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ALACHUA ‒ Incumbent city commissioner Jennifer Blalock won the majority of votes in the City of Alachua election conducted on April 9. Blalock faced off against Eric L. Ford for Seat 5 on the Alachua City Commission. With 409 votes, Blalock handily defeated Ford, who garnered 336 votes.

Voters casting ballots at the Turkey Creek polling location voted for Blalock with 236 votes to Ford’s 27 votes. Legacy Park voters cast 128 ballots for Blalock compared to 99 ballots cast for Ford. Ford pulled down 152 votes at the Cleather Hathcock Community Center polling location compared to Blalock’s 27 at the same precinct. In the absentee or “vote by mail” precinct meanwhile, Ford picked up 58 ballots to Blalock’s 19 votes.

Through a press release from the Alachua County Branch of the NAACP, the organization expressed alarm over “mishaps and inoperable situations” at the Cleather Hathcock polling location. The NAACP branch claimed the issues resulted in the precinct being “down” for more than two hours.

According to City officials, however, what happened at the Cleather Hathcock Community Center polling location was simply a surge protector issue, resulting in ballot tabulation machines being down for about five minutes.

Following the NAACP’s claims, City officials clarified that in the short period of time while the machines were down, no one was refused a ballot. Additionally, the City stated that the five ballots cast while the machines were down were placed in an emergency auxiliary box and later added into the total tabulation for the polling precinct.

Blalock’s re-election places the incumbent in the seat for another three years. No one challenged incumbent Commissioner Shirley Green Brown for Seat 4, meaning she will also be re-seated for another three years.

Seat 1, held by Mayor Gib Coerper, and Seat 2, held by Commissioner Ed Potts, will be on the ballot in 2025. Seat 3, held by Commissioner Dayna Miller, will not be reopened until the expiration of her term in 2026.

As of the April 9 election, there were 8,174 registered voters in the City of Alachua. The most recent turnout of 745 votes amounts to a 9.1 percent voter turnout.

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HIGH SPRINGS – The seasonal Art Walk events return to historic downtown High Springs on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. featuring 15-20 local artists and makers situated on the sidewalks of downtown.  Downtown High Springs also offers many eclectic restaurants and shops showcasing High Springs’ walkable, charming small-town hospitality they have become famous for.

This seasonal event is an opportunity for local artisans and artists to demonstrate and display their talents and offer their works for sale in front of storefronts throughout the downtown area. Participating merchants will offer specials and sales during the event.  

Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies will be displaying the Santa Fe Springs Plein Air Paintout Exhibit until May 4. Nineteen artists, local and out of town, painted on location for a week during the first week of April. Locations included Rum Island Springs, Gilchrist Blue Springs, O'Leno State Park and Grady House Bed & Breakfast. Ten percent of all painting sales goes to Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute to support our natural waters. 

Artists/creators interested in showing and selling in the High Springs Artwalk Events, should send an email with a picture of their items to downtownhighsprings@gmail.com.

For more information call Unique Notions at 352-318-5719 or Lanza Gallery & Art.

Downtown High Springs Art Walk is supported by the City of High Springs. 

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ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua has taken a step toward updating its Code of Ordinances that regulates alcoholic beverages on public property. The City Commission at its April 8, 2024, meeting held a public hearing to consider allowing alcoholic beverages to be sold, served, delivered, or consumed on the City’s Legacy Park property.

The City’s Codes regulates alcoholic beverages and specifies the hours of sale, location of sale, and possession of the consumption of alcohol on public and private property. Proposed Ordinance 24-08 would amend current codes to permit alcoholic beverages to be sold, served, delivered, or consumed at Legacy Park.

Prior to 2015, alcoholic beverages were prohibited from being sold, served, delivered to another, or consumed in any municipal park or recreation area and on any municipally leased, operated, or controlled property or area, including public right-of-way. In July 2015, the Code was amended to permit alcoholic beverages to be sold, served, delivered, and consumed at the Swick House when the facility was rented for a private event, such as for wedding receptions.

In February 2018, the City again amended its Code to permit alcoholic beverages to be sold, served, delivered, and consumed during specified events at the downtown Theatre Park and the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center.

In 2020, Phase 2 of Legacy Park, which included the addition of three multipurpose sports fields and the amphitheater, was completed. Since that time, the City has received numerous requests to host events at Legacy Park where alcoholic beverages would be available.

