisch said that at last year’s celebration a little more than 300 people attended, and that he is hoping there will be an even better turnout this year.

“It’s a really family friendly event,” Greco said. “We’re underneath these nice shade trees, right on the banks of the river. So it’s a great time to get to the park and then, after the celebration, go for a beautiful hike along the river where you can see where the whole Santa Fe River goes down into a sinkhole.”

Entrance into the park is free for guests who bring one can of food per person, which will be donated to a local food bank. s For more information, visit the website at www.friendsofoleno.org.

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COLUMN >> CRYSTAL HENRY

Naked Salsa Mushy Love Stuff here are those couples who broadcast their love via Facebook. They tag their significant other and talk about all the magical ways they’re in love and end with something touching like “love my life.”

Then there are those couples you see at parties or restaurants that are just so wrapped up in each other they might as well be in a world all by themselves.

Their eyes sparkle as they ask, “Hey babe, will you pass the snoogie boogie?” And only their partner will giggle and know the secret code for ‘pass the salt.’

These kids just really seem to have it together, and I’ve caught myself a time or two wishing — and maybe even wondering aloud — why my hubs and I are the couple who are saying things like, “Dude, just pass the pepper and quit messing around.” Our relationship just seemed to be lacking that spark everyone else had.

I knew a guy in high school who was totally in love with a girl named Kelly. She was slightly out of his league and kept him in the friend zone pretty diligently. But he enlisted the help of about 20 girls in our class to woo her, and in the name of love we all agreed to do our best. Well, perseverance paid off and she agreed to go out on one date. He must have really put on his game face, because he won a second and then

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a third date. They went off to college together and in proper fairy tale form they got married. They adopted a beagle and were living a fabulous life in the big city just head-over-heels in love.

The hubs and I met up with them a few years ago at a wedding and I couldn’t help but be a little envious of how in much love this guy still was with his high school sweetheart. Don’t get me wrong, the hubs and I love each other, but he just didn’t look at me with those googly eyes any more.

Twenty minutes later the door opens and in walks the hubs with Sprite, pain relievers and all the makings for chicken and dumplings.

Our firstborn was just a year old at the time, so we spent the whole time taking turns chasing her around.

And when all the other couples were out on the dance floor, we sat it out and he worked recon while I tried

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to discreetly breastfeed our active little monkey in the middle of a ritzy wedding reception.

For years I thought about that couple as the epitome of love. They were just one of those pairs that were destined for each other and would be old and gray in the rocking chairs holding hands and more in love than ever.

I strived for it, and I tried to force that kind of smooshy gushy stuff into my marriage, but to no avail. With kids and work and keeping up the house and life we were just a well-oiled machine. But we rarely had any mush.

Friday I got sick. I mean really sick. To top it off our 3-year-old started vomiting for 24 hours straight, and the baby couldn’t stop coughing long enough to eat. I just laid there in bed with kids screaming and climbing all over me wallowing in misery. That’s when the hubs texted to check in on me. He’s been doing that since we got married. He calls or texts in the morning to see how my day is going, and on this particular morning I just grumbled and told him about the joys I was experiencing.

Twenty minutes later the door opens and in walks the hubs with Sprite, pain relievers and all the makings for chicken and dumplings. Without saying a word he kissed my forehead, took the kids into the living room, started boiling the chicken, cleaning the kitchen and fixing me some Sprite and a cup of tea.

I spent the rest of the day in bed recovering and reflecting a bit on what it really means to love someone.

I opened up my Facebook to broadcast to the world what a great hubs I have, when something caught my eye.

Kelly’s status was changed from married to single.

I just about fell out of bed. After sifting through some posts from her mother and emailing a few trusted sources, I discovered that Kelly’s beau, the one who worked like crazy for one date and treated her like the jolly Queen of England, had been having an affair with a co-worker for years.

I decided to go with a lighter Facebook status post about the hubs cleaning up vomit rather than getting all gushy and flowery about what a fabulously adorable and caring husband I have. But if you read between the lines you can see we are one of those blissfully happy couples.

Our mush is just made of something a little stronger. s

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>> GOOD TIMES

Spring

Festivals

BY KYRA LOVE NEWBERRY

Watermelon Festival WHERE: Future Location of Destiny Community Church WHEN: Saturday, May 18 Begins at 8:00am COST: Not available at press time Visit www.newberrywatermelonfestival.com for more details

hat do rolling, spitting, growing, crowning and eating have in common? Watermelons, of course.

That’s right, it’s almost time for the 68th Annual Newberry Watermelon Festival — the one

W

34 | Spring 2013

day you can safely stuff your face with all the watermelon your heart desires, try your hand at hog calling and even take a spin some rides.

Beginning in 1946 after World War II, when the area had fallen upon hard times, the Newberry tradition began because farmers had brought in a huge crop of watermelons. This one positive event during these bad times was all the cause the town needed to have a celebration.

Sixty-seven years later, the festival continues to celebrate the prosperous farming industry of the area.

Though Kathi Thomas, president of the Newberry Watermelon Festival, Inc., grew up in a farming family and has been involved in the industry since she was a child, she said many

people do not have that opportunity nor are they aware of the importance of farming in their town.

“There’s an extensive amount of growth of watermelon in this area,” Thomas said. “It’s one of the biggest areas in our state — right here where we are.”

All the watermelons at the festival — 500 in all — are donated by one local farmer.

In addition to the age-old events such as seed spitting, watermelon rolling and the eating contest, the festival will have plenty of activities and rides including a bungee trampoline, a petting zoo, water bubbles, inflatables and a mechanical bull.

Unlimited activities for the day cost $20, or a small fee for each activity.

Vendor coordinator Christina

PHOTOS BY KENDRA ABREU and TJ MORRISSEY

LEFT: In addition to seed spitting, hog calling and the watermelon eating contest, children up to age 5 can participate in the watermelon roll. In this event, children roll a watermelon from start to finish in hopes of being the first one to roll their melon across the finish line.

RIGHT: Fun for children of all ages can be found at Newberry’s Watermelon Festival. Previous events have included petting zoos, bounce houses and — naturally — all the watermelon you can eat.

Bridwell said there were complaints that the removal of the carnival caused many teenagers not to attend the last two years. In order to bring in more activities for teenagers she created a forum of teens that have attended the festival for years to brainstorm ideas.

“I’m willing to try to do whatever it takes to get every member of our community together,” Bridwell said.

In addition to activities, there will be 50 to 60 vendors offering

items such as birdhouses, homemade purses, funnel cakes and other items sold by local businesses.

Although vendors take up a large amount of space at the festival, the largest draw, Thomas said, is the crowning of the Watermelon Queen.

The Queens are typically judged on their pageant performance (which takes place the night before, and the weekend before for the younger divisions) but more importantly they are judged on

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their knowledge of farming, crowd interaction, seed spitting, hog calling, their performance at the item auction and their attire.

“If you’re going to go out and represent the state of Florida, you gotta look good too,” Thomas said.

“The convention people, they want someone who is going to represent them well so they are looking for a girl who can dress nice and show off her beauty at the same time without overly showing things.”

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This year, things are a little different. Crowning will take place mid-afternoon instead of at night so more people can attend. This means the girls will not be judged on the auction and a few other games, but Thomas said they have a substitute event in mind.

For the auction, former Watermelon Queens will return to their stomping grounds to lend a hand.

Over the years, fees from the beauty pageant, vendors, sponsors and admissions have not only paid for the festival cost but have also gone towards the community.

“Our goal is to get as much money as we can back into our community and our schools,” Thomas said.

Every year NWF, Inc. gives two students a $500 scholarship and uses leftover funds for other organizations that ask for contributions, such as Newberry Sports Complex and the Little Red School House Restoration.

“Our Watermelon Festival has proven time and time again that we love our community and we will absolutely help it with anything and everything that we are humanly able to do,” Bridwell said. “We hope and pray that it will continue on to become a tradition that doesn’t die out.”

ALACHUA

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE ABL

TOP: Local bands and musical acts, such as Jim Wegman of Velveeta Underground, will be playing all day at the festival on two different stages.

ABOVE: Stretching through Alachua’s Main Street, local vendors provide a variety of products from plants to crafts to food so no one will walk away empty handed.

Spring Festival WHERE: Main Street in Downtown Alachua When: Sun., April 21 11:00am to 5:00pm.

Cost: Event is free and open to the public.

Last day for vendor registration is April 1. Visit alachuabusiness.com for more details.

ut a little spring in your step as you head down to Main Street for the 11th Annual Spring Festival.

The Alachua Business League first started the festival, which features nearly 200 vendors and live music, 11 years ago. The ABL

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was formed by a group of volunteers that believed there needed to be more focus on bringing visitors to their city.

Kelly Harris, the festival’s logistics coordinator, said 5,000 to 10,000 visitors come to the Spring Festival from all over because they know they will have a good time.

“You could spend the whole day, it’s not a lot of walking — it’s about a mile walking — and it’s just enjoyable,” she said in a phone interview.

Vendors, mostly local, sell a variety of items including plants, jewelry, woodwork and homemade jams, said Valerie Taylor, the

festival’s chairperson.

There are also so many food vendors, Harris said, offering meals for most everyone’s cravings.

“We have everything from funnel cakes to fried candy bars to kettle corn to barbecue,” she said.

Main Street shops will also open their doors allowing visitors the opportunity to meet with local businesses that some people would not normally know about.

In addition to the many vendors and businesses, the festival also offers a variety of activities for children. Youngsters can take their turn on an inflatable slide, ride in a barrel train and jump around in an

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PHOTO BY ALBERT ISAAC

What began in the 1980s as an impromptu shootout between friends has now become a staple during Pioneer Days, a tradition that entertains visitors with staged gunfights and shooting demonstrations.

inflatable bounce house. They will also have the opportunity to try the festival’s brand new ride — Zippy Pets. These large, plush, motorized pets light up and play music as children (and even adults) ride them around the rink.

“They’re all like puppies and kitties — you know, cutesy things like that,” Harris said.

Non-profit vendors, such as The Retirement Home for Horses and the local Lions Club, also offer activities for children at their booths, including face painting, a puppet show and other fun games.

For guests who simply want to take a seat and enjoy the beauty of Alachua, there will be live music playing all day on two stages, and a chance to see artists at work in Theater Park.

Though the festival is a free event, the ABL is able to award scholarships to high school seniors using the money raised from vendor fees from both the Spring Festival and the Harvest Festival (which occurs in the fall).

According to its website, the ABL scholarship is awarded to “aspiring entrepreneurs attending Santa Fe High School who hope to open their own local business one day and plan to attend Santa Fe College.”

Harris said that last year the ABL was able to award a $2,500 scholarship, which probably only covers one year of school because of the cost of tuition. The first ABL scholarship was $1,300.

38 | Spring 2013

The scholarship was also once matched by an endowment fund, which doubled the award. However, Taylor said the endowment fund no longer matches the money the ABL raises.

Though the amount of the scholarship ranges from one to two years, depending on how much money the ABL collects, Harris is glad they have been able to give it out every year.

“I feel for all the parents that have to pay for it [college]; I know I will soon,” Harris said. “We just try to help out at least somebody.”

HIGH SPRINGS

Pioneer Days Festival WHERE: James Paul Park WHEN: Sat., April 27 – 9:30am to 5pm and Sun., April 28 – 10am to 4pm.

COST: Event is free and open to the public.

Visit www.HighSprings.com or call 386-454-3120 for more details

xperience life in High Springs circa 1892 by interacting with pioneers, cowboys and Indians at the 37th Annual Pioneer Days Festival.

The festival originally started as a celebration of the tobacco harvest but changed significantly as the demand for tobacco dropped in that late 1970s. It continued on as an

E

old-time variety show where men dressed as dancehall girls, which proved to be too risqué for the town.

In 1981, the Chamber of Commerce sponsored a citywide yard sale which turned into the event of the town. Women would wear old-time dresses, men would wear cowboy boots and hats, and one resident even started the tradition of the shootout by having an impromptu gunfight with his friend.

Today, that first yard sale has grown into a festival of more than 65 vendors that attracts 3,500 to 5,000 visitors to High Springs each year.

Chris Smith, a volunteer and the husband of the event coordinator Sheila Smith, said in a phone interview that the festival is a great way for people to learn about how things were done in the past.

“The ultimate goal, of course, is to bring people into High Springs to get them familiar with the town, the people and everything else,” he said.

The main historical feature of the festival is Heritage Village where volunteers demonstrate olden-day crafts and skills such as spinning, weaving and candle making, Dot Harvey said in a phone interview.

Harvey is the publicity chairman for the Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m a history buff from the standpoint of what did the everyday people do? How did they live?

What kind of foods did they eat?

What kind of clothes did they wear? What kind of activities did they fill their day with?” she said. “I

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Spring 2013 | 39

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PHOTOS BY ALBERT ISAAC

As one of the biggest attractions at the festival, the Western Shootout recreates the old West several times throughout the two-day event with old-fashioned, smoke-filled gun battles.

love that kind of stuff and Heritage Village brings a lot of that out.”

There will also be Wild West Shootout performances throughout the day, which tend to draw the largest crowd.

In addition to pioneers and cowboys, there will be an Indian Dance Circle performed by the Seminole Indians of Florida. The tribe will set up teepees and demonstrate their dances throughout the day as well

as sell crafts.

To get children involved with the history of the festival, there will be a Little Pioneers Costume Contest. This event, which is separated by age groups, has four categories each, for girls (Pinafores, Pantaloons, Cowgirls or Pioneer Girls) and boys (Cowboys, Farmers, Lawman or Outlaws).

The children will be paraded around the festival in their costumes

and every child who participates will receive a ribbon or a trophy.

The fee for children entered in the contest before April 1 is $5; after that date the price will be $10.

Local businesses will also get into the pioneer spirit with a window and costume contest. The business with the best Pioneer Motif and Costume will win a cash prize. There will also be a prize drawing for those who visit the

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businesses and fill out a ticket.

Businesses will also have a chance to show off their store at booths where Harvey said they can “distribute samples of their goods, sell some of their goods or just hand out information about their businesses.”

There will also be plenty of festival food, including sausage dogs and elephant ears; children’s activities, including a bounce

house and an inflatable slide; vendors and live music throughout both days.

Vendors will sell handmade crafts ranging from woodwork to painting to quilts to jams and many more items, Smith said.

This year they are also bringing back the Pie Contest where festivalgoers can sample and judge a variety of pies.

Harvey said they also want street

actors from the local theaters and high schools to interact with guests as they travel through the festival.

One year, she said, a man stumbled about the event dressed as a drunken mortician.

“He’d pick a likely suspect and he’d just stumble up, wouldn’t say a word, and just start measuring them like he was measuring them for a coffin,” she said. “People got the biggest kick out of it.” s

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>> CULTURE

Cedar Key Arts Fest This Year, Heart Stickers Let Visitors Mark Their Favorite Art

BY LARRY BEHNKE how us what art inspires your heart.”

Laura Matson Hahn, art festival coordinator, further explained, “Everybody has a different discernment about what fine art is. Art is personal and emotional.

How do you feel about art?”

This year, visitors to Cedar Key’s Old Florida Celebration of the Arts will be asked for their input.

Festivalgoers will be given sheets of little red heart stickers (children will get pink ones) and urged to put these hearts on a section of the booths of art that touches their hearts.

“The objective is to get people to think about what really inspires them,” Hahn said.

“S

44 | Spring 2013

There is no contest; just a show of what art fest visitors love. It might also stimulate talk about the art.

“Artists love talking to visitors,” Hahn said. “Getting a heart sticker is a natural conversation starter.”

This April 13 and 14 the tiny island town of 750 people will blossom in size during the art festival.

The Department of Transportation estimated that the number of people coming to Cedar Key during festival weekend is around 22,000.

The art fest vies with October’s Seafood and Art Festival as Cedar Key’s biggest event of the year.

For nearly half a century folks have flocked to see art at this piece of paradise jutting into the Gulf of Mexico. They will come to see the 125 artists displaying works that

weekend. And many will stay on for the fine seafood, free live music in clubs, and the slower paced “island time.”

Cedar Key artist Valerie Bretl created this year’s design for festival posters, cards and shirts.

She made the mosaic “Shellmound” to honor the historic Native American oyster shell mounds near the island. Bretl used hand-made tile to depict the mounds, birds, plants and water on the piece, which won this year’s contest out of a large group of artist entries.

Musing about the cycle of creation from destruction, Bretl said she began her mosaic career by smashing dishes in her driveway for raw materials to put back together for her pieces. She also

PHOTO BY LARRY BEHNKE

A view of one end of Second Street, the main thoroughfare of artist tents.

“It is a very special event in comparison to the big city art shows around Florida. It has the very highest quality of artists in a small fishing village setting.” described it as cathartic therapy, and found her plates, cups, teapots or anything breakable at yard sales.

But these days Bretl uses more purchased items in her mosaics: marble, granite, onyx and specially created tiles.

Over the past 15 years she has created more than 100 mosaics, with each piece taking between 100 to 200 hours to complete. Bretl has donated “Shellmound” to the art fest for fundraising.

The juried art show lines both

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sides of Second Street, closed for the weekend to car traffic. There is some kind of art for everyone: oils, acrylics, ceramics, photography, sculpture, textiles, stained glass, jewelry, leather and crafts of all types. Each year holds new surprises and clever creations.

With $10,000 in prize money and $8,000 in pre-purchase awards, artwork of high quality is shown.

“We treat artists really well, like celebrities,” said last year’s organizer, Mandy Cassiano. “We have a solid pool of artists to chose from.”

Artists are served a breakfast feast both days, given a welcome

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PHOTO BY LARRY BEHNKE

TOP: “Snoozer,” an acrylic painting by artist Mike Segal. Other art includes ceramics, photography, sculpture, textiles, stained glass, jewelry and more.

BOTTOM: The main street in Cedar Key is filled with visitors who come to see 125 artists displaying their work.

RIGHT: This dog became a living colorful canvas during the last year’s event. Some lodgings are “pet friendly,” but they vary on number and type of pets allowed and fees.

packet and offered booth sitting to allow for breaks. Around 280 artists from across the nation apply each year; less than half are chosen.

At the end of Second Street is the city park and sandy beach.

Here children can play, make sidewalk chalk art and get their faces painted. A raised gazebo showcases a variety of musicians playing music during the weekend.

Local churches, school and civic

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groups serve up fresh seafood and homemade desserts. The Lions Club’s crab cakes and Garden Club’s lemonade are favorites.

Mike Segal has been showing his paintings at this art festival for 22 years.

“It is a very special event in comparison to the big city art shows around Florida,” Segal said. “It has the very highest quality of artists in a small fishing village setting.”

Segal said that many of the artists come here with their families, camp on the Gulf, and maybe get in some fishing and kayaking.

“The event is really a homecoming for many of the visitors as well,” he added. “They arrive from all over the state and visit with old friends and have some fresh seafood.”

The Southeast Tourist Society has selected the art show as one of the top 20 events in the

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Cedar Key’s Old Florida Celebration of the Arts April 13 and 14 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

From Gainesville, take Archer Road (SR 24) all the way to its end, which is the stop sign at Second Street in downtown Cedar Key.

PHOTO BY LARRY BEHNKE

Nature’s Art; taking photos and watching the sun set is always popular in Cedar Key.

southeastern states.

The 2013 Festival is being sponsored by Palms Medical Group, a not-for-profit health care provider serving Bell, Branford, Chiefland, Gainesville, Stark, Trenton and Williston.

Those who stay beyond the busy weekend can experience a completely different atmosphere.

Cedar Key returns to quieter ways, but still offers much: chartered boat trips, fishing from the big pier, biking or touring the town in

rented golf carts, a variety of restaurants, shopping on Dock Street and photographing the legendary, beautiful sunsets.

The town is more correctly Cedar Keys, since it is a series of islands connected by bridges. Thirteen surrounding islands make up one of the country’s largest wildlife refuges. Birds are numerous: pelicans and a variety of other shore birds. Trout and drum are common catches in Gulf waters, even off the city’s huge concrete dock. Clam

farming has become as large as the island’s tourist industry, and a local restaurant consistently wins prizes for its clam chowder.

Motel rooms fill up fast for the Old Florida Celebration of the Arts, so for those wanting to stay overnight, reserve a place early.

The best part about staying on the island is being able to park the car and walk anywhere to shops, dock, music clubs, restaurants or sunset viewing areas. s

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Community Spotlight…

Representing Gainesville at the National Level In 2005, Janet Larson had been a member of SunState Federal Credit Union for more than 20 years when a SunState loan officer suggested that she run for a spot on the Board of Directors.

“I just wanted to do something to give back to the community,” she said. “Credit union boards of directors are volunteers, so the money [made from members] goes back to the members in low interest loans [instead of paying board members]. Serving the credit union members is the same as serving my community.”

She was elected to the board that year, and in 2006 she became Chairman of the Board, a post she held until the end of 2012. She enjoyed the work so much that in 2010, she applied to serve with the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU) in Washington, D.C. The president and CEO of the organization, Fred Becker, was so impressed with her paperwork that he offered her a spot on any number of NAFCU committees. Larson, being a state health inspector for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, chose to join the regulatory committee.

“Janet is a volunteer, but a lot of the people who serve on this committee are CEOs,” said SunState president and CEO Jim Woodward. “The technical information is part of our job. We read it, and we have to understand it, and we have staff in charge of it. But she’s taken it on and spends many late nights making sure she’s prepared when they have their monthly meeting. Fred Becker personally contacted her and said that he wanted her on the committee again because she does such a good job.”

Larson was a Gainesville Police Department officer for 22 years; she was the first woman to serve on patrol for

the city. Since her retirement from the force in 1994, she has started her health inspector career and volunteered in many ways – among other positions, she is the Secretary/Treasurer of Gainesville Police Retiree’s Association and is on the board of directors for Peaceful Janet Larson Paths. She also enjoys a happy home life with husband James “Swede” Larson (the man she calls “the love of my life”) and their two-year-old Shih Tzu dogs, Princess Jane and Cuddle Bug. Her next goal: a spot on NAFCU’s Board of Directors to better serve the organization that has so impressed her.

“NAFCU is the nuts and bolts of the credit union movement,” said Larson. “They have an awesome code of ethics, and they work for federal credit unions throughout the world. The knowledge and professionalism that NAFCU brings to the credit union community is absolutely terrific.”

It is an aspiration that came as no surprise to Woodward.

“She’s very forward-thinking, and she’s always on the move,” he said. “She’s not one to take something halfheartedly. She does her homework, she’s prepared and she understands.

“We are very, very blessed to have her at SunState, and I’m blessed to know her as a friend.”

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>> CANCER AWARENESS

Relay Relay Olé Takes Over High Springs for a Special One-Night Event

BY SARAH BRAND arkness falls as volunteers begin to place white paper bags around the track.

Each bag, weighted with sand, have a candle inside. As they are placed, other volunteers come by and light the candles. The Luminaria ceremony has begun.

“I had never experienced it until last year and I really didn’t expect it to be as strong of an emotional impact it was but it just really grabs you,” said local Relay for Life publicity chair Dot Harvey. “When you just see all those lights and realize how many lives have been touched by this cancer, you know its just amazing.”

Relay for Life is the key

D

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for Life

fundraising international event that the American Cancer Society sponsors every year to raise money to support its research, educational and assistance programs to fight cancer.

The Luminaria occurs at 9 p.m., but it is not the only activity at the event. There are auctions, fundraisers, arts and crafts and others.

This year’s Relay will be held at the High Springs Civic Center on May 3 at 6 p.m. to May 4 at noon.

Because it is an 18-hour all-night event, the planning begins shortly after the end of this Relay.

“Relay for Life really is a year-long process,” said Amanda Granozio, associate director for the Alachua Relay for Life unit. “We begin shortly after our relay ends.

Really by June and July we were already planning for next year.”

Each city unit begins by reaching out to those from previous Relays and assembling a committee. They discuss the positions and figure out who wants to do what in the planning.

After the positions are assigned, the committee begins to plan a kickoff event. The kickoff is the first official event of that year’s Relay. At this event, they try to recruit past teams that have participated. They also announce the theme for that year.

