Glenn's Neighborhood Newsletter

                Glenn's SUMMER'S COMIN' 

       NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER-  MAY, 2026

 

IT'S WILD IN FLORIDA PARK

    My list of neighborhood wildlife gets longer.  Since Francesca and I landed in G'ville in 2019 we've shared it with deer, rabbits, and lately, two foxes.  "Fluffy" has a shiny red coat and "Twiggy" -a thin ten-pounder who carries her babies in her mouth

Twiggy heading north on 20th Drive.

 as she heads up our street (we like to think they aren't dead squirrels).

We ran into neighbors Peggy and David Carr while hiking through Rattlesnake Woods recently. They were excited having just seen their first Florida Park turkeys take flight. Another neighbor spotted an otter enjoying the creek at the 18th Terrace dip. 

The raccoons and prehistoric armadillos poke around in the moonlight making it hard for our chickens to sleep.  Coyotes saunter through our 'hood as well. Aren't we lucky to live where nature abounds.

 

NATURE BOY

    North Florida's premiere naturalist, writer/guide Lars Anderson, grew up in our neighborhood on Rattlesnake Creek. We heard his presentation last Sunday at the Headwaters Nature Center on Florida's water history.  Fascinating it was. It began with his photo of our very own creek taken from Rainbow Bridge.

Afterwards I asked him to be a guest speaker at the Limestone Stage and he said he'd be delighted.  The Stage, which has featured musicians like Bob McPeek,  underwater geologist Michael Perfit, and several dramatic productions, is located in our front yard. I'll let you know when Lars chooses a date.

He'll be lecturing at the Nature Center again on Sunday, June 14th, at 1 p.m.

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PICNIC 

     Over a  hundred of us gathered for the University Park Neighborhood Association's neighborhood picnic on Sunday, April 19th.  We were sheltered from the sun in Parker Park and enjoyed good food, President Abe's speech, and former mayor Mark Goldstein's accordion.

 

 

"UPNA" has been representing us for decades. Its most formidable task now is trying to keep fraternity parties from making life miserable for the people living south of 8th Avenue.  Gainesville once had laws protecting its residents from deafening parties. Unfortunately effective ones no longer exist.

The good news is that two months ago a helpful police officer arrested the host of a recent obscenely-loud gathering after he repeatedly refused to lower the volume.  

Two weeks later the high-volume party boys were at it again. 

 

NO MICHAEL FOR ME 

     No, I won't be seeing the new Michael Jackson movie.  Call me old-fashioned but I don't support people who molests children. Years ago when I watched brag on "60 Minutes" that he loved sharing his bed with young kids I thought, "this guy is one sick sicko".  I switched him off for good. Like the Orange Menace, he should have been locked up long ago.

 

WE'RE # 50, FLORIDA SHOULD BE ASHAMED 

Our governor recently bragged that there are plenty of good public school teaching jobs available paying $49,000 per year.  While that's a decent starting salary what he did not mention was that new Florida teachers will never make much more than that. Last week's National Education Association report shows our state place last for the third straight year with Florida's average public school teacher pay at $56,663.

We are LAST, the cheapest state in the country. That's something we should all be ashamed of and another reason to vote for Democrats -who support paying decent teacher salaries- in upcoming elections. 

 

SURPRISE!

I was reading the latest Forum Magazine at my dentist's office last week when I came across an article about my former home, Coconut Grove. I wondered who had written it as it had no byline.

When I started to read it I soon learned it was me! It was a transcription of a 2021 interview.  I had forgotten my jokes so they were fun to read again.

 

 

 

COME SEE MY SHOW

Many folks don't know I am an artist. I've never made much of a living at it as I create things that people are unwilling to exchange money for. They include whimsical creatures, masks, and the occasional cartoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of them can be seen in my current exhibition. It's at Gainesville's obscure art venue, the UCG Gallery.  It is located at the United Church of Gainesville, 1624 NW 5 Ave.  It's open four days a week.  For days and hours call 352-378-3500.

HARD TO MISS 

I'll close with a photo of new art work gracing NW 8th Avenue. The mailbox's creator moved here a month ago.  He showed me his impressive collection of the thrift shop toys which he turns into art. 

 If you ask he'll probably decorate your mailbox as well.

That's about it for the spring collection. Have a safe and adventurous summer.

-Glenn