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Feb 16, 2023 (The Expresswire) -- "Network Security Appliance Market" Research Insights Report 2023 | TOP 3 KEY PLAYERS in Network Security Appliance Market Include [ Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Palo Alto Networks, McAfee ]. The [ Information Technology ] Sector is Expected to Dominate During the Forecast Period 2023 2029. Market Growth Report Has Segmented The Global Network Security Appliance market report based on Type [ Firewall, Unified Threat Management (UTM), Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP), Content Management (Web and Messaging), Virtual Private Network (VPN) ], Application [ Government Organizations, SMEs, Large Organization ]. Effective business strategies can help a company to increase its market sales and gain a competitive advantage. Some common business strategies include market segmentation, product differentiation, cost leadership, and diversification.

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

Feb 15, 2023 (The Expresswire) -- "Network Security Appliance Market" Report covers specified competitive outlook consisting of the market proportion and company profiles of the Important thing individuals working within the international market. Key players Profiled in the Report are [Check Point Software Technologies, Fortinet, Jupiter Network, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Siemens, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Samsung Techwin, McAfee] and others. Company profile consists of assign including Organization summary, Financial Summary, Business Strategy and Planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.

What is the projected market size and growth rate of the Network Security Appliance Market?

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

IEEE, an organization dedicated to advancing innovation and technological excellence for the benefit of humanity, is the world's largest technical professional society. It is designed to serve professionals involved in all aspects of the electrical, electronic, and computing fields and related areas of science and technology that underlie modern civilization.

IEEE's roots go back to 1884 when electricity began to become a major influence in society. There was one major established electrical industry, the telegraph, which since the 1840s had come to connect the world with a data communications system faster than the speed of transportation. The telephone and electric power and light industries had just gotten underway.

• Unified threat management (UTM) gives businesses an all-in-one cybersecurity solution. 
• A UTM can include specialized hardware or software platforms that monitor and block significant network traffic. 
• Multiple IT InfoSec certifications address UTM to help any organization fortify its security efforts.
• This article is for business owners, IT personnel and software developers who want stronger defenses against cybersecurity vulnerabilities. 

Potential attacks, software and platform vulnerabilities, malware, and misconfiguration issues can pose serious threats to organizations seeking to protect private, confidential, or proprietary data. Fortunately, various technologies – collectively known as unified threat management – make it easy to use virtualized or appliance-based tools to provide comprehensive security coverage.

With a combination of regular updates, monitoring and management services, and critical security research and intelligence data, you can vastly improve your business’s cybersecurity. We’ll explore how to erect defenses with UTM and implement sound security policies to cope with an array of threats.

What is unified threat management?

Unified threat management is an all-in-one security implementation that helps protect businesses from online security risks. A UTM solution includes features like network firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion detection and virtual private networks. Many businesses may prefer UTM software platforms, but hardware options, such as dedicated firewalls and router networking devices, are also available.

By implementing a UTM program throughout your organization, you provide a single security source for all of your information technology (IT) needs that can scale as your business grows. 

Key takeaway: With a UTM guarding your organization, you get a streamlined experience with various security components working together seamlessly, instead of the potential issues that could arise if you integrated multiple services for each function.

Why is unified threat management important?

By its very nature, technology is constantly changing. Unfortunately, this includes cybercrime; as technology progresses and we become more connected, the number of threats keeps growing. 

A business can’t predict when or how the next data breach will occur. It could be through a text, email, pop-up ad, or even a vulnerability in your business website. 

This unpredictability is why it’s critical to implement a comprehensive UTM program throughout your organization. A UTM is like a cybersecurity force guarding against the most common vulnerabilities hackers could exploit. By essentially guarding every virtual entry point, a UTM is a great preventive security measure for any business.

Did you know? Poor access management is the root cause of many IT hacks. Your business should tightly control who can access networked devices, cloud workloads and big data projects.

Why is unified threat management necessary?

The history of information security and palliative technologies goes back to the 1980s, when perimeter security (through firewalls and screening routers) and malware protection (primarily in the form of early antivirus technologies) became available. 

As threats evolved in sophistication and capability, other elements to secure business networks and systems became available. These solutions include email checks, file screening, phishing protection, and allow lists and block lists for IP addresses and URLs.

From the mid-’90s to the first decade of the 21st century, there was an incredible proliferation of point solutions to counter specific threat types, such as malware, IP-based attacks, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and rogue websites with drive-by downloads. This explosion led to an onslaught of data security software and hardware designed to counter individual threat classes. 

Unfortunately, a collection of single-focus security systems lacks consistent and coherent coordination. There’s no way to detect and mitigate hybrid attacks that might start with a rogue URL embedded in a tweet or email message, continue with a drive-by download when that URL is accessed, and really get underway when a surreptitiously installed keylogger teams up with timed transmissions of captured data from a backdoor uploader. 

Worse yet, many of these cyberattack applications are web-based and use standard HTTP port addresses, so higher-level content and activity screening is necessary to detect and counter unwanted influences. 

What does a unified threat management solution include?

The basic premise of UTM is to create powerful, customized processing computer architectures that can handle, inspect, and (when necessary) block large amounts of network traffic at or near wire speeds. It must search this data for blacklisted IP addresses, inspect URLs for malware signatures, look for data leakage, and ensure all protocols, applications, and data are benign. 

Typical UTM solutions usually bundle various functions, such as the following.

• Proxy services: Proxy services block revealing details of internal IP addresses on networks and examine communications and data transfers at the application level.
• Stateful packet inspection: Stateful packet inspection distinguishes legitimate network communications from suspect or known malicious communication forms.
• Deep packet inspection: Deep packet inspection (DPI) enables network packets’ data portion or payload to be checked. This protects against malware and permits data checks to block classified, proprietary, private, or confidential data leakage across network boundaries. This kind of technology is called data loss prevention (DLP). DPI technology also supports all kinds of content filters.
• Real-time packet decryption: Real-time packet decryption exploits special hardware (which essentially reproduces software programs in the form of high-speed circuitry to perform complex data analysis) to permit deep inspection at or near network wire speeds. This lets you apply content-level controls even to encrypted data and to screen such data for policy compliance, malware filtering, and more.
• Email handling: Email handling includes malware detection and removal, spam filtering, and content checks for phishing, malicious websites, and blacklisted IP addresses and URLs.
• Intrusion detection and blockage: Intrusion detection and blockage observes incoming traffic patterns to detect and respond to DDoS attacks, as well as more nuanced and malicious attempts to breach network and system security or obtain unauthorized access to systems and data.
• Application control: Application control (or filtering) observes applications in use – especially web-based applications and services – and applies security policies to block or starve unwanted or unauthorized applications from consuming network resources or accomplishing unauthorized access to (or transfer of) data.
• Virtual private network: The best VPN services let remote users establish secure private connections over public network links (including the internet). Most organizations use this technology to protect network traffic en route from sender to receiver.

Modern UTM systems incorporate all these functions and more by combining fast special-purpose network circuitry with general-purpose computing facilities. The custom circuitry that exposes network traffic to detailed and painstaking analysis and intelligent handling does not slow down benign packets in transit. It can, however, remove suspicious or questionable packets from ongoing traffic flows, turning them over to scanners or filters. 

The UTM agency can then perform complex or sophisticated analyses to recognize and foil attacks, filter out unwanted or malicious content, prevent data leakage, and ensure security policies apply to all network traffic.

Tip: Since many businesses are shifting employees to remote work models, it’s more critical than ever to invest in VPNs for data security.

Unified threat management providers

UTM solutions usually take the form of special-purpose network appliances that sit at the network boundary, straddling the links that connect internal networks to external networks via high-speed links to service providers or communication companies.

By design, UTM devices coordinate all aspects of a security policy, applying a consistent and coherent set of checks and balances to incoming and outgoing network traffic. Most UTM device manufacturers build their appliances to work with centralized, web-based management consoles. This lets network management companies install, configure and maintain UTM devices for their clients. 

