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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NEWBERRY - The Newberry Watermelon Festival was back with juicy, red watermelon Saturday, May 15 at Country Way Town Square, just south of Newberry High School.  The annual festival brought out thousands who enjoyed picture perfect weather, dozens of vendors, refreshing watermelon, games and activities for the young and not-so-young alike, and entertainment.  Not to be forgotten were the contests, which included “dress your dog,” golf car decorating, seed spitting, and of course, the Watermelon Queen Pageants.  Newberry has been home to the annual festival since 1946.

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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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ALACHUA ‒ Opening its doors for the first time, a new Hilton Hampton Inn in Alachua is now welcoming visitors to stay when traveling for leisure or business. After almost three years in development, the Hilton Hampton Inn opened its doors on April 28. ^.Located just west of I-75 off U.S. Highway 441 at 15930 N.W. 163^rd Lane, the new hotel features 101 rooms, including 32 suites, a conference room, gym and full-size pool that is ADA compliant for wheelchair access. The suites are larger than the regular rooms and can sleep up to six with two king beds and a couch that folds out to sleep additional guests.

The Hilton corporation has a variety of hotels in its brand, ranging from the high-end Waldorf and Conrad hotels to the more economical Hampton Inns and Doubletree hotels. While the Alachua hotel is under the Hilton brand, all Hampton Inns are franchises, owned and operated by individual investors. Nationwide there are over 1,200 Hampton Inns. While most of the Hilton Hotel chain consists of individual franchises, they all must meet corporate standards before opening.

General Manager Kari Adams said this was just one of the delays in opening. “We had hoped to open before Gator Nationals in March but Covid hit the hotel industry hard. Travel was very limited in 2020, and a lot of hotels couldn't survive with limited guests.” Adams explained that COVID also changed the way rooms were cleaned and sanitized, adding additional health restrictions that made hotel chains revise their corporate requirements.

“Before we could open, we had to change a lot of things that were not necessary before,” Adams said. “Another delay was getting supplies, especially from overseas sources. What had taken a few weeks to order and deliver is now taking months.”

Hotels nationwide are facing shortages of linens. Adams added, “We planned ahead and ordered a larger supply, but there was still a three to four-month wait.”

Adams has worked for the Hilton corporation for over 20 years, mainly in Las Vegas. She was eager to make the move to assist in opening the new hotel and move to Florida where she has family.

The investors are local and have purchased 150 acres surrounding the hotel with plans for other projects on the property as well.

“Hampton Inns are called lighthouse hotels because they have initiated a number of new ideas that put the hotel in the forefront of innovation. They are geared more toward business clientele and creating ways to make their stay easier and more efficient,” said Adams.

“For our silver, gold and diamond club members we have created ‘digital keys’ that work directly off a phone app so the guest can use their phones for keyless entry and control the thermostat directly from their phone,” said Adams. “This makes check out much easier as well.”

Given the distribution centers that call Alachua home, the hotel has a parking area for trucks. “In most hotels, truckers need to find someplace else to park the large truck overnight,” said Adams. “We have created a parking area at the hotel for trucks, so the drivers do not have to worry about not being able to watch their rig or get to it easier if they have to get items from it at night.”

The hotel has also made revisions to housekeeping procedures to provide enhanced health safety due to Covid. Each room is thoroughly cleaned with Lysol on all surfaces as well as plastic wraps on TV remotes that are changed with each guest. After the cleaning, a seal is placed across the door and nobody else is allowed in the sanitized room until the next guest checks in. These cleaning practices apply to all surfaces in the hotel on an ongoing basis.

Although the hotel is already open for guests, Adams said they will introduce themselves to the community on a more personal level and plan to host an open house to the public on June 23 from 5-7 p.m. with a variety of events and giveaways. There will be a larger Grand Opening in September as Covid restrictions ease to allow more public interaction. Adams said, “The City of Alachua has been very helpful throughout the process and we want to be part of the local community as well.”

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