Local

Beryl rainfall not enough to cure water woes

  Area residents survey the High Springs boat ramp at Santa Fe River on Tuesday, only to find much of the river is gone, and all that's left is but a trickle where the once vibrant waterway rolled.

HIGH SPRINGS – As tropical storm Beryl slid across northeastern Florida, she deposited thousands of gallons of rainwater across the drought-stricken land. The rain soaked into the thirsty soil, awakened wilted plants, drenched bone-dry lakebeds, and raised reservoir and pool levels.

Overall, the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) estimates a total of six inches of rain fell over its 15 county jurisdiction.

But it wasn’t enough.

During a public information meeting about the Santa Fe River held at Poe Springs on Tuesday, Megan Wetherington, Senior Professional Engineer at SRWMD, said the river will hardly see an increase in levels or flow because the surrounding areas were so dry. Like a sponge, those dry areas will soak up the water before it reaches the river. Prior to Beryl, Florida had record low water levels, Wetherington said.

“It will be positive,” she said. “It’s just not the drought-buster that that we need.”

Recently, the Alachua County Health Department identified an algal bloom on the Santa Fe River between the U.S Highway 27 bridge and Poe Springs. The water samples it collected contained the algae Anabaena circinalis, a known producer of toxins. In Florida, there are no records of the algae producing these toxins, but David Whiting of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said scientists are unsure what causes the algae toxin producers to turn on and off.  An algae bloom in Leon County’s Lake Munson produced high levels of toxin one year, but the next year, no toxins were present.

The three major contributors to the algae bloom are fertilizers, septic tanks and over pumping of the ground water, said Robert Hutchinson of the Alachua Conservation Trust. Nutrients contained within the fertilizers and waste products, such as human and animal waste, seep into the river and feed the algae. Unseasonable warm temperatures and an early summer contributed to the growth of the thick algae mats and the cyanobacteria, as well.

“It’s taken 100 years to get this bad; it’s going to take at least 100 years more to clean things up,” Hutchinson said. “It’s important not to point fingers because we are all part of the problem, just like we all have to be a part of the solution.”

During the public information meeting, which was organized by Merrillee Maltwitz-Jipson, president of Our Santa Fe River, Cris Costello of the Sierra Club said the current condition of the Santa Fe River is a result of abuse of Florida’s water bodies.

If people thought of the Santa Fe as a bucket slowly being filled with waste, the bucket has to eventually reach a tipping point, she said.

“The bottom line is if there was nothing for the algae to eat, it wouldn’t grow. It wouldn’t bloom,” Costello said, adding “If we look around Alachua County, there are spray fields, animal feeding operations, dairy farms and septic tanks.”

The water quantity and water quality problems facing the river are extensive, said Charlie Houder, acting executive director of the SRWMD.  However, the district maintains that if the water is managed properly, there is enough to go around. He said the district will not stop issuing water permits.

On Tuesday the district did issue a Water Shortage Order to be in effect from June 13 to Sept. 30, 2012, for all water users within its boundaries. This is the first time the district has ever issued a water shortage order, Houder said.

The order places restrictions on certain uses, as well as calling for widespread conservation. Residential watering of existing lawns will be limited to one day a week, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Designated watering days are determined by even-odd address numbers, according to the SRWMD website.

For agricultural and commercial water use, the water shortage order lists separate rules and restrictions. They are also encouraged to reduce all non-essential water usage.

Alachua County alone uses 60 million gallons of water a day, said Chris Bird, director of the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department. Over 50 percent of that water is used to irrigate residential lawns, and only an estimated seven percent of the recent rainfall will make it back into the aquifer.

“We all have to come up with a new ethic, a water ethic,” Houder said. “I think the era of cheap water is pretty much over.”

Alachua bar owners say new hours will help some

ALACHUA – Proprietors of bars and liquor stores in the city of Alachua have differing views on how the proposed repeal of some so-called “blue laws” will affect their businesses.

