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SUZETTE COOK/Alachua County Today

Rain interupted the 2015 World Series and forced games to move from Hal Brady Rec Complex in Alachua to Newberry's Champions Park.

ALACHUA – City of Alachua Recreation Director Hal Brady remembers the 1992 Babe Ruth World Series competition well because he said at least 20 inches of rain fell in less than a week.

The 61 teams who arrived in Alachua County to compete in the 2015 Babe Ruth World Series soon found out, that Brady wasn’t exaggerating. The teams faced persistent rain, lightening and flooding of fields but managed to battle through and play out their contests.

 And even though it may have felt like it, no record rainfall was measured during the July 31-Aug. 4 event  said WUFT Meteorologist Jeff Huffman.

 “No records have been set by the recent rain in our area that I’m aware of, but on Monday evening there were reports that as many as five inches fell in a three hour time…over two separate areas of the county (SW Gainesville and near Waldo).”

 “The recent flooding along the Nature Coast has been caused by a persistent area of low pressure sitting just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico,” Huffman added. “Thankfully, satellite and radar data has confirmed that it is finally moving to the northeast, and a more typical Florida summer weather pattern will ensue by midweek.”

 Back up plans went into effect early on in the series when teams scheduled to play in Alachua at the Hal Brady Recreation Complex were bussed down to Newberry’s Champions Park.

 Players and coaches said they had to make adjustment to the slick turf on the fields in Newberry often sliding sooner than usual to catch the bases.

“Best fields we ever played on,” said one coach about the Newberry diamonds. “Ten minutes after the weather, you can get right back out and play.”

Coach Jacques Harris of Gainesville Fast Pitch team said it was the delays that made this tournament difficult for his team.

“They cancelled all the games on Saturday,” he said. “Or there would be a 2-hour delay, 4-hour delay. His team made it to the last day losing to JPR West, the team from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana that went on to win the series in a game that played until 1:30 a.m. on the championship field in Alachua.

For the ground crew back at the fields in Alachua, they played their own game against the rain, rolling, tarping, spreading Turface and Game Saver to absorb water.

“We’ve been in a holding pattern the whole time,” said Coach Bob Bocock from Hamilton New Jersey. “It’s just been raining constantly.

“Some of them are playable and there are some puddles,” said his daughter Pitcher Becca Bocock of the 12U team about the fields.

Alachua sat empty all day on Aug. 4, until the championship game got to take the field.

 JPRD West (Jefferson Parish, Louisiana) took the World Series win away from Mount Olive in 6 to 3 contest.

The other contest winners were 8U: Mannasa, Virginia, 10U: Pitt County, 12U: JPRD East, 14U: JPRD West.  

John Parrish, task force member for Babe Ruth headquarters was holding down the empty fort in flooded Alachua on Tuesday as games played out in Newberry.

“We moved 12U to the turf fields because they drain faster,” he said.

“You don’t plan for a tropical depression to sit on top of you,” he said about this year’s series. “It’s one thing to have an afternoon thunderstorm blow out the fields and then we resume that night and play late. But we had three days of straight rain and you just do the best you can with it.”

While photographers from Glossy Finish wrapped gear in aqua tent bags or garbage bags and rubber bands at fields in Newberry, ground crew members and volunteers were raking water and rolling wet clay in Alachua.

“Thank God between the Newberry facility and ours,” Brady said.

Anthony Tucci, state commissioner for Babe Ruth Soft Ball in Pennsylvania played the role of meteorologist throughout the tournaments .

He had a screen tied in to a staff of meteorologists and monitored the rain and lightning.

“Meteorologists will give us an advance warning and they call us off the field,” he said. “We have their app through Weather Bug.

“Any time we get lighting within 10 miles of the complex we pull them off the field for 30 minutes.”

“We had a lot of weather,” Tucci said about the 2015 series.

“A lot of delays…in trying to facilitate games, we decreased time, limiting games to an hour and 15 minutes, our umpire crews have turned games , kept them moving along.”

SUZETTE COOK/Alachua County Today
The Santa Fe High School Raiders football team got their first workout in on Aug. 25 since the completion of a state of the art 12 station workout room made possible by patrons. Nose guard Steven Williams, above, takes his turn.

ALACHUA – It is 8 a.m. and Building 25 at Santa Fe High School is about to fill up with the Raider Varsity Football Team.

