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Front L – R: Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper, Finance and Administrative Services Director Robert Bonetti, Accounts Payable Specialist Katelynn Bayles, Accounting Manager Heather Carter, Accounting Manager Tyler Williams, City Manager Mike Daroza. Back L-R: Commissioner Ed Potts, Commissioner Shirley Green Brown, Vice Mayor Dayna Miller, Commissioner Jennifer Blalock. Not Pictured: Senior Accountant Regina Reed

ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua has been honored for the 13^th consecutive year with an award for excellence in financial reporting. The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the City of Alachua for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2022.

In order to be awarded a Certificate of Achievement, a government must publish an accurate, easily readable, and efficiently organized annual comprehensive financial report. This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.

The audit report must satisfy generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), applicable law, and GFOA requirements. Members of the GFOA Special Review Committee must unanimously recommend the awarding of this certificate.

Alachua City Manager Mike DaRoza credits the City’s dedicated team of financial professionals for their unwavering commitment to accuracy and accountability. Alachua Finance and Administrative Services Director Robert Bonetti garnered praise from both City staff and City Commissioners for his team leadership, tireless efforts and dedication to excellence.

“This is not the first, second, tenth or twelfth time this award has been given to the City of Alachua,” said DaRoza. “This is the thirteenth consecutive year the City has achieved this prestigious award.”

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ALACHUA ‒ Amidst what seems to be a burgeoning list of new businesses in Alachua, another new addition has officially opened its doors, marking the grand entrance of a well-known fast-food brand.

While the restaurant has been operational for several months, on Feb. 22, 2024, the day began with an air of anticipation as local dignitaries, community leaders, and the enthusiastic DQ Grill & Chill team gathered for the official ceremonial ribbon cutting and grand opening. With giant scissors in hand, owner Toks Achebe officially declared the restaurant open.

Located at 15993 N.W. 163^rd Lane just off U.S. Highway 441, the new restaurant is owned by Achebe and Wanda Davis. “We’re thrilled to be expanding our restaurant ownership portfolio, especially with an iconic American brand like Dairy Queen,” said Davis. “The support we’ve received from Dairy Queen so far has been outstanding, and we’re excited to open our doors to serve the Alachua community.

“We hope to make a lasting impact not only through connecting with the community members themselves, but creating new jobs that will benefit families across Alachua,” said Davis.

Davis and Achebe own and operate Crossroads Portfolio Inc., a restaurant operational group local to Georgia. Serving as the group’s CFO and CEO respectively, Davis and Achebe have previously opened a popular Captain D’s Seafood restaurant, with an additional location in development.

Situated behind the recently opened Whistle Express Car Wash and adjacent to the Hampton Inn Hotel, the Grill & Chill DQ concept modernizes guests’ dining experience by offering made-to-order lunch and dinner options including Signature Stackburgers®, Chicken Strip Baskets and soft-serve favorites such as cones, sundaes and the iconic Blizzard® Treat.

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HIGH SPRINGS – A family in High Springs awoke to smoke and flames when a candle that had been left burning began to spread through a bedroom in the home. According to a statement from local fire officials, the blaze erupted during the early morning hours of Saturday, March 23. Thankfully, the homeowner had a fire extinguisher and was able to bring the fire under control before the arrival of firefighters.

Once on scene, firefighters ventilated smoke out of the home and conducted “overhaul” operations, where crews sifted through the area the fire started in to ensure the fire was fully extinguished and had not spread elsewhere in the home.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), during the five-year period of 2018-2022, candles were the second leading cause of bedroom fires and fifth leading cause of living room fires, as well as the eighth leading cause of all home structure fire civilian injuries.

U.S. fire departments responded to an annual estimated average 5,910 home structure fires started by candles during that same time period. These fires cause an annual average of 74 civilian deaths and 558 civilian injuries, as well as $257 million in property damage. The rate of 94 injuries per 1,000 reported candle fires was nearly three times the rate for all home structure fire causes.

Half of all candle fires started when a flammable piece of décor – such as furniture, mattresses, bedding, curtains, home decorations, paper, or clothing – was too close to the lit candle. In 21 percent of home structure candle fires, the candle was either left unattended, discarded, or otherwise misused. 

Over one-third of candle fires (36 percent) started in the bedroom. Sleep was a factor in 10 percent of home structure candle fires, 15 percent of candle fire deaths, and 18 percent of candle fire injuries.

Authorities are now urging heightened vigilance and adherence to safety protocols to mitigate the risks associated with candle usage. The High Springs Fire Department reminds the public to blow out all candles before leaving a room or go to bed, and to keep exits clear and unlocked.

Items that block doors and windows in a home could keep occupants from escaping in the event of a home fire and could mean the difference between life and death. Start by identifying two escape routes out of each room, if possible, and then make sure that each of those escape routes can be used safely by everyone.

