ALEX HART/Alachua County Today

Jhalon Walker in front of a race to the end zone during the championship game. His team, the Newberry Panthers, defeated Alachua.

NEWBERRY – The bright lights were on and shining down on a chilly field for the championship round of the four-to-seven year old flag football league in Newberry Tuesday night, Nov. 19.

The tournament began last Thursday, with 10 teams from around Alachua County. Teams from Waldo, Newberry, Alachua, Gainesville and Bronson participated, said Damon Messina, assistant recreation director for the City of Alachua.

The second final of the doubleheader on Tuesday matched the Alachua Ninjas up with the Newberry Panthers, who would prove to be victorious, in Division One.

The atmosphere was electric as the athletes left it all out on the field, hoping to bring their team and fans the glory they came for.

Coming into the game, the star player for the Panthers was Jhalon Walker, and Newberry was counting on him to have a big game to deliver a championship. He and his fellow runners out of the Newberry backfield had to outrush a stable of playmakers on the Ninjas’ side to prevail in this one. And they were up to the task.

Newberry jumped out to a one-touchdown lead, after a close game in the beginning. Then Walker broke a run to the outside and scampered down the sideline on his way to a touchdown to extend his team’s lead even more just before the break.

Coming out in the second half, the Ninjas moved the ball with ease against the Newberry defense, relying on a running attack. However, the team was unable to punch it in for a score from just outside the goal line, and in turn, missed an opportunity to cut into the Panther’s lead.

When Newberry received the ball back, there was little more than five minutes left to play. They ran two plays and then were called for an offside penalty, giving the ball back to the Ninjas, who once again had life.

Alachua continued to mix their running attack and drive down the field to draw the game back to one score. Then, just as he had done earlier in the game, safety Jhalon Walker made a play that could have easily broken the heart of every Ninja at the Easton Newberry Sports Complex.

As the Alachua quarterback looked to hook-up with one of his receivers for a late touchdown, Walker stepped in front of the pass and made the game-sealing interception. But not only did he get the takeaway, he ran it straight up the middle all the way back to the house, and all but assured his team’s victory.

“He’s been doing that for us all year long,” Panthers coach Mike Gilliam said. “It did not surprise me one bit that he came up with a big play there in the end as well.”

With Newberry up 26-8 and the game in hand, Alachua handed the ball off to the youngest of the competitors, just 2-years-old, to finish the game. This got the crowd going right before the final whistle blew, signaling the end of the season, and the beginning of the Panthers celebration.

The teams lines up at midfield and shook hands, congratulating each other on a great season, and then Newberry prepared to receive their championship trophy and medals.

The parents and fans from Newberry cheered loudly for their champions, and the side from Alachua joined in as well, showing their support. The kids joined their coach for a team picture, and with wide smiles in victory, held their hands up to show they were number one.

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The Aldridge family gives a special presentation with Delilah, a 400 pound Burmese phthon. Camp Kulaqua sees around 50,000 guests each year.

HIGH SPRINGS – Children laughed, roasted marshmallows and shared stories around the campfire.

This all happened as Camp Kulaqua celebrated its 60th anniversary. Camp Kulaqua is a youth camp and retreat center that hosts over 50,000 guests year-round.

In the early 1950s, many young people from the Seventh-day Adventist Church had a passion for camping and the experience that can be found in the outdoors. Up until that year, the only available option was O’Leno State Park, which they had used for several years.

In 1953, the decision was made to purchase a property near the state park named Hornsby Springs, and what it is now known as Camp Kulaqua was born. Wayne Foster, founding camp director, first started developing the land, and since then, Camp Kulaqua has experienced much growth and expansion from several innovative leaders in the last 60 years.

For several years though, this place did not have a name. In 1959, a naming competition took place. The name chosen was submitted by the Coral Gables Pathfinder Club. It was named Camp Kulaqua, meaning cool water, because of the beautiful clear cool spring that stayed the same temperature year-round.

This year, Camp Kulaqua is celebrating 60 years and hosted an event to commemorate the occasion.

On Sept. 19 through Sept. 21, the camp welcomed more than 400 “alumni” and founding members to celebrate.

Many had not visited the camp in over 50 years and were overjoyed to see the growth.

“It was such an incredible moment to see people of all ages, from two to 92, take such joy in the wonderful experience that is camp,” said Gabriel Saldana, alumni and development coordinator.

Many previous directors and leaders were present and shared what camp was like during their eras.

As part of the event, a special dedication was made for the founding director Wayne Foster and his wife Reba Foster. The designs for a new welcome center were unveiled that Saturday afternoon and dedicated to Foster’s legacy.

The current camp director, Phil Younts, said he was excited about celebrating the camp 60th year anniversary.

“Prior to my arriving here in 1983, there had been a group who was trying to sell Camp Kulaqua and move the camp operation closer to the central part of the state,” he said. “But overwhelmingly, the constituents of Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists voted to keep Camp Kulaqua within High Springs because they love the area and love the people.”

