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ALACHUA ‒ Children naturally gravitate toward dancing almost as early as they can walk.  And benefits of dance for children are widely accepted.  From physical fitness to coordination, to balance, strength and posture, dance provides a variety of benefits in early childhood development.  

The City of Alachua has teamed up with the Dance Alive National Ballet (DANB) to bring their dance program for children directly to area youth.  Danceabout is a Dance Alive program for elementary and middle school children that brings dance to the community through experience and education in a fun and uplifting way. According to Outreach Director of Dance Alive Emily Pozek, the concept is “Educate, Entertain, Inspire.” Classes are designed to expose children to the art of dance as both a way to express themselves and a possible future career. 

DANB isn’t new to Alachua as the dance company has performed their annual Christmas Nutcracker performance in Alachua for the past four years as well as other dance performances.  The Gainesville based DANB has been performing over 56 years and has become an internationally recognized ballet company. Education and community outreach have always remained a priority to DANB, and in addition to their established professional school, the company has several programs to bring dance to the community and provide exposure of the arts to people and children that might not otherwise have the opportunity. 

Classes are designed to be fun for the students so they enjoy dancing, all with friendly encouragement from the teacher, Emily Pozek.  Pozek has been providing art based outreach programs to children and hospitals throughout her career. She graduated from the University of Florida with a BFA in dance and was the first graduate to earn a Masters in Arts in Medicine. For over five years, Pozek was the Dancer in Residence for UF Center for Arts In Medicine, as the lead instructor for their Parkinson’s dance program. 

Pozek also taught as an adjunct dance professor in the University of Florida School of  Theater and Dance. In Virginia, she served as outreach manager for Charlottesville Ballet overseeing multiple community programs including Chance to Dance, which provided over 250 elementary students free weekly dance classes.

Now the classes are being offered in Alachua as a joint collaboration between Dance Alive and Alachua’s City's Parks and Recreation Department.  Each Tuesday through March 1, Pozek will be offering free classes and dance experience for children in 1st through 8th grades at the Legacy Multipurpose Center from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

About the decision to offer the classes in Alachua, Interim City Manager Mike DaRoza said, “We heard about the school programs Dance Alive has conducted and that these classes made a positive difference in student performance and focus.” To register to attend, DaRoza said parents should call the Alachua Recreation and Culture Department at 386-462-0145.

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Cont: Free classes offered by Dance Alive National Ballet

LAKE CITY – Feb. 5, 2022 – It wasn’t a question “if” Tyler Nicely would win a Feature during DIRTcar UMP Modified Speedweeks, so much as it was a matter of “when.”

After some struggles at East Bay Raceway Park last week in the kickoff to the Speedweeks points championship, the 2020 Speedweeks champion and his crew regrouped earlier this week and didn’t have to wait long to see Victory Lane. Nicely pulled off a clean sweep of Saturday night at North Florida Speedway, setting fast time in Qualifying, winning his Heat Race and holding off the field on a green-and-white, checkered finish to score the win.

“I feel like we should’ve had one over there at East Bay,” said Nicely, of Owensboro, KY. “Definitely should’ve been on the podium every night I feel like, so it feels good to get the first one off our back.”

He won the race, but didn’t actually get the lead until the final laps. Outside polesitter Jason Garver swiped the lead from Nicely when the green dropped and held tight to it until Lucas Lee bested him on a Lap 7 restart. With Lee now in command of the field, Garver began to slip back into the clutches of Nicely.

The two swapped the second and third spots around a few times over the next 15 laps – Nicely using his excellent acceleration out of Turn 2 to pass Garver back after he would drive around him on the top. Several caution periods littered the second half of the race, which eventually benefitted Nicely and his choice of Hoosier Racing Tire in the end.

“We went with a little harder tire, and I feel like I got beat by that down at East Bay, so I didn’t want to try and go softer,” Nicely said. “I just needed about three laps to get going.”

Then came a turning-point restart on Lap 17, when Nicely fired-off well and maintained pace with leader Lee. With Nicely inching Lee in every lap, Lee decided to stay about a half-groove higher than the very bottom of the track, where Nicely was running. Nicely saw this and took his shot with three-to-go, getting under him out of Turn 2, drawing even with Lee’s #12 into Turn 3 and prying the spot away from him at the exit of Turn 4.

“On those restarts I’d get shuffled back, and finally we got a couple laps run and I was able to get underneath Lucas, and it was a good, clean race,” Nicely said.

“I thought as long as I could keep my speed up, [I’d be fine],” Lee said. “I didn’t think he was coming. My [signal] guy gave me a lead, and then it closed-up, and I knew I was a sitting duck.”

