9:05 a.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - A new edition of "Alachua County Talks" featuring an interview with Gainesville Environmental Film and Art Festival (GEFAF) Co-Directors Shirley Lasseter and Trish Riley premieres Friday March 12, 2010, on Community 12 TV at 7:30 p.m. 

To view this edition of Alachua County Talks immediately on Video on Demand, click here.

To view the complete Channel 12 schedule, click here.

GEFAF, running from March 19, 2010 to 28, 2010, features environmental feature films and documentaries and culminates in an outdoor environmental fair with music, art, entertainment, food, eco-information booths and a free family film on March 27.  Activities conclude on March 28 with eco-tours of the region's natural resources. 

To view the schedule of films and events click here.

To visit the GEFAF website, go to http://gefaf.org

Alachua County Talks airs at 7:30 p.m. every night except Thursday, and at 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. every day.  Special or regular County Commission meetings may preempt any showing.

For more information, call the Alachua County Communications Office at 352-374-5226.

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For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us

For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us

3:25 p.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The Alachua County Administrative Services Department's Purchasing Division is holding a Vendor Workshop Session on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Alachua County Cooperative Extension Office (2800 NE 39^th Ave., Gainesville).  

Any vendor wishing to learn about conducting business with the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners and the Alachua County Library District are encouraged to attend.

"If you want to shorten the learning curve on how to do business with the County or the Library District I highly recommend that you attend this very informative workshop," said County Purchasing Manager Larry Sapp.

For more information, contact Purchasing Agent Matt Stevens at 352-374-5202.

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For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us

3 p.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The Partners in Prevention for Substance Abuse Community Coalition (PIPSA), the University of Florida, the Alachua County School Board, and the Alachua County 4-H Youth Development Program are sponsoring a Town Hall Meeting to address underage drinking.  The meeting will take place on Thursday, March 25, 2010 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lincoln Middle School Auditorium located at 1001 SE 12 Street, Gainesville. 

The Town Hall Meeting will increase community awareness on the issue of underage drinking, discuss solutions to address this problem, and provide resources for parents, youth, and other community members.  This event is open to the Gainesville and Alachua County community and attendees will be eligible to win prizes.

For more information, please contact Gwen Love, chair of PIPSA, at (352) 244-0628, ext. 3831.  Additional contacts include Dave Khey, Coalition Coordinator for PIPSA, at (352) 226-6050, Maureen Miller, Coordinator for Alcohol & Other Drug Prevention, GatorWell Health Promotion Services, UF Division of Student Affairs, at (352) 273-4463, or Kate Fogarty, Youth Development Specialist, UF�s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Florida 4-H Youth Development Program, at (352) 273-3527.

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For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us

9 a.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - Alachua County Departments of Environmental Protection and Public Works are offering Rain Barrels for sale for $45.00 (tax included) on a year round basis (while supplies last).

Rain barrels can be purchased Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hazardous Waste Collection Center (HWCC) located 5125 NE 63 Ave (2 miles north of 39 Ave off Waldo Road), and at the Alachua County Public Works Department, located at 5620 Northwest 120th Lane, Gainesville (off of 441 near Deerhaven). Rain barrels are also available Saturdays from 8 a.m. to Noon at the HWCC only.

Rain barrels will be available for purchase at selected special events including:

• The O'Leno Ole' Chili Cook/Springs Celebration at O'Leno State Park on Saturday, March 27, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and
• The Gainesville Environmental Film and Arts Festival on Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Gainesville near the Hippodrome.

For information about the SYSTERN Rain Barrel, click here.

To learn more about water conservation, click here.

For more information, call HWCC at 352-334-0440 or the Alachua County Office of Waste Alternatives at 352-374-5213.

For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us

1 p.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The 2010 Census Portrait of America Road Tour (part of the largest civic outreach and awareness campaign in United States history) will stop in Gainesville on Wednesday, March 10th, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Farmers Market at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza (111 E University Avenue, Gainesville).

The road tour will attempt to motivate America's growing and increasingly diverse population to complete and mail back the 10-question Census form when it arrives in the mail between March 15 - 17, 2010.  Traveling for more than 1,540 days and more than 150,000 miles across the country, 13 road tour vehicles will provide the public with an educational, engaging and interactive experience that brings the 2010 Census to life.

Participants can learn about the 2010 Census and the positive impact their participation can have on our local community and the nation.  Attendees will be able to view a sample 2010 Census form and learn how the information collected is used.

The Representation vehicle - assigned to the Southeast Region - will be parked near the plaza during the weekly Farmers Market.  The vehicle's theme makes the point that the census is a key tool to support our country's democracy and ensure that everyone is represented.  Census numbers are used to apportion seats in the United States House of Representatives among the states.