The kickoff party was held October 25 at the New Century Women’s Club, where they provided a buffet, handed out gift baskets and sold Mexican style arts and

PHOTOS BY ALBERT ISAAC and LINDA HEWLETT

TOP: Relay for Life volunteers at a January fundraiser in the on, High Springs Woman’s Club. l to r: Vicki Cox, Serenity Jackson, Trinity Jackson, Tina Jackson, Sandy Flaitz, Tina Collins, Toni Warner, Judi Lewis (with hat), Linda Hewlett (seated), Amanda Granozio, Suzie Clark and Susan Bier. d Survivors Ruth Bow (above) and Reuben Cohen participated in last year’s event.

UPCOMING EVENTS THAT SUPPORT RELAY FOR LIFE: lay.

March 26 Mason’s Tavern is donating 10% of all profits to Relay.

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Pink and Purple on the Patio at the Great Outdoors. o The Great Outdoors very graciously has agreed to donate all profits on the patio on 4/18 to Relay. pecial There will be a live band. Sue Weller and other special folks will be bar tending. Times are 4:00 to 10:00..

April 20

Community Yard Sale. Teams signed up for Relay will put on a huge Garage Sale. Location and times to be announced.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF LINDA HEWLETT

High Springs Boy Scout Troop presents the Colors at the beginning of the 2012 Relay held at the High Springs Civic Center. Also on hand were team members of the Yellow Bellied Sliders Bicycling Society and Billie Joe Benedict, a member of the High Springs Woman’s Club Team, among many others.

crafts in honor of the theme.

This year’s Relay is the weekend of Cinco de Mayo, and Granozio said the committee thought a Relay Olé theme would be timely and fun for the participants.

At the kickoff event the committee also had 10 teams officially register to participate in Relay.

Businesses, families, non-profit organizations, individuals and other organizations can register to be a team, the only requirement being a $100 registration fee.

Then from the time the teams are formed until the date of the event, they fundraise for the Relay.

“They can do anything that is legal; have bake sales, yard sales, drawings — whatever they want.

We have one member that’s doing a Tupperware fundraiser, I think we have another one that is doing an Avon fundraiser,” Harvey said.

Along with the teams doing fundraisers for the event, the committee also hosts fundraisers. This year they had events at a diner, and at Pizza2Go and a Forget-Me-Not sale.

At each fundraiser a percentage of

54 | Spring 2013

proceeds were donated to Relay.

The main event, of course, is Relay for Life.

Relay begins with an opening ceremony and a “Survivors’ Walk.”

Survivors, and their caregivers, are invited to walk the first lap of the night. Afterward a survivors’ dinner is held.

“They get to sit down for a full-course dinner we provide to the survivors and each survivor can have one guest with them at the dinner,” Harvey said.

After the survivor’s walk and dinner, the other activities begin.

Each team sets up a campsite where they have on-site fundraisers.

“One of the teams usually grills, like hot dogs and hamburgers. We do a cake auction, then a number of our teams do drawings for baskets,” Granozio said.

One team is planning to hold an arts and crafts fundraiser where participants donate $1 to make the craft. There is also live entertainment.

“It’s really very much like a community fair or festival, but there is

that aspect to it, that cancer never sleeps and so for one night neither do we,” Granozio said.

The other requirement for the event is that each team has at least one member walking the track at all times.

“If everyone kind of splits it up and takes two half-hour shifts here and there, the rest of the time you’re really kind of enjoying everything that’s going on at Relay,” Granozio said.

To make the event more enjoyable, at the top of each hour the laps are given different themes.

Granozio said some popular themes from last year are sure to make an appearance at this year’s event, such as the Bandana Banana lap.

“After you finished the lap you got a banana to eat and a bandana to wear,” she said.

The climax of the event is the Luminaria ceremony. At 9 p.m. white paper bags filled with sand and containing a candle align the track.

The lights in the park are turned off, and the candles are lit. Participants are given a glow-stick, and the

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PHOTOS BY SARAH BRAND

A money jar and poster board sit in the foyer of Cootie Coo Creations on February 23. The store was hosting a Relay for Life fundraiser in honor of Mike Johnson, who had lost his battle against cancer a few months prior to the event.

ABOVE: Between 20 and 30 people showed up that day to decorate handmade cards and donate their time to Relay for Life.

names of those who have lost the battle to cancer are announced.

As participants hear the name of a loved one, they snap their glow-stick and begin to walk the track.

“So the ceremony starts in total darkness, except for the bags that are lit around the track, but by the end of the ceremony there’s all these flickering lights all through the crowd and then everybody goes and walks the track together,” Harvey said.

Some events continue throughout the evening. In the morning awards are given and there are announcements and a closing ceremony.

Relay is open to the public, but after 10 p.m. individuals under 18 years old and not registered on a team are asked to leave. In the morning they are invited to return and rejoin the events.

Granozio said that last year they had a total of around 1,500 participants, and this year’s event will likely exceed that number. She also said they have raised more money than they had at this time last year.

“So we’re very excited that we’re definitely growing and hoping that we continue to grow in the next few years,” she said.

All of the money raised at Relay for Life and its other events goes

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directly to the ACS. No amount is kept for other purposes.

“The most important thing about relay is that it’s really an event that is meant to bring the community together to do something great,” Granozio said. “For me to be out there to see survivors and their caregivers, to see families that may have lost a loved one, [to] look around them and see how many people in their community are there to support them, you know, that’s what Relay is all about.” s The Relay for Life will be held at the High Springs Civic Center on May 3 at 6pm through May 4 at noon. For more information, visit relayforlife.org.

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>> MAKE LIKE A TREE

Tree City Newberry’s Green Initiative

BY SARAH BRAND enior forester Dave Conser stood in front of the EastonNewberry Sports Complex January 16, speaking to a crowd of individuals under five feet tall.

“What do trees do for us?” he asked.

“Are trees found in paper? Are they found in pencils, shirts, that makeup stuff your mom puts on her face every morning? Is it in ice cream?”

His devoted listeners, confused about trees being in ice cream answered with a stern, “NO!”

S

Conser was at the Sports Complex to educate a group of children in the after-school care program as part of the Newberry Tree Planting Demonstration Celebration.

There he told the children about tree care and management and, with their help, planted a tree.

According to a City of Newberry press release, the event was part of the city’s Green Initiative, and was made possible through an Urban and Community Forestry grant awarded to the city through the Florida Forest Service.

The demonstration was filmed by

a city commission staff member, and will be edited by several high school students to create a city video.

City workers planted 79 trees — Live Oak, Redbud and Dogwood — at the entranceway of the Complex, which was also part of the demonstration.

The grant was awarded to the city though Conser’s help. As the senior forester for Alachua County, he was made aware of the grant.

“I told the different cities around Alachua County about the chance to get this grant and Newberry put in for one,” he said.

PHOTO BY SARAH BRAND

Moving in as close as possible, children watch intently as Senior Forester Dave Conser places a tree into the hole they had helped him dig at the Easton-Newberry Sports Complex.

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www.VisitOurTowns.com

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PHOTOS BY SARAH BRAND

LEFT: Children take turns widening the hole. Conser explained that when planting a tree the hole must be wider than the pot the tree came in.

TOP: Newberry Mayor Bill Conrad (top right) says a few words before the demonstration.

ABOVE: Newberry City Planner Wendy Kinser, with County Forester Dave Conser, gives an opening speech to children at the “Tree-Planting Demonstration Celebration”.

The process was then handed over to Wendy Kinser, the grants coordinator for Newberry. She wrote a proposal for planting trees at the Complex, and Newberry was awarded the grant.

Toward the end of last December the city received $9,000 out of a possible $10,000.

Newberry was also recently designated a Tree City USA for 2012, the third year in a row.

Kinser said that Tree City USA is a national program sponsored in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. She said that approximately 3,000 cities and towns in the country are designated, but that it is something special when a city in Florida is chosen.

“It shows that there is a recognition and an awareness of the importance of tree care and that the

60 | Spring 2013

community has a forestry program and an ordinance that promotes the care of trees,” she said.

Communities typically apply by the end of the year, and when awarded are recognized for the work that has been completed during that calendar year.

Kinser said Newberry was originally designated Tree City USA in 2010.

“And then each year we have to reapply. We recently resubmitted the 2012 designation and the things we’re holding now, in January, really will count for 2013,” she said.

A Tree City designation is something that most cities can apply for.

Newberry began the process with the help of Dave Conser and a group of about 10 high school students.

The students had approached Conser, asking what they could do to help the environment. Conser

told them about urban forestry.

“Its basically management of the trees in the urban environment, the trees in the natural environment within the urban area,” he said.

“You might think of, for instance shade trees, yard trees.”

He then told them about becoming a Tree City USA designation.

To become a Tree City USA the city has to meet four qualifications: establish a tree board or committee that is responsible for the management of trees, have a tree ordinance, celebrate Arbor Day and spend $2 per capita on tree management.

“That means if the population is 6,000 you have to spend $12,000 on managing trees. And actually most municipalities in most towns are already doing that without realizing it,” Conser said. “Just the work they do to maintain the city’s trees, tree trimming, maintenance

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PHOTOS BY SARAH BRAND

Conser and the children make a berm around the trunk of the tree. He explained to the children that this is important in containing the water around the roots.

Watering the tree showed the children how the berm they created worked by holding the water close to the tree.

and different things.”

Conser then suggested the students put together sample ordinances and tell the key leaders the requirements.

“It was so cool going into the

62 | Spring 2013

city commission meeting about two years ago or so when here’s the city’s politicians talking to these high school kids,” Conser said.

He said he was so proud of them for pushing this forward and getting the information to the city commissioners.

“Those kids helped Newberry become a Tree City USA,” he said.

All the different programs and grants awarded to the city leads to different projects, Kinser said “A lot of times we try to tie all this stuff together and make it make sense,” she said. “So when you think about the community, you think about bringing people in for tourism, but you also think about why people want to come here to visit Newberry or why do [they] want to live here.”

Kinser said these things could be

trees, conservation efforts, sports tourism and natural amenities.

Plans are in progress to build tree-lined sidewalks on either side of the entranceway to the EastonNewberry Sports Complex. The city also installed an irrigation system to regularly water the trees planted at the Complex to ensure what Conser described as surviving and thriving.

“Most people water a tree enough for it to survive, but you have to water it enough for it to thrive,” Conser said.

“I think what’s important is Newberry’s emphasis to enhance the future while preserving the past. So that’s one thing that we’re trying to do so you want that small town community effect but you still want to plan for the future,” Kinser said. “By planting trees you’re planning for the future as well.” s

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>> TRAVELLIN’ MAN

Rising

Star Jamie Davis

STORY BY ALBERT ISAAC PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM MORRISSEY orth Florida native Jamie Davis, singer, songwriter and guitar player, has been involved in music nearly as long as he has been alive. He comes from a musical family and a large network of musicians and remembers growing up listening to country music’s greats, such as George Strait. He remembers taking guitar lessons from his father. And he fondly recalls sleeping backstage in his father’s guitar case.

“My earliest memories were when I was about 3 years old, my dad playing shows and me waking up in his guitar case,” Davis said in a recent interview. “There was something about the smell of that guitar case. He played this old Martin guitar and there was just

N

66 | Spring 2013

something really comforting about his guitar case. I would just curl up in it backstage and go to sleep.”

Davis said his father, Eddy, is a honky-tonk player who performed in the Country Honey Band, which was “really hot in Gainesville” back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, playing in such places as the Lone Star.

He said his mother’s side of the family is also very strong musically.

“I am blessed to come from a musical background,” he said. “My grandma is 91 and plays guitar in the church band.”

Davis was born in Gainesville and lived in High Springs until he was about 10 or 11 years old, he said, when he moved to Suwannee County. He went to school in Branford, played music and even

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Jamie Davis and his band perform for a capacity crowd during a February gig at The High Dive in Gainesville.

Band members include Justin Lee on guitar, Sammy Bright on drums and Donnie Helms on bass. Another crucial member is his sound engineer, Justin Breeden, who travels with the band to ensure they sound as good as they can.

did a little stint as a rodeo cowboy.

“Music and sports is what I did,” he said. “Music was real big. I started playing drums early on. My brother was a drummer in a rock ‘n’ roll band and he said, ‘Man, you can sing. You sound just like Garth Brooks.’ Then I started singing more. I was singing in church and they gave me the confidence.”

This was also around the time Davis wanted to play guitar, so he began to practice.

“I was fortunate,” he said. “Around the age of 14, my dad was living in Georgia and I went up and spent a summer with my dad and he gave me a really good strong foundation. I went through his curriculum. It was

68 | Spring 2013

cool. [He taught me] very fundamental guitar playing and music and theory in general, just the basic stuff you need to build your music on. I had the basic chords; my dad really put it together then. A lot of players just play by ear and don’t get that, and I was taught from an early age that you use your ear and you use your knowledge as well. That’s really where it all started.”

His father also gave him some sound advice: learn a trade.

“My dad said, ‘If you really want to play I’ll teach you everything I know. But you’re going to need to learn a trade.’ So I did construction.”

By the time Davis was 15 he was playing any and every honky-tonk

venue around Branford.

“I knew I had to cut my teeth, build my chops and create a local fan base at the same time, and lucky for me, my dad knew all the club owners so I didn’t have to lie about my age — at least not with all of them,” he is quoted on the Jamie Davis website.

Davis was invited to play bass with the South Florida vocal group Buck Wild, where he gained experience touring, playing different venues each night and learning how to be a supporting act as well as a headliner.

“Buck Wild was the first substantial thing I did with music. It was kind of like jumping off a cliff,” he said. “Going out on the road was

“We’ve got 27 songs written and we’ll probably pick 10 to 15 songs to go on the new record. Chances are we’ll take them to Nashville or Los Angeles.” like, wow, culture shock. But it was great. Some of the funnest times in my life. Made some of the great friends in my life and a lot of great connections. Through the connections our manager is now a record producer, and he produced my record, ‘High Weeds & Rust.’”

The band signed a record deal and relocated to Nashville, playing supporting shows with Charlie Daniels, Josh Turner, Andy Griggs and others, according to the Jamie Davis website. One of the most memorable moments for Davis was performing

for former president George W. Bush.

While this was a great time in his life, Davis missed his family. In 2005 he returned to North Central Florida.

“I came back to get custody of my daughter, Brook,” Davis said, who also has a daughter in Orlando. “I came to Gainesville to network but she wanted to stay in Bell. It is a bit tough, especially with hectic schedules, but my mom is a humongous help with my daughter. I wanted to get my daughter in a stable life and my mom has been a blessing.”

His mother, Linda, is more than

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happy to help out, saying that she would do anything for her children — anything that was not illegal.

“Brook stays with me because she wanted to be in Bell and play in the band,” Linda said in a recent telephone interview.

“Jamie talks to her every day and sees her all the time.”

These days Linda is very supportive of her son’s musical aspirations but admits to having misgivings in the early years.

“I told his dad when Jamie was born that if he picked up a guitar I was going to cut his fingers off,” she said with a hearty laugh. “I didn’t want him playing in the bars and stuff.”

Fast-forward about 12 years and her son was, indeed, picking up the guitar.

“And then he started playing and

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Sammie Bright, age 16, started playing drums at the age of 3.

By age 8 he was holding his own with seasoned musicians.

I can remember him learning the songs over and over and over again.

I knew that one of these days he would get it because his dad did the same thing.”

She fondly remembers the early days when her then-husband, Eddy, would be performing and they

would have their young son with them at the gigs.

“There were times that we couldn’t find anybody who could watch Jamie, and he was so little we’d lay him down in the guitar case,” she said.

Linda, perhaps now his biggest

fan, is happy that her son has followed her advice and remained grounded as his career blossomed.

“I told him when this all started to not get above his raising. Don’t forget his manners and where he came from,” she said. “And I just can’t believe how much he’s grown up in this experience. He’s just a good person. I tried to bring up all three of my children to be considerate of other people.”

Linda also talked about a couple of construction accidents that nearly cost her son his music career.

“He was working and nearly cut his finger off. His manager, or whatever, told him that they weren’t going to let him use table saws anymore. He’s a good carpenter, but the table saw got him. He was blessed it didn’t cut his finger off,”

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she said. “And once he fell off a roof and broke his wrist. They told him he may never play again and it just took his breath away.”

Davis has since retired from the construction business and is grateful to stay busy pursuing his music career fulltime.

“Now I work about 20 hours more a week as I did before,” he said. “And it’s every bit as hard. It may not be as physical — it’s not — but at the end of the day, it’s work.”

But this is work he clearly enjoys.

The Jamie Davis Band can now be seen and heard in music venues as close as High Springs or as distant as Key West. The band has shared the stage with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blackberry Smoke, and The Doobie Brothers. His first solo album, “High Weeds & Rust,” is on the racks and doing well and he is in the midst of recording songs for his next album.

“We’ve been demoing them in the home studio,” Davis said. “We’ve got 27 songs written and we’ll probably pick 10 to 15 songs to go on the

new record. Chances are we’ll take them to Nashville or Los Angeles.”

Davis has high praise for the members of the band, describing them as genuinely honest and good people, more than just hired hands.

“I have a great band, a great group of brothers,” he said. “They’re fun to hang out with. Everybody who is involved in the project is great. The road can be tough. It can be sticky when you’re out for three months and you got a bunch of guys in the band that are side guys, but my guys aren’t really side guys. Everybody’s got their focus in the right place.”

The band consists of Sammy Bright on drums, Donnie Helms on bass, Justin Lee on guitar, and sound engineer Justin Breeden. They range in age from 16 to 38, with Sammy Bright being the youngest. Bright began playing drums at age 3. He takes virtual classes so he can tour with the band.

“Sammy befriended me on Facebook,” Davis said. “I knew his dad for years, before he passed away.

My old guitar player said, ‘You gotta hear Sammy.’ So I came out when he was 13 and he blew my mind.”

Bright was invited to sit in with the band and the following month he came out and played again.

“The next day, I had problems with my bass player, and my drummer was also a bass player so I put him on bass and called Sammy,” Davis said. “Sammy said, ‘I’d love to be in a band as rocking as yours is.’

That was roughly 2 ½ years ago.”

All of the music on the Jamie Davis album is original, a songwriting collaboration primarily between Davis, Farnell Cole and Justin Lee, also known as Number 2.

“Number 2 is a great song writer.

He comes up with a lot of great ideas,” he said. “We’ve been writing the new album with our friend Farnell Cole from Alachua. The process is different every time. It works really well with the three of us. It is most definitely a team process. We approach it like the Zac Brown Band.

They write all of their own stuff.”

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But Davis has no qualms about making an album of other artist’s material. He is very grateful for songwriters and recording artists.

“I’m from the George Strait era, and George Strait has more hits than anybody in any music genre and he’s never written any of his Number 1s,” Davis said. “Personally, if it weren’t for ‘Amarillo by Morning’ I probably never would have started. That was a great song and some songwriter wrote it and George Strait recorded it. I would fill up a whole ‘nother album of other peoples’ songs if the songs related to me. Because to me, that’s the most important part of being an artist; making sure that you only do something that’s meaningful to you, something that’s honest and sincere, because that’s what sells.”

Davis also credits the many people he has met in his journey, making connections that have helped him find success. One of his connections, a friend who prefers to remain anonymous, has advised

him along the way.

“I met him through my girlfriend, Michelle — the love of my life and the biggest JD fan — she introduced me to him,” Davis said. “She knew he had contacts and had a passion for music, and so she brought him out to Napolatano’s and we immediately struck up a friendship.”

Through his contacts the band landed a string of shows, Davis said, increased its Facebook fan base from 300 or 400 to nearly 3,000 and secured a gig on the Simple Man Cruise with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Doobie Brothers. Davis recently learned that he has been invited back for the 2013 Simple Man Cruise.

“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, the Doobie Brothers live,” Davis said. “I got off the boat and we did a mini-cruise with Blackberry Smoke, an up-andcoming band from around Atlanta/ Athens, Georgia, signed to Zac Brown’s record label. We finished that with a show with those guys at the House of Blues in Orlando.”

When he returned home Davis received an email from a national network calling him back for a private audition in Miami. While he cannot divulge the details of the show, he said he feels good about his audition and is trying not to think about it too much. Only time will tell if his fans will be seeing him on national television in the coming months.

While Davis has been a professional musician for years, he admits that he always has more to learn. To that end, he is taking guitar lessons again, for the first time since those early years under his father’s tutelage.

“If you ever stop learning, you stop growing. By no stretch am I where I want to be. I’m reaching and striving and scratching. Digging in for it,” he said. “I love what I do.

I really do. I am blessed and very fortunate to do it for living and for having a lot of great people in our corner. It’s awesome.”

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Fletcher Center

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Conveniently located in Jonesville Come over today and visit the Fletcher Center! Minutes from Newberry and Gainesville, the Fletcher Center is conveniently located in Jonesville across from the Steeplechase Publix.

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COLUMN >> BY KENDRA SILER-MARSIGLIO

Healthy Edge Five Quick & Easy Healthy Eating Tips for Kids ou want to make sure your kids get the best foods, but keeping up on nutrition trends can be mindboggling. The good news is that we don’t have to keep up on everything to give our children a healthy start. Here are five quick and easy ways to help kids eat healthily.

Y

1. Want your kids to eat their veggies?

Give veggies to kids at snack time.

A Produce Marketing Association survey of 1,000 families reported that 46 percent of kids ate most of their fruits and vegetables as snacks. Only 30 percent were likely to be most receptive to eating fruits and vegetables at the dinner table.

2. Want to keep nutritious and fun kids foods in the house? According to the American College of Cardiology, your family should try stocking these foods: • • • •

String cheese.

Whole-wheat crackers and peanut butter.

Air-popped or low-fat microwave popcorn.

Frozen juice bars made with 100 percent real fruit.

• Fruit and dried fruit.

• Baby carrots with hummus or bean dip.

• Low-fat yogurt and fresh fruit.

3. Want to keep your kids teeth healthy? Watch out for acidic drinks.

We all know that carbonated drinks erode tooth enamel.

Did you know that lemonades, sports drinks and energy drinks do more damage to enamel than colas?

Lemonade and sports drinks are acidic. Acidic drinks, especially those that have “citric acid” on the label, break down the protective enamel coating of teeth. Exposing the softer layers underneath causes sensitivity and pain… and cavities.

To mimic 13 years of normal beverage consumption, University of Maryland Dental School Biomaterials scientist Anthony von Fraunhofer and Air Force dentist Matthew Rogers put enamel extracted from human teeth into 13 different drinks for 14 days. Them, they measured how much enamel each drink destroyed.

The worst offenders? KMX energy drink, Snapple Classic Lemonade, Red Bull energy drink, Gatorade (lemon lime) and Powerade (Arctic Shatter). These

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drinks eroded enamel 6 to 11 times more than Coke and 49 to 85 times more enamel than black tea.

You and your kids don’t need to quit drinking these drinks, but you do need to drink them responsibly. Von Fraunhofer suggests that you drink them quickly and rinse your mouth with water soon after. Sipping acidic drinks allows them to sit in your mouth long enough to damage your enamel.

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Mealtime discussions should be pleasant and upbeat — enjoy each other! It’s also best to try not to comment about how much or what your child eats once you’ve placed the dinner food (that you selected) on their plate.

The ACC contends that kids are less likely to try new foods when they are put on the spot, and you can disrupt their natural ability to “listen to their bodies” by pressuring them to eat more. Young children naturally eat when they’re hungry and quit eating when they’re full.

What do you do if your child tries something and hates it? Try again another time. It can take up 15 tastes before a child enjoys a new flavor.

Hands down, the most important approach to help your children develop healthy eating habits is to lead by example. Researcher Jennifer Orlet Fisher, Ph.D., an expert on eating behavior in children, has shown that youngsters learn to prefer foods that are accepted by their families. s

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ADVERTISEMEN T

Support for the Oncology Patient MEDERI CARETENDERS OF GAINESVILLE

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ancer is a natural concern for all age groups; however, it is a particular threat to the independence of Seniors.

A recent study from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center projects a 67 percent increase in cancer diagnoses for adults age 65 and older by the year 2030.

