ALACHUA ‒ After 12 years and four terms on the Alachua City Commission, Alachua City Commissioner Gary Hardacre is looking forward to putting politics behind him and spending more time with his family.  He formally stepped down from his seat on the Commission May 10.

Hardacre and his family have been residents and homeowners in Alachua since 1987. He retired from AT&T after working as a technician, engineer, and manager for nearly 43 years.  But his “retirement” was hardly idle.

During his time on the City Commission, Hardacre was selected three times by his fellow commissioners to serve as Vice Mayor.  As a citizen of Alachua, he has been involved with the community and service.

Service with Purpose

He is an active member of the Alachua Lions Club where he serves as the Treasurer of the Club. While the Lions Club may be best known for its sight and hearing programs, diabetes can be a significant factor in eye degeneration and retina damage. Hardacre initiated a program to purchase portable eye machines that check a patient for retina issues. Club members travel to various locations in the county with the machines, especially rural areas and small towns where residents don't have facilities locally.

Hardacre is also active in the Alachua Chamber of Commerce and served as the City Commission representative to the Suwannee River Water Management District. Among his community projects, he tutors 3rd graders at Alachua Elementary School during the school year, volunteers at the Cleather Hathcock, Sr. Community Center during the week and is a member of AL’Z Place Caregiver Support Group for Alzheimer’s.

In the past, he has served on the City of Alachua’s Planning & Zoning Board, Downtown Redevelopment Trust Board, and the Visions 2010 Committee.  He has been a Cub Scout Pack 88 Webelos Leader, Boy Scout Troop 88 Assistant Scout Master, and served on the Alachua District Boy Scout Leadership Training Staff.  Over the years, he also served on the Schools of the Future Task Force, Alachua County Charter Review Commission, Alachua County Improved Economic Opportunity Council, Alachua County Visions 2000 Committee, Region 5 Private Industry Council, and as a Coordinator for the United Way Campaigns. He is a USAF Vietnam Era Veteran, serving from 1968-1971.

It’s safe to say that Hardacre certainly earned another retirement as his time on the City Commission drew to a close.  “It's been a wonderful time and I feel we have accomplished a lot over the last 12 years that will also work toward the future,” Hardacre said. “One of the eight goals I set for myself when I took the office was to make this a place where our children didn't have to leave to find good jobs and to grow while still maintaining the small-town charm that makes Alachua unique” he said.

Watershed Moment

“In the late 1970s the two big businesses in town shut down. Copeland Sausage employed 40 percent of the town and many of the others worked at the battery factory south of town. It devastated Alachua employment wise and it took a long while to recover,” Hardacre said.

“Both of my kids moved elsewhere for employment and so did a lot of others,” he said.  Hardacre recalled it was then that city officials realized how much the town had relied on those two businesses and the need to diversify businesses and the local economy. “The present Commission's predecessors began moving in that direction with the establishment of Progress Park and its diverse group of high-tech companies,” Hardacre said.

“The big factor is planning ahead on multiple fronts,” he said. “Growth has to be controlled and the ability to support it has to be in the plan.”

Hardacre added that too much residential growth without the utility infrastructure or too much interest in single large employers with low paying jobs is bound to create issues. “On infrastructure, we have expanded the water and utility capability with new water systems in the western and southern edges of the city to compensate for both current and future development,” said Hardacre.  “We are one of the very few smaller cities in Florida with two electrical substations.”

“With businesses, we have a attracted a diversity of high-tech companies that are mainly located south of town, thereby keeping the center of town with that small-town charm.” Hardacre said.

“The best part of it is our financial shape while still getting all this done,” he said.  Hardacre explained that all the municipal projects completed have been paid for and that the City maintains a healthy budget. “Besides the great work by the city staff on our finances, we also apply for numerous grants, especially involving preserving the natural environment, creating park and recreation space and creating initiatives and support for new businesses and startups. Those grants have helped a lot.” Hardacre said.

On to the Future

Just because Hardacre is retiring from the Alachua City Commission, don’t expect him to fade from the community.  As far as the future, involvement in the community and the non-profit organizations he works with will top his list. As for relaxing, he enjoys fresh and salt water fishing, doing honey-dos around the house for his wife, Debbie, and following the University of Florida Gator athletic teams.

Will Hardacre miss being a City Commissioner?

“I feel it's time to move on and let someone else take us forward,” Hardacre said. “I have been proud to work with the city staff and other commissioners for over a decade. It's all those people that do the actual work.”

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ALACHUA ‒ J ennifer Blalock has defeated Malcolm Dixon in the May 4 runoff election to become the next commissioner on the City of Alachua Commission. Blalock clinched the race for Seat 5 on the commission with 452 votes, or 58 percent, compared to 327 votes, or 42 percent for Dixon.