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ALACHUA COUNTY  - Registration for summer camp at Cuscowilla Nature and Retreat Center is open. This year's theme is "EPIC Summer Adventure. Where campers will Explore, Play, Investigate, and Create!" Those registering for summer camps should visit the Camp Cuscowilla program page.

Day camps are offered for seven weeks from June 10 to July 26, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Children ages 7 to 12 can register for one week or the whole summer. Each week offers archery, swimming lessons, recreational swimming, outdoor skills, arts and crafts, kayaking, and more. Campers will also attend field trips once a week to places in Alachua County, such as the Santa Fe Zoo, the Alachua County Sports Complex, Poe Springs, the Cade Museum, and more.

 Specialty camps are offered for ages 10 to 14, with themes such as Fish Camp from June 10 to June 14. There is also an all-new Teen Week from July 29 to August 2. Fish Camp is a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission-based curriculum for campers to learn proper catch and release techniques while exploring George's Pond at Cuscowilla. The all-new teen camp allows campers to choose a track based on their interest, such as art and music, leadership skills, or outdoor adventure.

 These weeks have spaces available:

 Week 2: June 17 – 21 is for the sports enthusiast in your family. Campers will play throughout the week and learn some new games, too. The field trip location this week is the Alachua County Sports Complex. There will be no camp on Wednesday, June 19. 

 Week 3: June 24 – 28 UF IFAS Alachua County Extension will join us for some incredible programming and field trips. Campers will take a look at their areas of expertise, such as Entomology, Vet Science, Livestock, and Wilderness Survival. This is sure to be a week you don't want to miss. 

 Week 4: July 1 – 3 is our half week of camp celebrating the 4th of July. Campers will enjoy all that Cuscowilla has to offer and wrap up the week with a Cookout and Carnival. 

 Week 8: July 29 – August 2 is newly added for ages 7-9. Campers will enjoy a traditional week at day camp during the same week as our all-new Teen Week. 

 Teen Week: July 29 – August 2 is new for ages 10-14. Campers will choose a tract based on their interest and take a field trip to the Cade Museum. 

Art and Music – for those campers who want to learn new ways to create art or work on their skills. Local teachers and musicians will join us this week to help perfect their craft. 

Leadership — This is designed for campers to learn the attributes of a great leader. Campers will learn from local leaders and put their skills to practice working as a team. 

Outdoor Adventure – campers will experience all that Cuscowilla has to offer and work on their outdoor skills. 

 "This summer, we're teaming up with some incredible educational partners such as UF IFAS Extension, Micanopy Library, Harn Art Museum, and many more," said Camp Manager Jamie Bass. "Camp provides an increasingly rare opportunity for children to unplug and immerse themselves in the natural world right here in Alachua County."

 The weekly rate is $150 for day camps and $175 for specialty camps. Campers will receive breakfast, lunch, and a snack. Daily bus transportation to and from Lincoln Middle School (1001 SE 12th St., Gainesville) is included. Campers can also be dropped off and picked up from the camp (210 SE 134th Ave., Micanopy).

 Qualifying campers can also receive a scholarship from Alachua County Children's Trust and the Friends of Cuscowilla with completed applications and proof of documents.

 For more information, contact Jamie Bass at 352-574-2372 or jbass@alachuacounty.us.

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NEWBERRY ‒ In recent months the City of Newberry implemented a new program to help their customers more accurately monitor water and electric utility usage. The system, which is called Advance Metering Infrastructure, or AMI, can communicate with the City’s front office for more accurate meter reading while also communicating with the customer to help them monitor their usage.

“Results have been amazing,” said City Manager Mike New. “I have 39 years in the industry and this is clearly the best, most successful endeavor that I have ever been associated with.”

New shared information provided by Utility Customer Service Manager Tammy Snyder that highlights the success of the AMI program.

“We have had 534 contacts for leaks or high-water consumption for the period of Jan. 1, 2023 – Jan 1, 2024,” said Snyder. She said she only reaches out to customers three times. After the third notification Snyder discontinues notifying the customer until they reach out to the City.

“When a leak occurs, AMI enables us to become aware within hours so that we can advise our residents. Using traditional meter reading techniques, it typically takes 45 – 75 days for a leak to become apparent,” said Snyder. “During that period of time, we can waste a substantial amount of water and the customer incurs significant charges. AMI genuinely greatly helps our customers save money on their utility bills.”

Based on her observation, Snyder said 85 percent of the leak notifications are for leaking toilets and/or leaking irrigation systems. “There is a very small percentage of the remainder that are leaking meters (less than 2 percent) while the remainder are simply people using their irrigation systems or other legitimate usage, i.e., left a hose running, filling up a pool or left a spigot on.”

For customers who have experienced a water leak, there is help. For those who have legitimate leaks, the City requests the property owners bring in documentation indicating the leak has been fixed. With that information, the City credits the wastewater usage amount.

