For the Star-Banner

WEIRSDALE — Family, friends and dozens of Eagle Scouts gathered Saturday to dedicate the newly named Eagle Trail meant to honor a longtime scoutmaster and community advocate: the late Willet A.R. “Bud” Boyer Jr.

Jeff Gold, chairman of the County Commission, along with Boyer’s family members, unveiled the road sign. The commission has designated Southeast 137th Court in Weirsdale as "Willet A.R. 'Bud' Boyer Eagle Trail."

The roadway runs in front of the Weirsdale Presbyterian Church Boy Scout Building, which is home to Scouts BSA Troop 113 .The troop is known for producing a high percentage of Eagle scouts and saw 56 scouts earn the top rank while Boyer was scoutmaster, and 80 in total to date.

Serving the community:Scouts help spruce up veterans park in Ocala

The community projects done by the many Troop 113 Eagle candidates, one of the requirements to make Eagle, have made significant community improvements at locations including a park, churches and schools.

"When I joined the County Commission I was told I would be in Weirsdale a lot to do the Eagle Scout Award presentation ceremonies. They were right," Gold said during the dedication ceremony on Saturday.

Boyer, 79, died on Aug. 13, 2020, after a brief illness. His legacy lives on with his wife of 64 years, Kaye; their sons Rob, 50, Willet III, 53 and Jim, 44; eight grandchildren, hundreds of Boy Scouts he mentored in Troop 113 over 38 years, and the scouts he inspired and encouraged to earn Eagle rank.

Kate Boyer said she and her husband “were a team.”

Dr. Dusty Cordle is a "cow and horse" veterinarian in Arcadia, Florida. He was in Troop 113 about 20 years ago and earned Eagle Scout. He was at the dedication Saturday.

"I would not be where I am today if not for Mr. (Bud) Boyer," Cordle, 35, said.

Cordle said Boyer's most important attribute as scoutmaster was "perseverance.”

Rob Boyer now serves as Troop 113 scoutmaster.

"When my father retired from the citrus industry after the freezes (in the 1980s) scouting became his passion," he said.

About Willet 'Bud' Boyer Jr.

Willet "Bud" Boyer Jr., a native of Weirsdale, graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in industrial management and worked in Weirsdale as a citrus grower, according to a biography distributed at the dedication.

Boyer served as director of Florida Citrus Mutual and was inducted into the Marion County Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2017.

Boyer himself attained Eagle Scout, as did all his sons, the biography states.

Bud Boyer also earned the esteemed Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award for "exceptional character” and was a lifelong member of Weirsdale Presbyterian Church and member of Masonic Lodge Number 95 in Belleview, the biography indicates.

Local leaders honor Boyer

Newly elected Ocala City Council member James Hilty came to honor Boyer, with whom he had met many times to review Eagle Scout applications. Hilty served on the Eagle Board of Review for 15 years.

Marion County Judge James McCune, an Eagle Scout, likened Bud Boyer's leadership to a road map that "showed a way in life."

"On my honor I will do my best to do my duty," McCune said, borrowing from the Scout Oath to give an example of the values Bud Boyer impressed on the scouts.

'He believed in doing the right thing and giving people a fair shake.'

Kelly Roberts, a Committee Chairman with Troop 113, spoke at the gathering. His son, Crosby, earned Eagle rank in Troop 113 in 2015.

"Bud Boyer instilled pride in ownership of the troop among the (Weirsdale) community." Roberts said.

Troop 113 Assistant Scoutmaster David Vincent told attendees Bud Boyer was a "moral compass."

"He believed in doing the right thing and giving people a fair shake," he said.

Willet Boyer III and Jim Boyer both gave tributes to their father at the gathering, which included upwards of 100 attendees.

Rob Boyer said his father described passing values from one generation to another and instilling character in young scouts as "value transfer."

“Citizenship, leadership and faith” were core values Bud Boyer imparted to the scouts and he wanted the scouts to be better and "partnered and mentored" with them, Rob Boyer said.

"(My father) did not allow the scouts to compromise," Rob Boyer said.

He said "many men," including assistant scoutmasters, committee chairmen and volunteers, contribute to Troop 113 and serve as "father figures" for a number of the youths without a male role model.

"My father encouraged the scouts through the ups and downs (and) saw things in (the scouts) they might not have seen in themselves. The Eagle Scouts he mentored is an amazing legacy," he said.

