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HAWTHORNE – The last time the water lines were replaced in downtown Hawthorne, the Beatles had not even made it to the United States yet.

That was in the 1950s. But that is soon to change, as the city has a plan in the works that will bring new life to their aged and inefficient pipes.

City Manager Ellen Vause said that the city has hired the Florida Rural Water Association (FRWA) to complete an engineering study for the replacement of the nearly 60-year-old water pipes in the downtown section of Hawthorne.

“The water lines in the area are experiencing problems that 60-year-old cast iron and galvanized water lines commonly have,” Vause said. “This includes breaks, loss of water, corrosion in the lines and insufficient water pressure.”

The decision has been a long time coming, said Hawthorne Mayor Matthew Surrency. Decades ago, it was recognized that a change was needed with the city’s water system, and now the residents will get one, he said.

Talk for developing a plan heated up following the extension of Hawthorne’s wastewater treatment plant, among other projects to improve the city’s infrastructure, Surrency said.

“At our last few meetings, where we set a future plan for long range improvement, this has hit us all,” Surrency said. “We know this is an important need for the community for both the present, and in the future.”

With the current pipes, the city can have trouble meeting the needs of the residents at the exterior of the city, Surrency said.

“Beside the fact that the pipes are the old galvanized type, they are also very small,” he said. “This does not allow us to achieve the volume of water flow we desire.”

Surrency said that along with the pipes, additional technology could be next in line for installation in Hawthorne. The city is always looking to keep an eye toward the future, and the possibility for expanding, he said. Vause agreed with him.

“The new water line proposal would increase the main water lines from 6 inches to 12 inches, with upgraded sizing in the grid,” Vause said. “New fire hydrants and water meters would complete the project, estimated at $1,245,000.”

Not only will the improvements include new hydrants, but possibly a larger water main as well. The overall water quality for the city will also increase, Surrency said.

The city is currently applying for a loan from the Florida Rural Water Association to pay for the complete engineering plans. Once there are completed plans, the city will be able to apply for grants and grant/loan combinations, Vause said.

“At this point in time, the project is just in the beginning stages,” she said. “Depending on the availability of grants and/or loans, the project could start in 2015, or be pushed out additional years as we wait for funding.”

While this is an exciting time, Mayor Surrency said, it is still somewhere in the planning stage.

“My goal is to have us find funding for it in a timely manner without having to place that stress on our citizens,” he said. “We are keeping our eye out for several options to work on the project, and evaluating them constantly.”

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alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA –A Georgia man was arrested in Gainesville after buying around $540 worth of merchandise from the Lowe’s in Alachua with fraudulent checks.

The Gainesville Police Department notified the Alachua Police Department about the arrest of Ricky Demond Dyer around a 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

Dyer went to Lowe’s in Alachua and purchased $541.66 worth of items several hours before he tried to do the same at a Home Depot in Gainesville.

After Dyer tried to purchase $527.87 worth of merchandise at the Home Depot, store employees denied the transaction because the routing numbers on the check were fictitious.

Dyer tried to leave in a Chevy Malibu. Officer Pat Donnelly stopped him at 4400 NW 20th Street in Gainesville.

Dyer threw a wallet out of the car just before being stopped. It had four different Georgia ID cards with variations of his name and different dates of birth.

He was found in possession of several fraudulent Bank of America checks.

Items from a Sears in Valdosta, Ga. were also found.

Alachua Police Department public information officer Jesse Sandusky was unable to comment, since the investigation is still ongoing.

Dyer is being held at the Alachua County Jail, with a $50,000 bond, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office website.

He is being charged with four felonies related to counterfeiting and fraud.

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NEWBERRY – The City of Newberry still embraces its rural character even as it shapes its place in Florida’s sports tourism industry as part of a new community development initiative.

On March 13 at the municipal building, the city and county will have a joint meeting to announce details about Newberry’s participation in the Department of Economic Opportunity’s Competitive Florida Partnership.

Residents and business owners can attend the meeting, which will discuss the state’s intention to utilize a survey instrument to get a feel for the community and what it feels the priorities for economic development are, said Jerry O’Neil, chair on the grant’s steering committee.

O’Neil said he is particularly excited about the active participation from both the county and state on the steering committee. Those in attendance include the county’s director of economic development program and a representative from the North Central Florida Planning Council.

The committee has been able to look at Newberry’s impact on the region and has been given input about the overall approach of economic development, not just about specific industries.

For example, one approach might be focusing on streamlining the city’s high-speed internet to attract high-tech companies. Another might be the state of the education available for the anticipated work force that will come with a bolstered economy.

“The feeling is that if you’re going to have a labor force, the support for businesses coming in starts in the school system,” O’Neil said.

The committee will have a meeting with the school board that will focus on land availability and internet, and how they affect the city’s work force, which is important for expanding current companies and attracting prospective ones, he said.

“And of course, a major influence on the overall development is the Florida Innovation Hub at the University of Florida being here,” O’Neil said.

“Businesses nurtured there will be here for ten years and then will look for a new home, and we would like to think that the municipalities in Alachua County are where they will go.” It’s not just about land availability, he said, but the unique quality of life the towns offer.

O’Neil said the committee “is lucky that the city commission has been very supportive in the economic development efforts for Newberry.”

“Everyone is fully engaged and excited, which I think is the most critical part.”

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alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA –When Alachua City Commissioner Gary Hardacre’s children graduated, they had to leave town to find a job, he said at an Alachua City Commission meeting. The next generation may be more fortunate, as another 164 jobs are coming to the city of Alachua.

Coqui Radio Pharmaceuticals Corp. selected Alachua as the site for a new facility for designing, constructing and supplying medical isotopes.