While positive gains have been made in research and treatments, Seniors can also see improved quality of life through home health care tailored to the specifi c needs of cancer patients.

“In this area, oncology home health care is very well received,” said Susan Swirbul, a patient care representative with Mederi Caretenders of Gainesville. “We have built a very comprehensive program by addressing a variety of needs that oncology patients typically have from a home health care perspective.”

Twice a year, Caretenders provides its nursing team with ONS chemotherapy and biotherapy certification. Cancer treatments often bring their own physical and psychological side effects, so this training allows team members to better understand the particular needs of oncology patients. The nurses can provide infusion and chemo services, post-surgical wound care, and help with side effects of treatment and pain management issues.

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78 | Spring 2013

optimal care. Physical therapists can be utilized to help the client with fatigue issues that so often accompany cancer treatment. Occupational therapists who specialize in lymphedema treatment can help those with swelling due to surgery that has affected the lymph nodes.

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>> LIVING HISTORY

Passing Muster The 7th Florida Infantry Regiment Comes Alive Through Civil War Re-Enactors at Dudley Farm

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN s a major supply route for the Confederacy, Florida saw its fair share of battles during the Civil War — many of which are recreated every year by dedicated actors and history buffs.

But while these reenactments remain popular in North Central Florida, there is another side of the war to be seen.

Young men saying goodbye to their families as they head off to battle.

New recruits learning the tasks of war.

The women left behind, and their changing role in an uncertain future.

This is what visitors will experience at the first official 7th Florida Infantry Regiment Muster, scheduled

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for April 19 and 20 at Dudley Farm Historic State Park. Small vignettes will depict the struggles that new minutemen — many of them farmers with no battle experience — and their families faced during a difficult time in history.

“We are showing when young men stepped forth from their families to enlist in the army of the Confederacy,” said David Riker in a phone interview. Riker is a park ranger at Dudley Farm who has participated in Civil War battle reenactments for nearly 30 years.

“This is more of a training and gathering than it is a battle reenactment,” he said. “This is the first time a lot of them have held a military musket. A lot of them had hunting rifles but they had not

been issued weapons or uniforms yet. That’s what they will actually get at this event. Then they will be trained how to march, how to use their weapons, and also how to be involved with other units like artillery and cavalry.”

Riker, who also taught middle and high school history in Polk County for 12 years, said the events to be depicted occurred in April of 1862 during a “second call for men,” when the war had been going on for a year and there was a need for more soldiers. Florida, being a relatively new state, did not have a huge population and wound up contributing the highest amount of young men per capita to the Confederate effort. The men who came from this particular

PHOTOS BY ANNE BELLO

Visitors will bear witness as new w o fire minutemen soldiers learn how to form muskets, crew cannons and perform other tasks of war. erty Walter Cook (above left), of Liberty n to Guards Mess, stands at attention await instructions. The Liberty g Guards Mess is a group of young a men in north and central Florida who reenact Civil War events.

James Premaine (right), General of the Federal Army at Olustee. Reenactors like Premaine ensure that their period clothing (never call them “costumes”) and language are completely authentic for the Civil War era.

muster became the 7th Florida Infantry Regiment and were commanded ed by Captain P.B.H. Dudley, Sr. (hence e the location for the reenactment).

The history of these soldiers is a sad one. Riker explained that the recruits cruits from this muster were transferred ed directly into the Tennessee Valley ey campaign, including the Chattanooga ga and

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Missionary Ridge battles. The battles decimated the regiment; most of the soldiers, along with those from two other Florida regiments, were killed in action or stricken with disease. The few remaining men were combined into the 1st Florida Consolidated Infantry.

Knowing the fate of these characters makes this reenactment even more poignant.

“I can’t imagine how awful it was

in those days, with the men leaving for war in our own country. It must have been totally devastating,” Gloria Hughes said in a phone interview.

Hughes is chairperson of the farm’s publicity committee and a volunteer since the park opened. “And the economy was just awful at the time, I’m sure. Everyone was very self-sufficient, as they had to be. For the men to leave, and for those who did come back to be wounded, it had

to be a devastating time.”

Even so, the event promises to be an uplifting and informative experience for all who attend. Visitors will see how new soldiers were trained, from marching to weaponry (muskets and cannons) and how to work with other units such as artillery and cavalry. Demonstrations are planned on how women dealt with the effects of war, such as their changed roles with the absence of

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While most of the muster’s events take place in the fields, other areas of the park — such as the main farmhouse and the kitchen building — will be open as usual throughout the weekend.

Park visitors of all ages can experience firsthand what life was like in the 1860s.

Youngsters are often surprised at the effort required for the simplest of needs, such as pumping water from a well.

men at the home. Annette Lindsey, from the United Daughters of the Confederacy, is among the scheduled speakers.

Whenever possible, all aspects of the festival are directly from 1862.

Participants take great pride in making sure that their presentation is completely authentic, from the buttons on their period clothing to the vernacular they use. Weaponry, supplies and resources are also kept strictly as they would have been during these years.

“It will be a complete immersion

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WHEN: April 19-20, 2013, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm WHERE: Dudley Farm Historic State Park in Newberry COST: $5 per vehicle (up to eight occupants) RECOMMENDATIONS: Bring a picnic lunch and bug repellant, and wear comfortable shoes for walking.

The commissary (park store) will be open, as will the other regular attractions at Rogers Farm.

in living history. The participants will not know modern conveniences,” Riker said. “The sight, smells, language, all the senses will be exposed to 1862.”

Many of the normal Dudley Farm facilities and activities will also be accessible during the event.

Volunteers will perform daily chores, and the commissary and picnic areas will be open. Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch and to wear comfortable clothes since many of the activities will take place in different parts

of the park. Weather appropriate clothing, bug spray and plenty of water are also recommended.

The muster reenactment is one of many ways in which the people at Dudley Farm bring history to life for visitors of all ages.

“Park manager Morgan Tyrone and the staff have done an exceptional job making history tangible, something that they can experience firsthand,” Riker said. “It’s more than just a bunch of buildings; we’re bringing living history events to the park for people to experience.” s

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>> RELICS

Head in the Clouds Watch Towers Quietly Phase Out of Modern Forestry

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON he world sways at 85 feet above the ground.

Treetops spread out below, a landscape of tiny green mountains.

At this height, everything becomes visible on a clear day — even a plume of smoke eight miles in the distance.

While the Forestry Service towers have been slowly phased out, there is still a scattering of towers within the Alachua County area. Forest Rangers occasionally man the towers during peak fire season, but the amount of time spent inside has dwindled.

T

FLORIDA’S ORIGINAL FORESTS Before sawmills, cities and largescale development, forests covered much of Florida’s peninsula.

Stretching 27 million acres, these

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lush ecosystems remained unmanaged and unprotected for most of the state’s history.

As lumber companies, such as the Standard Lumber Company of Live Oak, moved into the region, this seemingly endless wood supply, the forests, disappeared. Timber, however, poured $1 billion annually into Florida’s economy in 1966, according to “A History of Florida Forests” by Baynard Kendrick and Barry Walsh.

It is the only commercial crop harvested in every county in Florida.

Through 1880 to 1920, lumber companies destroyed the land, cutting down nearly every tree on their property. It left the ground exposed, eroding under the frequent downpours.

“By 1928, only about 6 million

acres remained of the original virgin forests, and these were going rapidly,” states Kendrick. “Four million acres had been cleared for agriculture; the remaining 17 million acres of cutover land had been devastated by fire, overcutting, and destructive turpentining practices.”

Lumbermen realized the need for conserving Florida’s tree resources. In 1923, Florida Forest Association formed from the leaders of the lumber industry, taking the lead in tree-replanting programs and forest conversation.

In 1928, the Florida Forest Service grew from the lobbying of the Florida Forest Association, which saw the need to increase protection of the area’s booming timber economy and its renewable

The Forest Grove tower sits midway between High Springs and Newberry.

Forest rangers use the tower during peak ďŹ re season to scout the area for smoke plumes. Stretching 85 feet into the air, rangers can see miles into the distance on a clear day.

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resource. Several years after inception, the FFA gained support from the legislature to create a Florida Board of Forestry to “prevent and extinguish forest fires” and to “enforce all laws pertaining to forests,” Kendrick states.

The FFS started with the idea of building a reforestation program, said Donald West, a Florida Forest Service manager based in Gainesville, Fla. State forest conversation programs did not begin until the Florida Board of Forestry hired Harry Lee Baker as the first state forester.

With the creation of the FFS, 700,000 acres in North Florida were placed under protection. At this point in the division’s history, private landowners still fought their own fires. Residents paid a per-acre service fee to the State, which then constructed lookout towers for fire protection. Landowners were warned by word-of-mouth, and then expected to suppress the wildfire themselves.

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Throughout Baker’s career, he focused on forest fire control, tree planting and general forestry practices. By the mid-1930s, he turned his attention to promoting state forests and state parks.

FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE GROWS In a piecemeal fashion, the Florida Forest Service over time gained more land. Alachua County joined the division’s protection in approximately 1950, West said.

By 1932, the FFS had acquired 1.1 million protected acres, operated 22 lookout towers and nine pole lookouts (“crow’s nests”) 45 to 75 feet high. To fight fires, it crewed 10 firefighting trucks and staffed 11 rangers, 22 tower men and five patrolmen.

Prior to Florida establishing the fence law in 1949, cattlemen lit the woods on fire every winter to help encourage the growth of groundcover for the open-range cattle to eat, West said.

However, after fence laws were developed, fires became more destructive. Without the annual burning, woods grew rampant, untamed by the locals, he said.

However, it also reduced the amount of annual burning, therefore aiding the FFS’s reforestation program.

A big part of the FFS mission was to control these uncontrolled fires, and this remains true today. Wild fires fall under the jurisdiction of the FFS, while any structural fire is reported to the local fire department.

The first lookout towers were made of snag pines, which the rangers climbed to reach their post.

Over time, the fire-prone wooden towers were replaced with steel structures, but eventually even those became a sign of the past.

Prior to World War II, FFS staffed the towers seven days a week for eight-hour days.

These towers were placed 16 miles apart throughout the state of Florida, said Forest Area Supervisor

The Florida Forest Service is slowly phasing out the usage of towers, so Forest Ranger Chris Poole no longer climbs the stairs on a daily basis to look for fires. With advancements in technology and the advent of the cell phone, most fires are now reported through the Forest Service’s airplane or by local residents.

Poole, however, said he still ascends the towers several times a week -- for exercise. During the climb, he is also able to check the condition of the wooden stairs as well as the tower to judge if any parts need replacing.

Jaime Rittenhouse. On a clear day, the rangers could see eight miles into the distance.

Each plot was selected to be five acres in size to support the family that would live onsite. Because of the small salaries paid to the husband-wife teams, the land had to support a small family farm.

Rittenhouse said a forest ranger and his wife worked the towers, with the woman acting as lookout and the man working as a fire ranger. During the Great Depression, the FFS had 250 miles of its own telephone lines connected in an intricate communication system.

When a fire was spotted, the ranger dashed to the nearest telephone pole, which was sometimes located on a local’s private property, used climbing spurs to reach the top and then reported in the fire.

The system eventually rotted after the advent of radios, West said, which were introduced for communication in 1936.

Even with the new equipment,

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Forestry towers provide a bird’s eye view of vast areas that cannot be seen from the ground. The Florida Forest Service would use its various towers to cross-coordinate fires on a map for a more accurate reading.

there were flaws.

Dispatchers could not tell whether the crews had received a transmission until they returned to headquarters, states Kendrick.

However, for rural areas, the telephone system remained the only connection to outside cities until the early 1950s.

When forest manager West first started his career 25 years ago, the towers were occupied every day from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. If a lightning storm passed over, a ranger had to report to his or her assigned tower regardless of the time.

Beginning in 1946, as the post-World War II era crept across America, the FFS began to acquire aircraft for forest fire control.

FORESTRY CHANGES The 1960s saw a change in the way forestry was structured.

The environmental era dawned, heralding The Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and the development of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for foresters.

By the 1987, fire control peaked.

The organization received a record

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$10.3 million the following year to replace worn-out equipment and to purchase specialized vehicles, states Walsh.

“With technological advances in aircraft and electronic monitoring, most wildfires were first reported by telephone; but the division’s 120 steel towers remained an effective fire detection tool,” Walsh states.

“Rising 80 to 100 feet into the air, the towers were located throughout the state. Lookouts, including parttime workers, volunteers and Forest Rangers, continued to stand watch in the towers from early morning until dusk, depending on the level of fire danger.”

Since West began his career with the FFS, the organization has sold 25 towers within its five county jurisdiction.

“It’s a function of population,” West said. “When you have enough roads and people in a community, they see the fire and report it.”

The greatest impact on fire reporting was the advent of cell phones for personal use, West said. Before, people could see the fires but were too far from any landline to report it in. Now, people carry personal

phones with them everywhere.

Because of these improvements, there are no full-time staff members or volunteers inside the towers. Within Alachua County, the Forest Grove tower still stands, situated between High Springs and Newberry. This tower is not open to the public. On high-risk fire days, the Forest Rangers still man the towers, Rittenhouse said.

The rangers man the tower for three to four hours in the afternoon, with 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. being the worst fire times, said Chris Poole, the forest ranger stationed at Forest Grove tower.

West has heard of private landowners installing the purchased towers as observation decks for hunting or lounging.

When one of the towers goes up for sale, the FFS mails out a competitive bid to all people on the towers’ waiting list. Whoever bids the highest, acquires the tower.

“Some of forestry is based on old-school practices,” Poole said.

“They keep the towers around for back-up, but with cell phones and a plane, there’s not a whole lot of fires we can’t find.” s

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>> EQUINE SANCTUARY

Horsing Around Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY KELSEY GRENTZER or 84-year-old Peter Gregory, retirement means getting up at 6 a.m. and working a 12-hour day.

He rides a golf cart across his farm’s 265 acres of green pastures, chatting with volunteers, checking on horses and feeding the animals carrots along the way.

Gregory and his wife Mary run the nonprofit Retirement Home For Horses at Mill Creek Farm, an equine sanctuary in Alachua where old, abandoned or neglected horses can live out the rest of their lives in peace. The farm is home to about 130 horses, including those retired

F

from government service such as police patrol and military horses, those retired from riding programs, stage horses, horses that have been used for experimental purposes and those rescued by organizations such as the SPCA. Leaving a horse in a stall is like putting it in prison, Gregory said.

“These horses are lucky in that respect. They’ve got plenty of room to run around. They live like horses should, out in the wild with the trees and the grass and not being bothered by humans,” said Gregory, who does not believe in riding horses.

But running such a place comes

with its costs. In a year, the Gregorys spend about $12,000 on veterinary bills, $100,000 on feed and $10,000 on trimming the horses’ hooves, among other expenses.

Five years ago, one volunteer named Georgia Crosby decided she wanted to help offset these operating costs, and she started a sale to raise money for the care of the horses and the upkeep of the farm.

The farm will hold its 5th Annual Spring Sale on April 6 this year.

The sale offers donated household items such as books, pet items, tools, decorative items, jewelry and more, and typically earns about

OPPOSITE: A collection of reins hangs alongside a building at the Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm in Alachua. The farm is home to about 130 horses. Horses wait for carrots as visitors and families enjoy the farm on a Saturday afternoon. The farm is open to the public every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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$5,000 to $6,000, Crosby said.

She said the sale is the farm’s only fundraiser that contributes to the $250,000 in annual costs required to operate the nonprofit organization, which is run almost entirely by volunteers and only has two paid employees.

“It seems like $5- or $6,000 is a drop in the bucket,” Crosby said, “but it helps.”

Crosby, 68, first heard about the horse farm after she saw it featured on Discovery’s Animal Planet about 12 years ago. She asked if the farm needed volunteers, and she has volunteered and worked at the farm ever since.

“It’s just a wonderful place to be,” she said. “It just refreshes your soul.”

Crosby is not the only one who finds joy in visiting the farm. Groups of volunteers are always coming and

96 | Spring 2013

going, but a few stick around.

Almost every Saturday morning, Cindy Skeates and her husband leave their house in Orlando at about 6:15 a.m. and drive two hours to volunteer at the farm.

“It’s hard to stay away once you come,” Skeates said.

While there, the couple spend quality time grooming Maggie, a horse that was rescued after being found abandoned in the Everglades with her legs chained together, Skeates said. She and her husband immediately connected with the horse the first day they groomed her at Mill Creek Farm, so they decided to sponsor her for $40 a month.

“It’s a nice way of bonding with a horse without the huge expense and responsibility,” she said.

For Peter and Mary Gregory, opening a horse sanctuary was a way of

fulfilling a long-held dream to help animals. Their vision of an equine sanctuary began when the two were a young couple in England in the 1950s. At the time, they were frequent visitors of a horse sanctuary where London’s cart and carriage horses were given a two-week break from their work on the streets.

Throughout their lives, the couple — who worked for years in the hotel business — moved around to Canada, the Bahamas, Portugal, Jamaica, the West Indies and eventually Florida. However, after selling a hotel for $1.5 million, they decided it was time to retire from the hotel industry, and they purchased 140 acres of property in Alachua in 1983. They bought their first horse a year later.

“When we got out of the hotel business, we had enough money

Gainesville resident Alex Khokhlov (above), visits the Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm with his daughter, Annabel Khokhlov. This was their first trip to the farm.

Andy Staples (left) and his son Will offer a carrot to one of the horses.

A horse ducks under a fence to take a carrot from 2-year-old Aiden Prezas.

Rachael Small (far left), a 19-yearold civil engineering student at UF, grooms a horse named Cinnamon.

She plans to volunteer at the farm about once a month through Circle K International, a community service and leadership organization.

to either retire for life and take it easy or do something worthwhile,” Gregory said.

Since they were both self-proclaimed “animal lovers,” opening up a horse farm seemed like a natural thing to do. Now, 29 years later, all of their time is dedicated to the farm.

“It’s a full-time job. You don’t get a day off,” he said, “unless you’re in the hospital.”

The Gregorys live on the farm’s property and only leave for errands such as grocery shopping. They do not spend their money on luxuries like movies and restaurants.

Gregory said the last time he and his wife went out to dinner together was April 1993.

“It’s a bit restrictive, but we would rather do this than sit around at home or just travel around and eat at fancy restaurants,” he said.

Gregory makes sure that at Mill Creek Farm no horse goes forgotten. A live oak tree is planted on the property in memory of each horse that dies at the farm.

“We think that’s a better memorial than some plaque that will disappear,” Gregory said. These trees live about 250 years on average, he noted.

Since the Gregorys usually take in horses that are at least 20 years old, horses dying on the property is nothing out of the ordinary. On average, about one horse a month dies. However, they typically spend the last seven to eight years living in peace at the farm, Gregory said.

More than 330 horses have been buried on the property.

Despite publicity through national and local TV and print publications, Gregory said he

www.VisitOurTowns.com

finds that the farm is still largely unknown in the area. One of the benefits of the Spring Sale is that it helps bring people out to the farm for their first time.

“I think 90 percent of people in this area have never heard about us,” Gregory said. “Even people down this road here have no idea what we do up here.”

Skeates said she respects the Gregorys and the way they run Mill Creek Farm.

“They put everything into this place,” she said, “their whole heart and soul.” s The 2013 Spring Sale takes place on Saturday, April 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mill Creek Farm. Located at 20307 NW C.R. 235A in Alachua. For more information, visit www.milcreekfarm.org.

To donate items for the Spring Sale, contact Georgia Crosby at 352-463-6823 or gig4508@yahoo.com.

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Wedding Guide

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www.VisitOurTowns.com

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>> RESTORATION

Old School High Springs’ School Building is Reborn; Repurposed

BY LARRY BEHNKE ecades ago Luell Everett came with her family to High Springs and she enrolled as a fourth grader at High Springs Elementary School. It must have been a good year for her, because she went on to become a teacher and returned in 1966 to teach fourth graders in that very same school.

“We loved the big windows, all that light,” Everett said. “It was a nice school; we had a good program.”

She remembers the well-run cafeteria and the long hallway where teachers would take students who needed to be spoken to privately about discipline matters.

“All the rooms were filled,” Everett

D

100 | Spring 2013

said. “We had about 400 students.”

That was about its limit; a bigger school was needed.

The last class in the old school was in May 1983, as a new series of buildings next to the middle school on North Main Street became the new elementary school section.

Now the whole complex is known as High Springs Community School.

The old building sat empty for years and slowly deteriorated. Holes in the roof let in rainwater, which rotted sections of the wooden floor.

In October 1991, the deed for the vacant building and its 6.9 acres was transferred from the county school board to the City of High Springs.

In 1992 money was found to put on a new roof to save the structure, but by then much of the

wooden floor had disappeared, the plumbing had rusted and windows were broken.

In 1995, a group of three teenage girls rallied friends and family to approach the city with a plea.

These latchkey kids ended their school day at 3:00, but their parents often worked until 5:30. There was no place to hang out with friends, except for the library, and that was a quiet place.

The two large rooms in the west end of the old school were in decent shape. The floors were solid, but much work was needed on the walls, plumbing and wiring.

A call went out to the community and it responded generously. Variety show spaghetti suppers and yard sales raised money. Local businesses

PHOTO BY LARRY BEHNKE

ABOVE: The school hallway looking like new during the December 2012 holiday dinner.

RIGHT: Alumni of the High Springs school gathered for this late 1990s photo. From left to right, Morris Beck, Sam Skipper, Henry Thompson, Ralph Longman, Tom Diedeman, Janice Skipper, Betty Beville, Luell Everett, Georgan Roberts, Lowan Beville and Lavon Mauldin.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

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PHOTOS BY LARRY BEHNKE

ABOVE: Renovation underway at the old school in mid-2012.

RIGHT: Teens and volunteers hang out in the front, refurbished rooms of the old school in 1996 when it was the High Springs Youth Center.

and churches donated help and materials. Students worked, scrubbing, sanding and painting every Saturday for several months.

A concrete access ramp was built, windows were repaired; a new ceiling and plumbing was installed.

One city commissioner said it was the best example he had ever seen of the whole community coming together for the sake of its children.

In April 1996 the High Springs Community Youth Center opened.

A reception displayed the fruits of everyone’s labor; the two large rooms and hallway of the old school sparkled. The longtime empty rooms once again filled with children’s laughter. They had a safe, supervised place to go after school.

Upgrades continued: 30 volunteers built a concrete basketball court; people donated computers, games, ping-pong and pool table, an LP gas heater. Parent volunteers staffed the five daily shifts. In later years the Boys and Girls Club took

102 | Spring 2013

over, then a fulltime director was hired by the city.

But the students who had created the center moved on to high school and college. New students did not appreciate the efforts of those who had worked to create the space. A dollar a day, then a dollar-an-hour fee was added and participation dropped. When the director moved away in the spring of 2005 and interest died, so did the Youth Center.

Those two rooms are the only part of the old school renovation that remains unfinished. They are in good shape, but years of moisture have caused the 17-yearold ceiling tiles to droop. The two rooms are now used for storage, awaiting the upgrade the rest of the building recently received.

The renovation of the old school was made possible by a $300,000 grant. A new floor and another new roof was installed, and the bathrooms were completely modernized. Upgraded windows

and a complete painting make the building look new again.

During construction, Luell Everett’s old attendance register book was discovered and returned to her. She was thrilled.

In December 2012, the first event took place in the renovated old building. A non-partisan group called Concerned Citizens of High Springs invited the entire city staff to a holiday dinner. City Hall staff joined police, firefighters and maintenance crew for a feast of catered food. Volunteer cooks and Glorious Food Catering donated their talents. Smiles and full bellies were in abundance. The rooms and hallway of the old school were once again filled with light and laughter.

High Springs City Manager Ed Booth gave an update on the building to the city commission in January. He suggested it be used as a new community center for some of the events currently using the Civic Center on U.S. 441.

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PHOTO BY LARRY BEHNKE

High Springs City staff gather for a holiday dinner, the first event in the restored school building, December 2012.

