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HIGH SPRINGS – High Springs residents may eventually see a wireless communication tower erected on top of the City water tower near Railroad Avenue in the downtown area. The tower, if erected, is expected to provide increased reception to area residents.

“Right now, we are just trying to determine if there is any interest in representing the City in negotiations with a communication tower company,” explained City Manager Ed Booth. Commenting that the High Springs City Commission had authorized City personnel to advertise for a request for qualifications (RFQ) during a June 2012 commission meeting, “The City received one response at that time,” he said.

Utility Service Communications Co., Inc., Perry, Ga., was the sole responder to the RFQ. An agreement, which was submitted along with their RFQ, listed a 60-day time limit for enactment. Action was never undertaken by the City to proceed; therefore, their submission expired.

During the Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 commission meeting, Booth explained that he was going to re-advertise the RFQ to see if there was any current interest in representing the City.

Ultimately, qualified responders will need to receive Commission approval to represent the City. Among other actions the firm will undertake will be to locate a company to site the tower, obtain permission from landowners (the City) to lease the property and negotiate on behalf of the City with the communications company to erect the tower.

“The City does not have the expertise to negotiate with these companies and most communication companies will not negotiate directly with the City,” explained Booth. If the commission chooses a company to represent the City, they will be the ones to go out and get a proposal. It would then come back to the City Commission for approval. “There are still a lot of steps to go through before a communication tower is installed,” said Booth. “This is a normal thing for a City to do.”

In response to concerns about dangerous emissions, Booth explained that the City already has a cell tower in town not very far from the water tower. “If there is any kind of radiation emitted, it is close to the antenna itself,” he said. Booth estimated the water tower height, without an antenna, to be 150 ft.

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Coerper and Wilford unopposed

ALACHUA – There will be no need for City of Alachua voters to rush to the polls on April 9 since the only two candidates running for office remain unopposed. As the weeklong qualifying period, which began Feb 14 at noon, drew to a close on Thursday, Feb. 21 at noon, only incumbents Mayor Gib Coerper and Commissioner Robert Wilford qualified for their respective seats.

The City will save some $9,000 that it would have cost to run the election.

Coerper and Wilford are scheduled to be sworn in for three-year terms April 22. Coerper ran unopposed and was elected as Mayor in 2010 after resigning from his commission seat to seek the mayoral position. Wilford was elected to Seat 2 on the commission in 2010 during a hotly contested three-way race, which resulted in a runoff election.

No Election was held in 2011 when Commissioner Ben Boukari, Jr. was elected without opposition. Also running unopposed was Commissioner Gary Hardacre, who saw no challengers to his re-election bid in 2012. This year marks the fourth year in a row in which at least one candidate ran uncontested for a commission seat.

Over the last several years, election turnout of the city’s roughly 5,700 voters has hovered in the 8-16 percent range.

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ALACHUA – Alachua’s police department honored two residents who stopped a Georgia fugitive from attempted kidnapping several months ago.

Chief of Police Joel DeCoursey, Jr. presented a plaque at a City Commission meeting on Feb. 11 for Bradley Winburn and Devin Carroll for their assistance in the capture of a felon who attempted to carjack a woman outside of the Alachua Branch Library on Dec. 9, 2012.

Police said the fleeing felon, Donald Mac Brown, attempted to commandeer the victim’s vehicle by pointing a revolver at her, hitting her in the face with the barrel of the gun and putting his hands around her throat. During this encounter, Winburn and Carroll heard the victim screaming and ran toward the noise. Both came to the assistance of the victim and went in pursuit of Brown.

Brown, 36, had two warrants for arrest from Georgia for child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes and solicitation of sodomy and sexual exploitation of a minor.

Brown had been on the run since at least Dec. 5, 2012 when bulletins seeking him and his partner, 57-year-old David Crawford, were issued in the Conyers, Ga., area. Crawford also had pending child molestation charges.

Brown was charged with attempted kidnapping, armed burglary, resisting arrest without violence and tampering with evidence.

