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Clovis Watson, Jr. keynote speaker

 Florida State House District 20 Representative Clovis Watson, Jr. was the keynote speaker and received a rousing welcome from the hometown crowd at the City of Alachua Eighth Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration.

ALACHUA – Alachua residents of all ages and skin tones gathered together to dig into home style comfort food, listen to speeches and watch performances honoring civil rights legend Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The City of Alachua held its eighth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration at the Cleather Hathcock, Sr. community center on Monday, Jan. 21.

Newly elected State of Florida Representative Clovis Watson, Jr. was the keynote speaker for the ceremony and received a rousing welcome from the hometown crowd. Watson currently serves District 20 in the Florida House of Representatives in Tallahassee. He was Alachua’s first African American city manager, serving from 2002-2009. He also served in the Alachua Police Department as an officer and as Deputy Chief. Watson still resides in the city.

Addressing a crowd of about 150 at the center, he stressed the importance of tolerance and optimism for the future.

“We all know Rev. King had a dream, but if we don’t have a dream we won’t go far,” Watson said. “It takes teamwork to make the dream work.”

Watson closed his remarks by asking the audience to put the “united” in America.

Traci Cain, Watson’s successor as Alachua City Manager also spoke.

“We look forward to this annual event as a time to reflect on the deep sacrifices made by so many in the area of civil rights,” Cain said. “Our nation is stronger because of these sacrifices and it’s wonderful to be able to honor all that Martin Luther King, Jr. and so many others stood for.”

Cain emphasized community service and volunteering, commending Mayor Gib Coerper and Vice Mayor Robert Wilford along with other city commissioner and Alachua community members for their dedication to the city of Alachua and its residents.

But Jan. 21 was not only a day to honor the past in remembrance of Dr. King. More than 750 miles away in Washington D.C., President Barak Obama’s inaugural celebration was also underway. President Obama was sworn in for his second term as president of the United States of America on two bibles: one from President Abraham Lincoln and one from Rev. King.

This resonated with Alachua’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration, for King and other civil rights leaders paved the way for today’s leaders.

Gainesville-based group The Actors’ Warehouse performed “I Feel the Spirit” – a short play honoring President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and King and his wife Coretta Scott King. The performance concept was – “What if the Obamas met the Kings?”

The nonprofessional community theater group was founded in 2011 by Rhonda Wilson, who is the artistic director for The Actors’ Warehouse.

The Music and Arts Program for Youth and Alachua’s Senior Cha Cha Chas also performed at the center in honor of King and his legacy.

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Exclusive interview to Alachua County Today Newspaper

Gentle Carousel Miniature Horses left their home in the Alachua/High Springs area to spend nearly two weeks in Newtown, Conn., at the request of the town and families to work directly with those most affected by the December tragedy.

NEWTOWN, CONN. – In the quaint New England town of Newtown, Conn., a town small enough that everyone knows everyone, the community came together once again with their financial resources, contacts and hearts to help heal their residents following the killing of 26 adults and children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December.

Then they invited the Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses of High Springs and Alachua to help them.

While a variety of other groups have gone to Newtown in hopes of helping the community deal with the aftermath of the shootings, Gentle Carousel was the only group invited by the town and families to work directly with those most affected by the tragedy.

Following several days of private visits with family members, first responders and others, the group was asked to stay a few days longer to participate in additional community and private events with their horses.

The trip, which was originally planned for 7-10 days, was expanded by a few more days to provide family members of those slain to have more personal time with the Gentle Carousel horses.

“With travel and all, we will be away from Florida a little more than two weeks,” said Debbie Garcia-Bengochea. She also spoke about the warm welcome they received from residents of the small town. “We have been very fortunate,” she said. “Despite the snow and one of the coldest weeks they have had here, these people have warmly welcomed us into their family,” she said.

“The community has been arranging everything for us,” explained Garcia-Bengochea who, with her husband Jorge, founded Gentle Carousel, an all volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, in 2002.

