Photo special to Alachua County Today/ Divers and swimmers at Blue Springs near High Springs. Kim Davis' family has owned the location since 1958.

HIGH SPRINGS – Kim Davis has run Blue Springs for nearly 27 years. The spring itself has belonged to her family for 55 years. But all of that may soon change.

Davis and her brother, Matt Bahr, are looking for someone to buy the spring they have held near to their hearts for the majority of their lives.

The family received the spring in 1958, and Davis’ parents have been involved in running it since. When both her mother and father passed away earlier this year, she decided it was time to move on.

“We have a couple of other family businesses as well and have been stretched fairly thin,” Davis said. “This is something we needed to do and decided now was the time.”

She was not alone in making the final decision. Bahr, who was also active in the family operation, agreed it was the right thing to do.

“We have been in this area since I was very young,” Bahr said. “But this was a wish my dad had before he died, he wanted us to sell.”

However, the family knows that it will not be easy to let go of the Blue Springs.

“It is with a very heavy heart that we look for a buyer for our spring,” Davis said. “This is definitely an emotional time.”

Davis said she is looking for someone to take the spring to a better place than she could. She wants to find a new owner that would do everything they could to protect it, she said.

“I have no preference of a public or private buyer,” Davis said. “But people need to realize, what goes into the ground comes out in the water, and I want someone to protect the water.”

The property is 401.6 acres and is located near High Springs at 7450 NE 60th Street.

While the spring has been on the market for just over five months, with a list price of $10 million, it has garnered some interest, Bahr said.

Another goal of the family is to see the new ownership keep the current employees on staff.

“There has been no harder working staff than we have had,” Bahr said. Some of them have been there working there for 10 to 15 years.

“They all know the spring like the back of their hand now,” he said. “It would take new people a couple of years to get fully up to speed on those things.”

“Anyone coming in to the situation would need to know that these people are the best and really enjoy their work,” Davis said. “We would no doubt express to them that we want that to keep going, and I hope they would appreciate the staff.”

The state of Florida has many springs in its state park program, and is a possible option as a buyer for Blue Springs. It is still unclear if a deal would be made between the two parties.

“I would not be opposed to anyone at this point,” Davis said. “Really, my ultimate goal is just to have someone that wants to keep it open and keep it protected.”

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Colorful stains cover this runner's shirt. The race raised money for the local March of Dimes.

ALACHUA – The crowd chanted with the man on the megaphone.

“3… 2… 1… run!”

It was mayhem. The crowd took off while a fire extinguisher shot a pink mushroom cloud of dust over the runners, coating them in the first of many different colors to come.

On Saturday, Oct. 26, the City of Alachua invited the Color Me Rad foundation to host its second 5K race in the area to raise money for the March of Dimes, a nonprofit foundation that supports medical research to help expecting mothers and premature babies.

Through the excitement of the raining color, it was clear the race was on. Emily Walter, 21, was moving from the back of the line toward the front of the crowd.

As she zigged and zagged her way to the first spot, yellow dust was thrown and splattered across the front of her chest and abdomen. Another throw and her thighs were covered, turning her into a pink and yellow speckled runner.

The three-mile race took place at Rembert Farm, located at 13126 NW 174th Ave., and held over 2,000 people.

Both runners and walkers lined up at the starting line in waves, starting at different times. They awaited the announcer to send them forward through the multi-terrain course, which consisted of grassy hills, dirt paths and rocky roads.

Along the course, runners and walkers moved through five color-bomb stations, which consisted of rad volunteers who would toss colored powder at runners to coat their white T-shirts and running shorts.

Walter finished her run in 25 minutes, but the big accomplishment was the amount of colors she had splashed across the front of her body.

Pink, yellow, orange and green stained her legs and shirt.

“It was awesome getting hit by the color, but I didn’t like the color that was in water,” Walter said, as she pointed to green streaks down her arms and legs. “It was just way too cold to be sprayed with the water, or else I probably wouldn’t have cared.”

Other runners seemed to feel the same way as Walter talked about hearing gasps and shouts from other participants as she ran through the water color-bombs.

“Since it was cold out I didn’t want to be wet and once it started to dry it just felt gross,” she said.

The green and yellow water dye seemed to be the crowd’s only complaint. Participants of the run not only complimented and applauded the Color Me Rad foundation for a well-run 5K, but also have continued the praise through the foundation’s Facebook page.

Bags of powder were tossed into the crowd before each of their set race times, allowing them to accumulate new colors early.

“My friend caught one of the color bombs, and we popped it open by doing a high five,” Walter said.

The color run attracted a large number of participants. While Walter ran, many other participants were able to walk and enjoy the swirls that stained their shirts at the end of the race.

“It’s unlike most 5K’s because you don’t have to run, but you can still come out and get the same experience,” Walter said.

