VOLUME 9 ISSUE 2 JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 2015
REACH For The Stars
PRICELESS
STEM Students are Changing The World
Our therapy program is designed to rehabilitate individuals back to their highest level of independence and functioning. Our therapists and nurses work closely with the physician and resident in order to create a plan of treatment that will combine comprehensive care with the patient’s personal goals.
services • Individualized Physical, Occupational & Speech therapy • Joint Replacement (Knee, Hip, etc...) • Stroke • Cardiac Disease • Fractures (Hip, Shoulder, Pelvic, etc...)
2 | Currents | January/February 2015
• Arthritis • Neck/Back Pain • Balance Disturbances • Difficulties Walking • Generalized Weakness • Wound Care
Activities of Daily Living: • Bathing • Ambulating • Dressing, • Eating • Transferring
Your family’s health means everything to us.
For comprehensive family care, you can feel confident turning to Lake Shore Primary Care West. And now, we are proud to welcome Michael C. Ukaegbu, M.D., to the group. Dr. Ukaegbu provides services ranging from routine exams to the careful management of chronic conditions. He is dedicated to helping families like yours achieve and maintain good health – for life. Same-day appointments are often available. And for your convenience, you can call or schedule your appointment online.
Michael C. Ukaegbu, M.D.
Jennifer Scott, ARNP
Internal Medicine
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Member of the Medical Staff of Shands Lake Shore Regional Medical Center and Member of the Allied Health Staff of Shands Lake Shore Regional Medical Center.
221 SW Stonegate Terrace, Suite 101
386-292-7744 ShandsLakeShorePhysicians.com Currents | January/February 2015 | 3
[c o n t e n t s]
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06 High-tech health at home
Four top-of-the-line health and fitness gadgets can help you keep track of your workouts, weight and dieting all from the comfort of your own home.
12 Robots were just the start
Columbia High School teacher — and 2014 Champion of Children — Celena Crews shares her love for STEM education and passion for her students.
20 A wedding on the radar
20
Some styles fade and other trends die, but these wedding trends are sure to stick around and make your day the best it can be.
24 Tickle the ivories
Even when all around her were giving up, local piano teacher Genie Harris never gave up on her dream — and business — of teaching others the art of piano.
28 ‘I do’ forever
Vern and Maureen Lloyd have been through life’s ups and downs — together. The Lake City couple got married in 1962 and never looked back.
36 Bring back the swagger Columbia High graduate Michael Kirkman is working hard during the MLB off-season, hopeful to return to the game he loves.
42 Don’t wish winter away
[ [ Avid gardener Martha Ann Ronsonet shares the joys of winter gardening in North Florida, and what flowers work best in this weather.
PUBLISHER: Todd Wilson EDITOR: Robert Bridges ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Theresa Westberry SALES: Eileen Bennett Donna Bowen Jose Rodriguez
WRITERS: Tony Britt Emily Buchanan Eric Jackson Sarah Loftus DESIGN: Emily Lawson PHOTGRAPHY: Jason Matthew Walker
CURRENTS magazine is a publication of the Lake City Reporter, 180 E Duval St., Lake City, FL 32055. To inquire about advertising, call (386) 752-1293 or e-mail Currents@lakecityreporter.com. © Copyright 2015.
28 42 COVER CREDITS Columbia High School science and engineering teacher Celena Crews talks about the challenges of teaching STEM classes and what’s ahead for her in the future. — Photo by Jason Matthew Walker
You can feel good about having so many surgical options close to home.
If you ever need surgery, it’s good to know that you have two skilled general surgeons right here to care for you. Jerzy Polmerski, M.D., and Edwin Gonzalez, M.D., FACS, provide a wide range of surgical options, including minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures. For many people, these procedures can mean less pain and a quicker recovery when compared to traditional surgeries.* For more information, call 386-755-7788 or visit ShandsLakeShorePhysicians.com. Edwin Gonzalez, M.D., FACS Jerzy Polmerski, M.D.
These surgeons provide the following types of procedures: Breast Surgery • Biopsies • Colon and Rectal Surgery Cystoscopic • Endoscopic • Gallbladder • General Surgery Hernia Repair • Laparoscopic • Thyroid and Parathyroid Ultrasounds • Pediatric Surgery (ages 2 and up)
755 SW State Rd. 47
Currents | January/February | 5 Center *Patient results may vary. Consult your physician about the benefits and risks of any surgical procedure or treatment. • Members of the Medical Staff at Shands Lake Shore Regional2015 Medical
FITNESS TRENDS
High-tech fitness at
HOME
Stay on top of your workouts, diets & more with these easy-to-use gadgets. By EMILY BUCHANAN As fitness gadgets and technologies continue to evolve, skipping the drive to the gym and exercising right from your living room may become your future daily routine. Here are some high-tech items to help you accomplish just that.
TAO Chair The TAO Chair, a chair designed to give you a full work out by sitting in it, takes watching your favorite television show while burning calories to whole new level. The chair lets you press and pull with your legs and arms in different directions as the chair moves and tracks your work out. Sensors are embedded inside the chair and track your movement in every direction, according to the TAO Wellness website. The TAO Chair works out different muscle groups all over your body by using the company’s Variobics system, which a system that uses exercise that is variable, measured and active. Retail Price: Not yet available
With sensors embedded inside the TAO Chair, you can track your total calories burned in each session. The unique Variobics system works different muscle groups all over your body. 6 | Currents | January/February 2015
Chest pain. It may mean nothing. But it may take everything. Heart Attack Warning Signs Include: Shortness of Breath Nausea Dizziness Chest Pain Arm Pain Cold Sweat
Getting help immediately gives you a better chance to survive a heart attack. So know the warning signs listed above. And if you ever experience any of them, call 911 and get to the nearest emergency room.