Head Coach Bill Wiles has his list ready. Jog, Raider jacks, plank, side bridge, leg throw, bench bar, squat bar, shrug, iso neck with partner. 

This is the first full workout for the Raider team in the school’s new weight room that is about four times bigger than it was a few months ago. Walls are down and with the help of fundraising leader Faye Zuidema, local businesses and patrons stepped up to support the request for a better way for all Raiders to build strength.

“We had a vision,” said SFHS Athletic Director Michele Faulk. “It was going to cost about $52,000, and Faye Zuidema got a lot of community business leaders involved. In less than two months, we raised $62,000.”

On Aug. 21, patrons were invited to Building 25 to see what their donations turned into.

“You can do so many different things with this,” Faulk said and pointed to one of 12 universal workout stations that cost about $5,000 each.

Coach Wiles came in for a quick visit before kickoff and shook hands with platinum sponsors Greg Waitcus of Santa Fe Ford and Alan Hitchcock. He made his way around the room and greeted and thanked all of the patrons involved.

Faulk addressed the attendees, “We wanted you to see, this is what your money went for and our kids can’t stay out of here. This community amazes me beyond words. You are so giving in less than two months we raised this money.”

On the donor wall, plaques list the sponsors: Santa Fe Ford, The Hitchcock Family, Darrell Timberlake, Coach Warren Buck, O'steen Brothers, Inc., The Crane Foundation, High Springs Electric, Inc., Zac Zedlais, Bev's Burger Cafe', Rothseiden Family, Jack and Faye Zuidema, Cedar Lane Farms, Inc., Rembert Family Foundation, Inc., Hitchcock's Foodway, Santa Fe High School Advisory Council, Captial City Bank, Raoul Wallenberg, Reverend Hillery & Donna Bassriel, The Thomas Family:Clay, Kevin and Jackson, Renasant Bank, Custom Lighting, Inc., Bottita Family, Gussie M. W. Lee and Family, Main Street Pie Co., Mason J. Hancock, Alachua Farm & Lumber and Joel DeCoursey, Jr.

Former Raider athletes and coaches names are on the wall. Former SFHS Coach Warren Buck is standing next to one of his players who also donated to the project. Darrell Timberlake, class of 1989, broke the record in points in a game, Coach Buck says. Buck graduated from SFHS in 1964 came back to coach in 1974. “I coached for 30 years,” Buck said. “We’ve never had anything this nice before. I know they’ll utilize it use it real well.”

He pointed to Timberlake said, “He still holds the record 54 points in one game against Interlachen.”

Timberlake was a forward for the Raider basketball team, and he also helped support the expansion with a substantial donation.

“It’s fantastic,” Timberlake said about the facility. “We’ve been very blessed and very honored to help the school out.”

Principal Dr. Beth LeClear joked that the place “looks like a college locker room,” and added, “Our community knew that we needed something for our children, and look at what we got. It’s amazing. No other place than Santa Fe.”

Assistant Track Coach and Algebra Teacher Basil Wetherington said he is excited to get his athletes on the equipment.

 “These are half-rack multipurpose, so we can do all of the Olympic exercises, the traditional static, all the compound exercises, suspension training,” Wetherington said.

“You’re talking about complete 100 percent total body exercise, all confined in a small space that you can get 3 or 4 athletes at each rack. With 12 racks, that’s 48 to 50 athletes working out at once, plus excess space to do our other exercise.

Platinum sponsor Alan Hitchcock said he has always been a fan of the Raiders’ sports teams.

“It’s very exciting,” he said. “Because it’s really a state of the art, brand new, first class facility that I hope the kids will really be excited about building their bodies and making themselves into bigger stronger athletes.”

Hitchcock said he was a basketball player and that he continues to follow SFHS sports.

“I’m a big supporter of Coach Wiles,” he added. “And I hope this really helps him take us to the next level.”

Wiles knew exactly what to do with the new equipment as he took over the workout room on Aug. 25.

“Front plank hold for 30,” he shouted out directions. “On your front, 30, on your right, 30, on your left, 30. Make sure your body is straight.”

Then he introduced his athletes to the equipment. “Take those off, lay them on the floor,” he said about weights on the rack. “Put them on about two or three, there you go,” he instructed.