Alternatively, IT managers and centralized IT departments can take over this function. This approach ensures that the same checks, filters, controls, and policy enforcement apply to all UTM devices equally, avoiding the gaps that the integration of multiple disparate point solutions (discrete firewalls, email appliances, content filters, virus checkers, and so forth) can expose.

Top UTM providers

These are some of the most respected UTM providers:

• FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW): Offering comprehensive online security features, FortiGate NGFW stands out with its ease of use, scalability, and support. By consolidating multiple security services within a single platform, FortiGate reduces security costs and improves risk management, while the automated threat protection prevents common attacks like ransomware, command-and-control, and other firewall incidents.
• Check Point Next-Generation Firewall: Designed to provide versatile, intuitive online protection, Check Point NGFWs can perform more than 60 security services through a single dashboard. Check Point NGFWs come with the proprietary SandBlast Zero-Day Protection, which uses CPU-based threat detection to identify zero-day attacks sooner, and can scale on demand. With unified security management across your networks, clouds, and Internet of Things devices, Check Point NGFWs are an efficient UTM solution.
• WatchGuard Firebox: Catering to SMBs and distributed enterprises, WatchGuard Network Security’s Firebox is a complete security platform that doesn’t sacrifice the user experience. Equipped with a powerful firewall, antivirus services, spam and content filters, and many other security features, WatchGuard Firebox is a complete UTM platform that’s ready to use right out of the box. 

Did you know? Cyberthreat intelligence gives you a direct line into new and developing cyberattacks worldwide, so you can know the enemy and build an effective solution to prevent breaches.

How to choose the right UTM provider

When choosing a business UTM solution, you should seek the standard functions described above as well as these more advanced features: 

• Support for sophisticated virtualization technologies (for virtual clients and servers, as well as virtualized implementations for UTM appliances themselves)
• Endpoint controls that enforce corporate security policies on remote devices and their users
• Integrated wireless controllers to consolidate wired and wireless traffic on the same device, simplifying security policy implementation and enforcement, and reducing network complexity

Advanced UTM devices must also support flexible architectures whose firmware can be easily upgraded to incorporate new means of filtering and detection and to respond to the ever-changing threat landscape. UTM makers generally operate large, ongoing security teams that monitor, catalog, and respond to emerging threats as quickly as possible, providing warning and guidance to client organizations to avoid exposure to risks and threats.

Some of the best-known names in the computing industry offer UTM solutions to their customers, but not all offerings are equal. Look for solutions from reputable companies like Cisco, Netgear, SonicWall and Juniper Networks. You’re sure to find the right mix of features and controls to meet your security needs without breaking your budget.

IT InfoSec certifications that address UTM

As a visit to the periodic survey of information security certifications at TechTarget’s SearchSecurity confirms, more than 100 active and ongoing credentials are available in this broad field. However, not all of the best IT certifications address UTM directly or explicitly. 

While no credential focuses exclusively on UTM, some of the best InfoSec and cybersecurity certifications cover UTM aspects in their exam objectives or the associated standard body of knowledge that candidates must master:

Of these credentials, the generalist items (such as CISA, CISSP, and CHPP/CHPA) and the two SANS GIAC certifications (GCIH and GCWN) provide varying levels of coverage on the principles of DLP and the best practices for its application and use within the context of a well-defined security policy. 

Out of the above list, the CISSP and CISA are the most advanced and demanding certs. The Cisco and Juniper credentials concentrate more on the details of specific platforms and systems from vendors of UTM solutions.

With the ever-increasing emphasis on and demand for cybersecurity, any of these certifications – or even entry-level cybersecurity certifications – can be a springboard to launch you into your next information security opportunity.

Eduardo Vasconcellos contributed to the writing and research in this article.

These days, embedded systems often have networks and that can make them significantly more complex. Networks are usually pretty nondeterministic and there are a variety of oddball conditions. For example, when your public-access pick and place machine gets written up on Hackaday and you suddenly get a 50X surge in traffic, how does your network stack handle it? While there’s no silver bullet for network testing, there are some tricks that can make it easier and one of those is the tcpreplay utilities that allow you to record complex network traffic and then play it back in a variety of ways. This has many benefits, especially if you manage to capture that one thing that triggers bad behavior sporadically. Being able to play it back on demand can speed up diagnostics considerably.

General Idea

You probably know that tcpdump allows you to grab packet captures from a network interface and save them to a file. If you prefer a GUI, you probably use Wireshark, which uses the same underlying library (libpcap) to grab the data. In fact, you can capture data using tcpdump and look at it with Wireshark, although there are other tools like tcptrace or Ngrep that can work with the output, also.

While the output of the command can be a little cryptic without tool support, a program called tcpreplay can take that data and feed it back in a variety of ways. Of course, you can modify the file first — there are tools to make that easier and — if you need to — you can craft your own network traffic by hand or using one of a variety of tools. This process is often called “packet crafting.”

Getting the Data

Sometimes using tcpdump is an example of how you can have too much of a good thing. You’ll get huge data files if you just grab everything off a particular network device:

tcpdump -i eth0

Usually, you’ll want to limit the data in different ways. For example:

tcpdump src 192.168.1.111   # data from .111
tcpdump dst 192.168.1.111   # data to .111
tcpdump host 192.168.1.111  # data to/from .111

Other common filters include “net” for a particular subnet or “port” or even a protocol like “arp” or “ip6.” You can combine these so:

tcpdump port 8088      # traffic on port 8088
tcpdump dst port 8080  # traffic to port 8088

Ports can also have ranges (80-89) and there are a host of other filters including packet size limits. You can join conditions with both “or” and “and.” There’s a lot to learn, and you can read more on the tcpdump man page.

The exact output of tcpdump depends on the protocol in use. You can add the -X or -XX options to get a hex dump, as well.

So now you have a file with some interesting network data in it. How do you repeat it for debugging purposes?

The Big Playback

That’s where tcpreplay comes into play. Simplistically, it is easy to use:

tcpreplay -i eth0 traffic.pcap

However, you may need more control. For example, by default, the replay is at the same speed it originally occurred. However, you can add the “–mbps” option to force a certain flow rate. You can even use “–mbps=0” to have no delay at all between packets.

There are other performance options, too. The “-K” option reads the entire capture file into memory to Improve performance, if possible. If you are using the “–loop” option to repeat the playback, this can have a big performance advantage.

In some extreme cases, you may want to really saturate the network interface for testing. There are special drivers that tcpreplay can use that allow it to directly write to network hardware, although doing so will disable normal network operations while you are playing back.

Editing

Sometimes you want to make subtle changes to the traffic in the capture file without actually changing the file. The basic program has a few options to help. For example, the “–unique-ip” option will cause the program to alter packets to be unique each time through a loop.

However, sometimes you need more control. The tcpreplay-edit program can do lots of changes. For example, it can remap TCP or UDP ports. It can also randomize IP addresses, remove broadcasts, and make other changes on the fly.

As a practical example, you might record a session between a client and a server machine. To reproduce the server’s behavior, you would want to strip the server’s responses from the file and rewrite the MAC addresses so the client is now the machine running tcpreplay.

These tools are very powerful and — like many powerful tools — can be used for good or ill purposes. There are so many options, but you’ll find if you just start out trying a few “toy” cases and spend a few minutes with each man page that you’ll be able to find ways to monitor and replay your network traffic to help solve that next intractable network problem.

PR Newswire

TAIPEI, Jan. 10, 2023

TAIPEI, Jan. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AEWIN is glad to announce our latest High-Performance Network Appliance featuring the latest AMD Zen 4 Genoa CPUs (EPYC 9004), SCB-1946 series. It is a series of flagship products powered by dual AMD SP5 Genoa CPU with 5nm production technology to support 16 channels DDR5 and 160 PCIe lanes with dual CPUs that each has up to 96 cores (~50% increased) and TDP 400W (~28% increased). Furthermore, SCB-1946 series will support dual AMD Bergamo CPUs with Zen 4c architecture which have up to 128 cores per CPU to enable the extreme computing power pursued in the market.

