Our Town 2016 NOV-DEC (Newberry & Jonesville)

THE FOOD AND CULTURE ISSUE – MUSIC, TRADITIONS, RECIPES, FARMERS MARKETS & MORE!

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MEMBER OF

CONTENTS

N OV EM B ER/ D ECEM B ER 2016

G R E AT E R A L A C H U A C O U N T Y

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IN THIS ISSUE >> WE INVITE READERS TO ENJOY THE FOOD AND CULTURE SURROUNDING OUR TOWN. AS WE REFLECT ON THIS PAST YEAR AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT, LET’S CELEBRATE THE WONDERFUL COMMUNITY WE KNOW AND LOVE. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

FEATURE STORIES 26

FARM TO FRIDGE Siembra Farm — supplying fresh produce to restaurants around town as well as basket deliveries straight to your doorstep.

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THE PAWFECT ROAD TRIP There’s a lot of prep work involved with taking pets on a road trip. Here a helpful guide on traveling with your furry family.

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RECIPE WONDERS Enjoy a compilation of our favorite holiday recipes!

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HOME GROWN Swallowtail Farm’s goal is to share how food is grown and how animals are raised.

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TRAVELOGUE: COSTA RICA The do’s and don’ts for a Costa Rican getaway. From zip-lines to kayaks, and rafting to rainforests, read about one couple’s Central American experiences.

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LIVING IN A DREAM The Bridget Kelly Band’s soulful brand of blues has attracted followers around the world.

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CONTENTS

N OV EM B ER/ D ECEM B ER 2016

20 LONG LIVE AGBEDIDI This annual Agbedidi show shares African traditions through music, dance and storytelling.

32 THE FIRST THANKSGIVING The inspiration for today’s traditions.

COLUMNS 42

NAKED SALSA

by Crystal Henry

66 EMBRACING LIFE

by Donna Bonnell

86 DIFFERENT NOTE 36 DIY HOLIDAY CRAFTS Let’s get crafty — ‘Tis the season to make memories!

by Albert Isaac

132 HEALTHY EDGE

by Kendra Siler-Marsiglio

60 THE SOUND OF MUSIC This family of seven spent most of its time surrounded by music, both inside and outside of their Gainesville home.

68 PHOTO ESSAY: CARNIVALE UF photojournalism students travel to Berlin to document locals through photography.

REVIEWS 116 GATE CRASHING

by Brian “Krash” Kruger

74 PHOTO ESSAY: SECOND CHANCES Andrea Cornejo, a UF photojournalism student, documents what life is like for a 27-year-old Syrian refugee now living in Germany.

144 READING CORNER

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

80 NOCHEBUENA For Latin American families throughout three continents, Nochebuena is a time to celebrate faith and long-standing traditions.

88 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Find out how the Haile family used to deck the halls of their 1856 home for Christmas.

INFORMATION 98 Charity Winners 100 Taste of the Town 108 Community Calendar

94 OPERATION FARM2HEALTH Nurturing combat veterans and putting an end to poverty through sustainable food systems.

The articles printed in Our Town do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Tower Publications, Inc. or their editorial staff. Our Town Magazine endeavors

124 OPEN MINDS Gainesville’s only Unitarian Universalist congregation promotes diversity, equity, compassion and justice.

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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. © 2016 Tower Publications, Inc.

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PUBLISHER Charlie Delatorre ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Hank McAfee

Anthony B. Agrios, MD Joseph S. Iobst, MD Jean C. Cook, MD Nicole Scogin, MD Shelley Russell, ARNP, CNM Julie Rischar, ARNP, CNM Kristen Cook, ARNP, CNM

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Albert Isaac editor@towerpublications.com MANAGING EDITOR Ericka Winterrowd ericka@towerpublications.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Gabrielle Calise, Cameron Cobb, Cristina Curbelo, Bianca Favata, Crystal Henry, Cecilia Lemus, Peggy Macdonald, Meghan Mangrum, Stephanie Richards, Hayli Zuccola, Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Kristin Kozelsky CREATIVE DIRECTION + DESIGN Hank McAfee, Neil McKinney ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jenni Bennett jenni@towerpublications.com Helen Mincey helen@towerpublications.com Nancy Short nancy@towerpublications.com INTERNS Cecilia Lemus, Teal Garth

Take care

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS If you would like us to publicize an event in the greater Gainesville area, send information by the 1st day of the month prior to the next issue. For example, submissions for the March/April issue are due by February 1. All submissions will be reviewed and every effort will be made to run qualified submissions if page space is available.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We want to hear from you. Send your letters to the attention of the editor at 4400 NW 36th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32606 or editor@towerpublications.com.

Letters must be signed and include a phone number in the event we need to contact you. (Your phone number will not be published.)

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY BY TOWER PUBLICATIONS, INC. REPRODUCTION BY ANY MEANS OF THE WHOLE OR PART OF OUR TOWN WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PUBLISHER IS PROHIBITED. VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE EDITORIAL PAGES DO NOT IMPLY OUR ENDORSEMENT. WE WELCOME YOUR PRODUCT NEWS. INCLUDE PRICES, PHOTOS AND DIGITAL FILES WITH YOUR PRESS RELEASE. PLEASE FORWARD PRODUCT SAMPLES AND MEDIA KITS TO REVIEWS EDITOR, OUR TOWN MAGAZINE, 4400 NW 36TH AVENUE, GAINESVILLE, FL 32606. WE CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR UNSOLICITED PRODUCT SAMPLES.

A Publication of Tower Publications, Inc. 4400 NW 36th Ave., Gainesville, Florida 32606 phone: 352-372-5468 fax: 352-373-9178

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EDITOR ’ S LET TER N OV EM B ER/ D ECEM B ER 2016

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Food! Culture!

And Happy Holidays!

So the crisper temperatures are finally upon us and soon we will be dining on scrumptious Thanksgiving feasts and then Christmas cuisine.

With these things in mind we offer up our holiday issue.

I don’t know about you, but this year our family will celebrate an early Thanksgiving and a grand Christmas, since last year we did very little.

And not just because I was being a Scrooge. (Really. I A Christmas card of me with my dad, brother and sister when wasn’t.)

I was a wee lad, with additional greetings added by my mom.

My wife and I have been in a 16-month home improvement process that had left the house in a state of disarray. I won’t go into all the details because they would fill this entire note and frankly no one wants to read about all that anyway. Suffice it to say, the house was in no condition to entertain. And so we didn’t entertain. Not for anything, including Thanksgiving or Christmas or even my birthday.

This year will be different. Thanksgiving plans are in the works and we will probably even get a Christmas tree.

With holidays in mind, in this issue we have a story about Nochebuena, which is another word for Christmas Eve. Nochebuena marks a celebration in Hispanic culture, where Christians everywhere from Spain to Puerto Rico to the Philippines (and of course, here) enjoy a large, traditional feast on Christmas Eve. We also bring you a story about the Thanksgiving celebration that might shed some light on the kind of food served up for that occasion — it might not be what you think.

Additionally, we were fortunate enough to engage the talents of some University of Florida students who recently participated in the Berlin Study Abroad Program. You can see some of their stellar photography in a photo essay highlighting their two-week photojournalism trip.

You may also enjoy our stories on music and travel and unity in this edition of Our Town.

So from our family to yours, we hope you have a wondrous and joyous holiday season!

Albert Isaac, Editor-In-Chief

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Downtown Festival & Art Show The nationally recognized Downtown Festival & Art Show transforms downtown Gainesville into a masterful blend of art, music and entertainment, drawing in a crowd of more than 100,000. Presented by the City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, the festival celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.

For two days, visitors can leisurely stroll through historic downtown and marvel at works from 240 of the nation’s most talented artists, who display their original oils and acrylics, vibrant watercolors, captivating sculptures, dazzling jewelry, decorative ceramics and vivid photography.

With such a diverse array of unique art displayed for sale and competition, the Downtown Festival & Art Show is a great way to purchase one-of-a-kind art for youself or a friend.

Visitors can meet the exhibiting artists, enjoy live music and sample international cuisine.

Children can create their own art at the Imagination Station, a free hands-on art activity area including sidewalk-chalk drawing, painting, mask design, puppet creation, clay sculpting and interactive entertainment. Music lovers can look forward to continuous live entertainment on four stages by local bands, solo musicians and dance companies.

Since its creation, the Downtown Festival & Art Show has risen dramatically in national rankings. Since 1996, it has ranked among the top festivals in the nation and has steadily climbed in recent years, even claiming the No. 14 spot on Sunshine Artist magazine’s “200 Best” list of top fine arts festivals in the nation.

The festival weekend will kick off with a free Downtown Blues Concert on Friday, Nov. 4, from 7 to 10 p.m. featuring three blues performances presented by the North Florida Blues Society.

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CONTRIBUTOR S

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OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

N OV EM B ER/ D ECEM B ER 2016

CAMERON COBB is a senior journalism major at the University of Florida as well as an Air Force veteran. She loves traveling, writing, ballet and all animals (her favorite being her rescue dog, Maggie). cameronacobb5@gmail.com

GABRIELLE CALISE is a junior journalism major at the University of Florida and freelance writer.

In her spare time she enjoys collecting vinyl records, taking photographs and watching movies. gcalise@ufl.edu

CRISTINA CURBELO is a freelance writer, editor and writing coach. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, working in the film industry. She is now happily relocated to Florida. curbelo.cristina@gmail.com

BIANCA FAVATA is a third year advertising major at the University of Florida who was born and raised a Gator. She loves traveling, photography, painting, playing with her bunny and eating hot fudge sundaes. bfavata@ufl.edu

PEGGY MACDONALD is a native Gainesvillian and the executive director of the Matheson History Museum. She has taught history at Florida Polytechnic, Stetson and UF. She is also the author of Marjorie Harris Carr: Defender of Florida’s Environment. peggymacdemos@gmail.com

MEGHAN MANGRUM is a journalism graduate student at UF. A Florida native, Gainesville is her fourth stop in the state. In her free time, she enjoys brunch, bacon and spending time with her Beagle. megmangrum@gmail.com

HAYLI ZUCCOLA is a New England native who enjoys listening to music and traveling. After graduating high school with her AA degree she got her Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Florida.

HayzDesigns@yahoo.com

STEPHANIE RICHARDS is a freelance writer and a native of suburban Chicago. She was the Story Editor for The Sturbridge Times Magazine before recently moving to Newberry from New England. She loves to exercise, volunteer and spend time with her family. sarichards7@gmail.com

CYNTHIA WONDERS WINTERROWD is an award-winning writer who was raised in Illinois and lives in Gainesville. She is proud to be a “Gator Mom” of three daughters, all UF graduates. Cynthia loves sharing family recipes that have been passed down in her mother’s handwritten cookbooks. recipewonders@gmail.com

CECILIA LEMUS is a sophomore journalism major at UF interning for Our Town. In her free time she enjoys photographing animals, watching movies and trying different flavors of tea. lemusc26@ufl.edu

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

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CULTURE >> WEST AFRICAN MUSIC & DANCE

JUST DANCE

Long Live Agbedidi

WRIT TEN BY PEGGY M AC DON A LD

UF’s West African Music and Dance Ensemble Teaches and Entertains

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PHOTOGRAPHY: TF GUNTRUP AND SUZANNA MARS/UF COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

T

he name Agbedidi means “long life” in Ewe, a Niger-Congo language spoken by more than three million people in Ghana and Togo. It is a fitting name for the University of Florida’s West African music and dance ensemble, a UF School of Theatre and Dance production that has enthralled audiences at UF and on the road since the fall of 1995.

Agbedidi was inspired by master drummer Godwin Agbeli, an expert in traditional Ghanaian culture who was UF’s first African Artist-in-Residence. Agbeli died unexpectedly in 1998, but his legacy continues to inspire new generations of performers and audiences.

In 1995, UF dance professor Joan Frosch and music professor Larry Crook founded Agbedidi. The following year, they established the Center for World Arts. The Center hosts international performing artists through its Artists-in-Residence program and partnerships with international arts organizations. Frosch, the director of the Center for World Arts, was also the inaugural Gwendolen M. Carter Fellow in African Studies.

One of the central elements of Agbedidi is live drumming. Student dancers get to work with world-class musicians and can feel the beat of the drums on stage.

Agbedidi also blends West African and postmodern dance of the African diaspora. A storyteller ties together the elements of music, dance and education. This year’s storyteller is UF theatre professor Michael Pinkney, whose experience includes directing and acting in Broadway shows. In 1998, he was selected as College of Fine Arts and University of Florida Teacher of the Year.

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CULTURE >> WEST AFRICAN MUSIC & DANCE

In 1996, Guinea native Mohamed DaCosta started the first of three terms as an Artist-in-Residence at the Center for World Arts. Now Senior Lecturer in African Performing Arts, DaCosta has directed Agbedidi since he became a full-time faculty member at UF in 2003. Trent Williams Jr., an assistant professor of dance at UF, serves as the co-director of Agbedidi. Williams was a founding member of Urban Souls Dance Company in Houston, Texas, and has been a guest artist with the Tallahassee Ballet.

“This year I’m collaborating with Trent again on bringing modern and African dance together,” DaCosta said. Audiences can expect “excitement and surprise.”

When Agbedidi started at UF over 20 years ago, many students had no experience with African choreography.

“Some students had never done African dance,” DaCosta said.

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The Agbedidi music and dance ensemble shares African traditions, music, dance and storytelling with young audiences at schools in the Gainesville community and beyond. Agbedidi, a combination of traditional West African dance and modern dance, attracts a diverse group of student dancers at UF. “You don’t have to be a dance major,” DaCosta said.

Agbedidi participants serve as cultural ambassadors who share the music, dance and traditions of West Africa and the African diaspora with diverse audiences. DaCosta, who speaks English, French, Fulani, Wolof, Mandingo, and Susu, is known for his contagious enthusiasm. He takes the Agbedidi performers into classrooms and other locations where audiences have had no prior exposure to West African culture.

DaCosta’s previous positions include several years as a choreographer and performer with the PHOTOGRAPHY: TF GUNTRUP AND SUZANNA MARS/UF COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

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CULTURE >> WEST AFRICAN MUSIC & DANCE

DaCosta’s previous positions include several years as a choreographer and performer with the African Ballet of Gambia.

African Ballet of Gambia. He also showcased his command of West African performance traditions as a dancer with the internationally acclaimed Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble. His joyful approach to teaching and directing helps keep student performers engaged and motivated during physically demanding dance routines.

Theatre, dance and music students — along with talented students from a variety of other majors and professional performers — rehearse weekly throughout the fall semester to prepare for the December performances. In addition to presenting three shows at the Constans Theatre, the Agbedidi dance ensemble takes African music and dance into the community, performing at a variety of local venues and across the state. Because of the rigorous rehearsal and travel schedule, joining the ensemble requires a significant commitment from student performers.

It takes months for this team of instructors to prepare students to perform with the Agbedidi ensemble. The students’ hard work is paid off at the end of the semester, when they get to perform for enthusiastic crowds at Constans Theatre.

“It’s one of the best shows,” DaCosta said, adding that Agbedidi’s three performances in early December are “always packed.”

Agbedidi has become another holiday tradition for Gainesville audiences. Each year the December show offers a new twist, but the end result is always the same: audience members will find it hard to resist the urge to get up and join the dance.

IF YOU GO… AGBEDIDI at Constans Theatre (near the Reitz Union on the UF campus) Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 4 at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets are available at the University Box Office at the O’Connell Center, at the University Box Office at Constans Theatre, by phone at 352-392-1653, and online at ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $13 for students, $15 for UF faculty/staff and senior citizens, and $18 for the general public. $14 Sunday.

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26

FOOD >> SUSTAINABLE CROPS

LEAF IT TO ME

Farm to Fridge Sustainable Small Farming Flourishes at Siembra S T O R Y A N D P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B I A N C A F AVATA

A

dirt road and a canopy of trees leads up a few acres of lush green fields filled with growing veggies and fruit trees.

Scattered throughout are two greenhouses, a couple of workshops and an irrigation tank. Another greenhouse is being built, as told by the wooden planks staked into the ground. A black Labrador runs up and down the road, finally taking a rest on a patch of grass. Volunteers and employees tend the field. The morning sun is already baking the earth. A bicycle, the main form of transportation on the farm, leans against one of the workspaces.

Welcome to Siembra Farm.

Cody Galligan, 37, owner of Siembra, always beats the sun to the punch. Galligan must start harvesting 26 |

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at sunrise, before it gets too hot. Weeding — a lot of weeding — comes next. The ground is prepared for seeding and planting, baskets are made to be delivered or picked up, and produce is brought to farmers markets and restaurants. There’s a tremendous amount of work for Galligan, his four employees, and volunteers to do every single day.

Siembra Farm, located at 2033 S.E. 23rd Place, is a USDA Certified Organic family farm that sells its produce at weekly farmers markets and local restaurants, such as The Top and Daily Green. But its biggest profit comes from the CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. People can subscribe to the CSA and receive a weekly basket of fresh, seasonal veggies. The basket feeds a family of three to four and is filled with the produce of the season. The baskets can be picked up at one of the weekly farmers market

Cody Galligan, owner of Siembra, loves the seeing someone’s face light up when they grow something from nothing and realize their hard has work paid off.

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This bright red, spiky fruit is called Roselle, and it tastes like a crunchy cranberry. Persimmons are deep orange in color and sweet, similar to fruits from the tropics.

Galligan checks the plants for any flowering. Flowering signals that a veggie will soon grow.

locations — on Saturday morning or Wednesday afternoon.

Siembra Farm also has home basket deliveries and a campus drop off at UF’s agricultural center off of Hull Road.

The CSA begins October 19 and extends until the middle of June. There’s only a few months between the selling season, and in that time, Galligan makes sure the soil is prepared for the next year’s batch.

The soil is replenished through a process called cover cropping. Cover cropping allows the soil to rejuvenate after being stripped of its nutrients. Right now, there’s one field at Siembra Farm undergoing this process. The crop that is planted has no value other than replenishing the soil after a harvest. Cover cropping occurs in stages; slowly it will work its way around the farm until all areas are renewed, although not at the same time.

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Cover cropping can suppress weeds and nematodes, which are a type of roundworm (and a pest). The first growth in the new soil has little to no weeds compared to other areas of the farm. Cover cropping also deposits carbon back into the soil.

The carbon helps fertilize the soil and the plants drink it up.

Galligan was always fond of gardening, even when his hometown — Lake Worth, Florida — had such a “disconnect with food.”

It was only a hobby, until he and his partner, Veronica Robleto, moved to Gainesville. Upon moving to a place where many farms existed, Galligan realized that farming was a viable career.

Agriculture has wonderful benefits, Galligan said. He can eat a sweet persimmon just about any time he feels like, and he can regularly provide fresh veggies to his consumers. He can introduce his two children, Naim, 9, and Sofi, 5, to the joys of eating good, nutritious food. They might even help him pick

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a veggie or two, if it’s not too hot.

Farming can be equally as tricky, especially with the Florida climate. Its unpredictability means Galligan has to anticipate which plants can survive 90 degrees on October 1 and 20 degrees on October 25. Over the years, he’s learned which plants can tolerate the extreme temperature changes.

Overall (at least in Florida), “winter is the best growing season,” Galligan said.

When growing plants, he either plants them in the ground or starts them in one of the greenhouses. Arugula, for example, is best to be scattered into the soil because there are many tiny seeds that take root. Beets and kale start best in the greenhouse because they can be babied under the stable conditions until they’re ready, and then easily transplanted. It depends on the plant, though. Not all of them enjoy being transplanted.

Pests can also be an issue. Galligan uses organic bacteria or plant-based pesticides that naturally keep pests away. It’s important for Siembra Farm to be an all-organic farm.

Galligan feels everyone should be able to eat organically, and for good reason.

“It’s what I want to eat and it’s what I want my children to eat,” he said.

Galligan said that traditional agriculture, using pesticides and other harmful chemicals, poisons people and the environment.

Current events, in Florida alone, show the consequences of leaked chemicals — from closing beaches because of Lake Okeechobee’s toxic algae, to the most recent Mosaic sinkhole spill of radioactive water into the Floridan aquifer and springs.

Galligan said that farming with pesticides might look good for a short-term budget, but it’s more affordable to grow organically in the long-term. People want cheap food, and that comes at a cost.

“Enjoy your cheap tomatoes,” he said. “But don’t go to the springs.”

The cost isn’t just to the environment; it’s expensive. Being “penny wise and pound foolish,” as Galligan said, is not the way to farm.

When chemical spills terrorize the environment, millions of dollars are spent trying to clean it up. For the past two decades, millions have been invested in Gainesville’s Depot Park, cleaning up the contaminated soil and ground water. Now clean, Depot park has recently opened with a playground and nature preserve.

