Last week, the City of Alachua got the nod from the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) for $500,000 toward a $1.2 million purchase of 105 acres adjacent to the city’s Hal Brady Recreation Complex.

It was that request from the City of Alachua and another from the City of Newberry that prompted a reopening of project considerations.

Last year, the BOCC approved a 2-cent hike in the bed taxes, fees collected on hotel, motel, campground and similar rentals.  Each cent is expected to raise some $650,000 annually which can be used toward projects intended to attract more tourism to Alachua County.

The funding from one cent of the increase was committed over a period of several years to help develop Nations Baseball Park in Newberry.  The remaining one cent was being set aside to help fund a new county fairgrounds on Waldo Road in Gainesville.  But that project may have been derailed since the Newberry officials have proposed the funds instead be pledged to help purchase the Canterbury Equestrian Showplace in Newberry and move the fairgrounds there.

According to a document produced by the City of Newberry, the 60-acre Canterbury site could be purchased for $5 million.  County officials had been expecting to use an already-purchased tract of land on Waldo Road for the fairgrounds, but the first phase of that project is expected to require $22 million.

The City of High Springs submitted three proposals for use of the tourist development tax funds.  One project is focused on construction of a railroad museum and the funding of a passenger train to travel between the High Springs and Newberry.  According to the city’s proposal, the estimated cost of the museum is between $125,000 and $150,000, but the cost of repairing tracks and acquiring a train was unknown.

Another project offered by High Springs for funding is the purchase and restoration of The Priest Theater, a century old building that had been functioning as a movie theater until recently.  The property is up for sale at $250,000.  High Springs officials estimate that renovations would require about $300,000 for a total project cost of $550,000.

Also proposed for consideration is a plan that would upgrade the City of High Springs’ BMX racing facility.  Some of the upgrades the City proposes are bathroom facility improvements, covered seating, campsites, additional track expansion, concession facilities and more.  The cost of the city’s BMX track upgrades and improvements would come with a price tag of just more than $300,000.

The City of Hawthorne, meanwhile proposes that tourist development taxes be directed toward its Little Orange Creek Nature Park (LOCNP).  The city wants about $625,000 to convert an existing residence into a multiuse building consisting of a nature center, museum, event center and environmental education center.  About $100,000 of the proposed costs would be used to construct a fishing pier.  The City of Hawthorne recently acquired the 1,135 acres that are now the LOCNP.  Some 925 acres of the property are located in Alachua County with the remaining lands in neighboring Putnam County.

Although the City of Gainesville submitted a plan that would use funds to expedite the construction of the first phase of the Cade Museum proposed for Depot Park, city officials also urged the county not to defund the new fairgrounds project.

All of the projects are expected to be reviewed in a Nov. 22 county meeting.

While water in the town is currently fluoridated to a level of 0.42 parts per million, well within federal public health guidelines, Commissioner Eric May initiated discussion of the elimination of the additive to the Sept. 22 meeting. He said he heard concerns from citizens about the issue.

Mayor Larry Travis said he also received citizen requests.

“My concern,” he said, “is that we're putting this chemical in the water that people don’t want.”

University of Florida senior water treatment training specialist Ronald Trygar gave a presentation before the commission supporting the removal of fluoride. He said he is not against people having healthy teeth, but the benefits of fluoride are not enough to outweigh the risks.

He said High Springs has naturally occurring fluoride already, helping to protect the teeth of the residents. Trygar explained that too much fluoride exposure leads to fluorosis, causing white spots to appear on teeth.

As a water treatment trainer, he quoted the manual he uses to teach his classes.

“It is important to avoid overfeeding,” he said. “It can cause illness and bad public relations. The operator must pay close attention to maximum dosages.”

He said a monitor must be installed at the water treatment facility to notify staff if over fluoridation occurs. If the dosage goes above the maximum, the water system must be shut down and completely cleaned. Public health officials have to be notified.

The commission is uncertain if such a monitor exists, and operators are only required to be present for three hours a day at the facility.

Trygar said that many other products are commonly available with fluoride in them. Pulling out a box of toothpaste, he pointed to a warning label.

It said that one should call poison control if excess product is consumed. He said this was because of fluoride, a chemical listed in his manual as dangerous for ingestion in its pure form, leading to corrosive burns in the mouth and digestive tract.

He also explained that the Department of Health suggests that parents do not mix infant formula with tap water because of the danger of fluorosis.

Upon questioning by May, Trygar explained that while the maximum level of fluoride suggested was lowered to 1.2 parts per million, there is no required minimum level. It’s an elective process, he said.

He also said that the process incurs costs the town does not pass to consumers. The high cost of water service in High Springs has become a major point of contention in the commission race.

However, Trygar said, “You’re probably undercharging for the amount of water you produce. Don’t yell at me for that, but it’s true.”

May said the cost is not the issue.

“It would save us about $3,000 a year to eliminate fluoridation,” he said. “That’s not something we’re going to jeopardize public health over.”

Dr. Scott Tomar, professor at the University of Florida College of Dentistry, said the practice of fluoridation is not only crucial to protect the oral health of the city’s most vulnerable citizens, but it is the most cost-effective way of doing so.

“It’s one of the few public health measures that not only prevents disease but actually saves money,” he said. “It saves approximately $40 for every dollar spent.”

He explained that fluoridation strengthens the teeth of those citizens unable to afford sufficient dental care. He said children and adults living in fluoridated communities experience less tooth decay.

“Not only is it effective, but it’s safe,” he said. “It’s not really a controversy because these questions have been asked and answered. The World Health Organization, the Pan-American Health Agency, they all recommend it.”