“Because of the variety of different size rooms, the old school could handle different events,” Booth said. The Civic Center is one large room with a small kitchen. The old school could be used for events that do not require cooking food there, unless money could be found for modification. Booth estimated that installing a kitchen would cost around $75,000, so currently groups that need a kitchen can use the Civic Center. He also reported that he had found enough tables and chairs to equip the old school.

In late January at the city commission meeting, commissioner Byran Williams suggested the old

school be named in honor of the late High Springs commissioner Georgan Roberts. Not only had she once taught at the old school, but her grandfather had donated the land on which the school was built. It is not official, but there was a positive response to the idea that night.

A public hearing in February was scheduled to receive suggestions for possible uses of the new community center. Some would like to use the rooms in the old school for holding an annual quilt show, as a gathering place for seniors, or for bridal showers — anything more appropriate that this more intimate setting offers than the Civic Center does.

Booth said that renting the rooms at the old school would use a varying rate schedule depending on the room size. It is possible that non-profit groups could get a reduced rate or no cost, as is currently the case at the Civic Center.

When Booth was informed about the former Youth Center, he agreed that it could be a possibility too.

“I like the idea of a youth center,” he said. “There’s not much for children to do. When they get bored they get into trouble.”

Whether used by children or adults, the restored facility is something High Springs can certainly use and be proud of. s

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ADVERTISEMENT

Animal Health Center of High Springs:

Thank You for a Successful First Year!

I

n late 2011 when Dr. Bob Dilbone opened his Animal Health Center, his goal was to combine advanced medical technology with a personal touch to provide the best care for his patients. Just over a year and more than 1000 patients later, Dilbone - known as “Dr. Bob” and his staff have established a reputation for their hands-on, complete approach to veterinary medicine.

“We don’t even use the words ‘office call’ here. We do a thorough medical, physical evaluation of the pet,” said Dr. Bob. “Being thorough and complete once saves a lot of visits and money; we often see new people because of unresolved prior medical or physical issues.”

Located on NE Santa Fe Boulevard, the Animal Health Center features care from not only the doctor but from veterinary technician Robyn McIntire and client services representative Melissa Stetten. The women (whom Dr. Bob calls, “the primary foundation of the practice”) echo the doctor’s insistence that thorough care from the beginning provides crucial insight to diagnose a pet’s health issue.

“I’ve heard clients say, ‘Nobody’s ever spent that much time with us,’ and ‘I’ve been to the vet five or six times, and nobody told me that was the problem,’” said McIntire. “We get that a lot.”

The time Dr. Bob spends with pets and their owners is also important because when all is said and done, the owner is the pet’s primary caregiver. So he makes it a point to not only listen to what the client has observed, but to 108 | Spring 2013

explain the reasoning and purposes of every procedure or test that he would recommend.

“The importance of doing certain tests has never been discussed with a lot of our clients,” said Stetten. “It’s really about educating your clients so that they understand what you’re talking about, and then we can help them care for their pets.”

The Animal Health Center is equipped with full surgical facilities, radiology, laboratory and additional technology to provide cutting-edge care for your pet. It also has unique touches, such as an open area exam room (a second room is fully enclosed for more investigative procedures). Wooden banisters, fresh paint and a waiting room with coffee and other comforts provide a down-home feel.

Beyond the first year, many new clients are appreciating the animal health care experience.

Dr. Bob is grateful for the chance to enrich the lives of more clients and pets.

“We have been blessed by the response in our first year, and we continue to grow with super patients and wonderful clients,” said Dr. Bob. “It has exceeded our best expectations, and we thank those who have placed their trust in us.”

The Animal Health Center is located at 415 NE Santa Fe Boulevard in High Springs and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon. Appointments are appreciated; please call 386-454-0279.

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Taste of the Town

SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL 352.372-5468 FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION.

Newberry’s Backyard BBQ 25405 W Newberry Rd, Newberry Monday-Wednesday 11am-9pm • Thursday 11am-9pm Friday and Saturday 11am-11pm • Sunday 10:30am-8pm

352.472.7260

newberrybbq.com

BBQ — Newberry’s Backyard BBQ is UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP, and to celebrate we are lowering our prices! Newberry’s Backyard Bar-B-Q is located in our historic building in beautiful downtown Newberry.

Our pork, chicken, beef, and turkey is smoked to perfection daily. Our salads and sides are always fresh. If you are thirsty we have the best sweet tea in the South and a full bar as well. Make sure to bring your kids, we serve their meals on a frisbee that they take home. For your entertainment, we always have live music on Friday nights and Karaoke on Saturday evenings. Always remember big or small we cater all gatherings.

Brown’s Country Buffet 14423 NW US Hwy 441, Alachua, FL 32616 Monday-Friday: 7am - 8pm Saturday: 7am - 2pm Sunday: 8am - 2:30pm

386-462-3000 Brown’s Country Buffet is country-style cooking at its finest, just like Grandma’s house! A buffet style restaurant, Brown’s Country Buffet is open seven days a week! Foods like fried chicken, grilled pork chops, real mashed potatoes, steamed cabbage, banana pudding and coconut pie, just to name a few, are served in a laid back, relaxing environment.

We offer AYCE fried shrimp on Friday nights from 4-8 along with whole catfish & ribs. In addition to their buffet, Brown’s also offers a full menu to choose from. You are sure to find something to satisfy any craving at Brown’s. Serving lunch and dinner daily and a breakfast buffet Friday-Sunday until 10:30am, you’re sure to leave satisfied, no matter when you go. So, when you’re in the mood for some good home cooking, Grandma’s style, visit Brown’s Country Buffet.

Southern Soul 15 NE 2nd Ave, High Springs, FL Mon 11:00am - 10:00pm •Wed - Thu 11:00am - 10:00pm Fri - Sat 11:00am - Midnight • Sun 11:00am - 6:00pm

386-454-0429 SOUL FOOD — If you are looking for a true taste of down-home, comfort food then you will love Southern Soul Restaurant & Lounge now open in High Springs and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. All of our recipes are homemade and made from scratch. Rise and shine and stop in for one of our breakfast platters including flapjacks, pork chops, biscuits and gravy, or French toast, to name a few. For lunch and dinner our headliners include oxtails and yellow rice, pork chops, fried chicken, fresh mullet, catfish, and shrimp. Our sidelines are collard greens, mac and cheese, grits, mashed potatoes and many more! To top it all off, try our homemade desserts! Join us for live Jazz Friday and Saturday nights and live Blue’s every Thursday.

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Saboré 13005 SW 1st Road, Tioga, FL 32669 (Tioga Town Center) Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 11am – 10pm Fri. & Sat.: 11am – 11pm • Open Mondays for special events only

352-332-2727

www.saborerestaurant.com

FUSION — Saboré [sa-bohr-ay] is a modern world-fusion restaurant featuring a variety of dishes inspired by dynamic cuisine from places like Europe, Asia, and South America. Their recipe is simple: authentic global flavors, quality ingredients, expert craftsmanship, and exceptional service. Saboré offers customers a unique dining experience, shareable plates, delicious dishes, signature cocktails and desserts that will keep you coming back for more. So let us surprise your palate with our global flair and exotic ingredients. Experiencing world cuisine this fresh usually requires a passport.

Mason’s Tavern 16135 NW U.S. Hwy. 441 • Alachua, FL Open every day 11:00am – 11:00pm Just North of the intersection of I-75 and HWY 441

386-418-8078

www.masons-tavern.com

SPORTS BAR & GRILL — Mason’s Tavern is a family operated sports bar with hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, hand-made burgers, pastas, wraps, salads and homemade wing sauces. With twenty TV’s there is always a place to watch your favorite team. The NFL Sunday Ticket and all of the Gator games makes us your football headquarters.

Video games for the kids make Mason’s fun for the entire family.

Live entertainment (call for schedule). Reservations and large parties welcome.

Northwest Grille 5115 Northwest 39th Ave., Gainesville 32606 Open 7 Days: 11am to 10pm (Friday open until 11pm) Saturday & Sunday: Serving brunch 10am to 3pm

352-376-0500

www.northwestgrillegainesville.com

SEAFOOD — Locally owned and operated, Northwest Grille has been providing the finest quality fish and seafood entrees in a friendly atmosphere since 1996. Whether it’s their fresh, local seafood and fish, or handcrafted sauces and specialty desserts, Northwest Grille has something to please your palate. Meat lovers will enjoy the hand-cut steaks and vegetarians will love the wide range of vegetarian options.

Serving lunch and dinner daily, Northwest Grille, offers an extensive brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-3pm. Northwest Grille also features a full liquor bar with nightly drink specials. Happy hour is served daily from 3pm-7pm and all day on Wednesday – offering a wide assortment of craft beer, wine and $5 martinis.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

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CALENDAR If you would like to have an event considered for publication in this calendar, please submit information directly. post 4400 NW 36th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32606 | e-mail editor@towerpublications.com | fax 352-373-9178

LADY GAMERS First Friday 1:30pm HIGH SPRINGS - The High Springs Woman’s Club.

40 NW 1st Ave. The Lady Gamers meet on the first Friday of the month to enjoy the fun, friendship and food — and let’s not forget the cards, board games and any other activities you would like to bring to the group.

ART RECEPTION First Friday 7:00pm – 9:00pm HIGH SPRINGS - High Springs Art Co-Op, 115 North Main St. Meet the artists at the Co-op’s monthly art reception, featuring snacks, refreshments and art. 386-454-1808.

highspringartcoop.blogspot.com.

LIVING HISTORY DAYS Saturdays 9:00am - 4:30pm GAINESVILLE Morningside Nature Center, 3540 E. University Ave. History comes to life at the little Farm in the Piney Woods. At Living History Days park staff interpret day-to-day life on an 1870s rural Florida farm. Come try a syrup-topped biscuit or cornbread baked in a wood cook stove.

The Farm is open to the public from 9 am to 4:30 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Free. 352-334-3326 or 352-334-5067.

112 | Spring 2013

BARNYARD BUDDIES Wednesdays 3:00pm - 4:00pm GAINESVILLE Morningside Nature Center, 3540 E. University Ave. Meet and greet farm animals on Wednesday afternoons by helping staff with afternoon feeding. The farm is open to the public from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Free.

Suggested donations: carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, apples and melons for the farm animals. 352-334-3326 or 352-334-5067.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS MEETING Mondays Noon - 1:00pm ALACHUA - Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator, 12085 Research Dr., Room 104. Is food a problem for you? If so, the 12 Steps may help you; an hour where other compulsive eaters share experience, strength and hope. Free for all ages. 386-462-0880.

oanfi.org.

THIS WONDROUS PLACE Through March 23 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Thomas Center, 302 NE 6th Ave. Gainesville’s Historic

Evergreen Cemetery: Rare photographs, documents, multimedia exhibits and the work of Gainesville’s leading artists will tell the story of the 156-year-old, 53-acre Evergreen Cemetery, one of Gainesville’s most historic and beautiful sites. Sponsored by LocalEdge, a Hearst Media Services Company. 352-334ARTS. gvlculturalaffairs.org.

SHOWCASING STUDENT ART (SECONDARY) Through March 30 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Thomas Center, 302 NE 6th Ave. Artwork by Alachua County Public Schools’ Secondary School students will be showcased and celebrated on the walls of the Historic Thomas Center. Free. 352-334ARTS. gvlculturalaffairs.org.

AARP TAX AIDE Wednesdays Through April 10 9:30am - 2:30pm GAINESVILLE - Senior Recreation Center, 5701 NW 34th St. Providing free, quality tax assistance to lowand moderate-income taxpayers with special attention to those age 60 and over by certified tax specialist.

352-378-2524. eldercare.

ufandshands.org.

PRINTMAKING IN THE AGE OF REMBRANDT Through April 28 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Harn Museum, Southwest 34th St. and Hull Road.

Exhibit features more than 70 prints by Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) and 20 of his contemporaries created between the 16th and 17th centuries.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are etchings by Rembrandt.

352-392-9826. harn.ufl.edu.

GATOR NATIONALS March 14 - March 17 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Gainesville Raceway, 11211 N. County Road 225. The traditional East Coast opener of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, with the 44th running of the NHRA Gatornationals. Tickets are available via nhratix. com or 1-800-884-6472.

Event information, area accommodations, directions to the track, RV parking information, and other details can be found at autoplusraceway.com.

INDIA FEST & HEALTH FAIR Saturday, March 16 9:00am - 6:00pm GAINESVILLE - Santa Fe College Gymnasium, 3000 NW 83rd St. India Cultural & Education Center (ICEC) invites all to its biggest

annual cultural event, showcasing the diverse culture and traditions of India. Music, dance, sale of exquisite Indian jewelry, crafts, ethnic attire and mouthwatering food. Cost is $5. 352-378-7112.

gvilleinternet.com/icec/

RUN FOR HAVEN Saturday, March 16 4:30pm JONESVILLE - Tioga Town Center, 105 SW 128th St. Registration fee includes the chip-timed run, a pre-run warm up, a post-run party, live music by Dottie South and the Slackers, and food and drinks! Not a runner but still want to join the fun? Purchase a Post-Party Only ticket. All proceeds will benefit the thousands of patients and families served by Haven Hospice. $35 until March 15, $45 for day-of registration for all; Post-Party tickets cost $15 per person.

352-271-4665.

Chick Corea and Béla Fleck Wednesday, March 20 7:30pm

ANTIQUE TRACTOR AND CAR DAY Saturday, March 16 9:00am - 2:00pm NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Road. The Friends of Dudley Farm CSO invite people to learn about its rich heritage as members of the North Florida Antique agriculture.

They will plow a sugar cane field on a variety of vintage machines, dating from the 1930s.

The local Antique Automobile Club of America will also display their cars. $5 per car, with up to 8 occupants. 352-4721142. friendsofdudleyfarm.org.

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. Chick Corea and Béla Fleck — two master songwriters, musicians and bandleaders — meet in a historic duet of piano and banjo. The Grammy-winning duet will combine Corea and Fleck’s most recognizable tunes with the music from their Latin Grammy-winning album, “The Enchantment!” 352-392-ARTS. performingarts.ufl.edu.

DAVID HOLT AND JOSH GOFORTH Thursday, March 21 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Squitieri Theatre, UF. Four-time Grammy winner David Holt and acoustic musician Josh Goforth team up to share folklore stories and music. The duo utilizes multiple instruments — combining the rich sounds of banjo, mandolin and slide guitar along with unusual rhythm makers,

including spoons, a jaw harp and even a paper bag. 352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

GROUNDCOVERS & TURF ALTERNATIVES Thursday, March 21 3:00pm - 4:00pm GAINESVILLE - Alachua County Extension Office, 2800 NE 39th Ave. If grass is failing, you may not be putting the right plant in the right place. Learn about groundcover plants

www.VisitOurTowns.com

that will grow in the shade or full sun. Free.

Pre-register at 352-3376209. alachua.ifas.ufl.edu.

A SHORTER WALK TO WATER Friday, March 22 Times Vary HIGH SPRINGS - High Springs Community School World. Water Day is a fundraiser sponsored by the High Springs Community School Book Club and FFA. Each day in Africa, thousands of girls walk

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three years in residence at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels.

352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

BEETHOVEN ORCHESTRA BONN Saturday, March 23 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. Founded more than a century ago, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn has evolved into one of the best ensembles of its kind in Germany and has become a pillar of cultural life in Bonn and the surrounding region.

The orchestra has completed successful tour dates and guest performances in some of the world’s greatest concert venues, from Carnegie Hall in New York to Suntory Hall in Tokyo. 352-392-ARTS.

9 TO 5

performingarts.ufl.edu.

March 22 - April 14

NATIONS PARK GRAND OPENING

Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Gainesville Community Playhouse, 4039 NW 16th Blvd. Based on the movie with Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lilly Tomlin, and nominated for five Tony Awards, 9 TO 5 tells the story of three unlikely friends who conspire to take control of their company and learn there’s nothing they can’t do — even in a man’s world. Outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic, 9 TO 5 is about teaming up and taking care of business, getting credit and getting even. 352-376-4949. gcplayhouse.org.

for hours to collect water for their families.

Their walk is dangerous and keeps them from attending school. Often the water they obtain is contaminated. We can change this by building a well in a village that needs it. HSCS student volunteers will earn money for a well in a needy village by making laps around the school soccer field carrying a jug of water. Each participant must find his or her own sponsors

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who may pledge by the lap completed or in a lump sum.

All money collected will be given directly to the High Springs Rotary Club for their well water initiative.

Anyone willing to sponsor students or even grades (the Kindergarten classes are looking for a sponsor for example) can send a check payable to the High Springs Rotary c/o HSCS 1015 N Main St. High Springs Fl. 32643.

MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP Friday, March 22 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. Founded in 1980, this group is one of the world’s leading dance companies, and the only one performing exclusively with live music across the U.S. and at major international festivals.

In the late ’80s, MMDG became the national dance company of Belgium, and spent

Saturday, March 23 Time Vary NEWBERRY - Parade at 10 a.m., Grand Opening Ceremonies 11 a.m., Games begin at 1 p.m. and Fireworks in the evening. For more info contact Newberry City Hall: 352-5447 x 6.

SPRING TRAINING FESTIVAL Saturday, March 23 9:00am – 4:00pm NEWBERRY - Downtown, along Seaboard Drive. “All American Baseball” is the theme for Newberry Main Street Spring Training Festival that offers arts and craft vendors, food vendors, family friendly activities and entertainment.

NewberryMainStreet.com.

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800.HOSPICE (467.7423) havenhospice.org

www.vivameanslife.org Serving North Florida since 1979. /LFHQVHG DV D QRW IRU SURÃ&#x20AC;W KRVSLFH VLQFH

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SPRING GARDEN FESTIVAL Saturday, March 23 9:00am - 5:00pm GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. The Festival features about 200 booths offering plants, landscape displays, garden accessories, arts and crafts, educational exhibits and, of course, foods. Also featured are a walk-through butterfly conservatory, children’s activities area, live entertainment and live auctions.

Parking is free. Adults: $8 Children: $5. 352372-4981. kanapaha.org.

VIVA EUROPE! Saturday, March 23 11:00am - 4:00pm GAINESVILLE - Bo Diddley Community Plaza, 111 E. University Ave. Learn to speak six phrases in Polish, write your name in Bulgarian, step some Greek dance steps, hear a saz. “Get your Hands on Europe” at VIVA EUROPE by the UF Center for European Studies and others.

The marketplace will have handmade and traditional jewelry, pillows, chocolates, ornaments, and accessories from Europe. Free.

352-294-7142.

SPRINGS CELEBRATION/ CHILI COOK OFF Saturday, March 23 11:00am - 3:00pm HIGH SPRINGS - O’Leno State Park, 410 SE O’Leno Park Road.

Free admission to the park with a canned food donation. There will be live music, entertainment, children’s activities, informational exhibits and chili. This is a great event along the

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banks of the Santa Fe River. If interested in participating in the Chili Cook Off details and rules can be found at friendsofoleno.com.

386-454-1853.

HORSE SHOW March 23 - 24 8:30am - 4:00pm NEWBERRY - Canterbury Equestrian Showplace, 23100 W. Newberry Road. Come out and enjoy watching three arenas of beautiful horses jumping and competing both Saturday and Sunday.

Opportunities to meet local area trainers and competitors and see the horses and ponies “up close” in a variety of competitions all day.

Free. 321-693-5551.

horseshowsinthepark.com.

JOHN WILLIAMS AND JOHN ETHERIDGE Sunday, March 24 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, UF. Legendary guitarists John Williams and John Etheridge go back more than a decade to the formation of The Magic Box, which toured for three years.

Williams and Etheridge eventually became a duo, first recording Live in Dublin for Sony Records and eventually touring the world in esteemed venues, including Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall, Sydney Opera House and Hamer Hall. 352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

FILM SCREENING Thursday, March 28 6:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. “The Last Flight of Petr Ginz” tells the story of Petr Ginz, a child from Prague

who perished during the Holocaust. The film opens a window into Petr’s life through his artwork, novels, short stories and magazine articles, and the journey he made from child to young adult, from innocence to the painful awareness of inhumanity. Free.

352-846-1575.

bobgrahamcenter.ufl.edu.

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH March 29 - June 22 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Thomas Center, 302 NE 6th Ave. The Quest for the Fountain of Youth in Florida, Mythology and Art commemorates the 500th anniversary Ponce de Leon’s Landing in Florida with more than 30 original art works by contemporary Florida artists that will document the history of the Fountain story in Florida and explore interpretations of the significance of the story in their own lives and in the life of the community. Free.

352-334-ARTS.

cityofgainesville.org.

ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN Saturday, March 30 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. Prepare for a nostalgic return to Queen’s heyday as this phenomenal spectacle rock-n-roll show, equipped with dynamic lighting and special effects, pays tribute to one of the greatest bands of all time. More than a tribute band, The Works — led by Gary Mullen — delivers the look, sound, pomp and showmanship of the group responsible for timeless anthems.

352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

PAUL HUANG, VIOLIN Wednesday, April 3 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Squitieri Theatre, UF. Violinist Paul Huang is quickly establishing a reputation for his eloquent interpretations and commanding stage presence. The young virtuoso is the recipient of the Helen Armstrong violin fellowship of Young Concert Artists, and was the first prizewinner of the 2011 YCA International Auditions and 2009 International Violin Competition. 352-392ARTS. performingarts.ufl.edu.

SIMONE DINNERSTEIN AND TIFT MERRITT Friday, April 5 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, UF. “Night” is a unique collaboration between classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tift Merritt. The two musicians unite the classical, folk and rock worlds, exploring common terrain and uncovering new musical landscapes. 352-392ARTS. performingarts.ufl.edu.

ARDISIA PULL WORKDAYS Saturday, April 6 9:00am ALACHUA - San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, 12720 NW 109th Lane. You can help save the native diversity of these hammocks by helping to pull out this aggressive invader. On the first Saturday of every month (except July and August) come pull ardisia, an invasive ornamental shrub. It can grow thickly, shading the

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ground and crowding out other native plants.

352-494-7864.

VIVA 2013 Saturday, April 6 5:30pm ALACHUA - Rembert Farm, NW 172nd Ave. Annual fundraising event to benefit Haven Hospice. An evening of delicious food, live auction, silent auction, entertainment and games. Haven Hospice will continue this year with the carnival theme.

Cost: $150. 352-2714665. havenhospice.org.

HAIR Monday, April 8 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. The Public Theater’s new Tonywinning production of HAIR is an electric celebration on stage.

This exuberant musical about a group of young

Americans searching for peace and love in a turbulent time has struck a resonant chord with audiences young and old. 352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

ROBIN HOOD April 10 - May 5 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - The Hippodrome, 25 SE 2nd Place. Robin Hood comes alive with sword fighting, archery and hijinks as the Prince of Thieves and his merry men do all the wrong things for all the right reasons. Fast-action, sword fighting, trickery, and comedy make this a fun-filled adventure for all ages! 352-3754477. thehipp.org.

VOCA PEOPLE Thursday, April 11 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. A thrilling

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musical and comedic adventure. This ensemble of eight musical aliens delivers an out-of-this world experience, combining amazing a cappella vocals with the art of the modern beat box, which imitates drums, trumpets and guitars without instruments or sound effects. 352-392ARTS. performingarts.ufl.edu.

Saturday, April 13 10:00am - 2:00pm NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W Newberry Road. Come out and experience Old Florida farm life with your family. Bring your lunch for a picnic and enjoy fun period activities set up for the kids. friendsofdudleyfarm.org

RUMORS April 12 - May 5 Time TBA HIGH SPRINGS - High Springs Community Theater, 130 NE 1st Ave. Several affluent couples gather in the posh suburban residence of a couple for a dinner party celebrating their hosts’ 10th anniversary. However, they discover there are no servants, the hostess is missing, and the host — the deputy mayor of New York City — has shot himself through the earlobe.

As the confusions and miscommunications mount, the evening spins off into classic Neil Simon farcical hilarity. 386-454-3525.

ALLIGATOR LAKE SPRING FESTIVAL Saturday, April 13 8:00am – 3:00pm LAKE CITY - Alligator Lake Park. Enjoy a free community festival celebrating nature.

Bird walks led by experts start at 8 am at Alligator Lake on the Florida Birding Trail.

