Local

NEWBERRY ‒ Although Dudley Farm Historic State Park is usually identified as being in Newberry by most area residents, it wasn’t. Now it is. On Sept. 27, the Newberry City Commission formally annexed the park into the city of Newberry.

The property, which is located at 18730 W. Newberry Road, has a Newberry mailing address. However, only a small portion of the park lands actually were officially in the city’s limits. Included in the 13 tax parcels officially annexed into the City were five parcels owned by the State of Florida consisting of approximately 256.253 acres. These parcels, which are located approximately one-half mile east of Northwest 202^nd Street on the north side of West Newberry Road, include Dudley Farms.

With the realization that the annexation of this historic site had finally been accomplished, Commissioners and audience members clapped in approval. Mayor Jordan Marlowe said the City had been working toward this outcome for some time and was delighted the City had achieved that goal.

All totaled, the City finalized the annexation of more than 600 acres of property to “strengthen contiguity and improve overall compactness of the municipal boundary in the various areas,” said Newberry Planner Wendy Kinser-Maxwell.

In other City business, the Commission narrowly approved the establishment of a water public service tax in a 3-2 vote, which will cost residents $1.48 per month. The funds are designed to produce revenue to be used for construction of roads in the downtown Newberry area. Commissioners Tim Marden and Monty Farnsworth voted “no” on this item.

Also approved was Ordinance 2021-45, authorizing the creation of a trust fund where revenues for the Newberry Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) district will be deposited.

This step moves the City closer to administering a CRA for Newberry, something that has taken the City and Alachua County several years to accomplish.

Also receiving approval was the final plat of Country Way Phase 4, which is expected to include 64 lots, re-plat approval of two lots owned by Pat Post to change their orientation from facing north onto Southwest 3^rd Avenue to facing east onto Southwest 251^st Street and a request by Celebrations Catering to allow the sale and consumption of beer, wine and hard seltzer during a one-day outdoor event at the Easton-Newberry Sports Complex.

Commissioners appointed Donald Long to serve the remainder of Bill Conrad’s term on the Planning and Zoning Board. His term will expire on April 30, 2022.

Several other financial items, which were heard initially at the Sept. 13 Commission meeting, were finalized. Commissioners adopted a final millage rate of 5.9999 mills, “which has remained at that millage rate for five years in a row,” said Assistant City Manager Dallas Lee. A final budget amount of $32,815,483 was established for fiscal year 2021-22.

Additional public hearings were conducted to set rates for electric, water, wastewater and solid waste during this meeting. During his presentation Lee presented a graphic of area water rates and commented, “Newberry has the lowest residential rates in the area.”

However, when it came to wastewater rates, resident Mary Gaffney asked the Commission to revisit the way wastewater was charged in Newberry. “People wash their cars and water their lawns with some of the water used and not all of it goes into the wastewater system,” she said. “I don’t think we should pay 100 percent of the water used for wastewater since it isn’t all going into the wastewater system.”

Commissioner Monty Farnsworth suggested the Commission look at this issue prior to setting next year’s rates. Mayor Marlowe said that wastewater requirements from the government are increasing by 500 percent and the City has to pay for those additional costs.

Marlowe suggested she address this issue during budget workshops for the next fiscal year’s budget. He also suggested she could reduce those costs at her home by having the City install an irrigation meter on her property to offset the amount of water going into the wastewater system. Following discussion Commissioners approved the wastewater rates.

City Manager Mike New said a workshop is scheduled for Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. to finalize the Strategic Plan so it could be put to paper. On Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. an educational workshop is scheduled to discuss impact fees.

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• Mini Grants ($1,000 each): Johanna Weiss, Corey Cheval, Music GNV, and Y-Not Theatre
• Matching Grant ($1,500 each): the City of High Springs and the City of Newberry

GAINESVILLE — Close your work emails, set aside your textbooks, hire a sitter—the Cade Museum’s Cade After Dark 21+ is a night just for grownups who need a break from adulting.  

