AUGUST NEWSLETTER- "Up The Creek"

                                                                 UP THE CREEK

             -Glenn's End of Summer Newsletter-  August 28, 2024

For everyone living on or near the confluence of Hogtown and Rattlesnake Creek in beautiful Northwest Gainesville and, on the planet, Earth

 

HURRICANE DEBBIE

What was predicted as one of the busiest hurricane seasons ever has barely bothered G'ville.

Hurricane Debbie knocked down a tree blocking NW 11 Ave. For a day our creeks look like rushing torrents of cafe con leche but so far we've been fortunate. Knock on wood.

UPNA

Our University Park Neighborhood Association continues to do good things for our 'hood.  Save Sunday, Oct. 27th, for UPNA's Fall Picnic.  If you're not a member, sign up to support their good work for a paltry $20 a year... UPNAgnv.org. 

NEW NEIGHBORS

Max, Kaitlyn, and their baby are enjoying their

new home ar 2061 NW 20 Drive. He's a philosophy professor at the UF. They moved here from Philadelphia.

 

Last night we met Stephen, a pediatric surgeon at Shands. He's very busy moving into his new home two houses north of Max's, on NW 14 Ave.

 

THE SEASON IS HERE!

     This town is waking up from summer doldrums as the Gator Gladiators take on the Miami Flood Zone in The Swamp on Saturday. As a realtor told us when we first looked for houses here, "Live south of 8th Ave and you can make big money turning your front yard into a parking lot". 

    Mark your calendars for 5 p.m. on Thursday,

October 31.  That's when we'll have our sixth Florida Park Halloween Parade.

    

 Two months later (Saturday, December 28th)  The Flying Pig Parade will take wing in

downtown G'ville.   The first one last December was a huge success and much of that is due to to the residents of Florida Park. No other neighborhood produced as many volunteers and parade participants.  They were, for instance,  the heart of "The Run Away Ballot Box" and "Keep Your Stinkin' Hands Off My Body" pro-choice marching groups.

 

Melrose's "Dancin' Dinosaurs"

We're busy now raising the $ to make it happen again. We'll start our fun-filled meetings in early October. Now is a good time to start planning your group for G'ville's coolest event. All the information you need is on our website, www.flyingpigparade.org.

 

IAN'S BURNING THIS WEEK

Some of you know my youngest son, Ian. He is camping at Burning Man this week. I look forward to hearing his tales and hope to join him there in '25.

KIM'S NEW GALLERY

Kim Tanzer had an open house at her new studio/gallery on NW 16 Ave a few weeks ago.

The former dean of the University of Virginia's
School of Architecture is putting paint to canvas

Francesca and Kim

in impressive ways.  This fall she plans to host a variety of creative gatherings there to bring more joy to Gainesville.

 

AND SPEAKING OF JOY

How 'bout the new candidate running for President?   We join Gainesville Women For Harris on Saturdays as they share smiles and wave signs next to busy streets. They'll be doing it again this Saturday to get our football visitors honking. You can join on the south side of Archer Road at 35th Blvd between 10 and 11 AM.   That's the short road leading to Kohl's.

And don;t forget your "I'm With Kamala" and "Don't Make It Weird" signs.

Women For are also registering voters, go door-to-door, and teaching volunteers to help people make sure they are still eligible to vote.

It's surprising how many people we find who think they are eligible but are not. We show them how to fix the problems prior to November.

Last Saturday's rally in Downtown Gainesville

It's a terrific, energized group on FBook @"Gainesville Women For Harris". 

One more thing, I was told that men are welcome to join their efforts.

 

VOTE YES ON 4

A majority of Floridians support abortion which DeSantis & Co. have outlawed. If 60% of the voters approve Amendment 4 on election day Floridawomen will regain reproductive freedom.

Our local "Yes4Florida" group is canvassing neighborhoods every Saturday to ask residents to help end our abortion ban.  I joined them last week and was thrilled to see so many young people stepping up to the plate.

Mariah and Me Ready To Canvas for "Four"

You can learn more at FloridiansProtectingFreedom.com and can register for  their "Super Saturday" events at www.mobilize.us/yes4florida/ .  

Here's another way to

MAKE SOME NOISE!

Last May I met with two UF music instructors to

discuss forming a community percussion salsa band. Kevin and Cody took the ball and ran all the way to the rehearsal studio.