“The town loves the horses,” she said. The City of Newtown set up a library visit this past Saturday, Jan. 5 for the tiny horses. And because there had been no prior publicity about the event, the librarian cautioned that many people might not show up as there had been little traffic at the library since the shootings. With scant lead time, the town sent out an email notice that the horses were going to be at the library. More than 600 people with their children showed up. “We had to limit each group allowed into the library at one time to 150,” said Garcia-Bengochea.

They performed a modified version of their usual show with the horses as part of the story and in costumes, “which thoroughly delighted the children,” she said. The children had time after each show to visit with the horses, hug and pet them.

They did four shows that day. “The horses have been really amazing. Magic is at the top of her game. She is so good with the children. The kids have read her book and know about her. For some it’s a dream come true to actually hug the horses.”

This past Monday, the horses and their handlers set up in a large gym, and Sandy Hook families filed in to visit. “We were there for four hours, meeting with those families,” said Garcia-Begochea. Hundreds of people with their children as well as family members who had lost a loved one were there, seeking the comfort that the gentle horses bring.

“In a town as small as this, everyone knew someone who had been killed,” she said. “The kids shared some really intense things about where they were, how they survived and information about their friends who were shot. Everyone’s got a friend, relative, sibling or neighbor who was involved. Everybody is just so affected,” she said sadly.

An area for people to express their heart-felt grief and support for the survivors has attracted signs, children’s toys, flowers, plants, messages and more. “We took the horses to visit the memorial site,” she said. “We have been very careful to be respectful of people’s privacy. Most of our photos do not show the faces of the citizens and children, but do reflect what was going on at the time.”

She also observed that the first responders were all volunteers with families of their own, who are used to accidents and heart attacks. “The last murder they had here was 26 years ago,” she said. “It [the shootings] deeply affected them.”

Newtown representatives raised funds from individuals and groups and also obtained in-kind donations from large corporations including American Airlines, Avis Car Rental and Hampton Inn, among others. “We certainly couldn’t have made this trip without the help of the heated horse ambulances,” said Garcia-Bengochea. “It has been nine degrees here. Florida horses have shorter coats in the winter and could not have stood these temperatures otherwise.”

At the same time Newtown was raising money, local Florida and international donations were received in the High Springs office of Gentle Carousel. “The Lake City Council sent a donation and the people in their office also sent a separate donation to help us make this trip,” she said. Donations from school children in Brazil, the UK, Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan came in. “Our horses are better known internationally than locally,” she said. “The Daily Mail, a large newspaper in the UK, runs stories about us all the time.”

“We have had a tremendous amount of press coverage,” said Garcia-Bengochea. Stories about the trip to Connecticut and what the horses are doing there ran in USA Today on Jan. 8. CNN ran stories about the trip prior to the group’s departure from Florida. “We’ve been featured on CNN Headline News as well,” she said. “

“While we have been in Newtown, children with their allowance money have come up to us to donate to the horses being there,” she said. “It is inspiring. They are very gracious and grateful people in Newtown.”

“Under the worst of circumstances, the people of Newtown, Conn., have shown themselves to be the best of people,” said Garcia-Bengochea.

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Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper joins an RTI executive in breaking ground on an expansion of the biotechnology facility.
              

ALACHUA – A groundbreaking celebration was held by RTI Biologics Inc. for its new 41,165-square-foot Logistics and Technology Center located in Progress Corporate Park on Monday, Jan. 7.

RTI is a provider of orthopedic and other biological implants headquartered in Alachua, Fla. The center, a $14 million investment, will house the company’s research and development offices and laboratories. The facility will also be used to produce RTI’s upcoming map3 cellular allogeneic bone grafts, which provide the three elements necessary for bone repair – osteoconductive, osteoinductive and osteogenic potential. The bone grafts are made using bone marrow from organ and tissue donors.