Blalock faced Dixon and Gary Kocher in a three-way race on April 13, which led to the runoff election as no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote. In that race, Blalock received 389 votes, Dixon received 263 votes and Kocher received 231 votes. Commissioner Gary Hardacre did not seek re-election to Seat 5, leaving the post open to the three candidates.

Alachua Commissioner Shirley Green Brown was re-elected to Seat 4 during the April 13 election, defeating Gregory E. Pelham. Brown claimed victory with 51.4 percent of the vote as compared to Pelham’s 48.6 percent of the votes counted.

Blalock has lived in Alachua for 20 years and is currently the regional manager for O2B Kids, an early childhood learning center. About winning the election Blalock said, “I am extremely honored and humbled by the results of this election. I love this community and I love the people who call the city of Alachua home. I am ready to take on this great responsibility and to work tirelessly for all of my neighbors here in the city of Alachua. I promise to be a diligent leader and a compassionate listener. Thank you for this great opportunity.” Blalock stressed her knowledge of the community in the race. She said she likes the direction of the current commission and is particularly interested in maintaining quality recreation and education, adding jobs and repaving and maintaining roads.

Blalock will be sworn into office during the regular City Commission meeting on May 10, 2021 at 6 p.m.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ A local High Springs student was among just a handful of students statewide to be named winners in the state’s 2021 Black History Month Contest. Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis held a student essay and art contest with six winning students receiving a fully paid four-Year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

“The Governor and I are honored to celebrate this year’s Black History Month student and teacher award winners and their achievements,” DeSantis said in a news release from the Governor’s Office. “It is our hope that today’s award recipients continue to share their gifts and serve as inspirations across our great State of Florida.”

This year’s contest theme was “Community Champions – Celebrating the Contributions of African Americans in Florida’s Communities,” sponsored by the Florida Lottery and other partners. The contest received thousands of student entries across the state. On April 22, 2021 First Lady DeSantis announced the six winners, two of whom are from Alachua County. Brynley Ashraf from the High Springs Community School had the winning essay and Immanuel Howard from W. A. Metcalfe Elementary won the art contest.

Ashraf wrote the top elementary school essay, while Howard was one of just two Florida students to win the art contest.

When Ashraf chose the person she considered a ‘community champion,’ she didn’t have to look further than her own school. Ashraf featured Officer Adam Joy, her school resource officer, who serves their community not only through his profession, but also by giving back through his involvement with numerous organizations and as an Ordained Minister at the Deeper Purpose Community Church.

Ashraf, who is a fourth grader at High Springs Community School, bypassed a list of suggested subjects and instead decided to write about Officer Adam Joy. In her essay, entitled “The ‘Joy’ of Our Community,” she outlined the many ways Officer Joy serves the High Springs community, including organizing programs like Meals on Wheels, No Son Left Behind, back-to-school haircuts, backpacks with school supplies, senior citizen Valentine meals, Easter and Christmas gift giveaways, and even raising money to donate cars to families in need and a variety of giveaways and community events. This past January, Officer Joy rallied the community to gather necessities for a family whose home burned down.

“I believe Officer Joy should be recognized for his amazing work,” wrote Ashraf. “From mentoring kids, supporting families and helping senior citizens, there’s no limit to his kindness. I cannot think of anyone more worthy of recognition. My family has contributed to the toy drive and I gave Officer Joy some stuffed animals, which he keeps in his patrol car to help calm kids that are scared or have been in accidents,” Ashraf said.

Joy grew up in High Springs where he currently serves as a police officer and as of this year he is also assigned as the School resource Officer for the Community School. As a boy he always wanted to be a police officer and make a positive impact on the community. In 2007, Adam graduated from the Police Academy.

Joy is also an Ordained Elder at his church. Over the 14 years, he has sponsored over 300 events and programs that are completely free to the public. Some programs include Meals on Wheels, where he cooks and delivers meals to senior citizens in need. He also runs “No Son Left Behind,” a program for boys K-12th grade. “The purpose is to provide a positive male role model while focusing on mentoring, behavioral updates and goal setting. It's all about the children, they are our future,” Joy said.

He was surprised when Ashraf chose to make him the focus of her essay and asked to interview him. “It was very humbling,” he said. “You just never know who may be watching what you do. I’m really honored. When they announced she had won out of the thousands of entries it reminded me how good this school is to help nurture students like Brynley. She did a great job and put a lot of work into this project,” Joy said.

For Brynley Ashraf it was a story she felt needed telling, never expecting the scholarship. But despite being in fourth grade, she already has plans laid out for that scholarship. “I want to be a sign language interpreter and translator. The University of North Florida has a good program so I am planning to go there,” she said.

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HIGH SPRINGS - After a year on hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Pioneer Days was in full swing April 17 and 18 with locals in full attendance at the annual celebration. The town of High Springs took a trip back in time to the 1880s when the town was known for its rowdy ways. For more than four decades, the High Springs Chamber of Commerce has hosted the Pioneer Days festival to celebrate the town's colorful past.

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