Walking workshops highlight butterflies, native plants and flowers. Vendors and exhibitors offer nature and garden-related items, and native plants.

Many free activities will be offered for children.

Food and drinks will be available. 386-466-2193.

fourriversaudubon.org.

highspringscommunitytheater.com.

MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL ON TOUR Friday, April 12 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. This exclusive presentation celebrates the Monterey Jazz Festival’s legacy by expanding the boundaries of live jazz performance.

This tour reflects Monterey’s “traditionaluntraditionalist” attitude, jazz-with-apurpose exuberance and joyful fun that is the hallmark of the festival. 352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

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PARTAKE OF THE PAST

SPRING PARADE OF HOMES Saturday, April 13 1:00pm - 6:00pm GAINESVILLE - Builders Association of North Central Florida, 2217 NW 66th Court. The parade showcases the latest in home design and décor with the most up-todate energy saving construction techniques and the newest in land development.

Each Parade Home is a collective effort of numerous people who combine their talents and resources to show the public the newest ideas in the housing industry. Free. 352-3725649. bancf.com.

ALISON BALSOM & SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE Saturday, April 13 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, UF. Twotime Classic BRITs’ female artist of the year Alison Balsom partners with the Scottish Ensemble, the U.K.’s only professional string orchestra. As an acclaimed trumpeter, Balsom headlined The Last Night of the BBC Proms with an audience viewership of roughly 200 million and has also been seen on The Late Show with David Letterman. She pairs with the Glasgowbased ensemble, featuring 12 players who frequently perform at world-class festivals around the world.

352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

CEDAR KEY ARTS FESTIVAL April 13 - April 14 10:00am - 5:00pm CEDAR KEY - 2nd St., Downtown. In the 49th Annual Old Town Celebration of the Arts, artists, vendors and residents will come together on the island of Cedar Key, 60 miles west of Ocala, to enjoy local food and culture in one of Florida’s historic

coastal towns. The festival will be juried and winner among 120 artists will be chosen.

cedarkeyartsfestival.com.

352-543-5400.

SPECTICAST: MIKHAIL GLINKA’S RUSLAN AND LYUDMILA Sunday, April 14 3:00pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. Produced by the Kirov Opera from the Mariinsky Theatre and conducted

by Valéry Gergiev, this magnificent production offers a rare glimpse of Glinka’s masterpiece in its entirety. The artist roster features some of the great talents of Russian opera, including Galina Gorchakova and Larissa Diadkova. English subtitles. 352-392ARTS. performingarts.ufl.edu.

ONE-MAN STAR WARS TRILOGY April 16 - April 20 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Squitieri Theatre, UF. In this high-energy 75-minute solo piece, writer/ performer Charles Ross plays all the characters, recreates the effects, sings the songs, flies the ships and fights both sides of the battles from

the original Star Wars trilogy. 352-392-ARTS.

and ButterflyFest. 352846-2000. flmnh.ufl.edu.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

MUSIC IN THE PARK Sunday, May 19 2:00pm - 4:00pm HIGH SPRINGS - James Paul Park & Community Garden, 200 N. Main St. Music in the Park Series happens every third Sunday of the month behind City Hall. Featuring local musicians and talent. ?BYO blankets, lawn chairs and refreshments. ?Enjoy the beautiful downtown area with your family and friends.

352-275-4190.

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION/ BUTTERFLY PLANT SALE Friday, April 19 10:00am - 5:00pm GAINESVILLE - Museum of Natural History, Hull Road and SW 34th St. The Museum’s Earth Day celebration features a large plant sale with more than 120 species of difficultto-find and butterflyfriendly plants. Accent, host, native and nectar plants are available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the Museum’s Butterfly Rainforest and Museum events like Earth Day

7TH FLORIDA MUSTER April 20 - 21 9:00am - 4:00pm NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W. Newberry Road. Civil War history comes alive at the Dudley farm, as members of history reenactment groups come together to portray the mustering, training and camp life of troops. This will be a recreation of the 7th Florida Infantry Regiment, Confederate States Army muster.

friendsofdudleyfarm.org

FAMILY DAY Saturday, April 20 1:00pm - 4:00pm GAINESVILLE - Harn Museum, Hull Road and SW 34th St. Celebrate Earth Day at the Harn.

Take a family friendly tour of “Printmaking in the Age of Rembrandt” and then make a print of foliage arrangements that were created by adults in a morning class at the museum.

A donation of $5 per family or $2 per child is requested if participating in the art activity. Admission, the exhibition tour and parking are free.

352-392-9826. harn.ufl.edu/

museumnights.

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Requiem and Tragic Overture. 352-392ARTS. performingarts.ufl.edu.

Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival

YARD FOLIAGE ARRANGEMENTS Saturday, April 20 11:00am - 1:00pm GAINESVILLE - Harn Museum, Southwest 34th St. and Hull Road.

In connection with the landscape prints on view in the exhibition, the Harn Museum and the Gainesville Garden Club are offering an adult class to learn foliage arrangement techniques. There is limited seating and registration is required.

Class fee is $18 per person and includes vase and greenery.

352-392-9826, ext. 2112.

Saturday, April 6 10:00am GAINESVILLE - NE 1st St. Fine arts and fine crafts festival.

Local entertainment on two stages, food vendors, Kids’ art jungle, more than $20,000 in artist awards and $10,000 in purchase awards, Friday evening set-up, Saturday evening dinner, booth sitters.

110,000 attendees expected.

harn.ufl.edu.

SPRING FESTIVAL AL STEWART Saturday, April 20 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, UF. A key figure in British music, Al Stewart’s career spans four decades and is still going strong.

His signature sound and thought-provoking lyrics propelled him to the top of the U.S. charts in the late ’70s. The title tracks to Stewart’s platinum albums “Time Passages” and “Year of the Cat” broke into the Top 10 on the Billboard charts. 352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

ANNUAL PARKINSONS SYMPOSIUM Saturday, April 20 8:00am - 1:30pm GAINESVILLE - Senior Recreation Center, 5701 NW 34th St. Free to the public, this informational day on Parkinson’s Disease

offers attendees a better understanding of what to expect, treatment options and future research developments. A variety of topics makes this appropriate for newly diagnosed and those experienced with Parkinsons, their caregivers and all healthcare professionals. 352-2945434. mdc.mbi.ufl.edu.

BIOBILTZ Saturday, April 20 10:00am - 3:00pm GAINESVILLE - Museum of Natural History, Hull Road and Southwest 34th St. Explore the wonders of life on Earth. Participate in a BioBlitz in the adjacent UF Natural Area Teaching Laboratory and see diverse specimens from the museum’s vast collections. 352-8462000. flmnh.ufl.edu.

STOP! CHILDREN’S CANCER Saturday, April 20 7:00pm - 11:30pm GAINESVILLE - O’Connell Center, UF. STOP! Children’s Cancer is a local non-profit 501(c) (3) organization committed to the prevention, control and cure of cancer in children. Since its founding in 1981 by the Freeman family, it has been locally managed and dedicated to raising funds for basic research, research scholars and research equipment. Cost is $150. 352-392-5500.

Sunday, April 21 11:00am to 5:00pm ALACHUA - Main Street, Downtown. A fun-filled day of music, food and games. Free.

alachuabusiness.com.

ART SHOWING April 21 - 28 Times Vary

oconnellcenter.ufl.edu.

FORT WHITE - Rum 138, corner of Rum Island Terrace and CR 138.

Showcase of N. Central Florida professional artists and their works depicting the Santa Fe River.

Proceeds benefit nonprofit “Our Santa Fe River” and the artists.

Open House, Friday April 26. 386-454-4247.

BRAHMS’ REQUIEM

GOLF TOURNAMENT

Saturday, April 20 7:00pm

Saturday, April 27 Time Vary

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. The Gainesville Civic Chorus and UF Choral Union present Johannes Brahms’ A German

GAINESVILLE - Ironwood Golf Course, 2100 NE 39th Ave. The Alachua Woman’s Club will host its 7th Annual Golf Tournament, its largest

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Blvd. Support an end to cancer by walking overnight with others in your community.

Join the Relay for Life movement, which seeks to honor survivors and search for the cure.

Relays in other areas across Alachua County vary by day and time.

relayforlife.org.

Hogtown Craft Beer Festival Saturday, May 4 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Gardens. Join the Hogtown Brewers and others at the Hogtown Craft Beer Festival where you can enjoy great beer and food, and learn more about the amazing diversity of beer produced at the local and regional level. hogtownbeerfest.com.

fundraising event of the year and allows the club to continue serving our community.

To sponsor, contact Shirley Green Brown at 386-462-5144, Cheryl Hartley at 352-2583906 or Joan Imler at 386-462-2467.

SWAMP DASH AND BASH Saturday, April 27 Times Vary ALACHUA - Windy Hill Farms, 13126 NW 174th Ave. If you’re OK with getting a little dirty, sign up for this fourmile race through the swamp. This obstaclebased course is for intense competitors or those just looking to have some fun.

Multiple races will be staggered at different times throughout the morning, including specific races for teams, sororities and fraternities and even kids. After you’re done getting muddy, go to the race’s bash afterward for entertainment and a free beer. swampdash.com.

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ROSE SHOW Saturday, April 27 1:00pm - 5:00pm GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 47000 SW 58th Dr. Expect several hundred horticultural and arrangement exhibits to be entered into the competition.

Judged exhibits will be open to the public.

In addition to the judged exhibits, the show features hourly door prize drawings, free information and literature on rose culture, and the sale of cut flowers and potted roses. $7 for adults, free for members. 352372-4981. kanapaha.org.

NINETY MILES Saturday, April 27 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, UF. Critically acclaimed jazz vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Nicholas Payton have teamed to create a distinctly unique collection of songs, Ninety Miles. The result is a true CubanAmerican musical

collaboration that defies political borders.

For this performance, Harris, Sánchez and Payton recreate the music made during this journey. 352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

GRIMY GULCH SALOON April 27 - 28 Time Vary HIGH SPRINGS - The High Springs Woman’s Club.

40 NW 1st Ave. The High Springs Woman’s Club’s Grimy Gulch Saloon is back for Pioneer Days. Stop in, sit awhile, have breakfast or lunch and listen to the bands in the air-conditioned clubhouse. The club will be serving its famous BBQ, ham & cheese and turkey sandwiches, coleslaw, beans and dessert. The bakery table will have pies, cakes, breads, brownies and muffins.

RELAY FOR LIFE Friday, May 3 6:00pm HIGH SPRINGS - High Springs Civic Center, 330 NE Santa Fe

FROGS AND FRIENDS Friday, May 3 2:00pm GAINESVILLE – Morningside Nature Center, 3540 E. University Ave. Join the fun, get the facts!

Youngsters, with an adult, can join a Morningside Nature Center animal caretaker for an exciting and educational program featuring live amphibians and reptiles. In the Education Building. 352-334-3326 or 352-334-5067.

ALACHUA BIOTECH CELEBRATION Thursday, May 9 9:30am - 1:00pm ALACHUA - Progress Corporate Park, 13709 Progress Blvd. Hosted

by BioFlorida, the 10th Annual Celebration of Biotechnology will be an opportunity to network and learn through vendors and other professionals.

The event is free and open to the public. m360.

bioflorida.com

GAINESVILLE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Friday, May 10 7:30pm GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, UF. Everyone’s favorite Disney — with movie clips and much more! 352-392-ARTS.

performingarts.ufl.edu.

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LAUNDRY DAY Saturday, May 11 10:00am - 2:00pm NEWBERRY - Dudley Farm Historic State Park, 18730 W Newberry Road. Ever wondered how laundry was done before washing machines?

Come find out about 19th century laundry day at the farm. Kids can fetch water at the well, use a washboard and wringer, and dry clothes on an oldfashioned line. Careful — you might get wet.

friendsofdudleyfarm.org

WINDSOR ZUCCHINI FESTIVAL Sunday, May 12 10:00am GAINESVILLE - Fire Station 19, 4501 SW 20th Ave. Family-oriented festival. Arts and crafts show, live music, kids’ rides/games, chicken barbecue meal, a variety of contests, and zucchini prepared many ways, including ice cream. 3,000 attendees expected.

CARILLON RECITAL Sunday, May 12 3:00pm GAINESVILLE - Century Tower, UF. Members of the UF Carillon Studio perform on the 61-bell carillon housed in Century Tower on the UF campus. Bring a blanket or lawn chair for this free concert. 352273-3181. arts.ufl.edu/carillon.

OMBUDSMAN MEETING Thursday, May 16 1:00pm - 3:00pm ALACHUA - Alachua Regional Service Center, 14107 US Highway 441. The North Central Florida Ombudsman Council

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Pioneer Days Festival April 27 - 28

Times Vary

HIGH SPRINGS - James Paul Park. Take a trip back to the old west for the 37th Annual Pioneer Days Festival. You will experience period music, the heritage village, contests, reenactments and a parade. Admission is free, 5,000 attendees expected. Saturday, April 27 – 9:30am to 5pm and Sunday, April 28 – 10am to 4pm. HighSprings.com or 386-454-3120.

is comprised of volunteers whose goal is to improve the quality of life and care of residents of long-term care facilities. Ombudsmen are trained and certified volunteers given authority under federal and state law to investigate and resolve complaints for long-term care facility residents. 888831-0404. Free. For additional dates visit:

ombudsman.myflorida.com

MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS May 17 - June 2 Times Vary GAINESVILLE - Gainesville Community Playhouse at the Vam York

Theater, 4309 NW 16th Blvd. Moonlight and Magnolias is a comedic play about writing plays. It follows a producer, director and script doctor as they try to write out the film screenplay “Gone with the Wind” — all while locked in the producer’s office.

Set on a 1930s MGM studio lot, Moonlight and Magnolias is sure to make you laugh.

352-376-4949.

NEWBERRY WATERMELON FESTIVAL Saturday, May 18 Time TBA NEWBERRY - Destiny Community Church.

The 68th Annual Newberry Watermelon Festival is back for another year of seed-spitting, piebaking, hog-calling and, of course, watermelon-eating.

The watermelons are provided by local growers and are free to visitors.

newberrywatermelonfestival.com.

MOONLIGHT WALK Saturday, May 18 7:00pm to 11:00pm GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. The Moonlight Walk is a magical experience with twinkle lights, lanterns, and

www.flygainesville.com

10% OFF

Up to 6 people admission, camping.

OTHS mag. Exp 6-15-13

PARK

COUPON NOT VALID ON MAJOR HOLIDAY WEEKENDS

• Covered pavilions • Concession stand • Large tiled bath house • Canoe & tube rentals • Nature trail • Volleyball courts • Horseshoe pits

• Playground • Picnic tables & grills • Campsites w/ electric and water • Primitive wooded campsites • Dump station

Located in beautiful High Springs

386-454-1369 www.bluespringspark.com

37 ANNUAL TH

PIONEER DAYS Featuring Crafts, Fine Arts, Gourmet Products, Plants & Flowers, Fesitval Food and Live Music.

FESTIVAL

• Kids Korral - Rides for the Children • Heritage Village - Seminole Indian Dance Circle • Historical Shoot-Out Reenactments • Little Pioneer Costume Contest & Parade • Pie Contest & Tasting and Much More to Enjoy!

SAT APRIL 27TH 9AM-5PM SUN APRIL 28TH 10AM-4PM

THE PERFECT FAMILY OUTING EVENT!!

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Spring 2013 | 125

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approximately 1,500 luminaries along a 1.25 mile walkway.

There will also be live entertainment, food, and refreshments. The astronomy club will be out with telescopes to view the cosmos. No pets allowed. 352-3724981. kanapaha.org

AUDITIONS FOR THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER Sunday, May 19 7:00pm

Living the Gospel in Downtown Gainesville!

The Rev. Louanne Loch Rector Dr. John T. Lowe Dir. of Music

GAINESVILLE - Vam York Theater, 4039 NW 16th Blvd. Mark Twain’s classic story comes to life in this Broadway adaptation of America’s favorite book. Filled with foot-stomping, toe-tapping songs, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a musical tale of thrilling escapes, comedy and inspiration for the whole family!

352-376-4949.

8:00am • 10:30am • 6:00pm

Wednesday Service 12:15pm

100 NE 1st Street Downtown Gainesville (352) 372-4721 www.HolyTrinityGNV.org The Episcopal Church welcomes you ...and we do mean YOU!

126 | Spring 2013

June 14 - July 7 Time TBA HIGH SPRINGS - High Springs Community Theater, 130 NE 1st Ave. Winner of four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Off Broadway Musical in its original New York production, this hilarious show is a fundraiser put on by the Little Sisters of Hoboken to raise money to bury sisters accidentally poisoned by the convent cook, Sister Julia (Child of God). Updated with new jokes, additional lyrics, two new arrangements and a brand new song, this zany musical will delight you. 386-454-3525.

highspringscommunitytheater.com.

THE PEOPLE’S SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE June 14 - June 15 8:00am

NEWBERRY - Canterbury Florida Equestrian Showplace, 23100 W. Newberry Rd. Hunter/ Jumper Horse Show Competition with three rings of action both indoors and outdoors on Saturday and Sunday. Beautiful horses and ponies with accomplished riders in all phases of competition over the jumps.

Spectator admission is free. 352- 472-6758.

GAINESVILLE - HPNP Complex auditorium, Newell Drive. The People’s Scientific Conference to Promote Health and Eliminate Health Disparities is a first-of-its-kind conference in which members of these communities and diverse researchers and health care providers come together to learn from and teach each other information that will foster researchand evidence-based interventions to promote health and eliminate health disparities. No fee for Lay Community Members. 352-273-2167.

horseshowsinthepark.com.

ufhealthdisparities.med.ufl.edu.

HORSE SHOW COMPETITION

Sunday Services

NUNSENSE

May 25 – May 26 8:30am - 4:00pm

Oak Ridge Located on US 441 between Alachua and High Springs *

Move in for less than $1,000!

Home prices starting in $160’s 8 different floor plans to choose from *BASED ON USDA FINANCING AND OUR PREFERRED LENDER RATES AS OF 11/28/12

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ISIT U “After hearing from others how stressful S AT TH the home buying process could be, SPRINE G PARA we were truly thankful to work with DE OF H O Horizon Realty and Howe Development MES as they made sure that our experience went smoothly. Oak Ridge had everything ng wee were looking for… a great location, good d neighborhood ighb h d and a beautiful house. The sense of pride and happiness we feel as new homeowners is irreplaceable.”

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Let us help find the right home for you. Call today or visit it us online!

Hwy 441 N.

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Alachua

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386-462-4020

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HEAD ST A R T PROGRAM Services also provided for children with disabilities & for homeless families.

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NOWACC ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

for children who will be 3 or 4 years old by September 1, 2013

Alachua County Schools

Applications are taken every Tuesday and Thursday from 8am to 3pm at Fernside Family Service Center and every Wednesday from 8am to 3pm at Terwiliger, Wiles, Metcalfe, Rawlings and Prairie View

Fearnside Family Services Center 3600 NE 15 Street, Gainesville, FL • for more info, call 352-955-6875 www.VisitOurTowns.com

Spring 2013 | 127

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SPRING SPORTS HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS SCHEDULES FOR SANTA FE HIGH, NEWBERRY HIGH, MEBANE MIDDLE, HIGH SPRINGS COMMUNITY SCHOOL AND OAK VIEW MIDDLE. INFORMATION COMPILED BY SARAH BRAND

3/1

Trinity Catholic

Away

4:30 p.m.

3/12

Interlachen

Home

4:00 p.m.

3/15

Keystone

Away

4:00 p.m.

TIME

3/18

Fort White

Home

7:00 p.m.

Santa Fe High School varsity baseball DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

2/12

Gainesville

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/21

Trinity Catholic

Home

4:30 p.m.

2/15

Williston

Away

6:00 p.m.

3/22

Williston

Away

7:00 p.m.

2/21

PK Yonge

Away

7:00 p.m.

3/25

Interlachen

Away

4:00 p.m.

2/22

Keystone

Home

7:30 p.m.

3/26

Bradford

Away

4:00 p.m.

3/1

Trinity Catholic

Away

7:00 p.m.

4/3

Gainesville

Away

4:00 p.m.

3/5

Melody Christian Away

4:00 p.m.

4/5

PK Yonge

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/6

North Marion

Away

6:30 p.m.

4/9

Bradford

Home

4:00 p.m.

3/8

Fort White

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/12

Interlachen

Home

7:00 p.m.

softball

3/15

Keystone

Away

7:00 p.m.

DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

3/16

Hollywood Hills

Home

10:30 a.m.

2/5

Lafayette

Away

7:00 p.m.

3/19

North Marion

Home

7:00 p.m.

2/8

Suwanee

Home

6:00 p.m.

3/21

Trinity Catholic

Home

7:00 p.m.

2/12

Williston

Away

6:00 p.m.

3/22

Williston

Home

7:00 p.m.

2/15

Buchholz

Away

6:00 p.m.

3/25

Interlachen

Away

7:00 p.m.

2/19

Interlachen

Home

6:00 p.m.

3/26

Bradford

Away

7:00 p.m.

2/22

Fort White

Away

6:00 p.m.

4/3

Gainesville

Away

7:00 p.m.

4/4

Bishop Kenny

Home

5:00 p.m.

2/28

Keystone

Away

6:00 p.m.

4/9

Bradford

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/1

Williston

Home

6:00 p.m.

4/11

Fort White

Away

7:00 p.m.

3/5

Gainesville

Away

6:00 p.m.

4/16

Bishop Kenny

Away

6:00 p.m.

3/8-9

Raider Inv.

Alachua Rec

4/19

PK Yonge

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/12

Interlachen

Away

6:00 p.m.

3/14

Lafayette

Home

6:00 p.m.

3/15

Bradford

Home

6:00 p.m.

3/19

Fort White

Home

6:00 p.m.

4/22-25 District Tournament @ Fort White TBA

junior varsity baseball

3/22-23 Clash in the Keys Key West

TBA

TBA

DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

2/12

Gainesville

Home

4:00 p.m.

4/2

Keystone

Home

6:00 p.m.

2/15

Williston

Home

6:00 p.m.

4/3

Bradford

Away

6:00 p.m.

2/21

PK Yonge

Away

4:00 p.m.

4/4

Suwanee

Away

6:00 p.m.

2/22

Keystone

Home

5:30 p.m.

4/9

Buchholz

Home

6:00 p.m.

2/26

Fort White

Home

4:00 p.m.

4/15-19 District Tournament @ Fort White TBA

128 | Spring 2013

TIME

TIME

Mebane Middle School soccer (Girls Play First) Date

Opponent

Site

Time

3/22

High Springs

Away

4:15 p.m.

3/24

Bishop

Away

4:15 p.m.

3/29

Kanapaha

Home

4:15 p.m.

3/31

Oak View

Away

4:15 p.m.

4/14

Lincoln

Home

4:15 p.m.

4/19

Westwood

Away

4:15 p.m.

4/21

Fort Clarke

Home

4:15 p.m.

4/26

High Springs

Home

4:15 p.m.

4/28

Kanapaha

Away

4:15 p.m.

5/3

Oak View

Home

4:15 p.m.

5/5

Semifinals

TBA

5/10

Finals

TBA

YOU PAY FOR THE ENERGY YOU USE. SO WHY NOT PAY LESS?

High Springs Community School soccer (Girls Play First) Date

Opponent

Site

Time

3/22

Mebane

Home

4:15 p.m.

3/24

Westwood

Away

4:15 p.m.

3/29

Oak View

Home

4:15 p.m.

3/31

Kanapaha

Away

4:15 p.m.

4/14

Fort Clarke

Home

4:15 p.m.

4/19

Bishop

Away

4:15 p.m.

4/21

Lincoln

Home

4:15 p.m.

4/26

Mebane

Away

4:15 p.m.

4/28

Oak View

Away

4:15 p.m.

5/3

Kanapaha

Home

4:15 p.m.

5/5

Semifinals

TBA

5/10

Finals

TBA

Oak View Middle School soccer (Girls Play First) Date

Opponent

Site

Time

3/22

Kanapaha

Away

4:15 p.m.

