HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The mural controversy in High Springs continues to dominate discussion around the community and at commission meetings. The issue surrounds the proposed Walldogs mural project under the auspices of the Heart of High Springs and an event permit that was granted earlier. At the March 24 meeting Commissioner Katherine Weitz suggested enacting an ordinance regarding the matter.

“I’m hoping that the folks involved with the Heart of High Springs could maybe set their ego aside to listen to what the people in the town are saying because the people are overwhelmingly against a Walldogs festival,” Weitz said. “They’re not necessarily against a mural or two. A lot of people are not against the idea of a mural. But I don’t think they want to have their town taken over by other folks.”

Commissioner Ross Ambrose responded, “We need to be very careful when you start creating legislation or rules that are specifically designed to impede the efforts of citizens within the community. So coming up with a policy and developing that so that the city staff can focus on what’s important and what’s within their realm is important. [I agree] because this has gotten to be a distraction for city government and it’s a private group using private funds in the community…I want to be careful that as a government we’re not designing something to impede a legal entity operated by citizens privately raising money to do work on private property. And I think that’s a very dangerous place for the City to go and be careful of.”

“I’m looking at it from a different perspective,” Commissioner Linda Jones said. “I don’t think a small group of people should be able to come into this city, fill out a permit and do whatever they want in this city. And we, as a Commission, have nothing to do with it. It states that in the application, ‘Commissioner approval not needed’ if they are not asking for money, for in-kind services and alcohol is not being served.’…“I hear that everybody’s got rights and we do, too…Why are you coming in and saying to us, ‘This is what you need and this is what we’re going to do,’ …So we’re trying to make sure that when they come up for the big one in 2023 that they can’t just sail through. We’ve got to have some barrier up there…some say as to what goes up in this city.”

City Attorney Andrea Parker listed aspects of an ordinance that the City could consider. She stressed that the ordinance be legal, defensible and definitely content neutral. “A clear process needs to be identified with time limits and the ordinance cannot make it overly difficult for someone to adhere to it,” she said. She added that regulating art on private property cannot violate people’s first amendment rights.

Resident Alice Brown called into the meeting and said she supported creating a mural ordinance. As part of her comments she suggested an arts council be formed to review public art, an idea that seemed interesting to Commissioners.

The Commission directed the City Attorney to create a mural ordinance for their review.

In response to what City Manager Stathatos described as a number of myths circulating around town regarding the Heart of High Springs and Walldogs issue, the City created an informational area on the City of High Springs website called Truth vs Myth. The idea that seems to have received the most attention is that a ballot item can prevent Wall Dogs from coming to High Springs. According to the City website, special event permits are granted taking into consideration the life, health, safety, and general welfare of High Springs’ citizens and visitors. Special event permits cannot be permitted or denied based on the content of the event. The right to gather and hold events is a protected First Amendment right.

Although the City Attorney explained that people could obtain 10 percent of the voters’ signatures and could place it on the ballot for a vote, it would not be defensible and she would recommend that the City not proceed along those lines.

In other City business, Jones took the mayor to task for not signing a letter that the Commission voted unanimously to send to Tallahassee in support of House Bill CS/HR 493, Single Member Districts. Williams said he didn’t have all the facts on the issue and declined to sign the letter because he didn’t support what the letter said. Ultimately, Commissioners voted 3-2, with Williams and Vice-Mayor Gloria James casting the dissenting votes, to send the letter under Commissioner Jones’ signature.

The Commission authorized Assistant City Manager Bruce Gillingham to negotiate an agreement with Suez for an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project. He will report on the total cost and how the City proposes to pay for the project for Commission approval.

A request by the High Springs Chamber of Commerce to waive fees for their use of the Civic Center was approved for one quarter. Meanwhile, the City will review the policy for non-profit organizations to see if they might want to modify the fee structure.

Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of a new elevator for City Hall at a not-to-exceed amount of $120,000 using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. They also unanimously voted to approve the purchase of cardiac monitors for the High Springs Fire Department, also using ARPA funds.

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ALACHUA ‒ After a two-year absence, the Alachua Lions Club held its largest charity fundraiser of the year to a packed house at Valley View, just outside of Alachua. The annual Cattlemen's Banquet is the longest continuous Lions Club fundraising event in Florida, with all profits from the banquet supporting charitable sight, hearing, youth and community service activities. The Alachua Lions Club is a member of the International Lions Club, a global organization whose charitable mission is to serve others.

It all started 1940. The Alachua Lions Club sought to bolster Alachua High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) students in their quest to raise a steer for auction. Lions Club members attended the auction and drove the bidding higher. Not only did their winning bid cover the FFA's cost, but it also provided additional funds to the FFA.

Each year the event grew, bringing many of the area’s cattle ranchers, politicians and residents to the event. For years the event was held at the Alachua Woman’s Club and attracted the attention of local and state officials as guest speakers including President Jimmy Carter, Florida Governors Buddy McKay, Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham. Eventually the event outgrew the Woman’s Club and was moved to a bigger venue at the Santa Fe River Ranch. Due to Covid-19, the banquet was canceled for the past two years. But in 2022 the fundraising event came back strong with record attendance and was moved to an even larger venture at Valley View near Santa Fe River Ranch.