City of Alachua mayor Gib Coerper ceremoniously dug into dirt using a golden shovel alongside RTI businessmen.

“It’s a pretty amazing place if you think about what they do and how many people they help,” Coerper said.

RTI has expanded organ and tissue donation and has made donation more important, he said.

Two-thirds of the more than 30 businesses in Progress Corporate Park, located next to San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, are bioscience or technology companies. Approximately 1,200 employees work in the park.

RTI employs more than 700 people globally, with international offices in Germany and France. More than 500 employees are in the Alachua location. The addition of the center and the production of the map3 will create approximately 15 jobs.

The Logistics and Technology Center, in addition to the company’s acquisition of a 15,425-square-foot office building in Progress Corporate Park, will expand the company’s total occupied space to 200,000 square feet.

“This new facility represents the continued growth and expansion of our company and allows us room for future growth,” said Brian K. Hutchison, RTI president and CEO.

RTI spun off from the University of Florida Tissue Bank in April 1998 as Regeneration Technologies, Inc. and went public on the NASADAQ stock exchange in August 2000. A merger with Tutogen Medical Inc. in February 2008 made the company what it is today.

RTI was named Business of the Year twice by the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce in 2005 for innovation and 2009 for expansion.

“At RTI, we are committed to supporting the communities in which we operate and participating in the economic development of our regions,” Hutchison said. “We are excited to expand our facilities in Alachua, Fla., and are glad to be a part of a community that is focused on fostering innovation and success.”

Construction is expected to be finished in early 2014.

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City celebrates start of $5.3 Million wastewater system, new police vehicle

WALDO – The City of Waldo recently hosted community leaders and elected officials from the cities of Waldo and Gainesville, Alachua County and USDA Rural Development as construction started on the city’s wastewater system. The City also celebrated the addition of a new vehicle to police department’s fleet.

The official groundbreaking marks the beginning of a project that will ultimately decommission the city’s aging wastewater treatment plant and construct a new pump station and force main to interconnect to Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) for treatment of the city’s wastewater.

The current treatment plant was constructed in 1985 and serves city residents and commercial users. The facility is permitted through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to discharge treated effluent to surface waters through three onsite constructed wetland cells that flow to a natural receiving wetlands which eventually discharges into the Santa Fe River.

The plant was issued a Consent Order by the FDEP due to nutrient, toxicity and surface-water quality issues. To address these environmental issues, the City of Waldo secured a $2.5 million USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal direct loan and a $2.8 milllion grant to design and construct a master pump station and a 10.5 mile pipeline along Waldo Road (SR 24) to the point of connection with Gainesville Regional Utilities at N.E. 39th Avenue.

Waldo Mayor Louie Davis lauded the efforts of GRU, the county, USDA and City of Waldo officials in reaching an agreement despite the complexities involved.

“Getting this many agencies to come to the table and agree wasn’t easy, but I think this project shows that it can be done and as a result, we all benefit,” said Davis.

“We are very proud that this connection will help improve the environmental footprint of Waldo and help improve the conditions of the Santa Fe River,” he said.

USDA Rural Development State Director Richard A. Machek echoed similar sentiments saying, “This project will pay dividends for year to come as the cities of Waldo and Gainesville and Alachua County work together to protect the environment for future generations.”

“This project, and many more like it, demonstrates the critical role USDA Rural Development can play in communities across this country,” Machek said.

In addition to improvements to the town’s centralized wastewater system, residents of Waldo now have an additional police vehicle patrolling their streets. Following the groundbreaking ceremony, a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe Pursuit Vehicle equipped with rear wheel drive and a police pursuit package was officially put into service at a dedication ceremony. Purchase of the $36,000 vehicle was made possible in part due to a $20,000 USDA Rural Development Community Facilities grant. The $16,000 balance of the purchase price came from the City of Waldo. “Assisting rural communities with essential public safety services is a priority for Rural Development,” said Machek.

