HAWTHORNE –  As part of the of widening improvements on State Road 20 from the Putnam County line to SW 56th Avenue, Chesser Monroe Road at State Road 20 will close to traffic Wednesday, February 16 through late April, weather and schedule permitting. The temporary closure is necessary to complete driveway, sidewalk and asphalt paving tie-in work.

Drivers will detour via Baden Powel Avenue to East Washington Avenue to return to Chesser Monroe Road (map below).

Anderson Columbia Co. Inc. is estimated to complete the $49 million widening improvements by early 2023. Construction completion estimates are fluid and subject to change, weather and schedule permitting. 

February is “hit-and-run” awareness month in Florida. When you flee the scene of a crash, you are breaking the law, which carries serious consequences. FDOT reminds motorists to take responsibility and stay at the scene of a crash.

Stay informed about lane closures and roadwork in your area by following FDOT District 2 at @MyFDOT_NEFL on Twitter or at MyFDOTNEFL on Facebook.

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HAWTHORNE ‒ A 60-year-old Hawthorne man was killed Friday, Jan. 29, and his 58-year-old male passenger, also from Hawthorne, is in serious condition after the pickup truck in which they were riding overturned.  The crash occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m.

The truck was traveling north on U.S. Highway 301, just north of Southeast 57th Avenue.  According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), a witness who was traveling behind the pickup truck saw the truck change lanes in front of him, almost colliding with the witnesses’ vehicle.  After changing lanes, the pickup truck’s tires went off-road causing the driver to lose control of the truck.  The driver attempted to correct the truck, but was unsuccessful.  The pickup truck hit a ditch and overturned, flipping over a fence.  The subject truck came to a final rest on 4701 U.S. Highway 301 South in Hawthorne.

Fire and rescue crews from Alachua County Fire Rescue and Melrose Fire Department responded to the scene.  The vehicle had sustained heavy damage and required the Jaws of Life to extricate the driver and the passenger.  

According to the FHP, neither the driver nor the passenger was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

In Suwannee County, a 28-year-old High Springs man driving a pickup truck was involved in a three-car crash on Monday, Jan. 24, at 5:40 p.m.  

All three vehicles were traveling south on State Road 247.  The High Springs man was driving a 2013 F-150 truck and was stopped in traffic ahead of a 23-year-old O’Brien male, who was driving a 2004 VW.  A 2015 Ford Taurus, driven by a 21-year-old Branford woman failed to see the VW ahead slow down.  The front of her car hit the rear of the VW ahead.  After being struck by the Taurus, the VW was pushed forward where it struck the rear of the High Springs F-150 truck.

All vehicles came to a final rest on State Road 247, 100-feet north of Southwest Rough Road.  The 21-year-old Branford man was cited for following too closely.

According to the FHP report, no injuries were reported and all drivers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe read a proclamation into the record at the beginning of the Jan. 24 Commission meeting in recognition of the community volunteers who organized several events during the 2021 holiday season.  He then presented plaques to honor those organizers.  

In the photograph, left to right are Kathi Thomas, who organized the Christmas Parade and also accepted a plaque on behalf of Christiana Norfleet for Christmas on the Square, Tracy Fair (City Staff) who organized Light Up Newberry and City decorations, Christina Bridwell, who accepted on behalf of Gail Hodge who organized the Christmas Lights Contest, Lisa Tate (Director of Newberry Main Street Organization) who accepted on behalf of Joel Searby for the Christmas Vintage Market and Francis Bradley (also NMSO) who organized the downtown decorations and Mayor Jordan Marlowe.

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 HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Confusion surrounded the Jan. 27 High Springs City Commission meeting as the subject of murals was discussed. Vice President of the Heart of High Springs Olivia Medina requested the Commission consider allowing a mural of former principal Tom “Pop” Diedeman on the wall of the old school building.  A barrage of citizen comments in opposition to the request followed.

Citizen objections were not against honoring Diedeman, but instead were focused on the placement of murals on buildings in general.  Many of the speakers seemed to confuse this request with items not on the agenda or with a different agenda item, which was a special event permit application for a proposed public forum to be held on March 12 – 19 to receive public input on future murals.  

Some residents also held that the “Gateway to the Springs” mural, which they said they did not like, had been painted by the Walldogs group.  As it turned out, the Springs Institute had obtained funding from the City of High Springs and the Alachua County Tourist Development Council for the mural.  Later in the meeting it was pointed out that a local artist and the Institute were responsible for the mural’s design.

In addition to the negative reaction to painting the sides of buildings, the question arose regarding a conflict of interest on the part of Commissioner Ross Ambrose as he is a member of the board of directors of the Heart of High Springs non-profit organization.  City Attorney Andrea True Parker weighed in on the subject and pointed out that there was no benefit, financial or otherwise, to Ambrose and thus, no need for him to abstain from voting on the issue.  