Clink clank clink clank, metal on metal sounds took over the room.

The players dug into the workout.

“It a good atmosphere, said Isaiah Cromarty, 16. “It makes me want to work out.”

Junior Tryston Dejesus agreed. “It’s really nice, way better than we used to have.

Senior Defensive Nose Guard Steven Williams said his exercise of choice is the bench press. “It looks good,” he said about the new facility and added what he plans to get out of it.

“A lot of strength, a lot of team building.”

At the end of the workout, the team gathered in the center of the room and built up to the same team cheer they execute before taking the field. “Raiders, Raiders, Raiders,” they yelled in unison.

They showed up for that first workout filtering in one by one, stopping at the sponsor wall and reading the names of the people and businesses that made the workout space a reality.

They left Building 25 in a group, as a team and headed to class with more energy than they arrived with.

ALACHUA – According to Art Forgey at the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, these two horses were found wandering in High Springs and were called in to the High Springs Police Department on Friday, Aug. 21. Then they wandered away and the ACSO found them ans transported them to the Rural Service Livestock Impound area in LaCrosse where they wait to be claimed by their owners.

One is a sorrel colored gelding and the other is a black and white gelding. Call the Rural Services deputy with any questions or to report details baout these two horses. If unclaimed, they will be auctioned off. 352-955-1818

NEWBERRY – In a move that Newberry City Manager Mike New says is, “By far the most aggressive business and customer friendly utility deposit requirement that I have observed,” the Newberry Commission unanimously voted to approve the return of more than $40,000 in utility deposits to Newberry residential and commercial utility customers.

Ordinance 04-15 was approved on June 22, making Newberry the only municipality in Alachua County to take a chance on both its residential and commercial utility customers by rewarding those with at least one year of perfect payment history a credit of their initial deposits in an upcoming billing cycle.

While several municipalities in Alachua County do offer waivers or refunds of residential deposits based on payment history and credit rating, all but Newberry now hold commercial utility deposits until a business closes an account.

Last year, Mike Layman, owner of The Gourmet Rodent in Newberry requested the city waive his utility deposit of more than $24,000 as he assumed ownership of the company from previous owners who already had a utilities account with Newberry. The city couldn’t transfer the account, so Layman was told he had to open a new one. The reptile breeding facility expanded over decades to more than 10,000 square feet and its utility bill had increased to an average of about $12,000 per month.

  Newberry’s policy for establishing a commercial account requires that a deposit of double the average monthly utility bill be held in a non-interest bearing account. Now, if Layman’s company has paid on time for twelve consecutive months, his initial deposit will be applied to his utility account during the hottest months of  summer when most utility bills are at their peak due to non-stop air conditioning.

“Our City Commission is very committed to developing the right economic climate in Newberry,” New said. “Industry experts would advise our City to go the other direction with utility deposits. Our City Commission understands the risks associated with this policy and decided this calculated risk was worthwhile. It is impressive legislation.”

New, who served as utilities director for the city of Alachua was hired as city manager of Newberry last year. He said he has worked in the utility business for more than 28 years. He spent 17 years with Gainesville Regional Utilities, 10 years with the City of Alachua and 1 year in Newberry.

Local businesses are glad to hear the news.

Chris Mack, owner of Pawn Pro located at 25040 W. Newberry Rd. cools and lights up 9,000 square feet of retail space each month, and his utility bill ranges from $900 to $1,300 a month.

“That’s awesome,” he said about the commission’s decision. “It’s a great idea. If I get it (the deposit) in the summertime, it’s a huge deal. It’s one of my biggest bills of the year, I certainly won’t argue with it.”

Mack, who moved his store three years ago from Alachua to Newberry, said he is impressed with the new ordinance.

He said when businesses are just starting out, it’s hard to come up with a large commercial utility deposit when you’re not open and generating revenue.

“Everything helps,” he said about the upcoming refund that the city expects to be credited to commercial and residential accounts in the next billing cycle.

Commissioner Jason McGehee owns a business in Newberry and said he and the commission know they are taking a risk, but they think the 1,800 residential utility customers and 200 commercial utility account holders will appreciate getting the money back, and it will, in turn, help the community.

“We said we were going to try to be more pro-business,” McGehee said. “The money was sitting in an account and, we know we are taking a risk by doing so, [refunding deposits], but I think it’s a calculated risk.