Their new group is "BlocoGNV" ("bloco" is Brazilian for a local drum band) and anyone can join, no experience necessary. I go to their weekly sessions and have a great time.  It's all at www.blocognv.com.

HEAR SOME NOISE

I went to my first meditative session at Gaineville's Gong Chamber two weeks ago. Twenty of us sat in chairs, or laid down, while Gong Master Dan played for an hour. 

It was trippy! More at Gongspot.crrd.com or contact Dan at gongforme@gmail.com.

HEAR SOME GREAT MUSIC

We love performances at Heartwood Soundstage. There are several every week in their acoustically perfect "listening room". Three weeks ago we heard Austrailian guitarist Kyran Danial and he blew us away.

Kyran Danial

Opening for him was Dr. Mark Staples, the well-known Gainesville cardiologist who can play a terrific guitar and transplant a heart on the same day.

There we were in our $25 seats just twelve feet away from these exciting musicians... amazing. HeartwoodSoundstage.com.

DO GATORS EVEN PLAY PICKLEBALL?

As you've probably heard Gov. Ron announced plans last week to build resorts, golf courses, and pickle ball courts in ten Florida state parks.

What's next, sea cow rides at Manatee Springs?

 

We've got to stop this madness. Here's a place to start:

The Florida Springs Council and Sea Turtle Conservancy are sponsoring a Letter Writing Party and Rally for the Parks Sunday, September 1st from 3 to 6PM at First Magnitude Brewing Company (south of Depot Park).  Bring a pen.

The Gov held a press conference today to say he was going to "slow his plans". DeSantis has received 250,000 complaints since he announced his ridiculous, ill-thought parks initiative last week. 

Let's send him 250,000 more.

 

HELP KIDS

The local Education Foundation runs a program to pairs mentors with teens in Alachua County.  You meet with them twice a month at their schools to help instill a love of learning.  All of the "mentees" come from low-income families and must maintain (at least) a 2.5 grade average. Upon completion of the program they receive a 2-year scholarship to any state university.

I met with Jovany for the first time this week.

He wants to become a dentist. If that happens I can give him a lot of business!

 More mentors are needed for the county-wide program. If you're interested call Kate Clement at 352-955-7250 ext. 6434. 

HELP AN ADULT

The Gainesville Library's literacy program needs tutors. They help a variety of people to learn speaking or English grammar skills in all of our county's branch libraries.  I signed up last month and am waiting to be paired up with my first "learners". We will meet twice a month for an hour.

If you'd like more information call the library at 352-334-3920. Ask for "Adult Services" and they will connect you with the literacy program. 

So much is happening this fall.  I'm a bit more concerned about our country's future than our football team.

Let's hope a few months from now we can consider them both "winners".

-G

___________________________________________

 

BUILDING A COMMUNITY

 Hurricanes build community. Ripped roofs and downed power lines get people out of the house and  talking to each other. 

There are also less stressful ways to do this. We're visiting a small town in coastal California this week.

They put together a day full of Fourth of July activities that made everyone have fun whether they liked it or not. 

There was the Third's ice cream social followed by the Fourth's early morning run. After that there was the horse-shoe competition, a pet show, egg toss, tug-o-war, and seeing who could eat watermelon the fastest. We walked down to the beach and entered the sandcastle building contest. 

The judges failed to see the brilliance of our six-inch edifice protected by a 40-foot pentagonal moat.  We explained, "Our castle is the safest. It could never be hit by cannonball". 

The parade here, ten minutes of decorated kids, is always a hit. It's pedestrian-powered and there are no politicians waving from convertibles.

 

What did you do on the Fourth? I liked being in a place where everyone pitched in to have a day-long party. 

People love community. They want to live in a place where they feel safe, nurtured by friends and family. Public events, be they parades, art shows, or barbecue cook-offs, help make this happen.

Happy Seventh of July,

GT

Sam and Sarah leading the parade in La Selva Beach, California

                                ____________

Summer '24 Newsletter

                                    UP THE CREEK

    SUMMER NEWSLETTER FOR FLORIDA PARK, G'VILLE'S GROOVIEST NEIGHBORHOOD 

Happy Summer Everyone. Aren't you happy it's hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk?  If concrete cooking isn't your thing maybe you should go for a swim.

I recently visited the new Westside Park pool to submerge myself.