There are five SKU of SCB-1946 series, each one features the great computing power of the dual Genoa CPU and 4x PCIe5 slots with higher transmission speed to accomplish workloads of innovative use cases. For 2U rackmount systems, SCB-1946A is with additional 4x PCIe x8 slots for AEWIN self-design NICs with wide range of 1-100G copper/fiber interfaces with/without bypass function or other accelerators. SCB-1946B is with additional 2x PCIe x16 slots for standard PCIe form factor which can install off-the-shelf add-on card for additional function required. It can support 400G high throughput with two 200G NIC cards installed such as Mellanox PCIe 5.0 NIC.

As for SCB-1946C, it supports dual-width PCIe slots for GPU/FPGA cards and dual Genoa CPUs of up to 300W each with short-depth chassis design for easy deployment. Tasks required AI workloads can be handled effortlessly at the edge for time-critical use cases which make it suitable for diverse intelligent applications including Smart Medical, Smart Manufacturing, Smart City, and more. Also, AEWIN offers SCB-1946E to support the most powerful CPUs of Genoa up to 400W each to perform extreme high performance to work with GPU to achieve complex training tasks.

Regarding 4U Network Appliance, SCB-1946D makes fully use of the rich resources of high speed I/O from Genoa CPU to support total 16x PCIe expansion slots to delivers high throughput and low latency for compute intensive workloads. Featuring enlarged flexibility, scalability, and short-depth design, it is perfect for MEC, 5G Open RAN, vRAN, NGFW, UTM, ADC, and diverse performant edge computing applications.

Regarding cybersecurity, SCB-1946 series is integrated with Trusted Platform Module (TPM2.0) which allows authentication of hardware devices to ensure the integrity of the hardware platform. It also supports AEWIN OT006B, TSB V2 (Trust Secure Boot) module, for secure boot and firmware recovery. Furthermore, the SCB-1946 is with 12x native SATA for storage applications. The SCB-1946 series is a multi-functional computing platform that leverages extraordinary computing performance and high-frequency features of the AMD EPYC 9004 Genoa CPUs.

To know more about AEWIN or our latest products, please don't hesitate to contact our friendly sales!

Product details of SCB-1946 Series:

• SCSB-1946A: 2U Network Appliance with dual AMD EPYC 9004 (Zen4), total 8x PCIe slots (4x PCIe Gen5 x8 slots and 4x PCIe Gen 4 x8 slots for NICs, Accelerators & NVMe SSDs)
• SCB-1946B: 2U Network Appliance with dual AMD EPYC 9004 (Zen4), 2x standard Gen 4 x16 PCIe slots, 4x PCIe Gen5 x8 slots for NICs, Accelerators & NVMe SSDs
• SCB1946C/E: SCB-1946B: 2U Edge Server with dual AMD EPYC 9004 (Zen4), 2x dual slot Gen 4 x16 FHFL GPU cards, 4x PCIe Gen5 x8 slots for NICs, Accelerators & NVMe SSDs
• SCB-1946D: 4U Network Appliance with dual AMD EPYC 9004 (Zen4), total 16x PCIe slots (4x PCIe Gen5 x8 slots and 12x PCIe Gen 4 x8 slots for NICs, Accelerators & NVMe SSDs)

For more information, please visit: https://www.aewin.com/ or contact us.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aewiin-flagship-performant-network-appliance-powered-by-amd-genoa-301715260.html

SOURCE AEWIN Tech.

In terms of big data processing, NSA 7160 is designed with the latest PCIe Gen 5 interface that enables up to 2.6Tb Ethernet connectivity per system.

NEXCOM’s NSA 7160 is intended for network security and 5G network applications, with cutting-edge features like multi-core computing performance, high memory capacity, high-speed I/O interface, and improved Intel QuickAssist Technology (Intel QAT) hardware acceleration for both enterprise and telecommunication applications. By leveraging 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, NSA 7160 accelerates performance across the fastest-growing workloads and delivers value across multiple applications.

To broaden customers’ capabilities in terms of big data processing, NSA 7160 is designed with the latest PCIe Gen 5 interface that enables up to 2.6Tb Ethernet connectivity per system. One other highlight is Compute Express Links (CXL) 1.1, which accelerates CPU-to-device or CPU-to-memories connections, a much-desired feature for high-speed data processing of all kinds.

“NEXCOM is proud to be part of this significant event with Intel,” said Peter Yang, President of NEXCOM. “We are launching our new flagship product that offers our customers the highest Ethernet connectivity per system ever available on the market. The productive cooperation and leveraging of 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, let NEXCOM stay among industry leaders and bring unprecedented performance to the network industry once again.”

“Our 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors bring cutting-edge technologies, under multi-workload-oriented architecture and cloud-native design concept, with built-in acceleration and advanced security, all the crucial elements required by today's newly evolved network infrastructure,” said Keate Despain, Intel Network Builders Director, Intel Corporation. “NEXCOM is an awarded Winners’ Circle Gold partner, and we are excited to see the integration of Intel's innovations into their solutions to deliver more choice to their customers for the 5G era."

Main Features
Dual 4th Gen Intel^® Xeon^® scalable processor
16 x DDR5 4800 ECC RDIMM
2 x 2.5” swappable SSD/HDD
2 x Management ports
1300W 1+1 CRPS redundant power supply
8 x PCIe5 LAN module slots
1 x PCIe4 x16 slot with CXL1.1 for FHFL card
Supports 1 x IPMI 2.0 RunBMC (optional)

For more details about NSA 7160, please check NEXCOM website.

About NEXCOM
Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, NEXCOM integrates its diverse capabilities and operates six global businesses, including the Network and Communication Solutions (NCS) unit. NCS focuses on the latest network technology and helps to build reliable network infrastructure, by delivering professional design and manufacturing services for customers all over the world. NCS’s network application platform is widely adopted in Cyber Security Appliance, Load Balancer, uCPE, SD-WAN, SASE, Edge Computing, Storage, NVR, and other network applications for businesses of all sizes.

Peter Yang
NEXCOM
+1 510-386-2266
peteryang@nexcom.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn

Thanks to a generous grant from the Leverhulme Trust, GEHN is an international network which, expanded to include 49 academics from several disciplines and with recognised expertise on the economic histories of several parts of the world, came into operation in September 2003. Its programme of research, visiting fellowships and conferences is now complete. 

The GEHN Network, the product of cooperation across 4 partner institutions (the London School of Economics, the University of California (Irvine & Los Angeles), Leiden and Osaka Universities), promotes research, teaching and co-operation in the innovatory and rising field of global economic history.  As historians, participants in GEHN share a common 'agenda' to diffuse and refine knowledge of global economic history among their students and colleagues in higher education and among publics concerned with the origins and development of the globalized world we now inhabit.

Although the project is now complete, members of the Network continue to work towards their stated aims, and details of their work can be found here

Professor Jan Luiten Van Zanden, University of Utrecht and Debin Ma, LSE, organised a conference Law and Economic Development which took place at the Amsterdam Historical Institute.  The programme can be found here

The Network

GEHN Activities

Resources

Editor's note: The Guardian no longer accepts fliers as information for events that appear under "About Town."

The information must be typed out and sent via email.

Please include the following: type/name of event, date, time, location, speakers, theme and cost, if any, and who to contact for more information.

Send via email to guardian@gainesville.com (The new email address — now in effect — to send announcements/information and to request coverage). The deadline is noon Fridays for publication the following Thursday.

For more information, call 352-337-0376.

Chain of Peace

The Rosa Parks Quiet Courage Committee, along with Bartley Temple United Methodist Church, will host the Community "Chain of Peace" event at 10 a.m. Feb. 25 at the church at 1936 NE Eighth Ave.

The purpose of this event is to gather as community members to unite to offer prayers and thoughts for an end to hate, violence, mass shootings, religious bigotry, racism, divisions and intolerance that is destroying the fabric of not only our neighborhoods but all across the nation.