In the past, the City used a three-month average to “guess” the credit and it would take up to two months to get the customer a correction. “AMI provides us with more accurate information which we use to compare usage patterns and provide corrective bills in a timelier manner.”

As an example, Snyder mentioned a customer whose usage went from 5 kgal to 14 kgal, resulting in a bill increase of $167.51 for the month. Unfortunately, the leak was gradual, so it did not reach the threshold for the City to catch it.

“When the customer came to pay her bill she questioned why her bill had increased so much,” Snyder said. “Upon investigation, we determined she had a leak and provided her with the blue dye tablets to check her toilets,” said Snyder. “The customer called and reported she checked her toilets, and they were not leaking. We did some other trouble shooting and ended up sending crews to check the meter. It was determined the meter was not leaking.”

Snyder said the customer had a plumber come out who found the leak and made a repair. “The customer provided the plumber’s receipt on Feb. 5 and a corrective bill was created within an hour,” said Snyder. “The customer now has a credit of $42.46, which is huge because this customer is on disability and only gets paid once a month.”

“Ultimately, we did it [implemented AMI] to benefit our residents, so that they could make decisions that would save them money and serve them better,” said New. “It’s been amazingly successful so far, and we plan to build on our system for bigger and better services for our customers.”

The AMI installation began in May 2022 and was completed in September 2022.

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ARTSPEAKSgnv presents the 2nd Annual Bard & Broadside: North Central Florida Poetry Festival. Festival will take place April 11-14, 2024 in several locations in Gainesville, FL. The Bard & Broadside: North Central Florida Poetry Festival invites the community to come together for four days of poetry readings, workshops, spoken-word, storytelling, teen monologues, poetry slams. open mics, creativity, art and more. This year’s festival theme is “Homecoming: A Sense Of Place”. All Festival Events Are Free and Open To The Public

Calendar of Events

Thursday, April 11^th from 6-9 PM: Open Mic at Harn Museum of Art. Inviting the North Central Florida community to share their poetry at the University of Florida Harn Museum of Art Auditorium, (3259 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL). Co-Hosted by ARTSPEAKSgnv, University of Florida Living Poets Society and Civic Media Center “Thursday Night Poetry Jam”. Free and open to the public.

Friday, April 12^th: Public School Text & Image workshop. Alachua County Poet Laureate E. Stanley Richardson and University of Florida Art Professor Patrick Grigsby collaborate with local public school students to create an improvisational print mural.

Friday, April 12^th, from 7-9 PM: Poetry Workshop with local guest poet Jenna Nishida. Jenna Nishida will conduct an ekphrastic poetry workshop based on collections at the Matheson History Museum of Alachua County.. (513 E. University Ave., Gainesville). Free and open to the public.

Saturday, April 13^th from 1-3 PM: WORD SLAY: “Standing on Words” Teen Monologue & Spoken-Word Competition. Come support our youth poets and orators as they compete for prizes in a poetry and monologue competition at the Alachua County Library District Headquarters (401 E. University Ave., Gainesville). Free and open to the public.

Saturday, April 13th from 2:00 - 4:00 PM: Cancer Awareness Poetry Slam. Featuring local, regional and national slam poets. Spoken-Word poets will use their artistry to bring awareness to cancer specific issues from prevention to survivorship. The goal is to help lessen the cancer burden in North Central Florida. The poetry slam will be followed by a discussion with the poets and community members. Sponsored by UF Health Cancer Center.

(Oakview Community Center, 810 NW 8th Ave. Gainesville, FL.)

Saturday, April 13th from 6:00 - 10:00 PM: Swampberry Jam: North Central Florida Poetry Slam. 20 slam poets from Gainesville FL. and cities across the United States will compete for cash prizes in the inaugural Swampberry Jam Poetry: North Central Florida Poetry Slam.

(5 Star Event Center, 534 N. Main Street, Gainesville, FL.)

Sunday, April 14^th from 1-3 PM: Poetry Workshop with special guest poet Natalie J. Graham. Join award-winning poet Natalie J. Graham for a free poetry workshop at Alachua County Library District Headquarters (401 E. University Ave., Gainesville, FL.)

Free and open to the public

Sunday, April 14^th from 4-5 PM: Poetry Reading & Book Signing by special guest poet Natalie J. Graham at Alachua County Library District Headquarters (401 E. University Ave., Gainesville, FL.) Arrive early as seating is limited. Free and open to the public.

Sponsored in part by Florida Humanities, Visit Gainesville/Alachua County, Arts Council of Alachua County, The Alachua County Friends of the Library, UF Health Cancer Center, The City of Gainesville PRCA, and Alachua County Library District.

For more information contact E. Stanley Richardson at estanleyrichardson@gmail.com or (352) 792-2846

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