ALACHUA ‒ On Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 all across America, people came together in remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Certain events are of such a magnitude that they affect the consciousness of an entire population and live on in memories. This past Saturday, communities remembered the 9/11 attacks and honored those lost in the attacks and those lost and injured seeking to rescue victims. Locally, remembrance events included those in Alachua, High Springs and Gainesville where people recalled the events of that infamous day.

Tragic Events Unfolded

On that morning, four commercial airliners traveling from the northeastern U.S. to California were hijacked mid-flight by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists. The hijackers were organized into three groups of five hijackers and one group of four. Each group had one hijacker who had received flight training and took over control of the aircraft. Their goal was to crash each plane into a prominent American building, causing mass casualties and destruction of the targeted buildings.

The first plane to hit its target was American Airlines flight 11. It was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan at 8:46 a.m. At 9:03 a.m., the World Trade Center's South Tower was hit by United Airlines flight 175. Both 110-story towers collapsed within an hour and forty-two minutes, leading to the collapse of the other World Trade Center structures and significantly damaging surrounding buildings.

A third flight, American Airlines flight 77, crashed into the west side of the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., causing a partial collapse of the building's side. The fourth, and final flight, United Airlines flight 93 was flown in the direction of Washington D.C. The plane's passengers had heard the news of the other planes’ fate and attempted to regain control of the aircraft away from the hijackers. They succeeded in diverting the flight from its intended target but it crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m. Investigators determined that Flight 93's target was either the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

The attacks stunned the nation, with 2,977 killed and over 25,000 injured. Many first responders died in the attack trying to rescue those trapped in the burning towers—343 firefighters and 72 police officers were killed when the towers collapsed. It was the first foreign attack on U.S. soil since 1814. Many of the survivors still suffer long-term health problems from the debris of the tower collapse and the subsequent rescue attempts and clean up.

The attacks led to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq in an attempt to destroy the terrorist network, which resulted in the two longest wars in American history. The attack and its aftermath still haunt the nation. Every year the day is set aside to remember those who died, especially the brave first responders that gave their lives trying to save others and the heroic efforts of the passengers on Flight 93 who gave their lives to stop the hijackers. This year marked the 20^th anniversary of the attack and towns across America held ceremonies and memorials to honor all those who died.

Local Remembrance Ceremonies

The High Springs Fire Department and memorial organizer Leda Carrero worked in partnership with the High Springs Police Department and Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe to host a 20th anniversary memorial event in remembrance of the attacks. The event was held on the steps of the High Springs Fire Department with both High Springs fire and police on hand to honor their fallen fellow responders as well as citizens who gathered to honor all the casualties.

On Saturday, Sept. 11 at 8 a.m. the ceremony began. Those in attendance were asked to share their memories of that fateful day and half a dozen told their stories, still clear in their memory after 20 years. At 8:46 a.m., the exact time the first plane hit, bagpiper Ben Mowry played Amazing Grace in memory of those lost. The fire truck blew three long horn blasts and then a long moment of silent prayer. Several city officials and Chief of Police Antione Sheppard spoke. A wreath donated by Thompson's Flower shop decorated the stone memorial in honor of the 9/11 victims. High Springs K-9 officer and police dog Ceasar paid tribute to a plaque honoring service dogs that worked at the Trade Center wreckage looking for survivors and served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Trumpeter Vito Montauk played taps and vocalist Dani Mackinzie sang God Bless America as the ceremony ended.

In Alachua, a ceremony was held in front of City Hall with the flags at half-mast. City Manager Mike DaRoza opened the ceremony followed by remarks from Alachua County Fire Rescue officials who described the efforts and bravery of the firemen who rushed into the burning towers only thinking of saving others. Also offering remarks were Alachua Police Chief Chad Scott and Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr. Watson discussed the unity of purpose in the country after the attack and called upon the audience to remember that unity in these divisive times and strive to return to that united country. After each speaker, a silver bell was struck three times in memory of the first responders who died that day.

Other members of Alachua Fire Rescue gathered at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida. Their goal was to ascend the stadium steps 11 times in full gear to emulate the height that the firefighters had to climb in the burning towers trying to rescue the victims of the attack. Several hundred people joined them at the stadium in tribute for the annual event.

In the evening, the Alachua Military Support Group gathered at the High Springs Brewery in tribute to the soldiers who went on to fight the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, where over 2,372 paid the supreme price. All over America communities held events in memorial to that horrible day 20 years ago—a day that changed the world.