It was another fun filled evening of laughter and good food as nearly 400 people attended the event that was kicked off with a cocktail hour on the veranda overlooking rolling pastures dotted with sprawling oak trees. An event of this size takes months of planning as well as coordinating support from the 28 corporate sponsors who provided either funding or services for the banquet. The Alachua Woman’s Club sponsored a silent auction featuring an assortment of items and specialty wines available for bidding. Local businesses pitched in with Capital City Bank sponsoring the cocktail hour, Conestoga’s Restaurant providing the dinner’s Caesar salad, and Alan Hitchcock providing the steaks.  In keeping with tradition, the Santa Fe High School Chapter of FFA was on hand to assist as guests helped themselves to the choice aged controlled steaks, loaded potato casserole, salad and dessert.

A number of local and state politicians mingled in the crowd as well as city leaders, Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr., and police chiefs from High Springs and Alachua. When the doors opened to the main hall, guests were welcomed by Alachua Lions Club President and Alachua City Commissioner Dayna Miller. After a Pledge of Allegiance ceremony and an invocation led by Alachua Lions Club member Joel DeCoursey, Jr., the buffet line was opened. Longtime banquet grill masters led by Alan Hitchcock provided sizzling steaks to accompany the meal. The banquet steak committee has been grilling for years and announced this was their final go round as they are hanging up their tongs and aprons. The group was honored by the Lions Club with an award for their service over decades of Cattlemen’s Banquets

Former Alachua County Clerk of the Court J.K. “Buddy” Irby served as Master of Ceremony. Tribute was paid to rancher C.E. Ed Calendine as Miller presented his widow with flowers to the standing ovation of the entire crowd. A twist to this year’s presentation of the Cattleman of the Year award was the presentation of two awards due to the cancellation of the prior years. Longtime Lions Club member and banquet favorite Ralph Cellon did the presentation honors, handing out the awards. For 2020, the award went to longtime Alachua ranchers Tom and Buckley Shaw of Shaw and Shaw Farms. The 2021 award went to Marty Smith.

The evening’s keynote speaker was Chiefland’s Luther Beauchamp, a lawyer, author and professional speaker with a humorous slant, often employing self-deprecating humor referencing his short stature. His two books are entitled “I'll Try to Be Short” and “Legal Shorts, Not Briefs.” Beauchamp knew many of the guests attending and his jokes often included good natured jabs about them as well. And an appreciative audience laughed continuously throughout his entertaining presentation.

The Cattlemen’s Banquet is back and a bigger success than ever. “It has just been a blessing the past six months to bring it all together again,” said Miller as the crowd began to leave. “This was a great success for the Lions Club,” said former Alachua Lions Club President Jim Emerson. “We raised around $25,000 tonight for the charity causes we support. This will go a long way in improving people’s lives”

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 NEWBERRY‒ On March 26, 2022, the Fight Ovarian Cancer 5k Walk made its Newberry debut.  But the walk’s genesis goes back for years.  Samantha Bacchus was a successful pediatrician in Pennsylvania when her world was turned upside down. For a number of months, she had been having odd physical symptoms she couldn't explain. The symptoms would come and go. They included itchy skin, nausea, intermittent menstrual cycles, back and pelvic pain and extreme fatigue. Being a physician, bacchus did self-diagnosis but could not figure out what was wrong as the symptoms continued more frequently. In june 2014 she wound up in the emergency room. After extensive tests she was told she had stage 4 ovarian cancer. “i was stunned. Of all the things i had thought of, i never thought of cancer. There is no screening test for ovarian cancer and it is usually diagnosed late in stage 3 or 4, so the survival rate is only one out of three. My whole world suddenly changed,” Bacchus said.

 Ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and belly. At this late stage, ovarian cancer is more difficult to treat and is often fatal. Later stages are associated with symptoms, but they can be non-specific. At this late stage, surgery and chemotherapy are generally the only options. Even with treatment the cancer often comes back and the average life span of those who can be treated is around five years.

Bacchus had surgery and five rounds of chemotherapy but developed vertigo as a side effect of the treatment. In November 2014 she felt well enough to return to work and was diagnosed as being in remission. However, by February 2016 she again had symptoms including frequent vomiting and extreme fatigue. The cancer had returned and Bacchus endured more surgery and six more rounds of chemotherapy before she was diagnosed as being in remission again. So far, the cancer has not returned.

Her close brush with mortality gave Bacchus a new direction in life. She closed her practice and focused on what to do that was both enjoyable and beneficial to others. She moved to Florida to be with husband, Willam Hensler, a successful contractor whose work often brought him to Florida. They were initially planning to stay a few years, but found they loved living in North Central Florida and eventually bought a large piece of property near Newberry called Prancing Horse Farm.  Bacchus hoped to turn it into a bed and breakfast and build an event center for charity organizations to hold events.

