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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The Gentle Carousel Mini Therapy Horses are well known area celebrities. Local children and parents who have met these loving animals in person may not be surprised to learn that the little horses with big hearts are the subject of a new book written about their therapy program. “Mini Horse, Mighty Hope: How a Heard of Miniature Horses Provides Comfort and Healing,” was published by Revell Publishing and released nationally on Amazon and all major booksellers on Oct. 19.

Debbie Garcia-Bengochea and Peggy Frezon co-authored the 200-plus page book about one of the largest equine therapy programs in the world. The book, which already has five-star reviews on Amazon, begins with a first-person account of how the program came about by one of the charity’s founders, Garcia-Bengochea.

The book also includes stories about individual horses and events during the 20-plus years of doing this charity work, including a chapter about the guardian dogs that live with the horses. “Each chapter includes what we learned and individual people we’ve met along the way,” said Garcia-Bengochea.

When the charity went to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, after the school shootings they experienced so many kind and thoughtful things that people did to make their trip as comfortable as possible. “It was cold, but we had a heated horse ambulance for our horses to help keep them warm. One man made hot chocolate and went looking for us. We were just getting ready to go into the police station when he appeared with the hot drinks,” she said. The book includes simple stories and real-life miracles that happened on that trip as well as others over the years.

“Some of the places we go, we see some pretty tough times that people are going through,” she said. “But in the worst of times you see the best in people. Whenever there is a disaster, people who may be divided in other ways are risking their lives to rescue others.”

Garcia-Bengochea and Frezon had met earlier when Frezon included a chapter on therapy horse, Magic, in her book. “She was fascinated with the horses,” said Garcia-Bengochea. “She came down and visited them. We wound up talking on Mondays and then we began to work together.”

The book includes a story about Terry Lee, a woman who was in her last hours of life at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Dr. Elizabeth Mann, Lee’s doctor, asked what she could do for the dying woman. She responded that she wanted to lie in a pasture filled with horses.

As it turned out Gentle Carousel happened to be in New York City teaching a class at Columbia Medical School. The couple brought therapy horse Magic to the hospital into Lee’s ICU room to the patient’s delight. Because the charity was coming to the hospital, television crews were on hand to film Magic’s patient visit. The “Today Show” crew was in Lee’s room. Shortly after their visit Terry Lee passed away, having had her wish granted.

Gentle Carousel had a photograph of Magic in Lee’s room along with her doctor and the Today Show film crew. The charity had obtained photo releases from everyone in the room as always. However, as part of the publisher’s requirements, they required photo releases signed again on their company’s release forms.

“The amount of work that it took to get permission for many new photo releases during the pandemic was monumental,” said Garcia-Bengochea. Lee’s physician, Elizabeth Mann, M.D., had left Mount Sinai Hospital and was working on a Native American reservation in Oklahoma. We had to find her during the pandemic and get a photo release.

The charity had also worked with families at Ronald McDonald House. “We had to locate parents across the country and get updated written permission to use their photographs as well,” she said.

Meanwhile, the authors were working with people from the publishing house. “There was someone from public relations, a cover designer, the editors, a legal team – at least 20 people in all. They have been super supportive,” Garcia-Bengochea said. “It actually took a couple of years between the time they started writing and the Oct. 19 release date.”

The last chapter in the book was when COVID-19 was starting. “We had just returned from New York right before COVID hit there. We were doing an event at the Javits Center for Universal NBC,” she said. “They paid for the trip so we could do our hospital visits on the east coast. Due to the pandemic the Javits Center was transformed into a hospital in the weeks after we left,” said Garcia-Bengochea.

Asked how the book is doing on Amazon Garcia-Bengochea said, “This book is the number one new release in a number of categories and on Amazon Bestseller lists. For Inspirational Books it has been ranked number four on Amazon. We are really pleased with the reviews. They have been very encouraging. Barnes and Noble released the book a few days early, so we began hearing from people before the official release date.”

Usually, when a book comes out the authors schedule a book-signing tour. Due to COVID, that has had to be modified. Many bookstores are not doing in-person book signings. “We are doing creative book signings at outdoor venues,” said Garcia-Bengochea. “We also have had ‘Hoof-o-graphed’ books signed by the horses at book signings.”

Proceeds from Garcia-Bengochea’s share of book sales will help support the horses and the Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horse charity. Garcia-Bengochea said they have had to make temporary changes to the program in light of the pandemic. The couple filmed videos for kids, and they also started doing outdoor reading programs at parks and on library lawns. “We’re constantly trying to find new ways to do things.” The couple set up a studio in their living room in order to conduct “face-time” communication with young patients in hospitals. Children also receive calls from their favorite horse to check on how they are doing at home. “The children are told their horse is calling them to check on them,” she said. “They are delighted.”