The earth depends on humans to keep it thriving. And no one can enjoy a slimy green beach or polluted spring. People need nature just as much as it needs them, Galligan said.

Symbiosis is relevant in all aspects of life. For Siembra Farm, a mutually beneficial relationship is crucial to the agribusiness.

“I think we have more of a relationship with the people who eat the food,” Galligan said. Unlike some larger farms, most of the business is direct to consumer.

Even with early mornings and long days, Galligan is still passionate about farming; seeing things grow and thrive, and sharing that experience with other people.

From tending the baby kale in the greenhouse to swimming in the pool that doubles as the irrigation tank, life is good at Siembra — from sunup to sundown.

For more information about Siembra Farm and the CSA food baskets, visit www.siembrafarm.com.

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

The Siembra Farm is located in the same area as the Crazy Woman Farm and the Edible Plant Project.

Some of the veggies that are in season right now are cucumber, lettuce, beans, kale, arugula, broccoli, okra and yucca.

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CULTURE >> TRADITIONS

GOBBLE GOBBLE Y’ALL

THE INSPIRATION FOR TODAY’S TRADITIONS

The First Thanksgiving W R I T T E N B Y H AY L I Z U CCO L A

Thanksgiving — a crisp November day known for gathering friends and family to watch the colossal Tom Turkey take over New York City during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or to cheer on a beloved football team.

Of course the biggest and most enjoyed Thanksgiving tradition is covering the dinner table with a delicious home-cooked meal; but what food was actually present at the first Thanksgiving and how has it transformed into today’s classic fare?

A buttery graham cracker crust filled with pumpkin puree and covered in a fluffy whipped cream, a tart cranberry sauce, a golden turkey and melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes are all Thanksgiving staples — and none were present at the first Thanksgiving.

What is now referred to as the official first Thanksgiving feast 32 |

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transpired in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, as a celebration between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians to honor a successful autumn harvest. Surprisingly, this three-day feast didn’t become a national holiday until 1863, according to the history.com video “Bet You Didn’t Know: Thanksgiving” — an over-200-year gap that is partially to blame for such a drastic change in holiday festivities.

The main course during the first feast consisted of duck, geese or other wildfowl and five deer brought by members of the Wampanoag. Current traditions tend to veer toward PAINTING: “THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 1621” BY J.L.G. FERRIS

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CULTURE >> TRADITIONS

Photo from November 10, 1916 at the first community Thanksgiving celebration at Park View School in Park View, D.C.

roasted turkey, probably because hunting down Bambi or dining with Donald Duck isn’t as appetizing today as it was in the 17th century. Another difference is that people today don’t have to hunt and gather their own food, unless one considers plowing through fellow shoppers to make a beeline for the freezer section at the supermarket a form of hunting and gathering.

Vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and peas were likely served at the first Thanksgiving, as well as corn, but not roasted with butter or turned into cornbread like today’s holiday favorites. According to the history.com article “First Thanksgiving Meal,” corn was removed from the cob and turned into a powder-like cornmeal. It would then be used to make a thick porridge and was likely sweetened using molasses.

Living on the east coast of New England at the time, it isn’t much of a shocker that fish and shellfish were a probable side dish to the main course of geese and venison. Here in the 21st century, seafood isn’t typically eaten during the fall holiday, in part because November isn’t the optimal weather for seafood and with a season celebrating pumpkin-spice everything, the flavors of seafood and pumpkin don’t really go together.

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One flavor, however, that has lasted for over 400 years has been pumpkin. Sorry for those who cringe at the thought of pumpkin spice lattes or detest the smell of pumpkin streusel muffins, but it is an autumn favorite that has stood the test of time, well sort of. Although it wasn’t baked into pies and the Pilgrims certainly weren’t using it to flavor a hot macchiato, according to the history.com article, the orange gourd was hollowed out and used like a bowl to make a sweet custard and was then roasted with the filling inside.

Another tradition that has somewhat endured for the past few centuries is outdoor sports. During the first Thanksgiving, shooting targets or playing a game similar to ring toss were popular forms of entertainment, according to the scholastic. com article “The Feast.” Of course, today most people spend time watching an intense football game rather than playing the game themselves, but it is still a tradition that has been tied to Thanksgiving for years.

Discovering the delicious history of the first Thanksgiving definitely makes one wonder: what will Thanksgiving traditions be like in another 400 years?

PHOTOGRAPHY: HARRIS & EWING, 1916

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CRAFT PROJECTS >> HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

HOLLY JOLLY

Holiday Crafts Create Memories By Making Decorations S TORY A N D PHOTOG R A PHY BY ERICK A WINTER ROW D *A D U LT S U P E R V I S I O N R E Q U I R E D F O R A L L P R O J E C T S

I

t’s the most wonderful time of year. As families gather for Thanksgiving we remember what is most important — making precious memories as we spend time together. I’ve always loved Thanksgiving, and not just because of the food. My favorite sound in the whole world is the faint laughter of my family members in the next room. Of course, I’m quick to join in the chuckles with them, but I always like taking a moment to myself beforehand, thanking the Lord for allowing me to spend another holiday with my loved ones.

After Thanksgiving, my all-time favorite holiday arrives — Christmas! The sweet taste of hot cocoa and the smell of cookies baking in the oven are just some of the “sensory memories” embedded in my mind and heart this season. Homemade decorations are sprinkled throughout every room of my mom’s house, reminding everyone of Christmases past.

Creating holiday crafts every year has always been such a special memory growing up. What better way to gather loved ones together than to create a “Tom the Turkey Mason Jar” for Thanksgiving, and a “Christmas (Straw) Tree,” which can hang on your front door all December?

Below are instructions to make these two crafts, and boy, are they fun. I hope you enjoy the finished products, but more importantly I hope you revel in the process of making them. For as you create decorations, you also make memories. And holiday memories are the best presents to give and to receive.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas, everyone!

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Mason jar turkeys are a fun Thanksgiving craft to make with kids.

It’s also a great way to preserve their tiny turkey handprints!

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

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CRAFT PROJECTS >> HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

TOM THE TURKEY MASON JAR After the drying is complete, Tom the Turkey is ready to party. This craft makes a great decoration on a table, shelf, or even as a gift. Get the kids involved in this one. Shaking the glitter inside the jar is usually their favorite part!

Gobble Gobble!

SUPPLIES:

1 small Mason jar Construction paper (brown, red, yellow, orange) Yellow felt Glitter (gold or bronze) Googly eyes Spray adhesive glue Pencil Scissors STEP 1

Take the small Mason jar and spray adhesive glue inside. Be sure to spray all areas inside jar.

STEP 2

Pour a good amount of glitter inside the jar. Twist the top of the Mason jar tightly and shake so the glitter can adhere to the glue.

STEP 3

Pour out any excess glitter.

STEP 4

Using the yellow felt, cut out a triangle shape.

This will be the beak of your turkey. Adhere this to an upside down Mason jar. Glue the triangle in the center of the Mason jar. Make sure the triangle shape is upside down too. This will give the appearance of a pointed bird beak.

STEP 5

Glue a pair of googly eyes above the beak.

STEP 6

Trace your right and left hand on each of the construction papers. After this is completed, cut out your hand shapes and set aside.

STEP 7

Take your hand shapes and glue each of them together in a fan-like fashion. Once they are glued together, adhere them to your turkey’s behind. This will create tail feathers for your turkey. Allow time to dry.

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CRAFT PROJECTS >> HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

CHRISTMAS (STRAW) TREE SUPPLIES

Flat wooden tree form (available at craft stores) Green decorative straws Red bows Hot glue gun Scissors *Flat wooden tree forms are available at most craft stores during the holiday season and come pre-hung.

However, this craft can be completed with any type of thin flat wood by gluing the pieces together — creating your own tree form.

STEP 1

Cut the green straws into smaller pieces by measuring them against the width of the wood pieces. Repeat this process until you have enough for your entire tree.

STEP 2

Using a hot glue gun, glue the smaller straw pieces vertically onto the wooden tree.

Be careful not to burn your fingers during this process.

“Haste makes waste!” Repeat this process until all of the “branches” of your Christmas tree are covered in straw.

STEP 3

Now it’s time to glue the red bows on each of the branches, one on each branch right in the middle.

When your Christmas (Straw) Tree is complete, all you need to do is hang “O Tannenbaum” on your front door. What a festive way to let your neighborhood know you’re ready to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year!

Ho Ho Ho! 40 |

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COLUMN

CRYSTAL HENRY’S

Naked Salsa SURROGATE SAGA: HAPPY BIRTHDAY

CRYSTAL HENRY IS A FREELANCE WRITER AND COLUMNIST BORN AND RAISED IN WEST TEXAS. SHE RECEIVED HER B.S. IN JOURNALISM IN 2006 FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. SHE IS IN LOVE WITH THE FLORIDA LANDSCAPE. ces03k@gmail.com

IT WAS MONDAY, AND WE WERE JUST COMING DOWN FROM THE WEEKEND SUGAR HIGH THAT CAME ALONG WITH CELEBRATING MY SWEET PEA’S FOURTH BIRTHDAY AT CHUCK E. CHEESE.

A

daddy’s girl through and through, she was conceived on Father’s Day and born on her daddy’s bday. So he too got to enjoy a birthday shoutout at the Rat Hole. But since Monday was their actual joint birthday I was determined to make them a cake from scratch just like I do each year. And all 40-plus weeks of my pregnant self shuffled around the kitchen baking up the best Hershey’s chocolate cake a gal ever did make.

I was feeling pretty good despite being “overdue” with this baby. People looked at me with pity in their eyes, but it’s a human, for crying out loud, not a library book. Still, Girl Scout cookie season had come to a close, I’d finished up my last booth that weekend, I’d made it through Sweet Pea’s birthday party, and now I’d gotten the chocolate cake done and we all got a slice.

It was a quiet evening, but I needed to pick up some mini-cupcakes from the store to send with Sweet Pea to school in the morning. My delicious chocolate cake was much too sophisticated for those grubby little peasants at her preschool.

So I asked Hubs to put the kids to bed while I ran to Wal-Mart for the cupcakes.

I casually meandered through the aisles enjoying the stillness that happens in a grocery store at 9 p.m. But before grabbing the cupcakes, I decided I’d run over to the herbal section and snag some evening primrose oil. I’d heard that’ll get things ready for labor, so I figured it couldn’t hurt. I wasn’t totally in a hurry to give birth, but I was trying to avoid a medical induction at all costs. Been there. Done that. Got the episiotomy. No thank you.

I got the capsules and headed over to find some red raspberry leaf tea when I realized I was pretty achy. I assumed it was from all the birthday activity, so I kept looking for the tea. I found Earl Gray and some chamomile and green tea, but after another minute I realized I was having some decent contractions.

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so I didn’t pay much attention. I did, however, decide the tea wasn’t that important, and I checked out. On the way to the car my mom called and told me to swing by her place before I headed home. She swore the reason I hadn’t gone into labor was that my toenails weren’t painted. So I headed over, and smiled ear to ear when I walked in and smelled the essential oils in the diffuser and saw the spa footbath she’d run for me.

As mom was giving me a world-class pedicure, I was sipping my Naked Juice and timing contractions. I had a handy dandy app that seemed to be on the fritz because my contractions were all over the place. They were starting to get pretty intense, but again we’d gone down this road before. I wasn’t ready to alert the presses.

Mom chose pink for my toes. She swore the baby was going to be a girl. I knew it had to be a boy. But as she finished up my last pinkie toe I realized I was having trouble talking through my contractions. I decided to head home and she made me promise to call her the second I got there because she was pretty sure I was in for real labor.

I had two contractions on the way home, and I live about 10 minutes from her house. I walked in the door, handed the phone to my Hubs and told him to time me while I got in the shower. Three minutes apart on the dot. I sat on the edge of my bed breathing through a contraction as I texted my doula that things were ramping up. I gave her a rundown of my situation but told her I was going to try and sleep it off. She laughed and said she’d go ahead and get dressed. About two minutes later my contraction hit me so hard I started to cry.

Hubs casually asked if I wanted to cash in on some sweet sweet birthday lovin’, since that was known to get labor going. He suggested this as I tried to cope with some of the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. That man was watching the Ken Burns Civil War series, and all I could hear through my rage was the whiny violin playing a southern battle hymn. Still to this day that music infuriates me.

I growled that I was just in labor and what the expletive was he thinking. He went ahead and texted my doula for me. This was no fire drill. I’d gone from zero to demon in two minutes flat. That could only mean one thing. Happy birthday, honey.

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RECIPE SERIES >> HOLIDAY DESSERTS

COOKING UP MEMORIES

Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd ’s

RECIPE WONDERS FOOD ST Y LING & PHOTOGR A PH Y BY ERICK A WINTER ROWD

FAV O R IT

T

R E HOLIDAY DES S E

he Holidays. We are about to embark on that most sentimental time of the year, when families gather and memories are made. It has been said that our sense of smell is the most powerful of our five senses, transporting us through space and time to distant memories. For me, the fragrance of a favorite recipe baking in the oven takes me back to that happy place in my childhood. In my mind I can be arriving home from school the day before Christmas break, my mother’s kitchen warm and welcoming, heavenly aromas greeting me as I open the door and culinary delights awaiting me to sample.

Yes, you can go home again — at least in your memory — and a familiar recipe made at home in your kitchen is the vehicle to take you there.

My mother, Ronelva Wonders, lived through the Great Depression, grew up on a farm and lived her life as a farmer’s wife. She knew the value of the dollar, how to stretch meals to feed a crowd, and how to improvise a recipe to make it better.

TS

She started at a very young age cooking for her family when her mother was taken from the home with illness. A home-cooked meal that brought a smile to her grieving father’s face filled her with pleasure and pride, and she spent her life bringing many smiles to those she welcomed in her kitchen. No one ever left Ronelva’s home hungry.

When I turned 11 years old she started writing these recipes down in a large journal, so that I would never have to wonder, ‘How did Mom make that?’ As the years passed the handwritten cookbooks grew, until there were four. Later, after I married, she gave me a blank journal so that the tradition would continue on another generation.

Today her recipes and the stories she shared on the pages of her cookbooks live on in our family. Even though she is no longer with us, her three granddaughters can recall Grandma Ronelva and the memories of happy times spent in her kitchen.

It’s comforting to know that even after our loved ones pass, the recipes we shared with them live on, reuniting us again with each bite we take.

CYNTHIA WONDERS WINTERROWD IS AN AWARD-WINNING WRITER WHO WAS RAISED IN ILLINOIS AND LIVES IN GAINESVILLE. SHE IS PROUD TO BE A “GATOR MOM” OF THREE DAUGHTERS, ALL UF GRADUATES. CYNTHIA LOVES SHARING FAMILY RECIPES THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN IN HER MOTHER’S HANDWRITTEN COOKBOOKS. recipewonders@gmail.com

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f you are wondering what to create for a memorable holiday dessert, why not try making a homemade pie? I know, I know. You are thinking it’s too hard, and takes too much effort. I am here to tell you, however, that just isn’t so. Once you give it a try, you will surprise yourself. Besides, there is nothing quite like a homemade pie topping off your meal to earn a hostess huge compliments!

To give you a little history from my upbringing, my mother was known for her pies. There was always a fresh pie or two out on the kitchen counter or in our refrigerator “just in case someone stopped by.” I grew up with the smell of fresh pies baking in the oven as the familiar aroma I came home to after school. My father and I didn’t realize that this was not typical in most homes. I hate to admit it, but we actually were very nonchalant regarding her pies, and often passed on dessert after dinner — unthinkable! It was kind of like having the Rembrandt of pie making living in our home, with us being blind to the beauty (and flavor) we were exposed to on a daily basis! Not discouraged by this, however, my mother made pies for the sheer joy of making them. Nothing deterred her. As a young woman she even started at daybreak making fresh pies for a nearby country restaurant. Perhaps that is where she became renown for her pie baking.

It is my pleasure to share with you two of my mother’s pie recipes, as well as a crust that is always light and flakey. I hope you will give them a try to experience the joy of pie baking and the joy of the holiday season, just as our family has for generations.

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RECIPE SERIES >> HOLIDAY DESSERTS

FLAKEY PASTRY This is a very easy pastry dough to make from scratch.

Once you have worked with it, you will find that pie making is not as difficult as you thought. Remember to handle the dough as little as possible, and to not add too much flour when rolling out.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1 1/2 6

cups all-purpose flour tsp. salt cup shortening (Crisco) Tbsp. (approx.) icy cold water

METHOD:

First stir the flour and salt in the bowl. Measure the shortening and “cut” it into the flour mixture, until it resembles small pea-sized lumps. When “cutting” the shortening into the mixture, you can use a pastry blender which is a tool made especially for this task. If you don’t have one you can use

two table knives (one in each hand) and slice through the mixture until you achieve the coarse crumbs. Remember not to handle the pastry mixture during the process. This will make it turn out “tough” instead of light and flakey.

Next you will sprinkle in about six tablespoons of icy cold water, mixing after each addition. You may add more water if necessary to achieve the right consistency in the dough. You want to achieve dough that is flexible and moist, but not sticky.

Weather and humidity does affect pastry, and the more you practice at it the better you will become at achieving the desired result. When it is the right consistency, you can briefly use your hands to shape it into a ball and put it into the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

After the filling is prepared and waiting, remove the dough from the refrigerator

and divide in half. Form this into a ball with your hands and put it onto a floured surface. Dust the top with flour and also coat your rolling pin with flour. Work the rolling pin from the center outwards until you have a circular form slightly larger than your pie tin. Fold half of the rolled out pastry back over the rolling pin and lift gently to the pie tin. Fill the pastry with your pie filling, and bake according to the recipe’s directions.

Some pies require a top crust. Lift the rolled out dough over to the pie in the same manner. Cut the excess dough from the edge of pie tin. Moisten top and bottom of the dough where they come together, and press firmly. Then “flute” the edges to make a decorative ruffle by squeezing between your thumb and fingers. Cut slits or pretty patterns on the top crust before baking to allow steam to escape during the baking process.

If you desire a basket weave top crust, roll out the top crust as described, but cut vertical strips of uniform width through the circle of rolled out dough. Starting with the longest strips, begin with one strip going crosswise vertically and horizontally on the center of pie. Continue in this pattern moving outward in each direction, moving the previous strip under or over the next strip until you have achieved the basket weave. When you have reached the outer edge of the pie, cut off the excess dough along the edge. Moisten the top and bottom edges and press firmly together. This attaches them so that they stay together while baking. Then proceed to “flute” the edges with your fingers to make a ruffled edge.

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CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PIE Perfect for Christmas or New Year’s Eve, this makes a festive pie when embellished with crushed peppermint candy on top!

begin making the filling.

Pour four cups of milk into a heavy saucepan and “scald.”

This means bring the milk just to the point of boiling when a skim of film starts to form at the top of the liquid. Turn off heat.

INGREDIENTS:

5

APPLE PIE Fall is when apples ripen and are just asking to be put into a pie! You can find them in abundance at your farmer’s market or in the grocery store, of course. Apple pie is a perfect finish for your Thanksgiving meal. For this recipe you will want a nice crisp apple, such as Granny Smith or Red Delicious. If apples lack tartness, sprinkle them with one tablespoon lemon juice after slicing.

INGREDIENTS:

6

cups tart apples (about 7 apples, thinly sliced) 1 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 Tbsp. butter Dash nutmeg and salt

At this time you will use the pastry dough you prepared in advance. Take half of the amount and form into a ball. Lay the dough on a floured surface and roll out the dough to fit into the pie tin/plate. Before adding the fruit filling, add about one tablespoon of flour, sugar and the spices (combined) into the bottom of the pastry, distributing lightly with your fingers. This will help absorb the juices from the apples as they are baking. Next, cut up two tablespoons butter and distribute across the top of the apples.

You will then add the top crust that you roll out the same way, or you can make a lattice woven top crust. You will find directions on how to do this in the crust recipe at the end of this article.

METHOD:

Have your pastry dough ready to roll out. In our humid climate, I put the dough in the refrigerator while I prepare the filling. This makes it easier to handle when rolling it out.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Peel your apples and thinly slice them.

Put your sliced apples in the sugar mixture and combine thoroughly, which will coat the apple slices nicely.

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Once the top crust is in place and you have trimmed and fluted the edge, sprinkle top of the pie with sugar and cinnamon (combined). I usually fold strips of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust, to guard against over browning. Bake at 400 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes. Check to make sure apples are done with a toothpick, then serve while slightly warm. Delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

egg yolks, beaten with a fork 1 scant cup white sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 2 1/2 Tbsp. (rounded) cocoa 5 Tbsp. (rounded) cornstarch 5 cups milk 2 Tbsp. butter 1 Tbsp. vanilla Cool Whip for topping Crushed peppermint/ candy cane METHOD:

First prepare your pie shell.