3/24

Lincoln

Away

4:15 p.m.

3/29

High Springs

Away

4:15 p.m.

3/31

Mebane

Home

4:15 p.m.

4/14

Bishop

Home

4:15 p.m.

4/19

Fort Clarke

Away

4:15 p.m.

4/21

Westwood

Home

4:15 p.m.

4/26

Kanapaha

Home

4:15 p.m.

4/28

High Springs

Home

4:15 p.m.

5/3

Mebane

Away

4:15 p.m.

5/5

Semifinals

TBA

5/10

Finals

TBA

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Spring 2013 | 129

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Newberry High School varsity baseball

Baldwin

Away

4:00 p.m.

3/5

Dixie Co.

Home

4:00 p.m.

3/6

St. Francis

Away

4:00 p.m.

3/7

PK Yonge

Away

4:00 p.m.

DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

2/8

Trenton

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/12

Chiefland

Home

4:30 p.m.

2/12

PK Yonge

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/14

Melody Christian Home

4:30 p.m.

2/14

Eastside

Away

7:00 p.m.

3/15

Williston

Away

4:00 p.m.

2/15

St. Francis

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/18

Suwannee

Home

4:00 p.m.

2/19

Williston

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/21

Trenton

Home

4:00 p.m.

2/22

Hamilton

Away

7:00 p.m.

4/2

Chiefland

Away

4:00 p.m.

2/26

Union Co.

Home

7:00 p.m.

4/4

Melody Christian Away

4:00 p.m.

3/1

Baldwin

Away

7:00 p.m.

3/5

Dixie Co.

Home

7:00 p.m.

softball

3/7

PK Yonge

Away

7:00 p.m.

DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

3/12

Chiefland

Home

7:00 p.m.

2/5

Williston

Away

5:00 p.m.

3/14

Melody Christian Home

7:00 p.m.

2/8

Buchholz

Home

6:00 p.m.

3/15

Williston

Away

7:00 p.m.

2/14

Eastside

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/18

Suwannee

Home

7:00 p.m.

2/15

Bell

Away

5:00 p.m.

3/19

Melody Christian Away

4:00 p.m.

2/19

Dixie Co.

Away

5:00 p.m.

3/21

Trenton

7:00 p.m.

2/21

Trenton

Away

5:00 p.m.

3/25

Daytona Beach Mainland

2/22

Gainesville

Away

5:00 p.m.

3/26

Atlantic

Away

5:00 p.m.

2/25

Bronson

Away

5:00 p.m.

4/2

Chiefland

Away

7:00 p.m.

2/26

Union Co.

Home

5:00 p.m.

4/5

Baldwin

Home

6:00 p.m.

4/9

Union Co.

Away

6:00 p.m.

3/1

Baldwin

Home

5:00 p.m.

4/12

Dixie Co.

Away

1:30 p.m.

3/5

Chiefland

Home

5:00 p.m.

4/16

Mayo

Away

6:00 p.m.

3/7

Union Co.

Away

5:00 p.m.

4/18

Eastside

Home

7:00 p.m.

3/11

Buchholz

Away

6:00 p.m.

3/14

Dixie Co.

Home

5:00 p.m.

3/18

Williston

Home

5:00 p.m.

3/19

Baldwin

Away

5:00 p.m.

3/22

Bishop-Verot

Home

6:00 p.m.

Home

TIME

3/1

TBA

4/22-25 District Tournament @ Union Co. TBA

junior varsity baseball DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

2/12

PK Yonge

Home

4:00 p.m.

4/2

Bell

Home

5:00 p.m.

2/14

Ft. White

Home

6:00 p.m.

4/4

Chiefland

Away

7:00 p.m.

2/15

St. Francis

Home

4:00 p.m.

4/9

Eastside

Away

7:00 p.m.

2/19

Williston

Home

4:00 p.m.

4/10

Bronson

Home

5:00 p.m.

2/22

Hamilton Co.

Away

4:30 p.m.

4/11

Trenton

Home

5:00 p.m.

2/26

Union Co.

Home

4:00 p.m.

4/15

District Tournament

130 | Spring 2013

TIME

TIME

TBA

A+ TAX & BOOKKEEPING CENTER, INC.

ROBERT D. RESPESS

25650 WEST NEWBERRY ROAD • NEWBERRY, FL 32669--4102

TAX & ACCOUNTING SERVICE, P.A.

MONTHLY BOOKEEPING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Profit & Loss Balance Sheet Bank Reconciliation

PAYROLL

Paycheck Preparation Direct Deposits

TAX FILING

Sales Tax Business Personal Property

QUARTERLY PAYROLL TAXES Form 941 UCT-6 Form 940

ANNUAL STATEMENTS W-2’s 1099’S

TAX PREPARATION UNLIMITED FREE CONSULTATION FREE PICKUP & DELIVERY Phone: 352.472.4920 Fax: 352.472.5801 EMAIL: BOB@RDRESPESSTAX.COM SHELBFLANAGA@AOL.COM

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GARDEN COMPOST

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DELIVERY AVAILABLE

Spring 2013 | 131

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SWISS TRAINED CERTIFIED WATCH MAKERS NAWCC CERTIFIED CLOCK MAKER

Specialists in the repair of: • Watches • Clocks • Grandfather Clocks • Marine Chronometers

(352) 378-9323

20% OFF Howard Mi lle

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Visit us online: www.lentzhouse.com

IF IT TICKS, WE CAN FIX IT.

Mechanica r l Clocks

CHIMNEY SWEEPS OF AMERICA SUPER SWESaEys!P! It’s time to clean your chimney and dryer vent.

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132 | Spring 2013

SEASONAL PLANTS & FLOWERS COME IN TODAY:

FOR ALL YOUR LANDSCAPE NEEDS!

352.472.3111

DIRTY BAR More than a bar, it’s an attitude.

TUESDAY $2 for Tuesdays - $2 Wells and Drafts from 8pm - Close WEDNESDAY Kinky Trivia - Adult Trivia $8 All You Can Drink 8:00pm - Close. DJ Playing your Favorite Dance Tunes THURSDAY Ladies Night & Live Music - Ladies Drink Free from 9pm - 12pm $3 Cover FRIDAY & SATURDAY Live Music - Various Drink Specials $4 Cover SUNDAY Blues Sunday 7:00 - 10:30, the third Sunday of the month.

North Central Blues Society Jam.

HAPPY HOUR EVERYDAY 5PM TO 8PM (2 FOR 1’S) Complimentary Finger Foods During Happy Hour (Tues - Thurs)

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Spring 2013 | 133

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COLUMN >> DONNA BONNELL

Embracing Life The ‘In’ Crowd

In 1965, Dobie Gray performed Billy Page’s tune, “The ‘In’ Crowd.” For decades I felt inferior because I never achieved the esteemed status hyped in that song.

Some of those influential lyrics are: I’m in with the “In” crowd Dressin’ fine, makin’ time We breeze up and down the street We get respect from people we meet When you’re in with “In” crowd It’s easy to find romance At a spot where the beat’s really hot If it’s square we ain’t there umans are communal creatures who have created a society operating with rigid rules of hierarchy.

Some people easily become a part of the ‘in’ crowd and then climb to the crest of the pecking order. Others simply strive not to commit a public faux pas, living in perpetual panic of sliding down the proverbial social ladder. An even greater fear is that of complete

H

relegation to the outside of any societal circle.

Why are some people so popular while others considered recluses? Many of the answers revolve around genetics and reinforcement of low self-esteem. In addition, a series of studies show that attractive people earn more money and marry better-looking spouses than their homely counterparts.

Most of us learned about the power of being pretty in elementary school. Long before we learned how to spell, we figured out that kids who were conventionally good-looking got more attention and enjoyed higher status among their peers, parents and teachers. By the time we graduated from high school, we were agonizingly aware of the partiality shown to those with beautiful bodies.

Sometimes parents inadvertently transfer feelings of inferiority to their child. As stated by Richard O’Connor, Ph.D., psychologist and author, “There is a great deal of research documenting that children of depressed parents are at high risk for depression themselves, as well as for substance abuse and antisocial activities.”

Research has shown that depressed mothers have difficulty bonding with their newborns. This negative parental behavior manifests as low self-esteem when their children grow up. Those kids appear more unhappy and isolated than their peers.

Lions, Tigers, Bears & More!

PAMPER YOUR PET

EARS

Located near Ocala and spans over 30 acres, EARS exist to provide dignified living for endagered lions, tigers, bears and more!

Serving: Alachua, Newberry & High Springs Owner: Cyndy Shires

FOR A TOUR CALL STEFFIE at 407-647-6328 or GAIL at 352-454-6454

Cell: 352-870-5627 Home: 386-462-2262

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Personal pet sitter and pet care in P your home while you’re away.

134 | Spring 2013

Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary

Donations can be sent to: P.O. Box 306, Citra, Florida 32113 or visit EARS is a Non-Profit Organization Federal ID #59-3741622

WWW.EARSINC.NET

It is difficult for anti-social folks to be fake, flamboyant or funny. Anxiety from making a mistake and not being liked can be overwhelming. Fear of embarrassment when committing a stupid socially unacceptable blunder is psychologically debilitating and avoided at almost any cost.

I know the feeling firsthand. In high school I was neither a star athlete, nor active in non-academic clubs or a part of the ‘in’ crowd. My sole goal was to make everyone happy and not draw any attention to myself. Being a part of a clan, clique or coterie was completely out of my realm of possibilities.

However, this is not a story of despair! This tale has a positive twist.

Even though I lacked a bubbly personality, was not pretty or popular, I had attributes that I naïvely nurtured throughout the course of my life. Without knowing it, I was perceived as an open-minded, trustworthy person counted on to listen and assist. I recently resurrected my high school yearbook and read the notes from my classmates.

Nearly every entry included phrases such as, ‘thanks for always being there,’ ‘you are an awesome listener,’ ‘no matter what, you helped.’

My two favorites are (note: the year was 1972): “You are Far Out – Everyone’s Friend.” “Peace begins with you!”

Nevertheless, I remember myself as an introvert who dreaded speaking to more than one individual at a time.

Overcoming my most arduous obstacle — embarrassment — remained a challenge. As unbelievable as it sounds, I recently learned that embarrassment is associated with positive qualities. Author Robb Willer wrote in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, “Embarrassment is one emotional signature of a person to whom you can entrust valuable resources.

It’s part of the social glue that fosters trust and cooperation in everyday life.”

I was amazed at this discovery and wondered why.

Psychologist Dacher Keltner, of UC Berkeley, recently co-authored a study on the subject. He writes, “[in] moderate levels… our data suggests embarrassment is a good thing, not something you should fight.”

The UC Berkeley study clearly shows that embarrassment is a cue that the person is aware of the ramifications of their actions. That type of selfawareness sends positive signals that the individual is committed to the highest possible good of the group.

After nearly a lifetime, I finally embraced how those undesirable traits that kept me from the in-crowd, are the same virtues that helped me succeed in my personal and professional life. s

Why are some people so popular while others considered recluses?

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Welcome Home The Atrium at Gainesville gives seniors a place to call home

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retirement communities often make their money from services. In the end, this provides residents with little choice on services or options when disagreements arise.

“It is a difficult subject, so a lot of times, people put it off. But there are a lot of misconceptions because they have not done their research,” Prem Paul Murrhee, director of sales and marketing at The Atrium, said.

On the other hand, retirement communities using the housing model offer all of the same services, with one key difference: choice. The Atrium at Gainesville is based on the housing model and features a wide array of services and businesses available on-site, such as a pharmacy, rehabilitation, home health care, chiropractors, a salon, etc. But the community does not directly make money from them nor are the residents forced to use them. In fact, with many more practices and services within a quarter mile of the community, The Atrium is in a unique location to offer competitive options.

oving from the comfort of a familiar home to a retirement community or nursing home is often a frightening step; however, it is never a step that should be taken lightly. With as many misconceptions about retirement homes as there are types of resident services, those considering retirement living should explore their choices.

As a Holiday Retirement senior independent living community, The Atrium at Gainesville regularly clarifies the many misconceptions and concerns from prospective residents, families and the community. By addressing these issues at the start, The Atrium strives to make residents feel at ease and at home before they even move.

In addition, The Atrium provides husband and wife teams who not only act as managers, but neighbors and residents.

One of the biggest differences between retirement communities is whether they are based on the medical model or the housing model, Murrhee said.

With a medical model, which is what most people are familiar with, a person moves from one stage in retirement living (i.e. independent living, assisted living, medical care) to another as needed. However, such progression is usually decided through community assessments and not by the resident. In addition, medical model

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“When you have 237 residents concentrated in one area, you have a lot of business willing to go the extra mile,” Murrhee said.

“As a resident, they have the freedom of choice to use those services or choose someone close by.”

In reality, choice is the core misconception concerning retirement homes and the basis for The Atrium’s success. One of the most common misconceptions Murrhee hears from prospective residents is concern over losing their routine: Can they eat when they want? How long can their grandchildren stay? Is the community too active and noisy for an afternoon nap?

“It is not us dictating to the residents what we want them to do. It is the resident telling us what they want to do,” Murrhee said.

Although The Atrium provides three meals a day

for its residents in a dining room with servers, it doesn’t stop residents from taking food to go or having it delivered to their room. In between meals, The Atrium provides a coffee bar with refreshments and snacks. In one case, Murrhee recalls a resident who always had coffee and a muffin for breakfast at 10 a.m. As a resident at The Atrium, he still has this option, as well as other breakfast choices.

Built for seniors from the beginning, residency includes transportation, cleaning services and utilities. The Atrium also provides many safety features, such as concrete walls, floors and ceilings.

The construction even acts as a noise barrier, allowing for those afternoon naps.

may be interested in. From the start, The Atrium promotes a close knit community inside and out.

The community does not require a buy-in or a lease, it is month-to-month, yet many residents have chosen to live here for over 20 years. The Atrium’s methods work.

“The social connections and family feel at the Atrium is what sets us apart, it is why our residents stay with us for decades,” Murrhee said. “Let’s face it. You can hire a chauffeur, hire a chef and hire a maid, but you can never hire friends.”

In addition, The Atrium provides husband and wife teams who not only act as managers, but neighbors and residents. Fostering such relationships provides a friendly environment for residents from the start, and a familiar face to help during emergencies.

The Atrium encourages visits from family and friends from the start by allowing them to eat for free at the community during the first month of a new resident’s stay. Grandchildren are also welcome to visit and stay at the community. In one case, Murrhee remembers a resident hosting his great grandchild for a month--playing in the pool, doing crafts and spending quality time together.

The retirement community also hosts a welcome party in the community and invites other residents, as well as clubs and organizations the new resident

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>> TRADITION

Cracker Rose Retired Park Ranger Terry Stidham

BY COURTNEY LINDWALL ld Florida is azaleas under oak trees. It is shaded rocking chairs on wraparound porches after hard work in thick heat. It is wild coreopsis, crepe myrtles and hydrangeas.

And to Terry Stidham — Old Florida is the roses.

Stidham, a long-time park ranger at Dudley Farm Historic State Park, is now sharing her love and knowledge of Old Florida gardening from her home, Cracker Rose Acres in Fort White.

She is opening up her garden

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to tours, wedding receptions and photography shoots — or to anyone who wants to come on by. She wants to teach visitors about the simplicity of growing heirloom roses, while inspiring others through her own work.

“I just love to share,” Stidham, 61, said.

Gardening clubs, church groups or aspiring green thumbs can schedule an appointment to walk through Stidham’s home and acres of blooming Florida. She also sells the 10 easiest-to-grow roses and can help new gardeners get started.

Down a dirt road , Stidham’s

home brings visitors back to the bits and pieces of the Old Florida she has held onto — the pieces from her grandmother, from her 30 years as a farm wife, and from her career at Dudley Farm.

Cracker cows graze behind the tin-roofed farmhouse. The turkey, famous for its stint at Dudley Farm, paces at the edge of the garden.

And sweet-smelling heirloom roses border the trellis by the pond.

It has been a 20-year project in the making.

Stidham’s passion for horticulture developed throughout her life.

From her childhood to her career,

PHOTO BY COURTNEY LINDWALL

Retired Park Ranger Terry Stidham at the Dudley Farm Historic State Park.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

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PHOTOS BY LARRY SANTUCCI

Terry Stidham, dressed in period clothing at Dudley farm, talks about the garden she helped maintain for more than a decade and the ways in which it has influenced her own. (photo by Courtney Lindwall) RIGHT: Stidham said that native species that are adapted to the Florida soil and climate are the easiest to manage.

One of Stidham’s favorites is the Louis Phillipe rose, also known as the “cracker rose” in Florida.

Stidham’s story has always been in the garden.

Her gardening philosophies emphasize native species and working with the North Florida climate, not against it. Everything in her one-acre garden can thrive on its own without expensive fertilizers or tedious clipping. In fact, if Stidham plants something and it

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does not make it on its own – she is not going to plant it again.

The five-acre piece of land was originally surrounded by woods.

Much of it was cleared to make room. This is where Stidham raised her four children with her husband and built a career as a park ranger.

But while she was working at Dudley farm, Stidham did not have

as much time to garden at home.

“I’d do it during the day and then go home and do it in my yard until it got dark,” she said.

But since retiring last spring, she has been able to devote much more time to her garden. She chooses different projects during the weeks to keep busy — most of which are building new things for the garden.

She has added a wedding arbor, a koi pond, a shaded pathway and a greenhouse in the back.

Stidham came to work at Newberry’s Dudley farm in the late ‘90s, years before it would open to

PHOTOS BY LARRY SANTUCCI

The front porch of Terry Stidham’s Cracker Rose Acres home, where she invites guests to sit for a while and enjoy the view. Recently retired, she can now devote more time to building new things for the garden, including a wedding arbor, a shaded pathway and a koi pond.

the public as a historic state park.

Myrtle Dudley, the last remaining daughter of the original family, had passed away while living on her family’s property only a year prior.

The farm is one of the oldest in Alachua County and shows the evolution of life from the 1850s through the mid-20th century. The goal of the state park was, and still is, to preserve the Dudleys’ history — from the type of stove they cooked on to the layout of their general store. Documentation from Myrtle about the manner in which the farm was kept has helped the

park remain authentic.

As a ranger, Stidham maintained the Dudleys’ front yard.

She was made for the job.

She was already familiar with most of the plants at the Dudley farmstead, which were the same as they had been 80 years ago. The plants were North

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Florida natives — plants she had seen a thousand times.

She did not need to be trained for a job she grew up doing — digging her hands in North Florida soil.

“My goal was to keep it the same as Myrtle had it — not to lose what we already had in there,” she said.

Stidham was not necessarily

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As the sign on her gate says, retired Park Ranger Terry Stidham always stops to smell the roses.

“taught” about gardening, she said, but she was always around it as a child. She would watch, listen and help her grandmother, Ruth Nelson, in the yard.

As she gained experience at Dudley farm, she loved sharing what she knew with park visitors, she said. She could teach them about swept gardens — the sandy areas in yards created to keep fires away from the home. She could teach them about the shady lot where the Dudleys planted their pear trees. She could tell them about the history of the old road that runs in front of the farmhouse.

But most importantly, she could teach them about the roses.

The roses became one of her favorite parts of the garden. In the Dudleys’ front yard, the same roses bloom that were there when Myrtle was growing up. Most are heirloom roses, also known as antique roses. They require little work because they are native to the area, unlike hybrid roses that can need a lot of maintenance.

“They are the easiest ones to

take care of,” she said, “and old antique roses almost all smell.”

Even in February when many things were not blooming, the Dudleys’ front yard had fragrant, large rose blossoms.

One of Stidham’s favorites is the Louis Phillipe rose, also known as the “cracker rose” in Florida. It’s “ever-blooming,” easiest for beginners and comes in lots of colors, she said.

“You can not kill this rose,” she said.

Native species that are adapted to the Florida soil and climate are the easiest to manage. In the Dudley garden, low-maintenance was important, Stidham said.

“There was so much to do just to make a living and feed yourself,” Stidham said — so there was little time for rose upkeep.

Stidham’s own garden stretches out in front of her home — a modern version of the “cracker house” like the one at Dudley farm. Made of wood and a tin roof, the house is filled with antiques and original

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furniture. A big part of Cracker Rose Acres’ authenticity is the Old Florida home that sits on it.

The porch winds around the outside, filled with benches and rocking chairs for visitors to look out. Stidham mounted an old wagon wheel to the outside of the house — another piece of Alachua County history woven into Cracker Rose Acres.

Yellow coreopsis lines the pond and pathways. Black-eyed Susans, swamp daisies and frogs legs are in bloom — some early risers after an unseasonably warm winter.

But Stidham’s garden is always changing. As the spring rolls in, Cracker Rose Acres begins to transform, as it does again in summer and winter. Pockets of flowers, rows of vegetables and blossoms on trees shift and change — the same way they did 100 years ago at the Dudley farm and the same way they will 100 years from now.

“Even though it’s a lot of work, it’s relaxing to me,” Stidham said.

“To work, see it bloom, and then smell it is your reward.” s

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>> SHINE ON

Bright Ideas Solar Panels Help Power High Springs Community School

BY KELSEY GRENTZER igh Springs Community School is now home to a new array of solar panels that will save the school district money and help students learn about solar energy.

HSCS was one of 10 Florida public schools chosen to receive a solar photovoltaic system free of cost through Progress Energy’s SunSense Schools program in 2012. The University of Florida was chosen as the program’s higher education choice for the year.

The program promotes renewable energy education in K-12 schools as well as college. A portion of Progress Energy customers’ bills is designated for renewable energy

H

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projects to fund the installation of the panels.

The High Springs Community School’s 10-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system will save the school district up to 15,000 kilowatt-hours of energy a year, which adds up to about $2,000 in savings annually, said Joseph Pietrzak, the senior program manager for the SunSense Solar Program. A portion of the money from energy savings will go directly back to the school as a reward each year.

But it is more about education than about money, Pietrzak said.

“By having these small, tangible projects at these schools, it gets the kids thinking about energy at an early age,” he said.

Beth Pearlman, the assistant

principal for administration at High Springs Community School, said she hopes the project will increase students’ interest in science and science jobs.

“This takes these abstract science concepts and shows students how they’re applied in daily life,” she said in a telephone interview.

Since solar panels on a school’s roof could be forgotten after a few years, Pietrzak said Progress Energy representatives chose to install ground-mounted panels that remain highly visible to students year after year. A portable classroom was removed from the school’s property so the panels could be installed in December.

“We try to keep it in front of them so they ask questions,”

PHOTOS BY KELSEY GRENTZER

Jeff Means, the principal of High Springs Community School, and Beth Pearlman, the school’s assistant principal for administration, stand next to the ground-mounted solar array that was installed at the school in December. The 10-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system is expected to save the school district about $2,000 a year.

High Springs Community School’s solar photovoltaic system was installed as a part of Progress Energy’s SunSense Schools program. Students at the school will be able to track the energy the system produces as a part of class.

“We felt like it would really be a great teaching tool and a good model for the community to see solar energy and how it can be beneficial.”

Pietrzak said. “It’s something they can see, feel and touch every day.”

The panels are expected to last at least 20 to 30 years.

High Springs Community School was chosen in part because of its faculty’s plans to include renewable energy in its lesson plans. A Progress Energy representative will train two or three teachers from the school to use the new solar project as a part of their math and

science curriculum.

Students will be able to look up the school’s live production of energy online and compare it to other schools where Progress Energy has installed solar photovoltaic systems.

The system also features a 50-kilowatt battery backup system, which would provide lighting in four of the school’s classrooms in the event of an emergency and the

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electrical grid loses power.

Pearlman said the school’s faculty was excited to find out last summer that the school was chosen.

“We felt like it would really be a great teaching tool and a good model for the community to see solar energy and how it can be beneficial,” she said.

Pietrzak said Progress Energy will announce the 2013 SunSense schools by June. s

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>> HOPE

Horse Sense Healing From an Unexpected Source

BY ELLIS AMBURN hough little Nina Johnston has no arms, suffers from scoliosis and requires surgery every six months. At five years of age she has already had three years of equine therapy and even won first place in a challenge horse show for those with special needs.

