otnb_2021-06-nov-dec

S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : MEET LOCAL INDUSTRY LEADERS IN THE THIRD ANNUAL SHOWCASE OF THE FACES OF OUR TOWN!

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | VOL. 19 ISSUE 06 | NEWBERRY & JONESVILLE EDITION

MAGIC

Season of the

Haven Copeland is Cinderella in the Danscompany of Gainesville’s annual holiday production

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CONTENTS

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

N O V/ D E C 2 0 2 1

| V O L . 1 9 | N O. 0 6

ON THE COVER >>

IN THIS ISSUE WE INVITE YOU TO CELEBRATE THE MAGIC OF THE SEASON! LOCAL BALLET DANCER HAVEN COPELAND LANDS THE TITLE ROLE IN THE DANSCOMPANY OF GAINESVILLE’S ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF CINDERELLA. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

C O V E R P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M I C H A E L E A D DY

FEATURE STORIES 22

UNDER THE AUTUMN MOON

Alachua’s Main Street Harvest Festival is in full swing again after a year-long hiatus due to COVID-19. Learn how this festive fall event gives back to the community in many ways.

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BUY A TREE, CHANGE A LIFE

Destiny Community Church in Newberry gives back through money raised from selling Christmas Trees. The church helps both local and international groups in need of assistance.

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RECIPE WONDERS

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THE ACT OF GIVING

From our home to yours, enjoy two timeless recipes that are sure to round out your holiday meals.

Giving back can pay you in return with increased longevity, heart health, reduced stress and more!

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CONTENTS

N O V/ D E C 2 0 2 1

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A PLATE PASSED AROUND THE WORLD Learn how various Thanksgiving foods connect and celebrate different cultures.

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DIY MAGICAL SNOW GLOBES Make your own mini winter wonderland. It’s the perfect gift for family and friends this Christmas!

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A WISH YOUR HEART MAKES Since the age of 7, Haven Copeland has performed in the Danscompany of Gainesville’s annual production of Cinderella. Now, at age 17, Haven stars as the title character herself!

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SANTA’S SENSIBLE SHOPPER Give more by shopping smart! Ways to save this holiday season with gifts that still come straight from the heart.

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ANN MARIE ROGERS The Gators honor a longtime administrator and advocate for women’s athletics through a dedication of the swimming and diving pool.

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FESTIVAL OF TREES After a long hiatus, a local charitable event is back. Learn how the Gainesville Women’s Club is giving back to the community this season.

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PEACEFUL PATHS’ HOLIDAY GIVING PROGRAM Spotlight on a local charity that lends a helping hand to those who need it most.

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BE AN ANGEL The Salvation Army Angel Tree program serves the neediest families with small children during the Christmas season.

Learn how you can seek help or give back this time of year.

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SPECIAL SECTION:

Meet Local Industry Leaders in the Annual Showcase of The Faces of Our Town!

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COLUMNS 37 F ARM TALES

by Mother Hen

84 E MBRACING LIFE

by Donna Bonnell

52 N AKED SALSA

by Crystal Henry

185 F UREVER FRIENDS Spotlight on Rescue Animals

REVIEWS 115 R EADING CORNER

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

INFORMATION 48 Alachua Business League 76 R estaurant Guide 140 C harity Winners 170 C ommunity Calendar 182 B usiness Directory The articles printed in Our Town do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Tower Publications, Inc. or their editorial staff. Our Town Magazine endeavors to accept reliable advertising; however, we can not be held responsible by the public for advertising claims. Our Town Magazine reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. All rights reserved. © 2021 Tower Publications, Inc.

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PUBLISHER Charlie Delatorre

Complete Pregnancy Care from Conception through Delivery

PRODUCTION DIRECTORS Kaloni Dunlap Brian Knepp EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ericka Winterrowd editor@towerpublications.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Donna Bonnell, Cameron Cobb, Crystal Henry, Stephany Matat, Summer Jarro, Joanna Talbot, Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd, Hayli Zuccola CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Eaddy

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 Cyndi Vista, CNM Katie Camargo, CNM

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jenni Bennett jenni@towerpublications.com Nancy Short nancy@towerpublications.com

COMPREHE NSIVE , COMPAS S ION ATE O B / G Y N SERV I C ES

• Midwifery • Pre-conception counseling • 3D/4D ultrasound • Genetic testing • Gestational diabetes care • Cesarean delivery • Evaluation of pregnancy loss • Postpartum management • Lactation support

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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.)

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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

EDITOR ’ S LET TER

N OV EM B ER/ D ECEM B ER 2021

Magical Memories It’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. There’s something really special about the combination of food and family. Memories are mixed into recipes and our taste buds transport us back to precious moments. One of my most treasured memories as a small child was making sugar cookies with my grandma. I was only four when she left this world, but what I do remember of her is very vivid and most importantly full of love.

In this issue we offer you sweet stories and a couple savory recipes to celebrate the season.

Learn how various Thanksgiving foods connect and celebrate different cultures in our feature “A Plate Passed Around the World.” Join in on the “magic of making” by creating a DIY Snow Globe. It’s a great craft to make with the little ones, and an even better homemade gift to give during the holidays. Discover how you can be an angel to someone in need this Christmas by participating in the many charitable programs around town, such as the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree. There’s no better way to celebrate the season than by giving to others.

Lastly, hear from the star of the Danscompany of Gainesville’s annual holiday production “Cinderella.” Haven Copeland takes the stage this year as Cinderella herself after being a part of the Cameron Dancenter since she was 3 years old. A dream really is a wish your heart makes...

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CONTRIBUTOR S

N OV EM B ER/ D ECEM B ER 2021

DONNA BONNELL Donna 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. bonneldj@gmail.com

JOANNA GREY TALBOT is the marketing director for the Matheson History Museum and the author of the blog “Florida Revealed: Dispatches from the Land of Publix, Citrus, and Alligators.” joannagtalbot@gmail.com

SUMMER JARRO is a University of Florida graduate. Along with writing, she loves Disney, watching old films, going to the beach and traveling to new places. summerjarro@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 received her Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Florida.

HayzDesigns@yahoo.com

STEPHANY MATAT Stephany Matat is a senior journalism and political science major at the University of Florida. In her free time she enjoys hiking, taking care of her plants, reading books, and cooking. stephanymatat@gmail.com

CAMERON COBB is a graduate student at UF, working on her master’s degree in Mass Communication. She’s also an Air Force veteran. Cameron loves traveling, writing and all animals (her favorite being her rescue dog, Maggie). cameronacobb5@gmail.com

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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

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

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HARVEST FESTIVAL >> ALACHUA CELEBRATES FALL

HARVEST TIME

Under the Autumn Moon The Alachua Main Street Harvest Festival W R I T T E N B Y H AY L I Z U C C O L A

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HARVEST FESTIVAL >> ALACHUA CELEBRATES FALL

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HARVEST FESTIVAL >> ALACHUA CELEBRATES FALL

W

hen the city of Alachua was incorporated over a century ago, the iconic and picturesque Main Street was nothing more than a simple dirt road speckled with trees. Today, Alachua’s storybook street is noted for its quaint and cozy small-town atmosphere embellished with Bradford pear-lined streets, mom-and-pop shops and down-home restaurants unique to rural Florida. While locals and out-of-towners continue to flock to the area for weekly farmer’s markets or to witness the historic district decorated in twinkling holiday lights, one day a year, a mile-long portion of the roadway truly comes to life for the annual Main Street Harvest Festival.

Against a backdrop of brick and mortars and subtle hints of fall foliage, over 200 vendors are positioned along the old railroad town as far as the eye can see. The scent of kettle corn and freshly-squeezed lemonade fill the air while local crafters and artisans showcase a medley of goods including hand-crafted soaps, paintings, gemstone jewelry and woodworking pieces like colorful Adirondack chairs. Bottles of locally-sourced honey and sauces made with love ignite the taste buds while other booths draw attention to the work of fair-trade makers and history-preservers at Dudley Farms. It’s an unforgettable sight, one that’s become synonymous with November in Alachua and it’s all made possible by the Alachua Business League and a list

of generous sponsors.

Since its inception in 2003, the Alachua Business League has given support and brought awareness to local businesses and the charm of downtown Alachua with member meet-and-greets and networking opportunities, but their biggest movement toward revitalizing Main Street visitation and encouraging new business ventures both big and small was the development of the beloved Main Street Festival.

For nearly two decades, the League has hosted two seasonal festivals a year with the addition of the Spring Festival and the Harvest Moon Festival. With a greater interest in a celebration closer to the holiday season, in 2019, the League decided to focus all its attention on the fall-based event. Originally named in honor of the autumn equinox and held on a crisp Friday night, the festival has since transitioned to a Sunday afternoon affair while also dropping “moon” from its title.

Despite being a yearly occurrence, to ensure a successful turnout and a wide variety of vendors, planning for the much-anticipated festivity begins months in advance through a committee dedicated exclusively to the festival. Kelly Harris, who owns Kelly’s Kreations Gifts & Flowers and has been with the Alachua Business League since 2003, and Mark Rizzotto, who is the current League president and founder of My Pizza Place on Main, act as co-chairs for the festival-centered committee.

However, it takes the assistance of other League members and an army of dedicated volunteers to bring the event to fruition.

At the Alachua Main Street Harvest Festival, there are vendors galore as over 200 booths offer food, crafts and more.

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HARVEST FESTIVAL >> ALACHUA CELEBRATES FALL

Vendor booths range from handmade items like locally-sourced honey and fabric goods to food and retail merchandise.

“There are thousands and thousands of volunteer hours to put this thing on,” Harris said.

Since its first appearance in 2001, the Harvest Festival has significantly grown in vendor interest since the inaugural event, which welcomed a mere 15 vendors—a stark contrast from the 2019 function that drew in 225 vendors.

“It definitely developed into a lot more,” she said.

Part of what attracts repeat vendors and returning patrons is the diversity in merchant applicants.

“Some festivals, you may have 300 vendors but there are 50 of the same thing, we really want to have a quality festival,” Harris said In addition to those looking to sell their products, the event also invites vendor applications from charities that can bring attention to their cause and service providers that promote their skillset to a wider audience. While most tradespeople and organizations in attendance are located within the surrounding county, that’s also not a stipulation to set up shop on Main.

To accompany the array of retailer-reserved booths, the festival, which is pet-friendly and geared to guests of all ages, is home to live entertainment in the form of music and performers; attractions like pony rides and bounce houses and mouthwatering food that appeals to a variety of tastes and cravings whether it’s a refreshing snow cone, home-baked bread, or cookout staples like hotdogs and hamburgers.

Hosting the gathering in the fall also allows guests the opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts not often found in Santa’s workshop.

“It’s the easiest way to find [something] unique. You can pretty much take care of everyone on your Christmas list,” Harris said. “Shop local. That’s our encouragement. Let’s promote local businesses, let’s shop local.”

For those who have never attended the festival before, Harris and Rizzotto recommend wearing comfortable shoes to walk the length of the venue from end to end because you never know what 26 |

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treasures you might find. As far as parking is concerned, there are spots available all around town and keep in mind that ATMs and hand-sanitizing stations will also be available to guests.

In addition to giving local businesses and those from the surrounding counties a platform to showcase their establishments, the bazaar was created to give back to the community in the form of two $2,500 scholarships. Through the Education Foundation of Alachua County, festival funds help pave the way for continued education for two deserving students interested in a business career.

“The proceeds from the festival go toward scholarships for Santa Fe High School students to go to Santa Fe College,” Harris said.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to maintain the safety of vendors and visitors, 2020 marked the first time in festival history that the autumnal tradition was canceled. After a year-long hiatus, the 2021 event is still scheduled to take place in early November with over 160 merchants already signed up to make their long-awaited return to Main Street.

“This year I think we’re just trying to make everyone aware that it’s happening again,” Mark Rizzotto said.

“We’re just excited that we’re getting back into doing things,” Harris added.

The 2021 Alachua Main Street Harvest Festival is scheduled for Sunday, November 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. To stay up to date on festival news, follow the Alachua Business League on Facebook at facebook.com/ablfestivals.

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A LOCAL CHURCH GIVES BACK THROUGH CHRISTMAS TREES

Buy A Tree, Change a Life W R ITTEN BY SU MMER JA R RO

This popular Christmas tradition can also be a way to help raise money for important causes thanks to the organization Buy A Tree, Change a Life.

Buy a Tree, Change a Life is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

called ForHope.US that was founded in 2012. It all started after a family at Life Point Church in Homestead was trying to adopt a child from Ethiopia. It was going to cost the family about $25,000. The community at Life Pointe Church decided to help raise money for the family and did so by selling Christmas trees. About 450 trees were sold and the family was able to reach the $25,000 goal for the adoption, according to buyatreechangealife.com.

Since, the organization that first began in that Homestead Church has continued to sell Christmas trees each year to raise money for other causes and organizations in the country and across the world. Other churches can join the mission and become a “site” for Buy A Tree, Change A Life. About $4 million has been raised collectively through all of the sites over the years.

One hundred percent of the proceeds raised during the project go directly to causes through People for Care and Learning and NOV/DEC 2021

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH >> DESTINY COMMUNITY CHURCH

Volunteers gather at Destiny Community Church in Newberry to further the mission of Buy A Tree, Change A Life. The Newberry site donates the proceeds to organizations both local and international, and plans to start selling trees on Nov. 22.

partnerships that serve children in local communities.

Currently, there are more than 50 sites in 17 states across the country, according to the organization’s website.

One of the sites for Buy A Tree, Change A Life is at Destiny Community Church, located in Newberry. The site first opened last year and during the holidays a large tent was put up so local residents could come in and buy a Christmas tree for the holidays.

Volunteers at Destiny Community Church plan to start selling trees this year on Nov. 22.

The church decided to become a site for the organization after senior pastor Rocky McKinley brought the idea to Marc Woodstuff, who is also a member of the church. They had been working to become a site location for some time and were finally able to once Destiny Community Church had an official location for their services.

“There was no doubt it was a great idea,” Woodstuff said.

Woodstuff became site director with his wife, Rachael. “When they say that we’re buying a tree and changing a life, that’s really what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said.

Last year the Newberry location sold 150 Christmas trees in five days and raised about $42,000. “It was that impactful,” Woodstuff said. “We’re getting bigger and better this year. It’s going to be amazing.”

Part of the money raised from last year went to local 30 |

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organizations and the other half went to international organizations.

“We are naturally a giving church,” Woodstuff said. “We serve—we give a lot to missions.”

Locally, the Newberry site donated to organizations such as Foster Florida, an organization in Gainesville focused on bringing awareness to the local area about the need for families to step into foster care or support foster families. They also donated a portion of the funds to a local high school sports team, which aided athletes’ travel expenses for away games.

Internationally, the Newberry site donated part of the money raised last year to orphanages for feeding and housing children in Cambodia, a refugee settlement outside of Israel and an orphanage in Guatemala.“It’s quite a big impact,” Woodstuff said.

Woodstuff and the other volunteers at Destiny Community Church were inspired to sell trees again this year after seeing the profound impact and overall excitement that came from helping important causes.

“To be able to bless other organizations through the fruits of the church process, all the volunteers loving to be in the tent, getting excited about selling trees, getting excited opening the back of the truck and the smell [of Christmas trees] coming out of the back of the truck—everything about it was exciting,” Woodstuff said.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH >> DESTINY COMMUNITY CHURCH

Due to COVID-19, Destiny Community Church was unable to put on many of its events and services it normally does to raise money, so being able to participate and become a site for Buy A Tree, Change a Life was welcoming. “We felt like we were suppressed in the amount of giving and doing that we were able to do as a church and Buy A Tree, Change A Life is one of these things where it’s outside, it’s open air, you can wear masks, you can do everything you can to be a serving church again,” Woodstuff said. “It was a perfect outlet.”

When selling the trees last year, volunteers didn’t just want to make it an area where someone stopped by, bought a tree and left. They wanted to make it an enjoyable experience. Fun-filled activities like a movie night out on the lawn, bounce houses, a food truck rally and more were offered on select days.

“The whole time it was just an absolute blast to be part of our site,” Woodstuff said.

Destiny Community Church plans to offer the events and activities again this year. A movie night on the lawn is scheduled on Black Friday, and the food truck rally will take place on Dec. 3.

“It’s just fun to be in the tent,” Woodstuff said. “We try to make it as entertaining as possible.”

Last year the site sold 150 trees and this year they plan to double the amount and sell 300 trees. The trees sold range from 2-feet tall to 14-feet tall. Woodstuff hopes that things continue to go well for the mission this year, but no matter what happens or how much is sold he will be “blown away.”

“Every time I think of putting a limit on something, God will far-far exceed my thoughts on that. So far, He’s already done it,” Woodstuff said.

“So I’m believing that we’re just going to get bigger every year and we’ll just continue to do as much as we can for the mission for Buy A Tree, Change A Life.”

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Established in 2018, Zombie Woodworks is dropping unique pieces of custom furniture like “tortured” desks and “killer” benches into a world craving character and beauty. With this Florida revival of his original Mt. Hood Woodworks in Oregon, owner Dusty Schroeder is creating one-of-a-kind furniture using his own distressing techniques you can’t dig up anywhere else. He’s breathing new life into wooden boards and creating functional art for thousands of happy clients.

The locally-owned-and-operated shop was born out of a demand for custom furniture — a demand that exploded during the pandemic. People working from home grew tired of generic, ghoulish work spaces, and they craved something new and imaginative to add to their office. Enter Zombie Woodworks.

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COLUMN

FARM TALES

From Mother Hen A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

MOTHER HEN IS PROUD TO BE A “BABY BOOMER” RAISED ON A FARM POPULATED BY DOGS, CATS, CHICKENS, DUCKS, GEESE, HORSES AND COWS. THE WISDOM SHE GAINED WHILE GROWING UP IN THE COUNTRY CAN’T BE FOUND IN BOOKS. YOU CAN CONTACT MOTHER HEN AT motherhenfarmtales@gmail.com.

before Christmas decorating and re-decorating that tree to There is nothing quite so memorable in a child’s mind as my heart’s content. And all the ornaments were child-safe, of Christmas Eve when Santa arrives! In our country home there course. were lots of preparations to be made before Santa came. Our I remember one year my mother had an idea to use my pichouse was decked out with a live tree that was usually cut down ture on our Christmas cards. She cut from the nearby timber. The pine scent up her fur coat and made a coat for filled our little cottage because the me. We waited for the perfect snowy tree was so fresh. As a very small child, day to go out and take the pictures when no one was looking, I reached with her Brownie camera. She got a up to grasp a spiral metal ornament fresh pine wreath and I posed for the as it twirled enticingly from the heat card holding it until my mom felt sure radiating off of the tree’s colorful light she had a “good one.” I remember bulbs. It made a deep cut in my little not being very fond of that fur coat finger, and although I was too small because I felt “fat” in it. Looking at to remember the pain, I still have a the picture today, I am touched by my distinct scar on that finger today. My mother’s desire to make me the coat, mother told me it was the one moment and actually have to admit I looked in her very busy day that she sat down pretty cute. to read the newspaper, and of course When Christmas Eve arrived, I made use of that moment to reach some family and friends would gather for that sharp ornament! at our little home to wait for Santa.

Soon after this experience, when I didn’t realize then that they were my mother grew weary of me always there especially to see my excitegetting into the tree decorations, ment when he arrived. Every year she devised a clever solution. She my father had to leave just about the gave me a “tree” of my own, which time Santa usually came. I rememactually was a large branch off of the ber begging Daddy to stay a little pine tree that we selected for our longer, so he wouldn’t miss him. home. There were always branches He always told me he wouldn’t be trimmed off the bottom, to make “I remember one year my long; he just had to go get some ice the tree fit correctly in the corner mother had an idea to use my for the party and would be right of our living room. She secured it in a concrete block and covered the picture on our Christmas cards. back. Wouldn’t you know it, Santa arrived soon after my father left. I base with some pretty fabric. It was She cut up her fur coat and remember Santa scooping me up for a brilliant idea, as I was so proud of “my tree” that I no longer bothered made a coat for me. We waited a big hug, and there was something a little familiar about Santa’s laugh. the family tree. That branch looked somewhat like a Charlie Brown tree, for the perfect snowy day to go A few years later, I figured it out. slightly lopsided and bare in spots, out and take the pictures with Merry Christmas—and may all your memories be merry and bright! but it was the most beautiful sight her Brownie camera.” to my little eyes. I spent the weeks NOV/DEC 2021

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TURKEY TIME >> A HISTORIC MENU

K ALEIDOSCOPE OF CULTURES

A Plate Passed Around The World Exploring How a Thanksgiving Menu Connects and Celebrates Different Cultures W RIT TE N BY C A MERON COBB

I

n November of 1621, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians joined together in Plymouth for what would be known as the first Thanksgiving. With a variety of recipes, the meal included a number of meats, such as deer, different kinds of fowl, and even seafood, along with fruits, vegetables and more. The celebratory feast brought together both people and food regardless of differences.

Today, this tradition extends to tables not just all over the country, but all over the world. From potatoes to corn to stuffing to whatever else may be served on different holiday menus, the world is full of multicultural culinary influences that have led to both old and new favorites making up the many flavors of Thanksgiving.

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P O T A T O While not likely to have been served during the first Thanksgiving, potatoes are the basis for many of the holiday’s dishes. Initially discovered in South America, the Spanish introduced potatoes to Europeans around 1570, according to history. com. From here, many different root-based recipes sprouted all over the world, from mascarpone mashed potatoes (an Italian take on the staple side dish), and Hassleback potatoes (first served in Stockholm, Sweden), according to dish.allrecipes. com.

As for the sweet potato casserole, this decadent dish would be nothing without the Northerners’ discovery of sweet potatoes in the late 1800s, according to washingtonpost.com. But fans of the recipe’s decadent version that calls for a top layer

TURKEY TIME >> A HISTORIC MENU

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TURKEY TIME >> A HISTORIC MENU

of marshmallows would’ve had to wait a bit longer. A French creation, these fluffy treats were initially handmade from a mixture of egg whites, sugar and roots of the marshmallow plant. The marshmallow was considered to be a “luxury,” with the recipe introduced to America in 1917.

C R A N B E R R Y Being a celebration centered around the autumn harvest, the first Thanksgiving featured a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables, including cranberries, according to history.com. Native Americans ate cranberries well before the Thanksgiving feast, and additionally, they would use the fruit’s bright-red color as a natural dye.