Fit it into the pie plate, then trim and flute the edges.

Prick the bottom and sides well with a fork or the crust will lift up a “bubble” while baking. Place in a preheated hot oven (450 degrees) for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Oven temperatures vary, so keep a close eye on it while baking. Now that the piecrust is baked and cooling,

Have three different size bowls sitting on your counter.

Crack and separate five egg whites in the largest bowl, and the yolks in the smallest bowl.

In the medium bowl, put the white sugar, salt, cocoa and cornstarch. Mix well, then add one cup of cold milk. Mix well and add to the scalded milk waiting on the stove. Now turn on the heat and cook until it thickens. At this point, take some of this hot chocolate mixture and add it to the forkbeaten egg yolks. Quickly mix and return to the chocolate on the stove. Stir and cook for just a minute or two — and it’s done! Remove from the burner and add the butter and vanilla. Stir, and allow to cool slightly. Then pour into the baked pie shell. Allow pie to cool completely and then refrigerate overnight. On the day of your dinner party, top with cool whip and crushed peppermint candy!

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RECIPE SERIES >> HOLIDAY DESSERTS 50 |

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ring Now offe ked a freshly-b & s e k a c cup cookies!

Cake and Chocolate Supplies plies

T

he story of this cookie recipe goes way back — to the mid 1920s, I would say. When my mother was a little girl, her grandmother’s next-door neighbor always had these cookies on hand to give to the neighborhood children. She would cut the cookies into huge round circles so that they had to hold them with both hands! That made a big impression on the children, and they always looked forward to going back for more. Later, she was given the recipe and it has been a classic holiday cookie in our family, one that my daughters now remember making with their Grandma Ronelva. That’s what ‘recipe memories’ do, passing love on through the generations.

This cookie can be rolled out on a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters. For a ‘quick cookie’ you can spoon-drop the batter on a cookie sheet, or roll the batter into logs wrapped in wax paper, and chill or freeze the dough to be used at a later time. Simply unroll the ‘log’ and slice off into desired thickness.

Bake cookies at 425 degrees for 10 – 12 min. Watch! Every oven is different, and they will burn quickly. Remove when you just start to see browning on edges.

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GRANDMA’S SUGAR COOKIES INGREDIENTS:

2 1 4 1 2 6 1 52 |

cups sugar cup butter or marg., softened to room temp. eggs slightly beaten Tbsp. vanilla tsp. baking powder cups flour, sifted tsp. salt

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METHOD:

Use a large mixing bowl. Put the softened butter and sugar in it. Cream the butter and sugar with clean hands until rich and creamy. Then add the four eggs to the creamed mixture and use your eggbeater or whisk to slightly whip them.

Get your largest wooden spoon and finish beating the eggs into the sugar mixture until entirely smooth. Now add the vanilla.

Sift flour. In the first two cups of flour, add the baking powder and salt measurements.

Add more flour until the total six cups flour.

Roll out thick. Cut with a big round cookie cutter, or holiday shapes. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, colored sugar, or bake plain for icing later.

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N

ot all recipe memories are baked in an oven. For our family, New Year’s Eve wouldn’t be complete without Mom’s Coca-Cola Jell-O! The story behind this recipe shows just how discerning her sense of taste and knowledge of food was. I used to call her a ‘Kitchen Chemist.’ When traveling through Georgia one year with my husband, daughters and

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their Grandma Ronelva, we happened to stop at a restaurant that had Coca-Cola Jell- O on the salad bar. Upon hearing our exclamations of how delicious this tasted, she set upon figuring out in her head what the ingredients were and how to duplicate the flavors. In classic ‘Ronelva form’ she improvised a few extra ingredients to make it uniquely hers, and even better than the original in my opinion!

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COCA-COLA JELL-O RECIPE SERIES >> HOLIDAY DESSERTS

INGREDIENTS:

4

3 oz. boxes of Black Cherry Jell-O 1 Can (16 oz.) Dark Sweet Cherries, in heavy syrup 1 Can(1 lb. 4 oz.) Crushed Pineapple, in heavy syrup *Drain both fruits & set aside combined juices 1 8 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, cubed 3 cups hot water 1 16 oz. bottle Classic Coca-Cola amount as needed *16 oz. bottle is enough METHOD:

Bring three cups water to a rapid boil. Turn off heat, empty the Jell-O into the water. Stir and dissolve thoroughly. Put the fruit juices into a two cup measuring cup. Pour in chilled Classic Coca-Cola to make a full twocup measure. Next, pour this into the hot Jell-O. Now pour more cola into the measuring cup for a full two cups.

Pour this into the hot (now warm) mixture. Stir well.

Put the combined Jell-O into a chilled bowl and into the refrigerator (or freezer) to chill. Watch! Don’t let it set up too much, but should be chilled and thickened somewhat. Add the drained moist fruit and the cubed cream cheese. Stir. Return to the refrigerator/freezer until almost set.

Now divide this large amount into two medium serving bowls. For a festive look, make individual servings for your guests in Martini glasses! Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight for a nice solid set. Serve with an optional dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle of chopped nuts, if desired.

Chilling the Jell-O in the freezer is quicker, but requires keeping a close eye on the process. You do not want the Jell-O to set completely. You are just starting the process before adding the fruit to the mixture.

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CULTURE >> KITTS FAMILY MUSICIANS

HEART STRINGS

The Sound of Music The Kitts Family Was Born Into Music W RIT TE N BY CECILI A LEMUS

M

usically inclined is an understatement to describe the talent found in the Kitts family.

From hours of practice, to touring through Florida and playing at a variety of venues, the family of seven — four girls and one boy — spent most of the time surrounded by music, both inside and outside of their Gainesville home.

Stewart Kitts and Jennifer Guzman, children of music teachers John Kitts-Turner and Sonnhild Kitts, learned to play violin at a young age.

“Our house was always full of music,” Jennifer said in a recent interview at the Celebration United Methodist Church, where both she and Stewart teach violin. “You could walk into our house at any time of the day and it was either my dad teaching or my mom teaching or Stewart teaching,” Jennifer said.

They also give private lessons and have created the Celebration String Orchestra. Sonnhild, 83, taught her children to play at an early age using the Suzuki method,

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founded by Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki. The Suzuki method applies the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music. Sonnhild and her father, Otto Frey (who was also a violin maker), taught Jennifer to play violin at 2 1/2 years old. When her mother began teaching the method, Jennifer said, Suzuki wasn’t well known in the United States. She has the third oldest program in the southeast.

Sonnhild and John were members of the Indianapolis Symphony before moving to Gainesville when John was hired as an associate professor at the University of Florida. For years the couple also performed with Jacksonville Symphony.

John became a full-time bassoon professor and started the historical instruments program at the university, teaching about the recorder, sackbut and krummhorn.

He also started the UF Renaissance Ensemble, which featured musicians wearing period clothing and performing historical instruments. John had been teaching since 1953, and retired from UF four years ago.

He said there are probably 15 different historical

The five siblings (top) sit together with their violins in 1970. Their grandfather, Otto Frey, (below) was influential in teaching them violin. He spent his time as a violinist, teacher and violin maker. On May 23, a concert was performed in memory of Frey.

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CULTURE >> KITTS FAMILY MUSICIANS

instruments he plays, explaining that they exist in families because there are variations in the size of each instrument.

A recorder, for instance, has more than three sizes.

At one performance someone asked him how many instruments he played.

“I looked down and I had played 14 different instruments in that one concert,” John said. “That included four or five recorders and a couple of different krummhorns.”

If he had to choose, the bassoon is his preferred instrument. “[The bassoon is] not only my main instrument,” he said, “but the love of my life.”

John’s influences include his father who played metropolitan opera songs throughout the house, and his mother who made him take piano lessons at age 8 and learn the trumpet at 10. During one of the family moves he lost his trumpet, and when he asked to rent one at the school’s music office, the only instruments left were a bassoon and an oboe.

“I couldn’t make any sound out of the oboe and I picked up the bassoon and

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well as the Walt Disney World Orchestra. This year marks her 26th year teaching; she has 48 students ranging in ages from 3 to 60 years old. Although her passion — and main job — is teaching, she loves traveling with groups and playing in the symphony, she said.

She has also performed as part of a pickup orchestra when big acts tour through Florida. She’s played with such notables as Rod Stewart, Sting, Bernadette Peters, Styx, Mannheim Steamroller, Seal and others. Her favorite?

“Johnny Mathis,” she said. “I love Johnny Mathis. He’s a true gentleman. His music is timeless. And his group is wonderful to play with.”

Influenced by both her mother and grandfather, Jennifer is now one of a new generation of Suzuki students to have gone on to become a teacher. Jennifer said people will ask her how her mom got her to practice. She said it wasn’t really an option.

She ate dinner, brushed her teeth, showered and practiced.

“Dr. Suzuki has a quote, that you only practice on the days you eat,” she said. “We just kind of lived and breathed music since we were born.”

Music was a way of life. And there were people constantly in the house playing instruments.

Growing up, the children didn’t have a television; their father called it an idiot box. Jennifer said as she grew older she probably had to practice about an hour and a half every day. As a teenager, arguments with her mother led her to practice by herself.

CULTURE >> KITTS FAMILY MUSICIANS

somehow played it right away,” he said. He has been playing bassoon since he was 12.

For the oldest son, Stewart, his grandfather Otto was his main influence. Otto moved into the Kitts’ household when Stewart was 5 years old. Stewart began taking lessons with him every day.

Now both Stewart and Jennifer are third-generation professional violinists. Stewart’s first public performance was at 6 years of age, soloing with the Indianapolis Symphony.

Following a family tradition, Stewart has passed his musical appreciation on to his two daughters, Elizabeth and Natalie.

With over 51 years of experience, Stewart now teaches alongside his sister, Jennifer. Both siblings were concertmasters with the Alachua County Youth Orchestra.

Jennifer has been teaching violin once a week at Celebration United Methodist Church for six years, and the siblings began the Celebration String Orchestra three years ago. The group performs at least three times a year and has competed in the Florida Federation of Music Clubs State Junior Convention for the past two years.

“Any string student is welcome,” Jennifer said in a recent telephone interview. “And we won on the state level for the past two years.”

She said there are also opportunities for Suzuki students to attend their Celebration Suzuki Strings classes.

The 51-year-old violinist has played professionally with the Brevard Symphony Orchestra in Melbourne since 1997, as

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CULTURE >> KITTS FAMILY MUSICIANS

And while many teenagers would have jobs babysitting, Jennifer said she would “practice-help” violin students to make extra money.

As a high school student she went on to play in the Alachua County Youth Orchestra and the UF Orchestra. Music was her only job, except when she worked briefly at Publix while in high school.

Like many children, Jennifer said she went through a rebellious phase. She didn’t touch her violin for about a year, and was determined she would not become a musician like the rest of her family. She took a break from music, but, after her daughter was born in December of 1989, she began teaching from her house.

“Then I fell in love with it,” she said.

Looking back, Jennifer said she is grateful that she stuck with music and now has a job she loves.

“Sometimes, when I am on stage playing in the symphony and we are doing a great work, like Beethoven or Shostakovich’s Symphony, I will be overwhelmed with emotion, when you think of all the instruments on the stage,” she said. “Everybody is playing their own part, yet everybody is playing together. It all fits together.”

Some of the family’s early memories include touring through Florida as the Kitts Family Players. They would perform “Sound of Music” or “Fiddler on the Roof,” and their father would arrange the music, Jennifer said.

“We had a family ensemble,” John said. “We would play wherever we could.

We were a professional group.”

The family had started playing together soon after the move to Florida, with John making arrangements for whoever was able to play, starting first with gigs at retirement homes, Stewart said. Soon, all five children were playing alongside their parents. They toured during the 1970s and early ‘80s. They played for about 10 to 12 years as a family, modeling themselves after the Trapp Family Singers, from the “Sound of Music.”

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Stewart Kitts holds photographs of himself at his first public performance and soloing with the Indianapolis symphony six months later.

He was 6 years old when he first performed.

instruments. They played their holiday concert at the Historic Thomas Center. At the time the family went from one venue to another, playing twice in a day.

John said the children’s behavior was typical for a family that spends too much time together.

“They fought,” John said. “The children would argue about who got to play the melody.”

A typical week for them consisted of work and school. At the time John was a professor at UF and Sonnhild taught the Suzuki method at home while the children were in school.

Now 84, John still plays bassoon in the Gainesville Community Band. After retirement from the UF School of Music, he created the Musica Vera Consort, which rehearses at the university once a week. He also directs concerts at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire each year. He said he has played at all but one of the past events.

When asked how many instruments he plays, John said he doesn’t keep a count; he has a closet full of them at the university, and plays whatever is necessary.

“Mostly, I make the arrangements of every single piece,” he said.

He said early musical instruments exist in groups, comparing them to a choir made up of soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Some have low bass and high soprano and some instruments vary in four or five different sizes. Among the 15 to 20 early musical instruments he plays, he said the concept is not the total but the different types.

The family’s most recent musical collaboration included Jennifer, Stewart and their father performing with the Musica Vera Consort in May. As for Jennifer’s thoughts on performing music?

“It’s really an overwhelming, beautiful thing,” she said.

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COLUMN

DONNA BONNELL’S

Embracing Life WHEN TO SURRENDER

DONNA BONNELL BECAME THE AUTHOR OF HER COLUMN, EMBRACING LIFE, MORE THAN A DECADE AGO. SHE SHARES HER PERSONAL CHALLENGES AND VICTORIES WITH THE GOAL OF INSPIRING HER READERS TO ANALYZE WHY THINGS HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. dbnewberry@aol.com

WHEN A SOUND CAREER ENVIRONMENT TURNED TOXIC, FEAR PREVENTED ME FROM MAKING A CHANGE.

M

y life was in turmoil for months, until I learned when to surrender. Confidence in my proven work skills remained strong. My impeccable background and lifelong experience had me on track for achieving the perfect position to end my professional career.

Positive thinking is my way of life. Maintaining my strong work ethic, while visualizing myself in that role seemed easy. As I was in the home stretch – BAM! Suddenly I was stopped by a brick wall.

The obstacle — a new boss. After rejoicing in his arrival, I did everything possible to make him successful. He was new, so I introduced him to pertinent personnel and provided information on procedures and protocol. Once initial accommodations were accomplished, the office atmosphere changed, which caught me completely off guard.

It took a while for me to realize how determined this man was to undermine my effort. As his level of negativity towards me increased, I asked for explanations. He never provided answers.

So, I accelerated my positive mind tactics to counteract his hostility. Nothing worked. In fact, things got worse. My anxiety soared when my inability to please him became a clear reality.

Without going into detail, I know now that he did not want me from his first day. He allowed his own baggage to interfere and never gave me a chance. Any technique I learned from books, courses or seminars did not make a difference. A gnawing feeling that I missed something was haunting, so my quest to find a solution continued.

Regular readers know I pray for signs when struggling with dilemmas and the universe always delivers. First, a friend who knows I studied “The Secret” suggested to quickly refresh myself on that philosophy. Her recommendation was an easy-to-read book written by Esther and Jerry Hicks, “Sara Learns the Secret about the Law of Attraction.” I took her advice. In doing so, I revisited the Laws of Attraction. A key factor rang through, that I had temporarily forgotten: birds of a feather flock together. Its meaning, which is like unto itself, is drawn.

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My strong convictions (of following the rules and doing the right thing) did not match his principles. It was difficult to admit, but I knew we should not be flying in the same flock.

He was my superior. He won. He wanted me to go. The thought of leaving the rest of my beloved flock was painfully difficult.

This situation was not fair by any stretch of the imagination. I was angry and fought the decision. However, I continued to beg the universe for guidance.

The next Sunday’s church sermon was “Surrendering.”

The message basically boiled down to releasing things that no longer work. Our minister painted an illustration with words that hit home. I saw myself desperately hanging on to a broken branch with two blistered bleeding fingers. It was petrifying to let go and plunge into an unknown pit in my senior years.

Tears rolled down my face as I heard many familiar affirmations. Let Go and Let God seemed to take on a special meaning that day. It felt as though God gave me permission to surrender.

Much to my dismay, I did just that the following week.

Surrendering to a work war, initiated and perpetrated by someone for expansion of his already enlarged ego, caused my positive psyche to temporarily plummet. I allowed myself a brief personal pity party. Mystically (maybe) the following quote from Mother Teresa appeared and my healing process began.

She stated (in part), “People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.”

Mother Teresa’s wise words were confirmation. If given a chance to redo the past year, I would not change anything.

It is important (for me) to do my best; be good, honest, kind and sincere. God required me to release the venomous venue before opening another door. My new adventure has not yet been determined. However, after fully surrendering, I have no fear of facing and embracing the future.

Gallery Talk November 6, 3 p.m.

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PHOTO ESSAY >> BERLIN JOURNALISM

THE GERMAN CONNECTION

Carnival P H O T O E S S AY B Y U F J O U R N A L I S M S T U D E N T S

For four days around Pentecost, Berlin celebrates its cultural diversity at the Carnival of Cultures. The festival culminates in a colorful street parade with music and dance on Pentecost Sunday.

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PHOTO BY CHARLES HATCHER

The Berlin Journalism course, now in its 12th year, provides up to 20 University of Florida students an opportunity to experience history, culture and acquire news-gathering skills in a major international setting. Following a two-day introduction to the city through bicycle and walking tours covering different areas, students research and report on an interesting Berliner who is proďŹ led through an online audio slideshow. The students’ work is also showcased in a book that Professor John Freeman (who runs the study abroad course) creates at the culmination of each trip. These photos are the result of a study-abroad class conducted from May 13-26, 2016.

PHOTO BY DREA CORNEJO PHOTO BY REBECCA SOLOVAY

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PHOTO ESSAY >> BERLIN JOURNALISM 70 |

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PHOTO BY REBECCA SOLOVAY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

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PHOTO BY ERIN BURRICHTER

PHOTO BY KAT BOONZAIER

PHOTO BY SHAMARRIA MORRISON

PHOTO BY SAVANNA KEARNEY

PHOTO BY TAMARA DOBRY

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PHOTO ESSAY >> SYRIAN REFUGEE IN BERLIN

THE GERMAN CONNECTION

Second Chances P H O T O E S S AY B Y A N D R E A C O R N E J O

Initially from Ecuador, Andrea has always been drawn to stories of migration. In her photo essay, she tells the story of Wissam Ghozlan, a refugee who fled his war-torn home in Syria. His arrival in Berlin marks the beginning of what he hopes will be a second chance at life.

WISSAM GHOZLAN Syrian refugee, 24 “I spent three years of my life during the Syrian Revolution — I have never regret that. I left my university to join the rebels. The first time I felt like I was a human was the same moment I shouted “freedom.” After a year and half I became wanted by the Assad army so I decided to go in the south of Damascus because it was already with rebels. I started to work as a reporter there trying to show the world the real pictures of what was happening and how the people were suffering because of the Assad army. I stayed there for a year and half. It was really hard to live for this long under the siege shelling and bombing without the basics of living like food, water, medicine, etc. I decided it was time to move on and start looking for new escape. I managed to move to Lebanon with some help so I stayed there for six months. It wasn’t easy so I decided to travel to Libya where I met a smuggler who helped me to get to Italy. Afterwards, I moved to Germany.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST ANDREA CORNEJO IS A FLORIDA-BASED PHOTOJOURNALIST AND VIDEOGRAPHER. SHE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON HER BACHELOR’S DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.

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He lived in a refugee camp in Lippstadt, Germany for six months before receiving his asylum papers. Now, he has his own 1/1 apartment in Berlin and relies on public transportation to get by.

After escaping the Syrian war, the only item the Ghozlan family could bring was a small family picture. Every other possession was left to catch on fire or crumble under decaying buildings. In the family picture, Salima Ghozlan is photographed with Wissam in her arms and her older son Hossam.

Wissam had to leave everything behind in Syria — his family, his education, his friends, and his home. “I didn’t have any chance to live there,” he said. With just the clothes on his back, he migrated from Syria to Lebanon, Libya, and Italy before settling in Germany.

Photo courtesy of Wissam Ghozlan.

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Despite losing her vision, Salima made the treacherous journey to begin a new life alongside her family. It took her and her husband four months before finding an apartment in Berlin.

The family often gathers around the dinner table like the old days and enjoys traditional Syrian meals like warak arish and tabbouleh. Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern vegetarian dish traditionally made of tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, bulgur, and onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.

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As a result of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-arms refugee policy, there have been more than one million refugees like the Ghozlan family settling in Germany. “We may be in a new country but we will never forget our culture,” Wissam said, after sipping on traditional Syrian coffee.

