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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Like many small towns, High Springs has a monument honoring local citizens who gave their lives in wartime. Located just west of City Hall on U.S. Highway 27, the monument lists the name of the ones who never returned from World Wars I and II as well as one reserved for as Vietnam vets. World War II hit High Springs hard as 14 young men did not come home out of a town population of 2,000.

For many Americans, Memorial Day is a three-day weekend to travel, enjoy the outdoors or party. The original meaning of the holiday may be acknowledged, but oftentimes little is done to honor it during their weekend plans. For others, the true meaning of Memorial Day carries a more somber quality as a time to remember those who served and did not return, as well as those who came back but have since passed.

Over the years, those monuments in High Springs became part of the town's landscape, seen by many, with few paying heed to meaning or purpose. Four years ago, vandals destroyed one of the benches that flanked the stone memorial. The U.S. Military Vets motorcycle club stepped forward to fix the bench and clean up the site. The group is part of a national organization with over 100 chapters throughout the country.

The clubs are entirely comprised of honorably discharged veterans from one of the five military branches and who also are motorcycle riders. They are a nonprofit group that also offers support and funding to veteran related groups and charities. Their goal is to honor and keep the memory alive for all who served, especially those that paid the supreme price of their lives.

This year, on Memorial Day the bikers showed up at the memorial, joined by the High Springs Lions Club for their annual tribute to those who did not return by laying wreaths and planting small flags in tribute for each of the 17 names on the monument. While this has been an annual event, it was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, but the supporters were anxious to get back to the ceremony and honor the fallen.

They were joined by a few citizens including Ervin Hiney, 88, and his wife Shirley of Alachua. “I enlisted at age 18 and served in the United States Air Force for 20 years. Most of my career I flew fighter planes as well as the B-52 bomber in Vietnam,” said Hinley. “I flew fighters in during the Korean War. We just wanted to come honor fellow servicemen that gave their lives for their country.”

At 9 a.m., veteran and vice president of the U.S. Military Vets Spike Mueller rang a bell and announced the Unknown Soldier. A club member solemnly placed a flag in the ground on the monument's edge. One by one, Mueller spoke the names on the monument and a member of the vet’s club or Lions Club placed a flag in their honor. After all names had been read, a final salute and moment of silence was given.

“We are all veterans who served, and in many cases lost friends and comrades in war,” said Mueller. “We never forget them and want to make sure they are honored and remembered.”

The monument is inscribed with the message "In honor of those who served in time of war, A mighty mother turns in tears, the pages of her battle years, lamenting all her fallen sons."

For Lion's Club member Leslie Flage, the ceremony held a personal importance. Her Great Uncle Robert McDonnell was one of the names on the stone. Flage never met her great uncle, but grew up hearing stories and saw the sadness in his family's eyes.

McDonnell was a local high school valedictorian who split his free time between his girlfriend and camping on the rivers and was popular in town. When World War II came, he and three brothers all joined up. All lived through the war except Robert.

Just a month before the end of the war in Europe, Robert’s P-51 fighter was shot down over Holland. Originally buried in Holland, his family had him returned to his hometown to be buried in the High Springs cemetery.

And at that cemetery on Memorial Day, John Marshall was cleaning his son, John Isbell's, gravesite, which has a Marine flag flying above the grave. Marshall served in the Navy and both his sons were Marines in Desert Storm. Although Isbell died after his tour, his father routinely maintains the grave and felt that Memorial Day was an important day to come. “I like to keep the site tidy to honor John and his service to the country,” said Marshall.

At Alachua’s City Hall is a military memorial surrounded by a pathway of bricks, each inscribed with a veteran's name and time of service. Some are names of veterans still living and some are veterans who passed later in life, but 48 are of Alachua County residents killed in Vietnam and nine are from Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of those who died in Afghanistan is Staff Sargent John Rieners. On the day before Valentine’s Day 2010, Rieners and three other soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber on a motorcycle.

When a soldier deploys to a combat zone, his mother becomes a member of the Blue Star Club signifying they have a son or daughter in harm’s way. John’s mother, Ronna Jackson, was a proud member of that club, but at his death she joined the club no mother wants, becoming a gold star mother, signifying she lost a family member in action.

