Democracy Day SEPTEMBER 13 - SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
County Commission will vote on manufacturer’s application at next meeting.
Advanced Drainage Systems has applied for a special use permit to manufacture plastic pipe and product at the Certified Grocer site located at 6026 SE 83rd St. and utilize the Florida Northern Railroad that runs through downtown Ocala. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.
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wo futures for the railroad that runs through Ocala stand before it—one that would increase disruptive
train traffic on the worn-out railway, and the other that would pave a way for the railroad to be turned into a community trail. Community revitalization advocates have long dreamed of turning the Florida
Northern Railroad that runs through downtown Ocala into a multiuse trail that could not only connect the community with each other, but with nature. Now, a manufacturer is applying to use the railway to transport plastic parts and
run trains with over seven times as many cars through neighborhoods in the heart of Ocala. On Sept. 16, the Marion County Commission will vote on whether to approve an application from Advanced Drainage Systems to manufacture plastic pipe and product at the Certified Grocer site located at 6026 SE 83rd St. This manufacturer would utilize the railroad, which runs through downtown Ocala, through residential southeast Ocala neighborhoods, behind Forest High School, residential neighborhoods in Silver Springs Shores and ends at Lake Weir High School. The train currently runs four to five cars, but ADS anticipates that it could run up to 48 rail cars, based on current market forecast and rail availability. Increased rail traffic could lead to additional noise and traffic disruptions. For the past several years, several local and state stakeholders in community revitalization and transportation have drafted plans to turn this same railway into a nearly 14-milelong multiuse trail that would connect Ocala to the Heart of Florida Trail Corridor that spans through much of central Florida. See Rail-to-trail, page A8
Housing the helpers The ITEC program based at the Marion County Airport, which trains professionals to educate indigenous people around the world, offers a unique housing advantage for staffers. By Marian Rizzo Correspondent
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Steve Saint points himself out as a little boy in a “Life” magazine photo with the widows of five missionaries killed by the Waodani tribe, which included his father, Nate, in Ecuador in January 1956, in part of a historical display at the Indigenous People’s Technology and Education Center (ITEC) at the Marion County Airport on Sept. 4, 2024. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.
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Proposal for use of railroad threatens goal to turn corridor into trail
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 37
fter enduring seven bouts with malaria and growing weary of Africa’s stifling 120-degree temperatures, Jonathan Edwards, in February of 2022, left his position at a mission hospital in Togo, Africa, and signed on as the director of information technology with the Indigenous People’s Technology and Education Center at the Marion County Airport near Dunnellon. “It’s a real blessing in that I’m not catching malaria anymore,” Edwards said. “The environment is far less stressful too. ITEC gives me the opportunity to serve God by meeting the needs of indigenous people, even though I’m not able to travel and work overseas.” The move to this area also had another blessing for Edwards, his wife Bethany and their children, Caleb and Selah. Because ITEC provides free housing for its staff, the See A place, page A2
It’s time to Give4Marion The Community Foundation for Ocala/ Marion County’s event on Sept. 17 and 18 will raise money for local nonprofits.
File photo: Lauren Deiorio, the President and Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, right, and Ashley Gerds, the Director of Strategic Engagement for the Community Foundation, left, celebrate raising over $1.3 million during the celebration for Give4Marion at the Reilly Arts Center in Ocala on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.
By Chris D’Avanzo chris@magnoliamediaco.com
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he Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County’s Give4Marion annual giving event has raised more than $3 million for Marion County’s nonprofit organizations. This year’s Give4Marion, the fifth annual event, will take place from 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept 17, to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept 18. Give4Marion started as a 24-hour, online fundraiser to help nonprofits recoup some of their lost revenue resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Give4Marion has grown into much more, raising funds and bringing awareness to nonprofits, helping connect them to new donors and volunteers, and strengthening their relationship with the community. Donors can give as little as $10 in a single location, give4marion.org, where each participating nonprofit can receive donations. Nonprofits also may create their own webpage, often asking donors for amounts such as “$50 to buy a pair of work shoes for homeless veterans” or “$75 to administer a child’s therapy program.” These descriptions help donors understand where their money is going and, more importantly, how their support will make a difference. The nonprofit receives 100% of the donation. Throughout the day, bonuses are awarded to nonprofits in the form of Power Hour prizes and there also are several Matching Moments, special short bursts of activity where donations are matched dollarfor-dollar by a single donor, sometimes at even double and triple the amount. Give4Marion will culminate in a celebration party the evening of the 18th for nonprofits and guests, during which the final totals will be tallied up and the last of the prizes will be awarded. The donation portal will remain open for 48 hours after the event ends.
To learn more, go to give4marion.org
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School Zoning Changes............... A4 Home for a Hero........................... A5 Night of Hope Returns................ A9 Calendar......................................... B6 Sports.............................................. B9
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