Paul Meyers, assistant director of the Alachua County Health Department, called fluoridation “one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th Century.”

Gainesville was the first city to fluoridate its water in Florida, starting the practice in 1949. Meyers said the action is based on peer-reviewed, solid science.

Newberry and Fort White do not fluoridate their water, while Alachua does.

Local resident Pat Rush said the town must trust the experts. He said he spoke to a dentist about the issue.

“He told me, ‘If we took out the fluoride in the water,’” Rush said. “‘I’d have three times as much business.’”

Commissioners admitted that there was a great deal of information on both sides of the issue. They decided to postpone their vote about fluoridation until they found out whether the water treatment facility had a monitor.

Commissioner Dean Davis said this precaution must be in place, or fluoridation has to be discontinued.

City Manager Ellen Vause originally proposed to place “do not enter” signs at the entrance of the road. She also said she spoke with a property owner that would be affected by the road closure.

After further examination, Vause now says six more property owners would be affected by the closure.  And it may mean that these property owners will be required to contribute money to shut the road down.

“I thought it would be a simple road closing, but the more you look at it, the more challenges we have,” Vause said.

Property owners are responsible for funding the fencing and barricading of each property, Vause said. However, because the road is a historical pathway, the legal question is who would be responsible for which tasks and costs.

The dirt road has occasionally been maintained by the City throughout the years. And there are water and sewer lines running down the road, but the City does not have a legal right to maintain them.

Chris Dawson, a city planner with Alachua County, said the issue of ownership of the road arises because the public is using private land as a road.

“The road runs on private property and the City has been maintaining it without any authorization,” he said. “The City will be using these owners’ land one way or another.”

Referring to the road closure, city attorney Audrie Harris said property owners should be required to pay for a portion of the costs, such as purchasing the barricades. Residents will not be compensated for use of the land.

“It is reasonable for the City to tell residents they need to help with these expenses,” she said.

Mayor Matthew Surrency said he believes property owners should take some of the responsibility for the costs of closing the road.

“If the property owners want something different, then it should be their burden to try and find out what they need to do,” he said.

If the road is closed, in order to give affected residents access to their homes, the City would have to construct two roads to the north and south of 76^th Place.

Commissioner DeLoris Roberts said the addition of these two roads combined with the costs of closing down SE 76^th Place would not be the best economic choice for the City.

“This would have a lot of expense involved, which our budget does not speak to at the moment,” she said.

Vause asked the City Commission for guidance on how to proceed with the road closing. The commission directed City staff to meet with each property owner individually to determine their use of SE 76^th Place and how access to their homes would be affected.

The commission also advised Vause to secure a utility easement, or an entitlement from the owners of the land, for the use of the water lines and sewer system, to allow the City to use and maintain the utilities.

Once these tasks are completed, the issue will be brought back to the City Commission for further discussion. Surrency advised City staff to document the property owner’s decisions.

“We have to make sure it is recorded so we don’t get sued later,” he said.

Patrick A. McCall

HIGH SPRINGS – A skeet-shooting match at Forest Grove Baptist Church ended in life-threatening injuries for a High Springs man on the evening of Oct. 20.

According to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), a group of church members was shooting skeet with shotguns at the church, located at 22575 NW 94th Avenue. Patrick A. McCall walked out of his house, which is located across the street from the church at 9306 NW 226th Street, and randomly fired a handgun in the direction of the church.

According to the arrest report, McCall said he was inside his house when he heard gun shots coming from the direction of the church. He retrieved his 9 mm Sig handgun that had a loaded magazine and grabbed another magazine that was loaded.

Standing four feet behind his house, he fired quick, successive shots until the magazine was empty. He reloaded and fired again, but could not remember if he emptied the magazine.

He said he was pointing the gun in the air in the direction of a pecan tree that is in front of his house. McCall said he fired rounds because he heard other people firing rounds. It is something he has done in the past.

Later, he said he fired the rounds because he wanted the church members to stop. He admitted that it was not the best idea to shoot rounds into the air without knowing where they will land, but he said he had no intention of hurting anyone.

ACSO Deputy Heather Phillips interviewed Thomas Jackson, Sr., one of the skeet-shooters at the scene. He said the church members were shooting on the south side of the property in a southerly direction.

As they reloaded their shotguns, there was a lull in the shooting. They heard a succession of shots and saw Judah go down, saying he had been shot.

Jackson did not see the suspect. He took his two sons inside for cover. His vehicle was hit by gunfire, shattering the back windshield.

His 12-year-old son saw the suspect. He heard a pause in the shooting, followed by “a lot of fast shots” that sounded like they were coming from across the street.

He saw the man focusing on something in the direction of where everyone was skeet shooting. It sounded like the shooter ran out of bullets. He then saw the man walk back to his residence.

Another witness, Jayde Roof, went over to help Judah, seeing that he had a hole on one side of his stomach and a graze on the other side. He applied pressure to Judah’s wounds while telling the others they should shoot the suspect if he approached.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 6:41 p.m. saying that someone had been shot. Medical personnel from Alachua County Fire Rescue and deputies from the sheriff’s office arrived to find Robert Matthew “Matt” Judah, 36, suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The deputies and fire rescue personnel administered first aid on the scene, and the victim was air lifted to Shands Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Deputies evacuated the remaining people, including several children, from the church due to the nature of the investigation. They located several objects that had been struck by the random gunfire.

After three hours, the SWAT team took the suspect into custody without incident.

McCall was arrested and charged with attempted homicide. He is currently being held in the Alachua County Jail on $750,000 bail pending court appearances.