 

For just $4.50 (half that if you're old) you can swim there or at of our many public pools. They're open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

 

 

And of course, there are our amazing springs, several just forty minutes away. There once was a

GAINESVILLE  SPRING

   If you were hot in Hogtown you could dip into Glen Springs -where 18th St meets NW 23 Ave-  until 1970.  That's when the water's flow had been reduced to a trickle. The suburbs around it sucked up most of the water and fertilizer run-off polluted the rest.

A pool was built around Glen Springs in 1924. It was shut down in 1970. Green scum covers it now.

   The Elks Club bought it and for $25 you can join them.  Your membership will allow you to drink beer while watching the slimy green pond that, for thousands of years, was our pristine, natural, swimmin' hole.

     Twelve years ago a group was formed, the "Friends of Glen Springs" to bring it back to life and  into the public domain. Unfortunately the Elks put too high a price on their beer bar to allow this to happen.

MILWAUKEE SPRINGS

In our segregated past African-Americans were not allowed to use Glen Springs. In 1940 they could go four miles north to Milwaukee Springs (It's just off 441 north of the Turkey Creek subdivision).  It seems to have faded away after the war.

I am told that water still flows there on what is now private property  Our county commission, together with the City of Alachua, is now discussing acquiring the spring so the public can enjoy it again.

One can not say enough about the cooling effects of

 

WATERMELON

Ward's has the best deal, a chunk enough for three for two bucks. And, they have the rare ones with seeds you can spit!

Nearby Newberry had its 78th annual Watermelon Festival last month.  That town is so '57 they still have beauty contests.  Several young women stood on a stage seriously vying to see who would be 2024's "Miss Watermelon". A Barbie-like "Savannah" claimed the prize.  Remarkable seed spitting skills were apparently not required. Look for Savannah in the next UF homecomng parade.

 

The festival's parade featured nothing but cars and trucks rolling  by.  Some had people waving at anyone who would wave back. 

 December 28th's Flying Pig Parade will be  nothing like that. 

If there is a queen, she (or he) will be the one who can best spit seeds.

'23's Clown Marching Band

 

It's a good time to start planning your group. Information and entry forms are on our website, www.flyingpigparade.org. 

 

 

Last Tuesday we had a parade board meeting. To keep from being bored we chose a Devo-inspired bucket head look.  There's no way anyone can take you seriously when you're wearing one of these.

BATHING IN SOUND

If cool water isn't your thing try immersing yourself in sound.  You can do that at Gainesville's Gong Chamber. 

 

It's  meditation sessions are incredible. You lie on the floor surrounded by thirty hanging melodic metal discs.

Dan Randall, the gong master, plays them with dramatic verve. The experience can be be exhilarating, and, rejuvenating. One fan comes regularly as it eases her chronic pain. 

I go to be amazed.

 

The Chamber shares space with "Sweetwater Picture Framing".

Most days the gong master is there as his alter ego, Dan, the frame master.

For more information on gongs: gongspot.carrd.com

picture framing: sweetwaterpictureframing.com

 

BANG A DRUM!

We're forming "Bloco GNV", a samba percussion group.  Classes start in early August.  If you're interested in being a part of it let me know.

Last month's Goombay Parade in Coconut Grove had no shortage of drums.

 

 

IT'S WILD!

We spotted a deer and two foxes in Rattlesnake Woods last month, just beyond Rainbow Bridge.

Just seeing it makes you smile

Spotted sunfish had swished 4-foot circular nests in Hogtown Creek bed. The males sculpt the sand and stand guard.

All the females have to do is lay 15,000 eggs every spring. The wonders never end in North Central Florida.

 

 

It's time to sign off.  I'll close with a cool morning that we enjoyed in Vermont last week. 

                                     ________

Your neighbor,

Glenn

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

         DIPPING INTO SOUTHERN VERMONT

   We came north this week to join my siblings for a

family reunion.  

 

 

 

On the way I saw two guys displaying our country's flag. 

Since it was still in its original colors and right side up, I assumed that they were not supreme court justices.

 

 

Outside the Bennington Museum Francesca and I encountered our "16th President Blessing the Nudists".

  A double-rainbow showed us the way to Dorset's

 

farmer's market. 

The produce, goat cheese, and granite shards were outstanding but what really caught my eye were the bumper stickers.

 

Well, it happens to be cold here, 52 degrees this morning.

I hope someone sticks some clothes on these two.

                   ________________________