If passed, City Ordinance 12-19, will among other provisions, allow the sale of packaged alcohol on Sundays and allow the on-premise sale of alcohol starting at 7 a.m. Monday-Sunday.

Alan Fishman, owner of Spindrifter Lounge in Alachua, said the new ordinance will have little positive effect on his business, saying that being allowed to open early Sunday morning will not bring him increased sales.

Fishman said the greatest benefit would come from being allowed to stay open late on Sunday night, which would mean until 2 a.m. Monday morning, a provision that a recent City of Gainesville ordinance allows for, but the one proposed by the City of Alachua does not.

An Alachua County ordinance saw recent changes that also extend the hours for packaged alcohol sales, but like the ordinance being considered by Alachua city commissioners, does not allow the on-premise sale of liquor after 11 p.m. on Sundays.

“I don’t know how much more business I could bring in with three extra hours on Sunday, but every little bit helps,” Fishman said.

Connie McMains, manager of Alachua Sports Pub, agrees that opening earlier on Sunday will do little to increase revenue, but does not feel that staying open later on Sunday will bring a substantial gain in customers.

“Around here on Sunday morning, people are either asleep or in church,” McMains said.  “But the only people who would go to a bar at 2 a.m. on Sunday night are bartenders getting off work from other places.”

Adam Boukari, assistant to the Alachua city manager, said the law does not allow on-premise consumption after 11 p.m. because of an issue with law enforcement scheduling.

“Reports from the Gainesville Police Department are that the additional 2 a.m. closing on Sunday required the rescheduling and assignment of additional police officers,” Boukari said.  “The City of Alachua Police Department has limited staff and the additional 2 a.m. closing on Sunday may well create staffing challenges that may be difficult to meet.  The impacts of Gainesville's additional 2 a.m. closing will be monitored and studied to determine future recommended revisions to the City of Alachua's ordinance.”

The ordinance, which will go before the Alachua City Commission for a second and final reading on June 25, would allow liquor stores to be open Sundays from 7 a.m.-11p.m., a change from the current ordinance which keeps liquor stores closed Sundays.

Blu Patel, owner of Spirit Shop of Alachua, said being open on Sunday will not do much to increase business, and said he might not be open even if the ordinance is passed.

“Being open seven days a week might be more of a hassle than a benefit for me,” Patel said.  “It would be a benefit for customers.  Some people want to relax on Sunday and have a drink, but it’s harder for me to be open seven days.  I’m not sure yet if I’ll be open Sundays.”

Commissioners gave the ordinance a preliminary nod during a public hearing on May 21.  A second and potentially final hearing is scheduled during a 6:30 p.m. commission meeting on June 25 at Alachua City Hall.

According to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), Willard Merle Newman was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and armed burglary for allegedly shooting Ronald Lamar Andrews, 46, of 18104 N.E. 143rd Avenue, Lake Alto Estates, Waldo.

The report states that Andrews’ 15-year-old daughter had been dating Newman against his wishes for the last four years, but the couple had broken up on two weeks earlier.

The shooting reportedly happened after Joseph Andrews drove his brother, Ronald Andrews, home. They arrived at around 4:50 p.m. Joseph Andrews stayed in the kitchen while Ronald Andrews went to his teenage daughter’s bedroom to check if she was home.

Joseph Andrews told ACSO officials that Ronald Andrews opened the bedroom door, threw up his hand and exclaimed, “What the hell! What the hell!”

Joseph Andrews saw two muzzle flashes, heard two gunshots and witnessed his brother’s body fall onto the bedroom floor. After hearing an additional gunshot, Joseph Andrews ran outside and got into his van and called the police.  Deputies responded and Ronald Andrews was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies removed three .380 caliber shell casings and one projectile from the bedroom closet wall.

Willard S. Newman, the defendant’s father, told ACSO Sgt. Terry Crews that Newman arrived at his Lake Alto Estates residence around 2:30 p.m. earlier that day. Newman told his father he was going to visit his ex-girlfriend, who lived in the same neighborhood.

