NEWBERRY ‒ June 10 was a time for a community to honor one of its own. Over 75 friends, family members and elected officials, both current and past, gathered at Freddie Warmack Park to celebrate the life and legacy of the first black mayor of Newberry. The park is named in honor of that mayor, Freddie Warmack, for his long years of service and achievements in the community.

Warmack was born and raised in Newberry. He died in 2019 at the age of 87 but left a lasting legacy for his dedication to improving the city’s infrastructure and living conditions of its citizens.

As a young man, Warmack joined the Army and served in the Korean War before receiving a medical discharge due to Malaria, which would continue to affect him for years, according to his daughter, Cynthia Loretta Warmack.

Warmack was heavily involved in community issues and was always open to hearing from others. He served on several committees in local government and then became a city commissioner from October 1974 through October 1984. That year, he was elected as the first African American mayor in Newberry, serving for 10 years until 1994. At the time, the mayor also held the position of city manager. In addition to these duties, he was also a member of the Central Florida Community Action Agency, helping low-income people become self-sufficient.

During his tenure as mayor, he is credited with establishing the Newberry Fire Department in 1981, creating the Newberry Historic District, purchasing and installing the veteran's memorial monument in 1988, and presiding over the construction of Newberry City Hall in 1992. His accomplishments to improving Newberry had a lasting effect and Freddie Warmack Park was named in his honor in 2009.

The park's location is significant as it sits on the site of the first African American school in Newberry. The school was built during segregation, a time when African Americans had to purchase land and build the school themselves if they wanted their children to attend school. The school was also located across the street from a field called Lynch Hammock where several lynchings took place.

Today, the old school is gone, and Warmack Park is a place for children to play in happier times. The only building left is the old cafeteria, and that is where everyone gathered to honor the memory and achievements of Warmack. The event was sponsored by the City of Newberry and the 100 Black Men of Greater Florida GNV Chapter.

The Chapter is part of a nationwide organization with106 Chapters with approximately 10,000 African American men committed to the organization’s founding mission- to enhance the quality of life in African American communities by improving the educational, economic and social status of African-Americans. The organization now serves more than 125,000 youth annually through its mentoring, training and development programs. Chapter members attended the event to honor Warmack with their first-ever posthumous membership award for his dedication to community, youth and education.

Pastor Lewis King delivering the invocation and Cynthia Warmack spoke about her father, praising his accomplishments, compassion and caring for others. Her focus was his life beyond politics and his relationship with people.

“He loved Newberry and in return the city embraced him," she said, recalling that on the day the Newberry Fire Department officially opened, her father “Cut the ribbon with a smile that would brighten the sky. He was always willing to listen to the concerns of others.”

King, who is Warmack's son-in-law, spoke about Warmack's life in politics and said he lived out Luke 12:28: “To whom much is given, much is required.”

"One thing I can say about Freddie Warmack as an elected official is he took care of the needs of the city, the needs of the people,” said King, who served at the same time as Warmack on the Newberry Planning and Zoning Board. “He would apply for grants to have houses remodeled along with other grants to supplement the city budget. It was those types of actions that the community appreciated. He always put the community first,” King said

After Warmack retired from serving the City, he still stayed involved. King recalled how he shared with Warmack that the City Commission was considering giving away the fire department to the county.

“They ain't giving my fire department,” Warmack responded. Warmack then showed up at the next Commission meeting to vehemently oppose any attempt to give away the fire department he built. King said the fire department might not have stayed in the City's control without Warmack's persistent efforts, even after he was no longer mayor.

Warmack's grandson, James Mayberry, came to the podium and invited family members and former City officials who worked with Warmack to join him on stage. “It takes a village,” he said as family and former officials flanked him on each side, with his grandmother standing next to him.

“Everywhere we look in this town, you see part of his legacy,” said current Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe. “The old school and that park have a long history and a long legacy in our community and I hope that it goes on for a long time,” Marlowe said. “There isn't a place that you can go in our community and not see his impact.”