“I hope when others see the sign for Eagle Trail they ‘show up’ to participate like my father and the other Troop 113 leaders,” Rob Boyer said.

Ocala Star-Banner

The Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series

The Marion Cultural Alliance in partnership with the City of Ocala presents free, family friendly outdoor concerts to the public on Fridays through July 1 from 7-9 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex, 1510 NW Fourth St., Ocala. The series is sponsored in part by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, which funds and empowers communities to inject new life into underused spaces. The May 6 performer is scheduled to be Indigenous, with blues music.. For more information and concert schedule details, visit www.ocalafl.org/levittamp or call 352-629-8447.

First Friday Art Walk

The final Art Walk of the season happens May 6 in Downtown Ocala from 6-9 p.m., featuring hands-on art activities and demonstrations for all ages, local artists offering work for sale, extended business hours, and live music with buskers and violinist Chris Barbosa, with an intermission performance by Marion County Center for the Arts Dance. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts division at 352-629-8447, email artinfo@ocalafl.org, or visit www.ocalafl.org/artwalk.

'Landmarks'

The new "Landmarks" exhibit, featuring works from Marion Cultural Alliance members, debuts with a special reception from 5 to 7 p.m. May 6 at the Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala. Admission is free. There are more than 60 original artworks including sculpture, photography, mixed media, oils, acrylics and pastels. The exhibit is up through May 28.

Bakery by day, dessert bar by night:Soleil Bakery & Social House opens in downtown Ocala

Orange Blossom Opry

Friday Night Live at the Opry, 16439 SE 138th Terrace, Weirsdale, features Georgette Jones, daughter of George Jones and Tammy Wynette, at 7 p.m. for an evening of country music from her album "When Tractors Fly." Tickets from $30. For more details, visit www.obopry.com for venue information and purchase.

An Evening with Patsy Cline - Performed by Cindy Moody

After her Harvey Award-winning performance as the legendary country and blues singer in “Always, Patsy Cline,” Moody performs onstage at Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th St., Ocala. May 6 at 7 p.m. in a show she wrote and produced. Tickets from $28 can be purchased at https://www.csculturalcenter.com/events, or call 352-854-3670 for more details.

Festivals of Speed

Over 200 exotic, classic and American muscle cars are on display at the World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, McLaren and other prestige designs are featured at this world-class, Four-Diamond resort. Bars, restaurants, shopping and horse competitions are also onsite, and the 148th Kentucky Derby will be aired live on 100-foot jumbotrons in the Grand Plaza. Tickets $20 general admission. For more information, visit https://www.festivalsofspeed.com/js_events/world-equestrian-center/.

WIND-FM Tribute Concert Series

The sixth season of WIND-FM’s tribute series will be “Rockin’ the Reilly" through summer and early fall, kicking off May 7 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala, with British Invasion: Tributes to Foreigner and Bad Company at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $15-$35. To purchase or to find out more, visit www.reillyartscenter.com or call 352-566-0970.

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.

Ongoing:

Photographs by Steven Benson

The Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, presents “Invented Observations: Photographs by Steven Benson,” on exhibit through 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.

'Finding Beauty'

This exhibit features costumes, set photos, interactive experiences and sketches, along with a plethora of fabrics and video of the costume design process. These objects, from the Appleton Museum’s permanent collection, inspired the art and design for the Ocala Civic Theatre’s upcoming production of "Beauty and the Beast." This exhibit runs at the Appleton through the winter of 2022. The museum is at 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. For additional details and admission fees, visit www.appletonmuseum.org.

'Horsemanship' by Walter Israel

The work of this German-American artist and Ocala resident has been displayed in art galleries and publications across the world, and he is the recipient of the Western Art Rodeo Association’s “World Finals Dry Medium” competition. Horsemanship is on display through May 26 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Recreation and Parks Administration building, 828 NE Eighth Ave., Ocala. This exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, call 352-629-8447 or visit www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces.

'Encounter' by Tom Hundersmarck

An abstract and landscape painter based in Gainesville, Hundersmarck began painting as a child and has worked extensively as a psychologist with combat veterans. The exhibit is free and open to the public through July 19 at Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Suite 600, Ocala. For more information, contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts and Sciences Division at 352-629-8447 or visit www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces.