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HIGH SPRINGS – Thursday, Jan. 10 will mark the first meeting this year of the High Springs City Commission. One item on the list of issues is the City’s roll forward funds. These funds are those not spent during the previous year’s budget and are available for other possible uses or as contingency funds. Several options for the money have been discussed in the past, but no action has been taken.

One housekeeping issue about to be resolved during this meeting is the likely approval of the final 26 sets of official meeting minutes from 2012. City Clerk Jenny Parham served as interim city manager frequently during the past year as well as city clerk and was unable to keep up with the increased workload.

Now that this issue is about to be resolved, City Manager Edwin Booth says staff will concentrate on updating the cemetery records. “It’s the next step in updating our paperwork,” Booth said in a recent interview. “I like to take one task at a time and complete it,” he said.

Another issue likely to be discussed briefly is employee evaluations. City Manager Booth says they are due by Feb. 15, 2013. “This is something that should be done on a yearly basis,” he said, “if for no other reason than to establish a baseline with employees. They should know if they are progressing or not,” he said. Department heads will evaluate their employees and Booth will evaluate the department heads.

When asked if employees could expect a raise this year for a good evaluation, Booth responded, “I can’t make promises I can’t keep. The budget was approved before I came onboard this year. At least they would know if it can’t be done this year, it would certainly be considered for the next budget year.”

A presentation by Marlie Sanderson of the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (MTPO) is expected to revolve around additional funding available to the MTPO from state and federal transportation sources based on the expansion of their planning capabilities throughout Alachua County. The 2010 Census appears to be the impetus for their ability to expand into the remainder of Alachua County.

Another item not listed on the agenda, but part of the city manager’s report will be details of his meeting in Tallahassee on Jan. 9 with Carol Westmoreland, who assists the State in the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) program for the League of Cities. The meeting was scheduled by Booth with the intention of discussing future plans for the High Springs CRA. “I expect to strategize with her and see if High Springs might have grounds to extend CRA funding a bit longer.” Booth will also present the results of that meeting to the CRA Board members.

Booth said he would like to request a letter to proceed from USDA regarding the completion of the portion of the sewer project that the City is intending to complete.

A report on possible uses for the old school house building will be presented to commissioners for consideration during this meeting. Booth is hopeful the commission will approve a public hearing to receive input from citizens prior to making any final decisions on the building’s use.

Consideration of a Mutual Aid Agreement with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office for combined operational assistance and voluntary cooperation, a relatively routine item, is also slated for discussion. This agreement allows sheriff deputies and City of High Springs officers to work together in situations where it is warranted. A car chase across City lines might be one case where the two agencies might work together to apprehend a fugitive.

Other items to be discussed include a request for commissioners to submit a list of their goals by Jan. 16, a proclamation declaring Jan. 18 as “Arbor Day” in High Springs, a report on the status of the Ambrose lawsuit, which the Commission decided to settle in December, and approval of an amended legal services agreement with City Attorney Scott Walker.

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Zoning and Poe Springs top list

HIGH SPRINGS – High Springs City Manager Edwin Booth is kicking off 2013 by meeting with County Manager Richard Drumm on Thursday, Jan. 3. Booth initiated the meeting before Christmas as a sort of “meet and greet” to get to know one another and begin discussions on some items in common to both governments.

One of the items on Booth’s list is enclaves, which are county areas surrounded by city-zoned properties. “That’s something we need to work on getting cleaned up,” said Booth in an interview the day before his meeting with Drumm.

Another area of mutual concern is Poe Springs. “We are not quite ready to take that over yet, but it certainly seems like they are putting some money into it and it is probably something we should take over at some point,” said Booth.

Concerns about not having a recreation director or department to maintain the spring is one item holding up progress on taking over management of the popular recreational spot. “We need to get that taken care of and in place before we have the responsibility of maintaining the spring,” said Booth, who is expected to bring the High Springs City Commission up-to-date on the joint city-county meeting prior to their next meeting on Thursday, Jan. 10.

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