The 24-year-old refugee was separated from his parents for nearly two years as a result of the war. He takes a one-hour train ride to his parent’s apartment in Krumme Lanke to spend some time with them during the weekends. His father Adnan, 50, and his mother are unemployed.

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PHOTO ESSAY >> SYRIAN REFUGEE IN BERLIN

Wissam and his parents enjoy a pinic with some friends at Volkspark Friedrichshain park on a sunny afternoon.

“I think we are safe here,” Wissam said.

“We finally made it.”

Now, he is a refugee helping other refugees through his involvement at the LaGeSo refugee center. With his internship starting as early as 8:45 a.m. and his lessons ending as late as 9:00 p.m., Wissam often spends several hours a day riding in a S-Bahn or U-Bahn.

Both his internship at LaGeSo and his coding classes at Wooga are an hour away from his apartment.

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TRADITIONS >> NOCHEBUENA

FELIZ NAVIDAD

ANOTHER WORD FOR CHRISTMAS EVE

Nochebuena STORY A N D PHOTOGR A PH Y BY CR ISTINA CU R BELO

In Spain and in Spanish-speaking America, Christmas Eve is known as “Nochebuena” — the good night — the night when God gave mankind the gift of His Son. To Latin American families throughout three continents Nochebuena is a time to celebrate Faith and long-standing traditions. It also means being surrounded by loved ones, feasts and fun. In short, it is the best night of the year. Each country celebrates differently, depending on how local history and cuisine have shaped the Nochebuena rituals, but several threads unify the experience for all.

A rooster is traditionally believed to have crowed at midnight in Bethlehem when Jesus was born, so the Catholic “Misa de Gallo,” or Rooster’s Mass, is always held at midnight on December 24th. Devout families gather for a dinner celebration before attending the Mass. Some end the evening after 80 |

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the religious ceremony while others return home to continue celebrating late into the morning hours. In Spain, where the Misa de Gallo began, congregations walk the streets after the Mass, singing to the accompaniment of guitars, tambourines and drums.

Nativity scenes decorate homes and churches from Spain to Argentina during Nochebuena and live re-enactments of the event are often part of the celebrations. The Three Wise Kings, depicted with their gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense, are the most recognizable of the adorers. Their arrival at the manger is celebrated again at Epiphany on January 6th when, just as they once brought gifts to baby Jesus, they now bring gifts to children.

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and carols as payment for hospitality, also In Spain, children leave out a glass of cognac symbolize the Holy Family’s wanderings. for each king and a bucket of water for their Although Nochebuena is originally a camels. In Mexico, children leave out a shoe religious holiday it has come to be equally in which to receive a gift. In Puerto Rico and important to secular Latin families. The Cuba, they leave a shoebox filled with grass Holy Family has become a symbol for famfor the kings’ hardworking horses. ily itself, so important in Latin culture, The poinsettia, which has become a and Nochebuena provides an occasion to worldwide symbol for Christmas, origreunite and rejoice. Extended family will inated in Mexico and is known there as travel whenever possible to join the Nochebuena Flower. Mexico these large gatherings and also holds the most elaborate close friends and neighcelebrations leading up to TRADITIONAL bors are usually invited, Christmas Eve. In procesRECIPE FOR COQUITO: since they are viewed sions called “posadas” • 1 2/3 cup of evaporated milk as adopted members that last from December • 6 ounces of Coco López (sweetened cream of coconut) of the clan.

16th to the 24th they • 5 egg yolks (optional) • 3/4 cup of gold rum Food is a central re-enact the nine stages • 2 tbsp. of Crème de cacao part of these celebraof Joseph and Mary’s • Mix well in a blender and refrigerate. Serve well chilled. tions and menus vary journey seeking shelter. depending on the cuisine At their final destination of the region. In Spain, where the company breaks a piñata, seafood is often a staple of daily a clay pot covered in papier-mâché fare, Nochebuena meals include it in the form and decorated with colorful tissue-paper. of cod, shellfish or mollusks. Chickpea soup Piñatas are traditionally shaped like a with chorizo is another traditional dish. The seven-pointed star to symbolize the seven main entrée is turkey stuffed with (mushdeadly sins being smashed by a renewal of room) truffles and favorite Nochebuena faith in God. Waiting inside is a reward of desserts are “roscón” — a ring-shaped cake candied fruits and nuts. Puerto Rican “parfilled with cream or chocolate, very like the randas,” during which groups of neighbors King’s Cake served in New Orleans during walk from house to house offering music

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eggnog. Cuban families also serve a whole pig Mardi Gras â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and â&#x20AC;&#x153;turrĂłn,â&#x20AC;? a candy similar to family and friends on Nochebuena, but it to nougat and brought to Spain during the is cooked on an open grill atop burning coals Arab conquest. Today â&#x20AC;&#x153;turronesâ&#x20AC;? are made rather than on a spit, and served with slices in ďŹ&#x201A;avors ranging from lemon to almond to of yucca with mojo and white rice topped by chocolate. In some Central American counblack beans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Temblequeâ&#x20AC;? (coconut custard) tries, stuffed chicken or turkey remains the follows, and the uber-Cuban mojitos are the main entrĂŠe, but in Mexico, where corn is so main alcoholic beverage. For smaller family prevalent, it gives way to â&#x20AC;&#x153;tamales.â&#x20AC;? These are gatherings, both Puerto Ricans and Cubans made by wrapping shredded and seasoned will cook a â&#x20AC;&#x153;pernil asado,â&#x20AC;? a roasted pork leg, chicken or beef in cornmeal dough and bakinstead of the entire animal. ing or steaming the resulting pasty in corn For those who wish to sample husks. They are accompanied by some Latin American Christmas â&#x20AC;&#x153;menudo,â&#x20AC;? a tripe and homcuisine in Gainesville, seviny soup, and followed by eral restaurants celebrate desserts like flan and EMILIANOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CAFĂ&#x2030;, PAN LATIN Nochebuena in their â&#x20AC;&#x153;buĂąuelos,â&#x20AC;? which CUISINE & CATERING 7 SE 1st Avenue â&#x20AC;˘ 352-375-7381 For December menus and are very light and catering contact: cater holiday parties. airy fried donuts. wanda@emilianoscafe.com Emilianoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CafĂŠ serves Hot fruit punch OMIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PLAYA AZUL, CUBAN CUISINE & CATERING Pan Latin cuisine, a spiked with rum 101 SE 2nd Place â&#x20AC;˘ 352-373-0301 contemporary twist on is the traditional For catering contact: Puerto Rican and Cuban Christmas drink and omiselegantcatering@gmail.com staples. Their holiday menu known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;ponche.â&#x20AC;? includes arroz con gandules, Caribbean countries, pernil, and tembleque topped by on the other hand, have a cinnamon, or their own contemporary vermenu that centers around pork, a meat sion, served in a glass and topped with chocreadily available on the islands. In Puerto olate ganache. When seasonally available Rico the centerpiece of a Nochebuena meal their catering includes pasteles, and owner is â&#x20AC;&#x153;lechĂłn a la varaâ&#x20AC;? (pig on the spit). An Diego has invented a recipe for a coquito entire pig is seasoned with â&#x20AC;&#x153;mojoâ&#x20AC;? (a citrus martini which is ever popular at the bar. For and garlic marinade) for a whole day before a taste of the strictly traditional, Omiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Playa being slowly roasted over an open ďŹ re. Side Azul serves Authentic Cuban cuisine, just as dishes include â&#x20AC;&#x153;arroz con gandulesâ&#x20AC;? (rice it would be served at a family Nochebuena with pigeon peas) and â&#x20AC;&#x153;pasteles,â&#x20AC;? similar to feast. They offer lechĂłn asado with mojo, tamales but utilizing dough made of yucca or black beans and rice, yucca with mojo, sweet green plantains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Morcillasâ&#x20AC;? (blood sausage) plantains and green plantains, turrĂłn in ďŹ&#x201A;aare a traditional appetizer enjoyed with rum vors including nougat and coconut, as well as drinks. Desserts include â&#x20AC;&#x153;arroz con dulceâ&#x20AC;? coconut ďŹ&#x201A;an, and â&#x20AC;&#x201D; of course â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a traditional (rice pudding with raisins) and coconut coquito drink to help you raise your glass to flan, and the typical after-dinner drink is the best night of the year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;coquito,â&#x20AC;? the Latin American version of

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COLUMN

ALBERT ISAAC’S

Different Note CULTURE SHOCK

ALBERT ISAAC IS AN AWARD-WINNING WRITER AND EDITOR AND THE AUTHOR OF SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS AND PERSONAL COLUMNS. HE LIVES IN HIGH SPRINGS WITH HIS FAMILY AND A BUNCH OF CRITTERS. editor@towerpublications.com

I JUST RECENTLY VISITED A FOREIGN LAND KNOWN AS MIAMI. WHILE THERE, I GOT TO SEE THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN.

A

s regular readers know, I am a second-generation Miami native; my father was born in Coconut Grove and I was born in Mercy Hospital.

Miami was a fine place to grow up. We walked to elementary school and biked to junior high school. We knew all of our neighbors. The entire neighborhood was our playground and it wasn’t uncommon for us to run with abandon through every back yard — and through the bushes — on our block. (Now as a grownup, I’m the old guy shaking my fist screaming, “Get out of my yard, you hooligans!”)

We’d climb to the tops of the trees, build tree houses and forts, arrange bike hikes down the banyan tree-lined trails to Matheson Hammock, and fish off the seawall.

And in those days, we didn’t have to lock our front doors.

Those were the wonder years. In fact, for my generation, the television show “The Wonder Years” pretty much depicted my life, from the bellbottoms to the Stingray bicycles with their banana seats and high handlebars to the skinny friend wearing the large black-rimmed eyeglasses.

school reunions.

These things, too, I’ve written about. And it’s time again to write about my most recent visit to Miami for my high school reunion.

I’ve only been to Miami about three times in the last decade.

And to face the absolutely insane traffic I sure could have used a Valium IV drip. I’m no world traveler, but I can say that Miami drivers are the worst of any other state I’ve ever driven. The ride down was fairly uneventful, but you know you’re getting close to Miami when you have to go 80 in the slow lane just to avoid being rear-ended; when cars zip by you going 100, weaving in and out of traffic, changing lanes without using turn indicators (note to Miami drivers: A quick head-check to the left is NOT an official turn signal), and basically having no regard for safety or traffic laws. Miami drivers do not even use lanes. I take that back: they use multiple lanes, simultaneously. On the expressway I saw cars butting ahead of the crowded left lane and merging by driving across the median, or along the shoulder, or onto the grass, or around cones; while sitting in my left-turn lane on Miami Beach, drivers passed me and the line of cars in front of me to pull up alongside them and block the intersection so they could funnel into the single-lane street.

And I’ve never heard so much honking. I made the egregious error of not accelerating at the precise second the light turned green and was instantly assailed by a cacophony of honking horns.

But this story is not supposed to be about the bad drivers. Truth be told, I suppose they drive pretty skillfully, if not reckless and stupid (I didn’t see any crashes).

So I survived unscathed, despite staying at South Beach, with all of its craziness. And by craziness I mean 24-hour bumper-to-bumper traffic, bicycles, skateboards and motor scooters coming at me from every direction, taxis stopping unexpectedly, people walking everywhere and just general mayhem.

Oops, there I go again. Anyway, I handled this with surprising calm (even without valium). But most importantly, everyone I encountered (that were not driving) was wonderful, from the welcoming bartender at the motel who made me a Cuba Libre to the nice lady who cut my hair.

The real shock came when I visited my old neighborhood. I

I visited Matheson Hammock — the site of so many bike hikes — and was surprised to see gigantic iguanas all over the place.

Of course, this idyllic lifestyle didn’t last and wasn’t without strife. Plus, my memories have certainly been colored by the years. What may have started like the happy days of the ‘50s soon roiled into the turbulent ‘60s. By the late ‘70s I was ready to leave Miami for a calmer, less congested place to live. And so I moved to Gainesville to attend UF, and aside from one brief summer I never lived in Miami again.

Eventually my entire family moved as well, giving me little reason to return — except for memorial services and high 86 |

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found my home â&#x20AC;&#x201D; now unrecognizable â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the old elementary school easily enough, but I could not ďŹ nd my friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; houses; the neighborhood was too foreign. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get me wrong, the houses were very nice, but nothing like the way I remembered them.

I visited Matheson Hammock â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the site of so many bike hikes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and was surprised to see gigantic iguanas all over the place.

Iguanas were rare when I was a kid. I remember we would go looking for them and always came back empty-handed.

Visiting my old friends was a special treat. Some of these guys and gals I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen in over 40 years. In my mind these classmates were still teenagers, not the middle-aged adults that sat before me. But as soon as we started talking, the years melted away and everything was the same as it ever was (to quote the Talking Heads).

We shared stories. I behaved childishly (no surprise there) and we talked about those who are no longer with us. Time has passed faster than I could have imagined.

And I dare say we should not wait another 40 years to get back together.

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HISTORY >> HAILE HOMESTEAD

IF WALLS COULD TALK

Haile Holidays Historic Haile Homestead Celebrates Christmas the Old Fashioned Way W R IT TE N BY PEGGY M AC DON A LD

A

single surviving photograph from the late 19th century shows how the Haile family decked the halls of their 1856 home for Christmas. They used native plant materials to decorate the mantle in the family’s 6,200-square-foot heart pine and cypress house, named Kanapaha.

“It’s just like we do it,” said Historic Haile Homestead President and Historian Karen Kirkman.

According to the diary of Serena Haile, who wrote most of the more than 12,500 words that cover the Haile Homestead’s “talking walls,” the Haile family decorated the house on Christmas Eve. Serena and Thomas Evans Haile had 15 children together.

“During the holidays, many of the children would come home and they would have big meals,” Kirkman 88 |

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said. “Many of the boys would go out hunting, usually for birds.”

On some occasions, none of the Haile children came home for the holidays.

“She gets very lonely at the holidays when she doesn’t have a lot of family around,” Kirkman said.

After co-writing a history of the Haile Homestead, “The Historic Haile Homestead at Kanapaha Plantation: An Illustrated History,” with Kevin McCarthy, Kirkman’s next book project is to publish Serena Haile’s diary. She got hooked on the history of the Haile family when she transcribed the writing on the walls after she started volunteering as a docent in 2001, shortly after the house first started to offer tours to the public. After finishing the walls, Kirkman transcribed Serena Haile’s diary.

The Annual Homestead Holidays celebration

“It’s absolutely stunning. The history — you can almost touch it.”

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Among activities at a 2014 Haile Holiday event, Dr. Kim Walsh-Childers performs a first-person interpretation of Serena Haile, the matriarch of the Haile family.

started soon after the Haile Homestead opened to the public in 2001. In the early days, the event lasted for two days and featured crafters. When Kirkman became the docent coordinator, she transformed it from a paid craft event to a free holiday celebration that focused on the history of the Haile Homestead.

“Over 700 people came in four hours,” Kirkman said, while the event barely attracted 200 people in previous years. The Historic Haile Homestead’s board of directors decided to keep the event free from that point on.

“This is our gift to the community,” Kirkman said. “It’s become an annual tradition now.”

Another annual tradition at the Homestead is Candlelight Visits, a magical evening where the entire house is filled with the sound of live violin music and simulated candlelight. (Real candlelight cannot be used because of the risk of fire.) This is the only time of year when the Haile Homestead is open at night.

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“If people want a sense of what it was like to visit the Homestead at the holidays back in the 1800s, this is the time,” Kirkman said. “It’s absolutely stunning. The history — you can almost touch it.”

The students of several local violin teachers play throughout the house.

“The acoustics in the house are fabulous,” Kirkman said, “especially for strings.”

Chairs are set up for people to sit on the porch and listen to the music while volunteers serve hot apple cider. Inside the house, docents dressed in Victorian era costumes share the stories of the Haile family and the enslaved people who built the Haile Homestead and lived on the grounds before emancipation.

The path from the parking lot to the house is lined with simulated candles. Visitors can walk the tree-lined path or enjoy a complimentary golf cart ride. At least eight Christmas trees

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HISTORY >> HAILE HOMESTEAD 92 |

can be viewed inside the house. In the past, the Homestead experimented with Florida pine trees for authenticity, but the Haile volunteers encountered problems such as unbalanced trees that fell and broke all of the ornaments.

“The other trees had a lot of critters coming out of them, too,” Kirkman said. “We just get our trees from Home Depot now.”

Each year there is a different theme for the Historic Haile Homestead’s holiday events. This year’s theme is the crops the Hailes grew, which Serena Haile listed in her diary. Oranges are used to decorate the mantel and on swags on the staircase, for instance.

“Our docents are very creative,” Kirkman said.

Visitors to the Historic Haile Homestead will have multiple opportunities to view the holiday decorations, which stay up through New Year’s Day. The Homestead is open on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4:00 p.m.

The Homestead is unique in the nation because of the volume of writing on the walls, Kirkman said.

The Annual Homestead Holidays event takes place Sunday, Dec. 4 from noon to 4:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Come back Friday, Dec. 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for Candlelight Visits. Tickets to Candlelight Visits are $7 in advance, $10 at the door and free for age 12 and under. Tickets purchased at the door are cash or check only. Advance tickets can be purchased on the Historic Haile Homestead website, hailehomestead.org. The Historic Haile Homestead is located at 8500 SW Archer Road.

All proceeds from Candlelight Visits ticket sales help fund operations at the new Allen & Ethel Graham Visitor Center.

Before the visitor center was completed, the only bathroom was an orange porta-potty behind the house, Kirkman said.

The new visitor center is equipped with public restrooms, office and exhibit space. Private funds and an Alachua County Tourist Development Council grant paid for the new visitor center and an adjacent parking lot.

The Homestead is always in need of volunteers, including docents to give tours of the house and staff the new visitor center.

“With our visitor center opening soon, we’ll have a greater need for docents,” Kirkman said.

Volunteers must be at least middle school age. Some of the Homestead’s current docents are in their 80s. To apply to become a docent or to donate to the Homestead, visit hailehomestead. org and click on “How to Help,” or call 352-336-9096.

The Annual Homestead Holidays and Candlelight Visits are fun, old-fashioned ways to get into the holiday spirit. Ride in a horse-drawn carriage past one of the few remaining antebellum plantations in Florida, and step inside the Historic Haile Homestead to read the “talking walls,” which contain stories from Florida’s past.

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(Inset) Charles Evans Haile (1835 – 1924). This Bacon & Raven piano, built between 1841 and 1855, was one of the original pianos at the Homestead. Thomas and Serena Haile’s great-grandchildren had the piano restored to its former glory.

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94

COMMUNITY >> HELPING VETS & FIRST RESPONDERS

SEEDS OF HOPE

HORTICULTURE THERAPY TO COMBAT VETERANS

Operation Farm2Health W R I T T E N B Y S T E P H A N I E R I C H A R D S | P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y 3 1- 3 2 F O U N D A T I O N

A New Mission Feeds Local Families, Provides Therapy Recovery to Veterans and First Responder Families Matthew Burke completed four tours in the Middle East before he retired as a U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant. His last tour in Afghanistan left him with physical injuries, requiring him to learn to walk again and live with pain. The impact of his collective experiences also created emotional wounds, not visibly seen, which still penetrate the deepest parts of his soul.

When he moved to Newberry in 2013, the now-37-year-old found himself homeless for a couple of months while waiting to receive disability benefits. That is when he discovered Blessed Hope, a non-profit pantry in town.

“They provided food during the transition, and I am grateful,” 94 |

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said Burke, who is married with two teenage daughters.

As part of his rehabilitation process, Burke had gone through the horticulture therapy program at Veterans Farm and had support from the Farmer Veteran Coalition.

“These organizations gave me the tools to get me walking again without assistance,” said Burke, who grew up on a farm in South Central Florida. “I bought property in town and was encouraged to transform it into a farm. When I was able to get stuff growing, I brought fruits and vegetables back to Blessed Hope for them to distribute to those who needed it.”

After the success of his own experience, Burke was inspired to plant a new seed in the community — a condensed version of the program — and Operation Farm2Health took root.

“The program has two aspects,” Burke said. “First, it provides horticulture therapy to combat veterans. Second, it works to put an end to poverty through sustainable food systems.”

Farm2Health falls under the umbrella of 10 CAN, a non-profit

Almost 70 volunteers from area schools, non-profits, organizations and churches participated in Operation Farm2Health at the Newberry American Legion Oct. 1. Allison Senkarik carries her son Barrett on her back while volunteering.

“The program has two aspects. First, it provides horticulture therapy to combat veterans. Second, it works to put an end to poverty through sustainable food systems.” organization that Burke started. According to the website, “10 CAN, Inc. is a Christian Adventure Network that focuses on family outreach through nature. Our mission is to honor, revive, and grow families of First Responders and Veterans KIA, wounded, or injured in the line of duty, through agriculture, martial arts, and adaptive outdoor adventures.”

