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The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention’s popular adults-only evening event, Cade After Dark 21+, returns with spring dates and all new activities centered around a different theme each month. 

At Cade After Dark 21+, guests can relax with adult beverages while reliving their childhood with board games and science experiments and checking out the museum’s latest exhibits. Past events have gotten visitors’ hands sticky with gooey slime while blowing minds with Shrinky Dinks, 3D-pen drawing tables, and radioactive snow, and entertaining with giant Jenga and other old school games. 

Cade After Dark guests can enjoy some snacks and then work them off by testing their strength and endurance in the Sweat Solution, the Cade’s permanent exhibit that tells the story of the invention of Gatorade.  

They can then take an afterhours look at the Cade’s current museum-wide themes and temporary exhibits. This spring, the Cade unravels textile technology in the theme Tech Tapestry and exhibit Fabric Frontiers, demonstrating how a penchant for fancy silks in 18th century France inspired the first computers, or how the evolution of cold weather clothing unfolded through three generations of Antarctic explorers.  

A host of tactile, experimental and STEAM-powered activities fill every nook and cranny at Cade After Dark. Each month something new and surprising awaits participants. 

Cure the end-of-season, post-Super Bowl blues at the February 18 Cade After Dark, where a roster full of football-themed games, refreshments and activities provide adults a much-needed timeout.  

Recharge those drained, mid-semester batteries on March 18. Participants will have an electrifyingly good time as all things light and electricity course through the museum’s activities and games. The Cade’s brand-new exhibit on the inventions you find in bathrooms (that’s right, bathrooms) will be brimming with scavenger hunts and other bathroom-related distractions and adventures. 

After getting wired up in March, the Cade will switch its flip for an ultimate glow in the dark vibe session on April 8th. Attendees’ smiles will surely light up the room, along with their glow sticks and glowing slime. Afterall, growing up can be hard. Why not glow up instead?  

Speaking of growing up, the Cade is turning four in May! Party hats and kazoos will be encouraged at the Cade After Dark Birthday Bazar on May 20th. Attendees will also be able to explore the world of storytelling through animation in the Cade’s latest exhibit, Animationland. 

“We’re thrilled to be able to set aside this time just for adults, away from the hustle and bustle of daily museum activities, field trips, and group tours,” says Cade Museum President and CEO, Stephanie Bailes. “It’s a chance to really be immersed in the museum. I love seeing the wild experiments our educators come up with and the games that take over the museum at night. It’s the perfect date night or friends’ night out!”  

Cade After Dark 21+ takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, March 18, April 8, and May 20. To register in advance, visit cademuseum.org/calendar. Adults 21 and older only will be admitted. Admission is $15 per person and includes a drink ticket, redeemable at the Cade’s cash bar. Additional drinks will be available for purchase. Also included is a free ticket to a raffle prize drawing.  

Cade After Dark is sponsored by First Magnitude Brewing Company and Goldie’s Burgers. 

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HAWTHORNE ‒ A 60-year-old Hawthorne man was killed Friday, Jan. 29, and his 58-year-old male passenger, also from Hawthorne, is in serious condition after the pickup truck in which they were riding overturned.  The crash occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m.

The truck was traveling north on U.S. Highway 301, just north of Southeast 57th Avenue.  According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), a witness who was traveling behind the pickup truck saw the truck change lanes in front of him, almost colliding with the witnesses’ vehicle.  After changing lanes, the pickup truck’s tires went off-road causing the driver to lose control of the truck.  The driver attempted to correct the truck, but was unsuccessful.  The pickup truck hit a ditch and overturned, flipping over a fence.  The subject truck came to a final rest on 4701 U.S. Highway 301 South in Hawthorne.

Fire and rescue crews from Alachua County Fire Rescue and Melrose Fire Department responded to the scene.  The vehicle had sustained heavy damage and required the Jaws of Life to extricate the driver and the passenger.  

According to the FHP, neither the driver nor the passenger was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

In Suwannee County, a 28-year-old High Springs man driving a pickup truck was involved in a three-car crash on Monday, Jan. 24, at 5:40 p.m.  

All three vehicles were traveling south on State Road 247.  The High Springs man was driving a 2013 F-150 truck and was stopped in traffic ahead of a 23-year-old O’Brien male, who was driving a 2004 VW.  A 2015 Ford Taurus, driven by a 21-year-old Branford woman failed to see the VW ahead slow down.  The front of her car hit the rear of the VW ahead.  After being struck by the Taurus, the VW was pushed forward where it struck the rear of the High Springs F-150 truck.

