ALACHUA – Winning teams got bragging rights as well as prizes during the Alachua Chamber of Commerce’s Sportsfest Golf Tournament June 18 at the Turkey Creek Golf Course in Alachua. In a long running tradition, area teams participated in the 32^nd annual event sponsored by the City of Alachua Chamber of Commerce.

Area golfers began the scramble early Saturday morning in shotgun style. Teams of four players each played as best ball scramble, each group using the best shot of their team’s four shots for the following shots to pin. The teams worked their way around the course at Turkey Creek for about four hours completing 18 holes.

New Generation Builders lay claim to the winning shootout team with players Mitch Hall, Devon Ross, Sam Stark and Scottie Langford. Santa Fe River Ranch nabbed 1st place gross while New Generation Builders took 2nd place gross and Capital City Bank came in with 3rd place gross.

The winners for net were Conestogas taking 1st place net, Edward Jones - Ed Potts -Matt Surrency taking 2nd place net and Easy Dumpster claiming 3rd place net.

While the golfers undoubtedly enjoyed their time on the course, it was also for a good cause. Funds raised from this tournament have typically supported youth in the community through City of Alachua Legacy Park Recreation programs. Over the past several years, tournament funds were donated to the Alachua branch library for enhanced study space.

The Chamber also recently donated $15,000 to provide cases for the laptops and computers that were provided to all elementary and middle school students in Alachua. They will also fund any needed replacements and provide for new students each year.

“While our chamber focus is on supporting our local business community, we also want to be a partner with the city and our community service organizations to improve our schools,” said Alachua Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Sportsfest Committee Chair Ed Potts. “None of this would be possible without the support of our long-term sponsors, particularly Dollar General and Capital City Bank.”

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ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua is celebrating the completion of a long-awaited project to protect the Mill Creek Sink system. The Mill Creek Sink Water Quality Improvement Project began several years ago and the finished natural stormwater management system includes a filtration system that collects and treats runoff from the nearby interstate and existing commercial business drainage structures.

On May 31, City of Alachua commissioners and staff along with representatives from SRWMD gathered with the public to celebrate completion of the project with a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the completed wetlands project. Offering comments were Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper, Interim City Manager Mike DaRoza and Alachua Public Services Director Rodolfo Valladares. They were joined by Alachua City Commissioners Ed Potts, Dana Miller, Shirley Green Brown and SRWMD Governing Board Chair Virginia Johns to cut the ribbon and officially open the natural wetlands collection barrier system.

Located behind Sonny's Restaurant on U.S. Highway 44, the Mill Creek Sink system is an algae-covered placid sinkhole that is a virtual open window into the Floridan Aquifer, an 82,000-square-mile reservoir that holds billions of gallons of the state’s fresh drinking water. Mill Creek Sink, downhill from I-75, collects streams of rainfall runoff laden with nitrate-nitrogen pollutants, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and an array of suspended solids. In addition to runoff from I-75, which accommodates upwards of 65,000 vehicles through the area every day, runoff from nearby commercial business parking lots also drain, unimpeded, into the area leading directly to the sink.

Although the aquifer water lies hundreds of feet below the ground, it is not entirely protected from sources of pollution at the surface, which seep into the water supply through sinks like Mill Creek. Wetlands on the surface help filter the water that will end up in the aquifer and help protect springs and drinking water. Groundwater in the Floridan Aquifer is the source for more than 1,000 springs in North and Central Florida and provides water for over 90 percent of the people who live here.

The Mill Creek Sink Water Quality Improvement Project had its beginnings as City of Alachua officials, County officials, environmental engineers and the team at the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) began formulating a voluntary state-of-the-art avoidance, minimization and mitigation plan. The project’s goal was to create a collection barrier between these contaminants and Mill Creek Sink, providing nature time to do what it does best—slowly filter groundwater by percolating through loose, sandy soils and porous limestone bedrock.

The project provides a natural stormwater management system to create additional treatment for runoff flowing into the Mill Creek Sink system through three lined conveyance swales, two pre-treatment basins and a treatment wetland basin designed to collect and treat runoff from the nearby interstate and existing commercial business drainage structures. Also adding to the filtration system are the 1.2 acres of 15,000 planted native vegetation species to process nutrients as well as provide appropriate habitat for use by wildlife species.

Along the northern limits of the project, three basins provide additional stabilization, surface water containment and access for management activities and public educational and recreational viewing on several trails surrounding the project. The innovative water treatment system provides a natural and low-maintenance process to improve the health of the sink and the water supply

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LAKE CITY ‒ For those who may be wondering just what Road Rangers along Florida’s interstate roadways are about, the Florida Department of Transporation (FDOT) has the answer.

The Road Ranger Service Patrol provides traffic incident management services and limited no-cost highway assistance to motorists to improve highway safety for emergency responders and the public.

FDOT is reminding motorists if their vehicle becomes disabled while on I-75 or I-10 due to a crash or a mechanical issue, Road Rangers are available to assist at no cost.

Road Rangers can be dispatched to your location to help change tires, jump-start your vehicle, make minor repairs, and even supply a few gallons of emergency gasoline, diesel or water.

In the case of a traffic crash, Road Rangers will also help clear vehicles from the roadway. At no time will a Road Ranger ask for payment.

A Road Ranger truck and driver will have the FDOT logo present on their vehicle and clothing. Anyone seeking FDOT Road Ranger services should call *FHP (*347).

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ALACHUA ‒ Downtown Alachua and Criswell Park were the sites of beautification efforts this past Saturday. The beautification and cleanup event was part of the Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup Day.

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) was formed in 1953 to develop and promote a national cleanliness ethic. Its mission was to provide the expertise, programs and resources to help people end littering, improve recycling, and beautify America’s communities. Much of the focus was on educating the population and bringing more awareness of the growing problem littering and waste. Today, the organization has nearly 700 community-based Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the support of corporate partners, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals

The Great American Cleanup kicked off in 1998 with renewed focus on littering, recycling and community beautification. During the months of April and May an estimated 20,000 communities nationwide hold events where volunteers dedicate a day to cleaning up and beautifying their communities.

The most recent Great American Cleanup created 15,000 opportunities for millions of volunteers picking up millions of pounds of litter, cleaning over 100,000 acres of public spaces, and tens of thousands of miles of roadways and shorelines. The community greening and beautification efforts range from new tree plantings that provide shade and sequester carbon to planting flower gardens that create vibrant gateways to shopping and entertainment districts as well as creating community gardens that help feed the hungry and educate young gardeners.

The City of Alachua has been participating in the Great American Cleanup Day for over 15 years. Each year volunteers dedicate a day to helping clean up and beautify specific target areas. The program is a combination of volunteers, business sponsors and the City of Alachua, including a number of city staff joining in the effort. This year they focused on cleaning up around the Swick House and Criswell Park and planting shrubs and flowers along downtown Main Street.

Close to 70 volunteers met at the City Hall at 8:30 a.m. on May 14 to enjoy a breakfast provided by Mi Apa restaurant and Duncan Donuts. The crews rolled up their sleeves, gathered tools and headed for their assigned areas with the expectation of two to three hours to complete the job.

Downtown Main Street was lined with over 1,000 potted plants provided by Landscapes Unlimited. Owners Mike and Erin Gianikas provided the plants at a discount rate, which was paid for by 20 sponsors that provided services and funding. Landscapes Unlimited also provided staff to help direct proper location, planting and design.

After the work was done and Main Street was boasting new greenery and flowers, volunteers were treated to a lunch by Domino’s Pizza.

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