Commissioner Linda Jones said that it might not be illegal, but she believed it was not “morally correct” for him to vote.  Ambrose responded, “If an issue was brought up on a commission agenda regarding the Chamber of Commerce, of which some commissioners are a member, it would not be considered a conflict of interest and I don’t see the difference.”

Comments against murals centered on several concerns, one of which was that the paintings would destroy the red brick building façade and thus the historic significance of the structure.  However, it was later pointed out that any building that had already been painted would not be adversely impacted historically by a mural or other painting.  

Other comments included an emphasis on patronizing local artists instead of bringing in outside artists, the possible destruction of the quaint atmosphere of the city, belief that 10-12 murals would be overwhelming and concern that increased economic development would bring in more traffic, which would be unmanageable.  

Speakers in favor of the request pointed out that local artists would be used to help paint the murals, but that every artist is not skilled in large-scale mural painting and some do not want to do that type of work.  Also mentioned was that there are already about 10 murals in High Springs and most people don’t even realize it so it wouldn’t be overwhelming to add to them.  

After lengthy discussion, the Commission voted to continue the item to a future meeting.

In other business, the Commission considered a request for a special event permit for a Walldogs launch in High Springs on March 12-19.  Heart of High Springs member Sharon Yeago made a presentation explaining that this would be a week-long event in which the public could participate, share their ideas and vote on what concepts and locations might be appropriate for a mural. 

Local artist Tina Corbett addressed concerns that the public had not had an opportunity to participate in the process by pointing out that two public meetings had been called prior to COVID-19 with little participation from the public.  Because of COVID, the group continued to work on the issue, but didn’t have the opportunity to include public meetings.  “The purpose of the special event is to seek input from the public,” Yeago said.

The proposed week-long program will include public events to include an introduction of the Walldogs mentoring mural program and voting for project concepts, a self-guided tour of murals already in place in the city, review by the public of the various project concepts and public voting on the mural suggestions.  The murals will have historic significance, said Yeago.

Jones said she believes the Walldogs is a distraction and that the organization will come up short financially and will ask the City for additional financing, which the City cannot afford.  

Commissioner Katherine Weitz said she would prefer a workshop to discuss the matter further.  Ambrose seconded that motion, which was unanimously approved.  A date was not set for the workshop during this meeting.

In other City Business, Parks and Recreation Director Damon Messina asked for and unanimously received approval for an addendum to the operating agreement with Anderson’s Outdoor Adventures to extend the agreement.  The original agreement was to last until Jan. 31, 2022.  The extension is the only change to the agreement and extends it until March 24, 2022, unless mutually agreed to end it sooner.  The extension will allow more time to finalize the details of the contract for Anderson’s to continue managing the Santa Fe Canoe Outpost for the City on an interim basis.

Forty-foot residential lots may be a thing of the past in High Springs. Following concern expressed by Mayor Byran Williams regarding 40-foot residential lot sizes, Commissioners asked that a higher standard be included in the Land Development Code to prevent property owners from building homes on such small lots in the future.

The City Attorney was asked to look into the issue with the City’s Land Development regulations.

A request by Commissioner Jones to amend the Rules of Procedure to add a section for commissioner response after Citizen Requests and Comments was discussed.  Commissioners voted unanimously to ask the City Attorney to bring back a resolution addressing the issue for Commission consideration.  

Assistant City Manager Bruce Gillingham said the Suwannee River Water Management District had sent funds approaching $7 million to the City for the sewer project.  He also reported that the CDBG playground project should be completed by Jan. 31.  A presentation on Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) will occur on Feb. 10 and a second presentation by a second qualified company will take place on Feb. 24, at which time he will ask the Commission to make a decision as to which company the City wants to hire.

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ALACHUA ‒ Children naturally gravitate toward dancing almost as early as they can walk.  And benefits of dance for children are widely accepted.  From physical fitness to coordination, to balance, strength and posture, dance provides a variety of benefits in early childhood development.  

The City of Alachua has teamed up with the Dance Alive National Ballet (DANB) to bring their dance program for children directly to area youth.  Danceabout is a Dance Alive program for elementary and middle school children that brings dance to the community through experience and education in a fun and uplifting way. According to Outreach Director of Dance Alive Emily Pozek, the concept is “Educate, Entertain, Inspire.” Classes are designed to expose children to the art of dance as both a way to express themselves and a possible future career. 