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ALACHUA ‒ It’s harvest time, for grapes that is. Every year in late summer, Muscadine grapes ripen throughout the southeastern United States. Harvest season runs from the last week of July to early October, depending on location. They are unique to the Southeast from as far north as Kentucky and as far west as East Texas. They are a popular snack, good for making muscadine wine, pies and jellies. The thick skin and grape’s taste is sweeter than ordinary commercial grapes available in stores

During the short harvest season there are several local farms that offer the unique experience of picking your own grapes. Don Loftus started The Vineyard at Loftus Family Farm in 2004 with just three rows planted. The venture was meant to be a way to make some extra money when he retired and have an activity to keep him busy.

Originally the idea was to grow grapes to sell commercially. Each year he added a few more rows of vines until they covered 1.6 acres. The idea was to get started while he was still working so the vineyard would be ready once he retired, since a vine is not considered in full production until its fifth year.

By the time all the vines were planted, there was so much to keep track of that all other activities and hobbies were put on hold while Loftus spent holidays, vacation, and most weekends working on pruning, weeding, fertilizing, irrigating, building trellises, pulling wire and making repairs.

Don Loftus retired in 2010 and concentrated on the vineyard along with the help of his son, Curtis. Word had spread about the vineyard and friends began asking to come by and pick grapes, As the list of customers grew, the Loftus family realized it could become a business letting other people do the harvesting and pay for the grapes so they could concentrate on maintaining and expanding the vineyard. They also expanded the variety of Muscadine grapes with Ison, Supreme and Purple Rhine vines. Over the years Don turned over most of the farming work to Curtis who now runs the business.

“Even though the picking season is short, there is a lot of year-round work to maintain the vineyard and the “you pick” system seemed like a way to remove the harvesting work and let people enjoy themselves,” Curtis Loftus said. “We found people really enjoyed coming out and picking the grapes themselves. For a number of our customers, it became an annual event and many of them come every year. My father started an email list of customers to notify and there are now over 500 names.”

Customers George and Karen Arola agree about enjoying picking themselves. “We come every year,” Karen Arola said. “It’s a chance to get organically grown grapes and spend an afternoon outside enjoying ourselves while we gather the grapes.”

The picking season brings out a lot of customers.  According to Loftus, they often run out of grapes before they run out of customers, even though the vineyard produces between 4,000 to 5,000 pounds per season. “We used to be open for six to seven weeks, but as word spread and the customers increased, the picking season has shrunk,” said Loftus. “We will probably be out in three to four weeks this year.” Loftus said the first day the vineyard opened on Aug. 28, they sold over 2,100 pounds for $1.75 per pound.

The vineyard is now run by Curtis Lotus and his girlfriend, Katie Rodgers “It’s a lot of work, especially since we both have full time jobs as well,” Loftus said. At his fulltime job, he works with his brother, Ryan, at real estate company Lofthouse. They specialize in buying derelict properties to rehab and then rent or sell at affordable prices for first-time buyers or rentals at reasonable prices. “The idea is that for many people on a fixed income, owning a house has become too expensive, shutting them out of the market and unable to get a large loan.” The Loftus brothers repair the houses and clean the properties to help raise the desirability and image of the neighborhoods.

But his passion is the farm and vineyard. They have installed an automated watering system that irrigates the rows on a rotating system and have plans to expand the vineyard from the current 1.6 acres to over 2 acres. They are also considering expanding to other produce such as okra and persimmons.

“With our other jobs, and the extensive work it takes to run a farm year-round, we are only looking at expanding to plants that ripen in the same time period as the grapes,” Loftus said.” But we really enjoy interacting with our customers and seeing them enjoy the picking process. With some of our regular customers it becomes a yearly family outing involving the kids as well.”

The u-pick operation is only open on weekends, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The farm is located at 15585 N.W. 29^th Street, Gainesville. East of Alachua on Northwest 156^th Avenue, the farm is at the midway point between State Road 121 and County Road 231. Further information and status of the crop is available by calling 352-214-1028.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, along with other Republican leaders including Attorney General Ashley Moody, U.S. Congresswoman Kat Cammack, State Senator Keith Perry and Representative Chuck Clemons gathered in Newberry Monday morning to speak out against the City of Gainesville’s employee vaccine mandate, as well as the Biden administration’s recently announced mandate.

The event was originally planned for Alachua’s Legacy Park but was moved to a private Newberry venue reportedly to avoid public protests against the Governor's Covid regulations and restrictions. Despite the short notice, the venue was standing room only attended by a maskless crowd.

DeSantis and other officials spoke of the importance of considering vaccination, but said that the ultimate decision should remain with each individual. “This is not something that should be coerced onto people, it should be left to personal choice,” DeSantis said. “It should be something that they have access to and they can make that decision for themselves.”

Governor DeSantis made it clear that he is not against vaccines, but against mandates and he’s prepared to punish agencies like the City of Gainesville that are requiring vaccines by fining $5,000 for each violation of his orders.

