ALACHUA ‒ The Facebook post began with “Most of you know this sweet angel as ‘Ghost Dog.’ She has been a large part of our community for over a decade.”

The post, which went live on Feb. 10, was written by Jennifer Trenteseaux, and this is her story about a stray dog that roamed areas of Alachua for years.

In her own words, Trenteseaux tells us about ‘Ms. Princess,’ a mix breed canine, that has been “roaming the community here in Alachua since 2014.

“Her initial food and water stop was with the old manager at the RaceWay in front of Publix on U.S. Highway 441. As a homeless street dog, she was getting food where she could and absolutely terrified of any human that attempted to approach her. Over the years, she migrated from the Raceway side of 441 to other and became well known at the Wendy’s and the gas station that adjoins.

The Elusive Ghost Dog

“My husband and I married and purchased a home in late 2017 behind the Publix in Heritage Oaks. This is when I first spotted Princess (formally known as the illusive Ghost Dog). One morning, I stopped for gas on the way to work and saw her in the RaceWay parking lot. I tried to catch her for three hours. We ventured through that parking lot and the Publix lot, until she eventually ran into the woods.

“Princess was spotted many times over the last 10 years, and many attempts were made to rescue her. Our community banded together to try and show her that people are good. Many people attempted rescues and left food and water when those attempts failed. There were always postings of the encounters on PetFinder, Nextdoor, and or Alachua/Gainesville /High Springs Words of Mouth.

Community Care

“About two years ago, I noticed Princess frequenting the fence line that bordered my community and the wooded area. It was then that some amazing neighbors got together and routinely left food and water out for her. I'm absolutely amazed at the love and dedication so many have shown this sweet girl. I love our Heritage Oaks Community and the amazing people of Alachua/High Springs.

“Over the past two years, shelters have been built, dog houses and blankets have been plentiful, and the area is daily maintained.

“For the past 1 1/2 years, I’ve driven my golf cart up to this wooded area and sat with her. I brought her chicken, water, and always came with a heart full of lots of love.

“I’ll never forget, over the summer, she dug a large hole along the fence line to stay cool. One day, I saw her resting in it, and I came ready with a cooling blanket. She backed up and looked at me with pure curiosity. As I turned to walk away, she would inch closer and closer. I then sat at the corner of the fence line and she investigated.

Curiosity Turns to Trust

“Over time, she was curious and she got even closer to me. My heart was so full. I began calling her ‘Princess’ and routinely visited. It didn’t take long for her to come running out of the woods as I called her name. We were both in love. The bond started to grow more and more daily.

“On one of my afternoon visits, I hit the jackpot of joy. I was sitting in the dirt near the opening of the wooded area, and she came right up to me and ate some chicken from my hand. I then started petting her, and it was instant heaven for both of us.

“This poor girl had no human touch for over a decade. She was happy crying as I ran my hands up and down her fur and tickled her cheeks. As I left that day, she was howling and crying. Naturally, I came back to give her more love… immediately.

“The next day, the same thing took place. I made four trips that day. I focused on brushing her, loving on her, and getting her used to a leash. I did this for almost two weeks. After almost two years of working up to this point, I didn’t want to scare her away by pushing too fast.

Her Best Life Yet

“On the morning of Day Nine of lovin’s, I brought her breakfast, and we sat together as I gave her lovin’s for an hour. Over the past nine days, I worked on getting ticks off of her as I petted her, and it continues this day, too. After a few more visits, that day she came home with me and the rest have been focused only on her best life yet.

“I’ve taken Princess to Hilltop Family Vet in Alachua. She will be receiving all of her care there. It brought me to tears as we were in the exam room, and employees came to share their stories of the infamous ‘Ghost Dog’ with me. They shared sightings over the years and expressed so much joy for her rescue.

“Our goal is [to] keep her happy and get her healthy.

“Last week, we received her blood work back. Princess is positive for Ehrlichia, a tick-born disease, and is also heartworm positive. Her kidney values are elevated slightly...most likely due to the Ehrlichia. The treatment is the same. Bonus!

“As I share her story on social media platforms, many have suggested the ‘slow kill’ method (simply using the monthly heart worm prevention). I spoke to Dr. Miller at Hilltop in depth regarding this suggestion. The large risk with this method is that the heart worms will last for very long (years) before they die off. The new growths will be prevented, but as the existing die off, there is a high risk causing a Pulmonary Embolism as they dislodge.

