Nations Park, which is located on the corner of Southwest 30^th Avenue and State Road 41, will hold its first baseball tournaments this week beginning on Saturday. The tournaments will last until Thursday or Friday, founder Lou Presutti said.

He believes the weather will hold out for this week’s events and expects a smooth “soft” opening for the expected 20 teams coming to the park.

“It should be very close to being seamless,” Presutti said.

Presutti said teams from across the country will participate in the tournaments this week, bringing in an estimated 500 to 600 people to the city.

City of Newberry Mayor Bill Conrad said area residents can expect an increase in traffic to get across town while the tournaments are going on, but he said the influx of ball players may bring in some benefit to local businesses.

Local restaurants, shops and laundromats may have an increase in business this week, Conrad said.

Though the park is hosting several tournaments this summer, construction at Nations Park is not finished. The grand opening is currently scheduled for November.

Previous events planned for Saturday included a parade and city celebration, but since the grand opening is not until later in the year, the celebration has also been postponed.

Construction of the $7 million 16-field baseball complex began last March, but gopher tortoise removal, sinkhole problems and other delays kept construction behind schedule.

The project is a the product of a partnership between the city and Presutti, who founded Cooperstown Dreams Park in New York. Cooperstown Dreams Park draws crowds from around the country for youth baseball tournaments, and the hope is that a similar result will take place in Newberry.

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Email mharvard@alachuatoday.com

 L-R: Brianna King and Natalie Kempton, armed with colorful chalk, are transforming a Newberry sidewalk into an imaginative work of art.  The youngsters are participating in the Newberry branch library’s summer reading program, which has a host of activities scheduled through the end of July.

NEWBERRY – Youngsters looking for a cure to the endless days of summer need not look any further than their local public library.  Like other libraries around the county, the Newberry branch of the Alachua County Library District has a full schedule of summertime boredom beaters.

The focus this week of the Newberry library branch has been its third annual Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest, which began Monday, June 18 and wraps up Thursday, June 21.  The library provides the colorful chalk and plenty of sidewalk, said Marian Suggs, library specialist in charge of programing for the children’s summer reading program.

“The children just need to provide the inspiration,” Suggs added.

And the contest has already been a smashing success with nearly two dozen youngsters participating by Wednesday afternoon.

Suggs said she had heard about the idea of a sidewalk chalk activity for summer reading programs.  But she upped the ante by bringing a competitive spirit when she introduced the activity as a contest at the Newberry library three years ago.

Despite seemingly drenching rains in recent weeks, the sidewalk chalk contest has dodged the bullet over the past few days.  Those clear skies have left the youth-inspired art sketched on the sidewalks around the library.

But if the skies should let out another downpour, Suggs says fear not.

“We take pictures of them each day so we can share them with everyone and put them on our blog later this week,” she said.

This year, the winner of the contest will receive a Town of Tioga gift certificate.  Other participants won’t be left out in the cold as Suggs said each participant would receive something.

Ten-year-old Brianna King has been spending much of her summer at the library before she enters fifth grade at Newberry’s Oakview Middle School.  With beauty as her inspiration and the sidewalk as her canvas, King chalked out a masterpiece she calls “A Beautiful Day.”  With large shapes and bright colors, King’s drawing, prominently displayed near the library entrance, features flowers and balloons.

Natalie Kempton, also 10 years old and one of King’s schoolmates, has also been passing some of her time at the library since graduating from Newberry Elementary a few shorts weeks ago.  Kempton found a shady spot along the walkway where she drew cooler visions on her piece of art, which depicts a blue flowing river and tall, tall pine trees.  She also drew a picture of her pet pooch and on another sidewalk segment, the image of one of her new favorite activities ­– Archery.

Although the Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest ends Thursday, the fun isn’t over at the Newberry branch library, where each Monday at 2 p.m. they have “Cool Monday Movies.”  On Thursdays at the same time, they make crafts.  A variety of other activities dot the calendar over the next several weeks.  Suggs said the library would close out the summer reading program with a celebration on Thursday, July 26, which will include cupcake decorating, hula hoops, games and prize drawings for the program’s best readers and participants.

To see a complete calendar of events and the sidewalk photos to be posted later this week, visit www.aclib.us/newberry.