368 NE Franklin St., Lake City • ShandsLakeShore.com Currents | January/February 2015 | 7
FITNESS TRENDS
SmartMat Yoga mat The SmartMat Yoga mat is another high-tech fitness piece of equipment that can be used in the comfort of your living room. The yoga mat has built in sensors that connect to your smart phone that give you feedback on your yoga practice, according to SmartMat’s website. By connecting the mat to the app, it offers feedback for adjustments on position, balance and alignment. The yoga mat works in two modes: in-home private mode and in-class assist mode. With the in-home private mode, you can choose a yoga class on the SmartMat app, follow the sequence, receive real-time adjustments 8 | Currents | January/February 2015
and a score from SmartMat so that you can continue to work towards a personal goal. You can also bring the SmartMat with you to a yoga
class with the in-class mode. The yoga mat will give you an additional analysis on your pose executions during class. Retail Price: $447
Growing to better serve YOU! hERe when you need us. Our expansion will double the size of our emergency room and bring our cardiac catheterization lab into the main hospital, providing for more centralized care for our patients. Follow us on Facebook to learn more about our expansion project – www.facebook.com/LakeCityMedical.
www.LakeCityMedical.com
Voted Best of the Best Emergency Room in Lake City Text “ER” to 23000 for average ER wait* times *Wait defined as arrival time until seen by qualified medical professional.
LCM-6110 Growing ER Ad_7x9.75.indd 1
Currents | January/February 2015 | 9 8/28/14 5:05 PM
FITNESS TRENDS
FitBit One The FitBit One is a gadget worn throughout the day that tracks your everyday movements. You can clip it onto your clothes and it tracks movements such as your steps around the house, the distance you walk to work or the calories burned while you take the stairs to your bedroom, according to FitBit’s website. Not only can you wear it during the day, but you can also wear it at night when it measures your sleep quality and helps you learn how to sleep better. The FitBit One also has a silent alarm that vibrates to wake you in the morning. The FitBit One will automatically sync your data to your computer or smart phone after signing up with an account on the website in order to track your progress. Retail Price: $99
Track your every step, distance walked, and more with the FitBit One — a gadget so small and discreet no one will know you’re wearing it. The FitBit One works 24-hours a day, even while you sleep, measuring your sleep quality and waking you with a silent, vibrating alarm.
UP by Jawbone
Unlike other fitness tracking devices, UP takes tracking health levels and guidance to a whole new level by also tracking your diet. The tracking device is worn around your wrist and tracks your diet by giving you healthy food scores, logging the amount of water you drink and also providing popular restaurant menus with enhanced calorie tracking, according to Jawbone’s website. UP also features a function called Insight Engine, which helps the person wearing the device learn about the different activities, diet and sleep patterns that all influence each other. Retail Price: $79 10 | Currents | January/February 2015
Watch more than your workouts with UP, watch what you eat and feel good about it. The UP gadget by Jawbone tracks your diet by giving you healthy food scores, logging the amount of water you drink and more.
Currents | January/February 2015 | 11
ROBOTICS TRENDS
Robots were ju
12 | Currents | January/February 2015
ust for starters Celena Crews is helping revamp STEM education countywide. FROM THE CURRENTS STAFF Photos by Jason Matthew Walker
As a Central Florida fifth-grader on Jan. 28, 1986, Celena Crews stood outside with her classmates and looked into the sky as history unfolded horribly before her. “I grew up in Bradenton and we had a great view of Space Shuttle launches,” she said. “We were all standing outside watching and cheering on this historic flight that was to carry the first teacher into space.” But it was obvious something was terribly wrong. “I remember the complete silence followed by the sobs of all the teachers,” she said recalling the Challenger disaster. “Later that week as we all absorbed what happened, I asked my teacher what could be done to
make sure that never happened again. Her words to me were this: ‘I think NASA needs some new engineers.’” That one sentence changed her life forever. By the end of elementary school young Celena Crews was determined to become an aerospace engineer and work at NASA. And she did. But somehow — improbable as it might have sounded at the time — she ended up in Lake City, where she is helping inspire a new generation of students to dream big. Crews, the 2015 district Teacher of the Year, is best known for creating the robotics program at Columbia High School and a whole lot more. But it didn’t come easy. Crews was living her own dream at Johnson Space Center in Houston where she was part of the Electrical Power System team on the International Space Station program, in the mission evaluation room of mission control. Then came word her husband Brett’s
LEFT: Timothy Dotson (back row, from left), Priyanka Patel, Mohammed Raffey, Celena Crews, Andrew Nydam (front row, left) and Houston Crews stand with Magnum PSI. Celena Crews, the Columbia High School science and engineering teacher, founded the robotics program at CHS. RIGHT: A 3D printer remote for a potentiometer is seen on a control panel. The remote mimics the angle of the claw on the robot. Currents | January/February 2014 | 13
ROBOTICS TRENDS
Timothy Dotson (left), 16, and Shawn Ziegaus, 16, look at hex spaces that Dotson made.
