VOLUME 4 ISSUE 37
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SEPTEMBER 15 - SEPTEMBER 21, 2023
Sept. 19th
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Brad King appointed as judge for Fifth Judicial Circuit By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com
F Brad King [John Jernigan]
ormer State Attorney Brad King has come out of retirement after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve as a judge on the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court. King will fill the vacancy created by Judge Richard
Singletary’s retirement. Officials from the fifth circuit have confirmed that King will placed in Marion County. “It is something different for me. But it won’t be something that will feel uncomfortable doing,” King said. Including King, there were 12 total applicants for the appointment. The other 11
applicants were Benjamin Boylston, Spencer Gollahon, Rebecca Guthrie, Charles Helm, Carmalita Lall, Timothy McCourt, Ian Pickens, Danielle Ruse, Harlan Derek Saltsman, Christopher Small and Lisa Yeager. King, Bolyston, Helm, McCourt, Pickens and Yeager made the 5th Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee’s short
list of names recommended to the governor for appointment. King, 66, served as the state attorney for the fifth circuit from 1989 to 2020, and said he believes his reputation and experience will only benefit him as he steps into his new role as judge. “I plan to be driven, as far as making sure that the cases are See King, page A2
Look up, Ocala! City election is Sept. 19 The city of Ocala’s Wetland Recharge Park has been named by the FWC as a Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail site.
Ocala Wetland Recharge Park [Dave Miller]
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
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esidents and visitors in Ocala, especially those who are birdwatchers and photographers, already know about a very special place—the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park. And now, following an announcement by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), a lot more people are going to find out about this local gem. The FWC issued a notice on Sept. 12 that it has selected 14 new Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail sites, including the city park in Ocala. “Sites listed on the official
Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail are selected for inclusion based on their unique wildlife viewing opportunities and ecological significance, educational opportunities, access for the public and resilience to recreational use,” the news release noted. The Ocala Wetland Recharge Park, at 2105 NW 21st St., is a 60-acre refuge with 2.5 miles of paved walking trails, boardwalks, three ponds, wildlife overlooks, hands-on educational exhibits and educational kiosks. It is a manmade wetland created to recharge the underground Upper Floridan aquifer with an average of 3 million gallons of naturally filtered stormwater and treated
wastewater every day. The Ocala Wetland Recharge Park’s page on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail website notes that it is less than 10 minutes from downtown and is a “hotspot for diverse wildlife.” It shares that visitors can find a variety of wetland birds in the ponds and marshes throughout the year, including black-bellied whistling ducks, pie-billed grebes and a variety of herons and egrets. Among the regular visitors are red-headed, red-bellied, pileated and downy woodpeckers. Occasional sightings include birds such as the purple gallinule and more rare glimpses may be seen of uncommon birds like the Virginia rail, sora, LeConte’s sparrow, roseate spoonbill, bobolink and black-necked stilts. The “Gazette” runs a Bird of the Week in each issue, with stunning images by local birder and photographer Michael Warren. He sometimes shares images of birds at the recharge park, such as, two weeks ago, a vermilion flycatcher. The city of Ocala announced in mid-August that construction of a new open-air pavilion and three overlook covers at the park will continue through mid-December. The pavilion will provide event and education spaces, restrooms and drinking water fountains. The park will remain open to visitors throughout construction, but some trail entrances and educational exhibits near the construction area may be closed. Visitors can find a map of open trails on the Ocala Wetland See Birding, page A2
Three open seats were whittled down to one on the ballot. Staff report
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hree seats were open in the city of Ocala government this election cycle: two on the city council and the mayoral seat. Only one city council seat, however, will be on the ballot for the Sept. 19 election. City councilmember Kristen Dreyer did not draw opposition, so she automatically received a second term. Only one person, Ben Marciano, filed to run for mayor after Kent Guinn, who has served as the city’s mayor for 12 years, announced in April that he would not seek reelection. Marciano will become mayor on Dec. 5. Councilmember Ire J. Bethea Sr., who was elected to represent District 2 in 2020, drew one opponent, Reginald Landers. District 2 encompasses the city’s northwest/west neighborhoods. It is a nonpartisan race, and all registered 37,779 voters who reside within city limits may vote in the election from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 19. Only 3,437 city voters requested mail-in ballots, and 1,676 had returned them as of Sept. 13. Voters can also take advantage of early voting, which runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 14- 16 at the Supervisor of Elections Office, 981 NE 16th St., Ocala. Voters can find their polling place by visiting votemarion.gov.
About Bethea
“My major reason for running, period, is to bring people together,” Bethea said in a “Gazette” profile in April. “I try to make our city a better place to live, work, and prosper. Now, I know that’s a slogan used by cities, but communication is key, and, you know, a lot of times it’s how you communicate,” A lifelong resident of Ocala, Bethea, 70, hasn’t been a dissenting voice or lone wolf on issues. He has often voted with the council on ordinances and other measures. Ire Bethea [Bruce Ackerman] Bethea graduated from Ocala High School and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint Leo University. He retired after a combined 30 years of service with the city of Ocala and the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County. Bethea has continued to stay active in West Ocala over the years. He is a graduate of Leadership Ocala/Marion Alumni, Class XVII, and served on the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office Advisory Committee. See City, page A4
Experts say to be ‘vigilant’ about mosquitoes By Jim Turner Florida News Service
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fter cases of malaria were found this year in Sarasota County, experts on Tuesday pointed to a continuing need in Florida to combat mosquito-borne illnesses as rain from Hurricane Idalia has increased breeding grounds for the insects. Sarasota County Mosquito Control District Director Wade Brennan said
a mosquito-borne illness alert for malaria in Sarasota and Manatee counties was lifted this week. “That doesn’t mean we’re out of the water,” Brennan said during a conference call with members of the Florida Mosquito Control Association. “We want everybody to be very vigilant about stopping those mosquito bites.” Association President Sandra Fisher-Grainger, who is director of Hernando County Mosquito Control,
said even when an area is treated for mosquitoes before storms, risks grow because standing water is a breeding ground and because people are more susceptible to being bitten. “People are outside. They’re cleaning up their properties. They’re helping their neighbors,” FisherGrainger said. “They may have damage to their windows or doors, or they may not have any power, and so there’s no AC (air conditioning) and See Mosquitoes, page A3
File photo
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