Over 10,000 hospitals worldwide use radioisotopes in medicine, mainly for diagnosis procedures, according to the World Nuclear Association. The isotopes are generally injected, inhaled or taken orally, giving off energy that can be detected and tracked by special equipment so doctors can learn more about what parts of the body are failing or diseased.

The 164 jobs will be created over a three-year period, said Assistant City Manager Adam Boukari at the Monday, Feb. 24 commission meeting.

They will range from unskilled jobs to careers requiring doctoral degrees, said Susan Davenport, vice president of economic development for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. About 87 of the jobs are unskilled or semi-skilled, she said.

Not only will residents of Alachua have more jobs available, but people from all around the area will too, Davenport said.

“It will be a great opportunity for people in the region,” she said.

It’s a time for Alachua to be on the map and shine, said Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper.

The new 100,000 square-foot facility, with a capital investment of $227 million over the next for years, is the only of its kind in the country and one of only three or four in the entire world, Davenport said. The average annual compensation for workers will be $70,000.

Because there is a shortage of one of the particular isotopes the company will create, Alachua will have a chance to have a major impact on global health, she said.

At the Feb. 24 meeting, the commission approved a motion to offer Coqui a Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund.

Coqui qualified for a $7,000 tax credit for each job that will be created, amounting to $1,148,000.

The program requires a 20 percent match from local government, meaning local government will provide $229,600. The City of Alachua will provide $114,800, with Alachua County providing the rest.

The program was set up by the state to make Florida an attractive environment to business.

In order to be considered, companies have to apply to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. There are six criteria. The company has to be in a target industry, demonstrate it will make a material difference in expanding the local community, create at least 10 new full-time jobs or expand an existing operation by 10 percent, pay an average annual wage at least 115 percent of the state or local wages, demonstrate the jobs make a significant contribution to the area and get a resolution passed by local government to commit to providing 20 percent of the refund.

Last year, Alachua-based Encell Technology, which designs high-efficiency batteries, received just a little over $1 million in tax credits from the program.

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NEWBERRY – Cameron O’Byrn, 11, and around 800 other students came to the Easton Newberry Sports Complex on Saturday, Feb. 22 with a goal in mind.

“I was hoping to at least beat my personal record of 262,” O’Byrne said.

He did just that at The National Archery in the Schools Program’s State Tournament.

The event featured more competitors than ever.

“I am very pleased with the turnout,” said Steven Robbins, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission archery programs coordinator.

A member of the Viking archery team from Lakeland Christian School, O’Byrne shot his personal best.

“I got a 278, so I feel really cool about that,” O’Byrne said.

Everyone was feeling the heat under their bow and arrow.

“The hardest part was halfway through. I started sweating and shaking,” O’Bryne said.

Practicing archery for about a year and a half, O’Bryne said the tournament taught him a lot.

“I learned how hard it is to just keep calm and shoot better,” he said.

The event also offered the opportunity for shooters to practice 3-D Archery. Bear Archery, located in Gainesville, donated two bows as prizes for the tournament- one for the top girl and boy in the 3-D archery.

“That’s what they were shooting for,” Robbins said.

There were up to 24 shooters on a team, and four of the members had to be of the opposite gender.

“The trip here has been real exciting for us. Our kids shot real well. Archery definitely gives children who aren’t super athletic a sport that they can compete in,” said Julie Walker, a parent in the stands rooting for Price Middle School in Putnam County.

The top 12 scores in each team were counted as the overall score for the team. There were first, second, and third place trophies for the teams with the highest score in the elementary, middle and high school division. The elementary level only includes the fourth and fifth grades.

There were also trophies available for individual males and females in the elementary, middle and high school levels with the top scores. All of the trophies were decked out in this year’s logo – the bald eagle.

“Friends and family were all here to support the students,” Robbins said.

Before the top scores were revealed, the coaches from each team got to shoot against each other.

“There’s a lot of noise. Everybody has their favorite,” Robbins said.

This event gave the coaches something to look forward to during the tournament.

Robbins also said archery is a good way for students to stay motivated in school.

“I hear stories about students who weren’t doing well in school, but they love archery. They needed to keep their grades up to stay on the team. And, they did that,” Robbins said.

To Robbins, there is something special about archery.

“If a child cannot dunk a fast ball, or run like crazy, they can still walk out there and hit a bull’s-eye,” Robbins said.

To him, the sport of archery is open to anybody who wants to give it a try. It makes the students more self-confident, he said.

“It empowers them. Now, how does that sound?” he said.

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alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA –A group of high school students was asked to present their vision for what the City of Alachua will look like in 100 years.

The workforce will triple, the government will be more automated and Alachua will have a higher quality of life for its citizens, the students said.

The City of Alachua Youth Advisory Council participated in the Florida League of Cities Municipal Youth Council Video Competition and took third place.

The competition was inspired by last year’s Viva Florida campaign, which aimed to educate people about the rich history of Florida’s cities, said Sharon Berrian, associate director for membership in the area for the Florida League of Cities.

The Alachua Youth Advisory Council presented their award-winning four-minute video discussing the future of Alachua at the Alachua City Commission meeting on Monday, Feb. 24. They were then given a trophy and a check for $250 from the Florida League of Cities.

“We will see major increases in the arts and culture realm,” a student said in the video.

In addition to looking forward toward the city’s future, the youngsters also recounted the past. They talked about important events and monuments in Alachua’s history, including the incorporation of the city in 1905 with a population of just over 500.

The video pointed to the Sid Martin Biotech Incubator and Alachua’s sports programs as major drivers of growth, with agriculture still being a central force of the economy. It predicted the proliferation of more museums and public facilities.

Berrian congratulated the students on winning third place.

“It is a wonderful accomplishment for your youth council,” she said.

The Alachua Youth Advisory Council will go to the annual League of Cities convention in Agust where their project will be highlighted again.

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