While the loss of her son was devastating, Jackson found a cause and a way to keep part of her son alive in memory. Jackson put her energy into organizations to help other deployed soldiers. Jackson works tirelessly with various veterans’ organizations including The Military Support Group of Alachua County (MSGFAC). The group sends monthly care packages to deployed soldiers to provide items they can’t find in the field to make their lives a little easier and remind them of home.

This past Saturday the MSGFAC met at Evergreen Cemetery to place 1,000 flags on veteran’s graves, then to Publix to distribute 'Poppy's for the Fallen” with the local American Legion Auxiliary ladies. These tributes are to remind people what this day is about.

“We owe our freedom in America to these heroes that are willing to risk their lives to defend people they do not even know, but are fellow Americans. Our current troops are all volunteers, who give up their civilian life to serve their country. What we do is a small way to say thank you, said Jackson. “They are all heroes and all that I do is in the name of my son, to honor his memory and help the other soldiers who still serve.”

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GAINESVILLE ‒ Alachua County residents can help take a step toward herd immunity now that 12- to 15- year-old children can get a COVID-19 vaccine locally. 

Anyone over the age of 12 can receive the Pfizer vaccine through the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County’s walk-up vaccination sites, which are run in collaboration with UF Health Screen, Test & Protect, or by scheduling an appointment. 

The Champions Club at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was busy on May 14 with parents and children who received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. 

Kelly Gurka, Ph.D., an assistant professor of epidemiology in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, waited in line with her daughters, Madeleine Gurka, 15, and Eleanor Gurka, 13. 

“We wanted to get them vaccinated so that they are not only personally protected against COVID-19, but also so that we can contribute to achieving herd immunity in our community,” Kelly Gurka said. 

Both of her girls said they were excited to get the vaccination. 

Children have a lower incidence of COVID-19 than adults and severe consequences of infection are rare, but their risk from the virus is not zero, Gurka said. Younger age groups can still contribute to community transmission. 

“We know that severe outcomes associated with COVID-19 occur among children even though they are rare. There is an abundance of data to suggest that the vaccines are safe, with the administration of millions of doses to date and unprecedented safety monitoring,” Gurka said.

She said she is confident the vaccine’s short-term potential side effects are worth the long-term benefit. 

“I think vaccines are one of the single greatest public health achievements of our time,” Gurka said. “Most of us have not had to live with the vaccine-preventable diseases that our parents and grandparents faced because vaccines have been around since we ourselves were children.” 

Walk-up vaccinations are available throughout Alachua County. Children ages 12 to 17 years must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to receive the vaccine. 

Michael Lauzardo, M.D., an associate professor of medicine and deputy director of UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute, leads UF Health Screen, Test & Protect, which was created to track and respond to COVID-19 cases in the UF community. 

“The bottom line is that everyone who gets vaccinated is a dead-end and a stop to the spread of the virus, which helps us overall,” Lauzardo said. 

Clinical trials with children ages 12 to 15 years revealed that side effects were less common and the vaccine’s effectiveness was much higher than other groups, Lauzardo said.

“Since we want to stop the spread of the virus to our loved ones, we can take that extra step to protect them by getting our children vaccinated as well,” Lauzardo said.

Visit: https://coronavirus.ufhealth.org/vaccinations/vaccine-availability/ for more information on vaccine availability throughout Alachua County.

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ALACHUA ‒ City of Alachua commissioners voted on Monday to approve an agreement with Kamal Latham to become the new city manager. This comes after current City Manager Adam Boukari tendered his resignation effective Aug. 5, 2021 to work in the private sector.

Lathan currently serves as assistant city manager, and Boukari recommended Latham for the position of city manager. Lathan will take over the new position on Aug. 5, 2021 with a salary of $144,000.

Over 20 people lined up at the commission meeting to speak and praise the experience and abilities of Latham. Many spoke about his intelligence, past achievements and his ability to listen to the opinions and input from the general public and his staff.

Latham has a strong political background and was appointed by both Presidents Clinton and Bush as a career diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. He has won numerous awards for advancing U.S. economic interests overseas, which has included work in China and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In 2013 he relocated to Gainesville to accept a position as Vice President of Public Policy with the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. He left that position in 2017 to accept a job as chief executive officer of the Economic Development Authority in the Virgin Islands. Latham resigned from that position in 2020 to return to the area and accept a position as Assistant City Manager for the City of Alachua.