Newman returned to his father’s house at approximately 5 p.m. and left on his scooter toward his home in the Oak Park mobile home park.

Earlier in the day, Kenneth Oliver, the fiancé of Newman’s mother, Tamatha Walden, had noticed his .380 caliber handgun was missing from their home. When Newman arrived at the home, Oliver asked where the gun was and if he was involved in the Waldo shooting.

Oliver confirmed his missing handgun was in the scooter and called ACSO at 6:24 p.m. to report Newman was involved in the shooting. Detectives recovered the handgun from the scooter along with a black ski mask and a pair of gloves.

Newman is currently being held in the Alachua County jail.

Discussion about what would become of the building near The Freddie L. Warmack Ball Park began Tuesday night.

City Manager Keith Ashby told the city commission that city staff was looking at three options for the facility. The commission could decide to rent out the facility, request proposals for another daycare center or allow the Blessed Hope Foundation to operate at the location.

Resident Sue Andes said she does not want Blessed Hope to operate at this location.

Louis King also said bringing the foundation to this location would be a safety concern.

“To me, that would put the city at too many liabilities at this point,” he said.

Don Ricard, a representative for the Blessed Hope Foundation, defended the option of allowing the organization to operate there. He said the foundation has helped numerous local residents.

There are plans to have a food pantry at the location, not a thrift store, Ricard said.  He said the location would be ideal to have the bimonthly meals because it is wheelchair accessible and easy to reach for residents.

Suggesting a slightly different route, Commissioner Alena Lawson suggested that the LEAP program locate to the former daycare center. The volunteer-based program will last six weeks beginning June 25 and will focus on teaching sixth to eleventh graders basic math and science courses.

The commission seemed to agree that this item would be passed on to a citizens advisory committee, to which they are appointing members next meeting.

Crafted in the likeness of Santa Fe River wildlife, the racks serve as functional art, Tom Hewlett, a member of the Yellow-bellied Sliders Bicycle Society Hewlett said. Six racks were placed throughout the city after the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) received grant funds for the project. Local artist Ted Brock designed and created the racks from stainless steel in the shape of turtles, frogs and herons.

High Springs residents volunteered to install the racks around the community, taking about 25 residents two weeks to finish the project, just in time for Bike Florida in March 2011. The Bike Florida event draws more than 700 visitors into the High Springs area.

Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas recently said that in April he tripped over the bike rack in front of the Chamber of Commerce. Because of the accident, Barnas and some other commissioners believe the racks may pose a potential safety threat to High Springs residents.

Although the rack Barnas tripped over was not one of the six decorative racks created by Brock, Barnas initially called for all the bike racks to be removed from the downtown area.  At a May 24 commission meeting, Barnas said he was willing to compromise on the artistic racks. City attorney Raymond Ivey will draft a form for business owners with bicycle racks on their private property to sign, releasing the city from liability should anyone trip over a rack and intend to sue for injury.

The May 24 meeting did not include discussion of bike racks located on public city property, even though a yellow bike rack fashioned into the shape of a turtle located in front of City Hall was removed earlier and given back to the Community Development Corporation (CDC). Hewlett said a local business has already expressed interest in the rack being installed on its property.

“Bob has said now – and others – that they want to have the racks on city property removed, and that the racks, in general, are dangerous,” said Hewlett.  “There are a lot of dangerous things out on our sidewalks that people could sue us for, and if we have to worry about all of that, why have sidewalks down our streets in the city?”

On Main Street, next to the Great Outdoors Restaurant, a sign warns bicyclists that no bikes are allowed on the sidewalk. Yet, Barnas said there is a bicycle rack placed in the area. According to Hewlett, in the past, the sign was placed to ward off BMX-bicyclers. In the same ordinance that bans bikes from the sidewalks, the law also states that people are allowed to walk their bikes to the bike rack.

None of the racks were placed on the sidewalk, Hewlett said. Until now, he said he had never heard of a resident tripping over one of the racks.

