ELLEN BOUKARI/Alachua County Today

Kevin Crowder of Redevelopment Management Associates (RMA) explains key points of his firm's preliminary market study and strategy for boosting economic activity in Alachua's downtown and historic district.

ALACHUA – According to an economic research firm retained by the City of Alachua, the lynchpin to boosting economic activity in Alachua’s downtown area comes down to five factors: recognizing what should be preserved, enhanced, promoted, invested in and capitalized upon.

Preliminary recommendations were offered by Redevelopment Management Associates (RMA) at a public workshop held Monday, June 13 in Alachua City Hall. RMA is the consulting firm retained by the City of Alachua to conduct a market study and economic development plan for the downtown area. An initial workshop was held in January to discuss the need to boost the downtown and how that could be accomplished.

Some of the issues raised at the January workshop included possible ways that traffic along U.S. 441 could be directed to the business district in downtown Alachua; the creation of adequate parking; better signage; how to maintain foot traffic on Sundays when some stores are closed; removing stop signs on Main Street; modifications to city codes to encourage shorter business startup times; and ways to help keep retail buildings from being rented out as office space. Additional issues and suggestions were submitted through the survey process as well.

Since that initial workshop, RMA sought public input through surveys of downtown business owners and property owners to gain insights into existing conditions and ways to improve the business climate throughout the city and downtown for inclusion in an economic development plan. The firm conducted additional market research and analysis to arrive at the recommendations.

The mid-afternoon meeting, which was held in the commission chambers, was attended by more than 50 individuals representing business and property owners in the downtown area as well as longtime residents interested in the future plans for the area.

RMA’s Director of Economic Development Kevin Crowder presented preliminary findings of the marketing study and a draft economic development plan to the Alachua City Commission.

Suggestions included branding downtown Alachua to give it an easily recognizable identity, attracting a business class hotel, attracting residential investment, enhancing the residential quality of life and responsiveness to businesses and investors.

Suggested opportunities included preservation of the area’s unique character, such as its authenticity of historical buildings and venues. Other recommendations included enhancing relationships with major businesses in the city, investing in recreation complexes and in the entrances to the city and providing incentives for targeted uses in the downtown area.

RMA offered a number of areas that could be invested in that would improve the downtown area’s competitiveness. These investments include a downtown coordinator position, a marketing and branding initiative, a façade improvement program, directional and wayfinding signage, street lighting, additional streetscape and landscape improvements.

Promoting downtown events was also a key finding of ways to bring the community to the downtown area through ways such as music, arts, storytelling, and historic awareness events.

After the conclusion of the presentation, city commissioners as well as some audience members offered their comments about the direction of the downtown and their ideas as well.

The next step in the process is for RMA to incorporate suggestions made Monday into the final market study and action plan, including strategies to accomplish the recommendations, for presentation at the July 11^th scheduled commission meeting.

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ELLEN BOUKARI/Alachua County Today

Santa Fe High School graduated 261 seniors Saturday, June 11th at the high school on Raider Field.

ALACHUA – With the school year winding down and summer fast approaching, numerous high school graduations took place over the last week. Local high school ceremonies, complete with pomp and circumstance, were dotted across different locations this year due to renovations at the UF O’Connell Center, a popular venue for schools to hold their graduations.

Newberry High School held their commencement ceremony on June 9 at 7 p.m. at the high school’s Panther field. The 2016 class was made up of 135 graduates.

Hawthorne Middle/High School’s class was made up of 37 graduates and the graduation ceremony took the stage at the Phillips Center for Performing Arts at UF on June 11 at 9 a.m.

In Alachua, the Santa Fe High School (SFHS) Raiders football field was filled with family, friends and other loved ones to watch 261 Santa Fe High School graduates take the stage Saturday, June 11 at the football field at 8:30 am.

Elizabeth LeClear, SFHS principal, welcomed the crowd as well acknowledging the class as the only one to have received a medallion.

