VOLUME 6 ISSUE 37
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The Ocala Arts Festival returns Oct. 25/26. Pg B1 October 17 - 23, 2025
‘Unbridled Courage’
Yvonne Hayes-Hinson to retire
Ocala’s Shaun Ulrich shares her journey of working to defeat breast cancer. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
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lorida State Representative Yvonne Hayes-Hinson has decided to retire after six decades of public service as an educator and politician. Hayes-Hinson, a Democrat, currently represents part of northwest Marion County and a portion of Alachua County, including the Gainesville area, in the Florida House. Her term expires in November 2026. “It’s time to enjoy the fruits of my labor and find a way to take care of me,” she said in a recent phone interview. But the 77-year-old Gainesville native is not without serious concerns about the future and what she sees as political trends. “I’m having trouble finding common ground (with some legislative colleagues),” HayesHinson said. Hayes-Hinson said some legislators seem to “put aside their own values and points of view to acquiesce to one man” in a reference to President Donald Trump and the conservative Make America Great Again or MAGA movement. Hayes-Hinson said some of her colleagues appear willing to put aside their own vision in pursuit of a perceived “pot of gold” but they may “want to look at the bigger picture
ctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, breast cancer death rates in the United States have dropped by 44% since 1989. “That’s not a coincidence. For 40 years, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has helped raise awareness of breast cancer across the nation. It has encouraged millions to take action, resulting in increased early detection and advancements in treatment that have saved more than half a million lives,” notes the foundation website. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It accounts for about 30% (or one in three) of all new female cancers each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Shaun Ulrich of Ocala, who will turn 48 on Oct. 21, is currently working through treatment for metastatic breast cancer, as did her mother, who succumbed to the disease in 2019. An aunt on her mother’s side had breast cancer almost 30 years ago. She had lumpectomy, radiation and hormone therapy for five years and has been cancer free since then. She’s now 85. As part of her journey Ulrich created the Unbridled Courage Facebook page. “Unbridled Courage was born when I received my diagnosis, when it felt like everything was ending and I wondered how to move forward with a stage IV cancer diagnosis hanging over me. But as I began to take one step, one day at a time, I realized life isn’t over. It’s just different,” she said. “This space is for anyone walking a path touched by cancer — patient, caregiver, family or friend — where they can find support or provide support to others. It’s not just about treatments and scans, but about living: the small joys, the everyday wins and the messy, beautiful moments that make life full,” she noted. “My love of horses is woven into this journey. They've always taught me resilience, determination, trust and the power of presence. That spirit of strength is at the heart of Unbridled Courage. Through stories, support, resources and real conversations, this space is here to remind us that there’s still light, love and
See Yvonne Hayes-Hinson, page A4
See Unbridled Courage, page A9
Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson, left, poses for a photo with Mary Sue Rich, during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Mary Sue Rich Community Center At Reed Place in Ocala on Jan. 10, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]
The state representative whose district includes part of Marion County will not seek re-election when her term expires in 2026. By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
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Shaun Ulrich spends a moment with her horse Spinner. [Photo by Tommy Cuevas]
Conservationist extraordinaire Guy Marwick has helped save thousands of acres of land from development and the lives of numerous animals. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
Guy and Pat Marwick. Photo by Michael Warren
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uy Marwick is quick to downplay his significant contributions to endeavors that have aided people and animals around the globe, including preserving precious lands from development
locally and internationally. But, on Oct. 11, during a celebration at the Silver River Museum inside Silver Springs State Park, which acknowledged Marwick’s retirement from the Felburn Foundation board, a number of people were equally as quick to recall many of his notable success stories, which
includes founding the museum and serving as its first executive director. The Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center is a program of Marion County Public Schools and more than 10,000 students visit the campus each year. Scott Mitchell is the coordinator of the
center, which also is open to the public. Mitchell welcomed event attendees to the celebration. Among those on hand to congratulate Marwick were representatives of environmental organizations including the Florida Department of See Guy Marwick, page A8
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INSIDE:
Wear Your Wings Walk............... A3 FDOT hearing............................... A7 The art of kwè................................ B2 The Civic turns 75........................ B6 Calendar......................................... B8
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