For more information, call 352-665-4066 or email mlgriner@yahoo.com.

Health study

Researchers at the University of Florida are recruiting participants for a study on psychological and social factors related to weight and metabolic health. Eligible participants will be women, ages 45-65 years, who are postmenopausal (at least 12 consecutive months with no menstrual cycle) and overweight.

The research study will involve an assessment visit at the UF Clinical and Translational Research Building. The assessment will include measurements of weight and blood pressure, a blood draw, and completion of questionnaires. Participants will receive compensation and free blood test results.

For more information and to find out if you might be eligible to participate, please visit https://redcap.link/metabolichealth or contact Marian Hernandez at marian.hernandez@phhp.ufl.edu or (352) 273-5288.

Rebecca Pearl, Ph.D., of the UF Department of Clinical and Health Psychology is the principle investigator, and the

IRB Protocol Number is IRB202201126.

Tax help

The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program will offer free income tax preparation from Monday until April 18 at local libraries and at the Alachua County Senior Center. 

Taxpayers may make an appointment online at http://taxaidegnv.wordpress.com or come to one of the tax sites during site hours that will be from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Millhopper Library, 3145 NW 43rd St., on Mondays and Thursdays; Alachua County Library District Headquarters, 401 E. University Ave., on Mondays; Tower Road Library, 3020 SW 75th St., on Tuesdays and Thursdays; Library Partnership, 912 NE 16th Ave., on Wednesdays and Alachua County Senior Center, 5701 NW 34th Blvd., on Wednesdays.  There will also be Saturday services on various dates.  Face masks are strongly recommended to protect the health of volunteers and other taxpayers.

Tax-Aide, the nation's largest volunteer tax preparation service, is open to all but focuses on low- to moderate-income people who are 50 or older. 

Sunday Assembly

Sunday Assembly, a secular community, will meet at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Pride Center in the Liberty Center at 3131 NW 13 St.

Vaccinations and boosters are recommended and encouraged. It is also possible to attend via zoom.

The guest speaker will be Peggy MacDonald, a public historian and an adjunct professor. She writes articles about local and Florida history and her first book, "Marjorie Harris Carr: Defender of Florida’s Environment," was published by the University of Florida Press in 2014. The title of her talk will be: “Carolyn Beatrice Parker, Gainesville’s Own ‘Hidden Figure’.”

Music will be provided by our SA musicians with the opportunity to sing along.

For more information visit, sagainesville.weebly.com or email SundayAssembly32601@gmail.com.

Stop smoking

The Tools to Quit Tobacco group will host a free one time, two-hour session that will provide smokers tips on how to deal with triggers, withdrawal symptoms and prevent relapse.

It will be held from 2-4 p.m. Tuesday at LifeSouth Blood Center, 1221 NW 13th St.

Attendees will receive up to four weeks of free nicotine patches, gum or lozenges. This group more than doubles your chance of quitting for good. Pre-registration is required, and virtual options are also available on the computer or over the phone.

Call 866-341-2730 to reserve your spot.

Book signing

A book signing for the recently released book titled "Stayed on Freedom: The Long History of Black Power through One Family's Journey" will be held at 5 p.m. Feb. 23 at Smathers Library East Room 100 on the University of Florida campus.

Books will be available for signing and purchase, and author Dan Berger, Ph.D., and Zoharah Simmons, Ph.D., will be in attendance to sign books. The event will be a part of the ongoing UF Samuel Proctor Oral History Program's Public Program Series.

For more information, tweet @spohp@clas.ufl.edu, visit https://bit.ly/3H1vArQ or call 352-392-7168.

 Northeast Park

Renovations are now complete to the tennis courts at Tom Petty Park (formerly Northeast Park) at 400 NE 16th Ave.

The renovations include pickleball striping on courts 3 and 4, which can be utilized with portable nets. Originally built in the 1970s, the tennis courts required a complete rebuild. Nidy Sports Construction Company Inc. performed the work at a project cost of $158,245. 

To reserve play times, visit https://www.playtennisgainesville.com/.

Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts of the Gateway Council recruitment campaign for the fall is ongoing and your child can join an existing troop or start a new troop.

For more information, call 877-764-5237.

Volunteers needed

The Alachua County Crisis Center is recruiting volunteer crisis line counselors who will be provides 60 hours of in–depth training in active listening, crisis intervention and suicide prevention.

For more information, call 352-264-6781 or email ksosa@alachuacounty.us.

After school

City of Gainesville Foundations After School program for children in grades 1-8 will be offered from 2-6 p.m. Monday-Friday at Albert Ray Massey Westside Center, 1001 NW 34th St., Eastside Community Center, 2841 E. University Ave., Porters Community Center, 512 SW Second Ave. and Phoenix Community Center, 3113-B SW 26th Drive, for children living in the Phoenix community. 

For more information, call 352-334-5067 or visit https://bit.ly/3dfRFHD.

Cade Museum

“Wandering the Milky Way – A Tour of the Solar System" is on display at the Cade Museum through Jan. 1.

The museum hours for the display are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday at the museum at 811 N. Main St. General admission tickets are $12.50, $10 for seniors and college students, $7.50 for ages 5-17 and free ages 4 and younger.

For more information, call 352-371-8001 or visit www.cademuseum.org.

Vaccine

A free FluMist vaccine will be offered by the Alachua County School District in collaboration with the Alachua County Health Department.

The vaccine will be available for students in pre-k through 12th grades. 

For more information, visit controlflu.com or call 352-334-7916.

College assistance

The U.S Deptartment of Education will provide $5 million in funding to support a new College Completion Fund for post secondary education student success.

The funds will go to historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. The Ronald E. McNair is one of seven federal TRIO programs, targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post baccalaureate programs.

For more information, call 202-401-1576 or visit https://bit.ly/3AffiIv.

Star Center

If you are interested in community theatre and have the time to volunteer for a worthy cause, then you may want to consider volunteering at the Star Center Theatre.

Volunteer opportunities include theatre facility maintenance, set building and breakdown, tech/lighting training, event coordination assistance and costume design.  

For more information, email starcentergainesville@gmail.com 

BASE

Black AIDS Services and Education Inc., a local nonprofit organization that provides HIV/AIDS education, is seeking new members.

Meetings, which are open to the public, are held from 6-7 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at Santa Fe College Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED), 530 W. University Ave. Those interested in joining should email Blackaidsservicesandeducation@gmail.com

For more information, call 352-231-6383.

Digital connection

The Emergency Connectivity Fund is a federal program that will provide the Alachua County School District the opportunity to provide Internet connection at home for thousands of students who don't currently have an Internet connection in their homes.  For more information, call 352- 955-7545.

Voting

The Voting Rights Restoration Verification Program works to assist convicted felons having their rights restored.

Applicants must establish voter eligibility and must live in the Eighth Judicial Circuit. The application form is available at https://bit.ly/38rED8f.

For more information, contact the Office of the State Attorney, Attn: V8th Department, 120 W. University Ave. Gainesville, Fla. 32601.

Diapers distribution

The Project YouthBuild Parenting program is launching a diaper distribution.  Applications for the program are available in person or downloadable at  www.projectyouthbuild.org. 

Utility assistance

Utility bill assistance up to $5,000 is available now through Sept. 30 through the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Those interested should apply at the Central Florida Community Action Agency.

For more information, call 352-373-7667. 

Legislative Aide (District 20)

State Rep. Yvonne Hinson is now accepting applications in her Gainesville office to assist with a variety of administrative and public relations matters requiring a thorough understanding of the policies, procedures and operating practices of the Florida Legislature.

Duties will include organizing calendar and scheduling, constituent management,

legislative process, public relations and press releases, stakeholder relations,

designated Tallahassee travel staff during committee weeks and sessions, as well as other essential duties and responsibilities.

Minimum qualifications required include an associate’s degree from an accredited college or university and two years of administrative experience. Professional administrative experience can substitute on a year-for-year basis for the required college education.