Latham has won numerous awards for advancing U.S. economic interests overseas and holds a Master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the employment contract with Latham.

In other business, the City of Alachua Youth Advisory Council (YAC) received an award from the Florida League of Cities (FLC). YAC participated in the FLC 2021 Youth Council Community Service Contest and was one of five state youth councils to win.

The YAC gathered donated sports equipment for foster children within the surrounding communities. Working with the Guardian Ad Litem Program and the University of Florida baseball and softball teams, YAC members set up donation boxes at various businesses to collect the equipment and also arranged an event for the children to meet the University of Florida baseball and softball teams. The YAC was able to supply over 206 pieces of sports equipment for the event.

FLC Membership Relations Programs Coordinator Eryn Russell presented the YAC with a trophy and a check for $250. The City also honored the group’s efforts with certificates of appreciation.

The Commission approved to increase the City’s portion of a cost share agreement for protection of the Mill Creek Sink and Mill Creek Cave System. On April 7, 2017, the City of Alachua and the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) signed a Memorandum of Agreement for Cost Share Assistance to improve water quality recharging of the Upper Florida Aquifer at the Mill Creek Swallet. The agreement was amended to increase the amount from $1,400,000 to $2,045,899 in order to complete the construction phase of the project.

A program that was put on hold in summer 2020 due to COVID has been reauthorized. The City of Alachua will be conducting a summer camp for youth ages 5 – 13 and an arts and sciences summer camp for high school students to be held at Santa Fe High School. The $100,060 grant to fund the program comes from the Children’s Trust of Alachua County.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The Florida League of Cities has recognized High Springs Commissioner Ross Ambrose with a 2021 Home Rule Hero Award for advocacy efforts during the 2021 Legislative Session.

“On behalf of the League and its legislative team, it’s my sincere honor to recognize this year’s award recipients and thank them for their service,” said FLC Director of Legislative Affairs Casey Cook. “These local officials went above and beyond during the 2021 Legislative Session.”

“They made an extraordinary effort, were actively engaged and highly effective in their advocacy efforts,” said Cook. “Even with all the various challenges present this year due to the pandemic, they stepped up. They engaged with legislators, shared their stories and made their voices heard, and it made a difference.”

Home Rule is the ability for a city to address local problems with local solutions with minimal state interference. Home Rule Hero Award recipients are local government officials, both elected and nonelected, who consistently responded to the League’s request to reach out to members of the legislature and help give a local perspective on an issue.

“I think it is important that citizens retain local control versus having Tallahassee design one-size fits all solutions,” said Ambrose. “Local representatives need to use our elected voice to speak up when issues impacting our ability to govern are challenged.”

Ambrose has been a resident of High Springs since 2001 and is currently the managing partner of AAA Porta Serve, providing portable sanitation services to North Central Florida. Before being elected in November 2020, he served on the High Springs Parks & Recreation Advisory Board for 18 years and has been involved in a number of community organizations.

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ In advance of the 2021 Hurricane Season, Alachua County Emergency Management (ACEM) is informing the public about a new resource for real-time weather information within the County. ACEM has installed three new WeatherSTEM stations funded by the Florida Division of Emergency Management. The newest stations are located in Archer (https://alachua.weatherstem.com/fswnarcher), Hawthorne (https://alachua.weatherstem.com/fswnhawthorne), and Waldo (https://alachua.weatherstem.com/fswnwaldo).

These WeatherSTEM stations provide real-time information on temperature, wind speed, lightning strikes, and more. Each station is also equipped with a live stream camera, enabling anyone to see current weather conditions at station locations.

The real-time weather data provided by these WeatherSTEM units will give Emergency Management vital information on wind speeds to better inform the public on current hazards. With WeatherSTEM stations located in the outlying municipalities, Alachua County has a better indication of exactly when tropical storm-force and hurricane-force winds have reached the area and the severity of those winds. This data will also serve as a key resource in ensuring first responders remain safe during tropical weather events.

