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Retired Alachua County deputy Clare Nobel (right) shows the audience a special service coin for Cesar the police dog as High Springs Police Officer Ethan Presnell and Cesar look on. Cesar is wearing the bullet proof vest that Nobel donated. (Today photo/RAY CARSON)

HIGH SPRINGS – The Great Outdoors Restaurant was packed on Tuesday Nov. 15 as residents turned out to greet their new High Springs police officer. His name is Cesar and he is a bit unusual. He is only two years old, is from Czechoslovakia and has four legs. But then again, some of the residents who came to greet him had four legs as well. Cesar is the new police dog for the city of High Springs and the citizens came out to meet him and show support, and a number of them brought their own dogs as a sign of unity. The police department previously had Aggie, a golden retriever who was a drug sniffing dog. When Aggie passed away at the age of nine, the department decided they wanted a K-9 dog that was more versatile and could be trained for other duties such as tracking and subduing a suspect. They needed a larger more powerful dog that was bred for police work – but those dogs are expensive.

An anonymous donor came forward with a $10,000 donation to cover all costs of purchasing, initial care and shipping for the dog. Cesar is a pure breed German Shepard, and was brought from Czechoslovakia. The breed originated in Europe and dogs from the region are recognized as possessing superior genetics and health. Officer Ethan Presenell had worked with Aggie for her last few years and became Cesar's new owner and partner. Together they will undergo 570 hours of general training for K-9 units as well as an additional 100 hours in narcotics training. The department received Cesar in the spring of 2016 and the training will last until early February 2017.

High Springs resident Leda Carrero knew that the police dog for the City of Alachua had a bulletproof vest and wanted to help Cesar get the same protection, but the vests are also expensive. Carrero started a fund raising campaign to get the $700 needed for a vest.

One day she was having lunch with retired Alachua County deputy Clare Noble, who wanted to help with a donation. When Carrero told her the cost, Noble went out to her car and returned with a check. “When I first looked at it I thought it said $70 and I thanked her for her donation, but on second glance I was surprised to see it was for the full $700,” Carrera said.

For Noble, it was just a way to help a fellow officer. “Some people feel you have to save your money when you retire. I am the opposite. You can’t take it with you so I believe in spending it on good causes where it will benefit others,” Noble said. “Cesar and Presnell were fellow officers and the vest could protect the dog, so I figured it was a worthy cause and could be paid in one donation” she said.

At the event at the Great Outdoors, High Springs Police Chief Joel DeCoursey, Jr., presented Clare Nobel with a certificate in gratitude for her donation. Then the main attraction came to the stage with Cesar wearing the vest that her donation bought. Officer Presnell and Cesar stood on stage as audience members took photographs. Because Cesar is young, energetic and in training, the audience was not permitted to touch him, and other dogs were kept at a distance to avoid any issues. Cesar took it all in stride and seem to enjoy the attention. High Springs now has a new lawman in town.

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Retiring High Springs City Commissioner Sue Weller in her backyard, which she designed herself. Weller is stepping down after serving multiple terms on the city commission. (Today photo/RAY CARSON)

HIGH SPRINGS – For retiring High Springs Commissioner Sue Weller it's always been about community and the people that live in it. In the 12 years since she moved to High Springs, Weller has been elected to be City Commissioner three times, Mayor for two terms and Vice Mayor for one term. She has also served on various commissions and task forces for city landscaping, historic preservation and economic development. All of which has made for a very busy schedule for someone who retired when she moved here. But she also has the type of personality that likes to stay busy and always seems to have multiple projects going at the same time that would overwhelm many people.

Weller never had plans to be a career politician. She certainly didn't do it for the money, since commissioners get paid $6,000 a year and being Mayor earns only an additional $500. Both jobs also take a lot of time and commitment. For Weller it has always been about being part of the community and trying to improve the town economically while maintaining its small town charm and historic significance.

“For a town to survive, you have to be able to bring in people and business, but you don't want to lose the lifestyle and appeal of a small town,” she said.

A native Floridian, Weller was born and raised in Miami. She first visited the North Florida area when she went to college at the University of Florida. It was there that she met her future husband, Tom Weller, who was attending law school at the university. They fell in love and got married and have been together for 37 years.

She was studying labor relations while he finished law school, and after graduating they returned to Miami to pursue their careers. For the next 24 years Sue Weller worked for the City of Miami in the field of labor relations eventually becoming Miami's Labor Relations Officer. During this time she also was heavily involved with the Public Employer Labor Relations Board both for Florida and nationally, serving as the President for the Florida board in 1986 and the national board in 1995. While still employed by the City of Miami she also served as the Executive Director for the Florida Public Employer Labor Relations Association for eight years.

In 2004, she decided it was time to retire after 24 years with the City of Miami. She and husband, Tom, had been discussing moving out of the big city and finding a small town with a more relaxed lifestyle. “We wanted a place that was close to a big town for the stores and medical facilities but had that small town environment.