 But that wasn’t the end of it. Christopher Rutherford spun in Turns 3-4 just as the leaders were coming for the checkers and the caution flag was thrown. This set up an intense green-and-white, checkered finish.

“I was actually worried more about Lucas,” Nicely said of his thoughts under the yellow. “I just wanted to make sure I hung my car out enough just so he couldn’t get a run in the middle going into Turn 1 on the last lap.”

 But Nicely never flinched. He mashed the throttle on the start and sped away, opening a big gap behind him and securing the victory the next time by.

 Crossing in second was Jupiter, FL-driver Clay Harris. Sporting a brand-new Longhorn by Loenbro chassis in his first competitive night on the car, Harris put together an amazing drive from 14th to second in 25 laps.

 Before the final caution was thrown, Harris had been riding in third behind Lee. But that final restart gave him one last opportunity to pick up another spot, which he didn’t waste.

“He messed-up a little bit coming out of Turn 2 and Turn 4 on the same lap,” Harris said. “I thought I was going to pass him, and then the white flag came out, and I wasn’t even gonna try him. Then, they threw the caution, and I knew it was game time.”

New Speedweeks points leader Lucas Lee finished third after leading most of the race. Though he only lost ten points to Nicely in the standings, he said his tire choice cost him in the end.

 “It was a gamble anyway,” Lee said. “I think I found the rubber before they did, and my tire wasn’t going to be there at the end. When my [stick signals] closed-up, I knew [Nicely] had a [harder compound] on. I figured he was coming.”

 The DIRTcar UMP Modified Winternationals action continues at North Florida Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 6. Follow along on the DIRTcar Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for all the latest updates and content.

 Winternationals Feature (25 Laps) – 1. 25-Tyler Nicely[1]; 2. 21J-Clay Harris[14]; 3. 12-Lucas Lee[3]; 4. 27-Jason Garver[2]; 5. 72-Todd Neiheiser[8]; 6. 27R-Steve Rex[17]; 7. 57-Fletcher Mason[4]; 8. 51-Brandon Green[13]; 9. 242-Brandon Bollinger[15]; 10. 91-Jamie Green[6]; 11. 117-Clinton Gillen[12]; 12. 7S-Ronnie Chance[18]; 13. 2J-Troy Johnson[9]; 14. 18-Christopher Rutherford[20]; 15. 62E-Deece Schwartz[11]; 16. S21-Seth Daniels[5]; 17. 3D-Makayla Tyrrell[16]; 18. 141-Justin Galbreath[7]; 19. 16C-John Clippinger[10]; 20. 21D-Danny Schwartz[21]; 21. 711B-Jerry Bland Jr[22]; 22. 05-Dave Wietholder[25]; 23. I 70-Kim Edington[19]; 24. 60-James McKeown[24]; 25. 12D-Wesley Duboise[23]; 26. 49-Billy Green[26]

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ALACHUA COUNTY – Alachua County is offering gift cards to encourage residents to get vaccinated, and for those eligible, to receive a booster shot. The County’s program offering $25 gift cards for vaccinated people runs from Jan. 12, through Feb. 28. The gift card is available for those getting initial shots or the booster. The gift card is not retroactive to those already vaccinated.

It is recommended that before getting the shot, individuals should verify that the location has gift cards available. CVS satellite locations in Target stores are not participating and CVS MinuteClinics are not participating. 

Participating vaccine providers include:

The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County 

224 S.E. 24th St, Gainesville, FL 32641

Hitchcock's Pharmacies

15560 N.W. US Hwy 441, Alachua, FL 32615

24220 W. Newberry Rd, Newberry, FL 32669

West End Pharmacy

25340 W. Newberry Rd, Newberry, Fl 32669

Wise's Pharmacy

708 S.W. 4th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601

Winn Dixie Pharmacies

20303 N. US‐441, High Springs, FL 32643

300 S.W. 16th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601

CVS Pharmacies

901 N. Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601

7430 S.W. Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608

6025 US‐301, Hawthorne, FL 32640

4354 N.W. 23rd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32606

4145 N.W. 53rd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32653

3904 N.W. 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32609

3404 S.W. Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608

2303 S.W. 75th St, Gainesville, FL 32607

19225 N.W. US Hwy 441, High Springs, FL 32643

1621 S.W. 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32608

15174 N.W. US Hwy 441, Alachua, FL 32615

1515 N.W. 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32601

14355 W. Newberry Road, Gainesville, Fl 32669

Able Pharmacy

5001 N.W. 34th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32605

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ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua is losing its police chief while the Alachua County Sheriff's Office (ASO) is gaining a police commander with 32 years of experience. At the Jan. 24 Alachua City Commission meeting, Alachua Police Chief Chad Scott announced his resignation to accept a job with the ASO as the Chief of Operations with the rank of Major.