mother in Lake City had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. They moved to Lake City, where Brett grew up, and Celena eventually went looking for a new career. She tried teaching math in 2003 at CHS, but it wasn’t even close to what she’d expected. “I had kids throw books at me, I had kids coming to school drunk and high,” she said. “It wasn’t why I wanted to teach. It wasn’t the level of kids I wanted to work with because, unfortunately, I had 20-year-olds 14 | Currents | January/February 2015
that could barely read. These weren’t the ones that were going to be aerospace engineers.” Still, she gave it everything she had and “got good results,” she said. “I had great relationships with my students but it took everything I had.” Already pregnant with her first child, enough was enough. Crews wouldn’t return to the classroom for another seven years. But on a whim in 2010, she checked out the district employment website and saw something she didn’t expect: an
opening for a calculus teacher. “I used to joke around that I would only return to CHS if I could teach calculus,” she said. “Considering CHS had only had two calculus teachers in about 30 years, I didn’t actually think that would ever happen. I don’t know if you believe in signs or in divine intervention, but I knew I had to apply.” All they asked was, “When can you start?” Then came “this robotics thing.” Amy Stanton, CHS science coach at the time, had already
AD VERTISEMEN T
Helping You Make the Transition CARETENDERS LAKE CITY HAS A VARIETY OFof SERVICES cAretenderS ofOF gAineSville hAS A vAriety ServiceS THAT Aid AID SENIORS thAt SeniorS IN in MAKING mAkingAALIFESTYLE lifeStyleCHANGE. chAnge
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he life changes that come with age can be at once mystifying and frightening. Whether it’s something as minor as new glasses or as major as a move to assisted living, Seniors are often concerned that lifestyle adjustments can lead to lack of independence. Thankfully, Mederi Caretenders of Gainesville has a variety of programs aimed at answering questions and easing the transitions that Seniors face. “As with anyone, when a senior is faced with one or more major life changes - such as a move to an assisted living community where they’re changing their lifestyle to accommodate some limitation, or they lose a loved one - this can be very scary and overwhelming and can possibly lead to decline in physical and/or mental health,” said Susan Swirbul, a patient care liason at Caretenders. Caretenders has a variety of services specifically designed for clients undergoing a stressful period of change. These Seniors might be experiencing new limitations on mobility, cognitive deficits, effects of medication or other challenges that necessitate a change in lifestyle. When combined with declining overall health and other factors, clients can easily become depressed and feel as if they are losing control of their lives. One such service, the Transitional Care Program, assists in a Senior’s transition to an assisted living facility. A physician’s order is placed for a comprehensive geriatric needs assessment, which is conducted by a nurse who
is thoroughly trained to identify the imminent needs of the patient. Once the client is settled in, the program professionals help manage medical needs and communicate with families, assisted living staff and other people involved with the client’s care. The program includes a team of psychiatric and medical nurses, therapists and social workers, all of whom have extensive experience and training in working with Seniors in transition. For patients dealing with loss of mobility or cognitive abilities, Caretenders provides occupational therapists to help them re-learn and perform everyday tasks. They can also ensure that Seniors are using medical equipment correctly – for example, they can demonstrate proper positioning in a wheelchair. All of these changes can take their toll on a Senior’s morale. Psychiatric nurses provide emotional support and teach clients how to deal with their feelings of frustration and helplessness. They also partner with other Caretenders professionals to provide education and moral support to caregivers, as they play a crucial role in a Senior’s outlook on life. “Having an expert team of Caretenders clinicians that specialize in working with senior adults needing transitional support can help seniors sustain good health by incorporating proven techniques, like thorough mental/physical assessments, support counseling and engagement in meaningful activity,” said Swirbul.
“I wondered if my family could manage all the care I needed after leaving the hospital.”
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Currents | January/February 2015 | 15
ROBOTICS TRENDS applied for the grant to get things started. Then-CHS Principal Terry Huddleston just needed somebody to lead the way. Crews said Huddleston made it sound easy. “‘C’mon, you were a NASA engineer, you built robots,’” she said he told her, “and I said, ‘No, I didn’t.’” Besides, she told him, she didn’t have time for that. “I’m staying up at night relearning calculus so I can teach it the next day. I’m in survival mode, I can’t take this on,” she recalled. “But eventually they talked me into it.” All this was in her first semester back in the classroom in fall 2010. She was still teaching mostly remedial math, but that would soon change as well. Since then, Crews has become the emblem of STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Math — education in the county, and the accolades have piled up, including Teacher of the Year. When representing the district at the 26th annual Macy’s Florida Teacher of the Year event in Orlando last July, she was presented one of two special recognition awards given out during closing ceremonies. Crews was also named a “Champion of Children” last year by the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations. That’s a statewide honor given to a teacher who consistently seeks outside resources and opportunities for their students — something especially vital to an underfunded rural district. “The best part of it was the recognition for Columbia County,” she said. “We’ve shown that small rural districts can 16 | Currents | January/February 2015
A potentiometer is seen on the C.H.I.E.F. (Champion Hope In Engineered Form) robot, which shoots a yoga ball into a goal.
Robotics student Christian Zecher, 16, fine tunes Magnum PSI, which shoots T-shirts during the CHS football games.