She also became an active advocate for funding and research on ovarian cancer.  Bacchus connected to the Sandy Rollman foundation, a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization created as a tribute to the life of Sandy Rollman who passed away from advanced ovarian cancer in May 2000. Rollman’s sister, Adriana Way, and her nurse, Robin Cohen, vowed to keep Sandy’s memory alive while trying to prevent other women from having to endure the same pain as she did. In 2016 the Foundation created the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and received funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Department of Defense. As a fundraising and awareness event they also hosted the “Sandy Sprint” which is a 5K walk.  While it started in Philadelphia 18 years ago, the event has spread to other cities.

Bacchus knew her property in Florida would be ideal to hold the Sandy Sprint. Working with the Foundation she received support from the City of Newberry and police traffic control from the Alachua County Sherriff’s Office. On March 26, it was more than just a walk, as Bacchus had food and drinks donated to the event including a Duncan Donuts sponsorship. She had a raffle with donated gift baskets, a DJ providing musical entertainment and a Lamborghini on display at the starting point of the walk.

Bacchus also garnered support of her professional equestrian neighbors at Sunrise Farms Sport Horses. Owner and trainer Shelley Van den Neste has had a successful show career with numerous national and regional championship wins, including as a USDF Gold Medalist. She offered to put on an exhibit, along with daughter Hanna Lisec at the end of the 5K walk.

One special guest at the event was a small women dressed in the teal colors that represent the fight against Ovarian cancer.  Donna Dollinger’s condition may be described as frail, but her spirit to live is not. On April Fool’s Day in 2011, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer but has refused to let it beat her. Over the years she has endured several surgeries and 13 different chemotherapy treatments. Dollinger is not in remission and the cancer is still in her body. “I will keep fighting against this disease,” Dollinger said.  “I don’t get out much and often fatigued, but felt I needed to come and support this.”

Many others felt it was important as well. “Over 110 people participated in the walk and we raised over $20,000 for the foundation,” Bacchus said. “I plan to hold it every year at the farm to help fight this deadly disease.”

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Adam Joy feels a strong kinship and support for the law enforcement community. Pastor at the Deeper Purpose Community Church, Elder Joy also serves as the Executive Director of the church's Deeper Purpose Kids Academy Learning Center.  He founded the church in 2017 while working at a different career. He was a police officer for 15 years, first with the City of Alachua for three years and then with the High Springs Police Department for 12 years. In 2021 he left the police force to put all his efforts into the church. “After much prayer and thought, I felt the church was my true calling and needed all my effort,” Joy said. To honor officers and raise awareness and support of all the duties and security they provide for their communities, he organized Back the Blue on March 12 at the High Springs Civic Center.

For several months, he contacted various agencies and gained volunteer services to create a family friendly event.  “We wanted to spread the message of support, love and being there for law enforcement community,” said Joy. “The fact is that law enforcement feels like community support has faded away over the last couple of years, so we need to show them we still have their backs and support them and we want them to have our backs as well.”

The event was open to everyone and the community came out to show their support and get to know their local law enforcement. Over 49 officers from multiple agencies were there, both to inform and interact with the public. Members of the High Springs Police Department, Alachua Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Gainesville Police Department, UF Police Department, Santa Fe College Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Wildlife Commission, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office were all represented.

Each department brought displays of their equipment and vehicles. The Alachua County Sheriff’s office brought their Bomb Squad vehicle and robots, an armored car and a bulldozer used in hostage situations. Gainesville Police Department brought examples of riot gear and personal protection while the Florida Highway Patrol brought a spinning car to show how quickly someone could be ejected from a rollover.  The High Springs Police Department put goggles on people that simulated impairment from alcohol as the person staggered and lost their sense of balance, much to the amusements of other spectators.

Departments also brought recruitment officers, hoping to interest adults in joining the force or staff positions.  “There has been a national trend of officers leaving their careers. While that has been true in many fields, law enforcement has been hit especially hard due to a number of factors including the pandemic, negative responses from the public, lack of funding and burnout from stress and PTSD among first responders,” Joy said. “So many of the departments are understaffed and looking to fill their positions.”

In addition to the focus on law enforcement, the event also included a family fun day.  Volunteer activities included a train ride for kids and free hot dogs from the High Springs Lions Club, Jump Houses from Jump Stars Party Rentals and Jumping Jacks Bounce house, a dunk tank and Face Painting by Tonya.  North Central Florida Ponies provided pony rides and a petting zoo.  DJ Cowboy Mike provided music and the Deeper Purpose Church also sponsored a Blue Fun Run where families had the opportunity to run and donate toward sponsoring two high school graduates from Alachua County who are interested in attending the Police Academy. There were several food trucks and vendors selling crafts and military clothing and patches.

The event had a chilly and windy start, but the weather warmed up for the crowds that attended through the event.  “We wanted to make it a fun event while providing information and interaction with the public to show them that law enforcement is part of the community and police officers are their neighbors to put a positive face on the departments,” said Joy.  “Each year we will host it in a different community in the county so all have an opportunity to bond with their law enforcement officers.”

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