Commissioners learn
about prevention coalition
Friday Nights Done Right - for proper leisure

Gilchrist Prevention Coalition Executive Director Robert Wells speaks to the Gilchrist County Commission at the regular commission meeting of April 21. In the background (at left in photo), Gilchrist Prevention Coalition Student Ambassador Riley Bethea gives information to Kieran Bryan, Secretary to the County Commission on behalf of the Office of Clerk to The County Commission Todd Newton.

Story, Photos And Video
By Jeff M. Hardison © April 22, 2025 at 10:30 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     TRENTON – Gilchrist Prevention Coalition Executive Director Robert Wells spoke to the five members of the Gilchrist Board of County Commissioners Monday evening (April 21), and he brought two student ambassadors and a teacher who addressed the commissioners as well.
     The members of the Gilchrist County Commission are Chairman Tommy Langford, Vice Chairman Bill Martin, and commissioners Kenrick Thomas, Darrell Smith and Sharon Langford.
     Unlike the Levy County Prevention Coalition, which Wells founded more than 20 years ago, and the Dixie County Anti-Drug Coalition, which was founded by Katrina VanAernam, the Gilchrist group does not have “county” in its name, even though it was listed on the County Commission agenda under that moniker. 

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Part of the presentation from Robert Wells on Monday evening included several slides. In this on, it shows the Gilchrist Prevention Coalition Executive Board of Directors are Chairperson GCSO Capt. Sheryl Brown, Co-Chairperson Sheila Smith, Secretary Beverly Goodman and Treasurer Alesha Smith.
 
     The Gilchrist Prevention Coalition (GPC) is dedicated to promoting a healthier, more productive Gilchrist County.
     Wells said the GPC has been in existence for about eight years now, and it has had a presence in all of the schools in Gilchrist County for the past six years.
     Among its current programs are “Friday Nights Done Right,” where the coalition helps children and families at events planned by students and these include activities, resource information and training.
     These Friday night events help strengthen the message that there is no need to use alcohol or other drugs to have a good time.
     At the middle school and high school level, students are invited to join the Ambassadors Club. Participants in this club are inspired and empowered to understand the importance of being an active member of the community. The club helps members develop skills and character traits required to serve as leaders both at the school campus and off campus.
     Too Good For Drugs and Too Good For Violence are programs for students in the fourth and fifth grades to help them learn good decision-making methods and to understand the importance of setting goals.
     Student ambassadors Riley Bethea and Lily Scharnhorst shared their stories of serving in this club with the County Commissioners.
     Wells told listeners that the GPC has adult training available as well.
     The group has monthly meetings at the Gilchrist County Public Library in Trenton on the second Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m.
     There is mental health first aid training for young people and adults. 
     Another activity is Veterans Coffee and Pastries Fellowship, which is for United States military service veterans on the last Wednesday of the month from 9 to 10 a.m. at the American Grace Café.
     To see the exclusive July 16, 2021 story and photos titled Gilchrist County unites to reduce problems from drug abuse, click HERE.

Old gym wood floor distributed
Information Provided By Levy County Commission
Published April 16, 2025 at 3:45 p.m.
     BRONSON – The Levy County Board of County Commissioners are pleased to announce the wood from the floor of the
H.A. White Gymnasium is now available to the public.
     The wood is located in front of the ticket booth, on a first-come, first-served basis.
     The County Commission chose to demolish the gym. Some people wanted keepsakes. The wood is for those people who wanted something to keep in memory of the former gym.

Gilchrist County 4-H
Coin Challenge continues
Organizers note
the new hunt starts April 19
By Jeff M. Hardison © April 16, 2025 at 9 a.m.
     TRENTON – With Gilchrist County heralding its 100th year of existence this year, Gilchrist County Extension started hiding Centennial Coins in what it calls the “Gilchrist Centennial - 4-H Coin Challenge.”
     This challenge coin search highlights historic events, prominent people and nostalgic places throughout Gilchrist County’s 100 years. 
     The challenge continues until Dec. 30. Gilchrist County Extension and 4-H hides coin tokens and release between eight and 12 clues per month.
     The clues provide a way to find these hidden treasures.
     Here are the ways to obtain one of the 100 coins:
     • Two coins will be drawn at each major centennial event for attendees.
     • One-hundred coins will be available throughout the year through a historical hide-and-seek game where each coin will be tied to a location/place in history and the location will have a laminated coin waiting to be found. The first person to find it will take a photo at the spot and grab the laminated coin plus leave the card behind stating the coin was already taken. 
     • The laminated coin must be returned to the Extension Office for exchange of the real challenge coin.
     • As clues are posted, residents may call in with the answers to the clues and will be awarded with one raffle ticket entered for each correct answer. To get credited for the solved clues a participant must call in or email the Extension Office at 352-463-3174 or jaltum@ufl.edu. 
     Please contact the UF/IFAS Extension office in Trenton with any questions.
     Following are the latest round of clues provided by Gilchrist County Extension.