A 3D printed trigger is seen on the C.H.I.E.F. robot.
grow and maintain successful STEM-based programs and business partners just like the bigger districts can.” On top of that, her CHS robotics team, GET SMART, placed in the top four in the world for the Media & Technology Innovation Award at the end of their 2014 season. They made it to the final rounds of the Orlando regional for the third year in a row, nearly unheard of for a newer team, after ranking in the top 8 out of 64 teams at the robotics competition in Orlando. And one former student, now a freshman at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., was a top ten finalist and had his design for a 3D-printed kicking tee selected for use in the media kit for the 2014 Stratasys Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge, a global contest. That “robotics thing” changed Crews’ life by any measure. It led her to found an Engineering Technology program at CHS that in turn has changed how she spends her day in the classroom. “I still teach that one AP Calculus class but instead of the rest of my days being filled with intensive math classes, they are now filled with three levels of Engineering Technology classes,” she said. “My students are learning computer programming and computer-aided design. They are earning industry certifications in AutoCAD and SolidWorks and have the opportunity to work with a 3D printer. They are exploring different areas of engineering and many of them are deciding to go on to pursue degrees in engineering.”
Best
of the
HOsPItAL for
Best
15 yeArs cOnsecutIve
Lake City Medical Center has been named the Best of the Best hospital in Lake City for 15 consecutive years! While we are pleased to be recognized with this award, our priority continues to be providing the very best medical care to the communities we serve. Thank you to our physicians, nurses and caregivers for making a difference every day!
Thank you for voting us Best Hospital and Best Emergency Room! Text “ER� to 23000 for average ER wait* times *Wait defined as arrival time until seen by qualified medical professional. (Message and data rates may apply. For more information, visit: TextERHelp.com)
LCM-6430 Best of the Best Ad_Currents_7x9.75.indd 1
www.LakeCityMedical.com
12/30/14 11:45 AM
Currents | January/February 2015 | 17
ROBOTICS TRENDS Robotics instructor Celena Crews speaks with Bill Griffin, a technical mentor, about setting up the new Computer Navigated Control router, which uses a drill bit to cut out wood, aluminum and acrylic materials.
Four years after returning to the classroom, Crews can boast of former students studying engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, the Air Force Academy and Cal-Poly. With plenty more to come. “I can now say I’ve accomplished what I set out to do when I decided to try teaching,” she said. “I have inspired students to go and do what I did.” That doesn’t mean she’s ready to call it a day. But she has been engaged in considerable self-reflection
18 | Currents | January/February 2015
of late about her future in education. “While I love working with students and know I make a lasting impact, I feel I have an even bigger purpose to fulfill,” she said. This school year she is participating in the Teacher LEAD Network, a program for
current district Teachers of the Year throughout Florida. The goals of the program include strengthening teacher leadership at local schools, fostering collaboration and lifelong learning among teachers, and supporting academic achievement. After that she plans on pursuing a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Crews said honing her leadership skills will help her reach her goal of spreading STEM education throughout the county and beyond. The exact form her ambitions will take is yet to be seen. Still, the sky’s the limit — just like in NASA.
A birthing experience as unique as your baby. Having a baby is one of life’s most amazing experiences. And at The Birth Center at Shands Lake Shore, we’re here for you, as the only hospital in the area standing by with the staff and facilities for your delivery. We offer options to accommodate your personalized birth plan, with the safety of you and your baby as our primary concern. And in most cases, labor, delivery and recovery can all take place in your private birthing suite. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 386-292-7800 or visit ShandsBaby.com.
368 Northeast Franklin Street Lake City, FL 32055
Currents | January/February 2015 | 19 82374_SHLAK_BirthingCenter_8_875x11_375c.indd 1
1/15/15 3:07 PM
now TRENDING: Your WEDDING TRENDS
Here are tips to make the most memorable day of your life even more memorable.
Wedding
By EMILY BUCHANAN Worried that your big wedding day might become a part of an outdated trend before it even happens? Unlike wedding trends that typically last a few years and then fade away, these trends are more likely to last a couple decades. Getting in shape for your wedding day has always played a big role. As more people are signing up for a gym membership nowadays, the first trend we see is that more gyms are offering personal training packages for newly engaged couples. “With such a huge life event, couples strive to be spiritually, mentally and physically ready for the big day, which gives them a better outlook on what they’re marriage will turn out to be,” said Michelle Richards, owner of Lake City’s Step Fitness, who decided to offer discounts to newly married couples when she opened her gym seven years ago. Although Richards hasn’t seen a recent increase in newly engaged couples signing up for memberships together, she said she has seen a steady increase of soon-to-be brides signing up and trying to shed that lastminute weight to be in top shape for their big day. Richards said about 50 percent of her customers use the couples’ discounts, which is about 30 to 40 20 | Currents | January/February 2015
Meet the Management
Bette J. Carlson, M.S.R.D. Administrator
Stacey Johns, RN Director of Nursing
Amanda Gibson, LPN A-Hall Unit Manager
Colleen Wirth, LPN B-Hall Unit Manager
Terri Hauge, LPN Restorative Nurse Coordinator
Debbie O’Reilly Therapy Director
Sandy Watson Activities Director
(386) 752-7900
Teresa Graham Business Office Manager
1270 S.W. Main Blvd., Lake City, FL
Audrey Short Director of Admissions
Jessica Herndon, RN Mona Gleaton, RN C-Hall Unit Manager Risk Manager/Staff Development
Jodi Rodgers, LPN MDS Coordinator
Donna Primous Housekeeping Manager
Sheila Miller Social Services Director
Adam Dotson Maintenance Director
Linda Frederiksen Dietary Manager
• 24 Hour Nursing Care • Short Term Rehab • Long Term Care • IV Therapy • Palliative Care / Hospice / Respite Care Currents | January/February 2015 | 21
WEDDING TRENDS
We’ll help your team find a
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Y COMPU
Another trend beginning to unfold with newly married couples is wedding websites. Without going through all the trouble of getting to the store and buying something for a friend or family, now all you have to do is go to their website. Many couples can now communicate information about accommodations to their wedding guests or questions about registry items. User-friendly hosting sites make creating a wedding websites an easy task for anyone. The last up-and-coming trend, some say, is worth a thousand words. Although posed photography will likely never go out of style, candid photos of the bride and groom celebrating their special day with the ones they love have become a popular trend. From capturing photos using photobooth props to having the bridal party jump in the air on the count of three, newly married couples want to fill their photo albums full with laughter and fun shared with others on their big day.