Though the berry was nothing new to the indigenous people of America, the New World term “cranberry” came from the German word “kranberee” (named after the “cranelike stamens of the plant,” according to washingtonpost.com). The cranberrysauce-and-meat combo dates back to 1672, where both Native Americans and the English mixed the fruit with sugar creating what would be the initial version. While commonly alongside roasted turkey, America has adopted similar recipes from other cultures, such as pickled mangoes from India. Imported during the 1790s, an alternative recipe to cranberry sauce suggested pairing pickled mangoes with turkey for a similar sweet-andsavory flavor.

C O R N With plentiful amounts of corn available during the first Thanksgiving, this side has held up its popularity and presence all throughout history. However, corn might have been served a bit differently than when served during a modern Thanksgiving dinner. For instance, instead of being simply boiled and eaten as it commonly is today, corn was removed from the cob, ground into cornmeal, and then boiled into a mush or porridge, according to history.com, and sometimes these dishes would even be sweetened with molasses.

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TURKEY TIME >> A HISTORIC MENU

On top of both the New World and more traditional recipes for corn, there are other options for how it’s included during Thanksgiving, according to washingtonpost.com, such as by making tamales. While in the past tamales may not been considered a typical Thanksgiving recipe, the Latin American immigration has led to tamales becoming more and more popular as a dish for celebrating many different holidays all over the world.

S T U F F I N G As mentioned earlier, the potato wasn’t introduced to Europe until the late 1500s, and around this time some communities faced limited access to wheat flour. Without potatoes and flour, many relied on chestnuts for their main source of carbohydrates, according to dish.allrecipes.com (which features an “old-school stuffing” recipe made with chestnuts).

Though today turkeys are typically filled with a bread-based recipe, centuries ago, the New World of expanding America offered a totally different type of stuffing: oysters. This was especially popular by the mid-1800s, when the country was engulfed by a “national oyster craze,” according to washingtonpost.com.

Stuffing had other cultural influences from around the world as well, such as Persian basmati rice stuffing (a Middle Eastern take on the dish), according to mashable.com. The recipe calls for ingredients such as goat cheese, turkey stock and pomegranate paste (with the turkey and pomegranate following a similar fruit-and-meat combination as the cranberry sauce/pickled mangoes). And speaking of rice, the rice-farming industry started in the New World in the 1600s, according to washingtonpost.com. Today, the U.S. is the world’s third-largest rice-exporting nation—making it an abundant ingredient for creating stuffings, risottos, pilafs or just simply steamed for a side during Thanksgiving.

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TURKEY TIME >> A HISTORIC MENU

P U M P K I N P I E Thanks to the influence of European pies (such as crusts filled with meat, vegetables or fruit), it wasn’t long before the New World adopted these recipes, including that of pumpkin pie, according to washingtonpost.com. Though pumpkin pie has been around since the 1600s, it wasn’t as popular among other Thanksgiving traditions until the early 1800s. With an increasing popularity of vegan pumpkin pie recipes (made with traditional ingredients/spices, but just no animal by-products), the new-age version of the dessert is thought to have shown similar compassion for animals as Buddhism does, according to washingtonpost.com. These various influencers make the pumpkin pie a multicultural treat (a Central American vegetable, European piemaking practices, and Asian religious beliefs).

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The very foundation of Thanksgiving relies on people from different backgrounds coming together to celebrate by sharing a meal. Diversity continues to play a major part in connecting people and places through the art of culinary creation. And that is something we can all be thankful for this year.

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SHAKE IT UP DO IT YOURSELF >> SNOW GLOBE GIFTS

GIVE THE GIFT OF WALKING IN A (MINIATURE) WINTER WONDERLAND

t I o D ourself Magical Snow Globes Y STORY A N D PHOTOGR A PH Y BY ER ICK A W INTER ROW D

It’s the holiday season, and as the saying goes, “Tis far better to give than to receive.” Sometimes, however, that “giving” part can end up breaking the bank, creating post-holiday blues, which is never a good way to start off the new year. Here is a solution: DIY Holiday Snow Globes! What’s a better way of spreading some Christmas cheer than giving family and friends a gift made from the heart? This is a great craft project to do with the kids, who will surely be transfixed with the final product. So give the gift of enchantment this year as the shimmering magic of snowfall abounds in this classic toy, so affordable and adorable.

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DO IT YOURSELF >> SNOW GLOBE GIFTS

Almost any glass jar will work for this project: baby-food, maraschino cherry, and olive jars are good choices. However, I have found that the best jars are mason jars with a strong sealed top—remember there will be water and you wouldn’t want to shower your gift receiver with glittery snow… or would you?

[Insert holly jolly laughter.]

You may wish to paint the jar lid with a seasonal color. If so, use oil-based enamel paint and set aside so it can dry. Next, sand the inside of the lid until the surface is rough. Then, with clear-drying epoxy, adhere your holiday figurine to the inside of the lid. Let the epoxy dry.

A more personal touch to this gift would be to use a photograph of your loved one along with the snow globe figurine. An easy way to do this is to print out a copy of the photo you want to use, cut it out, and run it through a laminator. Most copy stores have lamination services that don’t cost too much. Make sure when you cut around your lamination; you leave a tiny border so it stays sealed up. This thoughtful touch will definitely tug at your gift receiver’s heartstrings.

Now it’s time to fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water. Depending on the jar size and the amount of snow flurries desired, add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of different kinds of glitter or fake snow shavings. Make sure to choose options that most resemble snowflakes. For example, I used small silver glitter and fake snow—1 teaspoon of each for the smaller jars. Quickly add in a couple drops of glycerin. This will help slow down the glitter as it falls, creating a majestic look to your mini Winter Wonderland.

Another fun option is to add a couple drops of blue food coloring. I did this for my penguin snow globe, which really gave the scene a touch of the North Pole. BRRRR! Lastly, close the lid tightly; making sure it is properly sealed.

And now for the fun part! Shake your snow globe like a Polaroid picture. Get it? As the snow swirls around your fantastical figurines—imagine a world where magic really does exist, and then realize you already live in one.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Make sure to choose glitter options that most resemble snowflakes. For example, I used small silver glitter and fake snow—1 teaspoon of each for the smaller jars.

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DO IT YOURSELF >> SNOW GLOBE GIFTS

Adding in glycerin will help slow down the glitter as it falls, creating a majestic look to your mini Winter Wonderland. Another fun option is to add a couple drops of blue food coloring for a more arctic look.

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COLUMN

CRYSTAL HENRY’S

Naked Salsa GRATITUDE

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

Having the only two grandchildren on both sides of the family has been quite the burden on the storage capacity of my home.

Every Christmas, the grandmothers descend with a smattering of gifts to bestow. They say they’ve shown restraint, but they just can’t help themselves. They’ve got two granddaughters after a house full of boys and one girl who had no interest in anything frilly. So as expected, my girls are absolutely rotten to the core.

After the arrival of my very precious nephew last Christmas, some of that Grammy gift-giving energy has been redirected at least on my side of the family. But I’m not innocent in the overflow of gifts for my girls.

My family didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but we went all-in on gifts at Christmas. My grandma was glued to the Home Shopping Network 24 hours a day, so her tree was completely As Seen on TV. There were foot baths, 24-karat gold jewelry, talking fish, and the infamous Billy Ray Cyrus limited edition wall clock I got when I was 9.

Grandma lived in a trailer in dusty West Texas, but when you opened the door, and the smoke cleared, her Christmas tree was a shining, beautiful beacon of holiday joy. Maybe it was the little bubbling candles on the branches, but Grandma’s tree felt really special.

I was the eldest of six grandchildren, but by the looks of that tree Grandma seemed to have 60 kids to buy for. It really was this cascading mountain of individually wrapped trinkets, and there were no rules. We were allowed to dive into the pile head first as soon as Grandma said go. It was just flying paper and squeals of delight until the last present was uncovered and we buried ourselves, exhausted under the spoils.

But I’ll never forget the year I figured out that three of my younger cousins got more gifts than I did. At first I wanted to pout.

I thought maybe Grandma was playing favorites. Maybe because my cousins lived in the trailer next door, she loved them more.

But then I took a look around at the piles of presents at my feet. I’d brought some of them from home because I was excited to show my cousin Cyndi the boombox I got from Santa. I remember Cyndi had been fidgety when I asked her what Santa brought her after I burst through the door carting only a fraction of my Santa gifts.

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Santa visit that never came. I was completely ashamed of myself for being jealous of my cousins’ extra sweaters, socks and jeans at Christmas, while I’d been crowing about my own Santa haul. I also realized that we didn’t open presents one at a time at Grandma’s because it was harder for the kids to keep count.

My Nana’s house was a little more orderly. We’d gather on Christmas Eve for a beautiful feast laid out carefully by my grandparents, aunts and uncles. Nana would fuss that her fruit salad wasn’t quite right, but it always seemed perfect to us every single year.

At Nana’s house we knew not one present could be touched until the last dish was clean. Papaw would stand at the sink, rinsing and loading the dishwasher as only he knew how. And Nana and my aunts would clear the table. It was absolute agony to sit and stare at the gifts waiting under the tree. And although it wasn’t anywhere close to as big as Grandma’s mountain, it was every bit as special.

I remember my uncles slowly savoring their desserts on purpose just to watch the kids squirm with anticipation. It seemed downright torturous at the time, but as an adult I’m so grateful because there really is nothing like the satisfaction of tearing open your first gift after a long lingering night of anticipation.

I’ve tried to recreate that anticipation for my own girls because I know it’s such a key component to gratitude.

I heard a podcast the other day where a man went on a gratitude journey to thank every person involved in his morning cup of coffee. But it wasn’t just the barista or the store owner that he tracked down. He went as far as finding the coffee farmers, the cup manufacturers, and even the person who invented the specific lid on his coffee cup that allowed the aroma to sneak through without pouring coffee in his face.

What his journey showed him was that finding gratitude in the tiniest details of his day gave him the perspective to appreciate things more deeply, and that resulted in greater joy in his life.

Gratitude is something we all wish for our children. But it’s so tough to teach. So it’s my hope this Christmas that I can give my girls the gift of humility and anticipation.

It wasn’t Grandma’s Christmas mountain, or Nana’s carefully plated dishes. It was in those little moments that made me pause and reflect that I found the great elusive gift of gratitude.

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RECIPE SERIES >> THANKFUL FIXIN’S

TREAT YOURSELF

Cynthia Wonders Winterrowd’s

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

TH A N K FU L FI X I N ’ S

F

all and winter are my most favorite times of the year.

I just love when the crisp, cool air arrives to give us respite from the heat and humidity of summer.

As soon as the thermometer dips below the 90s here in Florida, I start thinking about my favorite cool weather recipes! These are a couple of my staples for holiday menus, as well as any dinner table.

First up I have included my mother’s take on roasting squash in the oven. As regular readers probably remember, Ronelva was a farmer’s daughter/ wife who enjoyed the country life and eating healthy homegrown food. As an adult, a favorite side job of hers was working at a local farmer’s market in the fall. There, she could revel at the beauty of nature’s

harvest. The colors of the various varieties of squash, pumpkins and Indian corn were favorites of hers.

During her hours at the market, she would ponder the different vegetables and come up with ideas on how to prepare them for a new tasty treat. Neighbors would stop by to visit with her and they would share recipe ideas with one another. Food and its preparation was a passion of hers.

I have also added a favorite recipe of mine for a broccoli casserole. It dates back to the early ‘70s when I wanted to impress my new husband with my cooking abilities. I think it worked, as we are still together after nearly 48 years. This recipe may be a little different than one you have tried before, as it has water chestnuts layered in it to give an unexpected but satisfying “crunch.” Even your most picky vegetable eater is sure to like this one!

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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RECIPE SERIES >> THANKFUL FIXIN’S

Nothing makes a home feel more welcoming than something home cooked. The aromas wafting from your kitchen will soon have your family asking, “Mmm. What smells so good?” So what are you waiting for? Let’s get your oven pre-heating while we whip up these delicious holiday fixin’s! Because…there’s nothin’ like home cookin’.

You must be extremely careful that you have control of the knife at all times so that it doesn’t slip and cut your hand. Once this is done, lift up the top of the squash and use a large spoon to clean out the seeds and stringy insides. You are left with a natural “bowl” to fill with the recipe’s ingredients. For an Acorn squash I cut it lengthwise, following the same instructions above.

R O N E L V A ’ S B A K E D S Q U A S H Squash: any size or number, variety of your choice (usually Turban or Buttercup or Acorn) 1 cup brown sugar – more or less, depending upon the number of squash you are using 1 stick butter (yes, use the real thing – not margarine) 1 sweet onion, cut up (depending on how many squash you are baking, you may use less) 1/ cup chopped walnuts (more or less – to taste) 2 METHOD: Select a nice size squash at the produce department of your grocery store or your local farmer’s market. Rinse it well at your kitchen sink to remove any soil that may still be attached.

Carefully use a strong, sharp kitchen knife to open the squash (similar to cutting open a pumpkin for a jack-o-lantern). For Buttercup and Turban squash I set it on a cutting board with the bottom side down and the “bumpy” top of the squash facing upwards. At the base of the bumpy top, I start cutting in a circular pattern, just like you do for the top of your Halloween pumpkin.

When adding the ingredients you begin with a base of the brown sugar. On top of this, place a tablespoon of butter with the onions and chopped nuts. Sprinkle a little more brown sugar on top and add a few more tablespoons of butter.

Line a baking sheet with foil and nestle the squash on the pan with crumpled foil wrapped around it to keep it standing upright.

Bake about an hour in a preheated oven at 400 degrees. Test for doneness by inserting a table knife into the deepest part of the squash. The knife should slide in easily.

When the squash is done, remove and set it on the top of your stove. After it sits for about five minutes, take a large fork to fluff up the baked squash and allow the brown sugar and butter mixture to permeate the entire vegetable. You can remove the “meat” of the baked squash into a serving dish, or place the entire squash on a serving dish with the “bowl” nature gave it. This is especially appealing when serving a baked Turban squash. A treat for the eyes as well as the palate.

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RECIPE SERIES >> THANKFUL FIXIN’S

C Y N T H I A ’ S B R O C C O L I C A S S E R O L E 3 packages frozen chopped broccoli 1 can water chestnuts (sliced and drained) 1 cup Velveeta (cut into small cubes) 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 small can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk 1 can French onion rings METHOD: Cook broccoli about four minutes.

Drain well and put in a two quart baking dish. Add water chestnuts.

Sprinkle cheese over this. Then combine the soup and canned milk in a small mixing bowl. Pour this over all. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove and arrange onion rings on top and bake for another 10 minutes. Serves 6-8.

TIP: To keep the casserole from becoming watery, I strain the cooked broccoli well, then place on folded paper towels to absorb even more of the water before putting in the baking dish. I also do the same with the water chestnuts after draining away the water they were canned in.

‘Tis the season to start cooking! Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours...

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Home Refinancing: When is it Right?

Hitting the reset button on your home loan can really save you money when interest rates are low. But is refinancing the best answer? We sat down with our Radiant Credit Union Mortgage Specialists and asked, “When is it a good idea to refinance? And when is it not?”

When is it Right?

Ditching Your Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM) An ARM starts with a low introductory rate, but after a predetermined period, your rate resets, and the new monthly payment can be a bit of a shock. Switching to a fixed-rate loan before your reset date is a smart refinancing move that can save you money, especially when interest rates are low or your financial situation has improved.

Taking Advantage of Improved Credit If your credit score has increased since you closed on your home loan, it might be time to think about refinancing. You might have reduced your debt balances or even just paid your bills on time consistently. Most Lenders use your credit score as one of the factors for determining your interest rate, so if your credit circumstances have improved since you first signed on the dotted line, talk to one of our Mortgage Specialists to find out if you’re eligible for a substantially better rate.

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Profit from Decreasing Interest Rates This one is probably the most obvious, but when interest rates drop, you can easily lower your financing costs with a new loan.

Even a 1 or 2 percent rate difference can make an impact on your monthly payment. However, you need to consider how long you plan to stay in your home. If you’re thinking of selling in the next few years, it may not be favorable to refinance your home once you account for the closing costs associated with a new loan.

When it’s Not Right?

Lengthening Your Term If you’re just 10 years away from paying off your mortgage, it’s not always a good idea to start over with a new 30-year loan — even if it would reduce your monthly payment. You’re not only signing up for an extra two decades of payments, but you’ll often end up paying more in interest overall to borrow the money, even with a lower interest rate. You’ll also need to take closing costs and fees into account when extending your loan terms. There’s a breakeven point where it makes sense, and a trusted Radiant Mortgage Specialist can offer advice based on your individual situation.

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Negative Credit Impact If your credit score has decreased since your original mortgage or you have recent negative activity on your credit report, you may end up being offered fewer, less favorable terms. Just like when you apply for a mortgage to purchase a home, you will need to meet the lender’s credit requirements to be approved for a mortgage refinance. It may be best for you to spend some time repairing your credit to improve your credit score before applying.

Eligibility to Refinance Depending on the type of loan you have and the type of refinance you’re looking to obtain, there may be a waiting period from the time you closed on your original loan to when you are eligible for a refinance. Additionally, if your loan has a prepayment penalty, you may want to wait a few years until the penalty no longer applies before refinancing.

Ready To Help You. There are several factors that play into whether refinancing your home loan is a smart financial move. If you would like assistance to determine whether it’s the right move for you, visit RadiantCU. org, call us at 352-381-5200 extension 6000, or stop by one of our branches, and our Radiant Team Members will get you in contact with one of our Mortgage Specialists

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GENEROSITY >> FIVE BENEFITS OF GIVING

REACHING OUT

The Act of Giving Five Ways that Generosity Pays You Back W R I T T E N B Y C R Y S TA L H E N R Y

A

lmost every classic holiday movie has undercurrents that encourage generosity. But the old adage “to give is far better than to receive” is more than a Hallmark movie tagline. There is actual scientific research that the act of giving is good for your health.

Altruism is defined as giving without expecting anything in return. New studies show that the pure intention to give without receiving is actually the most beneficial type of philanthropy. Here are the top five ways that it pays to be generous.

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W O R K P E R K S One of the best places for generosity is at work.

Not only does it build a sense of community, but according to a study at the University of WisconsinMadison, employees who help their co-workers are more committed to their jobs and are happier at work than their colleagues. The researchers found that being altruistic wasn’t about appearing better to other people, but instead it’s a healthy psychological reward system. We feel happy when we’re making others happy.

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GENEROSITY >> FIVE BENEFITS OF GIVING

H E A L T H E W O R L D Giving to others is just plain better for society. Holding the door for someone might just inspire them to hold it for the next person. And that person may be inspired to pay for someone else’s groceries, until a snowball of kindness rolls through town.

In 2014, more than 750 people paid for a stranger’s coffee in a Starbucks pay-it-forward chain. The idea is that kindness is contagious.

Dr. Donald O. Clifton wrote a book called “How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life” with his grandson, Tom Rath. The book is based on the idea that people have an invisible reservoir that represents their mental and emotional self. Their book was a bestseller, and in the 1970s a psychologist

to someone or they say or do something unkind to you. Too many dips from your bucket will leave you feeling angry, sad and insecure.

Most of the world’s problems are the direct result of an empty bucket. But the bucket theory doesn’t leave your feelings up to the world. You can also fill your own bucket, and the bucket of those around you by being supportive and giving.

B R A I N B O O S T While mental health is a hot topic right now, people are talking about ways to help those suffering. But one of the biggest ways to help them is to find small ways they can help others. In a February 2016 study published in Psychosomatic

Most of the world’s problems are the direct result of an empty bucket.

But the bucket theory doesn’t leave your feelings up to the world. You can also fill your own bucket, and the bucket of those around you by being supportive and giving. named John E. Valusek talked about bucket filling and dipping in order to help explain the effects of human behavior. “How we feel and how we will behave at any given moment is dependent upon how much or how little we have in our buckets,” he explained in his writings.

The idea is that we all have an invisible bucket that we draw from to deal with life’s ups and downs. A full bucket gives a sense of calm, happiness, patience and security. When someone smiles at you as they hold the door open, your bucket will fill up. But you can also fill your own bucket by doing something kind for someone else. A full bucket is necessary to deal with the ups and downs of life.

An empty bucket is void of positive thoughts or feelings.

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Medicine, researchers found that those who give to others may benefit more than those on the receiving end. Participants in the study were asked about times they either gave or received social support. Both givers and receivers reported positive outcomes, but a series of MRI tests that explored how different areas of the brain were affected indicated that giving ultimately had greater brain benefits than receiving.

Lending a shoulder to cry on or helping someone in need was proven to reduce stress and activate greater reward and caregiving-related areas of the brain.

H A P P Y H E A R T Helping others makes your heart happy in more ways than one. Aside from the warm fuzzy feeling you get from

GENEROSITY >> FIVE BENEFITS OF GIVING

In 2014, more than 750 people paid for a stranger’s coffee in a Starbucks pay-it-forward chain that began in St. Petersburg, Florida.

paying for someone else’s Starbucks, paying it forward may actually lower your blood pressure. A study in the Intl. Journal of Psychophysiology showed that people who gave social support to their friends had lower blood pressure than those who didn’t. Interestingly, those people also reported that they received greater support from friends as well.

L I V E L O N G E R A study by Michael J. Poulin, an assistant professor of psychology at the University at Buffalo, found that helping others not only reduces stress, but it may actually help you live longer. Stress and social isolation are significant predictors of how long you’ll be around. But so far, research wasn’t able to show that receiving support in stressful situations helps improve mortality. In this study, researchers sought to find out if helping others would also benefit the people who were doing the helping. They found that when dealing with their own stressful situations, the people who had helped others in the past year tend to live longer than those who hadn’t.

Be the change you want to see in the world, and you’re more likely to be around to see the change…

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HAVEN COPELAND >> CAMERON DANCENTER

DANCING DREAMS

A Wish Your Heart Makes A Fairy Tale Comes True for the Danscompany’s Cinderella W R I T T E N B Y C R Y S TA L H E N R Y P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M I C H A E L E A D DY

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HAVEN COPELAND >> CAMERON DANCENTER

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HAVEN COPELAND >> CAMERON DANCENTER

Haven Copeland in rehearsal with Nina Cameron, director and teacher at Cameron Dancenter. At 3 years old, Haven enrolled in her first dance class at the studio. “I think I probably picked her out as being very talended at a very young age,” Cameron said.

H

aven Copeland remembers the butterflies she got as the stage curtains opened on her first ballet. As a special treat, her mother Jasmyn had taken 3-year-old Haven on a mother-daughter date to see the Danscompany of Gainesville’s production of Cinderella. It was a special tradition that Haven would hold dear to her heart well into her teen years before taking to the stage as Cinderella herself.

“I remember having really good mac and cheese before the show,” Haven said, reminiscing about those early show dates.