All vehicles came to a final rest on State Road 247, 100-feet north of Southwest Rough Road.  The 21-year-old Branford man was cited for following too closely.

According to the FHP report, no injuries were reported and all drivers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.

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GAINESVILLE  – Students and faculty at Santa Fe College (SF) will join others across the nation during the month of February to celebrate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. CTE Month is recognized to celebrate and highlight the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs both in the state of Florida and across the nation.   

  “Our CTE programs are designed to work in collaboration with our business community, to provide students with the training required for the high-demand careers here in North Central Florida,” SF Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs – CTE, Dr. Tyran Butler said. “We are proud of the work our students do, this CTE month and every month.”   

CTE can accelerate personal and professional success. With little to no barriers to enrollment and 17 career pathways to choose from, individuals can acquire the skills needed through real-world, hands-on experience.   

“The CTE programs at Santa Fe College provide our community with highly skilled workers in a number of regionally in-demand industries, including critical fields like healthcare and biotechnology,” added SF Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs – Health, Dr. Jodi Long. “What students learn in the classroom and labs provides the necessary training for successful careers that promote economic security and opportunities for upward mobility and even higher wages.” 

As our faculty prepare CTE students for their future careers as skilled professionals, students engage in hands-on learning with real life applications. These approaches to teaching are linked to greater understanding, comprehension, and retention.  

  CTE offers a way for students to gain skills and earn certifications in some of Florida’s most critical and desirable industries. Unlike traditional higher education, CTE programs can set individuals on the right path in less time with less cost. 

  To see what SF has to offer in Career and Technical Education, visit sfcollege.edu/cte.

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 HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Confusion surrounded the Jan. 27 High Springs City Commission meeting as the subject of murals was discussed. Vice President of the Heart of High Springs Olivia Medina requested the Commission consider allowing a mural of former principal Tom “Pop” Diedeman on the wall of the old school building.  A barrage of citizen comments in opposition to the request followed.

Citizen objections were not against honoring Diedeman, but instead were focused on the placement of murals on buildings in general.  Many of the speakers seemed to confuse this request with items not on the agenda or with a different agenda item, which was a special event permit application for a proposed public forum to be held on March 12 – 19 to receive public input on future murals.  

Some residents also held that the “Gateway to the Springs” mural, which they said they did not like, had been painted by the Walldogs group.  As it turned out, the Springs Institute had obtained funding from the City of High Springs and the Alachua County Tourist Development Council for the mural.  Later in the meeting it was pointed out that a local artist and the Institute were responsible for the mural’s design.

In addition to the negative reaction to painting the sides of buildings, the question arose regarding a conflict of interest on the part of Commissioner Ross Ambrose as he is a member of the board of directors of the Heart of High Springs non-profit organization.  City Attorney Andrea True Parker weighed in on the subject and pointed out that there was no benefit, financial or otherwise, to Ambrose and thus, no need for him to abstain from voting on the issue.  

Commissioner Linda Jones said that it might not be illegal, but she believed it was not “morally correct” for him to vote.  Ambrose responded, “If an issue was brought up on a commission agenda regarding the Chamber of Commerce, of which some commissioners are a member, it would not be considered a conflict of interest and I don’t see the difference.”

Comments against murals centered on several concerns, one of which was that the paintings would destroy the red brick building façade and thus the historic significance of the structure.  However, it was later pointed out that any building that had already been painted would not be adversely impacted historically by a mural or other painting.  

Other comments included an emphasis on patronizing local artists instead of bringing in outside artists, the possible destruction of the quaint atmosphere of the city, belief that 10-12 murals would be overwhelming and concern that increased economic development would bring in more traffic, which would be unmanageable.  

Speakers in favor of the request pointed out that local artists would be used to help paint the murals, but that every artist is not skilled in large-scale mural painting and some do not want to do that type of work.  Also mentioned was that there are already about 10 murals in High Springs and most people don’t even realize it so it wouldn’t be overwhelming to add to them.  

After lengthy discussion, the Commission voted to continue the item to a future meeting.

In other business, the Commission considered a request for a special event permit for a Walldogs launch in High Springs on March 12-19.  Heart of High Springs member Sharon Yeago made a presentation explaining that this would be a week-long event in which the public could participate, share their ideas and vote on what concepts and locations might be appropriate for a mural. 

Local artist Tina Corbett addressed concerns that the public had not had an opportunity to participate in the process by pointing out that two public meetings had been called prior to COVID-19 with little participation from the public.  Because of COVID, the group continued to work on the issue, but didn’t have the opportunity to include public meetings.  “The purpose of the special event is to seek input from the public,” Yeago said.