CENTRO .INFO
Wedding Websites
COURTES
percent less than the normal membership rate. “Even if couples were to take 30 minutes every day to work out, it could help de-stress a very stressful day,” she said. “Especially in a town like Lake City where couples tend to get married at a younger age and they have to plan their big day on top of going to college.” When a bride signs up for a membership, Richards said that she will see the bride working out more often than other regular members that use the gym. Richards has also seen mothers of the bride in the gym working out right before their son or daughter’s big day. “Everyone wants to look good for that special day,” she said. “When couples workout together, it strengthens them physically and mentally for the future.”
We are Dedicated to Improving Lives - Everyday.
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Columbia County Sheriff’s Office personnel are dedicated to serving our community with integrity and compassion while delivering proactive, professional law enforcement services to meet the diverse needs of our community.
Visit us online at www.ColumbiaSheriff.org Operations Center
Voted Best Campground in Lake City
Lake City Campground The best memories are made around a campfire.
Mark Hunter, Sheriff
Columbia County Detention Facility
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See it first in the Lake City Reporter
Let us celebrate your engagement with you! Currents | January/February 2015 | 23
MUSIC TRENDS
PIANO LADY THE
Woman has been giving lessons since early ‘70s. By SARAH LOFTUS
Photos by Jason Matthew Walker
F
orty-three years ago, at the age of 13, Genie Harris started giving piano lessons. Back then, piano lessons were a common activity for children. Organized sports weren’t quite as popular as they are now. Computers, tablets and video games didn’t exist yet. Piano lessons is just what kids did. In the past 43 years, a lot has changed. Today’s youth don’t know what it’s like not to have a computer in their homes or not see adults around them texting on their smart phones. Piano lessons are no longer one of the most popular activities for kids. And pianos are no longer a common item found in homes. More than a century ago, acoustic piano sales were booming, with more than 364,500 pianos sold in 1909. But ever since, piano sales have been steadily falling, and more recently, sales have started to plunge. Piano stores across the U.S. have been closing, and the few stores that are still open are sometimes the only ones left in certain areas. Despite all that, Harris’ steady flow of piano students has remained steady. The Lake City resident doesn’t know exactly why she has never seen a decline in students, even during the Great Recession as other piano teachers had to move on to other jobs to stay afloat, but she’s thankful for it. In 2007, as the stock market began crashing, when she and her husband still
Genie Harris sits at the piano in her Lake City home. ‘I always knew I was going to (teach),’ she said. ‘I started teaching when I was 13. It’s really fun to see my students succeed. My goal has never been to create a star musician or virtuoso, but mainly to just see them experience something that they couldn’t do before.’
24 | Currents | January/February 2015
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lived in Orlando, he was one of millions of Americans that lost his job. It was her teaching that allowed them to pay their bills. Harris said she only lost fewer than five students during the recession, and for most, it was because they moved away, not for economic reasons. “I was amazed,” she said. “People will do things for their kids when they really enjoy it.” They’ll find a way to afford it even if money is kind of tight, Harris said. In 2010, she and her husband moved to Lake City where he found another job. She had no students, but things picked up quickly. “I didn’t have any trouble building up my business,” Harris said.
26 | Currents | January/February 2015
Now, she teaches about 20 music lessons a week — 15 of which are piano lessons, 12 of which are acoustic piano lessons. The other lessons she gives are voice and violin lessons, and the other piano lessons she teaches are on digital pianos. Her students are all different ages. The bulk of her piano students are third-grade to ninth-grade students, but she also has some younger and some older. A couple are in first and second grade. One is in college, and she even teaches a few senior citizens. She said that during the summer of 2014, she had at least three new students begin and has had very few leave. She has heard all the stories of piano teachers across the nation having to close down shop, but she doesn’t see herself becoming one of them.
BAYA POINTE
NURSING AND R EH ABI L ITATION CEN TER
a Consulate Health Care Center
Currents | January/February 2015 | 27
LIFELONG TRENDS
LONG LIVE LOVE Compromise is key for couple married for 52 years. By SARAH LOFTUS
I
Photos by Jason Matthew Walker
n the mid-1950s, Vern Lloyd asked Maureen to dance at their church’s youth dance in North Syracuse, N.Y. They knew each other vaguely but weren’t really friends. They went to the same high school, and Maureen hadn’t really liked Vern. She always heard his name read on the morning announcements for all of his accomplishments. He was really smart, and it kind of annoyed her. That changed eventually. They danced together as friends at the church dance. But nothing really came of it. And in 1958, Vern left for college to study chemical engineering the State University of New York at Potsdam — a few hours north of their hometown. That could’ve been the end of their friendship, and they might’ve never seen
28 | Currents | January/February 2015
Lake City residents Vern and Maureen Lloyd have been together for 52 years. Vern said that the secret to staying strong is through ‘perseverance. We sometimes have arguments, but we resolve them. We compromise.’