“I even had a little shawl one year. Then we would go out to the ballet and I would just be entranced.”

Though she was mesmerized by the dancers leaping and gliding across the stage, it was actually a broken leg that initially led Haven to the ballet. As a bright and bouncy 3-year-old, Haven found herself in a pink leg cast following a tumble on a trampoline. After sitting out at recess and hobbling around in the clunky cast, Haven’s post-cast checkup revealed a wobbly gait. Her doctor prescribed dance classes to help get her back on her feet.

“We had friends who had awesome and positive experiences at Cameron Dancenter,” Jasmyn said. “There really, for us, was never a question which studio to go to. It was just a question of if dance was going to be Haven’s thing.”

At 3 years old, Haven enrolled in her first dance class, and it turned out to be very much “her thing.”

“I think I probably picked her out as being very talented at a very young age,” said Nina Cameron, director and teacher at Cameron Dancenter.

Cameron is heading into her 29th season of Cinderella—a show she said goes far beyond the animated Disney version.

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In Cameron’s version, the dancers take the audience through an enchanted forest with wood sprites, and a festive ball with dancers representing a host of countries from around the world.

“We try to make something different every year,” Cameron said.

Counting every role in the show, Cameron said she is in charge of casting around 140 dancers including 17 to 18 duos, trios and solos. Each dancer needs choreography and costumes, and it’s a production Cameron said wouldn’t be possible without the community of volunteers that work tirelessly to put on a great show. She said around Christmas there’s a room full of “elves” making costumes and people outside making things for the boutique.

“What I’m very proud of is it’s so community oriented,” Cameron said. “And that’s really the first reason we’re here.”

Cameron Dancenter has two studios where classes are held, and once they’re old enough, dancers are able to audition for the Danscompany—the non-profit that puts on the show.

However, Cameron casts younger students in group roles. And at 7, Haven got to take to the stage in Cinderella for the first time as a harlequin. As Cinderella’s clock counts down from 12, the harlequins run across the stage holding their number. Haven was number 3.

“It was so much fun,” Haven said. “You got to be backstage and sit in the little chairs in the back. And all the older girls would run by.”

Haven remembers holding her hand out in the hopes of a high-five from one of the older dancers.

“I don’t even remember what it was like dancing,” Haven said. “I just remember what it was like being around all the costumes and excitement backstage.”

The next year, Haven danced around the stage as a wood

At 3 years old, Haven enrolled in her first dance class, and it turned out to be very much “her thing.”

“Everybody is important,” Cameron said. “You take one person out, and it’s not the same story. If you’re a really good Cinderella, everybody knows that.”

After her speech, the dancers stepped out, and Cameron posted the cast lists on different walls around the room before inviting the dancers back in. Haven said she let the seniors go first, because typically it’s a senior girl who is chosen as Cinderella.

“I walk in, and everyone is huddled around, and I just peeked

over,” Haven said. “I read my name. It was Cinderella, Haven Co…and I just broke down. I’ve had a dream to be Cinderella since I was little, like most girls. I was not expecting it this year.

I was hoping. But I was not expecting it.”

Cameron said there are very few Cinderellas in 11th grade, but Haven has always been ahead of her time.

“I’ve had plans for her to be Cinderella for quite a while,” Cameron said.

Jasmyn said the cast list posting is full of hugs and celebration for the entire cast, not just Cinderella.

“There’s all of these amazing roles, and everybody is finding out at the same moment what role is going to be theirs,” Jasmyn said.

Cinderella isn’t just the lead, she’s a sort of team captain of the entire production. Cameron said she chose Haven because of her work ethic, dedication, personality, talent and perseverance.

“I know this year is going to be very calming,” Cameron said.

“They’ll be very nice to each other because this is what Haven gives off.”

Rehearsals start in September in preparation for the December show, and the dancers take classes and rehearse all week long. Haven’s schedule includes dance Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, then Cinderella rehearsals Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Then any days during the week she can squeeze in other rehearsals with other dancers—like the little harlequins—she attends those as well.

HAVEN COPELAND >> CAMERON DANCENTER

sprite, and she continued with those supporting roles for the next few years. Cameron said there aren’t currently auditions for specific roles in the production, but instead she watches the dancers as they attend classes, looking for the perfect place for each one.

“Miss Nina likes to say, ‘You’re always in an audition,’” Haven said.

The presentation of the cast list changes from year to year to keep the girls guessing. But this year Cameron pulled everyone into the studio for a speech about how each role is crucial to the production, and that Cinderella is only one of them.

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HAVEN COPELAND >> CAMERON DANCENTER The Danscompany of Gainesville will perform Cinderella at the Phillips Center on Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. & 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from Danscompany board members as well as the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. danscompanyofgainesville.org, performingarts.ufl.edu.

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“I always use the saying, “If you want to get something done, give it to a busy person,’” Jasmyn said. “Time is the thing that is our equalizer.

But we don’t all spend it the same way.”

In addition to dance, Haven attends Gainesville High School in the Cambridge Program, where she takes a rigorous course load with at least seven AP classes. Her dream is to get accepted into the University of Florida, so she said she started joining lots of clubs. She’s currently an officer in four of them.

She said it takes a lot of discipline to do her homework, go to dance, come home, shower, do more homework, and squeeze in enough sleep.

But she prefers to stay busy. Busy is her default speed.

“A lot of Nina’s dancers are these overachievers,” Jasmyn said, adding that the past 13 Cinderellas have all gone to the same off-site ACT prep class.

Jasmyn said the culture of the Cameron Dancenter pushes their dancers to work hard and lean on each other for support as they climb toward their dreams.

As Cinderella, Haven was given a book with advice from Cinderellas of the past.

“I loved reading through that and taking some of the lessons they learned,” Haven said. “A common theme is that it doesn’t matter how you dance at the end of the day. It’s how you carried the role.”

Jasmyn said each Cinderella is reminded that there have been a lot of people who have helped them get to where they are, and it calls on almost 30 years of passed on wisdom and effort from a community of people.

One passage reads, “It’s not just you little Cinderella.”

As Haven prepares for her role, she said she does get butterflies.

“But there’s a moment when you’re on stage, and you can breathe.

And you can feel, and you’re in it. You’re just soaking up every second of the dance,” Haven said. “I made it. I’m here. I put in all these rehearsals and time. And I’m here.”

As in previous years, the Danscompany is collecting donations for a Cinderella family that will get a magical evening complete with new ball attire, a limo ride to the show, and a trunk full of presents that is popped open with the wave of Fairy Godmother’s wand.

“It’s a bunch of creative giving hearts,” Jasmyn said. “That’s the culture that Nina has created.”

Each year, Cinderella also designs a t-shirt for the show. Haven chose a design featuring the quote “Live like there’s no midnight.”

She said dance has been such a healing experience for her from the time she was 3, and now that she heads into her last years at the Dancenter, she feels slightly bittersweet to see it end.

“I think this quote really makes sense to me for my journey,” Haven said. “That’s what I’m going to do. There are definitely so many lessons I can tell I’m learning from this experience that are going to last a lifetime.”

The curtain will rise on Haven’s Cinderella debut on December 10, where she’ll glide across the stage for the next generation of tiny Cinderella hopefuls sitting wide-eyed in the same seats 3-year-old Haven first fell in love with the ballet.

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Restaurant Guide

Spins Sweet and Savory Unique flavors — Come take your taste buds for a spin.

Traditionally called Kürtöskalács, or Chimney Cakes, our “Spins” are the official bread of Hungary. This delectable bread is freshly baked with a crispy, crunchy outside and a light, fluffy dough inside. Our Spins offer the prefect alternative to thick, bland sub rolls, and our “Spinwiches” are addictive. Our Chicken Salad is arguably the best in the state and our “Garden of Eat’n” & Curry Apple Egg Salad Spins never fail to satisfy. We also offer fresh soups and salads. Join us on Tuesdays for our Cuban Spin and on Fridays for our Meatball Spins. Satisfy your sweet tooth with one of our Apple Pie, Dulce de Leche or Nutella Spins.

23677 W. US HWY 27 High Springs, Florida 32643 Monday-Saturday 11am-5pm

706-840-2734 www.spinssweetandsavory.com

Scuola Pizza Greek and Italian Cuisine— At Scuola Pizza, their goal is not only to provide delicious pizza and entrees, but also to enhance the casual dining experience. When the Sinis family moved to Gainesville from Greece, their goal was to open a restaurant where the ambiance was as unique as the signature dishes. Influenced by European culture and Mediterranean cuisine, Scuola Pizza serves delightful Mediterranean dishes in a relaxing atmosphere of books and vintage decor.

With outdoor seating available and spacious dining room, Scuola Pizza offers a variety of daily and weekly specials. Dine-In or Carryout available. Call or stop by today.

5204 NW 34th Blvd.

Tue. - Thurs. 11am- 9pm Friday and Saturday 11am - 9:30pm Sunday 4pm—9pm

(352) 451-4122 scuolapizzagainesville@gmail.com

Volcanic Sushi + Sake Sushi — Volcanic Sushi+Sake is a Japanese inspired Asian Fusion Restaurant with details on quality fresh food and innovative presentation. Volcanic Sushi + Sake is sure to satisfy your sushi cravings. They have been crowned as the Best Local Sushi in Gainesville for the past 3 years. In addition to Sushi, they offer a wide variety of delicious appetizers, soups and salads. Come in and try the Spring Rolls, Crab Rangoon and Stuffed Wontons. For the main course you can choose from delicious entrees such as, Wok fried rice, Udon noodles, Ramen bowls, ChickenTeriyaki, Volcanic Shrimp or Salmon. These are all sure to please!

TWO LOCATIONS Haile Village Center - 5212 SW 91st Terrace & Hunter’s Crossing - 5200 NW 43rd St

Sunday-Thursday 11:00am - 9:00pm • Friday-Saturday from 11:00am - 10:00pm 352-363-6226 (Haile Village Center) 352-727-7777 (43rd St.) 74 |

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NOV/DEC 2021

Mi Apá Latin Café

Restaurant Guide

Cuban — When it comes to authentic Cuban cooking, you cannot go wrong with Mi Apá Latin Cafe,” said Trekbible in their article, top 8: Best Restaurants in gainesville, FL. Featuring authentic ingredients and classic recipes, such as Pollo Asado, Vaca Frita, Medianoche sandwiches, and their local favorite, Cafe con leche, we bring the tastes of Cuba to Gainesville and Alachua. Whether you’re dining in our sunny patio or picking up your online order, your food will always be hot, fresh, and full of Latin flavor! And our Gainesville location even has a drive-thru, as will our new Jonesville location, opening Summer of 2021!

Don’t forget kids eat free every Wednesday from 4:00-9:00pm!

Alachua – 15634 US Highway 441 (386-418-0838) Gainesville - 114 SW 34th ST (352-376-7020) Jonesville - 14209 W Newberry RD NOW OPEN! (352-545-4430)

MiApaLatinCafe.com

That Bar and Table Neighborhood Bar and Restaurant —Located in the Haile Market Square Publix center, we are locally owned and operated, family friendly (including dogs!), and offer indoor and outdoor dining! Lunch specials available Mon-Fri and brunch is served on weekends. Daily specials include Cluckin’ Monday, Taco Tuesday, Burger Wednesday, Wine-Night Thursday, and amazing weekend Chef’s specials beginning each Friday! Our scratch kitchen is prepping daily to deliver amazing wing dishes, glorious ½ pound burgers, and a wide selection of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and dinner entrees. Our skilled bartenders will serve up your favorite cocktail or can recommend one of our house favorites! See you soon!

2725 SW 91st St, Gainesville 11-9 Sunday, Monday, Tuesday 11-10 Wed-Sat

352-331-6620 thatbarandtable.com

Mr. and Mrs. Crab Customized Seafood Experience — Mr. and Mrs. Crab’s hand-held seafood integrates American country taste with traditional Szechuan spices to create a unique taste. After you’ve decided what types of seafood you would like to indulge yourself in, our chefs will have your food cooked to perfection and placed in our specially designed seafood boil bags to be tossed in one of our mouthwatering seasonings. We have a vast selection of seafood to choose from, accompanied by our famous Mr. & Mrs. Crab house seasonings. We can’t wait for you to try our Asian-inspired, Louisiana style seafood boils. We’re confident after you’ve had a taste, you’ll be sharing your Mr. and Mrs. Crab story with all your friends!

(Butler Plaza Central) 3246 SW 35th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32608 Sun to Thur 12 pm - 10 pm Fri and Sat 12 pm - 11 pm

(352) 554-5968 www.mmcseafood.com SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL 352-372-5468 FOR RATES AND INFORMATION.

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Restaurant Guide

Crafty Bastards Restaurant - Pub — Crafty Bastards Restaurant has lunch specials M-F 11am4pm. Come see our NEW Menu items, including fresh salads and soups. Don’t worry, we still proudly serve what you have voted, the best Wings, Burgers, Fish n’ Chips, and REAL Shepherds Pie around! While also offering entertainment every day of the week, we have the largest selection of 60 Craft Beers on tap, and next door at the Bottle Shoppe, we offer over 750 varieties of Craft Beer with Free Beer Tastings every Thursday. 6p-8p. Visit our social media and web for ongoing events and new craft beer. Private party room for office or birthday parties available.

CRAFTY BASTARDS - WELCOME HOME! 4860 NW 39th Ave. ( Magnolia Parke, between Starbucks and TiresPlus) Open at 11am every day

352-872-5970 www.thecraftybastards.com

Dave’s New York Deli 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 and Best Philly. 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, Cubans, Subs, Kids Menu and more.” Come out and enjoy Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at Dave’s NY Deli. Now serving beer and wine.

12921 SW 1st Road • Tioga Town Center Open 7 Days

352-333-0291 www.DavesNYDeli.com

Pepperoni’s Pizzeria Pizzeria — Since its establishment in 2000, Pepperoni’s Pizzeria has been serving up some of the best pizzas, calzones, entrees, wings and salads in town using premium mozzarella and other top ingredients. We also have great lunch specials starting at only $5.99. All of our specialty pizzas are loaded with toppings. Pepperoni’s is locally owned and operated and is proud to serve the High Springs Community and surrounding areas. We are located on U.S. Highway 441 in Mills Plaza.

NOW DELIVERING THROUGH BITE SQUAD ORDER PICK UP ONLINE AT PEPPERONISPIZZERIA.COM 19975 NW 244 Street, High Springs (located in Mills Plaza) Monday- Sunday: 11:00am - 9pm

386-454-3858 PepperonisPizzeria.com 76 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

El Toro

Restaurant Guide

Get Full At The Bull — Bienvenido! Welcome! We are a family owned and family friendly business. We have been serving our guests high quality fresh food for over 28 years. We welcome our guests with our Award Winning Salsa and warm homemade chips, add some fresh guacamole and our homemade white queso and you have a great start to a great meal! Try our Fish Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, Fajitas, Aaron’s Overstuffed Burrito, Nachos Supreme or one of our Daily Specials, we have something everyone will enjoy! We serve Lunch 7 days a week till 4 P.M. and our Kids Meals come with a drink and dessert. Check out our menu on our website. Our outdoor patio is perfect for “Para Cenar Afuera”. So, won’t you please come join us and Get Full At The Bull! See you there!

15202 NW 147 Drive, Suite 1100, Alachua (Rolling Oaks Plaza) Monday – Sat 11:00am – 9:00pm Sunday 12:00pm – 8:00pm

386-418-1039 www.eltorogainesville.com

The Social at Midtown Upscale restaurant and rooftop bar — Hidden among the college bars of the midtown area, The Social at Midtown provides an unique, upscale, and affordable dining and late-night experience for the diverse and ever evolving population of Gainesville. Whether you are in search of high end spirits and craft cocktails or one of the 37 beers on tap the Social at Midtown will undoubtedly bring you back for the next big game with its fantastic menu and over 60 Large LED TVs. Check out our web page to see our weekly specials and plan your next Happy Hour with $4 Local Craft Pints! Expect more and let us help turn your event into a true occasion. The right environment can create the perfect experience. We have 3 distinctly different event spaces, we’ve got the perfect space to enjoy your time with friends, family and business colleagues.

1728 W. University Avenue, Gainesville, FL Monday-Sunday 11:00am – 2:00am

352-373-7383 www.thesocialgnv.com

Bangkok Square 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.

Two Gainesville Locations: 6500 SW Archer Road & 8181 NW 38th Lane 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 Archer 352-672-6969 39th Ave. bangkoksquarefl.com SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL 352-372-5468 FOR RATES AND INFORMATION.

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Restaurant Guide

Stone House Grill Great steaks, seafood and more — Visit us at Stone House Neighborhood Grill for the ultimate dining experience.

We are a full-service restaurant located in Newberry, Florida. The owners and operators have over 20+ years of experience in the food service industry, and a passion for providing exceptional food and service that will leave all customers coming back for more.

Enjoy our unique variety of menu options for lunch or dinner. Lunch specials Monday-Friday. Happy hour 3-6 Monday through friday.

1759 SW 248th Drive Newberry 32669 Monday - Thursday 11am-10pm Friday & Saturday 11am-11pm Sunday 11am-9pm

352-354-8023 www.stonehousenewberry.com

Cilantro Tacos Authentic Mexican — BA family-owned restaurant that was founded through a passion for great food and hosting dinner parties with friends. Originally from Southern California, their love for Mexican food moved to the wonderful community of Newberry in 2013. They take pride in the quality, freshness, and vibrant flavors of their food — with meats that are never frozen and everything prepared fresh and made-to-order. Enjoy the tastefully marinated meats and savor the mild, spicy, and mouthwatering salsas that are created from scratch. They feel their purpose is to spread happiness, make contributions to the community and create lasting memories of fun, laughter, and great times.

When you eat with us, you’re family. So come on in!

Tioga Town Center - 12921 SW 1 Rd Suite #103 Monday - Saturday from 11:00am to 9:00pm

352-472-1300 eatcilantrotacos.com

Top Hog Family Style BBQ — Sweet,Tasty, Spicy, Hot, Vinegar, Smokey. Just a few adjectives that will come to mind when you visit Top Hog! We take our time to make our recipes with love. We make our recipes in small batches to make sure that everything you order is fresh and up to our customers high standards! To give our meats a distinct Florida flavor, our meats are smoked with a mix of Florida woods, like orange wood and oak. Family style meals or meat sold by the pound with your choice of sauce available. Check our website and facebook for our full menu and daily specials. Think of us for your next family gathering, office party or tailgate party and let the TOP HOG cater your next event! We are not a chain, we are one of a kind, we do it our way.

14128 West Newberry Rd., Jonesville (Next to Steeplechase Publix) NOW OPEN! 6500 SW Archer Rd. (Kanapha Station) Open 7 days 11:00am - 2:00pm and 4:30pm – 9:00pm

352-331-6035 www.top-hog.com 78 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

I Love NY Pizza

Restaurant Guide

Pizzeria — We are a family owned, family friendly restaurant that serves authentic New York style pizza and delicious Italian entrees. We offer dine, take out, delivery and catering. We make everything fresh and with high quality ingredients from our dough, to our sauce, to each of our dishes — including classics such as Baked Ziti, Chicken or Veal Parmigiana, Chicken Marsala or Alfredo, and many more. If you are in the mood for pizza, you can “take and bake” at home or let us prepare you one of our specialty Brick oven pizzas. So many choices of specialty pizzas, try them all! Pizza by the slice is available for lunch or dinner! Let’s not forget about the Stromboli, Calzones, Salads, Desserts and yes, we have a kids menu too! What ever you choose, we guarantee to bring you all the unique flavors of New York City. Visit our website for a full menu and coupons.

2645 SW 91st St, Haile Plantation (Market square) Gainesville Monday-Saturday 10:00am – 9:00pm Closed on Sundays

352-333-6185 www.ilnyp.com

Ballyhoo Grill Looking for the freshest seafood? — The Ballyhoo Grill is the place for you! With fresh seafood arriving daily, Try the amazing North Atlantic Cedar Plank Salmon, grilled on a cedar plank for a rich, smoky flavor. Other great eats include fresh sushi and hand-cut choice steaks. We’re serving up everything from salads and pastas to delicious burgers and sandwiches. make sure you try the incredible Bananas Fosters. Dine in or outdoors on their patio. Happy hour is 2-7pm daily with extended happy hour until 9pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

3700 Newberry Road, Gainesville Sunday-Thursday: 11am-9pm Friday & Saturday: 11am-10pm

352-373-0059 www.ballyhoogrill.com

Leonardo’s Pizza Mouth Watering — Family friendly and locally-owned-and-operated pizza joint with a unique, nostalgic atmosphere that is as distinctive as our delicious food. Chicago-style pizzas, hand tied garlic knots, and Italian baked dinners and salad bar, we know you’ll be back for more. Come and see why Gainesville loves our signature deep dish pizza pie, the Big Leo. Since 1976 Gainesville has grown up on pizza from Leonardo’s Millhopper and we are still going strong! Our dedicated staff (many have been with us for 15-20 years) knows how important it is to treat you properly. We take great pride in our welcoming atmosphere. We can’t wait to make you part of our family.

4131 NW 16th Blvd (Millhopper) Sunday - Thursday: 11:00am - 9:30pm Friday - Saturday: 11:00am - 10:30pm

352-376-2001 leonardosmillhopper.com SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL 352-372-5468 FOR RATES AND INFORMATION.

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Restaurant Guide

Brown’s Country Buffet 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.

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

Copper Monkey West Restaurant & Pub — 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.

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

352-363-6338 mycoppermonkey.com

Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza Italian Restaurant — Piesanos is a locally owed and operated restaurant that is proud to use only the finest ingredients available, including Grande brand premium mozzarella. We are a full service dine in restaurant with an attached take out center and also offer catering. Our dough is made fresh daily and all of our pizzas are baked directly on the stone in our unique Granite Stone Fired Pizza Oven. We offer a great variety of Specialty pizzas, such as our Pizza Antico-(ultra thin crust- Fresh Mozzarella, mini cup & char pepperoni & fresh basil) Specialty Pastas, Calzones, Fresh soups and salads, classic italian entrees, and a great selection of craft beer.

For full menu and list of locations visit: PIESANOSTOGO.COM Now Serving: Gainesville, Ocala, The Villages, Clermont & Windermere, Coming soon: Lake City & St. Augustine Mon-Sun: 11am-10pm Order online or Download our App: PIESANOSTOGO.COM 80 |

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THRIFTY GIFTS GIVING >> FIVE TIPS FOR SENSIBLE GIFTS

FIVE WAYS TO SAVE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Santa’s Sensible Shopper WRITTEN BY GABRIELLE CALISE

1 .