The charity has visited assisted living programs for many years. During the pandemic the horses visited with residents through the windows and sent stuffed toy horses inside for each person. “The last picture in the book is of a visit to an assisted living program that was taken at the window,” she said. “We’ve just had to be more creative through the pandemic, but we don’t want people not to see the horses if there is some way we can make it happen safely,” she said. This week the horses will be visiting that same program with residents in an outdoor patio area.

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This interview was conducted with local author Debbie Garcia-Bengochea. Co-author of this book, Peggy Frezon, is contributing editor of All Creatures magazine and author of books about the human-animal bond. She's a regular contributor to Guideposts magazine and Angels on Earth. Her stories also appear in books such as "The Ultimate Dog Lover," "Miracles and Animals," and more than twenty Chicken Soup for the Soul™ books. She also blogs at The Writer's Dog. She lives in New York, where she and her husband rescue senior golden retrievers and do therapy dog work. They share their home with two golden retrievers, Ernest and Pete.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Newberry residents made their voices heard at a recent City of Newberry strategic planning session. Citizens identified infrastructure and parks as the areas they would like to see their tax dollars support.
On Oct. 11 the City Commission set about establishing a five-year goal plan keeping in mind the areas residents set as priorities.
Commission proposed infrastructure projects include connectivity of Larry Keene Drive and Southwest 15th Avenue connectivity on Southwest 15th Avenue to County Road 337, the City Hall expansion project, installing sewer lines as companion lines to the water lines along State Road 26, implementation of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, impact fees to fund the infrastructure goals, an elevated water storage tank and expansion of a wastewater treatment facility.
Noting that the AMI system should be running smoothly in a year, Commissioners determined that the remaining projects would take two – five years to accomplish.
Mayor Jordan Marlowe said that the city has seven parks offering many of the amenities residents cited at the strategic planning session. He also pointed out that there are two walking trails. To the suggestion of beach volleyball, Marlowe said, “Done. Jimmy Durden Park.”
Marden suggested that the City provide information to residents about city-owned parks. “Maybe a map showing park locations and the available amenities in each park might go a long way toward letting people know how they can better enjoy what the City has already provided.”
In other business, City Manager Mike New offered an update on the status of the Two-way Pairs project, saying that the design is expected to be completed by April 2022. “At that point the project will be construction ready,” he said. “They are telling us funding will become available in the very next fiscal year. They are trying to make sure their design documents are complete so that we could have it out to bid before the end of 2022.” Assistant City Manager Dallas Lee said the final plan will be brought before the Commission for approval.
At Marlowe’s request, it is expected that the recreation director will brief the Commission in the next four to six weeks about park improvements and scheduling.

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GAINESVILLE – Beginning Monday, Nov. 1, the City of Gainesville’s Regional Transit System (RTS) will temporarily reduce the frequency of bus service until further notice, due to decreased ridership demand and to staffing shortages. 

The affected bus routes are Route 1, 5, 12, 13, 20, 21, 28, 35, 36, 38, 118 and 121. Please visit www.go-rts.com or the new GNVRideRTS app for updated schedules and bus tracking.

RTS frequently hosts hiring events where applicants can apply on site and receive conditional job offers. Individuals interested in a career at RTS are asked to visit City of Gainesville Careers.

For additional information or assistance, please call RTS Customer Service at 352-334-2600, ext. 1. 

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ALACHUA ‒ On Nov. 4, Alachua residents will be able to access Alachua County Supervisor of Elections and Tax Collector services at Alachua’s City Hall.

The addition of these services is part of an ongoing effort by the Alachua City Commission to provide enhanced access to County services in-person in the city of Alachua, which stems from a high-priority initiative in the City’s Strategic Plan.

Supervisor of Elections services provided at this event will include assistance with new voter registration, voter registration updates, vote-by-mail requests, elections information dissemination and election worker recruitment.

Tax Collector services at this event will include assistance with property taxes, tangible property taxes and tourist development taxes such as Airbnb and short-term rentals.

This one-day event is also open to other County residents outside of the City of Alachua who may find this location more convenient. The event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at City Hall located at 15100 N.W. 142^nd Terrace, Alachua, FL 32615.

“We are so proud to continue providing additional in-person County services access to our community,” Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper said. “This not only makes doing County business more convenient for our residents, but also for the rest of the northwest portion of Alachua County.”

For more information about Supervisor of Elections services, contact the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office by calling 352-374-5252, or by visiting www.votealachua.com For more information about Tax Collector services, contact the Alachua County Tax Collector office by calling 352-374-5236, or by visiting www.alachuacollector.com

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HIGH SPRINGS – The High Springs City Commission has rejected a bid of no confidence for Alachua County School Superintendent Carlee Simon. On Oct. 14, High Springs Vice Mayor Linda Jones introduced the item saying, “Teachers and staff cannot voice their opinion for fear of losing their jobs. This was shown at the end of the school year when nine of 11 principals, teachers and staff were released.”