Shows planned for historic Marion Theatre 
Information Provided By Marketing Manager Sally Linder
Published April 12, 2025 at 10 a.m.
     OCALA -- The historic Marion Theatre is set to bring laughter and joy to downtown Ocala with a series of upcoming comedy shows and special events that promise to entertain.
     Featuring a lineup of talented comedians and musicians, each show will deliver a night filled with humor, wit, and memorable performances in the heart of Ocala.
     Unless otherwise indicated, events are held at the Marion Theatre located at 50 S Magnolia Ave, Ocala, FL 34471. Tickets can be purchased at mariontheatre.org or by contacting the box office at 352-351-1606. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. 
April 2025
Sit Down for Stand Up
Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. - Tickets $15
     You won’t want to miss this hilarious stand-up comedy event featuring James Yon, Amir Schuman and Steve Sargent.
May 2025
Tribute to the Women of Song 
Benefit concert for PACE Center for Girls Marion
Thursday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m. - Tickets $35
     Join us at the Marion Theatre for an unforgettable evening of music, dance, and celebration.! A star-studded cast of talented local ladies will take the stage backed by an all-star band (Voltron Collective) to perform iconic hits by legendary female artists, spanning multiple decades and musical genres.
     This lively, feel-good concert invites you to dance, sing along, and share the energy of empowering anthems that unite generations. Immerse yourself in a festive atmosphere full of laughter, connection, and camaraderie. Best of all, every ticket supports the incredible mission of PACE Center for Girls Marion, directly benefiting local young women. Come ready to move, groove, and have an amazing time -- all for an inspiring cause!
Sit Down for Stand Up
Friday, May 9, 7:30 p.m. - Tickets $15
     This hilarious stand-up comedy event features Patrick Garrity, Bob Holden and Jake Polin. 
Jason Ellis  
Friday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m. - Tickets $30
     Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and now living in Los Angeles, California, multi-athlete/performer Jason Ellis has had an illustrious career across many different platforms.
     A true renaissance man, he has been a professional skateboarder, radio personality, MMAfighter, race car driver, New York Times best-selling author, actor, singer, public speaker, past participant and current host of XGames, and most recently stand-up comedy.
     As the host of the daily Jason Ellis Show on SIRIUS XM radio for more than 15 years, he has now transitioned to the podcast world with The Jason Ellis Show Podcast and Hawk vs. Wolf podcast alongside fellow skateboarder and friend, Tony Hawk.
June 2025
Sit Down for Stand Up
Friday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. - Tickets $15
     You won’t want to miss this hilarious stand-up comedy event featuring Zac Townsend, Forrest Beers and Gina Micciche.
July 2025
Natalie Cuomo
Saturday, July 19 7:30 p.m. - Tickets $30
     Natalie Cuomo is an internationally touring stand-up comedian. Her debut album Shut Up You Loved It released by The Stand Comedy Club Records debuted at #1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Natalie can be seen on Ink Master: No More Ink! Season 16 on Paramount Plus. Natalie was named a Finalist in New York Comedy Festival’s “New York’s Funniest” Competition in 2024, and one of the festival’s “Comics To Watch” in 2023. Natalie has amassed millions of followers across social media. She has been featured in Time Out NY, Inked Magazine, New York Magazine, Metal Injection and LA Times.

Astronomer shares 2024
solar eclipse photos
Next solar eclipse is Aug. 12, 2026
By Jeff M. Hardison - Photos By Bob Hess
Published April 10, 2025 at 3:30 p.m.
     CHIEFLAND – One of the astronomers who spoke with the only journalist at a recent dedication for an astronomical museum in Levy County had mentioned he had created a video of the solar eclipse that was visible from some parts of North America in 2024.
     Bob Hess found the video was too big to send via email, however he was able to send pictures to HardisonInk.com publisher Jeff M. Hardison recently.
     Hess provided a few still photos which are frame grabs he was able to capture from the video.
     They are shown below.

     The Monday, April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse crossed North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
     The total solar eclipse began over the South Pacific Ocean. 
     The path of the eclipse continued from Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveled through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan also experienced the total solar eclipse. The eclipse entered Canada in Southern Ontario, and continued through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. The eclipse exited continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
     A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the Sun's light and revealing the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona.
     The next total solar eclipse after the one on April 8, 2024, will be on Aug. 12, 2026, with totality visible in the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain.