Marlowe proclaimed June 10 to be “Freddie Warmack Sr. Day to recognize and thank him for his years of dedicated service to the residents of this city and as a patriarch of this community.” Marlowe said that because the Newberry Fire Department moved into its building on June 10, 1981, he read the proclamation on that same date in honor of Warmack.

Once the three spoke and the family returned to their seats it was time for the city's proclamation and The 100 Black Men induction.

Gator 100 President Jamar Herbert asked his fellow members to come to the stage as he presented grandson James Mayberry with the posthumous membership induction of Warmack into the 100 Black Men Chapter. “This has never been done before,” Hebert said about the posthumous induction. “We felt that based on his lifetime of dedication to his community, especially improving the opportunities for low-income youth, that he deserved membership” Herbert said.

After the ceremony, another of Warmack's grandsons, artist Alpatrick McCleary, took the stage to unveil a portrait Marlowe commissioned him to paint for Newberry's Freddie Warmack Center. The portrait was revealed as attendees applauded and family members expressed how much it portrayed his character. “I got a picture from my auntie and I decided to capture him the best I could,” McCleary said.

As the ceremony ended, McCleary reflected on the event “I think my grandfather would be proud to see that all the good he did is still remembered by the citizens of Newberry.”

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L-R: State Representative Chuck Clemons, Alachua Assistant City Manager Kamal Lathem and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle discuss future opportunities for the Alachua biotech community.

ALACHUA – Alachua’s thriving biotech community is on a mission to increase its presence on the national and global stage. Biotech leaders and community partners welcomed Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) Secretary Dane Eagle on Wednesday, June 2 at the Santa Fe College Perry Center for Emerging Technology. Eagle was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to lead the State’s economic development agency in 2020.

Joining in a roundtable discussion of strategies to nurture the local biotech environment was Santa Fe College President Paul Broadie, State Representative and Santa Fe College VP for Office of Advancement Chuck Clemons, Alachua Chamber of Commerce President Mitch Glaeser and Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Eric Godet.

Over 30 individuals representing the local biotech community participated in the strategy session including a number of CEOs, UF Innovate/Sid Martin Bio’s Karl Lapan, Elliottt Welker, and Merrie Shaw as well as Alachua City Manager Adam Boukari and Alachua Assistant City Manager Kamal Latham. The meeting was also available virtually and several biotech leaders including President and CEO of BioFlorida Nancy Bryan and AGTC CEO Sue Washer joined online.

Discussion centered on the factors that make a biotech community grow and thrive. Participants pointed out that important attributes include an available workforce, proximity to higher learning, startup friendly environments, access to venture capital and a quality lifestyle.

There was general agreement by participants that the State of Florida could encourage growth in the biotech industry by supporting measures that boost angel, venture capital, and other funding for biotech and biomed companies as well as offering incentives tailored to the biotech industry in order to be competitive with other states such as Massachusetts, California and North Carolina. Another area identified that the State could assist with is funding for building and site development to support construction of new facilities, or reuse or expand existing facilities.

Locally, the City of Alachua is launching the Alachua Biotech Partnership, a public-private partnership to help grow existing companies and expand the area’s biotech ecosystem. It was suggested that DEO become a member of the partnership. Clemons suggested starting a biotech caucus to further discussion and strengthen the biotech sector.

Eagle offered several suggestions regarding possible funding opportunities through the Department of Economic Opportunity and advised that some measures mentioned would require legislative action. It is expected that Eagle will return to the area in the near future to tour local facilities.

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ALACHUA ‒ On June 7 members of the Turkey Creek Lions Club joined together at the Turkey Creek playground to receive and assemble items collected in support of the Ronald McDonald House. Coloring books for children and adults, stickers, activity books, crossword puzzles and Sudoku books, sketch pads and much more were collected to help support families battling childhood cancer.

Ronald McDonald House provides temporary housing, basic amenities and support to families with children receiving treatment at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.

Parents and family members, as well as children dealing with cancer, spend a great deal of time at the hospital waiting for test results, procedures and meetings with doctors. Having crayons, pencils, markers and books helps pass the time and keeps up their spirits.

