Kulaqua River Ranch Water Ranch:
Mother’s Day: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. today, River Ranch Water Park, 23400 NW 212th Ave., High Springs. Free admission for Mother’s Day, : $14 ages 4 and older, free ages 3 and younger. (bit.ly/kulaqua21) In an effort to support the community, Camp Kulaqua opens the River Ranch during specific Sundays during the summer at a discounted rate with no reservations required. The venue requests that modest swimsuits be worn. Food and coolers allowed, but no glass containers or alcoholic beverages.
Mother’s Day: Kanapaha Botanical Garden: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. today, 4700 SW 58 Drive. Free admission for mothers.(bit.ly/3ejLKiT)
Gainesville will negotiate with a local company instead of a South Florida firm to develop a mixed-use downtown project on city property known as “Lot 10.”
City Commissioners opted Thursday night not to go with a recommendation of a real estate consultant at least for now to hire the Boca Raton-based Predesco Property Investment to develop the site at 100 SW First Ave.
Two other local firms had submitted proposals to develop the site after the real estate firm Colliers International, on the city’s behalf, put out the development request.
Instead, the commission authorized city officials to negotiate with the locally based AMJ Group Inc., which has extensive Gainesville development experience and had also put in a development proposal for the city-owned land in front of Loosey s Downtown.
“When he proposed it, the governor generated headlines across Florida. Since then, nothing. By Friday, the final day of the legislative session, no such bill had emerged. Despite the governor’s remarks, college students across Florida have been punished for failing to comply with health rules.”
“This March, Jacksonville’s public school district told (Amy) Donofrio to take the flag down, saying it violated district policy on political speech by employees. Donofrio said no. So she was taken out of the classroom and reassigned to non-teaching duties. Donofrio is now represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The suit alleges the flag’s removal was a violation of her First Amendment rights.”
The discussion focused on how cash policies would affect marginalized communities, particularly people of color.
“I think it all starts with basic dignity. Poverty is not a consequence of character. It’s a systemic problem and you don’t solve poverty by wishing it away,” Poe said.
Charles Booker, a former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, also gave remarks at the meeting. He said guaranteed income will disrupt a system of poverty that affects communities like his.
“Ultimately, we have to understand how important it is to invest in people. And universal basic income is critical to me to chart a new course. When you understand, like I do, how we have built a system that criminalizes poverty, how do you disrupt that?” Booker said.