Cedar Key Fine Arts Show
unveils treasures

Looking -- Saturday (April 5) at about 10 minutes after the fine art festival’s official start of 10 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) -- uphill on Second Street (from an area near to the Cedar Key Arts Center, where many artists there concur with an understanding that creativity is inherent and vital to the development of humanity, and with a purpose is of nurturing and encouraging the arts), toward the Cedar Key Historical Society and Museum, where it intersects with State Road 24, (and which has a society of members that includes people who realize the value of history and artifacts of old), one sees some of the many display areas and people enjoying the beautiful spring morning.

Story, Photos (except one) and Video
By Jeff M. Hardison © April 6, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     CEDAR KEY – The Cedar Key Fine Arts Show on Saturday (April 5) offered chances for people to find a multitude of actual and metaphorical treasures, some that are similar to those in years past and some that are brand new for 2025 as well.
     This year, the island city continues recovering from devastating hurricane damage it suffered during a couple of annual hurricane seasons. The festival was held for one day rather than two days. It was not a juried art competition. It was named the Cedar Key Fine Arts Show rather than by another name used for some years prior to then.
     This year, too, some people were drawn to other fun events on that Saturday as well. A number of local children’s baseball games were unfolding at Charles Strickland Recreational Park next to Old Fannin Road in Chiefland -- and elsewhere.
     Likewise, it was great weather to go to the Crossroads Festival in the area of Cross City Town Hall in Dixie County. There were a number of other things to draw people there.
     And folks went to still more activities in the Tri-County Area of Levy, Gilchrist and Dixie counties beyond the short list to make the most of that Saturday.
     Just as things change everywhere, like in Cedar Key, there has become a change of at least one annual event in Dixie County that used to happen this time of year. For some years in the past, the Dixie County Chamber of Commerce held an annual expo and fly-in at Cross City Airport. That has not happened for a couple of years now, and shows no sign of returning.
     Meanwhile, back to the art fest drawing folks toward one of the points in Levy County that touches the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday (April 5), along Second Street in downtown Cedar Key as well as toward and inside Cedar Key City Park, there were scores of artists, artisans as well as some Levy County government agencies and many charitable causes in and around Cedar Key that beautiful day on that wonderful island full of happy, resilient souls.


This video shows three members of the Cedar Key School Safety Patrol -- Ella Moots, Eleanor Huffman (Audrey’s twin sister) and Veronica Jones -- selling water at the Cedar Key Fine Arts Show on April 5. They have a short chant that has been said for more than a decade of their predecessors. They sell bottled water at this festival to help fund their trip to Washington, D.C., during the summer. Click on the PHOTO to see and hear the video.
Video By Jeff M. Hardison - All Rights Reserved


One of the scores of artists and artisans at the show is Alexander G. Fishburne III (seen here) who built this tacklebox from Eastern Aromatic Cedar Wood in 2005. The 76-year-old Fishburne has lived in Lake City (Columbia County) for nine years now after moving there from Charlotte, South Carolina, where he lived next to a lake that flooded after a three-day rain.


This attached metal label shows the artist’s name and when it was created.


This larger tacklebox is not really for fishing lures and the like. It had a sticker price of $1,200. Alexander G. Fishburne III said it took him 65 hours to create this work of wooden art.


These paintings are among a giant gallery of art all along Second Street in historic downtown Cedar Key on Saturday. While these paintings will fit well on many walls, there was amazing art that was several feet long and tall available for sale to people with large spaces calling for that art to be placed there.


Easten Hatchcox, 17, of Cedar Key holds an $8 container of delicious, refrigerated mullet dip that he took from its cooler to show the world when he was requested to do so. Also next to him are very modestly priced handmade wooden cutting boards he built from ash and sassafras wood, as well as ash, sassafras and cherry wood.


Representing the office of Levy County Supervisor of Elections Tammy Jones at the event are Assistant Supervisor of Elections Jordan Lyndsey and Voting Systems Manager Jennifer Matthews. They gave away ink pens and other items to visitors, as well as offered Levy County residents opportunities to register to vote. They also answered questions.