DANB isn’t new to Alachua as the dance company has performed their annual Christmas Nutcracker performance in Alachua for the past four years as well as other dance performances.  The Gainesville based DANB has been performing over 56 years and has become an internationally recognized ballet company. Education and community outreach have always remained a priority to DANB, and in addition to their established professional school, the company has several programs to bring dance to the community and provide exposure of the arts to people and children that might not otherwise have the opportunity. 

Classes are designed to be fun for the students so they enjoy dancing, all with friendly encouragement from the teacher, Emily Pozek.  Pozek has been providing art based outreach programs to children and hospitals throughout her career. She graduated from the University of Florida with a BFA in dance and was the first graduate to earn a Masters in Arts in Medicine. For over five years, Pozek was the Dancer in Residence for UF Center for Arts In Medicine, as the lead instructor for their Parkinson’s dance program. 

Pozek also taught as an adjunct dance professor in the University of Florida School of  Theater and Dance. In Virginia, she served as outreach manager for Charlottesville Ballet overseeing multiple community programs including Chance to Dance, which provided over 250 elementary students free weekly dance classes.

Now the classes are being offered in Alachua as a joint collaboration between Dance Alive and Alachua’s City's Parks and Recreation Department.  Each Tuesday through March 1, Pozek will be offering free classes and dance experience for children in 1st through 8th grades at the Legacy Multipurpose Center from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

About the decision to offer the classes in Alachua, Interim City Manager Mike DaRoza said, “We heard about the school programs Dance Alive has conducted and that these classes made a positive difference in student performance and focus.” To register to attend, DaRoza said parents should call the Alachua Recreation and Culture Department at 386-462-0145.

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Cont: Free classes offered by Dance Alive National Ballet

 

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NEWBERRY ‒ Newberry City Commissioners got a glimpse of future growth in Newberry during the Jan. 11 City Commission meeting.  

A map depicting the known proposed residential, commercial and mixed-use developments was presented by Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas.  Thomas listed the projects and the various stages of development. 

Thomas said there were 10 projects in active development that would take 20-30 years to build out.  Of those projects, 3,545 would be single-family units and 1,350 would be multi-family units.  Using the school board’s methodology, Thomas said it is likely that during that time period 1,195 new students would be in the school system.  

For those projects with land use approval only, there are only two projects with an estimated 10-year timeframe for build out.  He said those projects would generate 355 total single-family units and no multi-family units, which are anticipated to create 94 new students.

He also provided a table of potential school impacts over a 20-year timeline, which showed an average per year of 87 students that would impact the school system in Newberry.  Taking into account the projects to be constructed, he produced another table showing an average of 349 housing units per year would come online.  

“We are nowhere near those averages this year,” he said.  “Last year was our banner year and we had 150 building permits.  This year we’ve had 123 for the 2021 calendar year, but with COVID, supplies haven’t been as available and so we’re slowing down.”  

Thomas added that the City is not anywhere near the average he referenced and that they are seeing a gradual increase in applications as a trend.

Following a presentation on the Newberry Urban Services Area Boundary and the Commercial Corridor Design Standards Update, the Commission tabled both items for a workshop format with a tentative date of Jan. 31.

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ALACHUA COUNTY – Alachua County is offering gift cards to encourage residents to get vaccinated, and for those eligible, to receive a booster shot. The County’s program offering $25 gift cards for vaccinated people runs from Jan. 12, through Feb. 28. The gift card is available for those getting initial shots or the booster. The gift card is not retroactive to those already vaccinated.

It is recommended that before getting the shot, individuals should verify that the location has gift cards available. CVS satellite locations in Target stores are not participating and CVS MinuteClinics are not participating. 

Participating vaccine providers include:

The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County 

224 S.E. 24th St, Gainesville, FL 32641

Hitchcock's Pharmacies

15560 N.W. US Hwy 441, Alachua, FL 32615

24220 W. Newberry Rd, Newberry, FL 32669

West End Pharmacy

25340 W. Newberry Rd, Newberry, Fl 32669

Wise's Pharmacy

708 S.W. 4th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601

Winn Dixie Pharmacies

20303 N. US‐441, High Springs, FL 32643

300 S.W. 16th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601

CVS Pharmacies

901 N. Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601

7430 S.W. Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608

6025 US‐301, Hawthorne, FL 32640

4354 N.W. 23rd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32606

4145 N.W. 53rd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32653

3904 N.W. 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32609

3404 S.W. Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608

2303 S.W. 75th St, Gainesville, FL 32607

19225 N.W. US Hwy 441, High Springs, FL 32643

1621 S.W. 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32608

15174 N.W. US Hwy 441, Alachua, FL 32615

1515 N.W. 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32601

14355 W. Newberry Road, Gainesville, Fl 32669

Able Pharmacy

5001 N.W. 34th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32605

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