“We looked at the number of write offs we’ve had, and we thought it was in the best interest of our businesses and residents to give them their money back.

“If you’ve proven you can pay your bill for a year on time, then you deserve your money back.”

McGehee said the accounts will be monitored and they city can revert back if a customer starts missing payments.

The ordinance gives discretion to the city’s billing department to collect a deposit if a customer defaults on payments in the future.

There’s a lot of ordinances we have that we are slowly chipping away at and cleaning up,” he added.

“The next one we have, will be the sign ordinance.”

 Mayor Bill Conrad said the commission looked closely at default accounts before making a decision.

“Our write offs for utility deposits have been less than one percent,” Conrad said.

“We felt like we could return some of the money to the customers as a show of appreciation.”

“We can’t do anything with that money, so we’re going to go ahead and get that back to them.”

By SUZETTE COOK/Today editor

ALACHUA – While the Cady Studios photographer from Lake City was lining up the Santa Fe High School Raiders Varsity Football team last week for yearbook portraits, SFHS Head Football Coach Bill Wiles was trying to get the message across to his players that the change in district competition for the 2015-2016 season is not something to underestimate.

In January, Wiles said the new map was drawn and announced.

“We'll be playing a difficult schedule, Wiles said. “What worries me, is that we changed districts. So our kids are perceiving it as we were in a district with Suwannee and North Marion, and now, no longer we are. Our kids’ perception is that it’s going to be easy.”

Preseason practice for Raiders started on Aug. 3. And the team is gearing up for its first game on Aug. 21.

This is Wiles’ fourth year coaching at SFHS.

“We should have a good football team,” he said, but added, “Nothing is given to you. We live in a society where people expect things for nothing.”

“Every year you have to rebuild your team,” Wiles said. “Last year’s team has nothing to do with this year’s team. Whatever they want to be. They’re either listening to us, and they’ll take coaching. This team is starting from scratch."

Then he listed the new lineup of top teams that the Raiders will meet up with on the line of scrimmage soon. “Bradford County, Keystone Heights, P.K. Yonge, Interlachen,” he said. “We open the season with Newberry.”

Then it will be on to Charlton County , Georgia “to play one of the best teams in the nation,” he said. “I don’t know if the kids are ready. We play a 7A school from Tallahassee and we’re a 4A team. We play a brutal schedule.”

Then coach sent over players to talk about the upcoming season.

Captain Caysaun Wakley, 17, is a linebacker, a senior, and has a goal of making to the NFL

“I feel like we’ve got a really good chance,” Wakley said, “I’m feeling confident. If we just come out and play our game, we can succeed and possibly get a state championship.”

Wakley said he has been taking in 5,000 calories a day to pick up an extra 20 pounds.

“Give it your all, it’s about how you’re going to show up and what you’re going to be remembered for,” he said.

Captain Tyler Hughey, also a linebacker and senior said, “We’re coming out of a pretty tough district. It’s going to be the same challenge. We’ve got to play every game like we’re playing against the best team in the state. We’ve got to be able to go out there and make plays.

“Our goal is to win a state championship. Intensity, leadership, encourage my teammates, lead by example,” the 17-year-old said about how he plans to make the best of his senior year at SFHS.

Senior running back Kenyatta Patterson said, “I’ve got heart and pride. I try to do the best for our team.” His advice for his teammates: “Give it everything you’ve got on that field.”

Senior Jamari Markham, 17, said he thinks the district changes “eased the competition.”

“It’s still good,” Markham said. “I’m going out with the same mentality as last year. We’re playing for each other, trying to go to state,”  the offensive tackled said. “I made the best out of my high school career.”

Jack-of-all-trades Walter Jenkins plays tight end, fullback  defensive end, linebacker and on special teams.

“Make sure you go full speed, the whole time,” is the mantra Jenkins plays by. “This is my last year,” the 17-year-old senior said. “Come out here and play fast, strong and got to be together. I’m not that vocal,” he said. “I lead by example.”

The athletes will be sharing the field with cheerleaders and the Raider Regiment Band.

“It’s mostly sophomores, cheerleader Kassidi Tillman said about the squad this year. “The team is rebuilding this season. We have a lot of new people, so we are teaching the basics and practicing a lot.”