“Thank you for allowing me to have the opportunity to work with your most precious gift,” she began. “It has been a blessing. This is the end of my 30^th year. I’m not quitting, but it’s the end of my 30^th year, and there are not very many people that can say that the last four years were the best four years.”

Holding up a round medallion on a ribbon, “The medallion is for you,” she said. “You’re the only class that will have one because you’re my class.”

Cary Emerson, the student body president, addressed the crowd next. Through tears, she reminisced on the beginning of her years at SFHS and thanked those closest to her.

“I never dreamed that I would be standing here behind this podium, addressing you all this morning,” she said. “I’ve realized that I couldn’t reach my full potential unless I stepped out of my comfort zone. Speaking before you all today is definitely an example of that… Four years ago, I wouldn’t have necessarily considered this a privilege, however. Four years ago, I clung too tightly to my fears in the comfort of isolation.”

Then, she imparted tidbits of wisdom and advice to her fellow graduates.

“From the moment we arrive in this world, anyone and everyone has an opinion on what we should do and what we should become,” she said. “Many times, this vision that others have for us is not what we are truly meant to do. It is physically impossible to live out the vision that others have for our lives. You were created on purpose and with a purpose and you will find that purpose on the unchartered waters of your journey.”

Courtney Jones, the senior class president, spoke next and took a moment to congratulate her class on the hard work that it’s taken to make it to where they were sitting and encouraged them to keep dreaming big.

“The fact that we made it here definitely awards an accomplishment which is a testament of our perseverance and excellence,” she said. “All of us were destined for greatness – every single one of us – has the potential to put the small town of Alachua on the map – or even greater, to change the world.”

Dustin Durden, the salutatorian, gave comforting words and reminded his peers to not fear the future after completing this milestone.

“Parents, family members and friends, it is a great thing to feel to supported, and I know I do not speak for myself when I say that you all have been instrumental in my journey through high school,” he said. “Also let’s not forget about our wonderful teachers, they have taught us, guided us and prepared us for the future struggles of life.

“We face change a lot, in many different ways, and sometimes it can be a little bit frightening,” he told his classmates. “We often grow so accustomed to the way that life is in the present. When it finally changes, we might feel completely lost. The one thing that does not change in life is the fact that our life changes. It is important to remember, however, that we do not need to feel afraid or intimidated when it occurs and we do not have to see it as an end. Instead we can have hope, and look at it as a new beginning.”

Jacob Jenkins, SFHS’s valedictorian, took the podium next with a lighthearted and funny approach to his speech.

“If I would have gotten up to speak in front of thousands of people in ninth grade, I would have spontaneously combusted from sheer embarrassment,” he said. “Luckily for me, that is not the case four years later, but you may wish to keep a fire extinguisher in hand, just to be safe.”

He recalled a time when he had devoted hours to working on an assignment, only to realize that he had completed the wrong chapter by the end.

“On one fateful occasion, I was completing a round of diagonal categorization and the only way I knew how to tackle such a large and difficult assignment [was] by doing it all in one night,” he said. “After two and half hours of hard work, I had 14 out of 16 statements completed. In order to be certain that I had to do 16 in total, I went ahead and checked the assignment description on the class website. The good news was that I was correct in having to do 16 in total, but the bad news was, that I had been doing them all on the wrong chapter.”

“I just sat there in shock and then I came to my senses and had a nervous breakdown.” The crowd laughed in appreciation of his self-deprecating humor.

But he ended on a high note.

“Although this was, unquestionably, one of the worst experiences of my academic life, it did teach me an important lesson, and that was perseverance,” he said. “After that ordeal, I realized that I could work through any hardship, and so can all of you … Congratulations and best of luck to the class of 2016.”

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LINDA HEWLETT/Special to Alachua County Today

First place winners Gabrun Onel (left) and Nick Sekora (far right) are congratulated by event organizer Tom Hewlett (center).

