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ALACHUA ‒ It’s that time of year when scarecrows invade Alachua’s downtown and the annual celebration begins. For the past 16 years the Alachua Chamber of Commerce has hosted Scarecrow Row on Main Street as businesses and organizations sponsor light poles decorated in celebration of Halloween and the fall season.

Corporate sponsors either partner with a Main Street business or purchase their own pole to decorate with a decked out scarecrow. The money raised goes toward programs and events hosted by the Chamber of Commerce to help promote business on Main Street and provide services and facilities to the community, including events like the Trick or Treat on Main Street and the annual Christmas Parade.

The Alachua Chamber of Commerce sponsors these events to “raise public awareness of local downtown businesses, bring more tourist and consumers to the area, and create a sense of community and partnership within the local business community as well as providing free events for the community to enjoy.

Scarecrow Row has grown over the years and has become a well-known annual event that runs the entire month of October making sure the Halloween spirit is alive and well. Scarecrows run the gamut in creativity, only limited by the individuals crafting each installation. Early in October it was not uncommon to see groups of people gathered together working on their spooky creations. And throughout the month pole sponsors checked on their scarecrows to make sure they remained in good shape leading up to the annual judging. This year's theme was “Mad Scientist” and each scarecrow incorporated that theme. Some scarecrows were funny, some spooky, some simple, some extensive, but all creative and meant to amuse and entertain.

Each participating business designed and constructed their own display that was judged by a three-judge panel. Prizes, as well as plaques were presented for 1^st, 2^nd and 3rd place. Winners were announced at the annual Trick or Treat on Main Street held Saturday night. Boukari Realty took first place along with a $300 prize. Mebane Middle School came in second along with a $200 prize. Third place went to Dr. Douglas Adel along with a $100 prize.

The event has grown in popularity and the Chamber is considering expanding it so there are scarecrows beyond Main Street and possibly opening up entries to the public to increase participation.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The City of High Springs has cancelled its Nov. 2 election. The City Commission was informed in July that the City election would not be required. With two open seats, only Seat Five, currently held by Commissioner Scott Jamison, was vacant and only one candidate submitted the required paperwork to the City Clerk to run for election. Commissioner Byran Williams’ seat was unchallenged.

Katherine Weitz will fill Jamison’s vacant seat for a three-year term, which will begin after she is sworn in on Nov. 18.

Weitz and her husband, Andrew, have lived in High Springs for 25 of the 26 years of their marriage and have three children. The oldest is Jacob, age 20, who is currently enrolled in the electrician apprentice program at Santa Fe College. Sarah, age 18, is a recent graduate and valedictorian of her class at Newberry High School. She is heading to the University of South Florida, her parents’ alma mater, to study architecture. Their third child is Anna, age 13, an eighth grader at Oak View Middle School’s Center for Advanced Academics and Technology (CAAT) magnet program.

Weitz has been working in the laboratory or engineering fields for 30 years. She has been heavily involved in groundwater monitoring projects around solid waste facilities, compliance monitoring testing for wastewater treatment plants, as well as public water supply wells. Her last engineering-related position was working as a subcontractor to the Florida Department of Transportation District II in Lake City doing contract management for general engineering contracts.

“A little more than a year ago I downshifted to a completely different arena, and I manage the office of a local electrician,” said Weitz.

When asked why she decided to run for elected office, Weitz said, “The main reason that catapulted me to run for City Commissioner for High Springs was the wastewater treatment plant, concerns over unchecked growth and infrastructure and utilities in general.”

Weitz is also concerned about the future. “The city is very close to capacity for wastewater already and construction on a second plant not only hasn't begun, but funds have not been secured yet to build the plant. I believe strongly in living within your means and planning for the future. The situation the city currently finds itself in is definitely a challenging one when it comes to wastewater capacity expansion.”

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ To celebrate the Halloween spirit, the Opera House at the Great Outdoors Restaurant became a dark and sinister place, terrorizing all who entered. A dark maze filled with body parts, ghosts, demons and serial killers. But it was all in fun, as the Great Outdoors hosted a haunted house for the holiday.

When Melissa Doring became event manager at the Great Outdoors in July and took a tour of the Opera House space, she saw the potential for it to host special events, especially around various holidays

“One of my first thoughts were that this space could make an ideal haunted house for Halloween. The idea stayed in the back of my mind for several months as I acclimated to my new job, and I finally pitched it to my boss who agreed to let me put it together,” Doring said.