Nina is just one of the many miracles of Horses Helping People, or HOPE. Established in 2000, the notfor-profit organization “offers occupational therapy and horseback-riding lessons to individuals with special needs,” according to an e-mailed press release. “Our offerings include a community outreach program, Pony Pals, that sends a

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miniature horse to hospitals and community organizations to raise spirits and provide the humananimal bond to children and adults who are undergoing treatment or coping with medical challenges.”

Rocky, the miniature horse at HOPE, also visits schools and nursing facilities. He came to HOPE from Personal Ponies, a service that supplies minis for those requiring therapy. Rocky currently needs a “guardian angel” to ensure his monthly maintenance.

According to the website, another program, Horses for Heroes, provides HOPE services free of charge to “injured [military] service personnel.” Soldiers “and their families [can] experience the benefits of riding and therapy

without the confines of a typical therapy setting.”

Nina Johnston has difficulties with balance and flexibility; a permanent handicap, her mother Rebecca said in a telephone interview.

“She was in a clinic twice a week for therapy,” she said. “Now she’s outside on a horse, where all little girls want to be. Instead of being different from her friends and having therapy, now she feels like, ‘I’m having horseback lessons.’ It gives her something to feel good about.”

At HOPE, the focus for Nina is

PHOTO COURTESY OF HORSES HELPING PEOPLE

ABOVE: The gang at HOPE at a 2012 Challenge Show. From left: Lena Gabrielle, Lindsey Lorraine, Michelle Prichard, Dale Ginder, Cathi Brown, Jacquelyn E. Fox, Kristen Shimeall Cooper, Jessica Altum and Edi Walker.

Horses Helping People co-founder Cathi Brown with 10-year-old Dale Ginder during a recent horse show.

Dale has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and has been attending HOPE once a week for the past four years. Brown is a registered therapist and therapeutic riding instructor through NARHA. (photo by Rick Ginder)

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HOPE

ABOVE: Rebecca Johnston with her daughter Nina at the Horses Helping People, a nonprofit that offers occupational therapy and horseback-riding lessons to those with special needs.

LEFT: Cathi Brown and Debi Most (leading the horse) assist rider Annie McCain.

on core muscles and balance, her mother explained.

“They do work on fine motor skills. While riding a horse, they

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will stop and have Nina — still on horseback — work on big wooden puzzles, tic-tac-toe games, Rebecca said. “They’re very creative and also have her doing bubbles up there, while addressing her balance and core strength at the same time.”

Another beneficiary of HOPE is 10-year-old Dale Grinder, whose mother Lelia said in a telephone interview, “He has been attending HOPE once a week for the past four years. He has a developmental issue — Duchenne, a form of muscular dystrophy. There are [numerous] types of muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne, one of the deadliest, affects the heart and lungs.

“Horseback riding helps his attention span and physically

helps him straighten out to prevent loss of muscle fiber. An occupational therapist works with him.

He has stretching exercises every morning and night with me and my husband Rick.”

The prognosis for those with Duchenne is grim; they typically die in their teens or early twenties.

But Lelia remains hopeful.

“Nowadays,” she added, “with the treatment and knowledge of keeping them as healthy as possible, Duchenne men are growing into their thirties. Whereas they are still wheelchair bound, they are leading productive lives.”

Lelia said that Dale is still very functional for his age.

“HOPE has given him a place to

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOPE

HOPE volunteers at a recent Challenge Show, with Ashley and Dale holding first place trophies and ribbons.

have an after-school activity, and he goes to horse shows,” she said.

“He cannot participate in sports, but the Gainesville County Day School kids pick him up, try to include him so he can participate.

“Dale’s a happy little guy. He’s glad to be alive and do the things he does,” she said.

When asked if Dale has a favorite horse at HOPE, Lelia replied, “He has a lot of favorites. We never know which one. Alvin is a favorite — Harry, and Obi-Wan. He got two blue ribbons and trophies riding Obi-Wan at a challenge horse show, riding trail and equitation in Weirsdale, Florida, south of Ocala.

HOPE trained him to compete in the horse show.”

HOPE also operates a program called “Equine Assisted Psychotherapy” (EAP). According to its website, “Clinical studies indicate that equine-facilitated psychotherapy can have a tremendous positive impact for those dealing with issues related to anxiety, attachment, attentiondeficit/impulse-control disorders,

addictions, depression, grief and loss, traumatic stress, and relational problems.”

HOPE seems to be giving a whole new meaning to the term “horse sense.” A video entitled “Horse Spirit Connections/Horses Helping People” pointed out that “horses touch a deep place in the soul.” Apparently the big payoff of the horse-human connection is a raised consciousness in which one can access and better understand what is possibly the most valuable human tool of all — the power of intuition.

To help keep the various HOPE programs running, the organization is sponsoring its gala Fifth Annual Preakness Party and Feast on the Farm in May. “Guests will enjoy appetizers, cocktails, casino and other games, dinner, live music, auction items and prizes while watching the running of the 138th Preakness Stakes,” Christine Aytug, HOPE board member, announced in a press release.

“This event will take place on the beautiful rolling acres of Rembert Farm in Alachua, Florida.” s

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EVENT INFO Fifth Annual Preakness Party and Feast on the Farm Saturday, May 18 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Rembert Farm NW 174th Avenue, Alachua Tickets: $50 until May 1; $60 thereafter.

352-328-6412 www.feastonthefarm.com HOPE 9722 SW 153rd Avenue, Archer horseshelpingpeople.org Sponsors can contact HOPE at 352-495-0533. nfo@horseshelpingpeople.org

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WORSHIP CENTERS If we have left out a church or have incomplete / incorrect information, please let us know! Send your corrections by faxing 352-373-9178 or emailing editor@towerpublications.com. We welcome your contributions and suggestions.

HIGH SPRINGS ALLEN CHAPEL A.M.E. CHURCH 386-454-3574 10 S.E. MLK Drive Pastor James McDaniel ANDERSON MEMORIAL CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST 386-454-3433 935 SE Lincoln Ave. BETHLEHEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 386-454-1996 County Road 778 Pastor Clarence Desue CHRIST ANGLICAN FELLOWSHIP 386-454-1845 323 SW CR 778 Pastor Michael LaCagnina CHRISTIAN FAMILY WORSHIP CENTER 386-454-2367 220 NE 1ST Ave. Dr. Lloyd S. Williams CHURCH OF CHRIST 386-454-2930 520 NE Santa Fe Blvd.

CHURCH OF GOD

BY FAITH 386-454-1015 US Hwy 27 THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS 386-454-4282 24455 NW 174th Ave. Pres. Keith Brown HIGH SPRINGS CHURCH OF GOD 386-454-1757 210 NW 182 Ave. Pastor Terry W. Hull

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FELLOWSHIP CHURCH 386-454-1700 16916 NW U.S. Hwy. 441 Pastor Jeff Powell FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 386-454-1505 20112 North US Hwy. 441 Pastor Derek Lambert FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 386-454-1037 205 North Main Street Pastor Glen A. Busby FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH of HIGH SPRINGS 386-454-1255 17405 NW US Hwy 441 Pastor Benton Mangueira

MT CARMEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 386-454-4568 1230 NW 1st Ave. Pastor Byran Williams MT. PLEASANT BAPTIST CHURCH 14105 NW 298th Street 386-454-2161 Pastor Dan Howard MOUNT OLIVE BAPTIST CHURCH 386-454-3447 948 SE Railroad Ave. THE NORTH EAST CHURCH OF CHRIST 4330 NE County Road 340 nechurchofchrist.net

GRACE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 210 Santa Fe Blvd.

Pastor Preston Ponce

SAINT MADELEINE CATHOLIC CHURCH 386-454-2358 17155 NW Highway 441

HOLY TEMPLE CHURCH WITH GOD 386-454-0313 615 SE ML King Drive

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH 386-454-2360 230 NW 1st Avenue Pastor Mark Swaisgood

IMPACT FAMILY CHURCH 386-454-1563 16710 NW US 441 Pastors Edwin & Angela Anderson JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES 386-454-3509 330 SE 7th Ave. MIRACLE TEMPLE CHURCH 386-454-4298 605 SE 1st Place THE MISSION CHURCH OF HIGH SPRINGS Meeting at the Seventh Day Adventist Building 230 NW 1st Ave. 352-870-0247 Pastor Keith Helsel

SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH 386-454-4978 Shiloh Church Rd. Pastor Earl Tuten SHILOH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 386-454-3126 1505 NW Main St. SPRING RIDGE FIRST CHURCH OF GOD 386-454-3600 5529 NE 52nd Place Pastor Todd L Wymer SPRINGRIDGE FIRST CHURCH OF GOD 386-454-4400 420 Spring Ave.

THE SUMMIT 352-575-0786 610 NE Santa Fe Blvd Pastor Rick Lawrence thesummitchurch.info ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 386-454-9812 1st Ave. (next to city hall) Rev. David Kidd SPRING HILL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Located at High Springs exit 79 off I-75 North of Gainesville (on Old Bellamy Rd.) Pastor James Richardson VISION TABERNACLE 352-339-4942 220 N.E. 1st Avenue Pastor Lawrence R. Haley

ALACHUA ALACHUA CHURCH OF CHRIST 386-462-3326 14505 NW 145th Avenue Minister Doug Frazier ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH 386-497-3121 Jordan Road (Ft. White) BAHA’I FAITH 352-870-3097 Turkey Creek CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH 13920 NW Hwy 4141 386-462-2966 Pastor Marty D. Basinger calvarybaptistgainesville.org CHRIST CENTRAL ALACHUA 386-418-8185 14906 Main St. www.ccalachua.com CHURCH OF GOD BY FAITH 386-462-2549 13220 NW 150th Ave.

CRUSADERS FOR CHRIST, INC. 386-462-4811 NW 158th Ave. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ALACHUA 386-462-1337 14005 NW 146th Avenue Pastor Doug Felton FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF ALACHUA 386-462-2443 14805 NW 140th St. Pastor Lamar Albritton FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ALACHUA 386-462-1549 14623 NW 140th St. Rev. Virginia McDaniel FOREST GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH 386-462-3921 22575 NW 94 Avenue GREATER NEW HOPE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH 386-462-4617 15205 NW 278th Ave. HAGUE BAPTIST CHURCH 6725 NW 126th Ave Gainesville, Fl 32653 Pastor Sam Brown HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE 386-462-2017 17306 NW 112th Blvd.

LEGACY BAPTIST CHURCH 352-462-2150 13719 NW 146th St. Pastor John Jernigan LIVING COVENANT CHURCH 386-462-7375 Pastor Brian J. Coleman NEW OAK GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH 386-462-3390 County Road 1491 Pastor Terry Elixson, Jr. NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH OF GOD AND CHRIST 386-462-4891 1310 NW 155 Place Pastor R. L. Cooper

NORTH PLEASANT GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH 386-462-3317 25330 NW CR 239 Pastor Steve Hutcheson NEW SAINT MARY BAPTIST CHURCH 386-462-7129 13800 NW 158th Ave. PARADISE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF ALACHUA 386-462-0162 14889 MLK Blvd.

Pastor Rev. James D. Johnson, Sr. SANTA FE BAPTIST CHURCH 386-462-7541 7505 NW CR 236 Pastor Scott Brown MT NEBO UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 386-418-1038 9975 NW 143rd St. Pastor Ricardo George Jr. NEW SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH 386-462-2095 18610 NW CR 237 NEW ST MARY BAPTIST CHURCH 386-462-7129 13800 NW 158th Ave. OLD SHILOH MISSIONARY BAPTIST 386-462-4894 16810 NW CR 239 RIVER OF LIFE ASSEMBLY OF GOD 352-870-7288 14200 NW 148th Place Pastor Greg Evans ST LUKE AME CHURCH 386-462-2732 US Highway 441 S. ST MATHEWS BAPTIST CHURCH 386-462-2205 15712 NW 140 Street Pastor Isaac Miles TEMPLE OF THE UNIVERSE 386-462-7279 15808 NW 90 Street www.tou.org

WESTSIDE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST 386-418-0649 15535 NW 141st St.

NEWBERRY ABIDING SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH 352-331-4409 9700 West Newberry Rd. BETHEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 352-474-6215 23530 NW 3rd Ave. Pastor Theodora Black BRONSON ROAD CHURCH Located on 337 Between Newberry and Bronson On the County Line 352 486-2898 Pastor Andy Cook CHURCH OF GOD BY FAITH 352-472-2739 610 NW 2nd St. Pastor: Jesse Hampton THE CHURCH AT STEEPLECHASE 352-472-6232 Meeting at Sun Country Sports Center 333 SW 140th Terrace (Jonesville) Pastor Buddy Hurlston FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF NEWBERRY 352-472-2351 25520 W. Newberry Rd. Rev. Jack Andrews GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH 352-472-9200 22405 W. Newberry Rd. Pastor Ty Keys JONESVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH 352-472-3835 17722 SW 15th Ave. Pastor Corey Cheramie JOURNEY CHURCH 352-281-0701 22405 W. Newberry Rd. Milam Funeral Home Chapel Dr. Michael O’Carroll, Pastor

www.VisitOurTowns.com

CHRISTIAN LIFE FELLOWSHIP 352-472-5433 Pastor Gary Bracewell MT ZURA FULL GOSPEL BAPTIST CHURCH 352-472-4056 225 NW 2nd Ave. Pastor Natron Curtis NEW ST PAUL BAPTIST CHURCH 352-472-3836 215 NW 8TH Ave. Pastor Edward Welch NEWBERRY CHURCH OF CHRIST 352-472-4961 24045 W. Newberry Rd. Minister Batsell Spivy NEWBERRY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 352-472-4005 24845 W. Newberry Rd. Rev. Robert B. Roseberry, Pastor DESTINY COMMUNITY CHURCH 352-472-3284 420 SW 250th Street Pastor Rocky McKinley OAK DALE BAPTIST CHURCH 352-472-2992 Highway 26 and 241 S. PLEASANT PLAIN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 352-472-1863 1910 NW 166th St. Pastor Theo Jackson ST JOSEPH’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 352-472-2951 16921 W. Newberry Rd. Pastor Richard Pelkey TURNING POINT OF NEWBERRY, INC 5577 NW 290 Street 352-472-7770 Pastor Henry M. Rodgers UNION BAPTIST CHURCH 352-472-3845 6259 SE 75TH Ave Pastor Travis Moody

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We Pay Top $$ for Broken & Used Jewelry Huge Firearm Selection Confidential Loan Service 352-327-9067 • 55 SW 250TH ST • NEWBERRY (next to Kangaroo) 156 | Spring 2013

Follow Us To The Bed ‘n Biscuit Inn BOARDING FOR DOGS & CATS • GROOMING • DAY CARE

DISTRIBUTION CENTER CAREERS We are looking for enthusiastic, dedicated employees who want to work in a teamoriented environment.

Bed ‘n Biscuit Inn

HIGH SPRINGS, FLORIDA

386-454-0676

Find out more at: www.bednbiscuit.net

We love them as much as you do!

Rubberstamps, Scrapbooking, Handmade Crafts and Gifts and so much more..

Cardmaking classes and Crops.

Stop by for a schedule.

OPEN: Fri. 10-8 Sat. 10-6 Sun. 11-5 Mon. 10-8

AVAILABLE FOR SPECIAL EVENTS

Cootie Coo C REATI O N S Home of KantorKards Rubberstamps

280 NE 1st Ave. High Springs, FL

(386) 454-8008

Dollar General offers Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, 401K Plan, Stock Purchase Plan, Plus paid Holiday and Vacation Pay, Competitive Wage, Full Time, Day/Evening Shifts Must be 18 Years of age *Drug Free Workplace* Criminal Background Check *EOE

GENERAL WARESHOUSE POSITIONS ABILITY TO LIFT 65 POUNDS The distribution network is an integral component of our retail business operation, as nearly all items that reach our store shelves pass through one of our 11 distribution centers. Distribution Center employees are responsible for receiving, warehousing, and shipping the products you see in our stores every day.

Apply online at www.DollarGeneral.com Select > Select > Select > Select > Select >

www.VisitOurTowns.com

CAREERS DISTRIBUTION CENTER CAREERS APPLY ONLINE HOURLY POSITIONS KEYWORD (ALACHUA) 3110 General Warehouse-Alachua DC

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LIBRARY SCHEDULE Alachua Branch Library .....................14913 NW 140th St. .............................. 386-462-2592 High Springs Branch Library ...........135 NW 1st Ave........................................ 386-454-2512 Newberry Branch Library .................110 South Seaboard Dr. ..........................352-472-1135 For further information on scheduled events visit www.acld.lib.fl.us ALL BRANCHES ARE CLOSED MARCH 31, MAY 27

ALACHUA PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN Preschool Storytime Thursdays - 11am Join us for stories, songs and dance.

Pre-Teen Book and Craft Club March, Tuesdays - 3pm April-June, 2nd and 4th Tuesdays - 3pm Come to explore stories and participate in story-related arts and crafts.

Lego Club Wednesdays - 3pm Preteens meet to create challenging structures.

PROGRAMS FOR TEENS Yu-Gi-Oh Club Mondays - 4pm Friends meet to challenge each other over Yu-Gi-Oh. Teen Advisory Group (TAG) March 28, April 4, May 2, June 20 - 4pm Discuss upcoming teen events and books with other teens.

TAG Presents: Poetry Slam Thurs., April 18 - 4pm Enjoy an afternoon of poetry workshops and performances.

158 | Spring 2013

TAG Presents: Zombies in the Library!

Thurs., May 16 - 4pm Join us in observance of National Zombie Awareness Month as we invade and infect the library for the afternoon. Costumes and makeup optional.

TAG Presents: End of School Party Thurs., June 6 - 4pm Play video games, eat, drink, dance, and kick off the Summer Reading Program.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS Computer Class Wednesdays - 11am Learn basic computer skills from using a mouse and keyboard to e-mail and word processing. Class seating is limited.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program Mondays, March 18 to April 15 - 4pm Tuesdays, March 19 to April 9 - 4pm Saturdays, March 23, March 30, April 6 - noon The VITA Program offers free tax help to lowand moderate-income individuals who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns.

Certified volunteers sponsored by various organizations receive training to help prepare basic tax returns. Call 211 to schedule an appointment.

Alachua Needlers Thursdays, March through May - 2pm Do you have a needlecraft that you love?

Would you like to meet and socialize with others who also share your love of needlecrafts? If so, bring your knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, or any other craft that involves a needle!

Poet and Writers Among Us Last Wednesdays of the Month - 4pm Poets and writers meet to inspire and be inspired.

Pilates Classes Wednesdays - 6pm Pilates focuses on building strength without bulk. Improve flexibility and agility, and prevent injuries.

Zumba Classes Mondays - 6pm Mix of body-sculpting movements with dance steps derived from Latin music.

PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES M.A.P Muppets present “If I Could Change the World”...

Sat., March 16 11:30am Alachua’s M.A.P puppet troupe performs skits and musical entertainment with positive messages to empower and motivate youth.

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses Thurs., June 13 - 2pm Come enjoy the company of the team of tiny therapy horses who visit over 18,000 adults and children each year.

Alachua Fit Club March, Thursdays 6pm and April-June, Tuesdays - 6pm Exercise to the Beach Body Training Video with Coach Ramos.

HIGH SPRINGS PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN Mary’s Marvelous Storytime Tuesdays in March - 11am Come join us for books, songs, puppets and dancing.

Easter Crafts Tues., March 26 - 3pm Easter is almost here!

Come make something bunny-rific or chick-tastic.

Bored? Play Board Games!

Wed., March 27 - 3pm Come on down during your Spring Break vacation to check out a book and play some board and card games.

Afternoon at the Movies Thurs., March 28 - 3pm School’s out, so come on down to the library to checkout a book and watch a new movie on our big screen.

The Rug Bunch First and Third Wednesdays - 3pm Crochet a rag rug with a group of fellow enthusiasts.

Newberry Teen Book Club Third Thursdays - 4pm Read and discuss the lastest and most popular teen books.

PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES

PROGRAMS FOR TEENS

Mobile Outreach Clinic Mondays - 10am - 4pm Primary Care Clinics are offered by the University of Florida College of Medicine Equal Access Clinic, Palm Medical and Alachua County Health Department.

Senior Panther Den Tuesdays, April 2 through 16 and May 7 through June 4 4:15pm Play sports and dance with Wii games, tune your groove with karaoke, or create a wacky craft.

Comedy Night at the Library Thurs., April 11 - 6pm Come show off your comedy skills and share a good laugh featuring Sassy Nannah.

Newberry Teen Advisory Group Thurs., April 11 - 4pm Join the fun and plan teen events at the library while earning volunteer hours.

Tempting Reads Book Club 4th Wednesdays - 6pm Read popular and recently published books including books recommended by participants.

Recycled Crafts and Water Walk Talk Tues., March 19 - 4pm Come make cool jewelry from old dominoes, scrabble tiles and aluminum cans.

While you work we’ll talk about the book “A Long Walk to Water”

by Linda Sue Park.

Old School Electronics Thurs., April 18 - 4pm Bring in old electronics from your parents garage, yard sale finds, and grandpa’s closet for show and tell.

Bees are Buzzing Tues., April 9 - 3:30pm Come look at buzzing bees and try their honey. You’ll learn what bees and beekeepers do and why bees are so important.

NEWBERRY

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS

PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN

eBooks from your Library Fri., March 22 - 11am Bring your eReader device and learn how to get eBooks from your library.

Preschool Storytime Wednesdays - 11am Stories, songs, and activities for the preschool set.

Make Your Own Cheese Sun., March 17 - 2pm Spend an afternoon at the library learning how to make your own cheese.

What’s Up with Your Water?

Thurs., March 21 6pm Come listen and learn about the water situation in our community for World Water Day. Crafter’s Circle Wednesdays - 1pm If you embroider, quilt, knit or enjoy doing any other “non-messy” craft, this is the group for you.

Junior Panther Den Tuesdays - 3:15pm (Last meeting June 4) Play sports and dance with Wii games, tune your groove with karaoke, or create a wacky craft.

Dig These Crafts Tuesdays, June 11 through July 16 - 2pm Summer is more fun when you dig these cool crafts.

PROGRAMS FOR TEENS Midweek Movie Madness March through May, Wednesdays - 3pm June, Wednesdays 2pm Watch some of the latest movies as well as the best of the oldest.

Teen Craft Club Thurs., May 9 - 4pm Create your own masterpieces with these fun crafts just for teens!

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS Money Smart Tues., March 26 2:30pm A series of training programs to help consumers enrich their money management skills and banking knowledge.

Library website and database tutorial Tues., April 30 - 4pm Come learn about downloadable media, the Library databases, and how to reserve a book online. Basic computer skills required.

Resume Writing and Job Searching Tues., April 23 - 4pm Thurs., May 23 and June 13 - 11am Come get help creating or updating your resume and learn how to successfully find a job online.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Lose weight for the summer Thurs., May 2 - 5pm Learn how free online food logs can assist you in your weight management goals.

More Than Basic Computer Skills Tues., March 26 - 4pm This class will expand on basic computer skills teaching you how to search the internet, set up an email account and more.

Newberry Walking Club Thursdays - 11am Walk with friends to help boost brain power, control weight and increase cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength.

PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES Newberry Needlecrafters Tuesdays - 1:05pm If you crochet, knit, embroider, needlepoint, quilt, or enjoy doing any other “nonmessy” craft, this is the group for you.

Greathouse Butterflies Sun., March 17 - 2pm We’ll learn all about butterflies and how to attract them to our gardens.

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High Springs Business

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL 352.372-5468 FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION.

LICENSED RETAILER FOR REDKEN AND BED HEAD PRODUCTS

STACEY

VICKI

Only the best for your best friend

KRIS TODD

CUTS • COLOR • HIGHLIGHTING WAXING • EAR PIERCING

JODIE’S Beauty & Barber Shop

40 N. Main Street, High Springs, FL

386.454.2311

Hours: T-F 8-5 Sat 8-12

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE!

Jewelry Donna Inc.

designs by

SELECT FROM FINISHED JEWELRY OR HAVE A CUSTOM DESIGN CREATED JUST FOR YOU

We make your old gold new!