each other again. But it wasn’t, and they did. In the summer of 1959, when Vern was back in North Syracuse, he decided to go visit his high school with some friends to see his old teachers. He had no idea that Maureen would also be there, taking a summer school course. “I think maybe there was a little flicker from before,” Vern said. So he asked Maureen out to dinner and a movie. Maureen said she thinks she said yes because the idea of dating a college guy while still in high school was exciting. They went to Hyde’s Hotdog Stand. They can’t remember what movie they saw, but it was fun. And with that, a romance and great friendship was born. One that would turn into a 52-year and counting marriage. One that would inspire the couple to be the best versions of their selves and has showed them and
continues to show them how to love, be good friends and work together. Through good times and tough times. Four years after getting married, seven weeks after their first child Jennifer was born, Vern was summoned to Vietnam. At Potsdam, he was in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corp, so when the Vietnam War started, he had to go. In June of 1966, Vern stood in the Syracuse airport with his wife and baby daughter as he left for war. “I can still picture (Jennifer) in the (baby) carrier as I left the airport,” he said. After kissing and hugging them, he got on the plane. He missed them, and they missed him, but they found a way to get through it. Maureen would write Vern a
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LIFELONG TRENDS letter and send a picture of Jennifer almost every day. In the mid ‘60s, cassette tapes were popular, so Maureen would also send him tapes of Jennifer’s squeals, cries and laughs. And to this day, they still have those letters. It was hard, but the war wasn’t nearly as bad for Vern as it was for others, he said. And a year later, he came home and got a job in Niagra Falls, N.Y., where they lived for the next 20 years. And a year after that, their second child, a daughter they named Susan, was born. They’ve lived in three states since then, raised two daughters, watched their daughters go on to have their own kids, counseled them during their own hardships, volunteered more hours than they can count, most notably organizing the March of Dimes Walk, and supported one another when the other needed it most. And most importantly, stayed positive through it all. Even in the really difficult times where they didn’t know what tomorrow held. In 2002, Maureen was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
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“I remember the way he was looking at me as we drove home from the doctor in Gainesville” right after she was diagnosed, she said. “I know what he was thinking. I was thinking the same thing.” Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma affects the lymphatic system and weakens one’s immune system.
Vern and Maureen Lloyd are pictured above in their 1962 wedding in New York. The couple went to the same high school in North Syracuse, N.Y. and had their first dance at a church’s youth group dance nearly a decade before they wed.
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P
H n p
LIFELONG TRENDS
‘In sickness and in health’ became a reality for the Lloyds during their 52 years of marriage. In 2002 Maureen was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After radiation treatments and 11 years had passed, another health tragedy struck. In 2013 Vern had a stroke. After a week in the hospital, he spent the next 2-3 months recovering at home and is now in good health. 32 | Currents | January/February 2015
They were wondering if she would make it. At first, Vern was a wreck, but overall, he did well during her 19 radiation treatments, which is what got rid of the cancer. “I told him I didn’t want him to worry too much,” Maureen said. So she told him he didn’t have to go with her to the treatments and left him at home with things to do around the house, like small paint jobs, to keep his mind off the cancer. Eleven years later, in 2013, another health tragedy struck their family. Vern had a stroke. Maureen said he just started speaking gibberish, but it all happened so fast, so she doesn’t remember all the details. “It was kind of a really trying time for me,” she said. Vern was in the hospital for a week following the stroke and then recovered at home for two to three months. He hasn’t had a stroke since, and his doctors say he’s in good health now. But they don’t know what caused the stroke in the first place. Maureen said Vern has had a lot of stress in his life from working, so she thinks that may have contributed. While they were both scared when the other got sick, they stayed positive for each other. And supported one another. It’s what you do in marriage, they said. That and give each other a chance.
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SPORTS TRENDS
kirkman gets his
swagger
BACK
By ERIC JACKSON
I
f he isn’t staring down a strike zone, you can probably catch him lakeside staring down waterfowl — mallards must be alert when Michael Kirkman is around or else. associated press
The duck hunter hopes to drive that same sort of fear into opposing batters when he trades his shotgun for a baseball glove next month for Major League Spring Training. With just a few weeks until he reports to camp, the Texas Rangers pitcher knows it’s time to go back to work after months of relaxation. “It’s flown by,” Kirkman said. “I’m just trying to get back into the swing of things.
36 | Currents | January/February 2015
It’s time to start working hard. I’m looking forward to the 2015 baseball season.” The Columbia High graduate returns to his Lake City family home every off-season and again has accomplished everything he wanted to do like going on a hunting excursion in Arkansas or even catching his nephew’s birthday party. These days Kirkman can be found at his alma mater, working on his mechanics, on
the same mound he anchored the Tigers to numerous victories before being drafted by the Rangers in 2005. The Lake City native, who is 2-6 with a 4.98 ERA with the Rangers, has endured peaks and valleys during his baseball career. Nonetheless, the Rangers’ longest-tenured player showed promise when he was called up from a Triple-A late last season and compiled a 1.59 ERA in 12 games played.