Salary is $34,116 annually and includes excellent employee benefits.

Interested parties may send a cover letter, resume and completed Florida Legislature Employment Application to: The Honorable Yvonne Hinson, Florida House of Representatives, 2815 NW 13th St., Suite 202, Gainesville, Fla., 32609-2865, or e-mail Yvonne.Hinson@myfloridahouse.gov.

Applications are available through the Florida Legislature's web site Online Sunshine and in Room 701 of the Claude Pepper Building, 636 W. Call St. in Tallahassee.

Unemployment

If you are looking to apply for unemployment and having difficulty or are unable to complete the online application, the Library Partnership Resource Center has paper applications available on a grab-and-go basis and you can also get help completing the online application.

Library Partnership is located at 912 NE 16th Ave. 

Scholarships

High school students and their families can search and apply for scholarships in one centralized platform under a new agreement between Alachua County Public Schools and a free service called Going Merry.

Going Merry is a free scholarship search and application platform that allows students to create a personal profile that are matched with a list of scholarships for which they are eligible. Students have an opportunity to apply for their preferred scholarships or multiple scholarships at once through the platform.

For more information, visit www.goingmerry.com. 

Broadband

Comcast recently announced the multi-million-dollar expansion of its network to Waldo, which brings the company’s full line-up of high-speed Xfinity Internet services to local customers for the first time. This project is a part of Comcast’s work to bridge the digital divide by bringing broadband Internet service to new and underserved areas.

Local customers will have access to Xfinity’s unique features that provide them complete control over their in-home WiFi networks, including:

• WiFi Controls – Xfinity xFi’s digital dashboard gives customers total control over their in-home wireless networks with the ability to monitor what devices are connected, set parental controls, pause WiFi access and more.

• Advanced Cybersecurity Protection – Customers can use xFi Advanced Security to protect devices connected to their gateway from malware and other threats.

• xFi Pods – xFi Pods are WiFi extenders that can ensure WiFi coverage is available all across the home, eliminating dead zones.

• Streaming – Xfinity Internet customers can use Xfinity Flex, a 4K streaming device, to stream movies, videos and more from the Xfinity Stream app, Peacock Premium and other popular streaming services like Hulu and Netflix.

Internet Essentials, Comcast’s signature digital equity initiative and the nation’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program, will be offered locally as well. Internet Essentials provides in-home internet access for $9.95 for qualified households, plus multiple options to access online digital literacy and skills training. Qualified households may be eligible to have the cost of their monthly home Internet service paid for through the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Affordability Connectivity Program (ACP). For more information on Internet Essentials and the ACP, visit www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-8-INTERNET (1-855-846-8376). 

Achieve program

The Sante Fe College Achieve program provides students with robust mentoring opportunities inside their high school including coaching students in career exploration, time management, financial aid and continued mentorship after students enroll at SF College.

Once enrolled at SF College, students will receive a stipend to cover the cost of textbooks.

For more information, visit www.sfcollege.edu.

ObamaCare

Suwannee River AHEC navigators will provide outreach and enrollment services to anyone looking to enroll for health care coverage in the federal health insurance marketplace.

We assist consumers with free confidential telephone, virtual and online enrollment service appointments. 

To book your appointment today, call 386-230-9400 or email navigator@srahec.org.

SF College program

The ACB Excel program is a new Santa Fe College initiative that offers career certificate training that can lead to future employment into high-wage and in demand jobs.

The program offers a two-generation avenue for both parents and school age children to engage in academic and social activities.

For more information, call 352-395-53663 or email Jen.homard@sfcollege.edu or rodthomas@sfcollege.edu. 

SF College laptops

With a focus on closing the digital divide, Santa Fe College is lending  laptops and/or webcams to currently enrolled students.

Applications are available online at www.sfcollege.edu/laptoploan. Applicants must be enrolled and in a degree seeking program.

For more information, call 352-395-5513 or email Bea.awoniyi@sfcollege.edu.

Help

Women Working with Women, a local nonprofit, is seeking help from the public and philanthropists to help fund its programs that provide a multitude of services to the community.

The group's mission is to help women and families through education, empowerment, strengthening and improving their quality of life. It was founded in 2013.

For more information or to donate, visit http://www.womenworkingwithwomen.org, email 4wsbms@gmail.com or call 352-872-8555.

Exhibit

“When Johnny Came Marching Home" is an outdoor exhibition located on the west side of the Matheson History Museum at 513 E. University Ave.

This sculpture was designed by Ken McGurn and fabricated by Matthew Pollard. The exhibit honors all of those who have served in the U.S. military. McGurn served in the Army and Army Reserves from 1963-1979.

The Matheson's hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.

Health insurance

The Suwannee River Area Health Education Center navigators will provide outreach and enrollment services to anyone looking to enroll for health care coverage in the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace.

We assist consumers with free confidential telephone, virtual and online enrollment service appointments.  

Call 386 -230-9400 or email navigator@srahec.org for an appointment.

Affordable housing

Communities that Care and the North Central Florida Foundation for Affordable Housing are collaborating to build homes on land trusts throughout the region.

For more information, visit www.alachuahabitat.org.

Gainesville Sun archives

The Alachua County Library District has expanded its digital Gainesville Sun archives to include editions dating back to 1911 that are available to library cardholders who can access the archives at www.aclib.us/GainesvilleSun from any computer. Users can search by keyword or date and print, email or download PDFs and images from 1911 to the present, as well as browse news articles, legal announcements, advertisements and obituaries in the archives.

The database is available 24/7 from computers or mobile devices

STEM Kits

Spark STEM Discoveries for children ages 3 and through fifth grade are available for checkout  at all Alachua County Library District branches.

The Rotary Club of Gainesville supported this new collection with a $1,500 donation. STEM Kits can be checked out for 14 days. Library cardholders can reserve one kit at a time to pick up at any library branch and can return the kits at any location. Kit themes include electricity, the human body, birding, microscopic discoveries and more. Explore the kits at www.aclib.us/stemkits or place one on hold by searching “STEM Kit” in the catalog at https://catalog.aclib.us/.

For more information, call 352-334-3909 or email rcook@aclib.us.

Internet service

Cox Communications is working with local schools and libraries to help provide internet service through the FCC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program to help people get connected to what matters most.

The ECF program is open to students, educational staff and library patrons who would otherwise lack a sufficient connection to the internet for remote learning and remote library services. Cox’s ECF offering will cost a one-time $20 equipment charge and $30 per month for internet service, with no term agreement and no deposit.

For more information, visit cox.com/ecf. 

Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts of Gateway Council and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) have announced 28 new badges that focus on entrepreneurship, math in nature and digital leadership that encourage girls to navigate a changing society and build the futures they want for themselves and the world.

Mobile clinic

The UF Mobile Clinic will be stationed at GTEC, 2153 Hawthorne Road, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Fridays for  free primary medical care services, COVID-19 vaccinations, care coordination and connecting to community resources. 

For more information, call 352-273-5328 or visit https://outreach.med.ufl.edu.

Library District

The Alachua County Library District recently updated library services and expanded hours.   

The district’s study rooms, Quiet Reading Rooms and meeting rooms are now open.  The Headquarters, Millhopper, Tower Road and Alachua branches are open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.and Sunday from noon-5 p.m.. Hawthorne, High Springs and Newberry branches are open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from noon-5 p.m.; Cone Park and Library Partnership branches are open  Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.. Archer, Micanopy and Waldo branches are open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.  

Patrons can browse, use study rooms, computers and printing services during all operating hours.  Study rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserve meeting rooms at www.aclib.us/rooms or by calling a library branch. Outside services continue, weather permitting.

Story Time

Children and caregivers can read, laugh and sing at outdoor story times lead by Alachua County Library staff at “Story Time on the Green.”