IN-HOUSE

REPAIRS!

230 NE 1st Ave. • High Springs

386-454-8200

AMELIA’S THINGS COSTUME JEWELRY & GIFTS

• • • • •

Costume Jewelry Handbags Flip Flops / Sandals Home Decor Gifts

386.454.1344 160 | Spring 2013

30 NW 1ST AVE HIGH SPRINGS 32643

Open Monday thru Saturday 9am - 5pm

First Avenue Center in High Springs, FL

Now Available Taste of the Wild Evo Canidae California Natural Orijen & Acana Innova Health ea t Extension Dog & Cat Grooming

386

454-4464

ERS MARKET FARM

19975 NW 244th St. In the Video City Plaza

MON-THURS:

of High Springs

11am – 9pm

Plantation Oaks • 201 NE 1st Ave • High Springs

11am – 10pm

FRI & SAT: SUNDAY:

THURSDAYS from 2pm-6pm Contact Maria Antela:

386-454-8145 www.HighSpringsFarmersMarket.com

Let the PROfessionals work for you!

LESLIE MORGAN .......... (352) 339-5095 DAMON WATSON ......... (352) 215-6986 OFFICE: (386) 454-0277 234 NE 1st Ave., High Springs, FL

WWW.PROREALTYFLORIDA.COM

ALL CREATIONS SALON Massage, Tanning, Waxing, Acrylic Nails, Pedicures,

Noon – 9pm

www.PepperonisPizzeria.com Full Menu Online! 386-454-3858

LUNCH Starting at SPECIALS

$ 99

AVAILABLE DAILY UNTIL 3:00pm

4

PLUS TAX

Two slices of hand-tossed or sicilian cheese pizza + 20oz. drink. . . . . . . . .$4.99 Two slices of our hand-tossed daily specialty pizza + 20oz. drink . . . . . . . . .$5.99 One-topping personal pizza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.99 Stuffed shells with meatballs and side order of breadsticks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.99 Baked ravioli + side order of breadsticks . . . .$5.99 Greek or Italian salad and side order of breadsticks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.99 Baked spaghetti & meatballs and side order of breadsticks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.99 Lasagna with meat and cheese and side order of breadsticks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.99

Try Our New Sicillian Pizza!

TRY OUR

WING FLAVORS

Mild • Medium Hot • Teriyaki Barbeque

WINGS & BONELESS WINGS Add 5 Boneless Wings or Breadsticks to your order for only $3.99

Tattoos, Permanent Make-Up, Ta

THREE TOPPER

DOUBLE DEAL

Hair Services; Fashion Foils,

Large Pizza with your choice of 3 Toppings

Two Medium Pizzas with 1 Topping each

Color, Perms, Precision Cuts, Razor Cuts, Relaxers, Weave, Fusion Hair Extensions, Wigs Sales and Service, Onsite Wedding Up Dos

$

1599

PLUS TAX Must present coupon when ordering. Not valid with any other offer. Expires 6-15-13.

$

1999

PLUS TAX Must present coupon when ordering. Not valid with any other offer. Expires 6-15-13.

& Airbrush Make-Up

Pre-Prom Packages SAVE 20% ON ALL PROM SERVICES

SIMPLE $55

UP-DO HAIR STYLING, FINGERS + TOES POLISHED

BASIC $116

UP-DO, MAKE-UP, FULL SET ACRYLIC NAILS + PEDICURE

$

PREMIUM 140

BASIC PACKAGE PLUS EYELASHES & 1 MONTH OF TANNING!

APPOINTMENT BOOKING AND PRE-PAYMENT DUE 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE.

ONLY TANNING SALON IN HIGH SPRINGS!

612 NE SANTA FE BLVD. HIGH SPRINGS

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 386-454-4550

PIZZA & WINGS

FAMILY FEAST

Large Cheese Pizza + 10 Wings (reg. or boneless) & 2-liter of soda

Large Two-Topping Pizza + Breadsticks & 2-liter of soda

$

1999

$

1999

PLUS TAX Must present coupon when ordering. Not valid with any other offer. Expires 6-15-13.

PLUS TAX Must present coupon when ordering. Not valid with any other offer. Expires 6-15-13.

DINNER for TWO

EXTRA LG PIZZA

Two Entreés of your choice plus 8 Breadsticks, House or Ceasar Salad & 2-liter of soda

Any Extra Large Pizza

$

99

19

PLUS TAX Must present coupon when ordering. Not valid with any other offer. Expires 6-15-13.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

$

2.00

Limited time offer!

Must present coupon when ordering. Not valid with any other offer. Expires 6-15-13.

off

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High Springs Business

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL 352.372-5468 FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION.

Marshall & Company

SALON WALK-INS WELCOME! ME!

Hair.

Makeup.

Waxing.

Spray Tanning.

The

COFFEE CLUTCH

Cafe

• Serving breakfast and lunch all day, including our very popular blueberry pancakes!

HOURS: • Enjoy a specialty coffee, espresso or herbal tea.

Mon-Fri. 7am-8pm Saturday 8am-8pm

• Old fashioned “Vintage” fudge.

• Gift Cards Available. Ask about our customers rewards program.

LET US ADD SOME COLOR TO YOUR LIFE

386-454-3048 30 NE RAILROAD AVENUE • HIGH SPRINGS

386.454.7593

40 NE Railroad Ave. High Springs, Fl 32643

Fast & Friendly Hometown Pharmacy with FREE Pick-up and Delivery from Home or Office

FORMERLY CAIN DRUGS

CityDrugs Pharmacy

Weekdays: 8:30 - 6:30 Saturday: 9:00 - 2:00

Compounding Specialists $ 4 Free Flavoring

Generics

Tim Rogers, R.Ph.

Gerald Cain, R.Ph.

Raj Mani, R.Ph.

MEDICAL SUPPLIES | SPECIAL BLISTER PACKAGING | COMPETITOR PRICE MATCHING

386-454-7768 phone 386-454-7858 fax 162 | Spring 2013

115 NW Santa Fe Blvd., High Springs, FL 32643 ALL MAJOR INSURANCE PROVIDERS ACCEPTED SPECIAL DISCOUNT AVAILABLE FOR SENIORS - ASK FOR DETAILS

Uptown Services With Hometown Care

At Our Place or Yours !

SOLUTIONS S.P. WINDOW TINTING • WINDOW TINTING • DETAILING

386

Also offering UPS, FedEx, Notary, Digital Printing, Fax, Scan, Copies, Signs, Banners.

454.8403

5 NW 1st AVE



HIGH SPRINGS

ON MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN BEAUTIFUL ALACHUA

10

%

OFF

ANY WINDOW TINTING SERVICE EXPIRES 6/15/13

Conestogas R e staurant “Family dining with a little something for everyone” www.ConestogasRestaurant.com

386-462-1294

Delivery Available OPEN Mon - Fri 8:00 - 5:30

Nationwide warranty.

Over 30 years experience.

AUTO - HOME – OFFICE

352.562.9428 • TROY BLACKFORD 30 NE SANTA FE BLVD - HIGHSPRINGS, FL 32643

Tennis Unlimited

Maintenance & Supplies, Inc

Sat 8:00 - 2:00

We take care of y your everyda l a n o recreati needs!

Tennis Court & Basketball Court Construction & Resurfacing

386.418.8161 Farm Equipment Parts • Complete Feed Store

18135 North Hwy 441, High Springs

Farm Supplies • Lawn & Garden Supplies Variety of Plants • Pet Care Products • Bulk Seed Natural Garden Supplies • Tillage Parts • Teejet Spray Parts • Hay Variety Tizwhiz Feed • Southern States Triple Crown • Legends • Animal Health Products • Holistic Dog Food (Taste of the Wild, Canidae, Deli

SPRING INTO

FITNESS

We now offer Piloxing xing & ZZumba Classes

Fresh, Artemis, Chicken Soup, Professional and Victor) 425 S. Main St. • High Springs, FL 32643

386-454-3518 www.VisitOurTowns.com

386.418.8161

18135 North Hwy. 441- High Springs

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>> INNOVATION

Celebrate Biotechnology Alachua’s Annual Event Showcases Biotechnology and its Growth

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON rogress Corporate Park sits on the outskirts of Alachua.

It does not draw a lot of attention to the eye as drivers whiz past the biotech powerhouse on County Road 441, but the collection of businesses ranks as the third largest biotech cluster in Florida.

On May 9th, the Annual Celebration of Biotechnology will spotlight these various biotech companies in the local region, as well as the growth of the industry within Alachua County and Florida.

“Our cluster is different than the other two,” said Patti Breedlove, the associate director at the Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator. “Our companies are closer together, with

P

164 | Spring 2013

most of them inside Progress Park.

That’s why we are able to hold this kind of event.”

The event starts at 9:30 a.m. on the front lawn of RTI Biologics, located in Progress Corporate Park.

It lasts until 1:00 p.m., and is free for attendees.

For the 10th year in a row, the Biotech Celebration, which is sponsored by BioFlorida, will showcase more than 70 vendors during the popular outdoor event.

It draws nearly 400 visitors each year from all over Florida, though the majority comes from the Alachua County area.

“It’s a big deal,” Breedlove said.

“The celebration started out in the backyard of the Sid Martin Incubator as a small event, and

quickly grew so large we had to bring in the big tents.”

Originally, the event was just a celebration with a gathering from local biotech companies, but no vendors.

During a program held inside RTI Biologics, the host of the event, announcers intend to recognize the importance of the Celebration’s 10th anniversary and introduce the new BioFlorida director, Breedlove said.

The Celebration of Biotechnology allows local biotech companies the opportunity to advertise their products directly to the consumer.

Banyan Biomarkers scientist Juan Martinez said he uses the celebration to network with vendors selling items such as automated protection purification platforms. It provides

PHOTOS BY DEBRA NEILL-MARECI

ABOVE: Tom Hewlett of Pasteuria Bioscience at the 9th Annual Celebration of Biotech. Pasteuria Bioscience, Inc. is commercializing new biological nematicides based on Pasteuria, a natural microbe found in the soil that infects and kills harmful nematodes, states the Pasteuria website.

RIGHT: Patti Breedlove, associate director of the Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator with Ben Delvies at last year’s Celebration of Biotechnology. Held at Progress Corporate Park every year, the free event includes more than 70 biotech vendors.

the opportunity to find local companies in the region using the same products he may intend to buy.

“You never buy the stuff from the sales representative without talking to an end user,” he said.

“As a scientist, you want to see how the product translates into something useful.”

Florida witnessed a 27 percent growth in life science deals in Florida during 2012 He believes the celebration remains, above all, a showcase. It is a way to show advances in technology and devices. Through the event, companies find ways to improve.

“You can’t continue to do the same experiment with the same technology,” he said. “You need to get exposed to new stuff.”

Approximately 15 out of 50 employees from Banyan Biomarkers plan to attend the event.

Florida currently houses 219 biotech companies, according to the Florida BioDatabase, a unique website that allows interested parties to research companies by location and sector. At this time last year, only 193 biotech companies existed in Florida.

North Central Florida currently holds 38 of the 219 companies.

Alachua County’s constellation of biotech businesses falls behind two other larger clusters — Southeast Florida and Tampa.

According to Progress Park’s website, two-thirds of the companies situated inside the park are in the biotech or bioscience industries.

Almost 80 percent of the park’s inhabitants are connected to the nearby University of Florida. Nearly 1,200 people currently work at the park.

“Florida is really surging ahead in the ranks,” Breedlove said.

Florida ranks among the top ten biotech centers in the United States.

While the state is still behind larger biotech states, such as

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California and Massachusetts, Florida witnessed a 27 percent growth in life science deals in Florida during 2012 — despite the fact that its venture funding is still relatively small compared to other states.

Venture funding increased to $103.5 million in 2012 — a 19 percent rise from 2011. While life science investments fell nationwide, it was the best year for Florida’s life science investments since 2007, Breedlove said.

“In many ways, the biotech revolution, which is still going on right now, is still in its early days,” Breedlove said. “There will be many more breakthroughs that will provide better food and better medical based on biotech products.”

As people discover their ability to help save the planet, the need to right the wrongs of the past – wrongs often committed out of ignorance — fuels the continued effort to improve the bioscience and biotech industry, she said.

“The better we understand how life works, the more we can work with nature and not against it,” Breedlove said. s

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COLUMN >> DIANE E. SHEPARD

Mama Musings Leap of Faith: The Joys of Puddle-Jumping “You’ve got to be able to make those daring leaps or you’re nowhere.” — RUSSELL HOBAN y son, Nicholas, and I are at the pond feeding a gathering of hungry Muscovy ducks as we have since he was a baby — a nearly daily ritual for us.

I am absent-mindedly flinging food at them, lost in thought, wrestling with a decision I am facing, not at all present in this moment, as I would like to be.

Then Nicholas tugs at my hand, pulling me closer to the water. Some of the first arrivals are now heading back to the pond. I watch them as I have a hundred times before. How eagerly, yet naturally, they enter the water.

These funny, endearing ducks, so awkward and teeter-tottery on land, suddenly and effortlessly find their grace in water.

“Mommy!” Nicholas yells, pointing furiously. “Those ducks are not checking the water first to see if it’s ‘not too hot, not too cold, but just right!’”

“They’re not, are they?” I say.

They are also blissfully unaware of their apparent transgression.

It’s a familiar refrain from his favorite duck book.

Whenever we come to the page where a duckling is barely sticking his webbed foot into the water, the kids always say he is checking the water to make sure it’s “not too hot, not too cold, but just right.” I always tell them he is “testing the water,” before he gets in, just

M

like I do their bath water.

My first instinct has always been to “test the waters.”

Whenever I have a big decision facing me I always take my time to make up my mind — what some say is an inordinate amount of time. I “test the waters” again and again to make sure I won’t get burned. After all, careful planning yields positive results, right?

My son, however, is a dive-right-in-up-to-hiseyeballs kind of kid.

I suddenly notice the grey cumulus clouds now gathering overhead.

“Nicholas, I think it’s going to rain.”

I said the magic word. Nicholas loves rain. He loves to watch it, his little face pressed against the window. He loves to play in it, all raincoat and hands reaching, rain boots stomping.

He’s always on the lookout for rain, on the hunt for its end product: rain puddles. Always at the ready, he’s a puddle-duck himself, jumping and splashing in every puddle he sees without hesitation.

“Tut-tut, it looks like rain!” he shouts repeatedly to the clouds, doing his hopeful rain-chant dance, marching in rain boot time, looking like Christopher Robin, even down to his haircut.

When it comes to making decisions, Nicholas is actually more a mix of Tigger and Pooh, a generous dose of bouncy, boisterous Tigger (leap first and ask questions later), and a smackeral of thoughtful and reflective Pooh. I am more like Piglet; I hesitate, ponder, worry, wonder.

There is something to be said for thoughtful planning and testing, but there’s also something appealing and freeing about jumping right in. Careful planning does yield positive results — most of the time.

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I envy my boy. His confidence, his gusto, his love of the simple, so-called small pleasures in life, his utter disregard for what others think is refreshing. He is grounded in the here and now, the short and sweet, in essence, the things what really matter.

His efforts yield a positive result.

“Yay, Mom! It’s raining!” he proclaims, doing his victory dance. “You know what that means!”

He is jumping up and down with joyful anticipation of The Rain Puddle.

Thankfully, it’s a nice, soft, spring rain — the kind even I don’t mind getting caught in.

There is something to be said for thoughtful planning and testing, but there’s also something appealing and freeing about jumping right in. Careful planning does yield positive results — most of the time. But sometimes my hesitation can cost me.

I’m learning that you can’t always worry about the outcome. Sometimes you just have to put on rain boots, take a leap of faith, jump right in and celebrate.

One thing I’ve learned about the rain is that eventually it will stop, and in the meantime, maybe I can take a cue from the “lemons into lemonade” adage. After all, as my little puddle-jumper boy has so joyfully taught me, sometimes the best things about the rain are the puddles it leaves behind.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, my son and I are going to jump into the biggest rain puddle we can find. s

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ADVERTISER INDEX 4400 NW 36th Avenue • Gainesville, FL 32606 352-372-5468 352-373-9178 fax AUTOMOTIVE City Boys Tire & Brake .............................. 105 Gainesville Chevy, Cadillac, Mazda ..........72 Jaws Enterprises ..........................................118 Jim Doglas Sales & Service .....................148 L&S Auto Trim ............................................... 77 Maaco Collision Repair & Painting ........170 Newberry Auto Repair ............................... 64 RPM Automotive .......................................... 65 Solutions S.P. Window Tinting ...............163 Sun City Auto Sales....................................149 Tuffy Tire & Auto Service .................... (NB)

REAL ESTATE Atrium ..............................................................136 Builders Association of North Central Florida ................................... 15 Forrester Realty ............................................119 Horizon Realty .............................................. 127 PRO Realty .....................................................161 The Village ...................................................... 43

FINANCIAL / LAW ABC Easy Tax & Accounting ..................... 71 Aflac - Dan Morris ...........................................85 Allstate Insurance, Hugh Cain ................. 92 A+ Tax & Bookkeeping Center ................131 Edward Jones - Ed Potts ...........................144 Ference Insurance Agency ........................74 H&R Block ....................................................... 42 ProActive Tax & Accounting .....................37 Sunshine State Insurance .......................... 33 SunState Federal Credit Union ....................................50, 81, 103 Three Rivers Insurance ..............................135

FITNESS and BEAUTY All Creations Salon ......................................161 Audrey’s Flair for Hair ................................. 16 Charisma for Hair ......................................... 32 Emerge ............................................................. 47 Hair & Nail Depot..........................................80 Jodie’s Beauty & Barber .......................... 160 Jonesville Traditional Barber ....................74 Marshall & Co. Salon ...................................162 Massage Envy ................................................ 42 Nails-N-Spa................................................... 104 Salon Eye Candy .......................................... 92 Warehouse Gyms, Inc. ...............................163

PETS and VETS Animal Health Center ............................... 108 Bed & Biscuit Inn ......................................... 157 Dancin’ Dogs Boarding .............................. 65 EARS Sanctuary.............................................134 Flying Fish Aquatics.........................................

Invisible Fence ....................................................

Pampered Paws .......................................... 160 Pamper Your Pet .........................................134 Springhill Equine .......................................... 84 Susie’s Pet Sitting & Grooming ............... 33 West End Animal Hospital ........................30

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EDUCATION & CHILD CARE Alachua County Schools ............................ 127 Alachua Learning Center ......................... 172 Gainesville Country Day School ............. 25 Millhopper Montessori School ................. 47 The Rock School........................................... 26

MEDICAL / HEALTH 1st Choice Immediate Care ....................... 33 Affordable Dentures .................................... 91 Alachua Dental ............................................... 17 Caretenders .................................................... 78 City Drugs Pharmacy.................................162 Clear Sound Audiology...............................27 Douglas Adel, DDS .....................................135 Gainesville Dermatology ............................73 Gentle Dental ....................................................3 Hunter Family Dentistry .............................74 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery ................. 31 Samant Dental Group ................................. 48 Town & Country Eye Care ......................... 65 UF & Shands Family Medicine .................. 61

RETAIL / RECREATION Alachua Business League ..........................145 Alachua Farm & Lumber ............................ 15 Alachua Pawn & Jewelry ............................75 Amelia’s Things ........................................... 160 Backyard Market & Gifts .............................145 Beacher’s Lodge......................................... 104 Bennett’s True Value ................................... 39 Bits & Spurs Tack........................................... 71 Blue Springs ..................................................125 The Coffee Clutch Café.............................162 Coin & Jewelry Gallery ............................. 106 Colleen’s Kloset............................................145 Cootie Coo Creations ................................ 157 Dance Alive! ................................................... 117 Dirty Bar .........................................................133 Family Jewels & Purse Strings .................74 FTS Limousine ................................................. 99 Garden Gallery................................................144 Gator Fine Wine & Spirits .........................171 A Green Rose ..................................................145 Haven Hospice VIVA! ..................................115 High Springs Chamber of Commerce .. 125 High Springs Farmers Market ..................161 Hippodrome State Theatre......................123 Hugs & Kisses Consignment Boutique .. 98 Jewelry Designs by Donna ..................... 160 Klaus Fine Jewelry .................................13, 98 Lady Bug Florist ........................................... 98 Lentz House of Time ..................................132 Liquor & Wine Shoppe ...............................171 Matheson Museum ......................................120 Monsters & Munchkins................................80 Oaks Pawn .........................................................7 The Opera House............................................ 98 Paddywhack..................................................167 Pawn Pro ........................................................156 Rum 138 ........................................................... 49 Stephen Foster Cultural Center .............170 Tennis Unlimited ..........................................163 Thurston Garden Design ............................145 Tioga Town Center..........................................8 Valerie’s Loft Consignment .............. 71, 144

MISCELLANEOUS Cash for Cars ............................................... 105 Dollar General ............................................... 157 Good Nutrition Gets Results.......................77 Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.................. 126 Jane’s Tower Garden ..................................145

SERVICE A-1 Pest Control ................................... 74, 106 Alpha Bytes Computers ...........................167 Air Ducks Heating and A/C .........................5 The Best Restoration .....................................63 Chimney Sweeps of America..................132 Clint S. Davis....................................................144 Computer Repair .........................................163 COX Business.................................................80 COX Communications ................................ 93 Creekside Outdoor Improvements........6, 70 Francis Event Designs .................................. 99 Gainesville Regional Airport ...................125 Gonzalez Site Prep .................................... 106 Grease Busters ............................................ 106 Growers Fertilizer .........................................30 GRU Natural Gas................................... 129, 132 Harris Famous Roach Tablets.....................77 Johnson & Son Tree Service .......................65 Lotus Studios Photography ...................... 18 Mac Johnson Roofing....................................65 Oliver & Dahlman ........................................163 Quality Cleaners ........................................... 76 Southern Land & Lawn..............................142 Stitch In Time Embroidery ........................ 65 Watson Construction & Development... 131 William Weseman Construction.................51

HOME IMPROVEMENT AHA Water.........................................................4 Al Mincey Site Prep ..................................... 77 Bloominghouse Nursery ...........................132 Cook’s Portable Buildings ........................148 Copeland Quality Construction .................2 Floor Store ...................................................... 64 H2Oasis Custom Pool & Spa ....................40 Overhead Door ............................................107 Red Barn Home Center .............................. 56 United Rent-All............................................... 91 Whitfield Window & Door......................... 55

RESTAURANT Brown’s Country Buffet .............................110 Conestoga’s ...................................................163 D.W. Ashton Catery.......................................144 El Toro............................................................... 92 Main St. Pie Co. A Pizzeria .........................144 Mason’s Tavern ...................................... 111, 133 Newberry Backyard BBQ ..........................110 Northwest Grille ............................................. 111 Pepperonis ......................................................161 Saboré ............................................................... 111 Southern Soul ................................................110

PHOTO BY KENDRA ABREU

page

34 >> SPRINGTIME FAMILY FUN

All the watermelon you can eat and a fair-like atmosphere with games and rides for all ages to enjoy can be found at Newberryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 68th Annual Watermelon Festival. Read about this yearly event as well as the other upcoming festivals in Alachua and High Springs.

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You Have a Choice for your child’s education.

Alachua Learning Center Elementary and Middle School located just North of the town of Alachua on State Road 235, serves students from all parts of Alachua and neighboring counties.

Charter Schools are part of the Florida Alternative System of Public School Choice and charge no tuition.

While having the benefits of a “small-school” environment the Alachua Learning Center provides a challenging and fulfilling academic, cultural and physical educational program for students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

The Alachua Learning Center has consistently been rated an “A” school by the State of Florida.

Our varied physical education curriculum includes on-campus rock climbing and subscribes to the “President’s Fitness Program”.

The Alachua Learning Center offers inspiring classes on a variety of subjects: Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Math, P.E. Sports, Rock Climbing, Drama, Music, Clay Sculpting, Computer Graphics, individual Student Book Publishing (writing, design, illustrating), Drawing, Painting, Crafts, Community Service Display Projects, and exciting Field Trips.

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