“Given that Princess has been in the wild since around 2014, we estimate she is at least 10-13 years old, and we simply do not have time. Also, we need the treatment to battle the Ehrlichia.

“With that said... Dr Miller suggested a chest x-ray (three views to evaluate her heart size and lungs), and then decide how aggressive we are with the treatments, and if her heart and lungs can handle it. Likely, she can because there is no respiratory distress at this time.

“This leads me to my next point. Dr Hill also recommended keeping Princess and my four kiddos completely separated for three weeks. Why? In order to allow the vaccinations to take effect and to fully rule out respiratory issues.

“It will be a tough three weeks, folks. But, we got this...

Getting Her Healthy

“Monday, at 10 a.m., she will go in for her x-rays, and we will then decide if she is clear to start the tick and heart worm treatment. Total treatment cost is estimated at $2,000. This may change due to the aggressive treatment she may require. It will also be over a one-year span. If we start Monday, what will be due is $300 for the x-rays and $600-$700 for the start of her treatment. That will total $1,000.

“Her needs have totaled $1,246 thus far.

“I’m reaching out to you for two reasons. First and foremost, to help spread the word and inform our community (that has had a huge hand in her survival) that this sweet angel is okay safe, and in a loving home! Secondly, to give the community a chance to follow her Best Life Journey and help facilitate that any way they can.”

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And that is the story of Alachua’s ‘Ghost Dog’ – so far. Trenteseaux has posted updates about her efforts to spread the good news with the community utilizing Nextdoor, Facebook, and Paypal.

Trenteseaux writes, “As you look through the links you’ll notice there has been an overwhelming response from the community thus far. People have shared so many stories of leaving food for her, trying to rescue her, or even protecting her from 441! She is such a large part of our community, and I’d love for this best chapter of her life to continue with the army of residents and business owners that have cared for her over this past decade.”

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Editor’s Note: For those who have been part of this amazing dog’s life, or those individuals who would like to, check out those social media postings, and give a thought to contributing to her medical needs via PayPal Fundraiser at https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/91DC6rxHEB

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Donate to the amazing Princess here:  https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/91DC6rxHEB

GAINESVILLE - Alachua County Youth Fair and Livestock Show Association is pleased to announce the upcoming 2024 Alachua County Youth Fair & Livestock Show from Feb. 29 to March 5, 2024, at the Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Center (23100 W Newberry Road, Newberry). The event is free and open to the public.

 The fair is an educational platform for the youth in Alachua County interested in agriculture. Youth will exhibit both livestock and non-livestock 4-H & FFA projects.

 “The youth fair benefits agriculture and the local community by providing an educational opportunity for youth to learn about production agriculture,” said Dr. Cindy Sanders, UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County director. “Working with livestock and other agriculture events through the youth fair prepares future citizens of Alachua County to be knowledgeable about agriculture production and land use. This benefits Alachua County by providing citizens the opportunity to see our 4-H & FFA youth projects.”

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ALACHUA ‒ The storefronts along Alachua’s Main Street have undergone a bit of turnover in recent months, with more changes still expected. Some of the changes include the opening of new ventures and the closure or relocation of others.

Soon-to-open at 14906 Main Street, Alachua, just two doors south of Conestogas restaurant and immediately south of Kelly’s Kreations Gifts and Flowers is The Seed, also known as The Mustard Seed Collection. The company touts “antiques, paints and things.” The shop is relocating from its existing location in Ocala, Fla., where it specializes in a variety of unique gifts certain to meet the needs of any season and any special occasion. The company also has a robust online presence, including a vast online store featuring many of its wares. The Seed also sells Annie Sloan products, a popular supplier of furniture paints. Owners of the shop had initially hoped to open their doors in Alachua by Feb. 1, but due to unforeseen delays, the new soft opening is set for Feb. 20.

Also, soon-to-open is Good Life Station, Smart City Café, located across from Main Street Sweets, the unique concept promises to deliver an engaging, technologically rich experience for visitors while also offering food served up by talented local chefs and bakers. Located at 14933 Main Street, Alachua, the cutting-edge concept occupies the former space of the now-closed Main Street Pie. Located adjacent to Good Life Station is Pink Threads Boutique at 14925 Main Street. Pink Threads Boutique opened in spring 2023 and sells fashionable apparel and accessories. The boutique caters to women but also sells a variety of apparel for men as well.