The after-hours event premieres Oct. 15, from 6 to 8 p.m., and recurs the third Friday of the month (Nov. 19, Dec. 17) for the remainder of 2021. 

At Cade After Dark, adults can channel their inner child and have at the museum, getting their hands sticky with gooey slime and testing their strength and endurance in the museum’s Sweat Solution exhibit while learning about Dr. Bob Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade -- a Renaissance man who never outgrew his joy of discovery.  

In Toys & Games, the Cade’s fall theme, big kids can revel in the nostalgia of board games, playthings and Gen X-era video games. Explore inventions related to play from PlayDoh to Lincoln Logs to Nintendo, play an intense game of Jenga, experiment like a mad scientist, and learn fun facts like why Pacman was revolutionary and that Pokémon was inspired by bug catching. 

Activities will occupy each space of the museum during Cade After Dark. At the cash bar, guests can redeem one free drink ticket with the price of admission ($10 per person) and additional drinks will be available for purchase. Educational, humorous tours and electrifying demonstrations add to the fun. Guests can nosh on appetizers and work off the extra carbs by climbing a “mountain” to arrive at the Petty Family Gallery. Once there, visitors can relive old days of Nintendo marathons by learning the stories behind popular video games like Legend of Zelda. 

Local sponsors include nearby First Magnitude and Goldie’s in Depot Park. First Magnitude beer will be served at the cash bar and Goldie’s will provide coupons to visitors with reserved tickets to get dinner before the event.  

Says Cade Museum President & Executive Director Stephanie Bailes, “Our hope with Cade After Dark is that we can regain some of that childlike sense of wonder and discovery we lose in our everyday routines. We are never too old to have our minds blown by an explosive science experiment or see what we think of as cut-and-dried concepts from a new perspective—how much do you weigh in chickens? How tall are you in pennies? You’ll find out at Cade After Dark.”  

Cade After Dark 21+ takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, Nov. 19, and Dec. 17 (third Fridays of the month for the remainder of 2021). Adults 21 and older only will be admitted. Admission is $10 per person and includes a drink ticket. Learn more at cademuseum.org. Registration links below: 

Oct. 15:  https://bit.ly/Oct15AfterDark,  

Nov. 19: https://bit.ly/Nov19AfterDark  

Dec. 17: https://bit.ly/Dec17AfterDark  

About the Cade Museum 

The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention, a museum in Gainesville, Florida is committed to transforming communities by inspiring and equipping future inventors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. Since opening in 2018, more than 100,000 visitors have experienced the Cade’s unique hands-on programming for children designed to spark imagination and inspire creativity. The Cade’s programs also help to build bridges to the innovation economy for those without access, low-income families, underserved communities, and those needing assistance to access education and start on the career paths available to them to fulfill their dreams. To learn more about the Cade Museum’s mission, visit cademuseum.org. Located at 811 S Main Street, Gainesville, Florida. Hours of operation: Thursday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 10 a.m - 5 p.m. 

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GAINESVILLE ‒ Local residents can get a free COVID vaccination and a $25 gift card at a clinic scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 26, from noon to 4 p.m. Participants can walk up or drive through to get their vaccinations at the clinic, which will be held at Oak Tree Early Learning Academy at 1414 N.E. 23^rd Avenue in Gainesville.

No registration is needed, but a photo ID is required to receive a vaccination.

Free COVID rapid testing will also be available at the clinic.

Alachua County School Board Vice-Chair Tina Certain is spearheading the event. “We are strongly encouraging our citizens to get the vaccine to protect themselves and their families,” she said.

The University of Florida College of Medicine’s Mobile Outreach Clinic will administer doses of the Pfizer vaccine to people 12 and older in cooperation with the Alachua County Health Department. Precyse Coding Solutions will provide the rapid COVID-19 tests.

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