Turkey Creek Lions Club members are thankful to area residents who donated to help out these families as they deal with one of the worst issues a family can face.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Poe Springs Park is open again. And tubing, kayaking and barbecuing were just a few ways people spent their Memorial Day weekend at the park’s reopening. The park has endured a series of openings and closings over the past several years to accommodate various improvements and repairs to the facilities.

Poe is the largest spring in Alachua County and pumps 45 million gallons of water daily, offering swimming in the spring area, hiking along the trails, kayak and canoe launches and buildings for events.

A popular weekend recreation area, the property includes a playground, volleyball courts, sports fields and nature trails and includes pavilions and picnic shelters with bar-b-que grills. There is also a lodge building for event rentals, such as parties, family gatherings and small weddings.

Poe Springs has been a popular recreation area for almost 70 years. Poe was privately owned until 1985 when the initial 75 acres was purchased with a federal grant from the land and water conservation fund. Additional acreage was provided by Suwanee River Water Management District (SRWMD) and additional grant funds in the 1980s and in 1991, Alachua County opened the park to the public.

Alachua County shut the park in December 2011 for a construction project that included a new retaining wall and steps in the spring-fed swimming area, new landscaping and new roofs and air-conditioning units on the buildings and pavilions.

It reopened again on July 4, 2013 for four days a week with no admission charge under a barebones arrangement between the County and the City of High Springs. It closed again in 2017 due to damage from Hurricane Irma and opened again in May 2018 after repairs were made but on a shorter weekend only schedule of Friday to Sunday.

Then came the COVID 19 pandemic and the park closed again under state quarantine in March 2020 only to open again three months later. The springs portion of the park closed yet again three months later in September 2020 for renovations, but the boat ramp remained open. Although renovations were anticipated to be finished by January 2021, delays kept the park closed until this Memorial Day weekend.

Alachua County Open Spaces Manager Jason Maurer said he is glad to see the park reopened, especially as a recreation area for children. “We did a lot of inhouse projects, some concrete work, cleaning the building, and upgrading some of the facilities.”

Maurer also said improvements include fresh sand in the volleyball courts, new ADA compliant sidewalks and a heightened eight-foot-wide pathway leading to Poe Springs.

“We still have more improvements to make including a new boat ramp and improved nature paths,” said Maurer, “but the park is now improved to provide a better time for every one with more facilities available.”

According to Maurer, the new boardwalk at Poe Springs Park has been raised to avoid flood damage and he is expecting more finishing touches to be added including the completion of a second alternate boardwalk to the spring head. “We'll be adding educational signs and a historical marker of Hurricane Irma levels," Maurer said.

The park will now be open seven days a week 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. While the park had been free in the past, to help cover the cost of maintenance and increased staffing due to the seven-day schedule, now there is an entry fee of $6 per vehicle and $1 for visitors walking or biking.

The county has also added the services of Anderson's Outdoor Adventures (AOA), which not only rents kayaks, canoes and tubes, but will drop off and pick up boaters at various locations. AOA is the outfitter and food concessions contractor with other local springs including Manatee, Hart, Blue and Fanning Springs as well as the Santa Fe River Park. The company also has plans to bring in more food and concessions in the near future.

Pick-up and drop-off services for tube and watercraft will operate from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily to and from the Highway 27 bridge. The trip itself is two to three hours floating from the drop off to the boat ramp at Poe Springs. There is a $9 rental fee for tubes that visitors can use to float in the springs or float down the river to the boat ramp and repeat that trip as many times as desired. Rental services for tubes and watercraft is open from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Maurer said the park is still under Covid distancing regulations and is limited to 120 parking spaces at any time. “We had full capacity of 300 to 400 people all three days of the Memorial Day weekend. It was great to see everyone, especially the children, enjoying this unique park.”

Money for the boardwalk and other repairs was split, with $280,665 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as hurricane compensation and $284,152 from the county’s Wild Spaces and Public Places tax.

The park is located at 28800 N.W. 182^nd Avenue, High Springs on State Highway 236, which is also known as Poe Springs Road. For more information, contact the Alachua County Parks and Conservation Land Office at 352-264-6868 or parks@alachuacounty.us.

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