HIGH SPRINGS – The newly resurfaced High Springs Shuffleboard Court was put to good use last Thursday when the City's Recreation Director, Robert Basford, hosted the inaugural Shuffleboard Tournament.

“The court has not been in use in quite some time and many residents are surprised to realize it even exists,” said Linda Hewlett, event co-organizer.

The court had been in disrepair until the City recently approved $800 to resurface it. Two picnic tables are also part of the new recreation area behind City Hall.

In honor of the inaugural event, Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe provided barbecue, hamburgers, sides and drinks for the players and onlookers. “There were about 30 people there,” said Hewlett. “A good start to what we hope will eventually become a bigger event. Robert told us he wants to create teams to challenge other area teams. We would love that.”

Although the day was sunny, the group didn't convene until 6 p.m. to take advantage of cooler temperatures for the tournament. There were eight teams with two people comprising each team.

First place went to Gabrun Onel and Nick Sekora, each of whom was awarded mugs provided by Gainesville Harley-Davidson. Second place went to Ruhiyyih and Mitch Young, who received gift certificates for hair cuts at Talk of the Town Salon, Inc. in High Springs for their efforts.

Anyone interested in creating a team may contact High Springs Parks and Recreation Director Robert Basford at his office or through City Hall.

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RAINA BARNETT/Alachua County Today

Albiero Zuluaga, owner of Tony and Al's on Main Street in Alachua, prepares the oven for a fresh pizza, which only takes 7 to 8 minutes of baking in the wood-fired oven until it is a perfect golden brown.

ALACHUA – With 99 reviews by people on Facebook rating Al and Tony’s Italian Deli at 5 stars, it is no wonder the restaurant has three successful years of serving up Italian fare under its belt.

While the restaurant celebrated its three-year anniversary on May 8, 2016, it may be surprising to learn there are two Al and Tony’s Italian Deli locations in Alachua County, with one in Starke at 200 East Call Street, and one at 4960 Main Street in Alachua.

General Manager of the Starke location, Tony Veliz, and Genereal Manager of the Alachua location, Al Zuluaga, have known each other for nearly 15 years. Meeting in Ocala in another Italian restaurant, Bella Luna, the two joined forces in their love of cooking.

Zuluaga, a native of New York, and Velez, a native of Miami, believe they are bringing the authentic taste of Italy to Alachua County.

“I just like to cook,” Velez said. “We make our food fresh every day, the bread, it’s the right thing to do.”

And with Zuluaga’s 38 years of experience in the kitchen, from working in French and Italian restaurants in New York to cooking at home for family, the restaurant’s menu is tantalizing.

Food served at Tony and Al’s is made from scratch. No packets of dried chicken, no pre-packaged meals, no canned vegetables.

The most popular dish at Tony and Al’s is the gourmet pizza.

It is fresh, never frozen, and the dough is tossed and topped with fresh ingredients like cheddar cheese, green spinach, and more.

At the Alachua restaurant, entertainment is provided.

“The karaoke and music is at the Alachua location,” Velez said. “Latin American music by a live band also plays there.”

The Facebook page for the Alachua location boasts “the most delicious food in town,” with a list of the treats coming to guests in the month of June.

Mondays from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. is karaoke night.

Wednesday is Trivia Night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On Thursday, June 16, the restaurant will host live music and an art night.

Local artists from the surrounding areas of High Springs and Alachua will display their art. Dinner guests will have the opportunity to not only enjoy viewing the art, but will also have an opportunity to purchase as well.

“The music and art will be set up on different sides of the restaurant,” Zuluaga said. “The live music will be near the bar, with art around for everyone.”

This restaurant is locally owned and operated. And it’s that local touch that lends a special ambience to its unique feel and atmosphere that sets it apart from many chain restaurants. The servers tend to be more invested in their work, and local customers benefit from the authentic Italian deli and restaurant experience that is unique in Alachua’s dining arena.

The Starke location is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., while the Alachua location hours are Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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