Commenting that Simon is defying the governor, the Florida Department of Education and Florida Department of Health, Jones noted, “She seems to revel in her actions by appearing on 17 TV shows, one social media video with Secretary Cardona, U.S. Department of Education, accepting $147,000 that the Florida Department of Education withheld and wrote an op-ed in the ‘Washington Post.’ All of this within a two-month timeframe.”

Jones continued by saying, “The Petition of No Confidence of Superintendent Simone has been signed by over 1,500 people, including 158 residents of High Springs and growing.”

“It is my opinion that we need to send a message from our City and perhaps other cities will follow,” said Jones.

Commissioner-elect Katherine Weitz described the environment within the school system as “toxic.” She said teachers are “terrified to speak.” She said she has emailed Simon and never received a response. She also said she has called in during School Board meetings, but has never been able to get her calls through. She described Simon as “drunk with power.”

David Lynch also addressed the Commission saying this was a strange situation for the Commission to take a position against the School Board.

Melissa Scott, self-described as a Gainesville resident who grew up in High Springs, said she has sent numerous emails to Simon and received not one response. She also remarked at how “shocked” she was to see parents escorted out of School Board meetings after expressing opposition to Simon.

While her emails go unanswered, Scott said, “She has lots of time for media coverage…she also likes to hunt down doctors who sign medical exemptions for parents.” Scott said Simon has worked with abused children and believes that parents do not have the best interest of their children at heart. Scott added that Simons seems to feel that “we as parents don’t care about our kids because we don’t want to mask.”

“I get you [Commissioners] probably don’t want to go this route, but there’s a lot of parents being ignored right now,” said Scott.

City Clerk Jenny Parham read a message from Commissioner Scott Jamison who was not in attendance at the meeting. “I apologize for not being able to attend tonight’s meeting, but my duties as Risk Manager for Alachua County Public Schools required that I be out of town Oct. 12 – 15.”

“That said I would like to make a comment on Agenda Item 4. Consider, discuss and act on the school superintendent, Carlee Simon submitted by Vice Mayor Linda Jones.

“I do not believe this is the course of action the commission should engage in. It is not our job as City Commissioners to evaluate other governmental officials.”

City Commissioner Ross Ambrose agreed. He said it would not be appropriate for a governmental board to criticize decisions of other boards.

Mayor Gloria James nodded her head in agreement. Commissioner Byran Williams had no comment on the issue when asked.

Hearing the comments from audience members, Jones made a motion to approve a petition of no confidence by the City Commission. The motion died for lack of a second.

Ambrose suggested that the City extend an invitation to the Alachua County School Board to hold a joint meeting in High Springs to help citizens get answers to their questions that they expressed as not being addressed. City Manager Ashley Stathatos said they would follow up on that suggestion.

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GAINESVILLE – Devaron Cartrell Brown, 31, of Newberry, was arrested by the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) on Saturday, Oct. 16. Brown was charged with carrying an unlicensed concealed firearm, trafficking in methamphetamines, possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis, possession of a controlled substance and resisting an officer without violence.
According to GPD, Brown was approached by an officer at 1:02 a.m. as the suspect was loitering in the driver’s seat of a vehicle that was running with its lights on. The officer was able to smell a strong odor of cannabis coming from the vehicle and also observed in plain view a cannabis joint sitting on top of the center console.
The officer asked Brown to keep his hands visible and to stop digging around in the vehicle. Brown ignored the officer’s commands and continued to dig around in his vehicle. Brown then placed his right hand under his right leg. The officer asked Brown to step out of the vehicle and told him to place his hands behind his back.
As the officer was putting handcuffs on Brown, the suspect tensed up and lunged forward. Brown tried to spin around to face the officer at which time the officer grabbed Brown firmly and forcibly put his hands behind his back.
After Brown was handcuffed, Brown was asked to move away from his car and into the front of a marked GPD unit. Brown continued to resist the officer by tensing up his upper body and pulling away. Brown had to be forcibly moved to the front of a patrol car.
A search of Brown’s vehicle revealed a Glock 43 pistol, loaded with eight rounds, which had been concealed under a black beanie on the front passenger seat. According to GPD, the pistol was not securely encased and was easily assessable to Brown. Also found was 68.6 grams of MDMA/field-tested positive, which was co-located with the pistol, 3.5 grams of cannabis, which was identified by sight and smell, and found on the front passenger seat, one gram of cannabis in a joint found on top of the console and one Ecstasy pill found in the center console.
A check through the GPD teletype revealed that Brown did not have a concealed firearms license.
Brown was arrested for trafficking methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), possession of a concealed firearm, possession of a controlled substance and possession of less than 20 grams of MDMA.
Brown has been released from the Alachua County Jail on $65,000 bond.

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