Summer garden planning
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 22
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Pg B7 JUNE 2 - JUNE 8, 2023
U.S. News rankings in for OcalaMarion metro
Reimagining Reddick
But glitchy crime statistics may not provide a clear picture this time around. By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
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ast month, “U.S. News & World Report” released its anxiously awaited 2023-2024 Best Places to Live List. These coveted rankings have been touted for years by economic development organizations nationwide as a marker for how attractive their communities are to live, work and play. Locally, the Ocala-Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership and elected officials have used the metro area’s positive rankings in the various categories over the years as selling points to business prospects and potential homebuyers. The results this year, however, are a mixed bag for our region. Of the 150 metro areas in the U.S. News’ Best Place to Live rankings, Ocala has climbed to No. 67 for 202324 after dropping from No. 58 in 202122 all the way to No. 91 in 2022-23. Since last year, the area has slid from the sixth Fastest Growing Metro category to the seventh. In the Best Place to Retire category, the region has slid from No. 6 in 20212022 to the No. 16 spot for the past two-year lists. However, one key category—the Safest Place to Live—illustrates a significant problem with how U.S. News receives the data it then uses to create its lists. U.S. News creates its rankings by using data from several sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor as well as the magazine’s own internal resources. The data is then categorized into five indexes and evaluated using a methodology determined by Americans’ preferences, according to the U.S. News website. According to the U.S. News website, the percent weighting for each index follows the answers from a March 2023 public survey in which people from across the country voted for what they believed was the most important factor to consider when choosing where to live. In the 2022-2023 list, Ocala slid from No. 4 to No. 10 in the Safest Place category, where we remain for a second year. This important ranking, however, must be viewed with some skepticism because of changes in how Florida now collects crime statistics. Since 1930, the FBI has relied on its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program to generate reliable statistics for use in law enforcement. According to the agency’s website, the FBI has historically collected data from “more than 18,000 city, university and college, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies” that See Ocala-Marion, page A8
Clockwise from above: The historic Reddick Presbyterian Church, circa 1887, is shown in Reddick on Friday, May 26, 2023. The Aiton family, from left, Reuben, Tina, Eric and River look over the inside of the historic Reddick Presbyterian Church, which they have purchased and plan to restore through their Reddick Preservation and Growth Foundation non-profit in Reddick on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Like they were frozen in time, choir robes are shown hanging on a rack. The Aiton family, from left, Reuben, Eric, River, 15, and Tina, look behind a curtain behind the Altar. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.
Local couple spearheading efforts to return town to previous glory, one building at a time. By Rosemarie Dowell rosemarie@ocalagazette.com
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couple who painstakingly restored their family’s centuryold Reddick homestead to its original glory was so inspired by the process they have created a foundation with ambitious plans to renovate other historic buildings throughout the rural enclave as well. Reuben Aiton, with support and direction from his wife, Tina, spent more than six months lovingly renovating the
Northwest Gainesville Road farmhouse, which his grandparents, Jobe “J.K.” and Francis “Frankie” Aiton, moved into following their 1935 marriage. Their labor of love fueled a vision to rejuvenate the area both visually and economically, ultimately leading to the formation last year of the Reddick Preservation and Growth Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. “After basically living there for six months and putting my heart and soul into it, it’s really ignited a desire in me to see Reddick turn around,’’ said Aiton,
a former chemical engineer turned life coach, author and motivational speaker, whose roots in Reddick go back to the 1880s. “Tina and I want to bring other buildings and structures back to life.” Overall, the duo aspires to renovate or restore up to 30 historic buildings or structures in town, including the circa 1880s Reddick Presbyterian Church, which was shuttered in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The church never reopened, and late last year the foundation purchased the property. See Reddick, page A2
Making the grade
First appointed school superintendent scores high in initial school board evaluation. By Lauren Morrish lauren@ocalagazette.com
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n 2020, Dr. Diane Gullett made local history by becoming the first person in more than 150 years to be appointed, not elected, to oversee Marion County public schools. She recently added another milestone to her credentials: the first school superintendent in the county to receive a public evaluation. Gullett, in the third and final year of her first contract with Marion County Public Schools (MCPS), received a cumulative score of 3.32 out of 4 from the Marion County School Board during its May 25 work session. The scores were accompanied by praise from members about Gullett’s leadership skills along with acknowledging there is more work to be done to improve the district. Each board member summarized the reasoning behind their scores and discussed them with Gullett before the session. With all five board members’ scores integrated, the cumulative score of 3.32 placed Gullett above an “effective” rating in her evaluation, noting her ability to produce high-quality work for
the schools, students, and staff within Marion County. “It’s been an honor to serve Marion County Public Schools as its first appointed superintendent,’’ Gullett read in a prepared statement. “The role has required leading a new governance model for the district, creating systems to recognize the need for continuous improvement and re-engage in the community as partners in our work to serve each and every student.” The evaluation included the five goals outlined in the MCPS’ Achieve 2026 Five-Year Strategic Plan and an additional goal intended to evaluate professionalism. These six areas were valued to determine competency: Goal 1 is student success, which aims to increase achievement, access, and opportunities for students in the district. Goal 2 is to create a safe, supportive and positive learning and working environment for students and staff. Goal 3 is to improve talent management, striving to ensure diverse surroundings and staff in schools. Goal 4 is better fiscal and operational efficiency, ensuring resources adapt and align with the district’s strategic plan.
Goal 5 of improving community engagement and communications works to form partnerships, furthering productivity and collaboration. Goal 6, as outlined in the evaluation, requires the superintendent to represent the district positively and to demonstrate See Gullett, page A8
File photo: Dr. Diane Gullett, the Superintendent of Marion County Public Schools, during a meeting of the Marion County Public School Board in Ocala on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.
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Chef Yohann................................... A5 Molly Statue Unveiling................ A6 Heroes Honored............................ A7 Ocala Art Group........................... B1 Calendar......................................... B5
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