So when Newberry Mayor Bill Conrad got a call from FarmShare to do a community-wide food distribution, he

contacted Burke. FarmShare is a “large-scale food bank and charitable packinghouse working to end hunger,” according to the website. The organization gets fruits and vegetables from Florida farmers that would otherwise not be harvested and distributes it in local communities to low-income families.

“FarmShare had done similar distributions in communities like High Springs, Starke and Waldo. After Matthew and I had breakfast to discuss the possibility, we decided to move forward NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

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and hold the event at the American Legion. He took over from there, recruiting volunteers, handling public relations, etc.,” Mayor Conrad said. “The city provided a forklift and driver as well as the city manager, a commissioner and myself to help.”

Operation Farm2Health had its first community-wide food distribution on Oct. 1 at the Newberry American Legion. It was a coordinated effort as 10 CAN and FarmShare joined forces with the American Legion, the City of Newberry, and Homegrown by Heroes, an initiative of the Farmer Veteran Coalition. Burke said there were no income restrictions for the soft launch of this first event, which distributed five tons of food to 532 community households (2,205 individuals).

Burke said 69 volunteers, including students, church members, veterans and individuals were on hand to move boxes, hand out bags and carry items to cars if needed.

Volunteering was an easy choice for Allison Senkarik.

“My husband Pierce is a wounded veteran, so causes like this one hit close to home,” the Gainesville resident said in an email. “He was an infantryman and sniper during his time in the U.S. Army, so when he got hurt it was absolutely necessary for him to find a new trade.

While he did not pursue an agricultural profession, we feel that this program can be a powerful tool for veterans who need a new profession or are just simply looking for a way to become closer to their food source.”

The hope is that Operation Farm2Health’s food distribution can happen at least once a quarter, Mayor Conrad said.

“This was a great community event and a good team building operation that not only benefitted those who received food but also the people who distributed it,” he said. “The resources are there.”

Although Burke is pleased with the success of the event, he envisions a more expansive role for the program. Over the summer, he was voted commander of the Newberry American Legion and with it, brought the partnership of 10 CAN and its programs. Blessed Hope recently relocated their operations to part of the organization’s five acres of property to distribute food to those in need, with drive-up service now for individuals with disabilities, Burke said.

“The goal is to first increase the membership of the American Legion (especially post 9/11 veterans). We will encourage veterans to apply for Farmer Veteran Fellowship Funds and be trained at Veterans Farm,” he said. “They would then come together at the Legion and be deployed to their local community, empowering families in poverty through self-sustainable food systems.

These veterans would then be rewarded with a 10 CAN, Inc. outdoor adventure.”

Horticulture therapy provides a way for veterans to learn how to “put down the gun and pick up a shovel,” said OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Burke, who suffers from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. “It provides a hands-on approach where others are more psychiatric or scientific. We are warriors and need to be empowered — it is a different philosophy.

Emotional disabilities are hard because you can’t touch or grasp them.”

Burke said he has found a new mission.

“I invest in the cause because we are called to make disciples of all nations and that is a call to action. I wasn’t called to preach, but can use my gifts and talents to make a difference,” said Burke, who is working on doctoral studies in public policy at Walden University. “The people in my life and my faith are why I didn’t opt out [of life]. I was saved for a reason and I feel like I found that reason.”

For more information on Operation Farm2Health, visit 10can.us; on Facebook search: 10 CAN, Inc.

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352-336-3175

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We feel the best way to find and recognize local charities in our communities is by asking you!

The SunState Community Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves the communities in and around North Central Florida by promoting and facilitating philanthropy.

The Foundation was established to promote and provide charitable assistance that contributes towards the development, education and well-being of the communities, areas and residents of Alachua, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy Counties in Florida. The foundation’s initial goal is to administer and fully fund the award winning Facebook Charity-of-the-Month program. SunState Federal Credit Union started the program in 2013, but has turned over administration of the program to the foundation, with SunState Federal Credit Union acting only as a sponsor. This has been done in the belief that this path will ensure the program remains a strong and expanding community resource long into the future.

The SunState Community Foundation, Inc., provides donors/members opportunities to participate in the furtherance of the foundation’s goals in multiple ways. First, and foremost, the donors/members are providing funds to support the foundation’s charitable initiatives. Donors/members can also nominate groups for the Charity of the Month program, and then vote for the group of their choice. Donors/members are encouraged to participate and vote in the Charity of the Month program. Ultimately, the voters choose where foundation donations go as part of the infrastructure of the program.

SunState Community Foundation, Inc.

SPONSORSHIP L EVEL S AVAIL ABL E $

1,000 CHARITY OF THE MONTH SPONSOR

$

•

Recognized on all 4 Entercom Communication stations, 30 times (120 total); KTK, SKY, WRUF and ESPN.

•

Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page, KTK’s Facebook page and Our Town’s Facebook page.

•

Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Our Town Magazine.

•

•

•

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500 RANDOM CHARITY SPONSOR Recognized on 2 of Entercom Communications stations, 30 times (60 total); WRUF and ESPN Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page, KTK’s Facebook page and Our Town’s Facebook page.

Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Our Town Magazine.

$

300 NOMINATOR SPONSOR

•

Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page, KTK’s Facebook page and Our Town’s Facebook page.

•

Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Our Town Magazine.

$

100 RANDOM VOTER SPONSOR

•

Recognized on the Charity of the Month Facebook Contest page.

•

Mentioned in the Charity of the Month page in Our Town Magazine

MOST RECENT WINNING ORGANIZATIONS TO NOMINATE A CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE OR TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NOMINEES, VISIT:

www.facebook.com/SunStateFCU and click on “Charity of the Month”

SEPTEMBER WINNER – 1,447 VOTES

AUGUST WINNERS - 13,000+ VOTES

Christian Service Center

The Educators’ Emporium and The Basketball Cop Foundation

The Christian Service Center of Columbia County provides help with food, clothing, household goods, medications, transient transportation, and partial help with utilities. They also have a resale gift shop open two days a week with all proceeds used to purchase food. Each year the organization holds special events to give Christmas toys and Christmas baskets, back to school shoes and garage sales. The center works inter-denominationally with local churches as well as other service agencies to accomplish our mission.

The Center will receive $1,000; Leslie Stanziani will receive $300 for nominating them; the winner of the $500 random drawing is Children’s Table; and the $100 random voter winner is Janice Ashmore.

Sunstate is naming both the Basketball Cop Foundation and the Columbia County Educators’ Emporium as Charities of the Month for August. Both charities will receive a $1000 donation; their nominators, Bobby White and Brandi Keen, will receive $300 each for nominating winning charities. The random winner is Paws on Parole, which receive a $500 donation, and the random voter winner is Hilary Hynes, who will receive $100).

The Columbia County School District Educators’ Emporium gives office supplies, art and crafts materials, and other supplies to local teachers. The Basketball Cop Foundation is founded and operated by active duty Police Officer Bobby White. This non-profit organization is dedicated to building Police/Youth relationships across the U.S.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS >> CHARITY OF THE MONTH

CH A RIT Y OF THE MONTH WINNER S

A project of the SunState Community Foundation, Inc. Presented by SunState Federal Credit Union, Our Town Family of Magazines and Entercom Communications

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SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL

352-372-5468

FOR RATES AND INFORMATION.

Bangkok Square 6500 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:00am-3:00pm • Saturday-Sunday 12:00pm-3:00pm Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5:00pm-9:30pm • Friday-Saturday 5:00pm-10:00pm

352-375-4488 www.bangkoksquarefl.com Authentic Thai Cuisine — Thai cuisine, blending the best elements of the freshest foods. Thai herbs; garlic, basil, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal root, chili and more, prepared with the finest blending of fish sauce, shrimp paste, and coconut milk. All of our meals are made to order and prepared on site. We specialize in vegetarian, vegan and gluten free orders. All of our foods can be prepared to your satisfaction with mild, medium, hot, or Thai hot, balanced to the four tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and slightly bitter. Meals can be prepared for take out and we cater to any event. We also have gift cards available. Save 10% off your next dining experience when a gift card is purchased.

El Patio 60 N Main Street, High Springs • 16135 NW US 441 Unit 10, Alachua Mon-Thurs & Sun 11am-10pm Fri & Sat 11am-10:30pm

386-454-1330 Mexican — El Patio’s second location is now open in Alachua. Family owned and operated serving authentic Mexican cuisine including: fajitas, burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas, and much much more. Kids menu also available. We have large screen TVs perfect for game day, a private party room for your special celebrations, and outdoor seating available on our nice patio. Live Mariachi band every Wednesday from 5pm8:30pm at the High Springs location. Also, don’t forget, we offer a full bar with happy hour everyday from 2pm-6pm including $1.99 domestic beers and $3.99 16oz lime margaritas.

Backstreet Blues Chop House & Oyster Bar 6500 SW Archer Rd , Gainesville fl 32608 Monday Closed • Tuesday - Saturday 4:00pm – 10:00pm Dinner Saturday - Sunday 9:00am – 2:00pm Brunch

352-363-6792 backstreetblueschophouse.com Prime wet aged Steaks, Fresh Gulf Seafood, and Fresh Oysters — At Backstreet Blues Chophouse we offer the finest farm to table steaks from the Quincy Cattle Company, fresh Gulf Seafood and Oysters delivered everyday. Come try our signature steak the “Tomahawk Ribeye”, Lemon-Marscapopne Risotto, Ensalada de Pulpo or our Oysters Rockefeller. We have a large selection of unique appetizers and wines from all over the world. Full bar with Specialty whiskeys and bourbons. We also offer a private dining room that seats up to 30 for private dinners or tastings with a 110” drop down movie screen for presentations. We have a large covered patio area as well. Its an experience you can have everyday!

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Dave’s New York Deli 12921 SW 1st Road • Tioga Town Center Open 7 Days

352-333-0291 www.DavesNYDeli.com Authentic NY deli — The Reviews are in and here’s what customers are saying about Dave’s NY Deli Tioga Town Center! “Best Reuben, Best Pastrami, Best Philly, and Best Wings” Dave’s continues to be the place to go for authentic NY Deli food and Philly Cheesesteaks. Owner Dave Anders says “Nothing beats quality ingredients combined with a friendly staff. Dave serves New York size Pastrami and Corned Beef sandwiches, Cheesecake from New York, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, NY Kettle Boiled Bagels, Nova Salmon, Knish, Cannolies, Philly Cheesesteaks, Wings, Cubans, Subs, Kids Menu and more.” Come out and enjoy Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at Dave’s NY Deli.

Now serving beer and wine.

Copper Monkey West 14209 W Newberry Road, Jonesville, FL 32669 Across from the Steeplechase Publix Sunday-Thursday 11:00am - 11:00pm Friday-Saturday 11:00am - 12:00am

352-363-6338 mycoppermonkey.com Restaurant & Pub — Now serving Breakfast on Saturdays & Sundays 8:30am - 10:45am. We are located in the heart of Jonesville, this All-American dining is convenient to all neighborhoods in Gainesville, Alachua, Newberry, High Springs and beyond. Our family-friendly dining features great food at a great price. Whether you come in for the “best burger in town” or try any one of our freshly made salads, pastas or sandwiches, you will not leave disappointed. Our USDA choice steaks, served with 2 sides, offer a great alternative for the perfect celebratory meal. We also feature a full-service bar with signature drinks and many options for your viewing pleasure.

Great food, great price, we’ll see you soon.

The Great Outdoors 65 North Main Street, High Springs, Florida 32643 Open at 11:00am Tuesday through Sunday

386-454-1288 www.greatoutdoorsdining.com Celebrate The Holidays At The Award Winning Great Outdoors Restaurant In High Springs! — Make your reservation early for our famous Thanksgiving Buffet on November 24th. The Great Outdoors offers 3 perfect venues....for a casual gathering reserve a spot outside, under the Boathouse, and enjoy the live music on the Patio....make it a night to remember and book your holiday party reservation in our dining room…host an elegant and private event upstairs in our Opera House, the perfect spot for a company party. LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT? Buy $100 in Great Outdoors Restaurant gift cards and receive a $20 gift card for you! Visit the Opera House at www.OperaHouseHS.com or visit us at www.GreatOutdoorsDining.com.

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SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL

352-372-5468

FOR RATES AND INFORMATION.

Smoke Fried 23352 W US Hwy 27, Suite 50, High Springs, FL 32643 Monday -Thursday 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM Friday - Saturday 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

386-454-7031 www.smokefried.com Casual — Offering traditional smokehouse flavors through a variety of BBQ favorites and dishes with a new spin, served in a casual setting with a large portion of friendly service. Getting home late, running from appointments to practice, just too exhausted to cook? We have the whole family covered with home style favorites or BBQ packs for dine in or carry out. In a hurry? Order online and zip by on your way from here to there. Half priced kid’s meals on Monday nights with the purchase of an adult meal.

Grab some friends and family and come try “The Lid,” our BBQ feast served on a garbage can lid for sharing.

Adam’s Rib Co. 2109 NW 13th Street, Gainesville, Florida 32609 1515 SW 13th Street Gainesville, Florida 32608 Monday-Saturday 7:00am – 9:00pm Closed Sunday

352-373-8882 NW 352-727-4005 SW AdamsRibCo.com BBQ — Celebrating our 10 year Anniversary. Looking for the best BBQ in Gainesville?

Then look no further than Adam’s Rib Co. Adam’s is North Florida’s Premier Barbecue restaurant, serving North Florida’s finest bbq spare ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, slow smoked chicken and turkey. Choose from over 20 sauces – from honey sweet to habanero hot – and everything in between. Don’t forget dessert, like our scrumptious banana pudding and famous peach cobbler. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Adam’s can cater any event locally. Give Adam a call for your next tailgate party 352-514-8692!

Lisa’s Corner Café 125 NW 23rd Ave • Gainesville, Florida Mon. - Fri. 8am – 3pm • Saturday 8am – 3 pm Serving Breakfast all-day

352-363-6138 www.cornercafeandcoffee.com DELICIOUS HOMEMADE GOODNESS — This delightfully casual café is located on the corner of 23rd Ave. & NW 2nd St. The Café is sure to satisfy your cravings and bring you back for more. The menu features build your own omelettes or café traditions such as the “Belly Buster” or “The Toasty triple”. Cheesy grits, seasoned potatoes & sliced peaches are just a few of the delicious sides offered. For Lunch, we recommend the “All You Can Eat Hot Buffet!” It includes a drink & salad bar for only $9.89. Featuring a variety of homemade specialties such as meatloaf, fried chicken, shepards pie, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes & so much more! Visit us on Tuesday for “Taco – Tuesday!”

The Café’ also offers a full menu. Delivery, Online ordering and Catering is available.

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Sweet Pea’s Diner 825 South Main Street High Springs, Fl 32655 Wednesday-Sunday 6am - 3pm Now Serving Breakfast on Weekends All Day!

386-454-Peas Diner — Sweet Peas Diner is now open in High Springs! We are open for breakfast and lunch offering a menu with great selections and good prices. We are here for your dining pleasure serving home cooked southern style meals and all American favorites. Not to mention our fresh salad bar. We serve breakfast from 6am till 11am then switch over to our delicious lunch menu including our Sweet Pea’s daily pickin’s, burgers, pulled pork, chicken, fish and much more. The kids will love our Pea Patch. They can choose from our homemade chicken nuggets, sliders or grilled cheese. Stop on by and let us do the cooking. We look forward to seeing and feeding you!

Mark’s Prime Steakhouse & Seafood 201 SE 2nd Avenue, Gainesville, FL (Historic Downtown) Monday: 5:00pm - 9:00pm • Tues-Sat: 5:00pm to 10:00pm Happy Hour: 5:00pm - 7:00pm

352-336-0077 marksprimesteakhouse.com Steak & Seafood — Mark’s Prime Steakhouse and Seafood has a goal to create a unique dining experience that will please the palate and soothe the soul. We serve the finest beef, the freshest seafood, and naturally fresh vegetables. Recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence 2004-2011. Join us for Primetime Happy Hour featuring drink and appetizer specials Monday thru Saturday 5-7 pm. We are pleased to feature our full service, private dining facilities. It would be our pleasure to help plan your next reception, banquet, business meeting, or social gathering. Complimentary valet service.

Napolatanos 606 NW 75th Street Gainesville, FL Tuesday - Thursday & Sunday 4:00pm-10:00pm Friday 4:00pm-1:00am • Saturday 4:00pm-11:00pm

352-332-6671 www.napolatanos.com ITALIAN — Napolatanos is the longest original owner operated restaurant in Gainesville. Nappys, the name the locals have given Napolatanos has the most extensive menu.

Whether you choose pizza, calzones, salad, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, seafood, steak dinners or the best chicken wings in town, Nappy’s uses only the freshest ingredients.

Visit on Tuesday for half price appetizers. Burgers & Brew Night on Wednesday and live music inside. Thursday is Pub night with Better than England’s Fish & Chips $7. Outside dining with live music, on the patio, on Sunday evenings. GRAB & GO family dinners feeds 4-6 adults, starting at $25.95. Choose from Ziti, Lasagna, Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Marsala and more!

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SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL

352-372-5468

FOR RATES AND INFORMATION.

World of Beer 140 SW 128th Street • Tioga Town Center, Jonesville 32669 3265 SW 34th Street • Gainesville, Florida 32608 Monday - Thursday open at 3:00pm • Friday, Saturday and Sunday open at noon

352-727-4714 (Tioga) 352-559-8775 (Gville) worldofbeer.com TAVERN FARE — At World of Beer, we have 40 craft beers on tap, over 500 in the cooler and now we have added a tasty tavern fare that’s crafted to go perfectly with any beer. Our menu offers a wide variety of choices including a giant pretzel with beer cheese dip, artisan sausage boards, flat breads, innovative sandwiches and burgers, soups, salads and so much more! Visit our web site for a full menu and event schedule.

Whether you’re a beer master or just beer curious, our insanely knowledgeable staff is here to guide you through every last pint, pour, and pairing. So c’mon. Let’s go. Because there’s no better place to go around the world, one sip at a time.

Brown’s Country Buffet 14423 NW US Hwy 441, Alachua, FL 32616 Monday-Friday 7:00am - 8:00pm Saturday 7:00am - 2:00pm Sunday 8:00am - 3:00pm

386-462-3000 brownscountrybuffet.net Casual — 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. 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.

Crane Ramen 16 SW 1st Ave. Gainesville Sun-Wed: 11:00 am - 4pm • 5pm - 10pm • Thu-Sat: 11am - 4pm • 5pm - 1am Sunday Brunch beginning at 11am

352-727-7422 www.craneramen.com Authentic Craft Ramen — Owners Fred Brown and Bill Bryson opened a restaurant serving sensuous, Japanese comfort food. Ramen creates a harmony of flavors, enjoyed layer by layer as they are mixed throughout your bowl. The richness of ingredients thoughtfully concocted delivers complete dining satisfaction. Crane Ramen is committed to a local/sustainable model of sourcing the best and healthiest ingredients.

Our meat, eggs and poultry are sourced locally whenever possible. All of our food is scratch-made! We have our soup stocks bubbling 24 hours a day! In addition to ramen we also have a seasonal variety of delicious otsumami. Crane Ramen also has also curated its own unique offering of beer, wine, sake and creative cocktails!

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Vegan 2Go 7625 W Newberry Rd Gainesville, FL. Mon., Wed., Thursday 11am – 8 pm Fri and Sat. 11am-9pm • Sunday 12 pm – 7 pm

352-505-8894 Vegan2GoGainesville.com COOKING WITH LOVE — This vegetarian & vegan restaurant is based on the concept that people and animals can live in harmony through sustainable plant based solutions.

You can be sure that their ingredients are carefully selected from non-GMO, non-MSG, sea salt and organic products. The final result: something that’s delicious, tasty, healthy, and vegan! Their healthy barbeque skewers made from soy or the infamous vegan ginger onion chick’n, are sure to have you craving for more. If you want some bang for your buck, try one of the combos: your choice of noodles or rice with spring rolls, summer rolls, and either BBQ or vegan chicken. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous with your appetite, try making your own combo! Don’t forget the delicious, fragrant Thai Iced Tea!

Newberry’s Backyard BBQ 25405 West Newberry Road, Newberry Monday-Wednesday 11:00am – 9:00pm Thursday 11:00am – 9:00pm Friday and Saturday 11:00am – 11:00pm Sunday 10:30am – 3:00pm

352-472-7260 newberrybbq.com BBQ — The one and only Newberry’s Backyard BBQ 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.

