Did you know we offer FREE movies in our parks throughout the year? Yes we do! In May we’ll show Basquiat at the Art Park. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets & your friends for this intriguing movie based on a true story! A full line-up of our After Dark in the Park Movies is online. Popcorn and snacks will be available for sale. This movie is rated R. See you at the park!
It is the moment we have all been waiting for! The skatepark is finally opening to the public! Join us for this event! DJ Rocket and Papa Pineapples will be there. We will host a BEST TRICK COMPETITION for a $20 entry fee (proceeds go right back to the park!) The first 300 people through the gate get a FREE commemorative dog tag. Team Pain will be there with other freebies! See you there!
For the third year in a row, Levitt AMP returns to Webb Field and brings a diverse collection of amazing talent! There will be food and beer for sale, as well as vendors, non-profits and games for the kids! These concerts are FREE so save the dates:
- May 31 – Sons of Mystro
- June 7 – Dr. Nativo
- June 14 – Remember Jones
- June 21 – Canon
- June 28 – Tonina
- July 5 – The Foxies
- July 12 – Mr. Sipp
- July 19 – PJ Morton
- July 26 – Empire Strikes Brass
- Aug. 2 – Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band
CELEBRATING MOTHER NATURE AT MOM’S PARK!
Memories of Missing Smiles, Inc. (M.O.M.S.) was founded by two mothers that lost sons in separate automobile accidents in 2008.
December 2009, M.O.M.S. received permission from Ocala City council to locate this Memorial Park on a portion of Ocala’s Jervey Gantt Park. On January 24, 2010, M.O.M.S. broke ground on the park. On September 24, 2011 the Memories of Missing Smiles Children’s Memorial Park and Reflection Pond was established!
Today, M.O.M.’s Park is open to the public and provides a serene, tranquil space in which everyone can go and enjoy the beauty of the park and the precious memories of the children who are honored here.
Photo Credit: Governor’s Press Office
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed CS/CS/SB 96: Police, Fire, and Search and Rescue Dogs and Police Horses. The bill increases the penalty from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony for intentionally and knowingly causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or death to police canines or horses, fire canines, or search and rescue canines.
“Like the officers they serve with, these animals are frequently placed in harm’s way for the safety of our communities and I was proud to sign this bill today that increases the penalty for harming them,” said Governor DeSantis. “These canines and horses play critical roles in law enforcement activities, and for their service, they deserve greater protection under our laws. I thank Senator Bean and Representatives Tomkow and Byrd for their work on this good legislation.”
The Governor was joined at the bill signing ceremony by Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Senator Wilton Simpson, bill sponsors Senator Aaron Bean, Representative Josie Tomkow, Representative Cord Byrd and other members of the Florida Legislature. Also in attendance were law enforcement personnel, including Officer Matt Herrera, whose canine partner Fang was murdered in the line of duty, as well as Debbie Johnson, the founder of K9s United. Continue reading
Boomtown Days biggest event was Crowning Queen of the Rainbow. This tradition has gone for many years. Town people dress up like the olden days, grow beards and celebrate. This year’s Queen is Christine Adams and the King of the Rainbow was Jonas Duncan.
I was captured by the very youngest of the Boom Town Babies, the two, three and four year olds. It was a hoot. The theme was The Wizard of Oz. The mothers went all out to dress their children as one of the characters. The children had fun and I also watched the expression of the faces in the audience. It was a great event. Pictured above is all the little Baby Kings and Queens. They all got a crown.
by TomL
School bus driver resigns after being accused of Child Abuse. I am sure it is very humiliating and embarrassing for the school bus driver of 30 years to be charged with such a crime and of course the media got them another headline and plays it up.
As I understand what happened, the child has the problem. The day this incident happens a school teacher / (employee) struggled to escort the student from the containment unit to the bus. The law states all students must be seat belted in. This is a bus for challenged students. The student would not let the aide seatbelt him in. The student punched the aide in the face and struck her in the head with the buckle of the seat belt. The bus driver went to assist the aide, they struggled with him for a few seconds and the bus driver was charged with child abuse.
This child should not be in the school system if he is violent. He was certainly out of control that day. I ask, how much abuse does a school bus driver and their aide have to take before the school system will acknowledge there is a problem and support them. Continue reading
First let’s talk a little bit about the Sheriff
Billy Woods was born and raised in Marion County. Sheriff Woods has devoted his life to serving his community. Prior to being Sheriff he was with the Ocala Police Department for 26 years. During that time he held various positions. Billy Woods years of service he received multiple commendations, including the Medal of Valor and Medal of Distinction.
At the breakfast Sheriff Woods explained the changes he has made and some of their successes busting the bad guys. The Ocala Business Leaders audience had a lot of questions and Sheriff Woods answered every one of them. The morning was a success.
Thank You Billy Woods for being the speaker.
At TomL Publishing we have 4 monthly Newspapers: two in Ocala (Ocala DownTown which covers Silver Springs Blvd & Seniors Voice of Ocala which covers HWY 200). In and near the Villages we have the Lady Lake Magazine which covers Lady Lake Villages & North of 466 we have Village Spectator covering where Lake & Sumter & Marion county come together.
Our Newspapers are print and thrown to the yards, but we are also online at TomLpublishing.com, VillageSpectator.com and OcalaDownTown.com, which are all mobile friendly. On the sites’ Home page we have rotating banners and quick links to the latest news, events, columns. On the sites we also publish advertising rates and circulation. For our customers we will put your thirty second video on our Facebook free. Continue reading
Nothing But Networking is a great event. Business people meet other business people to discuss what they do. Often they do business with each other or pass on the information to others that might do business with you. It’s a great event hosted by the Chamber almost every month at a great restaurant. Lately there has been over fifty attending and once in a while the one hundred mark will be broke. This Nothing But Networking was held at Texas Road House Grill and will be held there again on May 2nd 11:30. Call Sue Kelley to RSVP at 352-753-6029. Tell her Tom sent you!