Sessions will be offered four days per week through Saturday. Librarians and library staff will read tales and lead activities perfect for infants to 5-year-olds at library green spaces and parks. Story Time on the Green will be held at 10 a.m., weather permitting in at Cone Park Branch, 2801 E. University Ave.; Smokey Bear Park, 2300 NE 15th St. and Library Headquarters, 401 E. University Ave.  

Butterfly Garden

The Florida Museum of Natural History has reinstated the Butterfly Garden Initiative where museum educators and scientists visit schools, community centers and after-school programs planting gardens and conducting workshops on pollinators and other insects.

The goal of the program is to create more habitats for pollinators. 

For more information and how to participate in the program, visit https://bit.ly/3oypgOV. 

Barnyard Buddies

Barnyard Buddies is a weekly program where youngsters, with an adult, can meet and greet farm animals by helping staff with afternoon feeding.

Participants will be limited, and all attendees must register for each session. It will be held from 3-4 p.m. Wednesdays at Morningside Nature Center, 3540 E. University Ave. It’s free but registration is required at bit.ly/barnbuddies2021.Tickets will be made available the Thursday before the next program. Facial coverings are required for all participants over the age of 6 unless exempt. Animals love donations of carrots, squash, apples, sweet potatoes and melons.  

Pollution exhibit

The Florida Museum of Natural History dives into oceans to investigate plastic pollution and how it's affecting the world’s oceans. 

The “Save our Oceans from Plastic” exhibit offers an up-close look at life under the sea, featuring 12 images from renowned nature photographers illustrating the beauty of oceans and marine life as well as the threat that plastic pollution poses to their health.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2RWlToC.

Broadband discount

Cox is permanently increasing speed for low-cost Internet and offers discounts through the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.

In addition to permanently increasing internet speed for its Connect2Compete customers, Cox is working to ensure eligible households can receive discounted service through the EBB program.

The FCC program, which is open to eligible Americans for only a limited time, is available to provide temporary financial assistance for internet service. Eligible families may qualify to receive up to $50 off their monthly bill based on their current internet service and equipment rental, or up to $75 if they live in a tribal area, for as long as government funds remain available.

Families can qualify for Connect2Compete by visiting cox.com/c2c. 

For more information on the EBB program, visit cox.com/ebb. 

Free rides

The Alachua County and Gainesville City commissions have agreed to provide free bus rides to senior citizens and kids under the age of 18 beginning in October.

The city and county will spend $115,00 toward offering these free bus rides.

RTS can be reached at 393-7850 or www.go-rts.com.

Free admission

The Florida Museum of Natural History will offer free admission to all fee-based exhibits for active-duty military personnel and their families from Armed Forces Day, Saturday, through Labor Day, Sept. 6, as a part of the nationwide Blue Star Museums initiative.

The museum requires masks at all times and asks guests to practice social distancing.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3n94aWC.

Vaccines for Vets

Eligible veterans can get COVID-19 vaccines through the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System under the Saves Lives Act.

To receive a vaccine, veterans should go to www.va.gov/covid-19-vaccine to register and stay informed on the VA’s vaccine rollout process. Veterans who are currently enrolled and receive health care from the VA can bypass the registration process and call 352-548-6000, ext. 103755 to schedule an appointment.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3ahA4uK.

Hotspots

Alachua County residents can check out mobile hotspots from the Alachua County Library District.

The new WiFi2Go pilot program has 100 hotspots available for checkout. Hotspots check out for seven days and can connect up to five devices to the Internet. Service depends on the availability of the T-Mobile network where the hotspot is used. The hotspot devices are available at all branches in the district and through the online catalog.

Call your library branch for more details or call 352-334-3909.

Vaccine transportation

Florida Medicaid will take you to get the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost.

All you need to do is set up a time to get your vaccine. Next, let your Medicaid plan know you need a ride and they will take care of the rest. If you are not enrolled in a plan, call the Medicaid Helpline at 1-877-254-1055 to find out the name and phone number for a transportation service. 

If you are in a health plan, call your plan provider to get the name and telephone number for your transportation service.

SWAG medical services

SWAG, in partnership with the Alachua County Health Department and the UF Medical Guild, has funding to provide basic physicals and dental checkups/services for children. 

These services are for children only, and must be scheduled through the Alachua County Health Department. Services will be performed at the SW Health Clinic in the Linton Oaks neighborhood. 

To schedule appointments, call 352-334-7910 or 352-334-8839.

Haircuts

McDougle Technical Institute (MTI) will offer $5 haircuts and services during the entire month of March. 

Located at 2635 NW 13th St., this is MTI's second location sponsored by former Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Stockar McDougle and his wife Octavia McDougle. For information and/or appointments, call 352-554-4900.

Edible groves

The city of Gainesville this month unveiled its Edible Groves project in an effort to increase access to healthy food.

Staff has begun planting a variety of fruit- or nut-bearing trees at two City parks —  Smokey Bear Park on Northeast 15th St.  and Fred Cone Park on East University Ave.  Plans for a third site in an area known as Bountiful Boulevard, located along the 4200-4300 block of SW 40 Blvd. will be planted in the coming months.  Trees planted to date include chestnut, kumquat, loquat, mulberry, orange, nectarine, persimmon, peach, pear, pecan, and tangerine. When completed, Smokey Bear Park will be home to more than 70 specimens, with an additional 50 trees at Fred Cone Park.

For More information, call 352-393-7842 or email  passanitir1@cityofgainesville.org.

Museum event

“Outdoor Museum in the Park” for kids in kindergarten through 6th grade will be sponsored by the Florida Museum of Natural History 

The event series will explore local Florida wildlife and provide participants a special look at museum collections.

The series explores the Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park, Payne’s Prairie Preserve State Park and San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park. 

Registration is required. All youth must be accompanied by a ticketed adult. Tickets are $12 per adult/child pair and include a day pass to the park. Early registration is recommended, as spots are limited. For more information about the events, visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/kids/museum-in-the-parks.

 NAMI courses

NAMI Gainesville has three free courses starting soon that require advance registration and are expected to fill up quickly.

• Peer to Peer is an eight-week class for adults that identify as peers (adults living with a mental illness).. 

• Family to Family is an eight- week class for people that have a family member living with a mental illness. 

• NAMI Basics is a six-week course for parents and caregivers of children or teens that live with mental illness.

Courses will be held online on Zoom. For more information, visit https://www.namigainesville.org.

Girl Scouts

Girl Scout entrepreneurs from North Florida to the Panhandle are needed to sell cookies in safe, creative and socially distant ways, including through the organization’s first-ever national delivery services collaboration with Grubhub.  

Enter your zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder at www.girlscoutcookies.org to purchase from a local Girl Scout troop online for shipment to your door or to donate cookies to first responders and local causes.

Head Start

Alachua County Head Start added new centers in East Gainesville for children ages 3-5. They are located at ECS 4 Kids at 530 Waldo Road; Hagios Learning Center, 1132 NE 16th Ave.; Oak Tree Center, 1414 NE 23rd Ave. For more information, call 452-240-6533.

ACCEPT

Alachua County Continuing Education for Parenting Teenagers (ACCEPT) program has survived staff cuts and is now under the System of Care department led by Veita Jackson -Carter.

The ACCEPT program provides an opportunity for pregnant and teen parents attending Alachua County Public Schools to continue their education while also benefiting from prenatal/postnatal health and parenting classes in addition to child care.

For more information, call System of Care at 352-955-7671, Ext. 1604

Exhibit

“Trailblazers: 150 years of Alachua County Women,” an online exhibition at the Matheson History Museum highlights the lives and accomplishments of 11 women from Alachua County. It can be found at https://adobe.ly/2AGNS3q. They women featured in the exhibit are Sarah Hamilton Matheson, Dr. Sarah Lucretia Robb, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Marjorie Harris Carr, Vivian Washington Filer, Daphne Duval Williams, Judith Brown, Margaret Tebeau, Clara Floyd Gehan, Mary Etta Cubberly and Emmaline Buchholz.

To view the exhibit online visit https://adobe.ly/2AGNS3q.