We now have an ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET Sunday - Friday 11am - 3pm

Nanny’s Diner 7476 SW Highway 27 • Fort White, Fl 32038 Mon-Sat 6:00am – 3:00pm

386-497-1550 Breakfast & Lunch — We are a family owned and operated diner that offers a full breakfast menu all day and a variety of hot and cold sandwiches. We also offer a daily blue plate lunch special. Our sandwiches are made with Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, which we also sell by the pound, and our breakfast sausages are Nettle’s Sausage. Come by and check us out! We offer both dine-in and take-out services along with call ahead orders. Follow us on Facebook at Nanny’s Diner and Deli.

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SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL

352-372-5468

FOR RATES AND INFORMATION.

Tony & Al’s Restaurant & Bar 14960 Main Street, Alachua, Florida 32616 OPEN 7 DAYS Monday-Thursday 11:00am – 9:00pm Friday-Saturday 11:00am – 10:00pm Sunday 11:00am – 8:00pm

386-518-5552 Italian — Locally owned and operated, Tony & Al’s Deli provides the finest quality Italian entrees in a family friendly atmosphere. Whether it’s their delicious appetizers, pasta classics, specialty pizzas, salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers or prime rib, Tony & Al use only their freshest ingredients. One of their favorites is blackened Salmon Francesca with Orange Tiramisu for dessert. Their sauces, dressings and specialty desserts including cannolis and tiramisu are all handcrafted. They serve daily lunch and dinner specials. Tony and Al offer a full bar with happy hour from 5pm-7pm including $1.00 off all drafts, wine and well drinks.

Bev’s Burger Café 315 NE Santa Fe Blvd. • High Springs Monday - Saturday 7am-9pm Sunday: 11 - 2:30pm

386-454-9434 Casual — If you’re looking for fresh, homemade food in High Springs, look no further than Bev’s Burger Cafe. Known for the best burgers in town and fast, friendly service you’re sure to leave satisfied. Not in the mood for a burger? You may also want to try one of their BBQ dinner favorites such as sliced pork, smoked turkey, BBQ chicken, baby back ribs, and more. Stop on by with the kids on Monday nights for some magic & balloon animals with Magic Mike. Also, on Wednesday nights starting at 5pm sodas and their famous tea are only $1.00, and bottled beer only $1.50. Don’t forget Bev’s is open for breakfast, also, served from 7am to 10:45am. Come check out our newly renovated kitchen & dining room, and our new menu items including fried chicken!

Flying Biscuit Café 4150 NW 16th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32605 Located in the Fresh Market Center Monday-Friday 7:00am – 3:00pm • Saturday-Sunday 7:00am – 4:00pm

352-373-9500 www.flyingbiscuit.com Breakfast — The Flying Biscuit is out to reinvent breakfast in Gainesville! Maybe you’ve tried their soon-to-be-famous creamy, dreamy grits or their “moon dusted” breakfast potatoes, but did you know you can have them at anytime? With a unique open menu, all the items that appear are available throughout the day. With a variety of healthy and hearty dishes, The Flying Biscuit caters to a variety of tastes. With options ranging from the Smoked Salmon Scramble, the Bacon Cheddar Chicken Sandwich or the Tofu and Tater Salad, there’s something for everyone. Call us up to an hour before your expected arrival time to add your name to our call ahead seating list.

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Your local geico office presents THE INAUGU RAL BEN EFIT EVEN T FOR THE ALACH U A COU N T Y H U MAN E SO C I E T Y

november 10, 2016 woofstock2016.com

Get your tickets today!

Thursday, November 10th, 2016 | 6 PM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 PM The Barn at Rembert Farms in Alachua, Florida P R ES E N T E D B Y:

| NAYLOR ASSOCIATION SOLUTI UTIONS ONS | NEWB EWBERR ERRY YA ANIM NIMAL AL HOS HOSPITAL | ALTA SYSTEMS | WIND-FM | WUFT UFT-FM/TV BEACH BREAK SALON ON | BUSBY CABINETS | CAMPBELL SPELLICY ENGINEERING | CSI ACADEMY | DENISE MONGIARDO, REALTOR/BROKER ASSOCIATE | DOGG OGGIE STYLES GROOMING FARM BUREAU INSURANCE | GAIN INESV ESVILLE HEALTH & FITNESS | MELDON LAW | MIDTOWN JEWELRY & LOANS | GAINESVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT | GAINESVILLE SCENE/GAINESVILLE GRUB UB

For sponsorship information and further details, please call Margot DeConna at 352-415-2460. www.woofstock2016.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

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COMMU NIT Y C A LENDA R

N OV EM B ER/ D ECEM B ER 2016

Equal parts vintage and modern, The Hot Sardines put their own spin on jazz standards and holiday favorites at the Phillips Center.

GAINESVILLE PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB

HIGH SPRINGS FARMERS MARKET

Third Monday 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Thursdays 12:00pm – 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE - LifeSouth Community Blood Center, 4039 Newberry Rd. Meet, share photographs and improve your skills. Located in the rear conference room. gainesvillephotoclub.com.

HIGH SPRINGS - Downtown, 115 NE Railroad Ave. Find fresh peaches, blueberries, carrots and other produce all picked fresh from the garden.

SQUARE DANCE CLASS

GAINESVILLE HARMONY SHOW CHORUS

Tuesdays 6:15pm – 7:15pm

Thursdays 7:00pm – 9:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Westside Park Recreation Building, 1001 NW 34th St. The non-profit community organization teaches square dancing classes for singles, couples and families with children age 10 and up. $5 per class. 352-2831296. susiemoon@cox.netdance.

GAINESVILLE - Grace Presbyterian Church, 3146 NW 13th St. For all who are interested in learning and singing women’s Acapella barbershop harmony music. 352-318-1281.

LADIES GOLF ASSOCIATION Wednesdays 8:00am – 12:00pm

NEWBERRY - West End Golf Club, 12830 W. Newberry Rd. Join the women’s golf league.

The cost is $20 annually, $12 to walk or $18 to ride. 352-256-1917.

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POETRY JAM Thursdays 8:00pm – 11:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Civic Media Center, 433 S. Main St. Gainesville’s longest-running open poetry reading, every Thursday night since 1994. All styles of poetry, acoustic music and a cappella singing, spoken word, performance art and more!

Bring your friends for a night of artistic expression.

Hot Sardines

Friday, December 9

WIC FARMERS MARKET Fridays 10:00am – 2:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Alachua County Health Department, 224 SE 24th St. Through October, stop by and support local farmers and choose from a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

800-494-2543.

LADY GAMERS Fridays 1:00pm

HIGH SPRINGS - New Century Woman’s Club, 40 NW 1st Ave. The Lady Gamers meet for fun, friendship and food. Everyone is invited. Meet old friends and make some new ones.

ARTWALK GAINESVILLE Last Friday 7:00pm - 10:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Downtown. Artwalk is a free monthly self-guided tour that combines exciting visual art, live performance and events with many local galleries, eateries and businesses participating. www.artwalkgainesville.com.

ARTS MARKET Third Saturday 10:00am — 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Soma Art Media Hub LLC, 601 S. Main St. Visit the arts market in Gainesville and support innovative minds of all ages. Join them in connecting with local creatives during this monthly community event.

BREWERY YOGA Sundays 1:00pm – 2:00pm

GAINESVILLE - First Magnitude Brewery, 1220 SE Veitch St. Yoga in the warehouse. All experience levels welcome; suggested donation of $5. Visit fmbrewing.com/calendar.

MEDICAL MILESTONES: TRANSITIONS IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS November 1 – December 6 11:00am – 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Matheson History Museum, 513 E. University Ave. Exhibition runs to December 23 and examines Alachua County’s rich healthcare history. The event is free. 352-378-2280.

GAINESVILLE MASTER CHORALE Saturday, November 5 7:30pm

GAINESVILLE - First United Methodist Church, 419 NE 1st St. The 80-member Gainesville Master Chorale under the direction of Dr. Will Kesling will perform the world premiere of A Magdalene Requiem: In Search of Mercy, an original work by Gainesville Civic Chorus Composer in Residence, Joshua Mazur. Free admission.

HIDDEN SAYINGS November 1 - 6 6:00pm

GAINESVILLE - The Hippodrome, 25 SE 2nd Place. The Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards partner together to explore the core of an active and living culture. With the community, they will create evolving performances, lectures, and various encounters with a wide variety of communities across Gainesville.

Bikers on Parade Sunday, November 6

8:00am – 2:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Santa Fe College, 3000 NW 83 St. Charity ride that benefits American Hometown Vets. The starting lot at Santa Fe College opens at 8:00am. Prices start at $20. The ride ends at Gainesville Raceway with an after party of live music, BBQ, beer and raffles. bikersonparade.org.

planetarium show and view a moonscape in 3-D. Join the museum for this free, fun-filled night of astronomical proportions. 352-273-2062.

NEWBERRY FALL FESTIVAL Saturday, November 5 9:00am – 4:00pm

NEWBERRY - Downton, along Seaboard Drive.

Enjoy vendors, food & entertainment for the whole family.

CANE BOIL AND FIDDLE FEST Saturday, November 6 10:00am – 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Morningside Nature Center, 3450 E. University Ave. Experience the making and bottling of sugar cane syrup, biscuits hot from the wood cook stove, live roots music and more.

352-334-3326.

CANCER CONNECTIONS GAINESVILLE DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL & ART SHOW

Wednesday, November 9 12:00pm – 1:00pm

November 5 – 6 Times Vary

GAINESVILLE - HealthStreet, 2401 SW Archer Rd. Dr. David Tram will be speaking. Monthly meeting and networking opportunities for anyone involved in the care or treatment of cancer patients, or provides a service to them. Lunch provided for those who RSVP; $4 donation is requested. Barb Thomas: bnbbarb@aol.com or www.myhealthstreet.org.

GAINESVILLE - Downtown, 200 East University Ave. The streets of historic downtown, from City Hall to the Hippodrome State Theatre will be transformed into a celebration of art and creativity complete with live music, performing arts and a spectacular array of food. The festival goes on Saturday at 10:00am – 5:00pm and Sunday at 10:00am – 4:00pm.

DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

STARRY NIGHT

JAMES B. KING VETERAN’S DAY CONCERT

Wednesday, November 9 11:00am - 1:00pm

November 4 - 6 6:00pm – 10:00pm

Sunday, November 6 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Road. Observe the night sky and explore the world beyond through high-performance telescopes at the stars, see a portable

GAINESVILLE - First Presbyterian Church, 106 SW 3rd St. Concert by the Gainesville Community Band, directed by Professor R. Gary Langford.

Venue offering requested. www.gnvband.org.

GAINESVILLE - Wesley United Methodist Church, 826 NW 23rd Ave. Gainesville Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution meets on the second Wednesday of each month, October through May. gainesvilleDAR@gmail.com.

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VETERANS DAY CONCERT Friday, November 11 7:00pm

GAINESVILLE - University Auditorium, 333 Newell Drive. The Buchholz High School Bands, under the direction of conductor Shawn Barat, present their annual salute to local veterans.

Performances by the nationally renowned Buchholz Wind Symphony, Jazz Band, Aviance dance ensemble, and the Buchholz Choirs. The event is free. www.buchholzbands.com.

MEDICATIONS AND DEMENTIA Tuesday, November 15 3:30pm – 4:30pm

GAINESVILLE - The Village Tower Club Ballroom, 800 NW 27th Blvd. Pharmacist Andrea Koff from the Senior Healthcare Centers will explain the different types of dementia and review the medications that may improve symptoms. RSVP: 1-800-611-6913.

CARFIT VETERAN’S DAY SPECIAL Friday, November 11 9:00am – 5:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th Dr. Active or retired military get into the Gardens FREE on Veteran’s Day.

THE GAINESVILLE ORCHESTRA Friday, November 11 7:30pm.

GAINESVILLE - Santa Fe College Fine Arts Hall, 3000 NW 83rd St. Romp with Rossini; Bump with Beethoven. Featuring vocal virtuosity and favorite tunes from the Italian king of musical comedy and the German maestro of the symphony: The Barber of Seville, William Tell, Cenerentola, The Thieving Magpie, to name a few. www.GCOmusic.org.

Survivors of Suicide Candlelight Vigil Saturday, November 19 4:00pm - 6:45pm

GAINESVILLE - Cofrin Nature Park, 4810 NW 8th Ave. Join the 4th Annual Survivors of Suicide Candlelight Vigil which will be at the Survivors of Suicide Memory Garden. Activities will start at 4:00 p.m. with a ceremony beginning at 5:45pm. Free and open to the community. Refreshments provided.

Raggedyds@aol.com.

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Tuesday, November 15 9:00am – 2:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Senior Recreation Center, 5701 NW 34th St. The UF College of Public Health and Health Professions’ department of occupational therapy will offer CarFit, a free national program designed to help older drivers fit more comfortably and safely in their vehicles. Contact Angela Black at 352-273-6817; ablack888@phhp. ufl.edu to schedule an appointment.

PAINT SIP CREATE Thursday, November 17 5:30pm – 7:30pm

25TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL WORSHIP SERVICE

HIGH SPRINGS - Lanza Gallery, 23645 US Hwy 27.

Painting class for adults. Bring a bottle of wine, bring a friend, and be ready for a night of creativity and laughs. All supplies will be provided.

Local artists Robin Popp or Tina Corbett will show you step by step how to create a beautiful piece of artwork and you will go home with a finished canvas painting. $35 per person. Sign up by the Tuesday before each class. 352-474-9922.

Sunday, November 13 10:00am

GAINESVILLE BIG BAND

GAINESVILLE - Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, 9700 West Newberry Rd. Celebrate 25 years of God’s grace…yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Guest pastor will be the Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, the world’s longest-running Christian outreach radio program.

352-331-4409; www.abidingsavior.info.

GAINESVILLE - Market Street Pub, 112 SW 1st Ave. The Gainesville Big Band is a 17-piece jazz band that plays a wide range of big band styles such as traditional swing, dance, Latin, and contemporary jazz.

HOGTOWN HOMEGROWN’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

HOLIDAY EXPO & BAKE SALE FUNDRAISER

Sunday, November 13 5:00pm

November 19 – 20 10:00pm – 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Matheson History Museum, 513 E. University Ave. Home-cooked potluck, recipes auctioned off by Storm Roberts of WKTK, and keynote speakers Anna Prizzia of Forage Farm and Chef Bert Gill of Mildred’s, New Deal and Blue Gill. Tickets are $10 and only available online at www.eventbrite.com.

HIGH SPRINGS - New Century Woman’s Club, 23674 West U.S. Highway 27. Fundraiser offering beautiful and unique items to keep for yourself or to give as gifts. There will be frito pies and other food, with a chance drawing for the gift baskets at 3:00pm, Sunday. www.

GFWCHighSpringsNewCentury.com.

Friday, December 18 8:00pm

tis th

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The best holiday party ever! Plus a fashion show “from bedroom to ballroom” featuring DANB dancers and celebrity models.

SUGAR PLUM TEA DECEMBER 17 | 1 PM

A delightful experience to complete that perfect day.

MOMMY & ME DECEMBER 14TH | 5 PM

A special experience for that very special child.

ALL AT THE CURTIS M. PHILLIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. INFORMATION: 352-371-2986, DALIVE@BELLSOUTH.NET DANCEALIVE.ORG TICKETS: 352-392-2787 Photos Pho tos by: by: Ani Ani Collie Collierr & Colle Colleen en Ran Rand d

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HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING Saturday, December 3 6:00pm – 8:00pm

GAINESVILLE - The Historic Thomas Center, 302 NE 6th Ave. The heart of the celebration is the holiday decorations on the giant tree and around the building, which are annually provided by the Thomas Center Associates.

352-334-ARTS.

A SILENT AND LIVE AUCTION Saturday, December 3 8:00am

ALACHUA - Forest Grove Baptist Church, 22575 NW 94th Ave. Silent Auction begins at 8:00 a.m. and Live Auction starts at 1:00 p.m. Lunch will be available for purchase at noon. 386-462-3921.

HAILE HOMESTEAD HOLIDAYS Sunday, December 4 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Winter Holiday Concert Sunday, December 4

3:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Santa Fe College Fine Arts Hall (Bldg FA). Concert by the Gainesville Community Band, directed by Professor R. Gary Langford. $6 donation requested. www.gnvband.org.

FLORIDA MUSEUM SCHOOL HOLIDAY CAMPS November 21 - 22 8:00am – 5:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Rd. Children will explore invasive species on November 21 and plants on November 22.

Students must be enrolled in grades K-5 for the 2016-2017 school year. Drop-off for the morning and full-day session is 8:00am - 8:30am. A half-day session is $27 for members, $30 non-members. A full-day session is $45 for members, $50 non-members. Pre-registration is required. 352-273-2061.

ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS SHOW November 25 - December 18 Times Vary

GAINESVILLE - Hippodrome State Theatre, 25 SE 2nd Place. An irreverent yet heartwarming trip through the holidays, it’s festive, funny, physical and family fun. Tuesdays - Thursdays at 7:00pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 8:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm & 7:00pm.

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GAINESVILLE - The Historic Haile Homestead, 8500 SW Archer Rd. Stroll through the 1856 plantation home decked out in an array of traditional greenery and Victorian finery. Watch docents in Victorian costumes and see the Homestead’s famous Talking Walls. Enjoy live holiday music performed by young musicians.

Sip some hot cider as you browse a selection of home-baked goodies, and special holiday ornaments. 352-336-9096. hailedocent@yahoo.com

CIRQUE ITALIA

AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS

December 1 – 4 Times Vary

December 9 - 10 Times Very

GAINESVILLE - The Oaks Mall, 6419 Newberry Rd. Outside Macy’s in the rear parking lot near bus stop. Experience the magical world of Cirque Italia. The extraordinary stage holds 35,000 gallons of water and features a dynamic lid, which lifts 35 feet into the air. www.cirqueitalia.com. 941-704-8572.

GAINESVILLE - First United Methodist Church, 419 NE 1st St. The Gainesville Chamber Singers present Amahl and the Night Visitors. This one-act opera brings the meaning of the holiday season home for all. Through their encounters with the Three Kings and a magic star, shepherd boy Amahl and his mother learn how unselfish love and good deeds can work miracles. Join the cast after the performance in singing Christmas carols. Admission: $10 Adults $5 Children. www.

GCChorus.

WINTER WONDERLAND OF WATERFALLS December 1 – February 28 Times Vary

GAINESVILLE - The Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Rd. View spectacular colored lights in the waterfalls of the Butterfly Rainforest. Daily butterfly releases are held at 2:00pm with additional weekend releases at 3:00pm and 4:00pm, weather permitting.

352-846-2000.

HOT SARDINES Friday, December 9 7:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Rd. Only in the movies could a NYC-bred actor and a Parisian-born writer cross paths at an open jam session above a Manhattan noodle shop. From there, bandleader Evan “Bibs” Palazzo and lead singer

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Mizz Elizabeth put together The Hot Sardines.

Backed by Palazzo on the piano and a group of supremely gifted musicians, Mizz Elizabeth’s vocals remind you of the jazz divas of the 1920s, 30s and 40s. She’s more than just a pretty face, however. She’s able to dish it up with the boys and then deliver a love song sad enough to melt even the hardest of hearts.

Exuding a vibe that is equal parts vintage and modern, The Hot Sardines put their own spin on jazz standards and holiday favorites.

You’ll like this show if you like jazz or holiday music. A fun, upbeat way to end the week. performingarts.ufl.edu

CANDLELIGHT VISITS Friday, December 9 6:00pm - 9:00pm

GAINESVILLE - The Historic Haile Homestead, 8500 SW Archer Rd. See the old Homestead, decked out for the holidays and aglow with candlelight and soft lights. Docents in costume top off the stunning beauty of the 1856 plantation home. $10 donation per person at the door, children under 12 enter free. $7 in advance, order online via PayPal at www.hailehomestead. org. 352-336-9096.

STOP CHILDREN’S CANCER BENEFIT CONCERT Sunday, December 11 4:00pm

GAINESVILLE - Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 3201 Hull Rd. A wonderful holiday concert featuring area youth choral and orchestra groups. The tradition continues under the direction of Professor Gary Langford, Conductor for the Alachua County Youth Orchestra.

HOLIDAY RECITAL Monday, December 12 6:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Celebration United Methodist Church, 9501 SW Archer Rd. Concert by the Celebration Suzuki Strings and Celebration String Orchestra. Admission is Free.

MUSICA VERA CONSORT Tuesday, December 13 7:30pm

GAINESVILLE - Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4225 NW 34th St. Performance featuring an ensemble made up of UF students and local residents. It specializes in the music of the Renaissance and Baroque. They perform upon historical reproductions of the instruments from those time periods.

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Downtown Countdown Saturday, December 31

9:00pm – 12:30am

GAINESVILLE - Bo Diddley Plaza, 111 E. University Ave. Downtown Gainesville rocks in the New Year with live music. There will be a countdown to midnight, along with the sounds of noisemakers, taking place at the newly renovated Bo Diddley Community Plaza.