S T R A T E G I Z E Before even stepping foot in a store, make a list of people to shop for. Set a budget and stick to it. It is also helpful to see what money is already lying around. Compile credit card reward points, coupons sitting in your mailbox or email inbox, or old unused gift cards and use those up first.

Gift-giving is one of the priciest expenses of the holiday season. According to a 2020 Gallup poll, Americans anticipated spending $852 on Christmas gifts. However, with a little planning, you can still bestow thoughtful gifts on your loved ones without shelling out too much cash.

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GIVING >> FIVE TIPS FOR SENSIBLE GIFTS

2 .

D O

I T

Y O U R S E L F

Spending a few hours preparing homemade goodies can be a fun and affordable way to knock several people off your gift list at once. After all, who can say no to edible treats? Fruit butters, candies, or salsa can be made in large batches and given as sweet gifts. Self-care products are also easy to make and have a big wow factor, from sweet-smelling soaps to hand scrubs and bath bombs. Search the internet for recipes and tutorials, and buy supplies in bulk to save money.

The key to pulling off DIY gifts is to package everything well.

Mason jars and some ribbon or paint can go a long way when it comes to making the gift look thoughtfully created instead of slapped together. Don’t forget to print out labels from the internet or handwrite a thoughtful note.

3 .

A V O I D

T H E

M A L L

Discount stores such as Ross, T.J. Maxx or Marshalls are great places to pick out stocking stuffers like fuzzy socks, mugs, or pretty candles for a fraction of the price. You can even make your own gift basket using cheaper goodies found at these stores instead of ordering a pricey pre-made one.

Small businesses and farmer’s markets can also be great places to pick out affordable, locally-made items. You will also encounter more unusual finds in these places—think anything from craft beer made right here in town to jewelry and trinkets handmade by local artisans.

4 .

U P C Y C L E

For an affordable, fun, and eco-friendly gift-giving experience, try upcycling. Gently used clothing, books, handbags and furniture can all make lovely gifts. Scouring yard sales and antique shops can be another smart way to find affordable, gently used items that can easily be transformed with a little bit of paint or polish.

If visiting stores in-person is too time consuming, try looking online for deals. Craigslist and “Free and For Sale” group pages on Facebook are easy ways to see what people in the area are selling. An app called “letgo” also allows users to swipe through items for sale in the area.

5 .

F I N D

D I G I T A L

D E A L S

Online shopping is an easy way to tackle buying gifts during an already hectic holiday season, but the convenience doesn’t have to come at a price.

Download the browser extension “Honey” to track the prices of items on Amazon. The extension tells users the best time to buy items based on price history. Honey also automatically finds and uploads coupon codes for online shopping sites.

The website RetailMeNot.com is also helpful for saving money online. The site tracks trending deals around the web and allows users to search for coupon codes and promotions by store.

Using creative strategies to save money on gifts can even be a fun way to spend time with loved ones. With a little bit of planning, there are many ways to make money stretch further while still dazzling the gift recipients. Try these tips this holiday season—you might even start using them year round.

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COLUMN

DONNA BONNELL’S

Embracing Life THE CANDY MAN

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. bonneldj@gmail.com

“ALRIGHT EVERYBODY GATHER ‘ROUND! THE CANDY MAN IS HERE!”

purchased for decorating the tree and adorning packages.

The real holiday luxury, however, were the luscious cherry cordials. Wrapped boxes of chocolate covered cherries were Santa needs a little help spreading cheer this Christmas. bountiful under our Christmas tree. They were the perfect gift Most of us are exhausted from the constant assault of negative to give and receive. news and can benefit from a brief enchanting escape. So, I Unfortunately, I have not indulged in one of those scruminvited Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to be a part of diddlyumptious treasures in decades. What I remember, this edition of Embracing Life. though, is a candy with a succulent cherry suspended “The Candy Man,” is a happy-go-lucky song, in a creamy center and dipped in chocolate. It explaining Willie Wonka’s special powers. It “What kind of candy do was a culinary masterpiece, with a dash of is not a Christmas song and debuted in 1971 mystery. At an early age, I pondered how the (long before many of you were born). Yet, you want? Sweet choc’late; cherry was precisely positioned. How did I encourage readers of all ages to take a Choc’late malted candy; Gum it sit perfectly centered, covered with two break and fully embrace this fairy-tale drops. Anything you want. distinctly different layers? I ate them very tune. It will make you feel good. One slowly, one tiny bite at a time, as I tried to version can be found on Youtube.

You’ve come to the right man; determine how the candy was made. I never So, readers, let’s pretend we are with ‘Cause I’m the Candy Man.” solved the conundrum, but it was certainly Willy Wonka at the Chocolate Factory. fun trying.

“What kind of candy do you want? Sweet

Obviously, as an adult, I know there is a logchoc’late; Choc’late malted candy; Gum drops. ical explanation. However, just for today, I am bidding Anything you want. You’ve come to the right man; bah humbug to adulthood! On this magical sleigh ride with ‘Cause I’m the Candy Man.” Santa, mystical explanations rule. I believe the recipe includes My fantasy today would be different from what is was as soaking the cherries in kindness, coating them in a miraculous a youngster. Nowadays, my request would be to expand our velvety cream, then concealing their cores with a dream-like annual Christmas cookie decorating event into a grandiose chocolate. Does that sound about right to you? extravaganza. My grandkids would have a wide variety of candy If only solving global problems were that simple and the toppings and a huge assortment of edible trimmings available Candy Man real. Wonka’s New Year’s resolution would look at their fingertips. Automatically added would be a sprinkle of like this, “Who can take tomorrow; Dip it in a dream; Separate pixie-dust and a spoonful of kindness. Beautifully decorated the sorrow and collect up all the cream. The Candy Man can; sugar cookies, spectacular enough to display in a Macy’s store ‘Cause he mixes it with love; And makes the world taste good.” window, would be the result. Okay, maybe I might be dreaming a Reluctantly, it is time for me to return to reality. I will close bit big. Remember, though, anything is possible with the Candy with a promise to myself. Before 2021 ends, I will buy a box of Man! chocolate covered cherries. My anticipation of biting into that Listening to the lyrics of Willie Wonka’s jolly jingle swept mouthwatering candy is just as vivid as it was 50+ years ago. me back in time. Sweet memories of Christmas seasons from Hopefully, I can wait until Christmas to relive that memory. many moons ago surfaced when he sang, “Now you talk about What candy do you desire? Why not be your own Candy your childhood wishes.”

Man? While you are at it, do not forget to spread a lot of love, Candy canes and chocolate covered cherries were our family’s eliminate someone’s sorrow and help the world feel good. choice in the 1950s and 1960s. Since the Candy Man did not Blessings to all. Make your wishes come true this holiday exist, we could not have everything we desired. Our excitement season. Most of all, remember to enjoy your journey! for Christmas escalated early in the season. Candy canes were 84 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

Tried and true. Locally loved. Contributors to our community. This special section of Our Town puts names to the north central Florida faces who always bring their A-game, keep customers smiling and continually lead the region into the future. Look for these special photo pages throughout this issue. These are the faces of Our Town.

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THE FACE OF

EXCEPTIONAL EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT HEALTHCARE

Accent Physician Specialistss

Alex Rafanan, PA-C, Daniel J. Hall, MD, FACS, Brian G. Kerr, MD, Jeffrey M. Phillips, MD, FACS 4340 W NEWBERRY RD, STE 301 | 352-372-9414 GAINESVILLEENT.COM

The providers of Accent ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat) take a patient-first, practical approach to helping their patients feel better. Accent ENT has served Gainesville and the surrounding region for over 25 years, and their Providers can often see patients in less than a week. As Gainesville’s trusted providers of high-quality ENT care, Accent ENT has helped tens of thousands of patients with issues such as: Allergy

and Sinus, Hearing and Balance, Throat Care and Speech Problems, Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders, Sleep Apnea and Snoring, and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. If you have been suffering from a nagging issue, whether it’s your hearing, miserable allergies, balance, throat pain, sleepless nights, snoring, or sinus issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to Accent ENT today to help you find relief!

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THE FACE OF

Let’s face it, no one likes to move. But,

cess by working with each client individu-

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on budget. From the simplest of requests

ing up the phone. With dozens of 5 star

to the more complicated whole-house

reviews and many more satisfied custom-

moves, the professionals at Later Gator

Sarah Gooden, Clay Shanks

ers, the experts at Later Gator Moving

Moving provide a full service approach to

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can move you across the street or across

your move. Call today for a free estimate

the country. Clay and his team specialize

and to learn more about including Later

in taking the hassle out of the moving pro-

Gator in your next move.

YOUR NEXT MOVE

Later Gator Moving

NOV/DEC 2021

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PAID ADVERTISEMENT

THE FACE OF

After working for 5 years in Gaines-

sured, or self-pay, Stankus Family Care

ville area as a family nurse practitioner,

offers something for everyone. Special-

Stankus Family Care

Joseph Stankus wanted to come back

izing in well visits, sick visits, skin checks,

to the community that he loved, the

immunizations, weight loss, and men’s

Molly Ashraf, Garilee Bussey-Stankus, Joseph Stankus, Samantha Cowart, Krystle Breck, Haley Nugent

community he grew up in. Excited with

health, they are ready to help in anyway

the incredible opportunity to serve his

they can. Located in High Springs, takes

hometown area, Joseph and the team at

lunch from 1pm-2pm so they are avail-

18743 NW 234TH STREET HIGH SPRINGS, FL 32643 386-454-0721 WWW.STANKUSFAMILYCARE.COM

Stankus Family Care offer a wide variety

able to their patients during their lunch

of services that meet the varied needs of

break for either a telehealth visit or a vis-

their patients. Whether young or old, in-

it to the office.

FAMILY MEDICINE

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OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

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FINANCIAL PLANNING

THRIVENT

DeAnna Edwards 6216 NW 43RD ST STE 3C, GAINESVILLE, FL 32653 352-226-8000

At Thrivent, we believe money is a tool–not a goal. As a holistic financial services organization, and a membership owned fraternal organization, providing financial advice, investments, insurance, banking and generosity programs, we are committed to helping you achieve financial clarity. We are here to help provide the guidance you need to live the life you want. DeAnna Edwards, financial professional, is invested in things that prepare you for the future. They are ready to have a conversation about whats most important to you and your financial situation. Call today to learn more about how they can help you develop a plan that is unique to your needs.

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HOSPITALITY

Grady House Sara Miller

24042 W US HWY 27 HIGH SPRINGS, FL 32643 386-454-2206 GRADYHOUSEBNB.COM 90 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

Grady House Bed and Breakfast is a magical place like no other offering 5 guest rooms/ suites with private baths and an exclusive historical cottage that has 2 additional guest rooms with bath and full kitchen in an atmosphere of comfortable elegance that will take you back to a simpler time.

Grady House decor creates an ambiance of tranquility and encompasses generations of

keepsakes and modern amenities that are sure to make everyone feel at home with the highest quality of hospitality. This 5-star B&B offers a 3 course gourmet breakfast that is catered to your liking and competes with the finest restaurants according to guest reviews and can be enjoyed in a fine dining room or the stunning Grady House Gardens.

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YOUR ALACHUA COUNTY REALTOR

Donavaun Horne, Realtor®

Licensed Realtor at Coldwell Banker 7515 W. UNIVERSITY AVE. UNIT 201 904-482-9670 ALACHUACOUNTYHOMES.COM

Dedicated, enthusiastic and committed to facilitating successful transactions, Donavaun Horne helps turn real estate dreams to reality for buyers and sellers in and around Alachua County, FL. He is well-known in his market for taking the mystery out of the entire process, keeping clients informed, comfortable and empowered. Donavaun is a longtime resident of Alachua County and knows exactly what makes the area so special, including top schools, desirable

neighborhoods and great amenities.

With almost a decade of experience, he continues to be a top-performing agent with Coldwell Banker Real Estate MM Parrish Realtors-the #1 Real Estate Brokerage in Alachua County. Donavaun’s specialties include buying and selling close-to-campus condos and serene single-family homes. He is specifically accredited to assist with first-time buyers, VA home buyers, relocations and investment/foreclosure properties.

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THE FACE OF

BRINGING THE FIESTA TO YOU!

Elio Piedra

WWW.ELIOPIEDRA1@GMAIL.COM 352-327-5089 | ELIOPIEDRA.COM 92 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

Looking to hire more than just a DJ for your next event? Elio Piedra is an entertainer! His high-energy show brings the fiesta to your next event. More than just your standard DJ, Elio brings singing, dancing and even live instruments to parties, birthdays, weddings, private events, grand openings and

corporate events. Be ready to have some fun because Elio will elevate your event to the next level. It’s not a party unless Elio is there, providing his unique mix of music, percussion, dancing and entertainment. Check out his website for more information on how you can include Elio in your next event.

Photo by Unfiltered Moments Photography

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CUSTOM COUNTERTOPS

Jackson Stoneworks Tyler Ryals

1111 SE 22ND AVE | 352-372-6600 JACKSONSTONEWORKS.COM

Jackson Stoneworks is a locally owned specialty stone manufacturing business founded in 2002 by Tyler Ryals. Today, Jackson Stoneworks is recognized as the premier full service kitchen and bath sales center in Gainesville. Based on their experience as a nationally recognized custom granite counter top manufacturer, you can trust Jackson Stoneworks to provide you with the very best

in kitchen and bath design and installation services. Over 100 of the most popular granite, marble and quartz colors are on display and available for purchase at their Stone Yard, with hundreds more available through their worldwide network of suppliers for delivery to their factory. From cabinets and flooring to counter tops of all kinds, stop by today, take a tour and receive a free granite Lazy Susan.

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WHERE GATORS COME TO CELEBRATE

Celebration Pointe Albert and Alberta

4949 CELEBRATION POINTE AVENUE GAINESVILLE, FL 32608 352-204-9136 CELEBRATIONPOINTE.COM 94 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

From relaxing outside in the beautiful Promenade to shopping for your gameday gear, there are a number of amazing things to do at Celebration Pointe. Located on west Archer Road, just off I-75. Celebration Pointe is the perfect place for area residents to gather for unlimited celebration.

Celebrate wins with events like Chomp the Block, the block parties before UF Football home games, or the monthly music events, Jazz on the Green and Playlist @ the Pointe. Looking to enjoy your day with shopping, dining, and playing? it’s never been easier than at Celebration Pointe. Shop your individual style at stores like Nike Factory Store, Tommy Hilfiger, Palmetto Moon and more. Or dine at restaurants like the newly opened Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille + Visor’s or dig into a mouthwatering steak at Prime & Pearl. Keep the family entertained by playing some games at Dave & Buster’s or watching the latest blockbuster at Regal Cinemas. There’s more to the Pointe, at Celebration Pointe.

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YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL FLOWER AND TUXEDO SHOP

Alachua Flowers

Tina Ross, James Ward 14520 MAIN STREET ALACHUA, FL 32615 352-339-6290

ALACHUA-FLOWERS-AND-TUXEDO-RENTALS.BUSINESS.SITE

Alachua Flowers and Tuxedo Rentals creates breathtaking floral arrangements made with quality flowers crafted by experienced designers. From birthdays to special occasions to everything in between, the professionals at Alachua Flowers and Tuxedo rentals are ready to help any way they can. Using only the freshest and most beautiful flowers, their arrangements are both beautiful and affordable. Looking for an amazing Tuxedo for a special occasion? With many options to choose from, the perfect suit is waiting. No need to worry about prom, they also thrive with tuxedo rentals and custom-made corsages and boutonnieres created to match even the most exotic dress colors.

Call or stop by today and let them help make your next occasion, one to remember.

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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

First Christian Academy

From left to right: Amanda Hall, Angie Phillips, Cindee Bumpus, Pete Collins 24530 NW 199 LN, HIGH SPRINGS 386-454-1641 | FCAHIGHSPRINGS.ORG 96 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

First Christian Academy in High Springs is a fully accredited K-12 school committed to the academic excellence and spiritual formation of its students. FCA is dedicated to providing a Biblical worldview educational experience that emphasizes the formation of the whole child – academically, physically, spiritually, and socially. Every learning experience aims to enable students to reach their full potential both intellectually and in the acquisition of Godly character. Open enrollment for the 2022/2023 school year begins soon. Call today to schedule your personal tour.

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GRAPHIC DESIGN & MARKETING PRODUCTS

Bee Print and Design Brian Knepp

4400 NW 36 AVE, GAINESVILLE, FL 32606 570-294-8778 | BEEPRINTANDDESIGN.COM

Bee Print and Design assists businesses of all sizes with quick, outstanding graphic design work and the production of high quality marketing items.They provide printed items (business cards, brochures, postcards) Apparel (shirts, hats, hoodies) Promotional items (Tumblers, keychains, hand sanitizers, masks and more).

If you can envision your logo on something, Bee can make it happen! Their lead Graphic Artist/Owner Brian has over 15 years experience in the marketing and print world. He has designed and produced thousands of products, and also handles the layout of many publications– including Our Town Magazine! Brian and the Bee team take pride in offering great products quickly and efficiently while keeping costs fair and affordable.

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YOUR NEXT HOME

Red Door Homes Tug Huddleston

7420 W NEWBERRY RD SUITE B, GAINESVILLE, FL 32605 352-559-3050 WWW.REDDOORHOMESFL.COM 98 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

Third-generation Micanopy resident and builder Tug Huddleston founded Red Door Homes of North Central Florida to bring well-built, affordable custom homes to the land where he grew up. With a combined 60 years of experience, a commitment to meeting deadlines, and prices to accommodate any budget, Tug’s team builds quality homes for families across the area. They know how daunting the construction process can be and that’s why the team at Red Door Homes focuses on maintaining open communication and meeting deadlines throughout the entire building process.

Building your dream home has never been easier, or more budget-friendly. With over 30 customizable floor plans, Red Door Homes is ready to build your vision.

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ESTATE PLANNING

Maria Curatolo, Esq.

Maria del Carmen Curatolo GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA 352-559-3653 MCURATOLO@CURATOLOLAW.COM

A time will come when you can no longer express your wishes regarding your property and health care. Preparing for incapacity and death is crucial to avoiding a costly and lengthy probate process, family disputes, and excessive state taxes, all while ensuring that your wishes are respected. Maria Curatolo specializes in creating legal solutions to

suit your unique estate planning goals and protect your family’s future. A native Spanish speaker, Maria specializes in this highly specialized area of law and will work with you to tailor a specific plan to address any unique needs and concerns you may have. Call today and let Maria start the process with a no-obligation initial consultation.

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THE FACES OF

GAINESVILLE’S HIGHEST RATED MEDSPA

Pure Aesthetics

From top left: Jessica DaVanti, Kelsey Cunningham, Carly Vejraska, Lindsey Monaghan, Mary Hazan, Jordan Strack, Tracy Giordano, Haley Ference, Alison Walker, Carissa Blaser, Alex Hollingsworth 217 NW 76TH DR. GAINESVILLE, FL. 32607 352-332-7873 PURE-AESTHETICS.CO 100 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

From skin care services and laser hair removal, to Botox and filler, the team Pure Aesthetics provides tailored treatments, mentoring and ongoing education that turn your aesthetic needs and goals into tangible results. By genuinely caring about your wellbeing, they give the attention you expect from dedicated professionals.

They provide a calm space to slow down and disconnect from the noise of modern life, helping you restore your body and spirit.

What excites the team at Pure Aesthetics is the chance to serve as a partner in the realization of your aesthetic needs and goals. Plan your appointment or consultation today, and let the team at Pure Aesthetics Renew Beautiful You.

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PRESSURE WASHING

HydroPro

Jeremy Maxey, Jay Miller, Brandon Williams, Zae Smith (352) 258-2838 WWW.PRESSUREWASHINGGAINESVILLEFL.COM

Since 2009, Hydro Pro has been protecting your biggest investment, by providing quality pressure cleaning services to Gainesville and the surrounding areas. They offer residential pressure washing and commercial power washing services, which include roof cleaning, gutter cleaning, wood siding restoration, concrete and more. They pride themselves on not only delivering customer service excellence, but are also conscientious when it comes to protecting and preserving the environment. They abide by all relevant EPA guidelines and use only 100% environmentally friendly cleaning agents, which are both non-toxic and biodegradable. Their goal is to build a long-term relationship with all of their customers.

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FULLY MANAGED IT SOLUTIONS

My IT Masters

Billy Canada, Daniel Liezert, Jimi Tarantino, Boris Kuchuk 2020 W UNIVERSITY AVE GAINESVILLE, FL 32603 352-559-0960 | MYITMASTERS.COM 102 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

My IT Masters is an IT support firm offering a full range of tech solutions to meet all of your small to mid-size business and/or residential needs.

Their goal is to help their customers get more from their computer technology. Their professional experience and personal approach have helped many businesses succeed with straightforward IT solutions. When your IT equipment is down, business and life are at a standstill. Every minute that a network is not functioning properly can affect the company’s profits.

That’s why they focus on emergency services, quick turnaround and sameday services for businesses and residential alike. Get in Touch with My IT Masters to see how their IT support team can provide your business with the most current technology.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

O2B Kids

Andy Sherrard and Danny StevensFounders of O2B Kids HUNTER’S CROSSING - 4929 NW 43RD STREET SUPERCENTER - 7383 SW. 17TH RD. MIDTOWN - 1555 NW 23RD AVE ARCHER ROAD - 3989 SW 37TH BLVD ALACHUA - 14400 NW 152ND LANE COMING SOON, NEWBERRY PARK OFF OF PARKER & NEWBERRY RD 352-332-5500 | O2BKIDS.COM

For over 23 years, O2B Kids has

in Alachua County alone, O2B Kids

been a leader in Early Childhood

delivers quality instruction through

Education, making a difference in

a state-approved curriculum for in-

the way children learn. It started

fants to 5 years of age. This unique

right here in Alachua County with

curriculum

the vision and passion of founders,

THINK, ask questions, and most

Andy Sherrard and Danny Stevens.

importantly instill a LOVE for learn-

Their commitment to early child-

ing! O2B Kids now has 25 locations

hood education is proven through

in Florida and Georgia with more

the hundreds of kindergarten-ready

on the way, including the newest

children that graduate O2B Kids

Preschool on Parker & Newberry Rd

preschool each year. With a tal-

opening in 2022. Visit o2bkids.com

ented team of over 200+ teachers

for more information.

teaches

NOV/DEC 2021

children

to

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THE FACE OF

MAKEUP ARTISTRY

Kara Winslow

321-356-3116 KARAWINSLOW.COM 104 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

For the past decade, Kara has been helping people look their best. As an on location, freelance makeup artist, Kara focuses on getting her clients’ camera ready for everything from television appearances to family photos. Her work has appeared on ESPN, TMZ, MTV, HSN, Oxygen Network, CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC. She’s had the

privilege of working with politicians, Olympic athletes, Hollywood actors, beauty queens, bridesto-be, graduating seniors and families of all kinds.