Tillman said the cheer team looks forward to interacting with fans this year. “We try to get interactive,” she said. “Yell back at us when we have cheers, when we have signs, yell what they say. We want them talking back.”

Band Director Nate Bisco said the production this year is called “Time Flies” and it is his brain child. “We’re portraying the history of aviation,” he said. “Going back to DiVinci to hopefully Mission to Mars,” he added.

Songs to listen for include “Come Fly With Me,” “Leaving On A Jet Plane,” and Rocket Man.”

“Our color guard will be starting as mechanics,” Bisco said. “Half of them are going to then become flight attendants and pilots and the other half are going to then become astronauts in the last piece.”

“We’re very excited about this show, and it should be another great season of the Raider Regiment.”

According to Coach Wiles, the football team is in charge of its fate for the 2015-2016 season.

 “They got to care about each other, take coaching,” he said.

“In Florida, there are 500 and some football teams, and at the finish line, eight are going to cross it. Depends on how hard they work, how they live their life from day to day.There’s a lot of things that go into being a good football team.

“You got to be a good person first.”

BY SUZETTE COOK/Today Editor

ALACHUA – The Alachua City Commission agreed on Aug. 10 to replace Alachua County Sheriff Office deputies with Alachua Police Department officers in a unanimous vote to insure continued staffing of the School Resource Officer Program.

In a contract prepared as an agreement between the School Board of Alachua County and the city of Alachua, the SBAC agrees to pay the city $82,805.12 for the 2015-2016 school year. The funds will be used to place an SRO at Santa Fe High School, Mebane Middle School, Alachua Elementary School and Irby Elementary School.

APD Chief Chad Scott, a former resource officer, addressed the commission about creating three part-time positions to continue to serve local schools.

“I believe that with these additional positions to the police department, we will be able to implement a school resource program and still accommodate staffing needs and patrol functions,” Scott said.

“I feel this is a huge opportunity for the Alachua Police Department to continue to build a positive relationship with our community."

Scott said he served as an SRO at Lake Forest Elementary, Fort Clarke Middle School, Oakview Middle School and Newberry High School.

“I still hold close relationships with students,” he said.  “As the Chief of Police, I look forward to keeping the public schools in the city of Alachua safe.”

Santa Fe High School Principal Dr. Beth LeClear said she looks forward to working with the APD.

“I am very excited,” LeClear said. “Chief Scott and I have already met. His priority is the safety of the children of Alachua.  I am very happy to work with Chief Scott and his team. We have previously hired City of Alachua [officers] and they are always professional, positive and great role models for the students of Santa Fe.  I am looking forward to a great year.”

 According to the contract, the city of Alachua “reserves control in determining staffing levels for the SROP in each of the four schools.”

 Commissioner Gary Hardacre said he is happy to have that control in the city’s hands.

“I’m glad we’re taking this away from the sheriff. I think it’s in the best interest of our citizens that our police chief, with the help of the city manager, makes these decisions. That way, our citizens really have a voice. If we have a problem in our community, I feel a lot more confident it will be handled the way it should be [having] direct control over that.”

Vice Mayor Ben Boukari, Jr. said he has fond memories of the resources officers from schools he attended.

“I think this is actually fantastic,” he said. “When I was in elementary school, I remember 'officer friendly.'  I remember her talking to us about stop signs and how important they were. That sounds so small, but it’s huge to a little kid learning.”

Commissioner Robert Wilford said his sister was an educator for 30 years, and he believes in the SROP. “The idea of children seeing a police officer in a positive light,” Wilford said. “I am very exciting with us taking the lead and cutting out the middle man.

Commissioner Shirley Green Brown is a retired educator.

“Just to see the partnership between the school board and our city police department,” she said. “What a wonderful relationship you will have with the students in this community. Thank you to the city, thank you to the staff.”

Mayor Gib Coerper congratulated the city on “making this happen before the school year starts.”

“All of us have been involved with the school,” Coerper said. “I see what a difference it makes. You will also be the recipient of the third grade letters this year,” he reminded Chief Scott of the tradition of having elementary students write letters to the mayor and police chief each year.

SBAC Public Information Officer Jackie Johnson is also excited about the agreement.

“We're glad of the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the city of Alachua and the Alachua Police Department through this contract,” she said.

“Having the city's own law enforcement officers working with the students, families and staff in their community will certainly be a benefit.”