Silver Springs is one of the most popular and largest group of springs in the state, and with tons of history, there are many ways you can experience the area that is reminiscent of the days of Old Florida.

But as Spectrum News discovered in this week's Florida on a Tankful, the best way to experience the springs might be with Get Up and Go Kayaking, and their unique floating windows into the depths of the springs.

Pushing off the sandy landing into the waters of Silver Springs, you're set for an adventure into one of Florida's most iconic springs.

“You're welcome to adjust that seat if you need to, whatever makes it most comfortable," Get Up and Go Kayaking guide, Lauren Robarge, explained to her group of around 15 excited kayakers.

Robarge is one of Get Up and Go Kayaking's newest tour guides, and while she might not be a home grown Florida resident, she certainly considers herself a sunshine state resident now.

She grew up learning to love the outdoors, and she moved here from New Hampshire when she was 9. Her time was spent hiking, fishing, and spending time on the water, something she ended up turning into a part-time career after leaving a more corporate position over a year ago.

“I've just always loved the springs, it's like home since moving here to Florida," Robarge said.

Falling in love, not just with the beauty and nature of these springs, but also the history. Silver Springs is the largest artesian spring in the world, and the site of the oldest commercial tourist attraction that was designated as a national natural landmark in 1971. Fun fact, the springs have even had their fair share of movies and shows filmed on site.

“This was actually where the original creature from the Black Lagoon was filmed and this spring was actually used as his lair," Robarge explained while on the tour.

It's a tour that is sure to peak your interest into the history of this storied old Florida spring. One where you can experience all of the beauty through the clear bottom kayaks from Get Up and Go Kayaking.

Get Up and Go Kayaking tours are by reservation only. They do have several other locations across the state. If you're interested check out their website.

Ocala Star-Banner

Editor's note: This column has been revised to reflect the correct location for the May 1 performance of the Marion Civic Chorale.

Photographs by Steven Benson

The Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, presents “Invented Observations: Photographs by Steven Benson” on exhibit April 30 to Nov. 6 in the Balcony Gallery for Florida Arts. Benson is a professor at Daytona State College and is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Midwest Fellowship. His work has been displayed in numerous collections, including the Museum of Fine Art Houston, Detroit Institute of Arts and Museet for Fotokunst in Denmark. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit www.AppletonMuseum.org.

Marion Civic Chorale

The Marion Civic Chorale announces its Spring concert series, with “The Journey Home,” featuring the poetry of acclaimed American poet and Pulitzer winner Sara Teasdale. Performances will be at 3 p.m. May 1 at Fort King Presbyterian Church, 13 NE 36th Ave., Ocala, and 3 p.m. May 15 at St. George Anglican Cathedral, 5646 SE 28th St., Ocala. Free and open to the public; donations gratefully accepted to help fund the Grat L. Rosazza music scholarship. For more information, email President@marionchorale.org or visit www.marionchorale.org.

Symphony Under the Stars

The annual Mother's Day tradition is back on May 8 at the Ocala Golf Club, 3130 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Join Fine Arts For Ocala (FAFO) and the Ocala Symphony for this event. Gates open at 3 p.m., the symphony performs at 7 p.m., and fireworks start about 8:45 p.m. Bring a picnic or purchase food and drinks from food trucks. Tickets are $20 to $80. More details at fafo.org.

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'Beauty and the Beast'

This Disney musical will be live onstage May 12-June 5 at the Ocala Civic Theatre. "Based on the beloved 1991 Disney film, this 'tale as old as time' is brought to life in a spectacular stage version of the classic fairytale. All the songs from the movie are here, plus half a dozen new hits written for the stage musical," OCT said in a news release. More at (352) 236-2274 and www.ocalacivictheatre.com.

An Evening of Solos and Choral Music

The CF Wind Symphony performs at the Dassance Fine Arts Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. More than 40 musicians including students, alumni and community members will perform a program of musical selections, directed by John Ash. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 352-854-2322, ext. 1419 or visit the events calendar at www.cf.edu.

Marion County Museum of History and Archaeology

Presentation featuring MarthaLynne Allen discussing the connections between her grandfather Ross Allen and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlins at the Green Clover Hall, 319 SE 26th Terrace, Ocala, May 15 at 2 p.m. Reception follows the program. Free to members, $5 for nonmembers. For more information, call 352-263-5245.

Florida nostalgia lovers, rejoice. And maybe say a prayer for your pocketbook.

After a multiyear hiatus, Floridania Fest returns to Tampa Bay on May 21. Thousands of historic Sunshine State souvenirs, artwork and collectibles will be for sale at the Gulfport Casino, from postcards and felt pennants to orange blossom perfume and alligator-skin handbags.

“It’s just a super fun hobby because it can combine your love of history, and especially Florida history, with collecting,” said author Ken Breslauer, who has hosted the event on and off since 1994. “You can have lifelong friendships with people who have the same passion.”

Breslauer typically spends six months or so promoting his events and works with about 20 dealers, who are all devoted to scouting out fun and quirky artifacts. The event will also have plenty of Florida books for sale, from Breslauer’s own volumes detailing the state’s souvenir history to coloring books about Florida’s lost landmarks.

Breslauer, 65, has an interesting history of his own: He grew up in Delray Beach and became a sports writer for the Pensacola News Journal, then spent 37 years at the Sebring International Raceway, where he retired after working as the media relations director. Along the way, Breslauer earned a master’s degree in historic preservation, publishing a thesis in 1999 based on roadside attractions in Florida.