The newest addition of food offerings on Main Street comes from Codfathers Seafood at the corner of Main Street and Northwest 148^th Terrace. Specializing in seafood, Codfathers has a little something to satisfy a range of palates. Codfathers opened at the beginning of 2024 and is still filling out its menu items to meet local tastes.

Located across Main Street from Codfathers is Mother Lode on Main, a retail shop selling new items at discounted prices. Specializing in gifts, baby and child goods as well as home goods, Mother Lode on Main turns over a steady supply of new items, including dinnerware, toys, bags, small appliances, outdoor furniture, as well as some clothing and footwear, in addition to much more.

At the top of Main Street is Alachua Animal Hospital, a veterinary clinic that began its operations in 2021 and occupies the space that once served as Alachua’s public library, next to Skinner Park.

A bed and breakfast located in the Queen Anne-style Pierce-Bishop House at 14713 Main Street is reportedly also open for business.

While Alachua’s Main Street is seeing new life, it has seen the closure or relocation of several other businesses. Tony and Al’s Italian restaurant was reported to be closing as early as Monday, Feb. 5, though the restaurant appeared to be operating as of Tuesday, Feb. 6, while posts on social media made repeated last calls for the eatery in recent days.

Meanwhile, Harvest Thyme Café is slated to relocate to its new building in San Felasco Tech City. Construction on the new restaurant space was originally expected to be complete in February, though there have been delays. The café is expected to continue operating out of its Main Street location until it relocates to this new facility, closing its current location at 14816 Main Street.

Similarly, Better Beginnings, which was located at 14822 Main Street has already relocated to new space in San Felasco Tech City. Better Beginnings offers outpatient mental health needs, including an intensive mother/baby day program. South of the railroad crossing on Main Street, D & K rebuilders, an automotive shop, shuttered its doors in recent months.

Some of the anchor businesses on Alachua Main Street remain. Conestogas Restaurant, Bev’s Better Burgers, Lee’s Hair Boutique, Alachua Farm and Lumber, and Alachua County Today newspaper are the five longest existing businesses on Main Street, all operating for more than two decades.

Other longtime businesses include Kelly’s Kreations Gifts and Flowers, Architect Paul Stresing Associates, Custom Lighting, Amira Builders, Music Junction, Alachua Health and Fitness, Valeries Loft, Teatime Tranquility and Treasures, Computer Doctor, Alachua Flowers and Tuxedo Rentals, and Michael Turner CPA.

Like many downtowns in transition, empty storefronts also present opportunities for new investments in an area ripe for entrepreneurs with a flair for vision and revitalization. Already in the works, the Cityof Alachua will soon roll out a strategic action plan to bring renewed vibrancy to the downtown area. While the plan won’t require starting from scratch as Main Street is already home to a number of businesses, and the area holds considerable charm, there are a number of undertakings essential to transform the area into a place people not only want to go to, but also an easier place to start and maintain a business.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Below are the updated City of Gainesville traffic impacts scheduled for Feb. 16-23, 2024. 

New Notices

 NE Fourth Ave.: Northeast Fourth Avenue from 2325 NE Fourth Ave. to NE 22nd Ter. will be closed from Tuesday, Feb. 20-Friday, Feb. 23 between 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

NE 13th Street: Northeast 13th Street from Northeast First Avenue to Northeast Third Avenue will be closed from Tuesday, Feb. 20-Friday, Feb. 23 between 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Continuing Notices  

SE Fifth Ave.: Southeast Fifth Avenue will be closed with detours between Southeast Third Street and Southeast Sixth Terrace until Feb. 23.

NW 12th Drive: Northwest 12th Drive from Northwest Fifth Avenue to Northwest Third Avenue is currently closed northbound, but is open as a one-way street heading southbound. This is expected to end March 1.

SW 52nd Street: The eastbound right turn-lane onto Southwest 52nd Street from Southwest 20th Avenue is closed until March 25.

Southeast First Ave.: Southeast First Avenue (eastbound only) will be closed between South Main Street and Southeast First Street until April 1.

Clark Butler Blvd. area: The new traffic signals at Clark Butler, Southwest 62nd Boulevard, Southwest 43rd Street are turned on (in flashing mode). The traffic is guided through the intersection with traffic control devices.

Please be advised that this report covers the roads maintained by the City of Gainesville. For roads within Gainesville maintained by other agencies, please visit the following:

• University of Florida campus road closures
• Alachua County right-of-way road and lane closures
• Florida Department of Transportation right-of-way road and lane closures
• Gainesville Public Works Facebook page

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