With an amazing reputation online and 5-star rated reviews, Kara lives and works in Gainesville, but often travels to assist with weddings, commercial shoots and projects of all kinds.

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DISCOVERING YOUR FULL HEARING POTENTIAL

Audiology by Accent

Ryan Baker, Au.D., Diana Guercio, Au.D., Steven Petrakis, Au.D. 4340 W NEWBERRY RD, SUITE 301 | 352-271-5373 AUDIOLOGYBYACCENT.COM

The doctors of Audiology by Accent have dedicated their practice to helping people discover their full hearing potential. As Gainesville’s premier audiology and hearing aid provider, Audiology by Accent stands apart from their peers by focusing on the unique lifestyle and abilities of each patient and developing a rehabilitation plan to meet those needs. Using the latest technology along with highly-personal-

ized care, the doctors at Audiology

by Accent have been able to help thousands of North Florida residents maximize their hearing potential and recapture the lost moments of life they had been missing. Audiology

by Accent’s unique pricing model allows their patients to get the latest in hearing technology without paying for unnecessary services. Call Audiology by Accent today to discover your full hearing potential!

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FAMILY LAW

McMillen Family Law

Monica Perez-McMillen, Esq. Hablo Espanol OFFICE: 352-327-8251 101 NW 75TH ST STE 1 GAINESVILLE, FL 32607-6665 WWW.MCMILLENFAMILYLAW.COM 106 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

McMillen Family Law’s mission is to seek justice and be the light during difficult times. Family law litigation can be overwhelming and stressful. Attorney Monica Perez-McMillen offers free consultations and believes that educating her client on Florida family law is critical to the success of their case.

Having a well prepared plan and making wise decisions prior to the start of

your case can be crucial to it’s successful resolution. Many of her Family law cases can be resolved amicably with an experienced family law attorney.

Monica focuses on divorces, custody disputes, alimony, child support and a wide variety of other family law challenges. Responsive, resourceful and results-oriented, McMillen Family Law is ready to help when you need it most.

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SENIOR HOME CARE

Granny Nannies

From left to right Ginger Troll, Nikki Mills, Brittany Bauman, Jacquie Wilder, and Bruce Troll 5800 NW 39TH AVE, SUITE #103 352-327-3877 | LIC# NR30211487 GRANNYNANNIES.COM

Living at home is essential for your loved one’s comfort, but sometimes, specialized assistance is needed. Granny Nannies of Gainesville is dedicated to ensuring you receive the home care you or a loved one require and deserve. Whether it’s short-term care, long-term care, or something in-between, caregivers are available 24 hours a day. Certified Nursing Assistants and Home Health Aides bring nursing home care to them. Private duty caregivers specialize in the assisted living of aging seniors and have the expertise, compassion and patience to keep your loved one happy. Granny Nannies offers home care services with no contracts, no upfront costs and no cancellation fees. Home care services are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week throughout Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties.

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THE FACE OF

COMMUNITY BANKING

Drummond Community Bank Melanie Shore, APR 3436 W UNIVERSITY AVE. GAINESVILLE, FL 3833 SW 37TH BLVD. GAINESVILLE, FL (352) 375-1890 WWW.DRUMMONDBANK.COM 108 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

As the City Executive and Private Banker for Drummond Community Bank, Melanie Shore has been the FACE of Community Banking for over 30 years.

Dedicated and committed to her customers, Melanie has close ties to the community and is known for providing outstanding expertise and customer service. Widely recognized for her service to the community, Melanie is a respected civic leader and active board member to many charities and non-profits. Melanie is the recipient of many community service awards, most notably the Service Above Self Award from the Rotary Club of Gainesville.

Her values mirror those of Drummond Community Bank, which also has deep ties to the communities in which they serve.

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YOUR BRIDAL EXPERIENCE

The Wedding Cycle Alisha Alsbrook

2441 NW 43RD ST #2-D, GAINESVILLE, FL 32606 THORNEBROOK VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER 352-507-8709 THEWEDDINGCYCLE.COM

The Wedding Cycle brings the exclusive, personalized private bridal experience to all brides. Owner Alisha Alsbrook’s experience in bridal styling, coordinating and event planning gives clients a bridal fitting experience that is memorable and fun. Every bride wants to feel special and beautiful on their big day. The Wedding Cycle is the first stop in that process. Bringing a bit of education on how to find the right gown, at the right price and the steps to customizing that gown for them is what The Wedding Cycle does.

Alisha’s love of all wedding gowns has helped to create a unique inventory of pre-owned gowns, vintage gowns and their very own Thistle Bridal Collection. Alisha’s strong ties to the wedding vendor community also gives each client a complete view of their event & needs.

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ANN MARIE ROGERS >> UF POOL DEDICATION

MAKING WAVES

Ann Marie Rogers Gators Honor a Longtime Administrator and Advocate for Women’s Athletics S T O R Y B Y H AY L I Z U C C O L A P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M I C H A E L E A D DY

W

hen Ann Marie Rogers was growing up, competitive sports for women weren’t an option.

Today, her name is proudly displayed above the entryway for the swimming and diving pool at the University of Florida’s Exactech Arena/O’Connell Center as a reminder of the path she helped pave and the legacy she’s led in the world of women’s athletics.

During her 18-year tenure as the Senior Women’s Administrator and the Associate Athletic Director at UF, Rogers oversaw one of the greatest eras in women’s athletics with the program finishing among the top 10 for each season she was a part of. Athletes also racked up several accolades throughout that 110 |

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021

period including a total of 60 SEC titles—the highest in the league—seven NCAA women’s titles, 76 individual NCAA titles, 318 individual SEC titles, 618 All-SEC honors and 1,145 All-America honors, according to floridagators.com. Her time at UF was unforgettable—even earning her the merit of honorary inductee during the school’s 2004 Hall of Fame ceremony—but the road to get there wasn’t easy.

Rogers didn’t play sports in school—not from a lack of interest, but because it wasn’t a choice she was given. Regardless, she enjoyed being active at home and even begged her dad to throw her softballs after work. She’d play basketball and tennis here and there, but organized sports in school weren’t commonplace in high school or even college. After getting her undergraduate degree from Michigan

ANN MARIE ROGERS >> UF POOL DEDICATION

Ann Marie Rogers addresses the crowd gathered at the University of Florida’s Exactech Arena/O’Connell Center during her dedication ceremony.

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State, Rogers took a job as a teacher and coach at Dearborn High School while working on her Master’s in Physical Education at Eastern Michigan. During this time, high school sports were still only available to men and women’s recreational activities in college were limited to cheerleading. After acquiring her master’s, Rogers took a job at Smith College in Massachusetts, which was her first introduction to women’s intercollegiate competition.

Though sports were accessible at the women’s college, the aspiring athletes couldn’t compete in their chosen sport, so, at the request of her students, Rogers took on the role of a faculty advisor to allow for the formation of a varsity program on the cusp of a life-changing movement.

In 1972, Title IX, which states that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance,” was enacted and ignited the rollout of women’s competitive sports in schools.

Following her part in the development of a women’s athletic program at Smith College, Rogers became a tennis coach at Princeton, which was undergoing a wave of changes on campus both athletically and academically.

“It was only the second or third year that women had been brought into Princeton being previously an all-male school,” Rogers said.

With a resume filled with positions at northern schools, it was time for Rogers to head south where college sports were 112 |

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king. Apart from getting her Master of Arts and Administration of Higher Education at the University of Alabama, Rogers maintained an 11-year reign as the first full-time Women’s Athletic Director at the college. Having over a decade of accomplishments with the Crimson Tide, the biggest impact Rogers made on the history of women’s athletics came from hour-long drives to Birmingham for her part-time job at the SEC office where she wrote the regulations for SEC Championships for women.

From Smith College to Alabama, Rogers’s experience and talent for managing women’s athletic programs prepared her for her longest and most renowned position—an 18-year stint with the Florida Gators.

“The Florida program was probably the most well-financed and well-run program of all the SEC schools and so that was why I wanted to come here,” she said.

From 1985 to 2003, Rogers served as the Associate Athletics Director and the Senior Women’s Administrator at UF—a role that gave her the chance to supervise and work with dedicated student-athletes like UF alumna Veronica Meinhard.

Meinhard, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, came to Florida in 1988 to get her Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science and to swim competitively for the Gators. As part of her degree, Meinhard was required to do a practicum and full-semester internship—the former of which she chose to do under the leadership of Rogers.

“I had the opportunity to see Ann Marie advocate for us firsthand because she would include me in meetings during my practicum and then during my internships,” Meinhard said. “I

ANN MARIE ROGERS >> UF POOL DEDICATION

spent more time with her than most of my peers and had access to meetings where I saw her work and how hard she advocated for student-athletes.”

Watching Rogers campaign for issues relating to student-athletes—especially those concerning female athletes—left a lasting impression on Meinhard, whose most recent role post-graduation consists of being the President and founder of Juniper Philanthropy Partners in New York City.

“ The thought of naming the pool for her came out of personal gratitude, but also out of admiration and respect for her courage.”

After graduating, Meinhard kept in touch with Rogers and what was once purely a professional relationship turned into a lifelong friendship—one that opened Meinhard’s eyes to what sports for women were like before Title IX. “We used to go on walks on the berm near her home. During those walks, I learned how she started in the business and how she fought her own battles to create women’s teams because there weren’t any when she was in school. She really had to start from scratch and understood that if you wanted to have opportunities for women that you had to go fight for them because nobody else was doing it,” she said.

To show her appreciation for Rogers, Meinhard and her wife,

Ohio State University President Kristina M. Johnson, made a $1 million contribution to the University Athletic Association, which included renaming the swimming and diving pool at the Stephen O’Connell Center. Not only could Meinhard pay tribute to Rogers, but she could also pay homage to the Gator swim team of which she was a four-time All-American.

“The thought of naming the pool for her came out of personal gratitude, but also out of admiration and respect for her courage.

If she hadn’t persevered, me, my colleagues, Kristina, so many women would not have had the experiences we had,” Meinhard said. Today, women’s sports are part of the wallpaper and I hope that we never take them for granted. Our gift is really about honoring and showing respect for Ann Marie and others who like her paved the way. As a former swimmer, always a Gator, it was great to be able to make that gift to honor Ann Marie but at the same time to benefit my team. Rather than naming it for ourselves, we thought it would be a great opportunity to honor somebody who we really felt a debt of gratitude toward.”

After a lengthy postponement due to COVID-19, on August 20, Rogers and Meinhard were surrounded by friends, family and colleagues at the Exactech Arena/O’Connell Center for Rogers’ dedication ceremony.

“Any time you can gather under the same roof with friends of a certain era, it’s always special,” Meinhard said. “It was like stepping into a time where things were really so special at the athletic department, largely due to the fact that Ann Marie created that culture and that relationship with people in the community. It was really a great celebration.”

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ANN MARIE ROGERS >> UF POOL DEDICATION

Rogers explained what a special moment the dedication was for her.

“It was overwhelming, I mean, I expected my name like one time and I look and it’s on three walls and it’s at the entrance of the pool and I want to go back and look at it over and over again. It’s just unbelievable,” Rogers said. “It was very emotional. I cried. I’d been retired for 18 years and you never expect something to come up after that time—most people have forgotten your name—and to have it come up and have it from such a special friend, which Veronica is, we’ve maintained our friendship, it was highly emotional.”

With her name now a permanent fixture in UF’s architecture, Ann Marie Rogers’ legacy and efforts toward women’s athletics and collegiate athletes as a whole will always be remembered and serve as a reminder of how far things have come.

“The opportunities that were available to me were incredible and very generous and I think spending time with Ann Marie helped me understand that those opportunities were not always available. I will never take them for granted. This is the reason why we made this gift—to raise the fact that it wasn’t always like this and acknowledge her work and contributions,” Meinhard said.

Rogers reflected on the growth of the women’s athletics program, and how past players are working to influence the next generation of athletes.

“I look at Veronica and Kristina and how well they have done, they’re a real power couple and I look at, for instance, the number of players Mary Wise has had in volleyball, the number of players that are out there that are coaching that were her athletes and how they’re influencing young women,” Rogers said.

“The University is very, very proud of their women’s athletics program. It has done so well. The athletes have done well academically and they’ve done well in their sports and I would just like to see that continue.”

Dr. Ryan Baker

Friends, family, and former colleagues honored Ann Marie Rogers with the renaming of UF’s swimming and diving pool on August 20.

Dr. Diana Guercio

Dr. Steven Petrakis

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BOOK REVIEW

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER’S

Reading Corner “INNOVATION: THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND VOLUME VI” written by Peter Ackroyd C.2021, ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, $29.99 / HIGHER IN CANADA, 512 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

“THE KING IS IN HIS COUNTING-HOUSE, COUNTING OUT HIS MONEY.” Written as a parody, those old nursery rhymes didn’t make much sense to you then, and they probably still don’t.

The Queen in this particular rhyme might’ve had bread with honey, but a nose-pecking blackbird? Wouldn’t you really rather get your British history from “Innovation: The History of England Volume VI” by Peter Ackroyd?

At the end of the Boer War in 1902, British citizens were “shocked,” not by the war itself, but by the “wretched condition of the British troops” as they struggled home. It would take time for Great Britain to recover.

Part of that recovery would happen outside London, as both upper- and middle-class citizens migrated from city to suburbia, driven at least partially by a nostalgia for an imaginary country life that most had never really known. Leaving London meant that many now had to commute to their jobs, and the English became, as Ackroyd says, “car crazy.”

Life took a bit of a turbulent turn when King Edward VII died and his son George V ascended the throne. Women had been lobbying for the vote and some were imprisoned, where they went on a hunger strike and were subsequently force-fed, causing outrage around the world.

George struggled elsewhere politically, too, as Germany’s growing power eased Great Britain toward World War I. At Wars’ end, British women finally got their vote, but with limitations; and flappers were changing social mores in both bedroom and bar. This, unrest in Ireland, and general

politics led to “confusion, pessimism and disquietude,” but also “vitality and exhilaration.” Homes became cheaper and more available, incomes rose, and new homeowners enjoyed mass-produced goods and chain stores.

“And then,” says Ackroyd, “came the crash.”

It was followed alarmingly quickly by Hitler’s rise to power and World War II. George V died in 1936; his son Edward VIII ruled for a few months before famously abdicating for the woman he loved, George VI ascended the throne and died in 1952.

And just like that, Great Britain was thrust into a new Elizabethan era...

Don’t even try to get away with calling “Innovation” a “peek” at history.

No, author Peter Ackroyd offers a very wide, deep examination of a century of big change for citizens of Great Britain, both private and public, extending to change for the world at large. The tale sweeps and swoops, diving into every small corner of twentieth-century life from posh pads and palaces to Parliament with a focus on politics, culture, war, and a variety of affairs of state, dropping readers off at the door of the twenty-first century. Surprisingly, this means a relative scarcity of the presence of Royalty in this tale that might make Royal watchers slightly miffed; still, Ackroyd’s work is lively enough without it to remain quite enjoyable.

“Innovation” is the final installment of Ackroyd’s “The History of England,” but you can read it first, if you’d rather.

For fans or scholars of British History, this book’s great.

You can count on it.

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BEAUTY REDEFINED

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Beauty Lounge & Co. opened their doors in February 2016 and has been providing exceptional service since day one. Specializing in eyebrows, lashes and permanent makeup, they take pride in redefining beauty. Using only the highest quality tools and products in the industry, their highly educated artists

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THE ONLY OFFICIAL INJURY LAW FIRM PARTNER OF THE FLORIDA GATORS

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Meldon Law Firm has been serving North Central Florida since 1971. We are dedicated to helping people through difficult times in their lives with a focus on people who have been seriously injured as a result of someone else’s carelessness. We take the stress out of your life and help you make everything easier to deal with. Meldon Law has also sponsored the Meldon Law TV 20 Scholar-Athlete Program since 1997 and recently established the Veterans Making A Difference Program in partnership with CBS4. Along with our community programs, we are proud to also have the longest-running legal based radio program in the southeast, which is called Law Talk Live and occurs every Saturday at 10:30 AM on WSKY. We have offices in Gainesville, Lake City, Ocala, and South Florida.

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YOUR LOCAL CREDIT UNION

Radiant Credit Union

Tom Barnard, CEO and Calvin DeCoursey, Board Chairman 4440 NW 25TH PLACE GAINESVILLE, FL 32606 352-381-5200 WWW.RADIANTCU.ORG 118 |

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Since our founding in 1957, we’ve been committed to serving the financial needs of our members across North Central Florida. At Radiant Credit Union, our members are our owners. The management team and volunteer Board of Directors (who are members too), remain dedicated to serving the interests of our members every day.

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THE FUTURE OF DISINFECTION

Simple Elements Jody Read, CEO

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Simple Elements’ products which are manufactured locally, are the latest technology in the fight against viruses and bacteria while using all-natural ingredients. Simple Elements Disinfectants, Cleaners, and Anti-Microbial Hand Cleansers are Hospital-Grade, destroying most viruses and bacteria seen in hospitals and nursing homes including C.diff and Coronavirus. Simple Elements’ products are EPA Registered,

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COMMERCIAL AND FINE ART PORTRAITS

Adrienne Fletcher Photography Adrienne Fletcher

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What if you actually liked your headshot because the person taking it sees you at your best and knows how to capture that? What if your portrait made you feel confidant and inspired engagement from your clients because the person taking it took the time to find out more about you and your brand. And what if planning a family session or corporate shoot didn’t make you feel stressed because you had someone guiding you through every step of the process? When you book a portrait with Adrienne Fletcher, you’re booking a professional photographer with both a fine art and marketing background, who will help you plan and craft your creative vision every step of the way, from what to wear to what to hang on your walls.

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SENIOR LIVING

The Atrium at Gainesville

From left to right: Merna Wimsatt, Logan Connor, Elizabeth Lauf, David Singh, Tyrus Cato, Jeremy Enfinger, Vakya Mitchell, Renee Sargable, Zaely Carrasquillo 2431 NW 41ST ST | 352-378-0773 THEATRIUMATGAINESVILLE.COM

The Atrium at Gainesville is a Florida resort, offering a unique and luxurious retirement living. With a heated lanai pool and palm-tree lined courtyard, residents of The Atrium lead active social lives in a comfortable community environment. Enjoy chef-prepared meals in the community dining room or an afternoon of golf ball toss or bean bag baseball. Play bridge in the community room, or join the green thumbs outside. The garden club offers growing plots, and the patio and campus are ideal for barbecues or walks. If you are exploring senior living and have questions, their dedicated staff is waiting to help make your retirement a special experience. Schedule a time to visit and learn more about how The Atrium is the ideal retirement community.

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PERSONAL INJURY LAW

Law Offices of Stephen K. Miller, P.A. 101 NW 75TH ST, SUITE 1, GAINESVILLE 352-244-2067 | FORYOURLAW.COM 122 |

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An accident resulting in an injury could happen at any time. Unfortunately, when the injury is serious, it can affect your entire family by having to deal with medical bills or lost income during a long recovery. Steve Miller has been representing clients injured in accidents for 25 years. In addition, Mr. Miller has over 30 years of experience in law enforcement, which helps him analyze his cases from that perspective as well. He strives to give his clients exceptional service by handling each case personally from start to finish. In addition, there are never any charges for fees or costs unless he wins your case.

Call for a free phone consultation regarding your case.

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AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING

Charles Berg Enterprises

At Charles Berg Enterprises the quality of service starts with your first phone call and doesn’t stop there. Charles Berg and his family have cared for the heating and air conditioning needs of customers in the Gainesville area since 1967. And, even though Charles is no longer with us, his family still owns and serves the Gainesville com-

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trustworthy customer service. These are the practices that have led to you would join the Berg family.

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YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL WAXING SALON

Brazils Waxing

Back row, left to right: Brittany Young, Nancy Riley, Tina Watson, Sara Price, Nicole Amidei Front row, left to right: Katelan Bennett, K.C. Austin 4817 SW 34TH STREET #5 GAINESVILLE, FL 32608 352 363 2363 BRAZILSWAXINGCENTER.COM 124 |

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Since the opening of our first location in 2011, Brazils Waxing Center has provided waxing services to enhance the beauty and confidence of our customers. Brazils understands the important connection between self-care and self-love. Our talented team of wax technicians help men and women feel confident about their body, granting them smoothe, flawless skin in the process. Over the years we have also perfected our own formula of hard wax, ensuring efficient hair removal that is still gentle on the skin. We offer a multitude of full body services, our most popular being Brazilian waxes, brow shapings, and leg waxes. Call today to schedule an appointment with us. Our entire staff is certified by the State Board of Cosmetology and we have more than 30 years of combined waxing experience.

Cleanliness is extremely important to us and we ensure each room is sanitized and spotless before welcoming our guests inside.

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CASUAL DINING

Great Outdoors Restaurant From left to right: Jim Albright, Anthony Paparella, Lynn Long, Josh Cook 65 N MAIN ST, HIGH SPRINGS | 386-454-1288 GREATOUTDOORSDINING.COM

The Great Outdoors, located in the historic town of High Springs, specializes in hand selected steaks, fresh seafood, signature entrée salads and homemade soups and deserts. The Great Outdoors features a family friendly dining experience for everyone. It’s a perfect place to grab a cold, local craft beer after hitting

the springs all day or for that family gathering. The amazing Patio features luxurious outdoor seating with live music every Friday and Saturday night from some of the area’s bestknown bands. From craft cocktails to specialty desserts The Great Outdoors invites you to make the short drive to High Springs.

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AUTOMOTIVE SALES & SERVICE Jim Douglas Sales & Service

1st row-Bobby Carroll, Chris Hodge, Brenda Forrester, Jim Forrester, Glenna Petty, Daniel Williamson 2nd row-Cody Braund, Doug Morris, Travis Hall, Johnathan Green, Dennis Railey, David Vance 386-454-1488 18300 US 441 HIGH SPRINGS, FL 32643 126 |

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Let Jim Douglas Sales & Service show you how easy it is to buy a quality used car. Located in beautiful, historic High Springs, they believe fair prices, superior service, and treating customers right leads to satisfied repeat customers. Our friendly and knowledgeable sales staff is there to help you find the car you deserve, priced to fit your budget. Shop our virtual

showroom of used cars, trucks and suv’s online then stop by for a test drive. Their service department offers the best in automotive service. Their facility features current diagnostic and repair equipment and the highly skilled technicians will deliver the most efficient and quality vehicle care. When you need service, feel free to request an appointment online.