Kirkman says the main ingredient to that success was a new-found sense of confidence, which he plans to bring with him to Arizona next month. The left-hander, who recently signed a one-year minor league deal, couldn’t be more prepped for what could be his final shot as a Ranger. Kirkman makes no bones about the pressure — he says his swagger is back. Increasing arm strength continues to be on Kirkman’s to-do list as he switched to a lower armslot in his delivery last season, which was ample in his impressive finish. The 28-year-old also is trying to improve his control over the plate as he prepares for his 11th year with the organization. Kirkman is tagged as a left-onleft specialist. He held lefty batters to a .198 batting average during his time in Round Rock (Triple A) last season. Before being demoted to Round Rock, the 2010 Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year in September
ABOVE LEFT: In this May 2013 file photo, Texas Rangers’ pitcher Michael Kirkman throws a pitch during a baseball game against the Houston Astros. ABOVE RIGHT: In this April 2013 file photo, Texas Rangers’ player David Murphy (second from left) congratulates relief pitcher Michael Kirkman (50) after he pitched the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners in Arlington, Texas. The Texas Rangers won 7-0.
associated press
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was used as an everyday situational pitcher and hopes to retake that role during the upcoming season. “I have a very good opportunity to make the team,” Kirkman said. “If I pitch anywhere close to last year, I’ll make that team. I want to go out there and compete for myself, for my family, and for the team. I love it especially on the big stage, in the big leagues. There’s nothing like 30, 40 thousand fans being in the stands.” Batters should be cautious of No.50 because he’ll have a different fire in his eyes this season.
Texas Rangers pitcher and former Columbia High School baseball player Michael Kirkman is seen on the CHS baseball field in this February 2014 file photo.
38 | Currents | January/February 2015
Currents | January/February 2015 | 39
OUTDOOR TRENDS
Angling
goes high-tech
By TONY BRITT |
Josh Lester, a sales administrator for McDuffie Marine and Sporting Goods, tests out a SIMRAD Evo 2 touchscreen fish finder, encased in a glassed-over panel system. The new technology is often found in yachts and big boats but is becoming more commonplace. They include features like a fully functioning radar and echo displays, can take video and also run all of the instruments.
O
ver the years fishing has e v o l v e d and one of the primary reasons behind the evolution has been technology. Long gone are the days of sitting on buckets waiting to catch fish. In fact, the days of riding in a boat hoping to find fish is also becoming a distant memory due to technological advances in the sport. The principal technological advance on most anglers’ boats today is the fish finder. No longer do fish finders just indicate whether something is swimming under the boat, recent advances allow anglers to see photo-like 40 | Currents | January/February 2015
Photos by Jason Matthew Walker
images that vividly show the bottom structure, wrecks, reefs and fish. Josh Lester, who works in the sales department at McDuffie Marine and Sporting Goods, said touch-screen fishfinders have increased in popularity and technology becomes more prevalent in fishing.
In addition he said many fishfinders now offers ‘down scan’ and ‘side imaging’ fish finding capabilities. The images are provided through the fishfinder’s transducer, which is either mounted to the back or front of the boat. Most of the latest models of fishfinders also have Google Earth overlay for
OUTDOOR TRENDS mapping capabilities. “Down scan basically gives you a photo-like picture of the bottom structure,” he said. “If you come over a ship or some submerged trees, you’re going to see a photo-like picture of it. You can clearly tell what it is.” Lester said “side scan” basically performs the same operation as “down scan” but does it on both sides of the boat, instead of directly below the boat. “The seven-inch touch screens are probably the most popular ones, but we’ve sold some here lately as large as 16-inch,” he said, noting most screens are either seven, nine, 12- or 16-inch models. The fishfinders are described as “next generation” technology and cost substantially more than fish finders in past years. “Technology, just like anything, has come a long way,” Lester said. “These machines start off at $1,200 now, whereas before you could purchase a GPS/ fishfinder for $500. They still make lesser machines, but they don’t do the things that they higher quality machines do.” Lester said the cheaper units don’t have the capability to perform “down scan” or “side scan,” but can do the Google Earth map overlay. “They just basically mark your routes, waypoints and trials,” he said of the units with older technology. Lester also noted that many of the higher-end units also have an option where their memory can be expanded with aftermarket mapping cards. “Pretty much all of the GPS units now have an SD card option where you can download updates for maps,” he said. “You can
This image shows the opening of the Suwannee River in the Suwannee Sound on the west coast of Florida. The unit offers a Google map overlay.
update them every few months.” A company called Navionics makes details mapping charts that are sold on SD cards for about $200 each. “You can put them in these machines, the micro-SD cards, and it enhances the quality of your pictures and they point out a lot of the wrecks and (fishing) hot spots,” he said. Lester said the units are made
for fresh- and saltwater anglers with maps that show different bodies of water in different regions of the country. As an angler, Lester said there are several advantages with the introduction of the new technologies to fishing. “They are much easier to work now,” he said. “All of these touch screens are easier to use, especially with offshore fishing. With these new sonars, down scan and side scan, anglers can find wrecks and rock easier. It just makes fishing easier. “With your GPS mapping, it just helps you find your fishing spots and allows you to navigate easier than the old GPS units,” Lester continued. “It’s safer. Anytime it helps you navigate better, it would definitely be safer.”
