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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 24, 2022) ‒ Declaring, “We’ve reached a point of emergency on our roadways,” Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward opened a discussion at yesterday’s Joint City/County Special Meeting focused on solving what he terms a “traffic violence crisis in our community.”
 
Following a conversation in which Alachua County Commission Chair Anna Prizzia and Gainesville Commissioner Casey Willits both disclosed having been hit by cars while riding bicycles in Gainesville, the commissioners voted unanimously to commit resources aimed at improving traffic enforcement, engineering and education efforts countywide.
 
Gainesville and Alachua County commissioners specifically requested the development of a new public education campaign. Alachua County Communications Director Mark Sexton suggested it would be appropriate to convene a Joint Information Center (JIC). With both commissions in support of the idea, this group of communicators, representing governments, agencies and partners across the county, will work together to coordinate, develop and share crucial traffic safety information in the coming year.
 
For the Gainesville City Commission, traffic safety is a top priority and this declaration is the most recent in a series of efforts to reverse the upward trend in traffic accidents.
 
  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which manages University Avenue, has signaled a willingness to allow the City of Gainesville to transform the roadway into a Complete Street. This approach requires streets to be planned, designed, operated and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation.
 
  • As a result, Gainesville has applied for Complete Street funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. Award announcements are expected this spring. If selected, Gainesville will use the funds to begin resurfacing and restriping the roadway in preparation for a full Complete Streets redesign.
 
  • The City is working with an engineering firm on a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study to envision the Complete Street transformation for University Avenue. Public meetings are planned for this fall and early next spring, with the study to be released by March 2024.
 
  • This week, City transportation officials are leading corridor walks along West 13th Street and University Avenue in Gainesville. The walks, which begin today and run through Thursday, are open to the public. The conversation will focus on plans to redesign parts of the City’s main thoroughfares to increase pedestrian and cyclist safety. Neighbors are asked to register in advance.
 
In one of their first actions of the New Year, Gainesville City Commissioners adopted updated guidelines Jan. 5 for sidewalk lights in newly developed areas, making sure the brightness and spacing meet FDOT lighting standards. This is designed to help pedestrians and bicyclists stay safer at night.
 
The commission adopted a Vision Zero Policy in 2018 with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries in the City of Gainesville by 2040. Yesterday’s joint declaration is among the actions Gainesville City Commissioners are taking to continually reaffirm their commitment to achieving this goal.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 20, 2023) – The Gainesville City Commission voted on Thursday to appoint four of the city’s five charter officers and remove the interim title. Expressing confidence in the work done by the interim charters during extended periods of service, the commissioners approved the positions for City Manager Cynthia W. Curry, General Manager of Utilities Anthony Cunningham, City Attorney Daniel Nee and Office of Equity and Inclusion Director Zeriah Folston. Interim City Auditor Brecka Anderson, who moved into her position on Jan. 14, will be evaluated at a later date.
 The motion was introduced by Mayor Pro-Tem Desmon Duncan-Walker and seconded by Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut. This move enables the city to forgo the $250,000, multi-month search process presented at the Jan. 5 City Commission meeting. Each charter office will have their employment contracts finalized and approved at an upcoming city commission meeting.
Gainesville City Manager Cynthia W. Curry
Cynthia W. Curry brings more than 35 years of experience as a leader, strategic communicator and manager. As city manager, she oversees all general government programs and services; is responsible for enforcement of all city laws, ordinances and policies; acts as purchasing agent for the city; prepares the city’s budget and performs other duties as assigned by the Gainesville City Commission.
GRU General Manager Anthony Cunningham
Tony Cunningham is a professional engineer with more than 26 years of experience in the utility and engineering industry, and has worked at GRU for more than 20 years. As general manager of utilities, Cunningham directs all GRU activities and advises the c commission with respect to all matters concerning GRU. He has exclusive management jurisdiction and control over all operating, administrative and financial affairs of GRU.
Gainesville City Attorney Daniel Nee
Dan Nee has worked as a lawyer in the City Attorney’s Office for more than 20 years. He is board certified in city, county and local government law. As a charter officer, he is responsible for providing legal counsel to the city regarding day-to-day transactional business and advises on any legal matters.
Office of Equity and Inclusion Director Zeriah Folston
Zeriah Folston served in government with Alachua County before joining the City of Gainesville as policy oversight administrator in 2020. He now focuses on creating equal opportunity for neighbor success and advancement through development of policies, programs and initiatives.
 
Curry and Nee have served as interims since October 2021; Cunningham has been interim since February 2022 and Folston has been interim since September 2021.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2023) – Gainesville City Commission is taking aim at two of the community’s biggest safety concerns with a pair of motions approved at today’s meeting. By passing both items, commissioners will bring to the Gainesville Police Department a new high-tech tool for solving gun crimes while also accepting Florida Department of Transportation funding that uses officer education to improve the safety of roads, streets and crosswalks.
 
The first item is a piece of equipment called the Brasstrax Acquisition Station. Paid for with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Brasstrax is a $144,853 search engine that investigators can use to match spent shell casings collected at local crime scenes with finely detailed images of casings from other jurisdictions. The funding for this piece of technology is part of the city’s One Community Initiative, which also includes support for Community Oriented Policing ($240,000), Community Education Efforts ($41,350) and a Public Safety Coordinator ($68,633).
 
The second motion touches on the safety of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians on the city’s roads. Commissioners approved the acceptance of three grants from the Florida Department of Transportation. These will pay for officer education programs and projects designed to reduce crashes and crash-related fatalities in the City of Gainesville. The three together total $170,500, with special focus on motorcycle and scooter safety, preventing accidents by distracted drivers, and general traffic safety.
 