Summer is the most challenging time for local food pantries. The number of people who need food increases when children aren’t in school, but the amount of donations and the number of volunteers decrease as seasonal residents leave the area. Andy Hendricks is just one local resident who is dedicated to making sure the pantries remain stocked with fresh produce from Shared Harvest Community Garden. “I call this God’s little garden because everything that is grown is given away to feed the surrounding areas,” said Hendricks, of the Village of Poinciana. “Without the volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to do anything.” Around the tri-county area, several groups are stepping up to make sure food pantries have what they need to serve the community.

At Shared Harvest, 400 Oak St., volunteers tend the 2-acre plot that produces more than 27 tons of fresh produce yearly. The food is donated to local pantries and soup kitchens at St. Theresa Catholic Church, St. Timothy Roman Catholic Church, Wildwood Food Pantry and others.

On May 4, the garden distributed 24 boxes of produce including squash, cucumbers, onions and zucchini, Hendricks said.

“This is a good cause and all the volunteers here like to give back, just as I do,” he said.

“I can’t thank the volunteers enough.”

Gleaning at Local Farms

New Covenant United Methodist Church also plays an important role when it comes to helping food pantries.

The church organizes a gleaning ministry to serve 16 food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the tri-county area. Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers’ fields once they are commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.

The ministry is made up of volunteers who pick the fresh fruits and vegetables from October through May. Some of the items they collect include oranges, peaches, strawberries, cabbage, cucumbers and kale.

“Our church is large so we can help out all these different places,” said Leon Schien, chairperson of the gleaning ministry. “We have trucks, buses and great volunteers.”

Gleaning is referenced in the Bible in Leviticus 19: 9-10. Leaving part of the harvest for the less fortunate was one of the many laws given by God to Moses for the Israelites to follow in their daily activities, Schien said.

“We have a passion to want to help people and give back to the community,” he said. “We have been blessed with a good life and want to give back.”

In a typical year of gleaning, the ministry picks 50,000 to 70,000 pounds of food, Schien said. But during the first two years of COVID-19, they gleaned 200,000 pounds.

“Picking produce in the hot sun is hard work and these volunteers do it and have fun with it,” he said.

One of those volunteers is Debbie Edwards, who got involved through her sister.

“I said when I retire that’s what I want to do, because I love being able to help out,” said Edwards, of the Village of Tall Trees. “It just warms my heart.”

Addressing Food Waste

The Society of St. Andrew finds farms for the ministry to glean and Schien is grateful for that partnership.

New Covenant is an invaluable partner, said Rebecca Brockman, Florida program coordinator for Society of St. Andrew.

“Through our volunteers at New Covenant, we are able to reach communities that are far from the home office in Orlando and ensure that product that is being gleaned in the community, stays in the community,” Brockman said. “Through our leaders, like Leon Schein, we are able to foster a sense of volunteerism, service and food rescue, in local communities.”

About 47 million individuals in the U.S. struggle with food insecurity, yet over 133 billion pounds of food goes to waste every year, Brockman said.

“Through gleaning, SoSA is able to help mitigate food waste and lessen food insecurity,” she said. “Additionally, this allows the community to receive fresh produce.”

Since January, the SoSA Florida Office, through the dedication of its volunteers and partner agencies, has been able to rescue and distribute more than 1 million pounds of produce.

“Gleaning is a powerful tool in the fight against hunger,” Brockman said. “We lessen food waste, as food that is harvested will not be tilled under; we gather healthy and nutritious food, build bonds with individuals in the community, and ensure that our neighbors do not go hungry.”

The farms let the ministry come in right before the fields are plowed.

“We are extremely grateful for the farms that allow us to do this,” Schien said.

Feeding Families With Fresh Fruit

The previous owner of Hilltop Groves in Weirsdale already allowed the church to glean the trees and when Bill Reed bought the farm six years ago, he decided to let them continue doing so.

“It was fruit that was left over at the end of the season and not enough to wholesale,” Reed said. “So when we found out about the food banks and that the church would pick it with volunteers and give it to the less fortunate, we thought it was a great thing to allow.”

Reed thinks gleaning helps the citrus trees.

“I think it helps make the new fruit that’s growing get more nutrition from the tree when there’s less competition, last season’s fruit being picked off,” he said.

The church has gleaned around 30,000 pounds from the grove, Reed said he couldn’t believe they had picked that much.

“It’s awesome to think that not only do they glean citrus here in Central Florida, but vegetables as well, and it’s going to a great cause,” he said. “We never knew this program existed until six years ago and it makes us feel good to be a part of it.”