“In a place like Gainesville, which has mandated vaccines for all employees and currently has 200 employees involved in a lawsuit against the mandates, that could be millions of dollars of their tax revenues,” DeSantis said. This comes after DeSantis withheld salaries of school board members in school districts that have mask mandates, including Alachua County, and recently passed a law prohibiting businesses from requiring customers to prove vaccination.

Most requirements from businesses, school systems and city governments have been in response to the recent surge in the more infectious Covid-19 Delta variant. Florida accounted for 20 percent of the cases in the U.S. during August. Cases are beginning to drop, especially in counties that have stricter masks or have higher vaccination rates. Alachua County has a higher vaccination rate at 67 percent and a positivity rate of 11.8 percent compared to the statewide rate of 13.5 percent. The county had 36,610 cases overall and dropped by 200 cases last week to a weekly total of 1,277.

The City of Gainesville is requiring all City employees to be vaccinated by the end of October or face disciplinary action with repeated incidents possibly resulting in termination. Alachua County and other cities in the county do not have as stringent requirements, but do encourage employees to get vaccinated. According to Alachua County Communications Director Mark Sexton, Alachua County employees are required to wear masks in buildings or in interactions with others, but neither testing nor vaccinations are mandatory. “We offer employees a $500 incentive to take the vaccine and offer free testing as well as paid time off if they catch the virus after getting the vaccine,” Sexton said.

Several City of Gainesville employees and firefighters spoke about the demand for vaccinations being an infringement on their freedom and a threat to their jobs. Christine Damm, who has worked for the City of Gainesville for 10 years, said she believes that it is nobody’s business if the person you’re are seated next to is vaccinated. She also repeatedly defended that position with a phrase often used in the pro-abortion issue of “My body, my choice, my business.”

Fire Rescue Lt. Jonathan Cicio is a 16-year department veteran and a member Florida’s Urban Search and Rescue team. He assisted in the Surfside building collapse in June as well as in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian in 2019. “We feel betrayed and used,” Cicio said. “While we were heroes and selfless not long ago, now we’re selfish and they’ll let us go. We are not anti-vaccine; we are anti-mandate.” Cicio also said many first responders “have natural immunity because of exposure.”

DeSantis said those who have recovered from COVID have “very strong immunity and are now safe.” Studies have shown that the immunity from having had COVID is not long lasting and there have been multiple cases including health workers who have had severe reinfections. In addition, they can still be a carrier and potentially infect others.

GRU employee Darris Friend claimed it was a loss of freedom that is being taken away slowly on multiple fronts, including religion.

Loud cheers erupted from the crowd when Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody spoke against Gainesville’s employee vaccine mandate, offering support to the employees who have filed the lawsuit against the City, saying, “You now have the attorney general and the state of Florida in your corner.”

Since the announcement last week of the federal government requiring the vaccine in certain instances, Congresswoman Kat Cammack said she’s using her power to “fight for what’s right.” She promised to fight against President Biden's planned vaccine mandate for some private employers. “I will use my power as a member of Congress to ensure any locality that infringes upon an individual’s personal medical choices will no longer receive federal funding.”

DeSantis said he does not believe the mandates are productive and are likely to have the opposite effect on people, forcing them to “dig in their heels” as they continue to question government officials. He also focused on the potential for lost jobs if employees still refuse to get vaccinated and get fired, especially among first responders.

“Thousands upon thousands could lose their jobs, pensions and livelihood, not based on performance but on illegal policies demanding vaccines.” DeSantis said that could cause a shortage of dedicated first responders and medical staff. He also said he believes that the “supposed shortages” of ICU beds is partially due, not to a shortage of treatment facilities, but a shortage of staff who have quit due to mask and vaccine mandates.

Unvaccinated individuals account for nine out of 10 of hospitalizations, and there are reports that Covid-19 is now the leading cause of death among U.S. law enforcement officers. Last month, 75 percent of the Lake City Fire Department staff were out with Covid or in quarantine. The virus itself has intensified staff shortages for the past year and a half, and has especially affected first responders and medical staff who are in frequent contact with people, often in a crisis situation.

While Governor DeSantis has fined the Alachua County Public School System for requiring masks and demanded in-class learning at school, the Alachua school system currently has 940 positive cases among students and 173 staff, as well as over 940 other student and staff in quarantine, none of whom can attend school.

While the cost of the pandemic may not ever be fully known, it can be counted in lost lives, lost jobs and businesses, and the associated financial cost of long-term health issues. Florida’s Republican leadership wants to eliminate mandates and its associated costs to individual freedom and personal choice.

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ALACHUA ‒ After having served as the City of Alachua’s Assistant City Manager and Communications and Executive Project Manager, on Aug. 6, 2021, Mike DaRoza was appointed City Manager. DaRoza wasn't expecting or seeking the job, but stepped in when Kamal Latham, who the Commission had earlier appointed to replace outgoing manager Adam Boukari, withdrew.

