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ALACHUA ‒ This year’s Relay for Life brought crowds, fundraiser events and surprises to Legacy Field last Friday night, April 28. Relay participants, spectators and volunteers joined forces not for just a good cause, but also in remembrance of a loved one who lost their battle and for survivors who continue the fight.

During their lifetime, one in three Americans will be diagnosed with cancer. At the least, it means a life interruption to fight against a debilitating disease through treatment or surgery and the slow struggle to recover. Even if the cancer is defeated or put into remission, the specter of the disease remains, as does the fear it could return.

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life movement is the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising event dedicated to saving lives from cancer. For over 35 years, communities across the world have come together to honor and remember loved ones and take action for lifesaving change.

Funds raised through Relay for Life directly support breakthrough research, 24/7 support for cancer patients, access to lifesaving screenings, and much more. A Relay for Life event is a community of like-minded survivors, caregivers, volunteers, and participants who believe that the future can be free from cancer.

The City of Alachua began holding Relay for Life events in 2017 with the exception of a two-year hiatus due to the Covid Pandemic, returning in 2022. Since its return, the event has been held in Legacy Park Amphitheater field. This year, there were 28 teams that both fielded walking teams and make additional donations or have items for sale, ranging from baked goods, meals, drinks, handcrafts and stuffed animals.

The City of Alachua also sold tickets for gift baskets that raise additional dollars. Several booths offered games or raffles to raise funds. Some of the teams were also hosted by sponsoring businesses. This year’s sponsors included Waste Pro, Campus USA, UF Health, Sysco, Taylor's HVAC, Santa Fe High School, Santa Fe College, Target, Walmart, and others.

The Alachua Sherriff's Office also displayed their helicopter and SWAT armored vehicle. Two aerobics instructors also held a workout session for all the participants.

One of the favorite local events is sponsored by the Santa Fe High School FFA, who brings a pig to the event to be kissed by a city official who raises the most money for the cause. Everyone knows who the three officials are who are contending for the opportunity to kiss the pig. The surprise is who will be the big winner. This year’s competitors were Alachua Police Chief Jesse Sandusky, Alachua City Manager Mike DaRoza and High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard. The winning candidate who raised the most money was Chief Sheppard who good naturedly kissed the pig as the crowd cheered him on.

The event is always held when the sun sets and darkness falls, representing the darkness of the disease. But, light shines on this darkness in the form of Luminaries, dedicated to the victims of the disease and to show that everyone stands together. The lights also represent shining a light on the darkness of cancer in hopes for a cure from the research this event helps fund.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's signature fundraising event that represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day, cancer will be eliminated. Alachua’s Relay for Life at Legacy Park was organized to remember those lost to cancer, celebrate cancer survivorship and to raise money for medical research and programs conducted by the American Cancer Society.

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NEWBERRY – A request for a large-scale Future Land Use Map Amendment to change 128 +/- acres from Agriculture to Planned Development was considered and approved on first reading by the Newberry City Commission at their April 24 meeting. The property is located at the southeast corner of State Road 26/West Newberry Road and Southwest 242^nd Street. The proposed project specifies 150,000 square feet of commercial use and 350 dwelling units.

The project, known as Newberry Plaza, was brought before the Commission by CHW Professional Consultants on behalf of Glenn Thomas Arpin, Senior, Jennifer Gray, Johanna Yarborough, Mary Jane Schofield James, Michael Gray and Robyn E. Bond, owners.

This item was heard by the Planning and Zoning Board on April 3 along with a request that conditions be included for the rezoning application as it contains the development order. Those conditions require that the developer shall determine the financial feasibility of adaptive reuse of the historic house on the property or the developer should separate the land and house from development for inclusion to and/or access from an adjacent property.

Also, prior to the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy for the 151^st home, the developer should have the infrastructure in place for the planned commercial properties.

Newberry Principal Planner Jean-Paul Perez reminded Commissioners that as this request is a large-scale amendment, approval of the amendment on first reading should also include direction for staff to forward the application to the state for review.

In a quasi-judicial public hearing, the Commission considered a request on the same 128 acres to rezone the property from Agricultural (A) to Planned Development (PD) for Newberry Plaza.

Although the rezoning application was approved by the Commission, approval is contingent upon state approval of the large-scale amendment to the Future Land Use Map.

In other business, Newberry is looking at its inventory of unpaved, rural roads. Recently, there has been an up-tick in conversation about paving a 2.6-mile segment of Southwest 30^th Avenue between U.S. Highway 27/41 and Southwest 202^nd Street, although paving this segment of Southwest 30^th Avenue is not in the City’s work queue for this fiscal year. Staff has considered the necessary steps and solicited a proposal to get the project started and has become aware that Southwest 30^th Avenue is a road that the City maintains via “prescriptive rights,” which complicates the City’s ability to improve it.

The City does not have sufficient land rights to improve the road and also make it wider, which would be necessary to accommodate stormwater. City staff believes that the road needs to be a minimum of 60 feet wide to pave it and transition it into a collector street, which it is intended to be.

The City solicited a proposal for the Phase 1 work to survey the road and prepare deeds to convey the property from the adjacent landowners to the City. The work totals $125,600, or 2.8 percent of the estimated total construction cost of $5.3 million, which includes planning, survey, land acquisition, design, permitting, stormwater and road construction at $385 per linear foot.

City Manager Mike New said the project is anticipated to take 1 to 1½ years to survey, obtain land rights, plan, permit and design and an additional 9 – 12 months to construct. New said that obtaining land rights can be protracted if the adjacent property owners object and hold out, requiring the City to undergo a condemnation process. City staff indicated there is no intent at this time to compensate residents for land that is used for the project.