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SEAFOOD

Ballyhoo Grill

Jackie & Bill Reichardt 3700 NEWBERRY ROAD GAINESVILLE, FL 32607 352-373-0059 WWW.BALLYHOOGRILL.COM

Looking for the freshest seafood? — The Ballyhoo Grill is the place for you! With fresh seafood arriving daily, try the amazing North Atlantic Cedar Plank Salmon, grilled on a cedar plank for a rich, smoky flavor. They prepare everything from scratch, from their salad dressing to their award-winning soups.

The steaks are hand-cut and oak-grilled by their professional chefs, and the diverse

menu has something for everyone. They’re serving up everything from salads and pastas to delicious burgers and sandwiches. Make Ballyhoo your destination for the Florida Gators with their big HD TV’s and make sure you try the incredible Bananas Fosters. Dine in or outdoors on their patio. Happy hour is 2-7pm daily with extended happy hour until 9pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

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HOMETOWN LOCAL BUSINESS

Pawn Pro, LLC Chris Mack

25040 W NEWBERRY RD, NEWBERRY 352-327-9067 | PAWNPROLLC.COM 128 |

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A family owned local business with

pride in offering top dollar for jewelry,

over 20 years of pawn broking experi-

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BEAUTY

LAE Beauty Bar Sandra Marin,Judy Colson, Stine Ford, Jordan Wiedenbaum (seated in back), Kelley Anderson,Chelsea Haley, (seated in back) Ali Givens, Glenda Suarez 618 NW 60TH ST 352-331-9693 FB.COM/LAEBEAUTYBAR

The original concept of LAE was to bring the hottest trends in beauty from LA to Gainesville. Over the years, the LAE concept has morphed into a beauty bar where people come to rejuvenate their mind, body, skin, and spirit through a variety of treatments such as eyelash extensions, microblading, facials, microdermabrasion, spray tanning, tanning, red light therapy, waxing, and endermologie at an incredible value. The year 2020 brought a new twist of challenges with the Covid 19 shutdown

and loss of business. The question became how to rebuild and entice customers back to the salon when personal services were less of a priority due to the pandemic. Instead of downsizing, the owner, Kelley, decided to convert several tanning rooms to private hair stations. So in the face of challenges, LAE once again evolved and added full service hair stylists to the beauty bar. LAE’s motto is although true beauty comes from within, LAE can help you look and feel your best on the outside!

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HOMETOWN LEGAL REPRESENTATION

Law Office of Maurice T. McDaniel Maurice T. McDaniel 18581 MAIN ST, HIGH SPRINGS 352-559-0930 | MCDANIELLAWOFFICE.COM

Located in historic, downtown High Springs, Maurice T. McDaniel is your hometown attorney. Specializing in criminal defense, family law and estate planning.

Mr. McDaniel is a 5th generation Floridian, Army Veteran and former member of the 7th Special Forces, Military Intelligence Detachment. He left the military service to serve his local community as a law enforcement officer. Mr. McDaniel has a rich and diverse background working with many different Federal, State, and Local agencies. In his career he has established himself in high regards as a Law enforcement officer, supervisor, liaison, and consultant. Mr. McDaniel’s unique background and experience positions him well to assist you with whatever legal issue you may have. Family owned and operated, the law office of Maurice T. McDaniel is here to help.

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FOOD & FUN

Pink Flamingo Diner

From left to right: Lynn Long, Laura Jean Knight, David Miller, Victoria Ziegler 19726 US 441, HIGH SPRINGS, FL 32643 386-454-5775 PINKFLAMINGODINER.COM 132 |

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Pink Flamingo is a new kind of diner, located a few minutes outside of Gainesville in High Springs, Florida. Savor the eats from their home-made “scratch” kitchen, then relax at the outdoor Flamingo Diner or play the beautiful, water featured, 18-hole mini golf course. There’s plenty of fun for the whole family. From craft beers and homemade cocktails to live music on the patio every Friday-Sunday, Pink Flamingo offers an extensive menu including vegan and vegetarian options. Looking for that perfect place to hold your next private event? The team at Pink Flamingo can host private dining indoors for up to 30 people or a semi-private area outdoors. Stop by today and enjoy!

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INSURANCE

American Senior Benefits Dominique Tillman, Dustin Clark, Jeremy Silcox, Kayla Silcox, Perry Clark, Lisa Clark, Zack Lewis, Angie Lewis, Owen Lewis 5700 SW 34TH STREET, SUITE 106, GAINESVILLE, FL 32608 352-745-7546 | AMERICANSENIORBENEFITS.COM

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Built on relationships, American Senior Benefits adopts a “People First” philosophy and stands ready to help, in any way they can. Let our family protect your family.

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Gentle Dental Care has been a lead-

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FITNESS

FloMotion Fitness Colt Patterson (client), Florine Bush (Hester), Claire Crist Bible (trainer), Nancy Jordan (client) 15315 NW US HWY 441, ALACHUA 352-222-7078 | FLOMOTIONFITNESS.COM

FloMotion Fitness is the Ultimate Garage Gym Experience. FloMotion has been serving Alachua and surrounding communities since 2014. Their open air facility is Covid friendly, and they are Covid cleaning compliant. FloMotion Fitness offers Group Fitness Classes, One-on-One Personal Training, Small Group Personal Training, Nutrition Counseling, and Free Consultations. Classes are designed for all fitness levels. Their goal is to motivate, educate and empower their clients while Making Fitness fun. With proper training, encouragement, and accountability anyone can grow into the person they want to be! Don’t let your excuses stop you, call today and try one of their classes. You will get a great workout and maybe meet your new best friend!

NOV/DEC 2021

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SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP, AND SERVICE Oak Hall School

Accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year 1700 SW 75TH ST, GAINESVILLE, FL 32607 (352) 332-3609 EXT.112 OAKHALL.ORG 136 |

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“For more than fifty years, Oak Hall School has been committed to providing students with a learning environment that is physically safe and emotionally supportive, where intelligence and compassion are highly valued, and dynamic teachers are dedicated to each student’s success.

Under the guidance of an outstanding faculty, Oak Hall students across all grade levels, 3-year-old Preschool through Grade 12, engage in an intellectually challenging academic pro-

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CHARITY TREES GAINESVILLE WOMEN’S CLUB >> CHARITY EVENT

THE CHARITABLE EVENT RETURNS TO GAINESVILLE

Festival of Trees W R I T T E N B Y S T E P H A N Y M ATAT

The Gainesville Woman’s Club will be hosting the event from Dec. 2 to Dec. 5 to kick off the holiday season with beautifully decorated trees. These professionally decorated trees are purchased by businesses around the communities to support the charitable work from the Gainesville Woman’s Club. The proceeds from the raffle will go to the Catholic Charities’ Weekend Hunger Backpack program, which provides meals to children who don’t have reliable access to food during the weekends and depend on their weekday lunches from school. The program strives to

provide more than 700 children each week with the food they need to stay healthy, happy and successful in the classroom, according to catholiccharitiesgainesville.org.

The festival welcomes guests to view the decorated trees, take holiday photo ops and join a raffle for a fully decorated tree at the club’s historic clubhouse—located at 2809 W University Ave. Some events that will be held during the festival include the Holiday Cocktail Party on the evening of Dec. 2, the Holiday Children’s Breakfast on the morning of Dec. 4, and the Girlfriend’s Holiday Brunch on Dec. 5.

The tickets for the kickoff cocktail party are $75, and the raffle ticket is $25. The children’s breakfast is free for children up to 12 years old and for the accompanying adult, but breakfast is $20 per additional adult. The holiday brunch ticket is $35 and includes food and drinks.

The Festival of Trees was originally hosted by the Gainesville NOV/DEC 2021

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GAINESVILLE WOMEN’S CLUB >> CHARITY EVENT

Junior Woman’s Club for about 20 years prior to merging with the Gainesville Woman’s Club. The event was then launched again in 2004. However, due to a reduction in membership at that time, the festival took a hiatus until this year.

The Gainesville Woman’s Club has been active in the community for over a century, engaging in volunteer-related services that promote literacy, voting rights, and awareness to international needs, said Theresa Beachy, a member of the Gainesville Woman’s Club. The organization does work to directly impact education, veteran’s services, home life, and the environment.

The organization is looking to refocus the community on the works of the Gainesville Woman’s Club and to highlight the clubhouse, which is available to be rented out. “The festival is a good way of doing that,” Beachy said. This festive event will help the Gainesville Woman’s Club revive and gain funds to continue its projects, especially since it had trouble relaunching its projects and community service following lack of funds during the pandemic.

In preparation for the festival, the Gainesville Woman’s Club began seeking 20 decorators in September to decorate the trees for the festival. The guidelines for the trees included the following: trees must be 6 ft. with an approximate retail value of $1,000 or 7.5 ft with an approximate retail value of $1,500, must be illuminated with LED lights only, must not be a live tree and 138 |

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must have ornamentation wired onto the tree. The tree design proposals must be submitted no later than Nov. 10, and the trees may be installed any time between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 30 or Dec. 1.

Those looking to participate in the event can find more information on how to volunteer or be a part of the Gainesville Woman’s Club year-round at gainesvillewomansclub.org.

As a family-owned and operated law firm specializing in Social Security disability law, we take cases from the initial application, through all parts of the appeals process. Through preparation and personalized attention, we strive to achieve the best possible results. There is no fee unless you win your claim.

352-378-5800

4432 NW 23rd Ave. Suite 9 Gainesville, FL

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Contact us today for your free consultation

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

The Radiant Community Foundation, Inc. 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. Radiant Credit Union started the program in 2013, but has turned over administration of the program to the foundation, with Radial 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 Radiant 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.

SPONSORSHIP L EVEL S AVAIL ABL E 1,000 CHARITY OF THE MONTH SPONSOR

$

140 |

500 RANDOM CHARITY SPONSOR

$

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

• 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.

• 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.

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

OUR TOWN MAGAZINE

NOV/DEC 2021 20XX MMMM/MMMM

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:

https://www.facebook.com/RadiantCU and click on “Charity of the Month”

CONG R ATUL ATION S! AUGUST 2021 WINNER

SEPTEMBER 2021 WINNER

Aging In Place

Generational Relief in Prosthetics

The winner of the August Charity of the Month contest is Aging In Place, Central Florida Community Action Agency. The organization’s mission is to promote economic mobility by helping people living in poverty achieve self-sufficiency. The group envisions a future where the citizens they serve achieve and maintain a standard of living above the established federal poverty guidelines. The organization will receive $1,000. Tiffany McKenzie will receive $300 for nominating them. The random charity, Ambassadors of Nature, will receive $500.

The random voter, Vicki Pritchard, will win $100.

The winner of our September Charity of the Month contest is GRiP - Generational Relief in Prosthetics.

GRiP’s mission is to use the skills that UF students have gained through their classroom work and experiences to make a difference in the lives of others.

The group designs and manufactures 3D -printed assistive devices, as well as adaptive controllers and toys, to those in need across the world. They will receive $1,000. Vanessa Chan will receive $300 for nominating them. The random charity, The Human Society of North Central Florida, will receive $500.

The random voter, Shari Linn, will win $100.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS >> CHARITY OF THE MONTH

CH A RIT Y OF THE MONTH WINNER S

A project of the Radiant Community Foundation, Inc. Presented by Radiant Credit Union and Our Town Family of Magazines

MMMM/MMMM NOV/DEC 20XX 2021

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YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GRILL & STEAKHOUSE

Stonehouse Neighborhood Grill Jamie Sulecki, Jonnathon Muller

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Stone House Neighborhood Grill is a full-service restaurant located in the town square in Newberry, Florida. Specializing in hand-cut steaks, slow roasted brisket, prime rib and half-pound burgers, their family-friendly atmosphere is perfect for special occasions or a casual dinner out. Enjoy the cooler weather on their beautiful patio and take advantage of their beer, wine and specialty drinks. Offering excellent lunch specials and a happy hour from 3pm-6pm, the owners have over 20+ years of experience in the restaurant industry, and a passion for providing exceptional food and service that will leave you coming back for more. Avoid the stress and traffic of Gainesville and take the short drive to Newberry’s newest Restaurant.

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COUNTRY COOKING

Brown’s Country Buffet

Adrian Brown, Bob Brown, Brandon Brown 14423 NW US HIGHWAY 441, ALACHUA FB.COM/BROWNSCOUNTRYBUFFET 144 |

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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, pork chops, real mashed potatoes, steamed cabbage, banana pudding and coconutcake, just to name a few, are served in a laid-back, relaxing environment. In

addition to their buffet, Brown’s also offers a full menu to choose from.

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CORRECTIVE EXERCISE EXPERTS

AXIS Training Studio

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AXIS Training Studio is Gainesville’s premiere fitness studio specializing in Corrective Exercise. We help you get off the couch, tap into you own fountain of youth and feel as energized as if you are 19 again! Offering one on one personal training and Small Group Training with regular accountability assessments, your health is our priority! Because we specialize in corrective exercise, we have the extra knowledge, certifications, and experience to train around injuries, weak-

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Danielle Brook, owner and stylist at Salon B in Gainesville, incredible hairstyle, cuts and color are her passion. For more than 40 years, this Miami native works closely with her clients to make them look incredible. At Salon B, excellence is a core value. Private rooms allow for that next level of individual attention while providing a safe environment. Danielle specializes in color and color correction along with precision haircuts and styles.

Conveniently located in northwest Gainesville, Salon B can help with sleek Brazilian Blowouts to real hair extensions. Call or stop by today or visit them online to make an appointment.

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THE BEST BURGER

Copper Monkey West

Jaylin Farnsworth, Cassidy Mark, Scarlett Burks 14209 W NEWBERRY RD, NEWBERRY, FL 32669 (352) 363-6338 MYCOPPERMONKEY.COM 148 |

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An old Tom Petty tune, a tight game at The Swamp, watching the bats fly over Lake Alice… there are certain things that are uniquely Gainesville and the Copper Monkey is on that list as a Gainesville institution. For more than 40 years, memories have been made at the Copper Monkey!

Legendary burgers like The Monkey’s Uncle, The Ranch Burger and The Orange & Blue Burger are just a few examples of why we’ve been voted “Our Town’s Favorite Burger”. Open for both lunch and dinner, Copper Monkey is always here for that cold brew after work or to meet up with your friends and family for an evening of wonderful memories, just like old times! Everyday specials, delicious food and exceptional service — come get a taste of Gainesville at the Copper Monkey West!

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THE MOST INNOVATIVE REAL ESTATE TEAM

Rabell Realty

Photo courtesy of Kourtney Robinson Photography 5213 SW 91ST TERRACE SUITE A, GAINESVILLE, FL 32608 352-559-8820 WWW.BUYSELLRABELL.COM

At Rabell Realty Group, they believe that each and every home purchase, sale and lease is unique and deserves a skilled touch. Located in Haile Plantation’s Haile Village Center, this small, local real estate firm focuses on providing their customers with consistent and outstanding real estate service. Don’t let the size fool you, as they bring the full impact of a large brokerage with the freedom & personal touch larger firms can’t offer. Owned and operated by two highly involved brokers with more than two decades of combined professional experience as top-producers in the Gainesville and surrounding areas, their team is ready to take on any project. With their comprehensive suite of services, Rabell Realty Group is ready to help you with all your real estate needs.

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PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Gainesville Turnover Specialists 7230 WEST UNIVERSITY AVE., GAINESVILLE, FL 32607 (352) 363-6622 YOURGTS.COM 150 |

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NOV/DEC 2021

The self-motivated team of hard-working professionals at Gainesville Turnover Specialists is well equipped with an exceptional set of standards, top-ofthe-line tools, and personal dedication to deliver superior results. They strive to be the premier choice for all your property maintenance needs through a selection of available services, including painting, cleaning services, maintenance, drywall repairs, carpentry, flooring, door repairs, carpet repairs and pressure washing. Their company values include a steadfast assurance of exceptional customer service, a dedicated commitment to excellence and attention to detail. Honest, accountable, reliable service, effective communication and a responsive management team are sure to help keep your investments looking new.

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GAINESVILLE’S BEST KEPT SECRET

Crafty Bastards Restaurant & Pub Orane Green, Kevin Hargan, Roman Brunson, Brad Coblentz, Torey Williams 4860 NW 39TH AVE. 352-872-5970 THECRAFTYBASTARDS.COM

From business meetings to dining out with your family, Crafty’s is “NW Gainesville’s Best Kept Secret. Crafty’s reputation is de-fined on the creativity of every dish including, crispy naked wings, 1/2 pound all Angus burgers, real shepherd’s pie, fresh beer battered fish n’ chips, and an amazing selection of what may just be your “new favorite” appetizers and handhelds. Crafty’s offers 60 rotating taps and over 750 va-

rieties of craft beer right next door at their bottle shoppe. Enjoy great M-F lunch specials, Monday’s the BEST All You Can Eat Wings (kids eat free), Tuesday Trivia, Wednesday, Karaoke, and Live musicians Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays. Crafty Bastards is a great place to enjoy your sports on large screen tv’s and they now have a covered outdoor dining area.

Crafty Bastards- Welcome Home!

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CHIROPRACTIC CARE

Awaken Chiropractic

Dr. Shane And Dr. Brittany Semegon HUNTER’S CROSSING SHOPPING CENTER 5200 NW 43RD ST #507, GAINESVILLE, FL 32606 PHONE: (352) 448-1402 AWAKENMYHEALTH.COM 152 |

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At Awaken Chiropractic, their goal is to help you function as well and as long as you can so you can enjoy the things in life that really matter. They are focused on improving the health and wellness of our entire community, and their mission is to provide you not only chiropractic care, but also the tools you need to improve your overall health and wellness for a lifetime. The chiropractic adjustments you receive at Awaken Chiropractic are safe and effective for people of all ages, including infants. They offer science-backed, ethical and principled chiropractic care to help alleviate pain and illness. Dr. Shane and Dr. Brittany Semegon are here to help you achieve the highest level of healthy living possible.

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COMMERCIAL INSURANCE

SCHNEIDER AND ASSOCIATES

Shaun McClintic, Grecia Raga ,Cherie Carroll, and Mariam Wilson 285 NW 138TH TER; SUITE100 JONESVILLE, FL 32669 352-333-3775

Schneider & Associates Insurance Agencies, Inc. is a family owned and operated independent insurance agency established in 2003. As an Independent agency they have the advantage of writing Commercial Insurance with over 50 highly rated insurance carriers (and counting) as well as Group Health Insurance. Independent insurance agencies are able to offer a wide variety of coverage options and prices. Schneider & Associates is your “one stop shop”. The commercial team has combined experience in underwriting, auditing, and sales. Whether it is a general liability, commercial property, workers compensation or any other commercial coverage you are looking for, they are right around the corner and will be your personal advisor and advocate. Schneider & Associates is the local agency that you can trust!

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PEDIATRIC CARE

Little Pine Pediatrics

Back row: Vanessa Wood, Sarah Garrett, ARNP; Ronald Emerick, DO; Lauren Womack, ARNP; Allie Findley Front row: Grace Williams, Melinda Othus, Mara Fishman 15551 NW HWY 441, STE 40, ALACHUA 386-518-0102 LITTLEPINEPEDIATRICS.COM 154 |

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The team at Little Pine Pediatrics consists of experienced, compassionate pediatricians and friendly, nurturing staff members who take pride in giving their young patients the personalized pediatric care they deserve. They understand you have a choice of pediatricians, and look forward to showing you how they differ from other practices. All of their providers are highly educated professionals who have undergone rigorous

academic and clinical training in pediatrics. The highly trained staff at Little Pine maintains a high level of expertise through continuing education in order to provide the most up-to-date care for the young patients they serve. Little Pine Pediatrics believes in a team approach to your child’s health and well being which allows the doctors to collaborate with parents to provide the highest level of care.

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SOLAR ENERGY

EnLight Energy

Alexander Black, Andres Gamboa, NickTvrdy, Chris Shaw, Gabi Shapiro 352-222-0795 WWW.ENLIGHT.ENERGY

Explore smarter ways to power your home. Stop worrying about your utility costs and start saving with solar power. You switched all the light bulbs over to CFLs and started running the wash on cold, and only at off-peak hours, but it still isn’t enough. You know there’s more you could do but something’s holding you back. Maybe you feel like it’s too expensive, or too much of hassle. But really, it isn’t at all. EnLight Energy will examine your home free of charge and make unbiased and tailored energy management recommendations. EnLight Energy can work closely with you to adopt solutions that drastically reduce your electric, gas or oil bill, renovate your home to eliminate those energy bills altogether, or if you are in the market, guide you in buying or building a Zero Energy Home.

NOV/DEC 2021

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EXCEPTIONAL SENIOR CARE

Touching Hearts at Home Owners Ruben & Rose Ramos, Christina Ramos, Anthony Ramos, Gabe & Cassandra Fernandez 4051 NW 43RD STREET, SUITE 37 GAINESVILLE, FL 32606 352-225-3727 WWW.TOUCHINGHEARTS.COM/GAINESVILLE/ 156 |

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NOV/DEC 2021

Touching Hearts at Home has been serving the community and providing exceptional in-home personal care for seniors, adults and adults with disabilities for over 10 years. Touching Hearts at Home specializes in providing 24-hour, day or overnight care, Alzheimer’s and Dementia care, home-from-hospital/rehabcare,Parkinson’s care, stroke care, respite care, hospice support, and care at assisted living/nursing homes. Seniors and their families choose personal care services that maintain well-being and safety in one’s own home or wherever it is that they call home while helping them live as independently as possible with proper care and safety.

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YOUR INNER WOW! Accent Aesthetics Esther Webb, DNP 4340 W NEWBERRY RD, SUITE 301 | 352-271-5388 GAINESVILLEBEAUTY.COM

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EVENT MANAGEMENT

Integrity Orchid LaKendra Garrison 352-448-9332 WWW.INTEGRITYORCHID.COM 158 |

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NOV/DEC 2021

La’Kendra D. Garrison, Event Implementation Professional and owner of Integrity Orchid Consulting, LLC, will manage your event and allow you to be a gracious host and create memories with your guests.