The proposed week-long program will include public events to include an introduction of the Walldogs mentoring mural program and voting for project concepts, a self-guided tour of murals already in place in the city, review by the public of the various project concepts and public voting on the mural suggestions.  The murals will have historic significance, said Yeago.

Jones said she believes the Walldogs is a distraction and that the organization will come up short financially and will ask the City for additional financing, which the City cannot afford.  

Commissioner Katherine Weitz said she would prefer a workshop to discuss the matter further.  Ambrose seconded that motion, which was unanimously approved.  A date was not set for the workshop during this meeting.

In other City Business, Parks and Recreation Director Damon Messina asked for and unanimously received approval for an addendum to the operating agreement with Anderson’s Outdoor Adventures to extend the agreement.  The original agreement was to last until Jan. 31, 2022.  The extension is the only change to the agreement and extends it until March 24, 2022, unless mutually agreed to end it sooner.  The extension will allow more time to finalize the details of the contract for Anderson’s to continue managing the Santa Fe Canoe Outpost for the City on an interim basis.

Forty-foot residential lots may be a thing of the past in High Springs. Following concern expressed by Mayor Byran Williams regarding 40-foot residential lot sizes, Commissioners asked that a higher standard be included in the Land Development Code to prevent property owners from building homes on such small lots in the future.

The City Attorney was asked to look into the issue with the City’s Land Development regulations.

A request by Commissioner Jones to amend the Rules of Procedure to add a section for commissioner response after Citizen Requests and Comments was discussed.  Commissioners voted unanimously to ask the City Attorney to bring back a resolution addressing the issue for Commission consideration.  

Assistant City Manager Bruce Gillingham said the Suwannee River Water Management District had sent funds approaching $7 million to the City for the sewer project.  He also reported that the CDBG playground project should be completed by Jan. 31.  A presentation on Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) will occur on Feb. 10 and a second presentation by a second qualified company will take place on Feb. 24, at which time he will ask the Commission to make a decision as to which company the City wants to hire.

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HAWTHORNE –  As part of the of widening improvements on State Road 20 from the Putnam County line to SW 56^th Avenue, Chesser Monroe Road at State Road 20 will close to traffic Wednesday, February 16 through late April, weather and schedule permitting. The temporary closure is necessary to complete driveway, sidewalk and asphalt paving tie-in work.

Drivers will detour via Baden Powel Avenue to East Washington Avenue to return to Chesser Monroe Road (map below).

Anderson Columbia Co. Inc. is estimated to complete the $49 million widening improvements by early 2023. Construction completion estimates are fluid and subject to change, weather and schedule permitting. 

February is “hit-and-run” awareness month in Florida. When you flee the scene of a crash, you are breaking the law, which carries serious consequences. FDOT reminds motorists to take responsibility and stay at the scene of a crash.

Stay informed about lane closures and roadwork in your area by following FDOT District 2 at @MyFDOT_NEFL on Twitter or at MyFDOTNEFL on Facebook.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Newberry City Commissioners got a glimpse of future growth in Newberry during the Jan. 11 City Commission meeting.  

A map depicting the known proposed residential, commercial and mixed-use developments was presented by Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas.  Thomas listed the projects and the various stages of development. 

Thomas said there were 10 projects in active development that would take 20-30 years to build out.  Of those projects, 3,545 would be single-family units and 1,350 would be multi-family units.  Using the school board’s methodology, Thomas said it is likely that during that time period 1,195 new students would be in the school system.  

For those projects with land use approval only, there are only two projects with an estimated 10-year timeframe for build out.  He said those projects would generate 355 total single-family units and no multi-family units, which are anticipated to create 94 new students.

He also provided a table of potential school impacts over a 20-year timeline, which showed an average per year of 87 students that would impact the school system in Newberry.  Taking into account the projects to be constructed, he produced another table showing an average of 349 housing units per year would come online.  

“We are nowhere near those averages this year,” he said.  “Last year was our banner year and we had 150 building permits.  This year we’ve had 123 for the 2021 calendar year, but with COVID, supplies haven’t been as available and so we’re slowing down.”  

Thomas added that the City is not anywhere near the average he referenced and that they are seeing a gradual increase in applications as a trend.

Following a presentation on the Newberry Urban Services Area Boundary and the Commercial Corridor Design Standards Update, the Commission tabled both items for a workshop format with a tentative date of Jan. 31.

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