Cade camp

Afternoon Adventure Camp at the Cade Museum will be available from 2-5 p.m. Wednesdays at the museum at 811 South Main St..

The camp is focused on challenges that boost kids' creativity and imagination. Cade Museum educators help children ages 5-11 engage in a broad range of hands-on STEAM experiments and activities that include exploring and improving skills in 3D design, coding, robotic, and more. Educators will also be available to help children in Kindergarten through 5th-grade with homework.   

For more information, call 353-371-8001 or visit www.cademuseum.org

Matheson Museum

The Matheson Museum wants Alachua County residents to help document the community’s experience with digital submissions of photographs, video clips, stories or anything else county residents think helps tell their story.

Please submit items to curator@mathesonmuseum.org.

NAMI computers

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will be offering classes online and via Zoom and if you don’t have access to a computer, NAMI Gainesville has a limited number of computers you may borrow to facilitate your participation. 

NAMi Gainesville has an array of programs including NAMI Family-to-Family or NAMI Basics, this fall. There is no charge to take these evidence-based courses that are available to youths and adults.

For more information, https://www.namigainesville.org.

Coping tips

Carla Schmidt, Ph.D., BCBA-D, a clinical assistant professor in the University of Florida College of Education, through a video interview will provide tips for parents on how to deal with the new normal for their families this school year, including those whose children have neurological developmental disabilities or special needs. To access the video, visit https://bit.ly/2FtxtBN.

Art gallery

The Artisans' Guild Gallery has a new home at 224 NW Second St. in the Pleasant Street neighborhood. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Established in 1970, the gallery is among the oldest continuously running artist cooperatives in the country and features fine arts and fine crafts by 50-plus local artists. Guidelines to keep artists and customers safe are in effect.

For more information, call 352-378-1383 or visit artisansguildgallery.com.

Free computer use

Computer and printer use re-opens this week at Alachua County libraries.

Machines are available once a day per person, and you must make an appointment by phone with your individual branch. To avoid spreading COVID-19, all technology will be sanitized between uses, and users must wear a face mask, maintain social distance and complete a health screening, according to Rachel Cook, library public relations and marketing manager.

One-hour computer appointments are open at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and 15-minute printer appointments are from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday at every location.

Caregiver training

Free Savvy Caregiver virtual training classes geared toward caregivers of those caring for someone with dementia will be offered from 6-8 p.m. on Mondays.

For more information or to register, email hornec@agingresources.org or call 352-692-5226.

KACB needs volunteers

Keep Alachua County Beautiful is looking for volunteers willing to help with socially distanced tasks.

Measures are in place, including guidance and sanitized supplies, to help maintain the county’s appearance despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release from the nonprofit organization.

The group needs volunteers to help pick up litter, paint over graffiti, plant trees, shrubs, flowers or vegetable gardens and to pull invasive plants, the release said.

To get involved, call 352-371-9444 to set up an appointment to get an assignment and pick up supplies.

All equipment is sanitized and can be borrowed for up to two weeks. For questions or assistance, call the number above, or visit www.kacb.org.

Cade Museum

The Cade Museum is producing Cade at Home content for children of all ages during quarantine and Cade at Night content for adults ages 21 and older featuring recipes for fun drinks and foods from local Gainesville restaurants.

For Cade at Home, visit https://www.cademuseum.org, for Cade at Night, visit https://www.cademuseum.org/cade-at-night.html.

Vegetable gardening

The UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will be offering tips on how to grow food at home.

It will share information on vegetable gardening during upcoming classes and how to contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension Office. syllabus include fruits and berries, backyard chickens and beekeeping.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2KM6xw0.

Studies

The University of Florida Department of Epidemiology is recruiting participants for two studies.

The department is recruiting adults 18-65 and older to participate in online interviews about cocaine, marijuana and alcohol use.

Participants' names and data will be kept confidential and compensation will be provided.

Participants must have used cocaine in the past 30 days, alcohol or marijuana in the past 30 days, and have access to a phone, computer or tablet.

To participate and see if you qualify, call 352-246-5913 to talk to the study team. If you qualify, you will be asked to do Zoom interviews with the study staff about your drug and alcohol use. At the end of each interview, you will receive a $25 gift card.

The department is also recruiting adults ages 65-89 to participate in a phone screening to determine eligibility for a brain and memory improvement study.

Participants must meet the age criteria, be healthy, and willing to take an MRI, a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body..

To see if you qualify and for more information, call 352-246-5913 to talk to the study team.

Matheson Museum

The Matheson Museum is asking Alachua County residents to share their COVID-19 experiences.

The coronavirus pandemic is a historic event of worldwide significance and the Matheson Museum wants to preserve the community’s stories with a goal to create a COVID-19 Community Archive that will be shared digitally over the next few weeks and in exhibitions down the road.

The museum urges Alachua County residents to help the museum document the community’s experience by providing digital submissions of photographs, video clips, stories or anything else residents think will help tell their story.

Submissions and questions should be emailed to Matheson Museum Curator of Collections Kaitlyn Hof-Mahoney at curator@mathesonmuseum.org

For more information, call 352-378-2280.

Free classes

Williams Temple Church of God in Christ’s Family Ministries will begin offering free English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes three days a week.

Classes will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Mondays, 6:30-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and 4:30-6 p.m. on Wednesdays at the church at 628 MW Seventh Ave.

You can register on site or you may download the registration form from www.wtcogicfl.com.

For more information, call or text 352-575-0746 or email wtcogicfl628@gmail.com.

Support groups

The Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center provides free and confidential support groups throughout the year led by trained and skilled facilitators. Groups are offered in a variety of modalities that include counseling and discussion, equine assisted, yoga combined with counseling and discussion and art and mindfulness. These groups allow survivors of sexual violence to connect and begin exploring ways to heal in a safe and supportive environment.

Groups that are offered include the following: Female survivors of sexual violence; adult survivors of childhood sexual violence, male survivors of sexual violence and LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual violence.

For more information, call 352-264-6760.

Fitness

The public is encouraged to attend Afro-Fitness workouts that involve working out intensely to rhythmic drums and music.

Workouts will be held from 5-6 p.m. every Thursday (except 5th Thursdays) at the Cone Park library, 2801 E. University Ave.

For more information, call 352-334-0720.

Award

 The Greater Gainesville Chamber has partnered with the University of Florida Inspiring Women Leaders Conference to honor a Greater Gainesville Chamber business member who has created a workplace culture that exemplifies diversity and inclusion.

 Organizations that showcase exemplary insight and determination in the area of workplace diversity are encouraged to apply at https://bit.ly/2NKasvL. The award covers excellence in all areas of diversity, including age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race and religion, as well as highlighting diverse employers and employees across a variety of sectors, including housing, public, private, charity and education.

'Science Surpises'

 The Florida Museum of Natural History is going outside the museum walls to offer a science outreach program for underserved children.

 Alberto Lopez, school outreach coordinator for the Florida Museum, said “Science Surprises” is a hands-on program designed for children in kindergarten through fifth grade that offers flexibility and is tailored to participants. The program is offered in a four-part series with classes that are usually one-hour long. He said the purpose is to instill an interest in science and help children become better problem solvers by using creativity and communication skills. Lopez said the program, which kicked off in January, has been offered in east Gainesville at Cone Park Branch Library, Caring and Sharing Learning School, the Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County and other places.

For more information and to inquire about having the program taught at your site, call 352-294-6950 or email alopez@flmnh.ufl.edu.

Farmer's Market

The Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program WIC Clinic Market with the freshest produce at affordable prices is open now through October.

The market, which is a collaboration between the Alachua County Health Department, the WIC program and local farmers, is open from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Fridays (weather permitting) in the main parking lot of the Alachua County Health Department at 224 SE 24th St.

Volunteers needed

The Alachua County Crisis Center is seeking volunteers to become Crisis Line counselors.