Managing corporate, intimate, and social events are easier when you work with Integrity Orchid! We will

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CHINESE MEDICINE

Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine Tara Laws, Christopher Wyman, MJ Ritterhoff, Jose Rivera 1000 NE 16TH AVE BLDG. SUITE F GAINESVILLE 32601 352-371-2833 WWW.DRAGONRISES.EDU

Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine provides the ideal environment and resources for acupuncture students. Co-founded in 2001 by Dr. Leon Hammer, DRCOM is unique among acupuncture schools offering its students a complete and far-reaching education, enabling them to become competent, confident and successful acupuncturists, able to help people achieve both genuine healing and long-term health and wellness. Providing exceptional training in all aspects of Chinese medicine, a special emphasis is placed on the science and art of pulse diagnosis. Contemporary Chinese Pulse Diagnosis® and Contemporary Oriental Medicine® form the basis of our curriculum, and provide students with an outstanding education. License No. 2425, the Fl. Commission for Independent Education, ACAHM Accredited 10 semester program.

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URGENT CARE

OneStop Medical & Urgent Care Left to right Madison Macarages, Rachel Westwood, MS, Cara Chatmon, Jordan Hay, FNP-C, Katie Lopez, FNP-C, and Cheryl Perry, MBA 15652 NW US HWY 441, STE. 2 D, ALACHUA 386-418-4060 ONESTOPMEDCENTER.COM 160 |

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OneStop Medical and Urgent Care in Alachua, Florida is locally owned and operated, they truly understand the importance of a patient-centered environment. Available to assist with illnesses and injuries, the staff is committed to providing the best care possible while getting you back to your everyday life as quickly as possible. Their team has extensive experience and is dedicated

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PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

KNR Property Management KRISTEN RABELL, REALTOR®, REBECCA JOHNSON 5213 SW 91ST TERR. SUITE A-1 GAINESVILLE FL 32608 352-213-6410 KNRPROPERTYMANAGEMENT.COM 162 |

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After enjoying success as Realtors with Rabell Realty Group, Kristen Rabell and Rebecca Johnson founded KNR Property Management with the goal of bringing the same level of professionalism, responsiveness, and attention to detail to the property management business. Located in the Haile Village Center in Gainesville, Florida, the team at KNR is setting the standard in Gainesville property management. They work hard to ensure your property has the best marketing strategy, tenant screening procedures and maintenance programs in place to maximize the return on your investment. As a full-service property management company Kristen and Rebecca can take the stress and worry out of managing a single family home, townhouse or condo. Visit their website or call today to learn how they can help.

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IMMIGRATION LAW

George and Cabrera Immigration Attorneys Laura dePaz Cabrera Founding and Managing Partner 4400 NW 23RD AVENUE SUITE E, GAINESVILLE, FL 32606 352-378-3634 WWW.GEORGEANDCABRERA.COM

Whether representing individuals seeking options to immigrate to the US or businesses desiring to employ their ideal foreign candidate, Laura dePaz Cabrera’s main goal is one and the same – take an incredibly complex body of law and simplify it into achievable results for her clients’ various needs. As a lifelong resident of North Central Florida, Laura prides herself in providing personalized representation in a professional and compassionate manner – with clients from Micanopy to Mumbai. Fully bi-lingual and bi-cultural, Laura leverages these skillsets, along with the experience gained in her legal career that has spanned over a decade, to guide her clients effectively through the ever-changing puzzle that is the US immigration landscape. No need to look to big cities for immigration law expertise when their office provides personalized and accessible representation locally.

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PEACEFUL PATHS >> HOLIDAY GIVING PROGRAM

GIVING SPIRIT

Peaceful Paths’

Holiday Giving Program Bringing Christmas Cheer to Those in Need this Holiday Season W RIT TE N BY S UMMER JA R RO

M

ichelle Carter gets an uplifting feeling when she sees the grateful faces of clients at Peaceful Paths receive gifts for the holidays.

Carter has donated items for the organization’s Holiday Giving Program with her family in the past. She has also helped wrap some of the gifts for the mothers at Peaceful Paths to accept and given unwrapped gifts to mothers to wrap for their children.

“Just to see that thankfulness in their eyes that they can do this for their kids, that their kids can wake up on Christmas morning and see these presents is just very heartwarming, and it makes all the work just seem like nothing,” said Carter, who is on

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the executive board and the former board president for Peaceful Paths.

Every year for more than a decade Peaceful Paths, a domestic violence center that serves survivors of domestic violence and their families in Alachua, Bradford and Union counties, has been putting on its Holiday Giving Program. The program is an initiative where residents of the local community can give back to domestic violence survivors and their families for the holidays in multiple ways by giving donations of toys, food and more. The organization is currently preparing for this year’s upcoming Holiday Giving Program.

Staff at Peaceful Paths have been putting on the program for many years as a way to help people, or families utilizing the organization, enjoy the holiday season and not worry about getting gifts if they can’t

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GIVING BACK >> THE SALVATION ARMY

Peaceful Paths’ Holiday Giving Program is an initiative where residents of the local community can give back to domestic violence survivors and their families for the holidays in multiple ways by giving donations of toys, food and more.

do so themselves, said Stephanie Freas, development director at Peaceful Paths.

“If we can bring them joy in the holidays it’s something that the parent doesn’t have to worry about, how they are going to be able to provide a nice Christmas or a nice holiday for their family,” Freas said. “This is something that we can take off their plate.”

Last year with the help of the local community and businesses in the three counties, about 150 families were able to receive donations and gifts for the holidays. Freas hopes to do just as well this year, too.

“ If we can bring them joy in the holidays it’s something that the parent doesn’t have to worry about, how they are going to be able to provide a nice Christmas or a nice holiday for their family.”

“The goal would just be that we can accommodate and be able to provide that support for all the families that need it,” Freas said. “I suspect that the numbers are going to be pretty similar to how they have been in the last years.”

For Peaceful Paths’ Holiday Giving Program there are multiple ways people, businesses and organizations can give back.

The community can give back by adopting a family, through general donations, or by using the pay it forward calendar.

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A D O P T A F A M I L Y The Holiday Giving Program first started off with just the adopt-a-family portion. With this part of the program, each client at Peaceful Paths puts together a wish list of things they may need or want for the holidays for themselves or their children.

Staff at Peaceful Paths then start a campaign to let the local communities know that they can adopt a family for the holidays.

People interested in adopting a family or an individual person at Peaceful Paths can reach out to the organization and choose the size of the family they would like to “adopt” and they are matched. “It’s all confidential,” Freas said. “They don’t get the person’s name. They get their wish list and then they fill the wish list.”

The wish lists must be completed by Dec. 10 and can be dropped off at the Peaceful Paths Outreach Office. Items are asked not to be wrapped but dropped off and staff will wrap the gifts.

Carter and her family have adopted a family in the past, and Carter enjoys being able to go out and figure out items to buy that would best suit the people in the family. “It helps me to think about giving to others,” Carter said.

G E N E R A L D O N A T I O N S Sometimes many people in the local community are in a giving spirit and there are not enough individuals or families at Peaceful Paths to adopt. Another way someone can help those in need is just by giving general donations, which is the second aspect of Peaceful Paths’ Holiday Giving Program.

“We don’t want to say no to anything,” Freas said.

The community can give general donations by shopping on Peaceful Paths’ Amazon Holiday Wish List. The wish list includes

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PEACEFUL PATHS >> HOLIDAY GIVING PROGRAM 168 |

high-demand items needed this holiday season. Several of the items people can purchase and donate are athletic T-shirts for teen boys and girls, gaming headphones and earbuds, queen-andking-size bedding, lotion, perfume and makeup sets, dish sets, bakeware, slippers and robes, and more. A monetary donation is also accepted.

Donations can be made for mothers or kids of all ages.

Peaceful Paths is in need of any new items or new toy items.

When the mothers are asked what they want, they say what they need not what they want, Carter said. “What would be nice to give them also is scented lotion or a pretty scarf, things that make them feel like they are appreciated and that they are special,” Carter said.

Donation items are needed by Dec. 10 and can be wrapped upon donating. Those wanting to purchase a donation on Amazon should visit smile.amazon.com and select Peaceful Paths as the preferred organization.

P A Y I T F O R W A R D C A L E N D A R The Pay It Forward Calendar is a recent addition to the Holiday Giving Program that Freas started. “That one has been really popular,” Freas said. She got the idea when she saw another

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domestic violence center do something similar.

With the Pay It Forward Calendar, items from the organization’s basic needs list such as toilet paper and food are combined with items needed for the Holiday Giving Program and are added to the calendar for the month of November. Each day there is an item for a family, business or group to collect. Some items on this year’s calendar include Ramen noodles or boxed rice, tape, dish detergent, cereal boxes and toilet paper.

“Anybody can start it at any time,” Freas said.

Donations can be dropped off at the organization’s Outreach Center now and until Dec. 10.

Freas already began getting emails from the community and local businesses asking for information on this year’s Holiday Giving Program. “We live in a very generous community, and we are so thankful for all of the support that we get and the survivors are as well,” Freas said.

Freas gets an amazing feeling seeing the faces of the survivors at Peaceful Paths when they see the gifts and donations they receive around the holidays. “It’s overwhelming for them, a lot of tears,” Freas said. “They are very grateful.”

When Carter donates items or helps wrap donated items, she enjoys seeing the reactions, too, and how the community

For this year’s Holiday Giving Program, Freas hopes to get as many donations as possible to help every client at the organization. “I just think that it’s a really awesome way for the community to easily support those in need in their area because you could do as little or as much as you want,” Carter said. “… It’s just a great way to be able to get your family or your company to give back to those who are really struggling but trying to make their lives better.”

For more information on Peaceful Paths’ upcoming Holiday Giving Program, visit the organization’s website at peacefulpaths.org or call 352-377-5690.

Donations can be dropped off at the Peaceful Paths Outreach Center at 2100 NW 53rd Ave. Suite A in Gainesville.

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PEACEFUL PATHS >> HOLIDAY GIVING PROGRAM

comes together for the holidays. “It kind of brings you back to what the season is supposed to be about,” Carter said. “It’s very encouraging to know that so many people are willing—at a time where they are already spending money on their families and friends—that they are willing to do this to support people they don’t know.”

Peaceful Paths always provides services for clients year-round to help them move forward in their lives, but the staff especially enjoy helping out for the holidays as well, Carter said. “Being able to help them have a happy holiday season in an otherwise time that may not be so happy is why we just keep doing it every year,” Carter said.

Peaceful Paths also puts on other initiatives to raise money or collect donations to help the victims and their families at the organization. Several times a year, Peaceful Paths will host a pop-up thrift store event where staff take donations of gently-used furniture, toys or other household items and clients at Peaceful Paths can shop for any of the things they need.

The pop-up thrift store lasts for a few days and the next one is planned for February 2022.

Peaceful Paths also has a back to school drive where school supplies donations are accepted.

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WOOFSTOCK

Thursday, November 4 from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Santa Fe River Ranch, 29220 NW 122nd St. ALACHUA – Join the Humane Society of North Central Florida for their sixth annual Woofstock fundraiser. You won’t want to miss a groovy evening of live music, delicious food and drinks, an incredible silent auction and lots of funky fun. All proceeds from Woofstock will directly support our life-saving efforts. humanesocietyncfl.org THE MOUNTAIN TOP

Thru November 7

The Hippodrome, 25 SE 2nd Place

GAINESVILLE – A gripping re-imagination of events the night before the assassination of the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 3rd, 1968, after delivering one of his most memorable speeches, an exhausted Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel while a storm rages outside. When a mysterious stranger arrives with some surprising news, King is forced to confront his destiny and his legacy to his people. thehipp.org

SCARY STORIES: A NIGHT OF HALLOWEEN ONE ACTS

Thursday, November 4 – Saturday, November 13 Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, 619 S Main St.

GAINESVILLE – A night of one-act plays featuring adaptations of some of the spookiest chilling stories to keep the Halloween spirit going. Including Neil Gaiman’s “A Study in Emerald,” Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death.” acrosstown.org

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28TH ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC

Friday, November 5, from 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Hawkstone Country Club, 9905 SW 44th Ave.

GAINESVILLE – Come on out to Hawkstone Country Club for the 28th Annual Charity Golf Classic benefiting Stop Children’s Cancer. Join in on a fabulous golf day with a foursome team or enter as an individual to be put with a foursome.

Enjoy putting contests, food, a silent auction and plenty of golf. stopchildrenscancer.org

HOLLOW OAKS CORN MAZE

Friday, November 5, from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.

INDIE LIVE PRESENTS: KING COMPLEX, TAKE LEAD & SPEAK EASY

Friday, November 5 from 7:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Heartwood Soundstage, 619 South Main St.

GAINESVILLE – Come on out for the last show of the Indie Live series at Heartwood featuring King Complex, Take Lead, & Speak Easy. Tickets are $10 during pre-sale and $12 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 pm and the show begins at 8 pm. heartwoodsoundstage.com

SWALLOWTAIL FARM FALL FESTIVAL

Hollow Oaks Corn Maze, 18005 NW 190th

Saturday, November 6 from 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Ave.

Swallowtail Farm, 7301 SE 92nd Terrace

HIGH SPRINGS – Located between Alachua and High Springs, Hollow Oaks Corn Maze is family fun for all ages with a maze, hayride and children’s area. Tickets are $12 for ages 13 and up, $10 for children age 4 through 12 and free for kids 3 and under. hollowoakscornmaze.com

GAINESVILLE – Join Swallowtail Farm for their very first Fall Festival at their new farm. We’ll have live music, food and drink, amazing workshops, vendors, and so much more! To stay up to date on times, workshops, schedule and more details, visit their website at swallowtailcsa. com

MERRY MEMBER MINGLE

Saturday, November 6 from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation

40TH DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL & ART SHOW

Saturday, November 6, and Sunday, November

10TH ANNUAL HEARTBREAKER CYCLING INVITATIONAL

Foundation, 8528 E County Road 225

7 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

GAINESVILLE – Network with fellow Feline Conservation Foundation members, businesses and supporters at the annual end of the year Merry Member Mingle. Facility tours of Carson Springs Wildlife begin at 2:30 pm. Food, drinks, games, silent auction, and touring the facility is all included with $35 ticket purchase. felineconservation.org

Downtown Gainesville, 111 E University Ave.

One Love Café, 4989 NW 40th Place

GAINESVILLE – North Florida’s art scene swings into high gear on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the highly acclaimed 40th Annual Downtown Festival & Art Show. The streets of historic downtown Gainesville, Florida will be transformed into a celebration of art and creativity complete with live music, performing arts, and a spectacular array of food. Art lovers will fill the streets to enjoy and purchase one-ofa-kind artwork. gainesvilledowntownartfest.net

GAINESVILLE – The Heartbreaker is an event that traverses some of Gainesville’s most beautiful roads. Featuring Live Oak canopies adorned with Spanish moss, dirt, limerock, gravel and paved roads, this ride has it all. Ride routes will be posted in the week leading up to the event. gravelcyclist.com/ north-florida-freeride-gravel-series

HISTORIC BIKE TOUR

Saturday, November 6 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Florida Museum of Natural History, 3215 Hull Road

GAINESVILLE – Take a ride through history and experience the University of Florida from a completely different perspective on this free tour exploring archaeological sites and historic features that make the campus unique. The two-hour tour will start and end at the Florida Museum. Check in at the Museum picnic tables by 1:45 p.m. The ride begins promptly at 2 p.m. floridamuseum.ufl.edu

DAYMÉ AROCENA

Sunday, November 14 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Main Street Alachua, 15000 Bob Hitchcock’s

UpStage at the Phillips Center, 3201 Hull

Main St.

Road

ALACHUA – Come spend your Sunday afternoon with family and friends strolling along historic downtown Main St. Alachua. Savor delicious foods from the local restaurants and food trucks while listening to local musicians on two different stages. Chat with friends, neighbors, shopkeepers and unique vendors while the children enjoy a variety of crafts, rides and games. Enjoy local businesses, artists, handmade goods and reliable festival favorites as they fill the streets with the sights and sounds of Fall. alachuabusiness.com/main-street-festival

GAINESVILLE – A radiant performer carrying the flame for a new generation of Cuban musicians, Daymé Arocena encompasses the rich, diverse musical makeup of her homeland while also drawing inspiration from the world she has spent the last six years traveling. Tickets are $50 for the 7 p.m. show and $35 for the 9 p.m. show. Tickets for UF students are $10. performingarts.ufl.edu

VIVA!

Valley View, 26001 NW 122nd St.

Thursday, November 4 from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

ALACHUA MAIN STREET HARVEST FESTIVAL

Tuesday, November 9, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Friday, November 12 at 5:30 p.m.

GCM FALL 2021 FOOD FEST

Saturday, November 13 from 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.

ALACHUA – Join us for a fun-filled evening celebrating Haven’s healthcare workers f e a t u r i n g f ood f r om B lu e Wa t er B a y, entertainment from dueling pianos, and a superhero theme! Your support of ViVA! benefits patients and their families in North Florida. beyourhaven.org/viva

GAINESVILLE ORCHESTR A

Celebration Pointe, 5001 Celebration

Friday, November 12 from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30

Pointe Ave.

p.m.

GAINESVILLE – Fall is here and it’s time to get outdoors and get your food on! Savor food from 30+ great restaurants, listen to live music by Elio and have fun while playing a game of cornhole. Please note, tickets may not be available at the gate due to limited quantity. Don’t wait until the last minute – get your ticket today. celebrationpointe.com

Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 3201 Hull Road

G A I N E S V I L L E – Dvorak!! “New World” Symphony: A soaring evening with Dvorak’s classic favorite full of great melodies along with new voices including Dr. Chad “Sir Wick” Hughes premiere of “Visions of a Renaissance” and audience favorite Tan Dun’s “Secrets of Wind and Birds” for cell phones and orchestra. Tickets are $35. gainesvilleorchestra.com

MUSEUM IN THE PARKS: MAMMALS AT PAYNES PRAIRIE

Monday, November 15 from 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, 100 Savannah Blvd.

MICANOPY – Florida’s wildlife has more to offer than the gators in the water and the bugs in the air. Learn about museum collections with our mammalogists and then take an easy hike in park with us! This highly diverse state park has more than 400 vertebrate species, including mammals like horses, otters, deer, bobcats and more. Tickets are $14 per adult/child pair and include the park entrance fee. $7 per additional person. floridamuseum.ufl.edu

STRINGS FOR PEACE

Tuesday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m.

UpStage at the Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road

GAINESVILLE – Exploring deep connections between two musical traditions, Strings for NOV/DEC 2021

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FARM BUREAU FOOD AND AGRICULTURE FESTIVAL

Saturday, November 20 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Cade Museum for Creativity & Innovation, 811 S Main St.

GAINESVILLE – Do you know what agricultural commodities are grown right here in the state of Florida? Come join the Cade and several of Florida’s agricultural producers for a day of fun and learning. Bring your friends and family to this free-admission event filled with food trucks, games, vendors, and fun for all ages. cademuseum.org

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Monday, November 29 – Wednesday, December 22 Hippodrome State Theatre, 25 SE 2nd Place

GAINESVILLE – We join a troupe of veritable Victorian actors as they weave the web of this cherished holiday tale. Ebenezer Scrooge is a selfish businessman who is taught a lesson by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future to become a better man and friend.

Bringing back the brand new adaptation by Hippodrome Company Member Niall McGinty.

A Gainesville tradition of singing and storytelling that all ages will enjoy! thehipp.org

GFWC HIGH SPRINGS NEW CENTURY WOMAN’S CLUB CRAFT & BAKE SALE

Saturday, November 20 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

High Springs New Century Woman’s Club, 23674 West U.S. Highway 27

Peace brings together Indian classical sarod artists Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Bangash, and Ayaan Ali Bangash with American classical guitarist Sharon Isbin. Tickets range from $20 - $30 and are $10 for UF students. performingarts.ufl.edu

AN EVENING OF JAZZ

Thursday, November 18 from 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Santa Fe College Fine Arts, 3000 NW 83 St.

GAINESVILLE – Do you like Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane Then come and enjoy the Santa Fe Big Band, Rhythm & Blues Band and Jazz Combo directed by Dr. David Smith in the Lyceum Concert Hall. sfcollege.edu

WILMOT BOTANICAL GARDENS FALL PLANT SALE

Friday, November 19 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday, November 20 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Wilmot Botanical Gardens, 2023 Mowry Road

GAINESVILLE – Each fall and spring Wilmot Botanical Gardens hosts a plant sale with a tremendous variety of camellias, succulents, herbs, coleus, ornamental grasses, amaryllis, bromeliads, elk and staghorn ferns and much more. All proceeds from these sales support Wilmot Botanical Gardens and the therapeutic horticulture program. wilmotgardens.med.ufl.edu

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BRITTNEY SPENCER

Friday, November 19 at 7 p.m. & 10 p.m.

UpStage at the Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road

GAINESVILLE – Singer-songwriter Brittney Spencer moved to Nashville in 2013 with dreams of molding life, truth, and wild imagination into country music. She’s since toured and performed with artists including Carrie Underwood and Christopher Cross. Tickets are $50 for the 7 p.m. show and $35 for the 10 p.m. show. Tickets for UF students are $10. performingarts.ufl.edu

HIGH SPRINGS – This year’s craft and bake sale fundraiser will benefit Ronald McDonald House and the High Springs Police Department’s Operation Holiday Cheer.

Many new and returning vendors will offer beautiful unique hand-made items for gifts or a treat for you. There will be an opportunity cookie basket with a gift card attached and a holiday tree decorated with gift cards. The lunch menu will be delicious Frito® pies, hot dogs, chips, coffee, soda, and water. gfwchighspringswomansclub.org

PINSPIRATION MAKER FAIR

DECK THE RUNWAY

Saturday, November 20 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Friday, November 19 at 7 p.m.

Pinspiration Gainesville, 1132 NW 76th Blvd.

Butler Town Center

GAINESVILLE – Join Pinspiration for their November Maker Fair featuring an assortment of locally made crafts for sale while enjoying the opportunity to participate in mini-crafts guests can make and take. facebook.com/ pinspirationgainesville

GAINESVILLE – The Inaugural Deck the Runway fashion show benefiting PALS THRIVE is hosted

by Butler Enterprises and held at the Butler Town Center. It will be a night of fun, fashion, and philanthropy featuring the latest styles from Butler retailers modeled by locals. There will be a delicious spread of tasty appetizers and drinks from Butler restaurants. Make sure to tell all your fashion-forward and fabulous friends to follow @ShopAtButler on Facebook and Instagram for updates and ticket information. shopatbutler.com

TODD BARRY

Saturday, November 20 at 7 p.m. & 9 p.m.