“Staff has unallocated $120,000 ARPA funds that could be utilized for this work,” said New, “but Commission direction/approval is required.”

The Commission approved moving forward with the project using ARPA funds.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Austin Paul Conner, 62, was arrested on Thursday, April 27, and charged with trespassing after disrupting a school function that he had been asked to leave earlier in the day.

At about 8:40 a.m., High Springs Police Department (HSPD) officers responded to the Deeper Purpose Kids Academy, 19930 North U.S. Highway 441, High Springs. The Academy had been placed on lockdown because Conner was walking around the fenced property. An officer reportedly informed Conner that he had been formally trespassed from the property and would be subject to arrest if he returned.

At 3:04 p.m., HSPD officers responded again to the preschool after a caller reported that Conner was back on the property, taking pictures of vehicles in the parking lot. Officers reviewed video surveillance and reported that Conner could be seen well onto the property, taking pictures. Officers again made contact with Conner, who owns Advent Health Medical Plaza, 19735 N.W. U.S. Highway 441. He has reportedly been engaged in a property boundary dispute with the preschool and told officers his attorney told him to take pictures of the parking lot.

Conner has no criminal history and was released on his own recognizance by Judge Thomas M. Jaworski following First Appearance the day after his arrest.

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NEWBERRY – Newberry City Clerk Judy Rice was presented with the 2023 Municipal Clerks Week Proclamation by Mayor Jordan Marlowe at the April 24 City Commission meeting.

Rice obtained the Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) designation in 2008 and the Florida Certified Records Manager (FCRM) designation in 2016. In 2019, she received the highest accomplishment of Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) designation and in 2022 was awarded the Certified Supervisor Manager (CSM) designation from the Florida Center for Public Management, Florida State University.

Municipal Clerks Week is April 30 – May 6, 2023.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The City of High Springs has hired Amy Bohannon as the new CRA Director. She was introduced by City Manager Ashley Stathatos at the High Springs CRA meeting on April 27. The CRA meeting, with the City Commission, acting as Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board, was followed by a regular City Commission meeting.

Stathatos also addressed the Board about hiring Sharon Yeago to review the City’s Farmers Market. While the city manager is authorized to hire Yeago without CRA Board approval, she explained why she selected Yeago for the relatively short-term project.

Stathatos pointed to Yeago’s history and experience saying that it was unlikely that anyone more qualified could be found. The city manager added that Yeago started the High Springs Farmers Market and several other farmers markets throughout the state and was well-versed in working with farmers.

Commissioner Katherine Weitz pressed the Board to a undergo a competitive hiring process by issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for the project. Her measure failed and was outvoted in a 4 – 1 vote to approve Yeago’s hiring as proposed by Commissioner Byran Williams.

Sitting as the City Commission, commissioners approved the solid waste franchise agreement with Waste Pro. The firm will begin picking up waste and recycling products on May 1. Commissioner Ross Ambrose abstained from voting on this issue as he had recently obtained a port-a-potty business that was under contract with Waste Pro.

In other City business, Commissioners voted to declare the fire department’s fire apparatus, Squad 296, as surplus property. Ambrose suggested that the equipment be donated to the Ukraine. Assistant City Manager Bruce Gillingham said he thought the most the City could get for the equipment was $5,000. The Commission approved to first try and sell the equipment locally. If that is unsuccessful, then the equipment could be donated to the Ukraine. Ambrose said there are companies willing to transport donated equipment to the area at no cost to the City.

In other matters, Commissioner Williams announced that Homecoming is scheduled for May 19-21. The Homecoming Banquet will be held on May 19 with events at Catherine Taylor Park on May 20 and a Mt. Carmel Worship service on May 21.

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NEWBERRY ‒ Rakheem Tavares Hoyt, 29, of Newberry, was charged on Saturday, April 27, with possession of trafficking amounts of fentanyl and phenethylamines, commonly known as “bath salts.”

On March 3, an Alachua County Sheriff’s deputy located a truck in Newberry that had previously fled from him. The truck was reportedly partially blocking the road in the 25400 block of Northwest 8^th Avenue and was unoccupied. While waiting for backup, the deputy was approached by a woman who initially said she had been driving the truck and had fled because she was scared. She reportedly changed her story later to state that Hoyt was driving the truck and that one of the handguns belonged to her.

After more deputies arrived, a probable cause search of the truck was conducted based on the plain odor of marijuana. During the search, deputies reportedly found two handguns, an AK-47 rifle, 14 grams of fentanyl in the form of counterfeit oxycodone pills, 135 grams of marijuana and 100 grams of cannabis concentrate.

After a warrant was obtained to search a safe that was found in the truck, deputies found another 19 grams of fentanyl in the form of counterfeit oxycodone pills and 555 grams of substituted cathinones (bath salts).

Hoyt was originally charged via sworn complaint with possession of trafficking quantities of fentanyl, possession of trafficking quantities of phenethylamines, possession of cannabinoids with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Formal charges were filed on April 27 on the two drug trafficking charges. No action was taken on the others. Prosecutors recommended $1 million bond for each charge, but Judge James Nilon reduced that to $500,000 for each charge.

Hoyt has three felony convictions and 29 misdemeanor convictions. He was previously arrested on April 10 for selling drugs near two churches and $1 million has been added to his previous bail of $250,100. At the time of this writing, Hoyt remains in the Alachua County Jail.

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