David Smithers, a volunteer for New Covenant, feels called to serve others.

“We just help others. That’s what we do,” said Smithers, of the Village of Springdale.

Smithers volunteers at Grace Tabernacle food pantry also and sees 130 cars come through once a week.

“You really want to help people in their time of need, but if the need is getting worse then that’s not good,” he said.

Gathering and Packing Food

The three Rotary Clubs of The Villages also lend a hand to local food pantries through quarterly food drives, monthly meetings at pantries to help pack food and raising money to benefit pantries throughout the year.

Julie Schmied, president of the Evening Rotary Club of The Villages, looks forward to every food drive.

“Every time we hold a food drive, the number of families we help continues to go up,” the Village La Reynalda resident said. “It always makes us feel good to know we are lending a hand to the community.”

One of the food pantries the group supports is at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Belleview.

“We chose this food pantry as one of the recipients because it helps families from Harbour View Elementary School, where many of us volunteer,” Schmied said.

The Lions Clubs also hold food drives to make sure local food pantries are stocked.

“It’s a great time to get together and show the community what we are all about,” said Judy Kohn, president of the Orange Blossom Gardens Lions Club. “While both clubs collect food, the items go to different places.”

All donations from the OBG Lions club benefit LovExtension, a nonprofit in Tavares that provides food to elderly residents in Lake County.

“We have a great relationship with them,” Kohn said.

The Lake Sumter Lions Club delivers to Beyond the Walls food pantry in Fruitland Park, the Wildwood Food Pantry in Wildwood and the Christian Food Pantry in Lady Lake.

“We know during summer it can be harder to get donations,” member Bob Disinger said. “By us hosting food drives, it saves the pantries money on the items they have an abundance of and it helps with their inventory.”

Staff writer Donovan Conaway can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5400, or donovan.conaway@thevillagesmedia.com. Managing Editor Andrea Davis contributed to this report and can be reached at andrea.davis@thevillagesmedia.com.

A 51-year-old Weirsdale man was arrested during Tuesday’s meeting of the Marion County Board of County Commissioners after making threats towards a commissioner regarding the prior confiscation of his shotgun.

On Tuesday, October 5, a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to the McPherson Governmental Complex in reference to a disturbance during the regular meeting of the Board of Marion County Commissioners.

Upon arrival at the complex, which is located at 601 SE 25th Avenue in Ocala, a deputy made contact with James Thomas Otto. Officials and witnesses say Otto was allegedly making threats against an elected official and preventing the meeting from concluding, according to an MCSO report.

After being warned not to speak, Otto allegedly told Commissioner Kathy Bryant that he had gone to court and “got his gun back,” according to the report. Otto then allegedly pointed to Bryant and repeated the phrase, “You’re out of here,” a total of three times.

According to the report, Bryant felt threatened and left the meeting before Chairman Jeff Gold ordered Otto to leave.

The report states that Otto continued to disrupt the meeting until an off-duty officer that happened to be in attendance approached Otto and placed him into custody.

The off-duty officer noted Otto’s speech was slurred, and after he was questioned, Otto advised that he had consumed three beers.

Otto is currently on pre-trial release after he was arrested on April 7 for allegedly driving with a suspended license, possession of cannabis, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

As part of his arrest on April 7, Otto’s shotgun was seized and has remained in the custody of MCSO. He has allegedly approached numerous government officials, persons from the clerk of court, and sheriff’s office staff asking that his shotgun be returned to him.

According to the report, Otto has repeatedly blamed Commissioner Bryant on public record regarding the confiscation of his shotgun and it not being returned to him.

The MCSO report states that Otto appeared in court earlier in the day on October 5 and that he was disruptive during the appearance. The State Attorney’s office advised that his case has not been dismissed and that no order has been issued to return his shotgun.

Since Otto is on pre-trial release in another case, he is currently being held without bond until his first appearance hearing.

Due to his alleged threatening behavior, the sheriff’s office recommends that Otto has no further contact with Bryant, that he stays away from the McPherson Government Complex and the Board of County Commissioners, that he does not possess or attempt to possess any firearm or ammunition, that he does not possess or consume alcohol or controlled substances, and that he does not enter any bars, nightclubs, or other similar establishments that sell alcohol.

He faces a slew of additional misdemeanor charges as a result of the incident, including threatening to harm an elected official and breach of the peace.

Willie Jay pointed with a cigarette between his fingers down the dirt road from his mobile home in Gilchrist County.