Working with a limited budget, materials and help, she posted on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to help or contribute. “I got a response from Chris Scott, who wound up turning the concept into a reality in a really short time period,” said Doring. “This wouldn't have happened without his involvement.”

Scott has been putting on Halloween shows for over eight years. He was involved with the Madness and Mayhem Halloween specials for several years as well as other organizations. It is his passion rather than profession. “I do it because I love it, said Scott. “To me it’s creating a giant art installation for people to enjoy.”

Scott says that Halloween makes the perfect time for mixing in the heightened emotions of surprise and fear with the entertainment. Over the years he has collected a large number of props, including building a maze that can be adjusted to each different location.

Scott contacted Doring and restaurant owner Baram Kim to discuss combining forces to create a professional quality haunted house in the Opera House. Both welcomed his support. The biggest problem was time as Scott had only learned of Doring's Facebook post a week before Halloween, but the two worked together to make it a reality.

It took two full box trucks to bring all the materials and props Scott had to the Great Outdoors and take it all upstairs. It took Scott and his wife, Bobbi, three days to put it together.

Staffing was another issue since the Great Outdoors staff was busy with the restaurant on a Saturday night. Doring manned the entry point along with her father, Barry Searles, who was dressed as a vampire. Her mother was also one of the characters in the Haunted House. Chris, his wife and daughter were also members of the cast as were three friends and one Great Outdoors employee. There was a $10 entry fee to cover cost and give volunteers some remuneration for their work.

The Halloween theme was also carried over to the Pink Flamingo Diner, which is owned by the same company. The general manager for the two restaurants, Lynn Long, arranged for a red tractor to run hayrides between the two locations. The tractor brought people over to the miniature golf course at the Pink Flamingo to play on the decorated “haunted” golf course and back to their cars. Many of the participants were children in Halloween costumes.

“We put this together in a very short time and thanks to Chris's materials and expertise and the efforts of everyone involved it was a success. We saw 165 “victims” come in to be scared ….and they all came out happy as well,” Doring said.

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NEWBERRY ‒ The City of Newberry’s Seaboard Drive Connector Road Project is inching toward reality. At the Oct. 25 City Commission meeting, Commissioners unanimously authorized the city manager to execute a Vacant Land Contract to acquire Tax Parcel 01989-020-038, a 0.21-acre parcel of land, for $12,000. The land acquisition is expected to facilitate the Seaboard Drive Connector Road Project. The City is also working to obtain easement rights from CSX to construct the new road and sidewalks, which when completed, will allow Seaboard Drive to continue to Southwest 15^th Avenue.

When the Arrowpoint subdivision was originally platted, the parcel was identified for use as recreation. The parcel never developed and eventually came to be owned by Mary Forbes Chambers, who died in 2017. Her heirs were not aware of the parcel, which they now own. The County Property Appraiser’s Office sold tax certificates on the property each year since 2017 for a total of $966.

The heirs are willing to sell the property for $12,000 in exchange for the City also paying off the outstanding tax certificates.

In other City business, Newberry Fire Chief Ben Buckner presented an ordinance for Commission consideration and comment to address permitting fireworks in the city of Newberry. Buckner pointed out that although the City had an ordinance declaring it unlawful to manufacture, sell, use, possess, display or discharge fireworks in the city, the list of City fees listed a fee for the Fire Department’s inspection of fireworks displays prior to shooting them.

Buckner researched Alachua County’s ordinance and other city ordinances dealing with fireworks and prepared an ordinance for review. He said the ordinance mirrored the County’s fireworks ordinance. Due to Commission comments, Buckner will bring back another version of the ordinance for consideration at a later date.

In other businesses, the Newberry City Commission heard and approved nine items following quasi-judicial public hearings at Monday night’s meeting, including a number of rezoning requests.

Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas introduced Ordinance 2021-50/CPA 21-15 on first reading. This is an application by Joseph J. and Teresa L. Hoffman to amend the Future Land Use Plan Map of the Comprehensive Plan by changing the Future Land Use classification from Agriculture to Commercial on approximately 18.48 acres, located at 20785 and 20737 West Newberry Road.

This small-scale amendment was heard by the Planning and Zoning Board at their Oct. 4 meeting and was unanimously recommended to the City Commission by that board. The property is across the street from the City’s water line and any development that occurs on that property will require the property owner to hook up to that line. Currently, the wastewater line is between a quarter-mile and a half-mile from the property. The property owner is required to hook up to the wastewater system whenever the line is within 800 feet of the property.