This event is free. 352-334-ARTS.

VOICES RISING COMMUNITY CHORUS

NEWBERRY CHRISTMAS PARADE

Friday, December 16 7:30pm

Saturday, December 17 5:00PM – 7:00pm

GAINESVILLE - First United Methodist Church, 419 NE 1st St. Voices Rising Community Chorus will present “Winter Holidays in Song” featuring music for Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, and the New Year. Suggested donation is $5 to $20, or give what you can. www. vrccgainesville.org.

NEWBERRY - Downtown. All ages are welcome.

Parade will come out onto Newberry Rd and 253rd Street behind Walker’s Produce. The event is free.

NUTCRACKER

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Rd. Dance Alive National Ballet presents a holiday party with dancing, dining and a memorable fashion show to make this truly an affair to remember. 352-392-2787.

December 16 - 18 Times Vary

GAINESVILLE - Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Rd. The Dance Alive National Ballet presents an international roster of award-winning dancers performing a holiday classic. 7:30pm Friday and 2:00pm on Saturday and Sunday. 352-392-2787.

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BAND B BA ND REVIEW

BRIAN “KRASH” KRUGER’S

Gate Crashing ON DECK FOR REVIEW: THE DOZENAIRES, TRISTAN HARVEY BRIAN KRUGER IS A WRITER, MUSICIAN AND A GRADUATE OF THE UF COLLEGE OF LAW. HE HAS PLAYED IN SOME 17 OR SO LOCAL BANDS, PLAYING MOST EVERY GAINESVILLE VENUE FRIENDLY TO ORIGINAL MUSIC (AND SOME NOT SO FRIENDLY). bkrashpad@yahoo.com

DATE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016 VENUE: FIRST MAGNITUDE BREWING

G

reetings, live music aficionados! This installment finds us just south of downtown Gainesville, at First Magnitude Brewing Company.

This was the first time I had seen a show at First Magnitude.

If you’re familiar with downtown Gainesville, First Magnitude Brewing Company is located at 1220 Southeast Veitch Street, a block or so east of South Main Street. If you need some cultural landmarks to envision the location, think of First Magnitude as being south of the newly renovated Depot Park on Depot Avenue, and north of The Doris Bardon Community Cultural Center at 1315 South Main.

This hot late summer afternoon was a day-long (2:00 8:00 p.m.) event entitled the “WGOT Back to School Benefit,”

The Dozenaires

Tristan Harvey

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featuring a big bill: “Damaged Daughters, Letters, The Dozenaires, and Tristan Harvey doing an acoustic set.” WGOT, one of the Civic Media Center’s local projects, is a low-power radio station.

Gainesville has a history of low-power radio, and in the ‘90s was home to the pirate station Free Radio Gainesville, eventually shut down by the Feds. WGOT applied for an FCC license way back in 2001 and was not finally approved to broadcast until 2008! Also, regulations required that WGOT originally share its 94.7 FM slot with two local churches, which broadcast at different times. Proceeds from the Back to School event were earmarked to help WGOT get its new studio up and running by January, 2017, when WGOT-FM Gainesville plans on becoming a full-frequency FM station serving Gainesville and surrounding Alachua County.

First Magnitude’s history as a fixture in Gainesville is considerably shorter than WGOT’s. Just the weekend prior to this event, First Magnitude celebrated its second anniversary. I am no beer connoisseur (despite what you may’ve heard), but the company appears to have a wide selection of ales, from the currently vogueish India Pale Ale, to a darker mild ale, to a blonde, plus a batch of seasonal … well, batches. I am not a hophead as seems to be the rage of late, so I cannot speak to the IPA, but can say that the darker “Drift” mild ale is excellent.

Entry to First Magnitude is through a large industrial-size rolling door into the brewing room full of giant vats, pipes and bins. Just off to the right, along the north side of the building, is a tasting room/brewpub with tables and seating, and sports on televisions, just like a traditional pub not located in a microbrewery. (As with some other local establishments, games are available too.) Given the late afternoon heat, this was a popular location on the premises, but not our target final destination.

Along the north side of the building, doors lead out to a big fenced yard, which is where the musical performance was. It even has a mini-playground for kids!

Given the heat and my health of late, we decided to catch just the latter half of the bill, and the Dozenaires were the penultimate band, so the first one we saw. This local group was formerly known as Parcel of Rogues, which, it turned out, was also the name of a band from Limerick, Ireland. (Which is not to imply PHOTOGRAPHY: BRIAN KRUGER

that I actually have any direct knowledge of those Irishmen, nor that they necessarily had anything to do with the name change.)

But at any rate the Dozenaires predecessor band dates to at least since 2012, and contains some musos who go back considerably further on the local scene.

This local quintet (playing today as a quartet without a bassist) includes Joshua Lederman on mandolin, Fred Buhl on violin, Artutro Escamilla Sastre on percussion, guitarist Joel Swan, and bassist Eric Liebner.

These are acoustic instruments, with the percussionist playing a cajon and congas, and the guitarist playing what appeared to be a medieval-looking Giannini Craviola acoustic-electric. The Dozenaires describe themselves as a “World Music/Irish/Gypsy Jazz/ Latin/Swing band” although condensed presentations clip that down to just the first two genres. In the past I have seen them (as Parcel of Rogues) do sets with a heavy concentration on Celtic music but for this set they effortlessly plowed through more of the other genres. I definitely heard string swing combo music that sounded 1920s-‘30s, the ‘60s pop/novelty standard “Battle of New Orleans,” Gypsy Jazz, and even “Bei Mir Bistu Shein” (sometimes translated from the Yiddish into German as “Bei mir bist du schön”), made popular by the Andrews Sisters and others.

Closing the festivities was an acoustic set by local Tristan Harvey, often billed as Tristan James Harvey. He is one of those maddeningly talented multi-instrumentalists (at a minimum, guitar, bass and percussion) who refuses to be pigeonholed. (My band played with his hip-hop duo, Harvey & Whistle, at a different WGOT benefit earlier this year.) For this performance he sang with just an acoustic guitar. The eclectic set included Norah Jones’ “Man of the Hour,” an Avery Brothers (a gospel/country duo infamous for their “Satan Is Real!” album cover) song, a Beatles medley including bits of “She Came in Through The Bathroom Window” and “In My Life,” “Little Boxes” popularized

by Pete Seeger, and an original from Mr. Harvey’s album “ElephantIntheRoom” (yes, all one word).

Good beer, good cause, good music, what more could you want?

Now, go see some bands.

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TRAVEL >> COSTA RICA

LET’S GO LOCO!

Travelogue:

Costa Rica Zip-lines, Kayaks, Rafting – Oh My! S T O R Y A N D P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y C R Y S TA L H E N R Y

N

o sooner had my in-laws uttered the words, “We’d like to keep the kids for a week this summer,” than I fired off a text to my husband asking “Where are we going?” It wasn’t a question of “if.” It was a question of “where.”

We toyed with the idea of lying on the beach at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, but we’d been to Mexico plenty on cruise ships. My husband wanted to try something new, so he suggested flying to the lush tropics of Costa Rica.

He had me at beach, so I immediately agreed, however the word Zika kept creeping up in my news sources. I started to get a little worried that we’d come back with a gift that kept on giving, but my husband assured me that Zika was only a problem if I was pregnant. And if I was pregnant we had bigger fish to fry. So I let it go and started looking

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for a bathing suit I could squeeze into.

I think what surprised me the most was how cheap this trip was going to be. We found direct flights to San Jose for less than $300 per person, and our hotel would be free since he had enough Marriott points from all his work travel. We’d just have to pay for our food and excursions, which ended up being about $800 total.

The three pieces of advice we’d read about visiting Costa Rica were that driving was hectic, everyone speaks English and cell phone data SIM cards are abundant. The three pieces of advice I’d give anyone going to Costa Rica: 1) Driving is easy, and a rental car is a must. 2) Some people speak English, but many do not. So learning at least some Spanish is at the very least polite to the people of the country you are visiting. I downloaded a Spanish app, and used that bad boy constantly. 3) Finding cell phone data SIM cards was the most difficult part of our trip.

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TRAVEL >> COSTA RICA

The sleepy beach town of Jaco is located just a short drive from the Los Suenos resort. Here visitors can indulge in local favorites such as a hearty breakfast of gallo pinto, a traditional protein packed dish served with eggs, meat, beans, rice and tortillas.

We touched down in San Jose around 11 p.m., and we made a straight dash for the SIM card machine only to discover that it was locked up inside of a vending kiosk. But again, we were told they were everywhere, so we grabbed our bags and called for the rental car shuttle. We were delighted to find that the shuttle had wifi, so we quickly logged on and looked up directions to our hotel. It was an hour and a half away from the airport, and with no cell phone data we had no way of using our phone as a GPS. Instead we tried to take screenshots of the map as best we 120 |

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could on the short drive to the rental car lot.

The rental car attendant was less than helpful with directions to either a store with SIM cards or our hotel, but very eager to rent us a GPS for a nominal fee. We decided to chance it with our screenshots, and it was just fine.

The road signs are similar to ours, and the pictures are descriptive enough to decipher what we were doing. Again, a basic understanding of Spanish helps, as well. The most difficult part of driving was the toll booths. They accept U.S. dollars, but

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My basic Spanish numbers really only go up to 100, and their prices are listed in the hundreds of thousands. So it was a little difficult to understand how much we owed in colones, then to convert that amount into U.S. dollars without knowing the currency rate of exchange. But we figured it out fairly well after the first booth, so we survived.

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In English, Suenos means “dreams” and the views from the Los Suenos Marriott hotel are nothing less than dreamy.

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We rolled up to the Los Suenos Marriott well after midnight. It was listed as a resort and spa, but I had no idea how insanely beautiful it would be. I couldn’t believe this place was typically less than $150 per night. The entire lobby is an expansive open-air cabana complete with a local man rolling cigars for his humidor. We checked in and collapsed into blissful slumber. I never sleep as hard as I do the first night of a vacation.

We woke up the next morning to the sound of wild scarlet macaws outside our window. And we surveyed the property looking out to the crashing waves on the beach.

Day one we didn’t plan any excursions, so our first order of business was to try and find a SIM card. We took the car into Jaco, pronounced ha-co, which is a little beach town just 10 minutes down the road. But again, without a car we’d have been basically limited to the hotel property. And we needed the SIM card to help us get around the area.

After what seemed like hours of Easter egg hunting, I went into a store that looked like a Rent-A-Center and, in very broken, probably offensive Spanish, I asked where we could find a SIM card. Oddly enough, this place, full of couches and appliances, sold and activated SIM cards right there.

Lady luck shone down.

Next we grabbed a traditional Costa Rican breakfast at a little place around the corner, called Soda Jaco Rustico, that served Gallo Pinto. Gallo Pinto is a Tican dish that consists of rice, beans, eggs and typically some sort of meat. I got carne guisada, and Soda Rustica did not disappoint. The “sodas” are the best places to eat in Costa Rica. A soda is basically a cafe, and they serve plates around $5 or $6, cafeteria style. If you don’t speak Spanish you can often just point to what you want and they’ll plate it up for you.

After breakfast we went back to the room to grab the sunscreen and bug spray, and headed out to the Costa Rican rainforest.

Day 1 Rainforest Hike The rainforest was teeming with wildlife. Iguanas and poison dart frogs were

TRAVEL >> COSTA RICA

everywhere. But perhaps the coolest animals we saw were the cutter ants carrying giant leaves on their backs throughout the forest.

The paths were clearly cut and marked, so it made for a nice easy hike. The heat was oppressive, but no more so than a summer day in Florida. We went in June during the rainy season, which is the lush, green, and very wet time of year. People warned against going during this season because they get rain every day. But Floridians wouldn’t bat an eye, because it’s the same type of predictable afternoon shower we get all summer long as well.

Day 2 Ziplining After trekking paths on the ground, we took to the skies. Day two was spent soaring via zipline through the rainforest canopy.

We zoomed upside down and right side up taking in breathtaking views of Costa Rica from above. A woman in her 70s was ready and raring to go, but halfway through the adventure I heard her cursing her guide.

She wasn’t as prepared for the physical aspect of ziplining as she thought. I’ve been ziplining in Brazil, and I can say the lines in Costa Rica were much longer between platforms and the views were much more impressive.

Day 3 Kayak Fishing We paddled out to sea on day three in search of food and adventure. It was exciting fighting my way past the waves that tried to crash me back onto the shore. We fished along the cliff lines with lures while our guides fished for live bait. And although we didn’t land a fish all day, just paddling along eating fresh watermelon and pineapple in

my kayak was one of the highlights of our trip. And after a barracuda snapped my line, I figured fruit was about all I felt like pulling into my kayak in the first place.

Day 4 Whitewater Rafting I was totally new to the world of rafting, but it wasn’t my husband’s first rodeo. So when the guide asked if we wanted to take it easy or let it rip, he answered, “Let’s go loco!” much faster than I could say the word “newbie.” We

were the only ones who booked that time slot, so we had our own private whitewater rafting adventure for less than $100 per person. It included a traditional Costa Rican lunch of chicken and rice, which paired quite nicely with the 400 gallons of river water I ingested while “surfing” the rapids.

This was, by far, my most favorite excursion, and a perfect finish to one of the best, most action packed, vacations I’ve been on in my life.

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FAITH >> UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP

UNIVERSAL

Open Minds Gainesville Organization Uses Differences to Create Unity W RIT TE N BY C A MERON COBB

T

he Rev. Dr. Maureen Killoran said she remembers the exact, defining moment when she knew she needed to steer her life toward the direction of ministry. She was in her early 30s at the time, no college degree or concrete knowledge of ministry, and overcoming the challenges from a recent divorce. Within this time of uncertainty, she was maintaining an active role in a small, primarily member-led Unitarian Universalist congregation in Toronto, Canada. When she and other members were informed that a deeply loved young woman in the congregation committed suicide, the swift yet undoubtedly compassionate actions of individuals from that organization more than just inspired Killoran — they initiated paving the path of her future.

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“When I saw how that congregation came together, trying to wrestle with the grief, wrestle with the shock, and how we united and planned a memorial service, I said ‘I want to give my life to working in that institution,’” Killoran said. “I said those precise words.”

Tucked within the familiar Florida landscape of thriving, thick greenery, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville (UUFG) is a place where staff, church members, and visitors strive to exercise the same kind of compassion and care displayed in Killoran’s story. These individuals are not just focusing on bettering the congregation, but the community, the country, and the entirety of the world as well. Located at 4225 NW 34th St. in Gainesville, this is the city’s only Unitarian Universalist congregation, Killoran said.

PHOTOGRAPHY: UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF GAINESVILLE

Rev. Dr. Maureen Killoran delivers a sermon during the annual Flower Ceremony, which celebrates beauty, human uniqueness, diversity and community. Each attendee brings a flower, which is then placed in a shared vase on the altar.

After theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been blessed, they are redistributed, with everyone taking home a different flower.

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UUFG’s main service room, featuring Director of Music Tony Canty leading the congregation in song with Thomas Royal on piano.

“Unitarian Universalism is a one-faith community; faith for us is not a concrete set of beliefs,” said Killoran, the current minister for the UUFG. “The faith is believing that, regardless of what our personal theological or atheological beliefs are, we can all work together on our values to nurture our spirits and help heal the world.”

According to uufg.org, Unitarian Universalists believe that it is the right of each person to provide his or her own authority when it comes to individual spirituality. Insight for each person’s beliefs may stem from outside sources, such as a book, person or institution, but personal experience, conscience and reason should make up the foundation.

Unitarian Universalism promotes diversity, equity, compassion and justice.

Although there may not be a setin-stone doctrine, congregations and members still have a set of seven principles that need to be practiced and upheld, Killoran said. These act as a grounding of ethics and values.

“In any Unitarian Universalist community, you will have atheists, you will have agnostics, Naturalists, Humanists, Wiccans, Buddhists, Hindus, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christians … and maintaining a broad umbrella of diversity is a key part to what I believe Unitarian Universalism is all about and what I’ve given my life to,” Killoran said.

With holidays coming up, the variety of different beliefs provides a collection of traditional celebrations. For Thanksgiving, the UUFG is planning an intergenerational service on the prior Sunday, and there often is a volunteer-led dinner for the whole congregation on Thanksgiving Day, Killoran said. The church

prepares a Christmas Eve service, but does so without affirming the birth of Jesus as the lord and savior in order to respect those who don’t, Killoran said. Hanukkah and the High Holy Days are usually acknowledged as well.

Killoran said the process of becoming a minister is lengthy, challenging, and ultimately not guaranteed. She said to become a minister, she first needed to have at least one graduate degree (though she ended up obtaining three). On top of a college education, aspiring ministers have to go through chaplaincy and congregation training, interning for a minister, interviewing with the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Ministerial Fellowship Committee, and a 3- to 5-year assessment period where they are evaluated annually.

“You can spend so many years training, and they can deny you ministry,” Killoran said.

With over 45 years as a Unitarian Universalist, in September, Killoran celebrated 30 years of ministry. “[Killoran] has always been there for me, and I’ve even sat with her one-on-one a couple of times,” said Amy Dyal, a worship associate for the church. “She’s a wonderful, supportive, wise woman.”

Dyal, who’s been a member since December, said the UUFG was her introduction to Unitarian Universalism. While attempting to work through a difficult time in her life, she decided to visit the congregation.

“When I first came into this church and saw all of those religious symbols up there above the stage; that was what really just made me feel like at home,” Dyal said.

Growing up Baptist-raised, Dyal said she felt as if she was

“Unitarian Universalism strongly believes in marriage equality and the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY: CAMERON COBB, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF GAINESVILLE

having to cherry-pick her way through the Bible, which wasn’t something she was comfortable doing.

“With the UUFG, I can take the different aspects of each religion that I really love and believe in and that I find vital to who I am as a person and really implement those into my being and into my spirituality,” Dyal said.

“I can be my own person with that, and the people here totally get that.”

But not everyone seems to grasp the concept of making individualized religious conclusions while still maintaining a stable foundation. She said because of the UUFG’s freedom of encouraging people to explore their own spirituality without a specific doctrine to abide by, she is frequently asked what’s the point of even going to church.

“The point is that you’re accountable to your values, and you’re faithful to what you believe and what you think is the right way to live,” Dyal said. “This church supports you in that endeavor and in all endeavors that you face during your life, and it doesn’t matter what your religion is or what your spirituality is — you’re welcome here.”

On top of providing adults with the opportunities to work together with members of all different backgrounds and cultures, the UUFG provides children and youth members the chance to establish a foundation and gain a wide range of knowledge early on in life through the Religious Education Program, said Nicole Alemanne, life-long Unitarian Universalist and the director of religious education for the congregation.

“We are not just saying ‘here are the things you have to learn’ and then providing some sort of reward for completion of that task,” Alemanne said. “This program supports youth in their own search to grow spiritually in whatever way that means to them.”

The aim is for Alemanne and volunteer teachers to collaborate and teach children about Unitarian Universalism and other spiritualities so they are able to start exploring for themselves.

“An organization of this sort can only run on the enthusiasm of volunteers,” Alemanne said. “We really treasure what they’re bringing to the program.”

One Unitarian Universalist has been a crucial asset to not just the fight for equality, but strengthening how the community

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approaches and handles diversity.

George Aaron Broadwell said he has been a member of the Gainesville congregation for a year and a Unitarian Universalist for 24 total.

Before he and his husband moved to Gainesville, Broadwell said the two lived in Saratoga Springs, New York, and were members of a congregation there. Prior to same-sex marriage being legalized nationally, Broadwell said he diligently fought alongside other members for marriage equality. He said for months they lobbied state legislatures, wrote letters to the local state senator, invited speakers to the congregation and generally mobilized support for marriage equality.

“Unitarian Universalism strongly believes in marriage equality and the inherent worth and dignity of every person,” Broadwell said, “so we really felt that discrimination of gay and lesbian people in terms of marriage was contrary to our values.”

Broadwell said his and the other members’ hard work and unfailing perseverance finally paid off, as it contributed to the victory of same-sex marriage equality for New York.

Broadwell said the UUFG not only participates in supporting gender equality, but also an assortment of other movements, aiming to benefit both the community and world. The UUFG gets involved with local racial justice issues and how to combat racism, helping out with Habitat for Humanity, and environmental conservation and preservation. The UUFG and a handful of other churches in the area have partnered together for a project that provides resources and shelter to homeless members in the community.

Though members’ beliefs may differ from person to person, Broadwell stressed the importance of not labeling these as disparities and instead as opportunities to collaborate on ideas that improve and advance society.