“That’s the flood zone down there,” said Jay, a sawmill worker who lives with his wife and daughter, referring to a mass of trees where rainwater lay stagnant beside a cluster of trailers.

His neighborhood in Trenton, a town with a population of about 2,000 people, is not the only one with this looming threat.

An NPR investigation found that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) disproportionately sells homes in flood zones to those in households with low incomes.

Between January 2017 and August 2020, HUD did so at about 75 times the rate of homes sold nationally, according to the investigation. Florida, Louisiana and New Jersey are hotspots for flood zone sales. In Florida, that amounted to 12% of homes, according to the investigation.

HUD is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to address these issues, Michael Burns, a spokesman for the department wrote to WUFT in an email.

Burns said HUD has a “dual obligation” not only to inform homebuyers purchasing property from it, but also to protect property values of neighborhoods containing vacant homes.

“The administration is committed to improving the resiliency of communities located in flood zones as part of our priority to address the impacts of climate change,” Burns wrote.

Those who deal with HUD often recommend homeowners do their own research before buying.

Patricia Moser, manager of Horizon Realty of Alachua City, said HUD doesn’t employ licensed home inspectors during sales.

“They don’t do any real due diligence,” Moser said.

Too many prospective buyers opt out of having inspections done in advance – instead buying them “as is” – because they want to spend as little as possible and get a house at an affordable price, she said.

“You get these buyers who go, ‘Yeah, no, it’s OK, it’s OK,’” Moser said, “because they know (it’s) inexpensive. And then when problems happen, then all of a sudden it’s not OK.”

Trish Barker, 64, bought her property in Weirsdale in April 2020. She left the Florida Keys to be closer to her 45-year-old daughter.

“I know we are in a flood zone,” Barker said, “but you wouldn’t even know it, really.”

In the year she has lived on the 5-acre lot, she hasn’t had issues with flooding. Even with a pond in her backyard, the water doesn’t come near her home.

“It’s pretty good back here,” Barker said. “We haven’t had any real problems.”

Even as intense floodwater from recent rains have damaged parks in Alachua County, low risk zones haven’t been hit as hard. But as climate change causes more flooding in the future, even Barker’s property, which is classified as having minimal flood risk, could face trouble.

Mark Clark, a wetland ecology professor at the University of Florida, said the frequency of 100-year floods is increasing alongside the area of flood zones.

“We’re willing, to some extent, to take the risk of living in those areas,” Clark said. “Now it’s occurring more frequently, and so that risk is now becoming unacceptable.”

Clark said as the atmosphere gets warmer, it can hold more moisture, causing increased rainfall.

“Just look at the frequencies of flood events and the intensities, and they have increased,” he said. “It’s not a theory anymore – it’s an actual reality.”

Consequently, fewer people should take the risk of floodwater sweeping through their homes.

“What used to be that 100-year floodplain may actually be a five-year floodplain,” Clark said.

The NPR investigation found that neighborhoods in which these HUD homes were sold have a lower median household income than surrounding areas where they were not.

HUD should be moving people out of floodplains, as the issue will only get worse, Clark said.

Prices of South Florida homes outside flood zones are rising due to increasing flood insurance costs and concern about climate change. This is driving up home prices in once affordable areas.

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge recently told NPR the U.S. is in a housing crisis.

But Clark said the federal government is sending mixed messages through its sales practices.

A 1977 executive order mandates avoiding impacts to floodplains including acquisition, construction, demolition and financing. However, the disproportionate amount of sales in flood zones shows HUD practices don’t match these guidelines.

Bernie and Sandy Durell bought their house in Weirsdale from HUD through a real estate three years ago. Their property is on 10 acres of land, but only half of that space can be built on, Bernie Durell, 65, said.

Durell hired an inspector, so he said he knew what he was getting. About 5 years ago, the pond that straddles their property and that of a neighbor’s was dry, he said. Now, it’s 5 feet deep.

During periods of heavy rain, the water’s edge of the pond will creep up another 5 feet.

“When we first moved here in 2019, it rained every day, hard,” Durell said, “and the lake was the highest it’s probably ever been.”

Luckily, he said, his property is one of the highest above sea level in the neighborhood.

Durell said he and his neighborhood homeowners’ association have contacted state environmental regulators many times looking for guidance in dealing with rainwater.

They haven’t heard back.

“We’re just a little hamlet,” he said. “They don’t care about us.”