A development agreement between the City and the Hoffmans on the same property also received approval on second reading.

In a third action on the same property, Ordinance 2021-51/LDR 21-23 was approved on first reading. The application amends the Official Zoning Atlas by changing the zoning from Agricultural (A) to Commercial, Intensive (CI). This application was revised from the originally-requested Commercial, General (CG) based on the Planning and Zoning Board’s recommendation. The CI zoning classification limits building intensity to maximum Floor Area Ratios from 1.0 to 0.50 for properties between one and 20 acres and requires that no portion of any structure shall exceed 72 feet high.

In other Commission action, Ordinance 2021-29/CPA 21-13 also received approval and represents a large-scale amendment to the Future Land Use classification of the City’s Comprehensive Plan on three parcels of land totaling approximately 237.92 acres. The proposed change is from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture.

Large scale plan amendments require review by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and other state agencies in accordance with the expedited amendment procedures established in Florida Statutes.

Since the County’s Rural/Agriculture and the City’s Agriculture classifications both allow residential densities of “less than or equal to one dwelling unit per five acres” and continuation of similar agriculture uses and intensities, no additional density is allowed based upon changing from the County’s to the City’s designation.

If all requested changes are ultimately approved on these 237.92 acres, the property owner has shown interest in installing a zipline park over the mining pits on Northwest 202^nd Street.

A rezoning application, Ordinance 2021-30/LDR 21-21, was approved on first reading by the Commission during this meeting, contingent on approval of CPA 21-13 by the state of Florida. If the state does not contest the Comprehensive Plan Amendment, the property’s zoning will be considered for rezoning from Alachua County Agriculture (A) to City of Newberry Agriculture (A) upon second reading by the Commission.

Ordinance 2021-52/CPA 21-16 received approval to amend the Future Land Use Plan Map of the Comprehensive Plan by changing the Future Land Use classification from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture to City of Newberry Agriculture on two contiguous parcels totaling approximately 40.3 acres. The properties consist of Tax Parcels 01834-003-000 and 01834-006-000, each of which consist of approximately 20.15 acres. The parcels are located approximately one-quarter mile south of Northwest 46^th Avenue and about a mile east of Northwest 298^th Street (county line).

Ordinance 2021-54/CPA 21-17 received approval on first reading to amend the Future Land Use Map of the City of Newberry Comprehensive Plan, to change the property’s future land use designation from Alachua County Rural/Agriculture (less than or equal to one dwelling unit per five acres) to City of Newberry Agriculture with the same number of dwelling units per five acres. The property (Tax Parcel 04265-007-000) consists of approximately 7.66 acres and is located approximately one-third mile east of Northwest 202^nd Street, on the north side of West Newberry Road, just west of Pet Paradise.

Two additional rezoning applications were approved on first reading during the Oct. 25 meeting. Both applications are requests to change the zoning from Alachua County Agriculture (A) to City of Newberry Agriculture (A). The first is Ordinance 2021-53/LDR 21-24, Tax Parcel Numbers 01834-003-000 and 01834-006-000. (This application is contingent upon approval of CPA 21-16.)

The second is Ordinance 2021-55/LDR 21-25, Tax Parcel Number 04265-0070-000, which is contingent upon approval of CPA 21-17.)

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The High Springs City Commission met Oct. 21 to hammer out details of the Santa Fe Canoe Outpost purchase, which has been pushed from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5.

City Attorney Scott Walker suggested the due date for the Request for Proposal (RFP) for an entity to run the facility be set for Nov. 18.  Walker said he had a meeting with City Manager Ashley Stathatos, Commissioner Ross Ambrose and others about the proposed RFP and a few changes will be made to the document, although there wasn’t time to incorporate into the original RFP. 

Walker suggested evaluation intervals of every six months once the winning bidder takes over running the facility.  “At 18 months, they will need to purchase new vehicles for the facility,” he said.  The Commission was later informed that the current vehicles are not up to the standards the City would require.  Walker also reviewed insurance requirements and said that current owner Jim Woods would stay on for 30 days after closing and be a resource through the transition.

Commissioners Scott Jamison and Ambrose voiced concerns that Woods would not be on hand for the transition with the new management team. Attorney Clay Martin said he believed that the owner is committed to a smooth transition and that although he no longer wanted to manage the Canoe Outpost, he would make himself available as much as possible to see the successful transition.