“It wasn’t that big of a topic and then all of the sudden in 2003, Cypress Gardens went out of business,” he said. “Everyone was worried about the future of these roadside attractions, how they might be lost to development and so forth.”

Breslauer followed up his thesis with a book on the history of local roadside attractions. And he started collecting. His first show was at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, but over the years it’s traveled to other historic venues in cities around the Sunshine State.

Browsing the merchandise isn’t just a fun way to spend a Saturday. It’s also a way to understand how Florida has sold its sunshine over the years. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, most trinkets were handcrafted, including mementos made with natural Florida wood and gator skin.

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“The early attractions of Florida are based on the natural appeal of Florida,” Breslauer said. “The springs, the gardens, the wildlife.”

As the 20th century progressed, the rise of the roadside attraction ushered in a new era of keepsakes: ashtrays, decals, plates and View-Master reels. Before Disney made a splash in the ‘70s, spots like Silver Springs, Sunken Gardens and Cypress Gardens reigned supreme.

Certain attractions have big crossover appeal among collectors and will be very present at the show, like Weeki Wachee’s mermaids and Cypress Gardens’ water skiers. Tiki Gardens, a now-defunct Indian Rocks Beach attraction that capitalized on the midcentury tiki craze, is popular with tiki enthusiasts. A 33 RPM record put out by the attraction now can go for up to $500.

“Whatever people tend to remember from their childhood tends to be what they go crazy for,” said author Rick Kilby, who will be selling his history books at Floridania Fest.

When Kilby was working on his last few books about Florida’s springs, he attended Breslauer’s events to find artifacts he could use. These days, he’s going more to have some fun shopping.

“Ken buys the cream of the crop,” Kilby said. “He has stuff no one else has.”

Kilby’s advice: If you see something you like, grab it. He still remembers unique items from previous festivals that he didn’t buy and hasn’t seen since, like tiny hand-drawn billboard inserts that Silver Springs sold to be added to model train sets from the 1950s and ‘60s.

“This is really a good chance to find your Florida treasure,” Breslauer said.

If you go

Floridania Fest takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 21 at the Gulfport Casino. The last admission is at 3:30 p.m. $5, children 14 and under are free. 5500 Shore Blvd. S, Gulfport.

Silver Spring, MD, May 13, 2022 — Former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse RaDonda Vaught has been sentenced to three years of probation after a jury convicted her of criminally negligent homicide and impaired adult abuse for mistakenly administering the wrong medication that resulted in the death of a patient in 2017. The following statement is attributable to both the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA):

“We are grateful to the judge for demonstrating leniency in the sentencing of Nurse Vaught. Unfortunately, medical errors can and do happen, even among skilled, well-meaning, and vigilant nurses and health care professionals.

After speaking with Vaught and her attorney, ANA sent a letter to the judge which would be submitted into evidence on Vaught’s behalf. In fact, leading up to the sentencing hearing, ANA was in communication with Vaught and her attorney to discuss the best ways for ANA to provide support to Vaught in the specific context of sentencing. Per those communications, we drafted a letter for submission to the court as evidence through her counsel. The letter expresses, from a professional and nursing perspective, legal reasons why we would humbly request leniency. We were compelled to take this action because we all see ourselves in Vaught. Nurses see themselves in Vaught; our peers and colleagues and health care professionals beyond nursing see themselves in Vaught.

Nurses at all levels and across all settings provide care in demanding work environments with challenges that predate the COVID-19 pandemic. Consider this: a typical nurse’s shift is fast-paced and high stakes, with constant patient turnover, inadequate staffing levels, varying patient acuity, exposure to infectious disease, and risk of work-related injury and violence. All of these factors impede the delivery of safe patient care, and nurses too often find themselves working under conditions that increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes from tragic mistakes.

Our hearts continue to go out to the loved ones of both Ms. Murphey and Nurse Vaught, all of whom are deeply affected by this tragedy and face a long road of healing. Leaders, regulators and administrators have a responsibility to nurses and patients to put in place and sustain organizational structures that support a just culture, which includes recognizing that mistakes happen and systems fail. Structures should include full and confidential peer review processes to examine errors, deploy system improvements and establish corrective action plans. The criminalization of medical errors will not preserve safe patient care environments.”

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The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation’s 4.3 million registered nurses. ANA advances the profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all. For more information, visit www.nursingworld.org. High-resolution images of the ANA logo or photos of ANA leadership are avaialble for download.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona today announced the 58^th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 161 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.

"Our 2022 Presidential Scholars represent the best of America, and remind us that when empowered by education, there are no limits to what our young people can achieve," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "Today, I join President Biden to celebrate a class of scholars whose pursuit of knowledge, generosity of spirit, and exceptional talents bring our nation tremendous pride. Throughout one of the most trying periods in our nation's history and amid our recovery from the pandemic, our students have once again demonstrated their strength and that they have so much to contribute to our country. Thanks to them, I know America's future is bright."

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service and leadership.

Of the 3.7 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,000 candidates qualified for the 2022 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT or ACT exams or through nominations made by chief state school officers, other partner recognition organizations and YoungArts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.

As directed by Presidential Executive Order, the 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 scholars in the arts and 20 scholars in career and technical education.

Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored over 7,900 of the nation's top-performing students. The program was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

The Presidential Scholars Class of 2022 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer with an online recognition program.

A complete list of 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars follows and is also available at http://www.ed.gov/psp.

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Scholars for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

May 2022 * Scholar for U.S. Presidential Scholar in Arts. ** Scholar for U.S Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education.