Patrol Support Captain Anthony M. Ferrara says of this training opportunity, “We look forward to sharing the benefit of this grant allocation with our neighbors through education and prevention. Vision Zero is a goal that is possible to reach if we all work together. That means drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike. We all have a role to play. Be cognizant of your surroundings, avoid unnecessary distractions, and increase your patience with others on the road. The life you save may be your own.”
 
Gainesville City Commission meetings begin at 10 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month. They are broadcast on Cox Cable Channel 12, livestreamed on the city’s website and archived online.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. Three veteran teachers with combined experience in education of nearly 60 years have been selected as finalists in the Alachua County Teacher of the Year program. One of them will go on to represent Alachua County Public Schools in the Florida Teacher of the Year program.

Lilliemarie Gore, the elementary school finalist, has been the behavior resource teacher at Sidney Lanier School for nearly two years. Before joining the Lanier faculty, she taught at the Duval Fine Arts Academy and at Williams, Idylwild and Wiles elementary schools. During her career she’s also been a safety patrol sponsor, school advisory council member and a coordinator for the 21st Century after-school program. She was actually selected as the districtwide Teacher of the Year in 2018.

Gore says she enjoys being able to devote individual attention to students who are struggling and then seeing positive changes in them.

“I want to encourage them, inspire them, and set a good example for them,” she said. “I want them to know that they are amazing, that they can do anything and that they should never give up.”

Middle school finalist Richard Thomas is the dean at Kanapaha Middle School. Before taking on that role, he worked as a 6th grade math and science teacher at the school and as a teacher at Alachua Elementary. He’s also supported his students and schools as a team leader, robotics coordinator, site tech, safety patrol sponsor and a summer Extended Day Enrichment Program instructor.

Thomas is committed to helping students make progress and letting them know that there are people who support them and believe in them even when they make mistakes.

“I want them know that it’s OK to make mistakes. We all do,” he said. “But we learn from them, we grow from them and they help us to be the best we can be.”

Karen Kearney, this year’s high school finalist, teaches at Buchholz High School, the school from which she graduated. In her 21 years at the school she’s taught anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry and physical science. She’s also participated in a wide variety of additional activities, including as a PTSA member, wellness coordinator, teacher mentor, department chair, assistant wrestling coach and sponsor for several school clubs.

Kearney says she wants her students to become engaged learners for the rest of their lives.

“It sounds like a cliché, but that light bulb moment is wonderful,” she said. “I tell them all the time that hearing ‘Ah, I get this!’ is everything to me. That’s why I teach, it’s music to my ears.”

The three finalists and 36 other nominees from Alachua County Public Schools will be honored at the upcoming Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year ceremony, which is named after the former Superintendent of Schools who established the program. The event is organized by The Education Foundation for Alachua County Public Schools, and the presenting sponsors include Cox, Florida Credit Union and SWI Photographers.

Each honoree will receive a $500 cash award and other gifts donated by businesses and individuals in the community.

About 500 people typically attend the event. The name of the overall Teacher of the Year and the district’s representative in the state recognition program will be announced near the end.

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ALACHUA ‒ For 19 years the Bits and Spurs Horse Club of Alachua County has held an annual fundraiser horse ride to continue the community remembrance of Dallas Osborne while helping a passionate 4-H member achieve their goals with a $500 scholarship. The fundraiser was sidelined during the COVID pandemic, but last year thanks to Addison Grosz, the event was back in action. Grosz, a current senior at Eastside High School, president of the club and the 4-H “Horseman of the Year” for the State of Florida, was instrumental in restarting the annual trail ride fundraiser. So successful was the last ride that it raised enough money for three scholarships. This year Grosz hopes to repeat that success.

4H is a nationwide organization that provides hands-on learning, to kids 8-18 to build confidence, creativity and curiosity as well as life skills such as leadership and resiliency to help them thrive today and tomorrow. Although mainly geared toward agriculture, the organization also has programs in science, healthy living and civic engagement—and provides these programs to over six million kids nationwide through a network of 100 public university sponsors and a community of 4H volunteers and professionals.

In 4H programs, kids and teens complete hands-on projects where they receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles. 4H exist in every county in the country through in-school and after-school programs, school and community clubs and 4H camps.

A popular 4H program locally is the Bits and Spurs program that teaches horsemanship. One of the members of this program was high school student Dallas Osborne who was known for his dedication in teaching younger students and his leadership in the program.

Over 20 years ago, Osborne was tragically killed in a car accident, but his memory lives on through a scholarship program awarded to a graduating 4H high school student who is a member of the horse club and who exemplifies the traits Dallas shared. Each student applying for the scholarship is required to write an essay, with the winning student can use the scholarship for whatever post high school education they choose.

In a matter of weeks, this year the ride will happen on Feb. 4, 2023, and is open to any rider who wants to participate and help raise funds for the scholarships. Check in is slated for 9:30 a.m. at the North San Felasco Trail Head located at 13201 Progress Blvd., Alachua, FL 32615.

The first ride will start at 10 a.m. with additional rides later depending on the number of participants. Early Bird Registration for 4-H Youth Riders is $20 if signing up before Jan. 15. Regular / Day-Of registration fee is $30. Both fees cover admission, a t-shirt, raffle ticket and lunch at 12:30 p.m.

More information is available on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bitsandspurs4H/ or by calling 352-574-3215.Advanced tickets can be purchased at Evenbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-dallas-osborne-trail-ride-tickets-405324936797.

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