UpStage at the Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road

GAINESVILLE – UF alum Todd Barry has been serving up his particular brand of deceptively deadpan comedy for decades, earning him a level of reverence very few in his profession get to enjoy. Tickets are $50 for the 7 p.m. show and $35 for the 9 p.m. show. Tickets for UF students are $10. performingarts.ufl.edu

MIRACLE ON 34TH ST. (THE MUSICAL) RADIO PLAY

Friday, November 26 – Thursday, December 23 Hippodrome State Theatre, 25 SE 2nd Place

GAINESVILLE – Get into the holiday spirit with this classic story of the last-minute replacement Santa for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade who claims to be the real Kris Kringle, where the belief of a little girl makes all the difference in this iconic story. Be part of the studio audience for this live musical radio play adapted from the original 1947 Lux Radio Broadcast. thehipp.org

HOLIDAY MARKET

Saturday, November 27 from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

The AUK Market, 2031 NW 6th St.

GAINESVILLE – Come find very special gifts and products while supporting talented local makers & brands. Featuring 25+ vendors, fun activities, guest food truck offerings, food and coffee from Curia on the Drag and tasty drinks from Dad’s Bar. theaukmarket.com

JANE LYNCH: A SWINGIN’ LITTLE CHRISTMAS!

Monday, November 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road

GAINESVILLE – Ring in the holidays with Jane Lynch (Glee), Kate Flannery (The Office), and Tim Davis (Glee)! This heartfelt, hilarious performance of A Swingin’ Little Christmas! will feature lively, finger-snapping takes on classic

holiday tunes as well as nostalgia-steeped originals. Tickets range from $30 - $60 and are $10 for UF students. performingarts.ufl.edu

FESTIVAL OF TREES KICKOFF COCKTAIL PARTY

Thursday, December 2 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Gainesville Woman’s Club, 2809 W University Ave.

GAINESVILLE – This Keith Watson Event production will also allow guests an up close viewing of the beautifully decorated trees, holiday photo ops, and an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for the KWE decorated tree to be given away on December 5th.

Proceeds benefit Catholic Charities Weekend Hunger Backpack program, and the Gainesville Woman’s Club programs. Tickets are $75 and proceeds support the Weekend Hunger Backpack Program at Catholic Charities. gainesvillewomansclub.org

LIGHTS ON, CURTAIN UP, “WE’RE BACK!”

Friday, December 3 & Saturday, December 4 from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Santa Fe College Fine Arts, 3000 NW 83 St.

GAINESVILLE – Santa Fe singers, dancers, actors and musicians will bring their best work to entertain and delight audiences under the direction of Marion J. Caffey. The evening will culminate with a set by the headliner and wellknown singer/recording artist Avery Sunshine. sfcollege.edu

THE HOMECOMING

Friday, December 3 – Sunday, December 19 High Springs Community Playhouse, 23416 W US Highway 27

HIGH SPRINGS – Known on television as The Waltons, they’re called The Spencers in the original book, which is how they’re named here.

The time is the Great Depression and the large Spencer family, living at the foot of a Virginia mountain, is struggling hard just to survive. With his father having to take the only available job a long way from home, Clay-Boy is stuck with unusual responsibility for his brothers and sisters. highspringsplayhouse.com

GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES

Friday, December 3 – Sunday, December 19

Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, 619 S Main St.

GAINESVILLE – Over the course of 30 years, the lives of Kayleen and Doug intersect at the most bizarre intervals, leading the two childhood friends to compare scars and the physical calamities that keep drawing them together. acrosstown.org

CHILDREN’S HOLIDAY BREAKFAST

Saturday, December 4 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Gainesville Woman’s Club, 2809 W University Ave.

GAINESVILLE – Join the Gainesville Woman’s Club for a Children’s Holiday Breakfast where children aged 0-12 can have a special holiday breakfast, make an ornament, get a decorated cookie to take home, and have a picture with Santa and Rudolph.

An accompanying adult will receive a free breakfast as well. Tickets are $20. gainesvillewomansclub.org

SPECIAL OLYMPICS FLORIDA’S RACE FOR INCLUSION GAINESVILLE

Saturday, December 4 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

CRAFT FESTIVAL

Saturday, December 4 – Sunday, December 5 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Stephen C. O’Connell Center, 250 Gale Lemerand Drive

GAINESVILLE – The Craft Festival is an annual event that showcases crafts authentically made by talented artisans and crafters. The Craft Festival provides an excellent opportunity to shop for unique merchandise and gifts and features hundreds of different vendors. Come find something special for yourself or that hard to shop for person in your life. Tickets are $5 at the door or $4 with coupon; $3 at the door for UF students or $2 with coupon. oconnellcenter.ufl.edu/craftfestival

The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries, 1545 W University Ave.

GAINESVILLE – Special Olympics Florida’s Race for Inclusion is a nine-month campaign to inspire people across the state to create communities where everyone is respected and valued. Special Olympics Florida on December 4 for a 5k run/walk that winds through the heart of UF’s picturesque campus and past the iconic Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The funds raised support SOFL’s programs in Gainesville. give.specialolympicsflorida.org NOV/DEC 2021

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joining them for their annual “Build a House for the House” event. Enjoy holiday cheer and fun while you decorate a gingerbread house with your friends. For more information, please contact Sherry Houston at 352-374-4404 x230 or shouston@rmhcncf.org.

THE KINGDOM CHOIR

Monday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road

CINDERELLA

Friday, December 10 at 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 11 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road

GAINESVILLE — The Danscompany presents their annual performance of Cinderella, a full-length ballet. See if the two ugly stepsisters, Skinny and Dumpy, can capture the heart of the prince. Cheer on Cinderella as she dances the night away at the ball, and sigh as she rides away in her beautiful carriage. It’s a timeless love story and a truly magical performance that you don’t want to miss. Make Cinderella your family tradition! danscompanyofgainesville.org, performingarts.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE – The Kingdom Choir was catapulted to worldwide fame after its showstopping performance of Stand By Me at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Their holiday program will include soulful renditions of traditional gospel classics and popular contemporary pieces. Tickets range from $20 - $40 and are $10 for UF students. performingarts.ufl.edu

GHOST-NOTE (OUTDOOR SHOW)

Thursday, December 9 from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Heartwood Soundstage, 619 South Main St.

GAINESVILLE – Funk superstars Ghost-note return to Heartwood funk your socks off.

Featuring Sput and Nate (Snarky Puppy), Mono Neon (Prince) and an all-star cast of the baddest musicians on the planet, Ghost-note will rock outdoor stage at Heartwood. Tickets are $22 $25. heartwoodsoundstage.com

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

GIRLFRIEND’S HOLIDAY BRUNCH

Friday, December 10 from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Sunday, December 5 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Town Center

Gainesville Woman’s Club,

GAINESVILLE – Join the 4th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Butler! Bring the family for photo ops, food, festivities, and a visit from Santa! Butler Town Center looks forward to seeing your merry faces. shopatbutler.com

2809 W University Ave.

GAINESVILLE – Holidays are meant for friends and family - so grab your bestie and join the Gainesville Woman’s Club for a Girlfriend’s Holiday Brunch as part of the 2021 Festival of Trees. Enjoy catered food and drinks, plenty of opportunity for beautiful holiday pics, and all supporting local charities! Tickets are $35. gainesvillewomansclub.org

BUILD A HOUSE FOR THE HOUSE

Monday, December 6 from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Cade Museum for Creativity & Innovation, 811 S Main St.

GAINESVILLE – The Cade Museum invites you to help families find strength in numbers by 174 |

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Greenspace at Butler Town Center, Butler

RISING APPALACHIA (OUTDOOR SHOW)

Friday December 10 from 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.

festival appearances and sold-out shows at venues across the country. Tickets are $25. heartwoodsoundstage.com

SANTA CRAWL

Saturday, December 11 at 7 p.m.

Celebration Pointe, 5001 Celebration Pointe Ave.

GAINESVILLE – Don your favorite holiday costume or ugly sweater and join the 11th Annual Gainesville Santa Crawl at Celebration Pointe! Tickets to benefit Catholic Charities’ the Weekend Hunger Backpack Program are $25 and may be purchased from the Facebook page or at the event. For questions, please call Judy Locascio at (352) 665-8694.

HOLIDAY MARKET

Saturday, December 18 from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

The AUK Market, 2031 NW 6th St.

GAINESVILLE – Come find very special gifts and products while supporting talented local makers & brands. Featuring 25+ vendors, fun activities, guest food truck offerings, food and coffee from Curia on the Drag and tasty drinks from Dad’s Bar. theaukmarket.com

DANCE ALIVE NATIONAL BALLET PRESENTS: CLASS WITH CLARA

Saturday, December 18 & Sunday, December 19 at 4 p.m.

Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road

GAINESVILLE – Join the charming ‘Clara’, heroine of the Nutcracker Ballet for a princessstyle ballet class onstage in the Kingdom of the Sweets! Training not required. Street shoes acceptable, but you can dance in your socks or ballet shoes. Company dancers will be available to help your children as well.

Special gifts will be handed out following the class. All ages welcome. Tickets are $25. performingarts.ufl.edu

DANCE ALIVE NATIONAL BALLET PRESENTS: THE NUTCRACKER

Heartwood Soundstage, 619 South Main St.

Saturday, December 18, & Sunday, December

GAINESVILLE – As world travelers for nearly two decades, Rising Appalachia have merged multiple global music influences with their own southern roots to create the inviting new folk album, Leylines. Remarkably the band has built its legion of listeners independently — a self-made success story that has led to major

19 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road

GAINESVILLE – The all-time family favorite with beautiful dancing, sets and costumes is here again. Clara saves the Nutcracker prince, and to thank her, he brings her on a magical journey to the Kingdom of the Sweets,

where the exquisite Sugar Plum Fairy puts on a regal show for her. Tickets range from $25 - $45 and $25 for seniors and students. performingarts.ufl.edu

RECURRING EVENTS MEASUREMENT RULES

September 19 – January 2; Friday – Sunday from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention, 811 South Main St.

GAINESVILLE - Measurement is an essential part of our lives, but not always easy to understand.

Gauge height, distance, mass and time using traditional - and not-so-traditional - tools and units. Learn the language of measurement and work with others to become a measuring wizard.cademuseum.org

SHADOW TO SUBSTANCE

July 27 – February 27, Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Harn Museum of Art, 3259 Hull Road

GAINESVILLE – Shadow to Substance creates a chronological arc from the past to the present into the future using historical photographs from Harn and Smathers Library collections and through the lens of Black photographers working today. It pictures histories of enslavement, Jim Crow Florida, the Great Migration, the Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter. harn.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE CARS & COFFEE

Second Sundays from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Whole Foods Market, 3490 SW Archer Road

GAINESVILLE – A gathering for automotive enthusiasts of all types from exotics and classics to imports and jalopies. The meet is free to attend; coffee will be provided to attendees, as well as breakfast items for sale. gainesvillecarsandcoffee.com

CREATIVE COOKING / BALLROOM

Fourth Tuesdays at 11 a.m.

Gainesville Woman’s Clubhouse, 2809 W University Ave

GAINESVILLE - Creative Cooking with the Gainesville Woman’s Club meets the fourth Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. of each month, except December and May to share ideas, recipes, tasting parties, and demonstrations. gfwcfl-gainesvillewomansclub.org

PLAYLIST @ THE POINTE

Fourth Fridays from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Celebration Pointe, Celebration Pointe Ave.

GAINESVILLE – Kick the weekend off with Playlist at the Pointe – a music event offering an eclectic mix of music from a variety of genres like country, rock, soul and more. celebrationpointe.com

GAINESVILLE SHRINE CLUB MARKETPLACE

GUIDED WALK AT KANAPAHA

Fourth Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

First Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Road

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 4700 SW 58th

GAINESVILLE – The Gainesville Shrine Club’s MarketPlace is a yard sale/ flea market with proceeds benefiting the local Shrine Club.

Contact David Jones at 336-430-910 to reserve your vendor spot. gainesvilleshrineclub.org

Drive

GAINESVILLE – Enjoy a guided tour through Kanapaha Botanical Gardens starting at 10 am the first Saturday of every month. Regular admission price applies for non-members. kanapaha.org

Gainesville Shrine Club, 8100 SW Archer

BIRD WALKS AT THE WETLANDS

JAZZ ON THE GREEN

Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Second Saturdays from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park, 325 SW Williston

Celebration Pointe, 5001 Celebration Pointe

Road

Ave. Suite 140

GAINESVILLE – Discover the rich diversity of birds at one of north central Florida’s premier birding hotspots during a 2-3-hour guided walking tour. Join us to see why Sweetwater Wetlands Park is the most popular birding destination in the Gainesville area. Walks

GAINESVILLE – Join Celebration Point every second Saturday of the month for live music, food, drinks and more! Spread a blanket under the setting sun, and catch some beautiful music on the green. celebrationpointe.com

are free with park admission fee ($5/vehicle) and are offered every Wednesday morning from September 1st through the end of May. alachuaaudubon.org

RUNNING TABS

Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m.

First Magnitude Brewing Company, 1220 SE Veitch St.

GAINESVILLE – Running Tabs is a fun, open group aimed at promoting runners and the running community throughout the Gainesville area. Runs are free and open to runners of all ages and fitness levels. If you’re looking for a running group to help you get into running or to improve your race performance, give us a shot. fmbrewing.com

HIGH SPRINGS FARMERS MARKET

Fridays from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.

23517 NW 185th Road

HIGH SPRINGS – Florida grown fruit, vegetables, dairy and meats as well as honey, handmade treats and more. The Farmers Market is produced by The City of High Springs. highsprings.us/farmersmarket

ALACHUA COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKET

Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

5920 NW 13th St.

GAINESVILLE – Don’t forget to bring shopping bags, your grocery list, and plenty of small bills. This market prides itself on being a grower’s only market – meaning the vendors selling produce, plants and other products must have grown the items themselves.

441market.com

HAILE FARMERS’ MARKET

Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Haile Plantation Village

GAINESVILLE – Take a stroll down the treelined streets of the Haile Village Center to browse for groceries, prepared food and handmade gifts then continue on for more shopping or brunching at the Village Center’s locally-owned shows and restaurants. Covid19 recommendations: maintain physical distance, don’t touch products, one customer served per vendor at one time and protect yourself and others by wearing facial coverings. hailefarmersmarket.com NOV/DEC 2021

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GIVING BACK >> THE SALVATION ARMY

BE AN ANGEL

Doing the Most Good The Salvation Army Gives Back to the Community With its Annual Angel Tree Program W R I T T E N B Y S T E P H A N Y M ATAT

L

ots of parents can’t afford to get their children Christmas presents this year, and the Salvation Army wants to help.

Since 1921, the Salvation Army has worked to help the community in Gainesville.

The community’s needs change from decade to decade, so the Salvation Army has grown and progressed significantly since their beginnings, but they continue to strive to help families with food insecurity, utilities, and clothing aside from helping families during the holidays.

The Salvation Army is an international movement and an evangelical part of the Christian Church. As said in the mission statement, “It’s mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”

Maj. Julia Tarnue, one of the leaders for Gainesville’s Salvation Army group, said that the Salvation Army strives to help families

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during the holiday season where expenses get a lot higher.

“The Salvation Army is like a beacon of hope in that situation where if they’re struggling to make ends meet,” Tarnue said. “To be able to have that support gives families a little bit of breathing room I think to take care of the day to day things that they’re needing to do.”

Since 1979, the Salvation Army has put presents under many children’s Christmas trees through having anonymous donors adopt an “angel” and purchase appropriate gifts based on the child assigned to them. This is known as the Angel Tree program, and it is one of the most well-known programs within this organization.

“We’re able to provide many families with that joy of Christmas that otherwise they may not be able to give,” Tarnue said.

To apply for the program, families must provide proof of residency, photo identification, birth certificates for the children

GIVING BACK >> THE SALVATION ARMY

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Every year, families are appreciative and full of gratitude. Many times parents have cried with tears of joy to the staff and volunteers of the Salvation Army, Tarnue said. It’s an overwhelming feeling to be able to provide for a child in a way they initially could not.

and proof of household income and expenses. Only children ages 12 and under can be eligible for the program, and the deadline to apply is Nov. 1.

Applications are received online and can be found in the Facebook group for the Gainesville Salvation Army. However, families who do not have access to the internet are able to go to the building and work with the office staff to complete an application at 639 E. University Ave.

initially could not.

During the holidays, the Salvation Army also provides Thanksgiving and food baskets to families to help them with the Thanksgiving season. They also provide community care ministries, where volunteers will go to nursing homes and to the veteran’s hospital to provide Christmas gifts to the patients or to the elderly. Through collecting small gift items, the Salvation Army wants to provide Christmas cheer and give these commu-

Helping provide for families during times of food insecurity is part of the Salvation Army’s mission to beat poverty, and the way they do this is by collectivizing donations and ensuring safety of meals donated to provide in their food pantry.

Following submitting an application, the Salvation Army sends the application to the social services department for review, which is then sent to the administration. Following approval, they print “Angel tags” with necessary information regarding the child so that the person who adopts the Angel would get appropriate gifts, and this information includes the age of the child and gift choices. They store all the gifts in a Christmas warehouse for that season and then schedule a date for all families to come to receive the gifts.

Every year, families are appreciative and full of gratitude.

Many times parents have cried with tears of joy to the staff and volunteers of the Salvation Army, Tarnue said. It’s an overwhelming feeling to be able to provide for a child in a way they 178 |

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nities something to look forward to.

Historically, the Salvation Army first started with a preacher, William Booth, who preached the gospel to the hungry and homeless instead of in a traditional church. He and his wife operated under “The Christian Mission” to preach to people who were in need and serve as living testimonies of good faith. Converts would be considered “soldiers of Christ” and be called Salvationists, and Booth started the Salvation Army in 1865 to welcome and help those who were not normally welcomed into a church in London. Later on, the Salvation Army spread throughout the United States and opened local chapters throughout the nation, including Gainesville in 1921.

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GIVING BACK >> THE SALVATION ARMY

volunteer at the Salvation Army to help out during the holidays, but the Salvation Army also has a lot of volunteers throughout the year helping with the food pantry as well. People can donate nonperishable foods to the Salvation Army to help families with food insecurity, or people can also donate furniture to help families who need to furnish their homes.

Right before Christmas is one of the busiest times for the mission. Some volunteer as part of the red kettle program, where they spend an hour or two at a business location with a red kettle and ring a bell to receive donations. Other volunteer activities include ensuring that all items are accounted for and inspected, and that everything is labeled properly according to each family.

Children can volunteer with a parent or guardian’s

Without donations, the Salvation Army would not be able to operate effectively and provide the services to those who need it in the community. supervision. Families join with their children and their grandchildren to get involved in the Salvation Army through working in the food pantry and sorting out the food, or through working in the thrift store and sorting out the items, furniture and clothing that is donated to the organization.

During the pandemic, food insecurity rose to become a major problem for families who were unemployed or laid off, so the Salvation Army was able to help families through providing food for them and giving whatever they could to ease the stressful times.

Helping provide for families during times of food insecurity is part of the Salvation Army’s mission to beat poverty. The way they do this is by collectivizing donations and ensuring safety of meals donated to provide in their food pantry. With its efforts to beat poverty, the Salvation Army provided utility and rental assistance during the pandemic and helped families who reached out to them to be able to afford their family’s needs

According to the Salvation Army’s COVID -19 pandemic report, they provided 225 million meals to various households, $81 million in utility assistance and

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GIVING BACK >> THE SALVATION ARMY

$112 million in rent and mortgage assistance within an 18-month period.

Other ways that the Salvation Army gives back to the community is through providing rehabilitation services and group therapy for people in need, and it also provides counseling for victims of domestic abuse. The Salvation Army also may send teams of volunteers for matters of disaster relief or during extremely necessary times of aide within the community.

All of these services are funded through donations received throughout the year. Without donations, the Salvation Army would not be able to operate effectively and provide the services to those who need it in the community.

Overall, the Salvation Army provides services for all communities from all walks of life. They seek to help the homeless, the elderly, children, veterans and communities who suffer from discrimination. With their holistic mission, they strive to serve their community based on the community’s needs and serve to bring joy during the holiday season to communities who may not have the opportunity to experience joy without their help.

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SPOTLIGHT

RESCUE ANIMAL ADOPTIONS

Furever Friends ELLIE AND SABINE

FUREVER FRIENDS IS A RECURRING PROFILE THAT FEATURES A LOCAL RESCUE ANIMAL AND THEIR OWNER, WRITTEN FROM THE ADOPTED PET’S “POINT OF VIEW.” NOMINATE YOURSELF OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW FOR OUR NEXT RESCUED PET PROFILE! CONTACT: EDITOR@TOWERPUBLICATIONS.COM.

Ellie Levy already had her fair share of housing foster cats and kittens since she started volunteering at Haile back in 2020, but I was her very first bottle-baby kitten. I was just 10 days old when she took me home and I required much more attention than she was used to. I had to be bottle-fed every two hours—yep, every two hours on the clock, which meant little sleep for her. I could tell that she felt like a new mom and was nervous for me—so much so that she was constantly seeking advice from the rescue or through videos of the kitten lady on YouTube. I can’t blame her though, I kind of had a rough time those first few weeks—I even had a couple of close calls—but Ellie never gave up on me. Eventually, I was able to eat and drink on my own and after seeing all my progress throughout the weeks, Ellie couldn’t bear to let me go, so she decided to make me her third foster fail.

Of course, before I could settle down with my new family, I needed the purrfect name. I love kneading—or “making biscuits” as we like to say in the feline world—so Ellie researched famous chefs before landing on the name Sabine, which tied together nicely with her other cat, Sadie, who’s like a big sister to me. I’m about 4 months old now and it didn’t take me long to settle into my new home. My mom is definitely a cat person, but she’s told me that I’m more of a dog and cat hybrid. I love to play fetch and

encourage all her friends to toss my toys so I can chase them. I also like going for walks, car rides and meeting new people. I’m full of energy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like my naps. If there is a blanket to snuggle up to or a sun patch to bake in, I’m there.

I also enjoy being cradled in my mom’s arms—or anyone’s arms, really, as long as they’re warm; cuddling under the covers and sucking on blankets—yeah, I’m not really sure why, but I find it comforting.

My mom can get pretty busy sometimes since she’s in her senior year at UF and is studying to be an occupational therapist, but I’m never really alone. If I’m not spending time with Sadie or accompanying my mom to work with her job as a nanny, I’m spending time with her roommates who also appreciate my presence. I don’t remember much about those first few days of my life, but I’m so thankful I got a second chance at Haile’s Angels and that I was able to find a family who loves me. My mom has

fostered a lot of kitties from the rescue, but she always tells me how we’ve all been so unique and how fostering helps people find the best pet for their personality—whether they want someone like me who’s active but will cling to you like glue or someone to enjoy a lazy day with and keep them company. Just remember that your furever friend is out there and they’re waiting for you.

If you’re interested in adopting a pet from Haile’s Angels, visit their website at hailesangels.org.

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