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Dale and Angela Roberts, back, admiring the historic nature of High Springs. Several out-of-towners like the Roberts came to check out the festival.

ALACHUA – High Springs residents and out-of-towners alike gathered near High Springs City Hall on Saturday, Oct. 26 to buy trinkets, listen to live music and eat homemade snacks.

The High Springs Chamber of Commerce held its Fall Festival at James Paul Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring vendors from all over the area selling a wide range of food and souvenirs. It is an event the chamber has put on for seven years in the city.

Patty Schaffer wasn't completely sold on the fall festival before she brought her booth there, she said.

“I wasn't sure I was going to do it,” she said. She did end up getting some visitors, though.  

Schaffer guessed between 45 to 80 people visited the booth for her company, Scentsy, which sells flameless candles heated by a light bulb.

Though she would have liked to see more customers, Schaffer said the crowd was nice enough.

Some visitors to the festival said they wanted to support the local community and help its businesses.

“If you don't support them, they don't stay,” said Sue Scherer, who came to the area from Orlando to visit her sister-in-law.

It's important to shop at small business, said Kathy Anderson, owner of the Bumpkin Patch, which sells hand-crafted scarves, aprons, hats and other attire.

“It keeps the money local,” she said. “It helps the economy so much.”

Near the front of the festival, Ellen and Tom Hogan were selling wooden spoons, homemade jam and art. It was their first time at the event as a vendor, though they have participated as musicians in previous years.

“We'd like to have more sales,” Tom said, “but overall, it hasn't been a bad day.”

The couple had yet to sell any of their paintings, but they were optimistic about the day. They considered the possibility of returning next year.  

“We feel like we should be supporting our local festivals,” Ellen said.

At the Fall Festival costume contest, Tyler Clifford, a 3-year-old donning the uniform of a Ft. White police officer, won the top spot, earning his family a ride on the High Springs Chamber of Commerce float in the upcoming Christmas parade. All the children who entered won a stuffed animal and an extra trinket of their choice.

The homemade pie contest winner was Samantha Munroe, a 13-year-old High Springs resident who submitted her pumpkin pie.

At least one shopper found a souvenir she could be proud of.  

Anna Asfour, from the U.S. Virgin Islands, pulled out her favorite buy of the day. It was a sleeping bag for dolls.

“The people here are very talented,” she said, complementing its craftsmanship.  

Asfour came to Gainesville to visit her son when she stumbled on the Fall Festival, she said.

As the event came to a close, Dale and Angela Roberts, from Central Florida, walked around with their costumed children.

“I love the historic part of it all,” Angela said, admiring the downtown area of High Springs.

They came to town to visit family and decided to check out the area and spend some money at the booths.

“You need to support your community to make it grow,” Angela said.

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The Children's Health Fair last spring. Sharon Surrency started igniting For Health Care Justice to advocate access to affordable care.

ALACHUA COUNTY – Weighing in at over 900 pages long, the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare, can be confusing, leaving many people to not know what the changes can mean for them.

Some citizens in Hawthorne and Waldo are trying to help their community make a smooth transition into the activation of the bill.

Sharon Surrency and Mary Jackson took it upon themselves to help their neighbors ensure they had a better understanding of the new law. They did so by forming a ministry called Igniting For Health Care Justice.

“There are too many people out there that are either uninsured, or just underinsured,” Surrency said. “And to me, that’s unacceptable.”

The ministry group hosted a workshop event on Saturday, Oct. 25 and 26 to help bring some of the issues with healthcare to light.

“Our purpose is to increase awareness and educate people about their healthcare, as well as to advocate that it should be affordable, accessible, accountable and inclusive,” Surrency said.

The event was county-wide and free for anyone to attend. It was sponsored by the United Methodist Church, which received a grant from the General Board of Church and Society.

There was a candlelight vigil on Oct. 25 at Northside Park in Gainesville, followed by an informational workshop the next day at the Senior Services Center on Northwest 34th Street in Gainesville.

The majority of the people who attended were older, but there but there were other age groups.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the middle-aged people that came for both days,” Surrency said.

“I think that people really appreciated the insight about healthcare reform, as well as the information we had about specific diseases, such as diabetes and cancer,” Surrency said.

Around 72 people in total attended the event, which featured physicians giving lectures, as well as nutrition and safety exhibits.

One of the aims of the new Affordable Care Act is to lower the rate of uninsured Americans along with increasing the quality and affordability of health care.

Surrency and Jackson said they feel these are important elements to improving the current system. Whether the bill will have its desired impact is yet to be seen, but people need to understand their care, Surrency said.

The idea for the ministry came to Surrency when she visited a training workshop over the summer in Washington D.C. that was sponsored by a Methodist church.

She teamed up with Jackson, and the two began to share information with others.  

“For me, being a nurse, I saw a chance to help others who are limited in their healthcare access,” Surrency said.

“I hope this can be a positive foundation for a future impact as well.”

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