“We knew of High Springs from our college days and began looking in the area for land on which to build. We found the perfect piece of property and made the move,” she said. Tom moved his law practice to High Springs and they began to build on the property.

Typical of her multitasking personality, she also designed both the entire house and the landscaping to be their perfect place to live. Her husband is also a woodworking craftsman and built much of the interior cabinets and furniture, as well as the large wood deck in the backyard. Even though she had retired, she still wanted to be involved in the community and was soon serving on various boards for economic development and historic preservation.

“When we took our recommendations to the city commission, they ignored the task force's recommendations. You can't stop growth, more people are moving to small towns and so the best thing is to plan ahead for that. The commission rejected all our proposals” she said.

Upset, Weller decided the best way to change it was to run for the city commission herself. She won and in 2010 and became a member of the High Springs City Commission.

She pushed for creating more transparency in the city government and for economic development and revitalization of the downtown area while maintaining the small town identity of High Springs. After serving on the commission for only two years, she was elected by her fellow commissioners to the post of mayor. Over the next six years she would serve two more terms on the commission as well as another term as mayor and vice mayor.

This year she decided it was time to step down and focus on enjoying life. On Nov. 17 she will again step onto the dais at the commission meeting to receive thanks from her fellow commission members and then step down as her replacement steps in. But even in retiring again, she has plenty of plans.

“I want to travel...a lot. Tom and I have many places we want to see,” she said.

Although she designed all the landscaping and gardens at her property, she has had a lifelong passion for raising orchids. “I want to improve my orchid stock and take the Master Gardner program at the University of Florida.” She also wants to stay involved with the community through the Kiwanis Club and to continue to work on the Rails to Trails project, which will create a bike trail between Newberry and High Springs along the old railroad track.

“This is a project I have been passionate about and helped raise initial funds for development and leasing the property from the rail companies. However, Governor Scott then vetoed the project and the funds were withdrawn after the project had been started, leaving it in limbo. I want to try and get those funds back and see the project completed,” said Weller.

Even though Sue Weller is retiring from the city government, she still has a full schedule and that's the way she likes it.

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Eastside High School NJROTC Navy Cadet James Whitney places a wreath at the veteran’s monument during the Waldo Veterans Day ceremony. (Today photo/RAY CARSON)

WALDO – Each Nov. 11, America honors its veterans who have served, and in some cases died, to preserve the freedoms and values of democracy. It is a day to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who were willing to leave their homes, family and jobs to serve their country and put themselves in harm’s way.

Communities, large, small and those in between, hold ceremonies as a way to remember and to thank those who served and continue to serve. This past Friday, Waldo was one of those communities that reflected on the history and meaning of today’s Veterans Day.

The date was originally chosen to celebrate the end of World War I. It was 1918 and the world had spent four years in a conflict that cost over 15 million lives. It was a brutal war like none before, where new killing technology created massive battle losses while the military leaders still used outdated tactics. In many cases, there was little movement in the battle lines over the course of the war. Germany, England and France had exhausted their armies in a war of attrition with the soldiers stalemated in trench warfare.

For the United States, The first troops arrived in the summer of 1917, but did not enter combat until the spring of 1918, yet in that short seven months, there were 204,000 casualties with over 116,000 deaths.

For a war weary world, Nov. 11 celebrated the end of hostilities in what would be called “the war to end all wars.” Many countries created holidays to remember the soldiers' sacrifices. In America, President Woodrow Wilson dedicated Nov. 11 as Armistice Day to commemorate “the heroism of those who died in their countries service and with gratitude for their victory.” Congress passed a bill to recognize the official date in 1926 and Armistice Day was made an official national holiday in 1938.

Tragically, World War I was not the “war to end all wars.” Between 1938 and 1941 the world again would sink into an all-out war that would cost over 48 million lives including 400,000 American soldiers. World War II would be the greatest mobilization of armed forces, which created a large force of returning veterans. The government's Veterans Affairs Bureau was created to help deal with those returning veterans. After the end of the Korean War, it was decided to change the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all veterans who had served in our armed forces in all capacities, not just soldiers who fought in the two World Wars. Today, the holiday honors all veterans who have served in war or peacetime.

For the past four years, the small town of Waldo has held a ceremony on Nov. 11 to honor its veterans. This year marked the first time it was held in the city park, where a wreath was laid at a monument to its veterans.

About 30 people attended the ceremony including 12 veterans. The ceremony began with the crowd reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the playing of the National Anthem and a prayer for all veterans who made the final sacrifice. Eastside High School NJROTC Navy Cadet James Whitney then laid the wreath at the monument garden, which contains three markers honoring veterans, police officers and firefighters.