Winburn and Carroll were not at the meeting to receive the award, and DeCoursey joked that they were probably out saving someone else that night.

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ALACHUA – Rain or shine, the students of W.W. Irby Elementary School joined the American Heart Association on Feb. 13 to celebrate its annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser.

The event, which promotes heart healthy living and raises funds for the American Heart Association, took place alongside Irby’s 20^th year anniversary. Students and visitors gathered in the school’s cafeteria, after rainy weather caused the event to be moved inside, to honor retired teachers and “Heart Heroes.”

Among those recognized as “Heart Heroes” were retired World War II veteran Hal Bingham, 4-year-old Irby student Ignacio Miguel and co-heart ambassadors Caiden Flanigan and Sammyon Keith.

American Heart Association Youth Market Director Dawn Barrack said this year’s event was spent mostly on talking to the students about heart health, wellness and nutrition.

“It’s about the heart and getting it pumping,” Barrack said. “More importantly, every child is walking away from the event knowing something about their heart that they didn’t know beforehand.”

Barrack said Irby Elementary has raised a total of $120,931 since starting their partnership with the heart association in 1994. Results for this year’s fundraiser won’t be available until the beginning of March, she said. Students raise the donations by asking members of their communities, families and friends. This year they were also able to use an online website devoted to gathering funds from across the country. According to Barrack, Irby has already raised $2,500 from online alone.

“I find that Alachua County schools really do it from the heart,” Barrack said. “They do it to give back.”

Physical Education teacher and Jump Rope for Heart Coordinator Ray Crone said he had lots of plans for Wednesday’s event. He planned a parade, which would feature the “Heart Heroes” walking, and multiple exercise stations so that the students can do various jumping activities. However, with the change in weather he had to forego the parade and bring the event inside.

The event also recognized past teachers in a segment called “Now and Then,” which celebrated their contribution as well as the school’s history. Other notable guest included Alachua County Public Schools Superintendent Dan Boyd, Santa Fe College Band Director Steve Bingham, Bill Donovan, Ken Block and Drew Copeland of Sister Hazel.

Crone said the goal this year for Irby was to raise $9,500 which he said he hopes will be fulfilled. Six-year-old first-grader Ava Adams was among the students fundraising. She has raised $1,264 and has been participating in this event for about two years. According to her father, Ava’s main reason for doing the event was to honor her 2-year-old cousin, who suffers from a congenital heart defect. Students are given about two weeks before the event to raise money.

Co-heart Ambassador Caiden Flanigan, 6, who was born with two heart defects and a heart valve disorder, also helped raised over $300.

Crone said about 700 people attended the event and because of the weather he will extend the five jumping stations throughout the week during the students P.E. classes so that each student will be able to participate.

“For this 20 year anniversary and Jump Rope for Heart, I wanted to give these kids the very best,” Crone said.

Along with raising money for the American Heart Association, the event also helps raise money for P.E. equipment. Irby receives $100 in equipment for every $2,000 donated.

“We want the kids to get active and involved,” Crone said. “We just want the kids to have a good time jumping.”

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TALLAHASSEE – Khary Khalfani, a 6^th-grader at Newberry’s Oak View Middle School, was among eight students and educators honored this week by Governor Rick Scott as part of Florida’s Black History Month celebration.

Khalfani and Angela Jones, the behavioral resource teacher at Terwilliger Elementary School, were recognized at a special ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee. Twelve-year-old Khalfani won the state’s middle school Black History Month Essay Contest while Jones was the elementary school recipient of this year’s Excellence in Education Award.

“I am so proud of Khary and Angela,” said Alachua County Superintendent Dan Boyd. “It’s a wonderful thing to have not just one, but two of the state honorees from our district.”

“In Florida, we are happy to host this contest every year that gives our students a chance to learn about the significant contributions of our country’s African American leaders,” said Governor Scott.

In keeping with the state’s Black History Month theme of ‘Diversity in the United States,’ Khalfani’s 500-word award-winning essay is entitled ‘Positively Diverse.’ It highlights the negative consequences of discrimination on society.