The current proposed amendment will add the Legacy Park property as a designated City property where alcoholic beverages may be sold, served, delivered, or consumed. This amendment would permit the sale, service, delivery, and consumption of alcoholic beverages during events requiring a Special Event Permit issued by the City of Alachua under specific circumstances including:

Individual personal consumption at a fundraising event sponsored by a governmental entity;

Individual personal consumption by a not-for-profit entity that charges admission for the event but does not charge for the delivery of alcoholic beverages;

As permitted in accordance with a rental agreement which specifies such terms and conditions and permits the sale, service, or delivery for individual personal consumption during the period of the rental agreement.

Commissioner Jennifer Blalock made a motion to approve the ordinance update with Commissioner Shirley Green Brown providing the second. The measure was passed unanimously with a 4-0 vote.

It is anticipated that the second and final reading of Ordinance 24-08 will be held on April 22, 2024.

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NEWBERRY ‒ The City of Newberry was among 14 Florida public power utilities to receive a Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) Safety Award, recognizing utilities’ commitment to safety. The award was presented at the Florida Lineman Competition awards banquet in Jacksonville.

Linework is listed as one of the top 10 most dangerous jobs. To provide reliable power, Florida lineworkers and power crews are frequently engaged in hazardous work that can place them at risk of serious or fatal injuries, which is why public power utilities place a significant emphasis on safety and training.

FMEA recognizes and rewards safe operations through its annual Safety Awards. Utilities are categorized based on their total worker hours and rewarded for the most incident-free records. The incidence rate used to judge utilities was based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses compared to the total number of worker hours during 2023, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Newberry received a perfect rating in the category of other similar-sized utilities.

“We are honored by our receipt of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) Safety Award, which highlights our team's commitment to safety in one of the most hazardous professions,” said City Manager Mike New. “This accolade is a testament to our dedication to maintaining rigorous safety standards and training, ensuring reliable power delivery to our community. We thank FMEA for acknowledging our efforts and fostering a culture of safety, which is essential in our mission to serve and protect our employees and residents.”

“We applaud each of these winners, including Newberry, for creating safe working environments and cultivating a culture of safety so employees can safely and effectively get their jobs done,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director.

Florida’s public power utilities are locally owned, locally controlled and locally operated, enabling them to respond to the needs of their communities quickly. “They are also among some of the most reliable power providers in the state, said Zubaly.

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GAINESVILLE ‒ Incoming kindergarten families are invited to bring their children to the annual Alachua County Public Schools Kindergarten Round-Up to become familiar with the school they’ll be attending in the fall.

All elementary schools that serve kindergarten students will be opening their doors Wednesday, April 24 at 2 p.m. Children and their parents/guardians will have a chance to talk to teachers and staff, tour the campus and learn more about their school.

The first day for students in the 2024-25 school year will be Monday, Aug. 12 for students at most schools. There will be a new year-round schedule for Metcalfe and Rawlings elementary schools for the upcoming school year, with school starting in July for students at those schools. A final calendar for Metcalfe and Rawlings will likely be voted on by the school board on April 16.

Under Florida law, children must be five years old on or before Sept. 1 to enroll in kindergarten.

Parents can begin the online registration process for their incoming kindergarten students and any student who will be new to the district on April 24 by going to www.sbac.edu/enrollment. Before school starts, preferably well in advance, they will also need to provide to their child’s zoned school several required documents, including a birth certificate, proof of a physical exam performed sometime within the last year, immunization records, and two proofs of residence in the parent’s name. Examples of a proof of residence include a lease agreement, a property tax statement, a utility bill or other documents.

Schools are open during the summer months to help families with enrollment.

Families who aren’t sure what school their child will be attending can visit www.sbac.edu/enrollment or call the district’s Office of Student Assignment at 352-955-7700.

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NEWBERRY - The Newberry Spring Festival, held on April 6, 2024, in historic downtown Newberry, was bustling with excitement as festivalgoers enjoyed live music, food trucks and the more than 150 assorted vendors.  

Weather for the event could not have been better with crisp, sunny blue skies as the backdrop for Saturday's festival.  The annual event is hosted by the Newberry Main Street Organization and attracts thousands of people from near and far.

There was a little something for everyone, including a petting zoo and an interactive audience kid's show.

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