Joe Lipsey was the emcee for the event and introduced Waldo Mayor Louie Davis, who served in the Army from 1965 to 1968. Davis spoke about the sense of duty and sacrifices that veterans make for their country and introduced the keynote speaker, former Marine Sergeant Major Pat McCullough.

McCollough was the first female to serve as a Sergeant Major on board a ship and the first women assigned to Air Defense. While in the Marines she met her husband, L.D. McCollough, who served 21 years in the Marines. McCollough spoke about her experiences as a Marine and the progress that women have made in the service and the special challenges they face in a male dominated career. She also talked about the sense of duty all service personnel feel. She spoke of the willingness to do whatever it takes to defend the country, even if it means sacrificing your life.

“When an enemy raises their hand against our nation, our military is there to protect and defend. It doesn't matter where you are, we will do our job and come and get you” she said.

The oldest veteran at the event was Emery Raymond Estes. A lifelong resident of Waldo, Estes is now 92 years old. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the Marines at the age of 17 and saw combat at Bougainville and Saipan.

After the ceremony, there was a tour of the train museum and lunch supplied by the City of Waldo. The Waldo Historical Society and the Community Center Seniors Group also helped organize the event to honor their fellow citizens who took the time from their lives to serve the country.

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L-R: Volunteers George Washington, Phillip Fackler and Sammy Wales sort produce to hand out at the Farm Share event. The Farm Share food distribution was held at the High Springs Civic Center on Nov. 5. (Today photo/RAY CARSON)

HIGH SPRINGS – It's unusual to see traffic jams in High Springs, but on Nov. 5 a long line of cars slowly moved to the High Springs Civic Center on U.S. Highway 441, winding down to Main street and then north past the High Springs Community School.

The reason for this congestion was a semi-truck full of food that was being given away free to needy families. A line of tables had been set up with different food products at each station. As the cars slowly moved down the line, volunteers loaded the cars with bags of food. Recipients received canned goods, cereal, fresh produce, bottled water, bread, frozen fruit and staples such as rice. For many of these people the food would provide sustenance for their families who might otherwise go hungry due to poverty. Each table was manned by volunteers from the community and church members who were donating their time to help others. From 9 a.m. to noon, more than 400 cars went through the line.

The food was provided by a unique non-profit charitable organization called Food Share. The organization was established in 1991 by Patricia Robbins, who owned Robbins Seafood, a commercial seafood company. When she retired in 1991, she founded the Farm Share program with the goal of recovering wasted produce and supplying it to various organizations and directly to the public to help alleviate hunger caused by poverty for lower income families and the elderly.

The concept was based on the fact that up to 50 percent of the produce raised on farms is thrown away. Typically stores want to provide the best product to their customers and accept only produce that is cosmetically perfect. Misshapen or blemished produce is rejected, leaving the farmer little choice but to dispose of it or use it as fertilizer for their fields.

This rejected produce is just as nutritious as the product in the grocery store, just not as visually appealing to a consumer who wants to spend their money on the best looking produce. It is frustrating to the farmers, who don't like to see the fruits of their labor go to waste and the stores are restricted by having to meet consumer expectations.

Robbins saw the waste that was taking place while many living in poverty struggled to purchase food. Robbins found a unique solution by working directly with the farmers to get this wasted food to people in need. The farmers donate the excess produce and receive 200 percent of the cost of goods sold. Farm Share then distributes it to the public at events like at High Springs or working with agencies such as homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries and churches to get the food to the needy. It is a winning situation for everyone. The farmer does not see his product go to waste and lose money, Farm Share gets the food to distribute at little or no cost, and the public and charities get the food for free.

Farm Share also works with the federal government through grants or direct food donations from corporations to provide other food besides fresh produce. The program continued to grow and has distributed over 300 million pounds of food to over 1,000 agencies and direct distribution events in Florida. They have evolved into the most successful independent hunger organization in the eastern United States. Despite the wealth of America, millions of Americans deal with hunger and malnutrition. As family income levels decrease or remain stagnant while cost goes up, funds for food diminish, especially for low income families and the elderly. The goal of Farm Share is to help alleviate hunger in America by recovering, repackaging and distributing produce and other overstocked food products at no cost to the public. Each year they distribute over 40 million pounds of food in Florida to agencies and the public at no cost.

As a nonprofit, Farm Share still has operating costs. This is offset by the donations from farmers, public donations and government grants. They also work with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodity programs and produce recovery operations. The food is collected, repacked and distributed by a combination of inmate labor and public volunteers.

“It is this combination of volunteers and cooperation of the farmers that makes it all work,” said Paul Smallwood, Director of the Jacksonville office. “We simply couldn't do this without the volunteers and participation from the communities. They are the backbone of the organization. Caring for the community and their fellow citizens makes it happen,” he said. “We have a desire to give back more to those that need it.”