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Email editor@alachuatoday.com

Jurors found that Nodine was guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter, when he reportedly fired his weapon at High Springs Police Department (HSPD) Officer Charles Harper.  Jurors also convicted him of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as it related to Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) Deputy Brian Phillips.

Jurors did not, however, find Nodine guilty of two more severe charges being sought by the State Attorney’s Office, those of attempted first degree murder and attempted second degree murder.

Nodine was additionally convicted on two counts of possession of a weapon on school property, one for a firearm and the other for a knife.  He was also found guilty of trespassing on school grounds after being escorted from the premises by a law enforcement officer.

Nodine is awaiting sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.  A presentence investigation ordered by the judge overseeing the case is currently underway.  Conducted by the Florida Department of Corrections, that investigation will yield a report on the history of Nodine’s life, including any criminal history.

State Attorney’s Office spokesman Spencer Mann said his office would be providing a sentencing score sheet that converts the convictions into a numerical point system to provide guidance on sentencing.

“He runs the potential of serving the rest of his life in prison,” Mann said.

He also said the State Attorney’s Office would be advocating for the highest level of incarceration.

“We believe [Nodine] should not be released due to the violence used and the potential loss of life, and we believe he is a danger to society,” he added.

The shootout may have been triggered as a result of a reported investigation by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), which asked the school not to release Nodine’s two grandchildren.  A 9-1-1 caller who was reporting the incident as it unfolded said DCF had not yet arrived at the school to deal with matters related to that investigation.

Responding to the school on May 18 were both ACSO deputies and HSPD officers.

Police say Nodine became irate while at the school, and while being escorted off the campus the grandfather was reportedly able to arm himself.

Nodine challenged a deputy and a police officer, according to reports.  The incident escalated and police opened fire on Nodine who was the only person injured in the exchange of fire.

The shooting occurred in a breezeway into the elementary school office.  Meanwhile, the school was in lockdown for much of that afternoon as deputies restricted access to and from school grounds.

Most of the school’s children had already been released because of an abbreviated Wednesday schedule.  But some 170 students remained on campus for after-school activities when the shooting occurred.

Harper was placed on administrative leave, but returned to work in the week following the incident.

Nodine was initially taken to an area hospital for treatment, but was later booked into the Alachua County Jail.

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alachuatoday.com

City can still choose to stay with CCC

HIGH SPRINGS – Even though the High Springs Commission has voted to bring emergency dispatch back under local operation, one commissioner has other plans.  Commissioner Scott Jamison announced during Tuesday’s special meeting that he will be placing an item on the upcoming June 28 agenda to rescind the previous decision and discuss staying with the Alachua County Combined Communication Center (CCC).

Despite reservations voiced by several High Springs police officers during a May 15 Town Hall Meeting, the commission approved by a 3-2 vote to bring dispatch back to the city.  During a recent meeting, Jamison expressed doubts about the City’s ability to fund the project safely and thoroughly. He said on Tuesday that he has already asked for the topic to be placed on the next agenda.

“Do I believe the dispatch back in our control is good? Yes, I do,” Jamison said during the May 22 meeting. “But I’m not convinced we can adequately prepare for it, technologically, staff it and assume control or take on the added financial obligations that come with it.”

As of June 19, City Manager Jeri Langman said the City still does not have solid numbers for the cost of operating the dispatch center. On May 15, it was estimated the locally operated dispatch would cost the City an additional $145,486 more a year than staying with the CCC. But that number seems to have increased as new expenses have come to light, such as the cost to update various programs, purchase new equipment and train future employees.

When queried by the commission, High Springs Police Chief Steve Holley has remained confident that if the City operates its own dispatch, the police department will be able to work safely and smoothly. However, Holley did say the dispatch would not be safe if there were only four dispatchers. This prompted the commission to budget for five dispatchers and one supervisor.

On Tuesday, the commission reviewed the letter the City will be sending to the CCC to provide formal notice of separation. Prompted by Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas, Mayor Dean Davis signed the letter, which is slated to be mailed on June 29, depending on the results of the June 28 commission meeting.

Commissioner Linda Gestrin was absent during the discussion, but said during an earlier meeting that the dispatch provides an opportunity for the City to rebuild and make the dispatch the best it can be.

“We have the officers and the community’s safety in mind,” Gestrin said.

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Email awilliamson@alachuatoday.com