Walker further reviewed the schedule of assets, requirements based on the Alachua Conservation Trust to make sure the facility was ADA compliant and suggested that the bidders specify the days and times of operation and specify the amount that would go back to the City.  The lowest amount discussed was seven percent of the proceeds, but could be higher, depending on what is ultimately negotiated in the final agreement.  He further suggested the new management team should be on board by January 2022. 

Martin produced a preliminary conservation easement for commission review during the meeting.  Martin said that the Conservation Trust wanted to make sure the walkways, restrooms, boardwalks, buildings, etc. were ADA compliant, but that they wanted to see the land surrounding the facility left alone as a public passive education and recreation area. 

Stathatos reported that Anderson Outdoor Adventures, a group that currently manages four locations on two rivers in north Florida, may be interested in providing their services in the interim between the time the City closes on the Canoe Outpost property and obtains an organization to run the facility. Stathatos said that Anderson has a fleet of vehicles up to the standards they would need and the people to drive them.  The existing Canoe Outpost “fleet is not where it needs to be,” she said.  She promised that there would be a “piggy-back agreement” for the commissioners to review with Anderson at the next commission meeting. 

The purchase price of the Canoe Outpost land and assets is $600,000 with an additional $150,000 needed for improvements.  Stathatos said funding sources include $175,000 through an Alachua County Forever grant and $575,000 from Wild Spaces Public Places funds.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Newberry’s advanced meeting project has fallen behind. Newberry Assistant City Manager Dallas Lee provided an update on the installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems in the city. Pointing to shipping and supply delays, Lee said the earlier projected deadlines would not be met.

He said that the City would first put their meters online to test the system and make sure it is running smoothly prior to hooking up utility customers.

In other City business, the Newberry City Commission is recommending that an arena be named in honor of a former Alachua County Commissioner. Newberry commissioners voted to send a letter to the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) stating that the Newberry Commission voted unanimously to request that the BoCC name the arena at the Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Center in honor of former County Commissioner Lee Pinkoson.

In another unanimous action, Commissioners finalized the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board, Chair, Chair Pro Tempore and Vice Pro Tempore. At a previous meeting the Commission, sitting as the CRA Board, approved the appointments to mirror the City Commission. However, the action was not finalized until the City Commissioners voted to approve the recommendations from the CRA Board.

In other business, the Commission approved a special permit for one-time fireworks display to be conducted as part of a wedding ceremony at Granville Plantation on Oct. 23. Robert Miles, the person planning the fireworks display, said the property consists of some 40 acres and has an agriculture designation. Miles said the fireworks display would take place between 9:30 – 10 p.m. and produced a map showing the open area from which the fireworks would be shot.

Planning Director Bryan Thomas reported that over the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, voluntary annexations of 19 parcels have brought in approximately 902 total acres into the city limits. Thomas added that during the year were approvals for Newberry Town Center, Phase 5 with 73 single-family units, Avalon Woods, Phase 1A with 104 single-family units and Country Way South, Phase 1 with 41 single-family units. Other matters implemented included City ordinances for tiny homes, food trucks, block parties and reduced setback requirements for sheds. Thomas said his department’s annual budget is $280,428.

The Commission approved two proclamations—one related to city governments and the other for drug awareness. Oct. 18 – 24 was recognized as Florida City Government Week in Newberry. City Clerk Judy Rice said the City is planning a parade to take place at the Newberry Elementary School in front of the kindergarten and first grade students as a way to help celebrate City Government Week. The date has not yet been set.

The second proclamation was in recognition of Red Ribbon Week, October 23 – 31. Wearing of a red ribbon is a symbol of commitment to raise awareness of the devastation caused by drugs. Lisa Darling from Concerned Citizens of Newberry talked briefly about the MyTime Program taking place at the Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center in Newberry.

The Commission will be conducting charter officer annual evaluations. Recommendations are expected to be submitted by Oct. 18 and will include City Manager Mike New and City Clerk Judy Rice. New said both he and Rice would be eligible for salary increases up to the same four percent amount as other City employees. The results of the evaluations will be on the Oct. 25 Commission agenda.

Commissioners will hold an Impact Fee Education Workshop at 6 p.m., Oct. 25, just prior to the regular City Commission meeting at 7 p.m.

On Nov. 16 the public is invited to a Public Power Town Hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Newberry Municipal Building, 25420 W. Newberry Road. The General Manager and CEO of the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) Jacob Williams will be in attendance.

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