This sense of community caring was evident at the High Springs event. Almost everyone helping distribute the food were volunteers. Some were individuals that just wanted to help the community by donating their time. Others represented organizations such as the Kiwanis club and missionaries from the Mormon church. The local police department directed traffic, and the High Springs Fire Department helped distribute the food. The Farm Share representative, Emma Holt, surveyed the operation as the volunteers passed out food.

“I am always amazed by how much work the volunteers do, especially the first responders. The fire and police officers already give so much to the community, and yet are willing to leave their families on their day off to come out and help,” Holt said.

Although she works for Farm Share, she is also a volunteer. Director Smallwood was quick to praise Holt. “She is retired, but works 40 to 45 hours a week arranging these distribution events. It is the compassion of the volunteers and farmers, as well as the dedication of the Farm Share staff and founder, that makes it all work. It's about having a heart and willingness to improve the lives of those less fortunate.”

More information on the program and opportunities to volunteer can be found at the organization's website farmshare.org.

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Alachua County Commissioner Lee Pinkoson at the groundbreaking for Waldo's new fire station. The facility will be located on U.S. Highway 301. (Photo special to Alachua County Today)

WALDO – Waldo just broke ground Friday, Nov. 4, on a new fire station, which is being built in their city by Alachua County. The station will be one of the newest fire stations in the county, and will be known as Alachua County Fire Station number 23. Completion date is scheduled for June 2017.

The new structure will be located in Waldo at 14377 N.E. U.S. Hwy 301.

Alachua County and the City of Waldo celebrated commencement of the project with a groundbreaking ceremony last Friday morning.

The 5,684 square foot single story facility will feature energy-efficient equipment and sustainable design building features. The concrete masonry facility will also have a 100 percent back-up generator. Cost to build the new building is estimated to be just over $2 million

“The new station is being made possible in part by the donation of the late J.D. Griffis,” said Waldo City Manager Kim Worley.

“The City had some property owned by the late J.D. Griffis,” she said. “He donated the land needed to the City of Waldo, we in turn donated the property to the County for the new station with a clause that it had to be started within ‘x’ amount of years or it would revert back to the City and then to the Griffis family.”

The fire station will service areas ranging from Waldo to Orange Heights to northwest of the Gainesville drag strip, according to Waldo Mayor Louie Davis.

“We’re excited about it,” he said. “It’s on [U.S.] Highway 301 so it’s very visible. It’s going to be a nice facility, and we hope its location will encourage more development in that area.”

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Newberry Mayor Bill Conrad is walking around in a Trenton t-shirt and explained his situation at the Oct. 24 city commission meeting. The  shirt is the result of a lost bet about the Newberry vs. Trenton football game. (Today photo/C.M. WALKER)

NEWBERRY – Citizens may be surprised to see Newberry Mayor Bill Conrad walking around in a Trenton t-shirt. He opened the Oct. 24 city commission meeting by explaining the shirt.

“I made a bet with Glen Thigpen on the Oct. 14 Newberry vs. Trenton game,” he said. “The bet involved the losing team's mayor wearing the winning team's t-shirt. Unfortunately, we lost, but I am hoping there will be another opportunity for a second meeting of our teams and I'm going to bet him double or nothing next time.”

All levity aside, the meeting included a legislative public hearing to receive comments on an ordinance to amend the city's Comprehensive Plan to allow for a new future land use category called “Corporate/Research Park.” In addition to the new category, modifications to the Urban Services Area and to the Economic Development Element are also part of this change.

“We are trying to clean up the ordinance,” said City Attorney Scott Walker.

The ordinance was approved on first reading, and will be brought back to the commission for second and final reading to hear any additional comments before the final vote.

Commissioners resolved to rename the Newberry Community Center to Martin Luther King, Jr. Center. “A dedication will be conducted around the third week of January,” said City Manager Mike New.

As part of the city's housekeeping agreements which are voted on routinely each year, a Traffic Signal Maintenance Agreement was approved which would allow the City of Gainesville to maintain traffic signals and school beacons within the city limits of Newberry.

Although it may seem odd that one city should contract with another to provide services of this sort, the City of Newberry also contracts with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to maintain the traffic signals on state roads in Newberry.

“We receive funding from FDOT to provide this maintenance service,” explained city staff. “The City expects to receive $5,635 from FDOT this fiscal year,” said New. The City of Newberry does not maintain a sufficient quantity of traffic signals and beacons to warrant obtaining the training and equipment to perform this function in-house.

A proclamation was read into the record which declared Nov. 10 as International Accounting Day in Newberry. Finance Director Dallas Lee took the opportunity to commend his staff and highlight some of the significant items that had been accomplished by them during the past year.

A decision on the Newberry Fire Department expansion program was put on hold as the city continues to negotiate prices on various aspects of the project to help reduce costs. City staff will update commissioners as to their findings at the next meeting.

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