“Law enforcement was my passion ever since I was a teenager,” Scott said. Growing up in Newberry, Scott described himself as a kid who always talked with local law enforcement and asked a lot of questions, learning about the career by listening to officers’ stories. After high school Scott played on the football team at Bethel College, graduating in 1988 with a Bachelor’s Degree focused in Social Sciences.

Two years later he began his career in law enforcement when he was hired by the ASO. Over the next 16 years he served in a variety of capacities, including Patrol Deputy, School Resource Deputy, Detective, Special Operations, and SWAT. As he advanced through the ranks, he further developed his professional skills through classes and coursework.

Scott’s tenure with ASO would ultimately come to an end, when in 2007, an internal investigation alleged that he had incorrectly filled out timesheets over a year’s time, resulting in overpayments totaling $900. While the investigation was underway, Scott was placed on probation. Although the investigation ultimately failed to find evidence, as well as a second investigation by the State Attorney’s Office, then Sherriff Sadie Darnell kept Scott on probation.

After the dustup with the sheriff, Scott realized that further advancement with the department would be limited, and he resigned. Scott says that at the time he considered changing careers. “However, what I thought was my worst day, turned out to be my best day ever.”

Scott had come to know many people during his time with ASO, and some became friends. One of those individuals was current Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr. Watson had served as the Deputy Chief of Police with the City of Alachua Police Department and later became City Manager. “Although we had been friends for a long time, he was also my mentor, giving me advice and support in my law enforcement career,” said Scott. “When I told him about my thoughts of changing careers, he told me ‘Chad, you are a cop and nothing else will make you happy,’” Scott said.

Scott was hired by the City of Alachua Police Department (APD) in 2008 as a reserve police officer. Over the next 13-plus years he would be hired full time and rise through the ranks. He was first assigned to the Patrol Division until his appointment to the Traffic Safety Unit. In March 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Detective and assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division where he investigated multiple high-profile cases.

In May 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned to the Patrol Division as a supervisor. Scott also supervised the Traffic Safety Unit until his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant in November 2011. As a Lieutenant, Scott was responsible for the oversight of Police Operations and Administration. In August 2014, he assumed the position of Deputy Chief of Police and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Police Department.

In 2015, APD Police Chief Joel DeCoursey, Jr., retired and then Alachua City Manager Traci Cain appointed Scott to replace him. “My work ethic has always spoken for itself,” Scott said. “I just think the City of Alachua recognized it as an asset to the ‘Good Life Community.’”

During his tenure as Police Chief Scott saw the department grow and become more involved with the community. He stressed that officers must always be professional and treat people fair. “You have to be engaged in your community,” he said. “That consists of, at times, of being a big brother or a big sister, a mentor, a counselor, a teacher. Sometimes you have to be a minister or a deacon. And my most favorite is being a coach.”

Scott believes he is leaving APD in good hands and that his move to ASO will benefit Alachua by establishing a stronger bond and communication between the city and the county. “I may be moving on to a new position with the ASO, but my heart stays with Alachua.”

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LAKE CITY. – Repairs on the I-75 north bridge over U.S. 441 will begin Monday morning, Feb. 7 and are expected to last 30 days, weather and unforeseen circumstances permitting.

FDOT determined repairs are necessary after inspecting damaged sustained when an over height vehicle struck the bridge.

Repairs will consist of removing and replacing two exterior beams and making minor repairs to the two interior beams. Traffic will be maintained in accordance with FDOT standards.

Drivers on I-75 north can expect a continuous single-lane closure of the outside lane, and U.S. 441 north and south drivers can expect continuous, single-lane closures of the inside lanes throughout the duration of the repairs.

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The Department of Health – Alachua is expanding Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) services to Wednesday evenings. Extended hours began on Jan. 12.

“In addition to services provided during regular business hours five days per week, our staff is pleased to be able to improve access to vital educational and nutritional services to our pregnant, new mothers and children under the age of five on Wednesday evenings,” said Alachua County’s Florida Department of Health Administrator Paul Myers.

Existing clients wanting to make an appointment, and new clients seeking eligibility criteria, are asked to contact the Alachua County Health Department WIC Program at 352-225-4343 or toll-free at 800-494-2543. Additional information on eligibility can be found at FloridaWIC.org and SignUpWIC.com.

WIC is a nutrition program for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or who have recently been pregnant, infants and children under five. WIC provides healthy food, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding and referrals to healthcare, immunizations and community services at no cost.

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