Training continues for six weeks on Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. There is no fee for training, and applicants do not need to possess any specific degrees or certification. Training is held at the Alachua County Crisis Center, 218 SE 24th Str. After training is complete, the Crisis Center asks for a commitment of 24 four-hour shifts.

Volunteers learn active listening, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, community disaster response and more. Volunteering is an opportunity to impact the lives of fellow community members and gain life-enhancing communication skills.

For more information, call 352-264-6782.

Scholarships

Saint Leo University is offering scholarships to Florida Catholic High School students.

Beginning in the fall, the Catholic Promise Scholarship will award eligible Florida students who have attended four years at a Catholic high school with an annual scholarship of $14,000 toward their tuition at Saint Leo University.

For more information, visit https://www.saintleo.edu/campus-scholarships.

Career, job programs

If you are interested in a well-paying and exciting career that doesn’t require years of college, then you’re in luck because Santa Fe College has career and technical education programs that can be completed in one year or less.

There are certificate programs available in such areas as business, construction, education, biotechnology, health, dental, nursing, information technology, emergency medical services and more.

For more information, visit www.sfcollege.edu or call 352-395-5000.

Scholarships

The University of Florida and its IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences offers scholarships to transfer students with associate of arts degrees from state colleges in Florida.

The “Florida Pathways to Success: A Research University /Minority-Serving Community College Partnership to Enhance Retention and Diversity of Transfer Students” is funded through the National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program.

The scholarships are available to transfer students majoring in microbiology and cell science in the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Requirements include having an associate degree from a Florida public college, demonstrated financial need and a minimum 2.5 grade point average. The average annual scholarship award per student is $6,500, renewable for two academic years. The scholarship is available to UF online and on-campus students who are full-time, which means carrying a 12-credit hour course load.

To apply, visit https://bit.ly/2ZvipZl.

For more information, email microsstem@ifas.ufl.edu

Blount Center

Whether you are looking to earn a degree, Improve your job skills or launch a new startup, the Santa Fe College Blount Center Campus is ready to meet your needs.

Located at 401 NW Sixth St., the Blount Center offers daytime and evening classes in a small-school quality education environment.

The center also offers adult education programs, and one-stop student services for such things as admissions and advisement, financial aid assistance, tutoring, open computer lab, math studio and more.

For information, call 352-395-5647 for student services, 352-395-4496 for adult education and 352-395-5647 for college credit programs.

Bingo

The VFW Post 2811 will expand its Bingo Play to include games every Sunday and Wednesday.

The Sunday games will start at 1 p.m. and the Wednesday games will start at 5:30 p.m. at the post at 1150 NE Waldo Road. The games are open to the public.

Free coffee, water and snacks will be available, and door prizes will be given away. The kitchen will be open to serve low-cost menu items.

For more information, call 352-256-3066.

Food

A food truck operated by Country Baptist Church will be in the parking lot of VFW Post 2811 at 1150 NE Waldo Road from 3-4 p.m. every first and third Saturday of the month to distribute food.

A $5 donation will be appreciated, and you should bring your own box or basket for food items.

For more information, call 352-376-7660.

Abandoned vehicles

The city of Gainesville Code Enforcement will now handle all abandoned vehicles in the city, regardless of location.

Previously, Code Enforcement was only responsible for abandoned vehicles on private property and the Gainesville Police Department handled those on roadways and public right of way.

An abandoned vehicle is defined by city code as any vehicle that appears to be incapable of safe operation under its own power on public streets and/or any vehicle not having a current motor vehicle registration tag properly attached.

All illegally parked vehicles on roadways and public right of way that do not fit the definition of an abandoned vehicle will continue to be handled by GPD.

For more information, call 352-393-8460 or email lookjs@cityofgainesville.org.

Street lights

Gainesville Regional Utilities is asking customers to help keep the community safe by reporting streetlights that are out, broken, dim, flickering or lit during the day.

Customers will need to describe the problem and provide either the five-digit identification number mounted on the pole or provide the location by using nearby streets or addresses.

To report problems, call 352-334-3434 or fill out the form at www.gru.com/streetlights.

Preventing mosquitoes

The Florida Department of Health in Alachua County is encouraging citizens to help prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses.

To prevent mosquito-borne diseases, do the following:

• Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, pool covers, coolers, toys, flower pots, or any other containers where sprinkler or rainwater has collected.

• Discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances, and other items that aren't being used.

• Empty and clean bird baths and pets' water bowls at least once or twice a week.

• Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don't accumulate water. Maintain the water balance (pool chemistry) of swimming pools. Empty plastic swimming pools when not in use. Repair broken screens on windows, doors, porches, and patios.

• Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and long sleeves. Those who must be outside when mosquitoes are active must cover up.

• Apply mosquito repellent to bare skin and clothing. Always use repellents according to the label. Repellents with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, and IR3535 are effective. Use netting to protect children younger than two months.

Health clinic

In need of medical care?

If so, the RAHMA Mercy Clinic provides free health care to individuals and families without health insurance and income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

The clinic is open from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday in the rear of the Hoda Academy at 5220 SW 13th St. There also is a voucher program for lab work and medications.

For more information, call 352-792-8324 or visit www.rahmamercyclinic.com.

Housing repair funds

So, you need major home repairs you just can’t afford.

Well, if you are a homeowner, then you may be eligible to have your home repairs done at no cost to you through the city of Gainesville Housing Rehabilitation Program, which is accepting applications.

Repair assistance is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications are available from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Housing & Community Development Division at the Thomas Center, Building B, Room 245, located at 302 NE Sixth Ave.

Priority will be given to homeowners and households with special needs, in addition to eligible homeowners.

For more information, call 352-393-8568.

Court service

The Alachua County Clerk's Office has a new service to assist those who choose to represent themselves in legal matters.

Called TurboCourt, the service is similar to TurboTax. Users are asked a series of questions and the needed paperwork is made available for filing.

TurboCourt is now available for divorce, domestic violence, small claims, and eviction cases.

For more information, call 352-374-3636.

Support group

Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center is starting a support group for adults who were sexually abused as children.

The group will meet for 10 weeks on Thursday afternoons/evenings. There is no cost, but participants must register. The start date will soon be determined (participants must call for more information).

Support groups allow room for survivors of violence to openly discuss what happened to them and how it continues to affect their lives. It also provides tools to process what they've survived.

To register and for more information, call 352-264-6765.

Energy assistance

Elder Options is offering energy assistance through its Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program.

Help is available to those 60 and older, with income guidelines, who are having problems keeping their home warm during the winter or cool during the summer and are in an energy crisis.

An energy crisis means electricity has been shut off or is due to be shut off, and there is a lack of fuel, fans, wood, blankets and heaters, and the heating/cooling system is broken.

The following will be provided: Electric bill payment, purchase of energy-related supplies, and repair of heating/cooling systems.

To apply, call 800-262-2243 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday or leave a voicemail after hours.

Caregiver funds

The Elder Options Home Care for the Elderly Program has funds available for qualified caregivers.

The program provides a monthly payment of $106 to help caregivers take care of low-income elders around the clock. The funds can help with the cost of food, housing, clothing, medical care and supplies.

The caregiver must live with the person full time and provide care. The person being cared for must be 60 or older and must meet financial eligibility.

To apply and for more information, call the Elder Helpline at 800-262-2243.

Cancer support group

Are you or someone you care about in need of a cancer support group, transportation for medical treatments or financial assistance with prescription drugs?

Locate resources for these needs and more on the website www.CancerResourceGuideNCF.org. The Cancer Resource Guide of North Central Florida is a public service of North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative, the WellFlorida Council and the Florida Department of Health Cancer Control Program.

The Cancer Resource Guide of North Central Florida lists support groups, community and caregiver resources, financial support services and tobacco cessation activities throughout the region. The online guide also includes a wide range of cancer-related resources, such as summer camps for children with cancer, sources for breast prosthesis and wigs, and medical assistance for individuals who are uninsured or under-insured, including low-cost and no-cost mammograms.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: ABOUT TOWN