Today, Camp Kulaqua serves the constituents of the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, as well as local community churches, civic groups, and schools.

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Crowds line the street in Alachua's downtown area. The festival has been held in Alachua for a number of years, featuring food, arts and crafts and souvenirs.

 ALACHUA – It was a beautiful stroll down Main Street for Brighton Taylor and her dog, Tyson, on Sunday, Nov. 10. The sun was shining, there was a cool breeze and the sweet smell of kettle corn filled the air. They did not have the street to themselves, however. They shared this picturesque day with hundreds.

There were booths and tents lining the street as far as the eye could see for the annual Alachua Main Street Harvest Festival. People from all over Alachua County walked the main street in downtown Alachua, taking in all the festival had to offer.

“There is really a little bit of everything,” Taylor said. “I like to look at the art and different crafts that people bring.”

This was not Brighton’s first time visiting the annual festival, but it was Tyson the dog’s first time experiencing the day. He seemed really excited to be around that many people and kids, Brighton said.

With all of the booths available for people to browse, there was no shortage of options. Several offered fried food, featuring fish, scallops, clams and crab cakes. Others had cotton candy and kettle corn, along with drinks and other snacks.

But food was not the only thing bringing in the crowds. There were some attractions for kids, with bungee jumping trampolines set up, as well as a small track where kids could drive motorized animal carts.

Local businesses brought out displays to attract possible future customers. A roller derby team was out looking to recruit future members.

The Alachua Police Department was in attendance, with a squad car they let kids climb into.

Bill Blake, a Newberry resident who made the trip with his sons to visit the festival, was more pleased with the weather than anything else.

“It is such a nice day out, really,” he said. “It could not have been picked any better,” Blake said.

He brought his sons, Dillon and Colby, and they loved that there was a shaved ice truck with so many options for flavors, Blake said.

More than anything else, vendors had food and crafts for visitors to peruse. Woodworking, clothing and trinkets of all sorts were heavily featured along the walk.

“This isn’t my first festival,” Blake said. “I’ve probably been to four or five. And after today, I don’t think it will be hard to get the boys to come back next year, either.”

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Jim Dyksterhouse and Rodger Chambers show off the model of the town in the 1920s, complete with a working train.

HIGH SPRINGS – The sound of a train whistle and wheels running on metal tracks can be heard as visitors enter the main display room of the museum.

The High Springs Historical Society’s (HSHS) Railroad Museum, located in the Historic High Springs Elementary School and Community Center, hosts a small diorama of High Springs, showing visitors what the town looked like in the 1920s, complete with a running train.

The first section of the 6-feet-by-7-feet model was built by Jim Dyksterhouse, vice president of the HSHS. It took him three months to build.

“We wanted the children to see what the town looked like in the past and how it has changed,” said teacher Sara Kirk, who visited the museum with her students. “Many of them had never seen an electric train before.”

“They were enthralled with the trains,” she said.

Representatives from several private and public schools in the area are talking with HSHS members about bringing their kids in to see the historic diorama, displays and trains.

The excitement of the schoolchildren was one of the most fulfilling parts of the visit, said Bob Watson, president of the HSHS.

“The smiles on 93 kindergarten faces was worth everything we had done,” he said. “We enjoyed their visit as much as they did.”

As the children looked at the model of High Springs, they could see glimpses of history, including a hospital, which existed between 1896 and 1902. The hospital was eventually closed because only 18 patients were seen during those six years.

In addition to the diorama of the past, the room also contained items from the city’s old 1924 LaFrance Fire Truck, still housed at the fire station to this day. Hoses from 1913, a ladder, a mask and several tools were on display.

Rodger Chambers, HSHS secretary and retired construction engineer, curated the fire display and elements of George’s General Store, originally located on 9th Street.

“It was where all the activity was back in those days,” Watson said. Visitors and area residents supplied many of the items in the recreated store.

“We’re always looking for more,” Chambers said.

The group has used the remaining walls to display photos of the city’s history.

“It’s interesting to see how the town has changed,” he said.

In the first four days of November, around 60 visitors stopped by to see the displays, Watson said.

“I think the diorama of the train yard and first section of the city has really excited people,” he said.

In another room of the museum, known as the Youth Center Room, there are three running models of trains on two separate boards. One of them is the Polar Express, complete with an engine, a coal car and three passenger cars. It travels just past models of internally-lit homes and buildings.

“It looks really amazing at night,” Watson said.

By Christmas, there should be a lot more trains running in the museum, along with interesting buildings, he said. For example, there might be a model of an old McDonald’s restaurant. Visitors might hear a voice ordering lunch, and see a model car drive around the old-looking, but still familiar building to pick up the order.

“Our people are looking for more of that type of stuff at an upcoming show to bring the scenes in this room to life,” Watson said.

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