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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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NEWBERRY – The City of Newberry is partnering again this year with the Alachua County Extension Offices in their Annual Peanut Butter Challenge. From Oct. 1 – Nov. 24 these two organizations are asking for donations of unopened jars of peanut butter for distribution to local food pantries to help feed families in need.

As Thanksgiving is just around the corner, jars of peanut butter can help stretch a family’s budget to help them be able to afford the food needed to help them participate in the holiday.

Last year, with the help of citizen donations, UF/IFAS collected more than 1,000 pounds of peanut butter.

Unopened jars of peanut butter can be dropped off at Newberry City Hall, 25440 W. Newberry Road, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 25515 N.W. 6^th Avenue or at Easton Newberry Sports Complex, 24880 N.W. 16^th Avenue.

For questions, contact Amy at 352-472-5447.

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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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ALACHUA ‒ Octoberfest usually conjures up images of beer gardens with quantities of bratwurst and German beers. But the City of Alachua-sponsored first-ever Octoberfest at the Cleather Hathcock Community Center wasn't the typical celebration centered around beer and German food. Instead, it was a chance for seniors and teens to celebrate fall, decorate pumpkins, cupcakes and pumpkin bread while bridging the generation gap.

The pandemic has been especially hard on seniors as they are at a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Over the duration of the pandemic, seniors have stayed indoors more than usual, depending on family and circles of friends for support. Octoberfest at the Cleather Hathcock Community Center offered an opportunity to visit with other seniors and teenagers from the City of Alachua Youth Advisory Council (YAC). For the youth, it was a chance to glean historic insights and experiences from a different generation.

Alachua City Deputy Clerk LeAnne Williams works with the YAC and the Senior Resource Board (SRB), both organizations having goals of giving support and addressing issues affecting their respective age groups.

In January 2021, the YAC began a project to help foster care children and Williams suggested meeting with SRB members to find out if they would like to get involved. The seniors were thrilled to join in the project, not only to work with the foster kids but also as a chance to get out in the community with a purpose.

“We're lonely and feel isolated,” seniors told them. “We want to get back out and interact with our community.”

“It benefited both groups in unique ways. For the seniors, it gave them people to enjoy experiences and conversation with,” said Williams. “It also provided them a way to pass on a lifetime of experience and stories that might otherwise be forgotten.

“For the teens, it gave them an opportunity to get to know and learn from a generation that is history to them. At least one generation separates the two from their view of the world. Except interactions within their own family with grandparents and great grandparents or what they learn in school, they have limited perceptions of what life was like before,” Williams said.

Alachua is sponsoring a number of cross-generational events. The first was a bingo night in June, which Williams says was a great success. Octoberfest is the second, then a Christmas Caroling event and Bingo in December and a High Tea in the spring.

At the Octoberfest event, each teen was paired with a senior to encourage interaction. “The painting and decorating takes time so they had plenty of time to talk,” said Williams. “We also provided the teens with five questions to ask the seniors, both to learn from them and give the seniors an opportunity to reflect back on their lives and experiences.”

Williams says the questions were meant to provoke conversation—not short answers. Seniors were asked questions such as “What was your greatest accomplishment?” “What was the hardest thing you went through?” “What event affected you most?” and “How has Alachua (or the world) changed in your lifetime?”

The questions allowed the seniors to share their own stories and gave the young people an opportunity to learn about the past from the perspective of people who lived it.

Williams said, “If the stories aren't shared, they are lost forever.”

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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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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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