For more information, click here, or contact Alachua County Senior Planner, Ivy Bell at 352-374-5249.

For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - Alachua County has become a partner with The Hippodrome Theater and GoGreenNation.org in presenting the first annual Gainesville Environmental Film and Arts Festival (GEFAF). 

GEFAF, running from March 19, 2010 to 28, 2010, features environmental feature films and documentaries and culminates in an outdoor environmental fair with music, art, entertainment, food, eco-information booths and a free family film on March 27.  Activities conclude on March 28 with eco-tours of the region's natural resources.

To view the schedule of films and events click here.

In speaking of the festival, GEFAF Co-Director Shirley Lasseter said, "GEFAF will reach thousands of people interested in learning about environmental and social justice issues, exploring our natural treasures, connecting with those working to protect them, and create a more sustainable community."

"This event was organized to raise awareness of environmental issues in our North Florida region," said Co-Director Trish Riley, "We want to inspire our community to address environmental issues through lifestyle adjustments, business, and the arts."

The Gainesville Environmental Film and Arts Festival is still actively recruiting volunteers from all backgrounds and seeking local sponsors. 

To visit the GEFAF website, go to http://gefaf.org  Scroll down to see information on becoming a VIP Festival Pass Holder.

For more information, Shirley Lasseter at 352-215-9918 or Trish Riley, 954-384-9466 or email Ecofilmfest@gmail.com

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For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us

10 a.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - Census forms will start arriving on March 18, 2010.  Alachua County and the City of Gainesville are raising awareness about what the 2010 Census means to our community.  Census Awareness Day will take place at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza in downtown Gainesville on March 6, 2010 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Bob Williams of TV 20 will be there to host the event, which will include music, food, and family friendly activities. 

Speakers will include:

• A recorded message From Alachua County Commissioner Rodney J. Long
• Gainesville City Mayor, Pegeen Hanrahan
• Alachua County Manager, Randall H. Reid
• Gainesville City Commissioners Jeanna  Mastrodicasa and Jack Donovan
• Reverend Milford Griner
• Vice President of the Alachua County Branch of the NAACP, Mrs. Evelyn Foxx
• Ms. Joanna Pakula, and Ms. Melissa Hinote, from the U. S. Census Bureau

Entertainment:

• 2010 King Celebration Talent Winners
• Bernard Batie "B Magic" will perform his magic show
• Weeds of Eden
• 2010 King Celebration Choir Ensemble
• The Passion Band featuring Jimmy Young
• Prize giveaways

Informational tables:

• Alachua County Equal Opportunity Division
• Faith-based Organizations
• Supervisor of Elections
• Census - Operations
• Census - Partnership
• CHOICES
• 5^th Avenue Arts Festival/Cultural Arts Coalition
• NAACP

Information for every group in our community affected by getting a complete census count will be available.

Census Complete Count Committee Outreach Chair, Sally Palmi said, "Bring your family and friends, win prizes, listen to some great local music and enjoy a Census Awareness Saturday in the plaza." 

Census Champion Rodney J. Long, said, "This is the most important event of the decade.  It is simple, safe, and confidential and means dollars being brought back into our community and insures that we have the proper representation in Washington."

For more information, contact  Sally Palmi, 352-374-5213.

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For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us

March 4, 2010

4:30 p.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - Alachua County is concluding a year long process of developing a community-wide Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plan (PDRP), and is seeking citizen input. A public meeting to present and seek input on the PDRP is being held on Monday, March 8, 2010, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Alachua County Health Department (224 SE 24th Street, Gainesville).

The purpose of the PDRP is to provide a roadmap for our community to rebuild after a catastrophic disaster, maximizing post-disaster opportunities, and re-establishing the quality of life in Alachua County.

The PDRP, which has been developed by a work group of community stakeholders, seeks to unite growth management and emergency management principles in a single, comprehensive document.

Alachua County Emergency Management Chief, David Donnelly said about the PDRP, "The plan is strategic and holistic in approach, and will serve as the policy and procedural blueprint for short term recovery actions that will affect long term recovery and post-disaster viability of the community."

For anyone that cannot make the meeting, the draft plan is on line at: http://www.alachuacounty.us/em/postdisaster/documents.aspx. Citizens can submit any comments about the plan to acem@alachacounty.us by March 18, 2010.

For more information about the Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plan or this upcoming meeting, contact David Donnelly at dad@alachuacounty.us or 352-264-6500.

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For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us

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For more information, please contact Mark Sexton at (352) 374-5226 or (352)283-2317 - email: msexton@alachuacounty.us