The Commission appointed DaRoza as Interim City Manager for a year. As Assistant City Manager and Communications and Executive Project Manager , DaRoza understood not only the requirements of the position but also the inner workings of the City’s departments as well as public relations.

Born in Fort Lauderdale, DaRoza moved to the Alachua area at the age of eight and has been involved in the community for 46 years. “Alachua is virtually my home. I went to high school at Santa Fe and my first job as a teen was at Hitchcock’s. I met my wife here and we raised our kids here.” For the last 20 years DaRoza has served as announcer for the Santa Fe Raiders Varsity Boys Basketball Team. “I have moved to other places but always returned home,” DaRoza said.

He has spent the majority of his life in business and communications. “In 1990 I took a job at Jack Busby's Design Cabinets and Furniture.” DaRoza started off sweeping floors and sanding doors and never expected to stay long. In the beginning it was just a paycheck to support the family. He wound up staying with the company for nearly 27 years doing virtually every job there except accountant and receptionist.

He worked his way up in the expanding business, eventually managing over 100 people in the organization. “Working there gave me skills in management, production, administering employees and finding methods to efficiently produce results. All of which were important in my job as Assistant City Manager and the current position,” DaRoza said.

While still working at Busby's, DaRoza began radio announcing for the high school’s varsity football team and found he had a talent for communicating and engaging people’s interest. As a side job he began writing for the High Springs Herald, eventually moving over to the then Alachua Today newspaper, covering both news and sports. “The job gave me new skills, improving my communication abilities and interviewing, as well as aspects of design, graphics, layout and web design,” DaRoza said. “It also gave me an understanding of the news media, which assisted me in communications with the City.”

“All of these skills have come in handy for the City Manager position. The job is fast paced and versatile with ever-changing priorities. When we were suddenly looking for a replacement for Adam [Boukari] the priority was to make a smooth transition so that everything kept running as efficiently as possible,” said DaRoza. “My position as Assistant City Manager gave me a good understanding of how each of the departments worked and what their needs were to do their job. We have a great staff here that provides excellent service to the community, which is our number-one priority,” DaRoza said.

DaRoza says the Commission has made it clear to staff the importance of education and the performance of our community schools. “Any thriving community depends on a strong educational network. Not only is it important for the future success of the children, but it also supports economic development and the growth of the community.” He said the quality of the schools is often the first question prospective residents ask before moving to an area. “We consider ourselves a GED to Ph.D. community. While we have a lot of growth in the science and bio tech industry in areas like Progress Park and Tech City, we also have a lot of job opportunities in our retail, industrial and distribution centers like Wal-Mart, Sysco and Dollar General.”

Growth in a small town can overwhelm infrastructure if not planned ahead, creating urban sprawl that taxes City services. DaRoza is confident that the City is in strong position regarding growth and infrastructure. “We are very fortunate that the City has thought ahead on future needs.”

Over the past three years, Alachua has constructed a second electrical substation, new water lines and wastewater facilities to cover the city limits and including expansion both in residential and commercial needs for the future. “Although I see no concerns about the already planned developments, and we have more than enough utilities capacity, we will review all development to make sure we are capable of handling growth with the services the City provides,” DaRoza said.

Another priority for the City has been development of Legacy Park and the cultural and recreational activities it provides. Having a place for people to play sports, exercise and enjoy entertainment while interacting as a community is important to the lifestyle the City strives to offer and has been a long-term goal. Under the City’s Legacy Park Master Plan, the City developed the multipurpose center in 2017 followed in 2019 with the addition of the amphitheater to provide concerts, shows and theater entertainment for residents.

However, some programming were put on hold due to the 2020 Covid pandemic. Now, the City is planning a variety of entertainment and sports events. However, DaRoza that the City is once again keeping a close eye on, and assessing daily, what is happening with the virus. “We currently have no plans to cancel any of the upcoming activities, but are keeping aware of the situation,” DaRoza said. “Checking news, medical data and caseloads have become part of my daily activities. While we want to return to a sense of normal life, our first concern is the safety of the community,” DaRoza said.

DaRoza has been in his new position for only three weeks, but is looking toward the future and making City services better for the community. “My first goal is to use my business management skills to help create an even more efficient organization to serve the community. In business, you are always on the margin, seeking profit through efficiency and reduced cost. You analyze the process as it is going on and take out the things that aren't adding value to the process to create a more lean and efficient work environment.

“While the government is not-for-profit, the same concept of a lean business process applies. The goal is to provide the best services for the community you can for the least cost and create a positive employee environment with high morale and pride,” said DaRoza. “This job is not about me; it is about the City team and the community. There is a phrase I have always lived by that says, ‘the higher one ascends in an organization, the more one should serve others.’”

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