“I wanted to get across the point that diversity can positively affect society,” he said. “It’s negative only if people choose to let it happen. They need to get past their misconceptions about race.”

Oak View Middle principal Kevin Purvis says Khalfani, who is enrolled in the school’s Center for Advanced Academics and Technology magnet program, is not just a great student.

“He’s a great person,” said Purvis. “It’s not just the academics, it’s the smile, it’s the personality, it’s what he brings to the world.”

Jones was nominated for the Excellence in Education Award by fellow teacher Meg Amos, who highlighted Jones’ efforts to create mentoring/tutoring programs for boys and girls at the school and to provide students with opportunities to learn more about black history and culture.

As one of the state’s three essay contest winners, Khalfani has been awarded a four-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation. Jones and the two other Florida teachers receiving the Excellence in Education Award received a $1,500 check.

Maddox Foundry and Machine Works since 1905

Locally owned Maddox Foundry and Machine Works, Inc. has produced metal foundry and machine works products since 1905. By the mid-20^th Century, the company had expanded operations, selling internationally as well.

ARCHER – It survived its early years as a start up company, it survived the Great Depression, it survived World War II and it's surviving the current economic downturn.

Archer’s Maddox Foundry and Machine Works, Inc. is a local, family-owned business that has produced metal foundry and machine works products since July 1905.

This summer will mark 108 years since it first began operations.

Current owners, Monte Marchant, Valerie Hipp and Marchant's daughter Mary Hope, have worked for years to maintain the company's vision true to the original owner, William 'Hitup' Maddox, Hope said.

Maddox, Marchant and Hipp's grandfather, wanted to create a one-stop shop, where a product would be designed and built under the same roof.

Even though he died in the early 1950s, his family members continue his tradition.

The history behind the foundry and the family is filled with sacrifice, passion and growth, Hope said.

"If we don't know where we've been, we don't know where we're going," she said.

Hope said her great grandfather Maddox first came to Florida from Georgia looking for a job. And 13 years later, after working for 90 cents a day at a phosphate mine company owned by C.W. Chase, he decided to open a foundry where he could supply the products needed by the two railroads that crossed through Archer at the time.

Hope said that without the help of Chase, who gave Maddox about $600, the foundry would not exist today.

The company has been passed down in the family from generation to generation.

"It's like a gift for us," Hope said. "We didn't have to sacrifice the way he did."

The family not only owns the company but also works in it. Hope's son, Chase Hope, is vice president, but she said he never sits down in his office because he is always working on a project.

"[He] makes sure the foundry gets the products out," she said.

The family is very dedicated to the company, Mary Hope said.

Her cousin, Bill Hipp, is the vice president and marketing sales representative at Maddox Foundry & Machine Works, Inc. Hipp's son, Paul Hipp, also works at the foundry.

"They can't wait to get to work, they can't wait to get in the dirt," Mary Hope said of Chase and Paul. "It's in their blood."

Mary Hope said she is committed to the foundry because of the history the building embodies, but mainly because she said her son was born with knowledge of the company. She said she is amazed about how much he knows at the age of 29.

Chase Hope works in every department of the company. Mary Hope said he doesn't ask other workers to do anything he can't.

She said that most of the employees are cross-trained. Because they are able to do more than one job, the company has been able to remain stable during this economy.

"It's the employees in the back that make this company run," she said. "It's important to make them feel needed."

Some workers also have had generations of their family work at the foundry, Mary Hope said.

Sam Brown Jr.'s father used to work at the foundry before he died. Brown is currently the person who oversees the operations in molding and melting.

The company has also grown since Maddox died, Bill Hipp said. It not only supplies products locally or out of state but out of the country as well.

He said that international shipping began around the late 1940s or early 1950s. They have sold products to companies in Puerto Rico, Philippines, Mexico and Venezuela since then.

Maddox Foundry has been able to stay in business also because the family has stayed together, Mary Hope said.

"If we didn't get along we knew the company would not survive," Mary Hope said.

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