“We don’t try and focus on these individual beliefs as something that divides us, but we focus on the things that unite us,” Broadwell said. “The thing that unites us really is our belief about making the world a better place.”

RUFF RIDERS COMPANIONS >> ROAD TRIP WITH YOUR PET

A HELPFUL GUIDE ON TRAVELING WITH YOUR FURRY FAMILY

The Pawfect Road Trip S T O R Y A N D P H O T OG R A P H Y B Y H AY L I Z U CCO L A

A pile of travel books flagged with sticky notes, state maps scribbled with highlighter marks, and stacks of camping books can only mean one thing — it’s time for a road trip.

Whether you’re planning a trip across the country or a weekend getaway to visit family for the holidays, if you’re anything like me, you can’t hit the road without a few four-legged friends riding shotgun.

I’ve never been good at making decisions, especially when it comes to the whole “cats vs. dogs” debate, so if you’re planning

a trip with Milo or Otis it’s OK because lucky for you I have one of each.

Dozer, my bichon poo mix, is probably the most high-maintenance dog in the world, especially when he’s in a vehicle. If it’s comfortable for him, he’ll rest his paws on the steering wheel while simultaneously beeping the horn (sorry pedestrian crossing the street, it’s not my fault — my dog is just rude).

If he feels like getting some fresh air he’ll do the Snoopy dance until the window is rolled down, and if this isn’t done quickly enough, he will fog the window with nose prints.

His latest diva-esque tirade is smacking the water bottle in the front seat to express that he’s thirsty. Besides being physically demanding, Dozer also suffers from severe separation anxiety.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a trip to Massachusetts or a five-minute drive to the post office, the second my or my mom’s hand touches the doorknob his Tootsie Roll eyes cartoonishly grow three sizes and fill with water. The only thing that could make NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

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If your cat wants to sleep on the dashboard, line it with a non-stick rubber mat to prevent sliding.

wants to do is bask in the sun, eat and sleep. Although he spends 90 percent of road trips lounging on the dashboard or trying to break into his treat box, the other 10 percent of the time he wants to get outside or find some way to cause trouble.

Whatever spectrum your pet’s personality falls into, if I can survive a three-week trip across the United States with these two, you can certainly have a pawfect experience with your furry family using these helpful tips.

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OPEN TUESDAY - SATURDAY 11:00am-7:00pm It’s also important to note that animals will get very antsy after riding in the car this situation any more depressing is if a Sarah McLachlan song started playing in the background. With a sigh of, “fine, you can come,” this melancholy scene suddenly turns to sunshine and daisies — at least that’s what I imagine is happening in his mind.

My cat, on the other hand, is far more relaxed. Fat Louie, an orange tabby, is pretty much the epitome of Garfield. All he

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COMPANIONS >> ROAD TRIP WITH YOUR PET

Dozer has gotten to explore everywhere from the Cathedral of San Fernando in San Antonio to the edges of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Wherever your adventures take you, don’t forget to bring a friend — even the furry kind.

so pack some of their favorite toys and treats.

Bringing a leash for a dog is pretty straightforward, but if you have a cat consider bringing along a harness and a leash. Believe it or not, some cats — including mine — don’t mind walking with a harness, and it comes in handy when they’re eager to get outside.

It’s also a good idea to bring some pet wipes just in case your pet decides to jump in puddles, stick their paws in mud, or get into who knows what else — and trust me they will. For cat owners, if your little feline is notorious for trying to sneak out of the house when you aren’t looking, don’t forget to take a carrier if you’re worried about them making a run for it.

Driving can be exhausting for both you and your pet, so you’ll want to stop every few hours to take your dog for a walk, give your cat a snack or just stretch your paws, I mean legs. A great resource to use on your vacation is bringfido. com. It comes in handy when you want to stop for lunch or find a place to take a break. This site tells you which nearby stores, restaurants and even hotels are pet friendly. You never want to leave your animals in the car alone, unless you have a camper or can leave the air conditioning on without locking yourself out, so finding petfriendly locations is a necessity.

If you’re a fan of the great outdoors, it’s good to note that many state and national parks are pet friendly. You can have a picnic or go for a hike with your dog at most locations — just be sure to ask which trails they can join you on. Bring along a portable water bowl and ask a ranger if there are plants your pet should avoid. Just know that inviting your dog to explore a brand new location is like taking him or her to Disney World, so be prepared to stop and smell the grass.

If you know you’re going to a higher elevation keep in mind that if the high altitude bothers you it will also bother your pet. Most GPS systems allow you to check your current elevation and many places on the west coast continuously update the height as you drive. According to PetMD, if you notice your pet suffering from altitude sickness, give them plenty of water, decrease their activity and slowly lower your elevation if possible.

Although bringing pets on your travels can be a bit challenging, it’s definitely worth it. My pets have had the opportunity to visit over 30 states, and those memories of bringing them to see the Grand Canyon, the Alamo, and as far west as Yellowstone, far outweigh whatever trouble they seem to get into along the way.

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COLUMN

KENDRA SILER-MARSIGLIO’S

Healthy Edge ARE YOUR KIDS AT RISK FOR DRUG OR ALCOHOL ADDICTION? KENDRA SILER-MARSIGLIO, PH.D, HCC IS A NEUROSCIENTIST, MEDICAL WRITER, COLUMNIST AND PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITYHEALTH IT AT NASA/KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. kendra.sm@gmail.com

WHY DO SOME CHILDREN FALL INTO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL WHILE OTHERS — EVEN IF THEY EXPERIMENT WITH DRUGS — DON’T GET HOOKED?

H

elp your kids steer clear of drugs and alcohol by learning more about the risky telltale traits below.

Remember Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign? Although it was catchy, studies show that it had little effect on drug use by children who engaged in risky behavior.

A new and seemingly effective anti-drug program in Canada and Europe recognizes that many teenagers who try alcohol, cocaine, opioids, or methamphetamine don’t actually become addicted. The program hones in on the traits of the types of teenagers who get hooked on drugs.

The new program, called Preventure, is being studied at the University of Montreal. Evaluations of the program indicate that teenagers’ different characteristics and temperaments create different pathways to addiction.

University of Montreal professor of psychiatry Patricia Conrod is showing that, 90 percent of the time, children who would have the highest addiction risk can be identified before they become frequent drug or alcohol users — if you know what to look for.

The four traits that make kids susceptible to drug use are: • Sensation-seeking behavior • Impulsiveness • Anxiety sensitivity • Hopelessness The above traits lead to addiction for different reasons. For instance, a child who does drugs and feels hopeless does so for different reasons than one who does drugs and feels anxious physically.

Three of the four traits are behavioral health issue precursors.

Hopelessness can cause people to slip into depression, while anxiety sensitivity can lead to panic disorder. Impulsiveness is linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Sensation-seeking behavior is the trait least associated with

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a behavioral health diagnosis. However, kids who are drawn to risk and danger are more likely to do drugs.

Here’s how Preventure works: At the beginning of the school year, middle schoolers take a personality test to help identify who may be at risk. Students are then invited to personal development workshops where they learn cognitive behavioral techniques to address specific emotional and behavioral problems.

Teachers run the workshops after they undergo a three-day training that includes therapy techniques proven to tackle traits that lead to behavioral issues.

The Preventure Program is not presented as an “anti-drug” program, and students aren’t told that they have specific traits.

The personality tests are simply used for triaging students to the proper cognitive behavioral workshops.

So far, Preventure has been tested in eight randomized trials in Britain, Australia, the Netherlands and Canada. These trials show that giving children the tools to deal with their emotional and behavioral problems reduces frequent drug and alcohol use.

For instance, a 2013 “JAMA Psychiatry” randomized study with over 2,600 13- and 14-year-olds in 21 British schools showed that Preventure cut overall drinking in select schools by 29 percent amongst all kids (i.e., kids who went to the workshops PLUS kids who did not). Dr. Conrod believes that the drop in overall school kid drinking was attributed to less peer pressure from “high-risk” kids.

Among the high-risk kids who attended workshops, binge drinking fell by 43 percent. Dr. Conrod asserts that Preventure helps high-risk kids because it teaches them how to cope with their emotional and behavioral issues. Also, trained teachers are better able to help high-risk kids to have a stronger connection with their schools.

Even though the Preventure intervention isn’t being used here yet, you can help your children have a better social experience and avoid alcohol and drug abuse by keeping a watchful eye out for the four risky traits.

If you think you’re child has any of the traits or a behavioral issue, get help — even short-term help can be valuable.

Area therapists for children and adolescents are listed on the Psychology Today website at: therapists.psychologytoday.com.

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SUSTAINABILITY >> SWALLOWTAIL FARM

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

Home Grown Swallowtail Farm Hopes To Educate Community About Local Food W RIT TE N BY MEG H A N M A NG RUM P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y K R I S T I N KOZ E L S K Y

M

any people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think about where their food comes from; they might visit the grocery store and assume the lush varieties are always available year round and depend on this assumption when planning their diets.

Swallowtail Farm in Alachua seeks to change that perception and educate the community about locally grown food.

Swallowtail Farm, a self-described biodynamic farm, has been committed to sustainable, locally grown food for eight seasons now. Founded

by Noah Shitama it runs on a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) model and hosts events open to the public such as farm-to-table dinners and seasonal festivals. This month, the farm will be open for its annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Nov. 12.

Swallowtail holds a festival each year in November and April, and had more than 1,300 attendees at its recent spring festival.

This fallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival celebrates the fall harvest and shows off all that the farm has to offer to the community.

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Swallowtail Farm has been committed to sustainable, locally grown food for eight seasons now.

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Though Swallowtail provides various produce for several local restaurants, such as One Love Café and The Top, Shitama thinks there is room to grow.

Swallowtail offers seasonal on-site farm-to-table dinners featuring a unique menu prepared by a local chef and ingredients grown right there on the farm.

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“Ultimately we want to share the farm with the community and show how food is grown and how animals are raised,” said Swallowtail farmer Mariana Riehm.

The festival will feature a variety of workshops, which change from year to year. This year, visitors will have the opportunity to learn new skills such as blacksmithing, printmaking, pottery and creating flower crowns. A workshop celebrating the Earth and “sacred spaces” led by Frances Aion of Sacred Feminine Art in Gainesville will be featured. There will also be a yoga workshop.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Musical acts such as Wax Wings and the popular Gainesville band, Flat Land, will perform. Flat Land, a funk fusion band, played at Swallowtail’s very first festival.

The most important part of the festival for Swallowtail’s farmers is growing community awareness of locally sourced food and increasing community support.

The farm has grown from over 35 CSA families, people who buy shares that financially support the farm and receive a share of the harvest, to over 200.

“Our area is receptive. We have wonderful

support,” said founder Noah Shitama.

Shitama, who first began gardening and then dreamed of opening a farm, said North Central Florida is a “hotspot” for local farms, but the area still has a ways to go.

Though Swallowtail provides various produce for several local restaurants, such as One Love Café and The Top, Shitama thinks there is room to grow and hopes that Gainesville will eventually see a restaurant that builds its menu based on local harvest seasons.

Rhiem has also noticed the growth of locally supported food in the area.

“When I first started farming there was one CSA in the Gainesville area,” Rhiem said. “Consumers are wanting local food.

It’s becoming trendy … but I hope it is not trendy and it is rooted in something … what we’re doing I still think is a drop in the bucket.”

Swallowtail also hosts farm-to-table dinners every month of the growing seasons, from October to June, which brings attendees to the farm for a four-course meal prepared by area chefs. From veggie rolls to pork dishes, they partner with a variety of chefs to create a menu based on the crops that are available that month.

At press time, the farm was scheduled to host its first dinner of the season in October, featuring local chef Justin Langer. This farm-to-table dinner might also be the first to feature beef.

This year, with the arrival of the first calf of the season in September, Swallowtail will continue providing fresh milk, cheeses and yogurts through the Swallowtail Creamery. The farm’s herd of six milk cows and baby Beatrice join over 200 laying chickens, a herd of sheep and pigs on the farm.

Farm personnel attend farmer’s markets in the area including Wednesday’s Union Street market and Haile Plantation’s Saturday market. This year, Haile Plantation is holding a fall festival on the same Saturday as Swallowtail.

The farm used to participate in the University of Florida’s CSA program, and though it no longer delivers produce to campus, it offers a student price for shares.

Rhiem also grows flowers to be sold locally for events such as weddings.

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MUSIC >> BRIDGET KELLY BAND

LADY SINGS THE BLUES

Living in a Dream Gainesville’s Bridget Kelly Band Scores Big at International Blues Challenge W R IT TE N BY PEGGY M AC DON A LD P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y LO U I S B L A C K W E L L

B

ridget Kelly remembers sitting in the back of her family’s Buick as a four-year-old, listening to the radio. She told her mother, “Mom, I am going to be on the radio someday.”

Kelly has followed through on her childhood dream of becoming a musician. This year she produced her third CD with the Bridget Kelly Band, whose soulful brand of blues has attracted followers around the world. Kelly also made three CDs as a folk artist before she cofounded the Bridget Kelly Band.

“The last three CDs have done so well around the globe,” Kelly said in a July 25 telephone interview.

“I feel like I’m living in a dream.”

The Bridget Kelly Band was a semi-finalist at

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the 2015 and 2016 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Over 240 artists and bands typically compete in this international contest, and the Bridget Kelly Band has consistently made it into the top 40, said lead vocalist Kelly.

Kelly’s bandmates are Tim Fik on guitar, Mark Armbrecht on bass and Alex Klausner on drums.

The band’s new album, “Outta the Blues” (Alpha Sun Records, 2016) offers a mixture of classic southern blues and electric blues. Part of its unique sound comes from the natural chemistry between Kelly and Fik. Armbrecht and Klausner also have great chemistry onstage, Kelly said, despite their gap in age.

On breaks between sultry sets of original songs and masterful covers, Kelly shares vignettes from her life with Fik, who is both her bandmate and husband.

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MUSIC >> BRIDGET KELLY BAND

Bridget Kelly sings a piece from the band’s new album, “Outta the Blues.” The Bridget Kelly Band made it to the semi-finals at the 2015 and 2016 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. The band is scheduled to play at the Downtown Festival & Art Show Nov. 5 and at Bo Diddley Plaza Dec. 10.

Kelly, who owns Flowers Montessori School in Gainesville, met Fik when a parent tricked them into going on a blind date by inviting them both to her child’s birthday party. The parent told Kelly she should meet her professor because they both wear cowboy boots and sing.

It was an immediate love on Fik’s part, Kelly said. She loves to tease Fik onstage, telling the audience it took her a little longer to fall for him.

“I hugged him goodbye at the birthday party and he said it was like getting hit by a lightning bolt,” Kelly said. They were married in 2007.

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and teaches at the University of Florida. One of his most popular classes is on pop music and culture. After falling hard for Kelly, a dedicated folk singer, Fik convinced her to switch to singing the blues and the Bridget Kelly Band was born.

The band has recently played in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Atlantic City, Milwaukee and all over Florida. When the band has an out-of-town gig, Kelly typically teaches in the morning or is able to turn her class over to a teacher who has a master’s in education, so her students’ schedule is not interrupted.

“I have a fantastic staff,” she said. “When I go to work at Flowers, I love going to work. The kids are really cute too. Ages 3 to 6 is a great age group.”

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“When I go to work at Flowers, I love going to work.

The kids are really cute too. Ages 3 to 6 is a great age group.”

Kelly earned a bachelor’s of fine arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and started teaching when she was 20 years old.

She moved to Gainesville in 1996 and was immediately hired at Flowers Montessori School. The Montessori philosophy emphasizes independence, freedom and experiential learning, or “learning by doing.”

Kelly has been the owner of Flowers Montessori since around 2000. The school has approximately 45 students and six staff members.

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“I’m lucky,” Kelly said. “I don’t even advertise and I’m always full. I try really, really hard to keep it affordable.”

Kelly and Fik’s educational background shines through the lyrics in the Bridget Kelly Band’s new album. The song “Baltimore Woes” addresses the recent death of Freddie Gray, who died of a spinal cord injury after being dragged screaming into a police van.

The lyrics focus on the pain of the 25-yearold victim’s mother, and the ongoing fight for justice: Oh, mama Mama’s cryin’ Cryin’ for the son Who just ain’t there Although the City of Baltimore settled with the Gray family for $6.4 million, Gray’s mother, Gloria Darden, reportedly attempted suicide six months after her son’s death.

Feminism and civil rights are recurring themes in the blues, a genre in which women artists have long struggled to hold their own in a male-dominated industry. In “Gonna Stay Here” — a catchy new track from “Outta the Blues” — Kelly warns a no-good lover, “Don’t really care if you come home tonight, all you do is hurt me and fight.” Accompanied by Fik’s scorching slide guitar, Kelly sings, “Travel on baby, I’m gonna stay here with the blues.”

In July 2015 the Bridget Kelly Band came in third in the Blues-E-News “Women in Music” poll. Over 10,000 votes were cast for the top women artists.

On July 4, “Outta the Blues” became the No. 1 album on The Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Electric Blues Album Chart. To top it off, “Somebody’s Hoodooin’ Me” was listed as the No. 1 Electric Blues Song.

The Bridget Kelly Band regularly performs throughout the southeast and are active members of the North Central Florida Blues Society, Atlanta Blues Society, and SunCoast and Memphis Blues societies. In 2014 the band won the North Central Florida Blues Society’s Blues Challenge in Gainesville.

Check the band’s website, bridgetkellyband.com, for updates. With a new CD out almost every year, Bridget Kelly Band fans have a lot to look forward to. Expect to see Kelly’s star continue to rise as Gainesville’s own internationally acclaimed woman in music.

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BOOK REVIEW

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER’S

Reading Corner THE BILL THE CAT STORY: A Bloom County Epic for Ages 4-33 and 36-89 written by Berkley Breathed C.2016, PHILOMEL BOOKS, $18.99 / $24.99 CANADA, 40 PAGES

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER HAS BEEN READING SINCE SHE WAS 3 YEARS OLD AND SHE NEVER GOES ANYWHERE WITHOUT A BOOK. SHE LIVES WITH HER TWO DOGS AND 11,000 BOOKS. HER BOOK REVIEWS ARE PUBLISHED IN MORE THAN 200 NEWSPAPERS AND 50 MAGAZINES THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND CANADA. bookwormsez@yahoo.com

“WAIT UP!” YOUR FRIEND SAYS, AND YOU STOP.

T

hat’s what friends do: they stick around when things get weird, and they make sure you’re never left behind. And in the new book “The Bill the Cat Story” by Berkeley Breathed, they wait for you forever, if that’s what it takes.

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Binkley who lived in a spot called Bloom County. It was a great place to think but not a good place to be alone, so Binkley’s dad took Binkley to pick a pal.

Binkley chose an orange cat with a wiry-bent tail, and he named his new friend Bill, because “it rhymed with daffodil and landfill.”

And they were happily ever-minute-and-a-half because Binkley didn’t know it, but Bill had already been adopted by someone else.

Binkley was heartbroken. So was a “dark, mysterious … stranger named Opus,” who was watching, and wanted to help. Opus gave Bill a pair of smiley underpants.

It was the best he could do, as Bill rode away.

Time passed, and Binkley matured. He tried to forget Bill, but it wasn’t easy; he told people he was over that cat, but that was a lie. More than anything, Binkley hoped Bill was having fun, and that he was happy.

The truth was that Bill was probably not happy. It’s hard to tell but here’s proof: he first landed in the North Pole, as a

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sled cat, which was dangerous. Then he went to Africa, as an elephant herder, and that was dangerous too. Finally, he landed halfway around the world at a place where he was given foot massages and bananas, which wasn’t too bad, actually, except that it didn’t last, either.

And that adventure was how Bill ended up being dumped on the doorstep of someone from his past, someone with a giving heart who was brave enough to withstand attack rabbits, adult troubles, and dreams that you just can’t let go.

Indeed, Bill was with someone who “knew what needed to be done.”

I have no socks; author Berkley Breathed just charmed them off me.

A s t h e f i r st n e w Breathed book in a very long time, “The Bill the Cat Story” recommends an appropriate reader-age in its subtitle, and for good reason: kids will love the colorfully wild illustrations and the basic tale of love and friendship. They’ll appreciate Bill’s underwear, and his goofy “ack.”

But adults are just as much the audience here — especially those who’ve found laughs and tears inside Breathed’s “Bloom County.”

Fully half the book (if not more!) is for that fan base, from the hilarious cartoons to the roots of Bill’s presence in Binkley’s life.

There are nudge-wink inside-jokes on many pages, a harking back to other books and story threads, and a surprise look at where Opus lives.

So buy this book for your toddler, and borrow it back as much as you need to. I predict you’ll need to — a lot. For both of you, “The Bill the Cat Story” is worth the wait.

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