For a list of all WeatherSTEM locations within Alachua County, visit https://alachua.weatherstem.com/.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Newberry’s plans to implement an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system in the city are moving forward. On May 24, City Manager Mike New reported to the Commission on the system’s progress. “The project management team meets weekly for project meetings to ensure the project remains on track, plan work and address issues that arise as part of deploying the $1.2 million AMI system,” New said.

Items completed to date and purchase orders issued for network equipment amount to $152,000 and residential water meters comes in at $600,000.

The City tentatively plans to have public education and workshops by September in advance of the system coming online in parts of the city by October. Full deployment should be completed by March 2022, and final system acceptance and project completion is scheduled for May 2022.

Once completed, city staff will no longer need to ride around town to read meters, and property owners will also be able to better manage their usage.

“Although the project completion date is approximately five months later than originally anticipated due to COVID-19, the project is back on track now,” New said. The company installing the AMI system is planning to feature the Newberry installation at DistribuTech, an industry summit, as an example of how a small city is using AMI to better serve its citizens.

Avalon Woods

The Commission approved a development agreement between the City and M3 Avalon Woods. A second item under consideration dealt with amendments to the Mixed-Use Development. The property consists of approximately 196 acres and is located adjacent to the Easton-Newberry Sports Complex.

The City negotiated with M3 to allow Avalon Woods to use 10 acres of City property as part of their development with the caveat that the land would be developed as a playground. Currently, the City does not have funds allocated to outfit the playground. The developer agreed to install sidewalks on one side of the street, update the entrance to Newberry-Easton Sports Complex and provide additional signage. The developer also agreed to provide a lift station for the development.

In the second hearing, Dave McDaniel (M3) requested changes to the Mixed-Use Development to formally change the name of the project from Lexington Station to Avalon Woods. They also asked that the City allow the development to increase the number of residential properties, reduce the amount of commercial properties and reduce the lot sizes from 5,500 to 4,000 square feet to make the homes more affordable. The developer said fewer commercial properties in that location would reduce traffic flow on State Road 45. The project is expected to be built out by 2036.

Following discussion on school concurrency, Mayor Jordan Marlowe reminded Commissioners this project was originally approved in 2008 and that the school board has been aware of it for the past 13 years. Commissioners were also told that the proposed Mixed-Use Development amendments were consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Commissioner Rick Coleman moved to approve Ordinance 2021-14 on first reading. Commissioner Mark Clark seconded. The motion was approved in a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Monty Farnsworth dissenting.

Planned Development

The Commission approved on second reading a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA 21-02) to change the Future Land Use Map classification on 289 +/- acres from Agriculture to Planned Development. This amendment was heard on first reading on March 8, and sent to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) for approval. Receiving no comments (concerns) from the state and no questions from Commissioners or citizens, this item was unanimously approved.

Once CPA 21-02 was approved, CHW, acting as agent for Arpin Sr. & Bond & Gray & Gray & Schofield & Yarborough and Gravely Family Trust, owners, CHW requested the City rezone the same 289 +/- acres located at 23479 West Newberry Road from Agricultural (A) to Planned Development (PD). The Commission voted unanimously to approve the rezoning on second reading.

Annexation

An application for voluntary annexation of 59 +/- acres of land at or near 3200 N.W. 202^nd Street received approval on first reading of Ordinance 2021-24. The annexation will help to reduce an enclave.

Comp Plan Amendments & Rezoning

Three Comprehensive Plan Amendments (CPAs), along with associated rezoning applications, were reviewed in separate hearings. All received unanimous approval by Commissioners on first reading, and as required by law, were sent to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review and comment.

Vacating Roads

A petition to vacate the portion of Southwest Third Avenue from Southwest 252^nd Street west to the CSX railroad right-of-way was approved by the Commission. New said he believed the land would be used to build a residence.

A second petition was submitted to vacate a portion of Northwest Second Avenue between Northwest 254^th Street and Seaboard Coast Line (CSX) Railroad. Overhead utilities are located on this property and the City will retain the utility easement. This petition was heard on first reading. New said Pat Post and William Watson would be the property owners who would benefit from this action. Although this passed on first reading, Commissioner Monty Farnsworth voted against approval due to concerns that CSX may want that land sometime in the future.

Newberry City Hall will be closed on Monday, May 31, in observance of Memorial Day

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