Publisher Jeff M. Hardison (orange shirt) throws a cloth stuffed fish toward a hoop in an attempt to win a prize at the tent for the UF/IFAS Master Gardeners. Possible prizes included bookmarks, googly-eyed plastic ‘bugs,’ glow-in-the-dark plastic bugs, Fresh From Florida Activity Books and Florida wildflowers coloring books.
Photo By Barbara L. Edmonds of UF/IFAS Levy County Extension


Levy County Master Gardeners Debra and Peter Weiss of Yankeetown are among the volunteers who provided information about plants and helped visitors enjoy the 2025 Cedar Key Fine Arts Festival. Debra is holding the cloth stuffed toy fish that were thrown in the game many people played to win prizes.


Levy County Tax Collector Michele Langford is seen here. She had staff members at the event, too, helping people understand taxes, passport applications and more.


The Friends of the Lower Suwannee (River) and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges brought this group’s information kiosk on wheels. This Friends group has given a phenomenal level of volunteer service, funds and more to help keep these federal wildlife refuges in this part of Florida.


Friends of the Lower Suwannee (River) and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges Member Jeri Treat and Friends President Ron Kamzelski agree to a photo op requested by a roving reporter at the festival. They helped visitors to the Friends’ area learn about the refuges and invited them to join in efforts to preserve them for future generations to enjoy.


Firefighter-EMT S. Bateman and Firefighter-EMT D. Currie of the Levy County Department of Public Safety (aka Levy County Fire Rescue) pause for photo op in front of an ambulance near to their booth at the festival. A camera-shy paramedic was part of their ambulance team at the event, but she is … modest.


Florida Highway Patrol Trooper J. Adkins is among the security forces for the event. The Cedar Key Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency on the island, but with so many people at this annual event, the city finds other agencies willing to assist.


Renowned local country music singing legend Reggie Stacy is seen here performing a George Strait song titled The Fireman, in the pavilion at Cedar Key City Park during the festival on Saturday. Stacy won a recent election and will begin his four-year term as a member of the Bronson Town Council in May. Stacy replaces incumbent Tyler Vorhees, who was the youngest Town Council member elected in Bronson’s history when Vorhees took office.


Members of the Cedar Key Lions Club selling and then serving bratwurst to visiting patrons at the festival are (from left) Past President Stephen Rosenthal, President Robert Belair, and members Rory Brennan and Susan Rosenthal.


Cedar Key Lions Club President Robert Belair grills bratwursts as a fundraiser during the festival.


Cedar Key School Principal Josh Slemp holds a six-ounce container of smoked fish dip that was sold (with crackers) for $7 to help CKS. Principal Slemp had others at the tent helping with this project, but an intrepid, illustrious and prolific photographer pulled him aside to be the star player representing that team to be shown to the world in this voluntary and honorable duty of the day.


Representing the Levy County Prevention Coalition at the festival are Tameka Porter (left) and Javon Porter. The LCPC is an organization that has significant positive impact on children and young adults in its effort to prevent drug abuse. The LCPC has a goal of sustaining a healthy community for the young people in it. The coalition focuses on providing Levy County youngsters with the tools and opportunities needed to build a strong personal foundation for a healthy and prosperous adulthood through the implementation of youth substance use prevention strategies and academic, vocational and personal enrichment programming.


Cedar Key School Fifth Grade Teacher and CKS Safety Patrol Sponsor Kearston Andrews (left) and CKS Fourth Grade Teacher Amber Ryan are among the people selling delicious grouper sandwiches at the festival. These funds are to help the fifth-grade CKS safety patrollers go to Washington, D.C., this summer.


Representing the CKS PTO and cooking and selling hotdogs and shrimp as a fundraiser at the festival are (from left) CKS PTO President (and teacher) Jocelyn Morales, CKS freshman Gavin Rains, CKS PTO Treasurer (and CKS counselor) Jenni Lynn Hudson-Lang, CKS sophomore Fisher Collins and Levy County School Board Member Linda Campbell. Among the many other groups selling items at the festival were the Cedar Key Oystermen’s Association, the CKS Senior Class and The Dolphin Project.


Members of the Cedar Key School Safety Patrol this school year are Audrey Huffman (seated), Harper Jennings (left) and Jasmine Bates. These fifth graders were among patrol units selling bottled water at the festival as they earn enough money to go to Washington, D.C., this summer with other safety patrol members from around the state and the nation.


As seen in a video noted above, Members of the Cedar Key School Safety Patrol Ella Moots, Eleanor Huffman (Audrey’s twin sister) and Veronica Jones pull a wagon full of bottled water available for sale.

     To see the April 9, 2016 story “Art magnet opens on Cedar Key,” which is a story and photos from the first day of the two-day art festival that year, click HERE. (There are many other years of coverage of the two-day festival by HardisonInk.com during the past 15 years of this multiple award-winning daily news website’s existence.)