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GARDENING TRENDS
Wintgardening era
I
t’s difficult for me to look longingly toward spring when winter gardening is such a pleasure in North Florida. Winter is certainly the most comfortable time to be outside, when it seems someone left the AC on. Gardening in North Florida is a pleasure three out of four seasons a year. June, July and August are another story, but I’m sure that’s why God gave us the cool and beautiful springs and rivers to enjoy during the hottest times. So, for now, let’s just enjoy our perfect weather, in between our seldom hard freezes. Although we can usually transplant or move plants anytime of the year in Northern Florida, it is less stressful on the shrubs and trees if we do it in January through the middle of February because plants are dormant and are not actively growing. Resist the urge to do any major pruning or fertilizing in January because it might encourage plants to come out of dormancy and risk freeze damage. The few pruning exceptions are pears, blueberries, apples, dormant grapes and persimmons. The exception for fertilizing is for the 42 | Currents | January/February 2015
Martha Ann Ronsonet winter annuals and fruit trees (except spring-flowering shrubs, such as azaleas). Never fertilize plants that are not actively growing. To do so will only waste the fertilizer, because the plant cannot use it and it will leach down or run off into our water supply. Annuals should be deadheaded (removing spent blooms) in any season. This will prevent the plant from using energy to produce seeds and will promote more blooms. When choosing annuals to add to your garden, the bigger 4-inch pots will establish more quickly, as smaller transplants may be more susceptible to soil fungus diseases and seedling pests, such as cut-worms. Empty plastic cups or flower pots make good barriers for your tiny seedlings to prevent cut-worm damage. Just cut the bottom out and split if necessary to wrap around the seedlings. February is the time to cut
b a c k your tattered looking ground covers, such as liriope, holly fern and aspidistra, before new growth begins. If you wait too late the new growth may be nipped off and will show where it has been cut all season, especially true of liriope. The plants will look so much fresher when they leaf out and it won’t be necessary to selectively prune out the ratty looking leaves. Early February is the time to prune and shape rose bushes. Leave strong canes and remove the smaller pencil thin shoots, dead or damages canes, branches and suckers. Hybrid tea roses require more severe pruning than floribundas and climbing roses. Prune hybrid teas knee high, leaving 3 to 4 canes into an open vase shape. Easy care and old garden roses need pruning just to shape the bush and for removal of dead or damaged branches, removing no more than 1/3 of the bush. Climbers are pruned by removing old, weak canes and suckers and leaving healthy canes. Remove all yellowed leaves on the ground and the plant to help prevent overwintering of diseases. Remember in cold weather and in
shady areas, less water is needed. Once every 10 to 14 days is enough if it doesn’t rain. Water the lawn and ornamental plants 24 to 48 hours before a hard freeze is predicted and rain is not expected, this will help with cold protection. The University of Florida tells us not to attempt the commercial method to protect plants during a freeze. This method requires a continuous controlled flow of water to ice down plants for cold protection. A layer of ice can give off heat, but if not precisely controlled, could severely damage plants and the lawn. Camellias truly are the Queen of the winter garden. What more could we ask in a plant. Evergreen, grows in the shade and flowers heavily in the winter. By choosing now
you can see the many colors and type blooms available to add to your garden. They give so much in return for so little. (picture of Camellia japonica) Don’t be tempted to prune the dead foliage from your cold damaged plants, it gives added protection from future freezes. Wait until you see new growth peeking through, then you can clean up, otherwise too much may be removed and will take longer to recover. That is one of the hardest things to do when you see old brown dead foliage and it’s a beautiful sunny day. Patience is one of the most admirable traits a good gardener can possess. n Martha is an avid gardener who lives in Lake City. She is the author of “Gardening in the Deep South and Other Hot Pursuits.”
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Currents | January/February 2015 | 43
FESTIVAL TRENDS
Civil War comes to life
By TONY BRITT
The Battle of Olustee was fought more than a century and a half ago when on Feb. 20, 1864, Union and Confederate troops clashed in the only major Civil War battle fought on Florida soil. That day a total of 2,807 troops from both sides lay on the battlefield either dead or wounded following five hours of gunfire, cannon shots and strategic troop movements. The battle, which marked a Confederate victory, signaled the end of Union efforts to restore Florida to the Union. For close to four decades local re-enactors, Battle of Olustee descendants and living historians have paid homage to the troops who participated in that battle by hosting an annual battle re-enactment and battle festival. Through the years the Olustee Battle Re-Enactment has become the largest re-enactment in the southeast United States. The 2015 Battle of Olustee Re-Enactment and Olustee Battle Festival will take place Feb. 13 -15.
44 | Currents | January/February 2015
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FESTIVAL TRENDS In 1978 a group of Columbia County residents decided to honor the troops by staging a battle re-enactment, and this year marks the 39th year the Olustee Battle Re-enactment has taken place. The first two re-enactments took place at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. The following 37 events took place at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park in Baker County. Events at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park, which is also Florida’s first state park, will take place Friday, Feb. 13, beginning at 9 a.m. with class tours for school children; Saturday, Feb. 14 with a mini-battle at the battlefield, and culminates at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15 with
46 | Currents | January/February 2015
the 39th Annual Olustee Battle Re-enactment. Faye Bowling Warren, executive director of the BlueGrey Army, which stages the re-enactments, said the events are not designed to glorify war, but to commemorate the event that impacted the local community 151 years earlier, and more importantly to do it with dignity. The Blue-Grey Army hosts the annual Olustee Battle Festival each year. 2015 marks the 37th Annual Olustee Battle Festival. The Olustee Battle Festival is slated to take place Friday, Feb. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 14, in downtown Lake City. Most of the activities will take place at or around Olustee Park. The two-day battle festival
features performances by local entertainers, arts and craft vendors selling their wares, food vendors, Civil War Skirmish at the shore of Lake DeSoto and a parade on Saturday. This year’s Olustee Battle Festival will also feature Disc Connected K9s, World Champion Frisbee Dogs and their trainer Lawrence Frederick. Frederick and the award-winning dogs are slated to perform three times daily during the Olustee Battle Festival. An estimated 40,000 people attended last year’s Olustee Battle Festival weekend during the 150th Anniversary of the battle.
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48 | Currents | January/February 2015