ALACHUA ‒ This past Saturday marked the start of the Fall 2024 season for the Santa Fe Alachua Raiders Youth Football & Cheer Program.

The program, which is a staple of the Alachua and High Springs community, organized a vibrant kickoff event featuring games across multiple age groups: 6U, 8U, 10U, and 12U.

The Raiders faced off against Perry Elite from Taylor County, with both the 6U and 12U teams securing their first wins of the season. Meanwhile, the 8U and 10U teams came up short but are hopeful for redemption in their upcoming games against Henry Brown in Jacksonville. The Raiders' next home games are set for Sept. 28, 2024, against the Bradford Cowboys.

Paulie McClain, the current President of the Alachua Raiders, along with coaches and volunteers, orchestrated a successful and engaging event that brought the community together. As the league travels north to Jacksonville this coming weekend, the community wishes them the best of luck.

In addition to the excitement on the field, the Welch Family Reunion brought a spirit of celebration and togetherness to the Hal Brady Recreation Gymnasium over the weekend. The Welch family, a longstanding pillar of the Alachua community, gathered to strengthen family bonds, create lasting memories, and uphold cherished traditions.

On the cultural front, the City of Alachua Recreation & Culture Department is teaming up with Dance About to offer a six-week dance program for children. Registration is currently open for classes that begin on Sept. 30, 2024, and run through Nov. 18, 2024. Classes for grades K-4 will be held on Mondays from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., and for grades 5-8 from 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. All sessions will take place at the Legacy Multipurpose Center.

Additionally, the Recreation & Culture Department is launching a new music and arts program at Legacy Park. MapForYouth, a group dedicated to fostering youth appreciation for the arts, will host an open house on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Legacy Park’s Multipurpose Building, located at 5400 Peggy Road, Alachua. This event will provide an opportunity for parents and caregivers to explore the program’s offerings, which include introductions to keyboard/piano, digital drums, guitar, arts and crafts, dance, and a variety of fun and engaging games. The open house is free and welcomes anyone interested in learning more about these enriching programs.

For more information about these programs, please contact the City of Alachua Recreation & Culture Department at recreation@cityofalachua.org.

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Photo special to Alachua County Today

ALACHUA ‒ The Alachua Police Department (APD) conducted an intensive active shooter training session on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, at the Santa Fe Institute of Public Safety. The training, hosted by C3 Pathways / NCIER, focused on equipping APD supervisors and officers with the necessary skills to respond effectively to active shooter situations.

The training session, named Active Shooter Incident Management Basic Training, aimed to prepare law enforcement personnel, fire departments, and EMS responders to handle active shooter incidents swiftly and efficiently.

Active shooter incidents are unpredictable and can happen anywhere, from schools and workplaces to public spaces. The devastating impact of these events has highlighted the critical need for comprehensive training for first responders, including law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services (EMS). Active shooter training is essential for preparing first responders to effectively manage and mitigate these high-stress, rapidly evolving situations.

The training brought together various law enforcement agencies, highlighting the importance of interagency cooperation in emergency situations. By fostering a unified approach to crisis management, the training sought to improve communication and coordination among different first responders, ensuring a more effective response during critical incidents.

Every second counts during an active shooter incident. Proper training helps reduce response times by ensuring that first responders are familiar with their roles and can quickly deploy strategies to contain the threat. The program emphasizes three critical components: Command, Control, and Communications. These elements are crucial in ensuring that all first responders work as a cohesive team during emergencies, understanding their roles, and executing their duties seamlessly to protect and save lives.

APD emphasized the importance of such training in an online post, stating, “We're committed to the safety and well-being of our community, and continuous training like this is a critical part of that commitment.”

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Weekday serenity at Poe Springs Park offers a peaceful retreat into “Original Florida,” where the only sounds are those of nature. But come summertime, and especially on holidays like Labor Day weekend, the park comes alive with laughter and the joyful chatter of visitors savoring the refreshing, crystal-clear spring waters.

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ After a series of closures due to weather events, renovations, the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently Hurricane Debby, Poe Springs Park is once again open to the public. The park’s reopening on Aug. 31, 2024, perfectly coincided with the Labor Day weekend, providing a scenic outdoor escape for holiday revelers at Alachua County’s largest natural spring.

This past weekend, visitors flocked to the park to enjoy various activities such as tubing, kayaking, hiking, and barbecuing, making the most of the park’s reopening after its recent closure due to flooding from Hurricane Debby. While the park is now operating on its regular seven-days-a-week schedule, Alachua County officials have issued a cautionary advisory for visitors: do not drink the water without boiling it first to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms.

Poe Springs, which pumps an impressive 45 million gallons of crystal-clear water daily, has been a beloved recreation spot for nearly 70 years. The park offers a variety of amenities, including swimming in the spring area, extensive hiking trails, kayak and canoe launches, sports fields, and a lodge building for event rentals, such as parties, family gatherings, and small weddings. The grounds are also equipped with playgrounds, volleyball courts, and picnic shelters complete with barbecue grills.

The park’s history has been marked by a series of openings and closures to accommodate necessary repairs and improvements. Originally privately owned, the initial 75-acre parcel of Poe Springs was acquired by Alachua County in 1985 using a federal grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Additional acreage was later provided by the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) and further grant funds throughout the 1980s. The park officially opened to the public in 1991 and has since become a popular weekend destination.

Poe Springs has faced several closures over the years due to a variety of factors. It was shut down in December 2011 for extensive construction, which included installing a new retaining wall and steps in the swimming area, as well as updating landscaping and building roofs and air-conditioning units. The park reopened on July 4, 2013, operating four days a week under an arrangement with the City of High Springs, but closed again in 2017 following damage from Hurricane Irma. After repairs, it reopened in May 2018 with a limited schedule of Friday to Sunday.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced another closure in March 2020 under State quarantine mandates, but the park reopened three months later. The springs area, however, closed again in September 2020 for additional renovations, though the boat ramp remained accessible.

Planned to reopen in January 2021, delays pushed the reopening to Memorial Day weekend of that year. The park faced yet another setback in July 2021 when Tropical Storm Elsa caused severe flooding, prompting another temporary closure.

Now, with the park once again open to the public, visitors can enjoy all the natural beauty and recreational amenities Poe Springs Park has to offer. The park features pavilions and picnic shelters, multipurpose fields, a boardwalk through the cypress swamp, and access to the springs via a series of loop trails. For boaters, the park provides a boat launch and a dock with access to the river.

Poe Springs Park is located at 28800 N.W. 182^nd Avenue, High Springs. The entrance fee is $6 per vehicle or $1 per person for walk-in or bicycle entry. However, entry is free from October to April, and fees are waived for individuals with disabilities.

As Poe Springs Park welcomes visitors back, it continues to be a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and families looking to enjoy the great outdoors.

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ALACHUA ‒ The Alachua Business League (ABL) held their first workshop of the year, titled “Mobile Mastery with Moxie Media” at the Good Life Station on Main Street in Alachua.

Joe Hancock, with Moxie Media, described to a full house how each person in the room has the ability to use their own cell phone to do advertising videos for their own business. He touched on the basics of composition and lighting, but stressed how easy it is to get your message out through social media without spending a lot of time or money. It was a timely subject and got a good reception from those in attendance.

Next month Campus USA Credit Union in Alachua is hosting a “Meet & Greet” on Monday, Sept. 16 at 6 P.M. Check the new and improved ABL website at www.alachuabusiness.com for more information and to RSVP.

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