Hewlett hopes to talk with the city engineer, John Morrison, about how the city could make the bike racks safe for the public. Morrison recently released a report stating the racks were a threat to pedestrians and suggested the racks be taken down.

Barnas and Commissioner Linda Gestrin said they want to public to realize that the city was not against bicycle racks.

Prior to the installation of Brock’s bike racks, the only racks in the city were located by the library and next to the sinkhole.

“We wanted to bring bike racks into town,” Hewlett said. “Instead of bringing the normal, relatively ugly racks, we wanted to bring something unique into the town – something unique to High Springs.”

The City of Alachua celebrated the $1.2 million acquisition of 105 acres of land, which adjoins the Hal Brady Recreation Complex.  Participating in the celebratory ribbon cutting were L-R: G.B. Wilson, Susanne Wilson Bullard, Craig Harris, Traci Cain, Shirley Brown, Adam Boukari, Gib Coerper, Paula DeLaney, Justin Revuelta, Gary Hardacre, Susan Baird, Ben Boukari, Jr., Orien Hills, Hal Brady and Lee Pinkoson.

 ALACHUA – On May 17, city and county officials, local dignitaries, business owners and residents gathered amidst rolling hills at the site of what has become known as Project Legacy. The group came together to commemorate the city’s acquisition of 105 acres of land to expand the Hal Brady Recreation Complex with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The $1.2 million purchase, a centerpiece of the city’s Project Legacy expansion project, will supplement the original 25 acres that made up the recreation center on Peggy Road/County Road 2054.

Alachua City Manager Traci Cain said the purchase means a positive change in the lives of Alachua residents.

“I think it will improve the quality of live for people who continue to call Alachua home,” Cain said.  “The youth and adults of Alachua will be able to use this facility together as families.”

Assistant to the City Manager Adam Boukari said plans are in place to construct three multi-purpose sports fields on the land, which will be used to host soccer, lacrosse and football competitions, among others.

“Our hope is that these facilities will allow us to host tournaments, which in turn will attract business from out of town to our hotels and restaurants and generally increase tourism business in Alachua overall,” Boukari said.

Cain said the three multi-purpose fields are the only concrete plans in place for the new land, and said she believes the land offers plenty of room for development.

“At this point, the three fields are the only sure thing,” Cain said.  “Future staff will decide what will be constructed.”

The City of Alachua began the acquisition campaign nearly two years ago and acquired the property in December 2011with a combination of funding totaling approximately $1.2 million. During his remarks at the ceremony, Boukari told the crowd of about 100 that several years ago the land had been purchased for over $4 million by Craig Harris, a land developer from Kissimmee, Fla., who then sold it to the City of Alachua for the much reduced price of $1.2 million.

Harris, who was honored with a standing ovation at the ceremony, had planned to develop over 200 houses on the land, but opted instead to sell the acreage for a decreased price as an act of philanthropy.

The land, which had already been used by the city to provide parking for annual 4th of July celebrations and other larger events, was purchased using $500,000 from the Wild Spaces, Public Places funds, $500,000 from the Tourist Development Tax funds and approximately $200,000 from privately donated funds

Mayor Gib Coerper provided attendees with a history of the project and the land and explained its importance to the community’s quality of life.

Alachua County Board of County Commission Chair Paula DeLaney spoke on behalf of the County Commission and offered her insight into Alachua’s rich recreation history. Coerper, along with his fellow City Commissioners, presented DeLaney and members of the County Commission with a plaque of appreciation for partnering with Alachua on the project.

“We were so thrilled with the great turnout and show of support from our community,” said City Manager Traci Cain. “This day has been a long time coming and it was only made possible by the efforts of countless individuals. Alachua is deeply appreciative of the many people who made Project Legacy a reality.”  Recognized during the ceremony were donors including individuals, businesses and organizations.  Also recognized were members of the “Project Legacy Team” who worked on various aspects of the project. The ceremony culminated with the cutting of the ribbon signifying the new ownership of the property and the future it holds for the community.

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