The Champions of the Word Gavel Club

🎬 Friday Night Done Right – Movie Night at Midtown Station!
Join us for a family-friendly movie night featuring the movie 🍿 Inside Out! Enjoy free snacks and swag (while supplies last), grab dinner or treats from Midtown Station vendors, and relax with the community for a fun evening.
This event is a reminder that young people can have a great Friday night without drugs or alcohol — just fun, friends, and a great movie!
📅 March 27, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Midtown Station
235 NE Watula Ave, Ocala, FL
Hosted by MCCA’s CCASA & SKIP programs.
This event is open to the community, and Midtown Station restaurants will remain open for normal business.
Bring your friends, bring your family, and enjoy a great night out! 🍿

Photodump 3.21 Down Syndrome in Action
Photo credits to all respective photographers
#321

💦🌊 WATER SAFETY DAY – FAMILY FUN! 🌊💦
Mark your calendars!

📅 Saturday, April 18th, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training (FAST), Ocala
🎟️ FREE ADMISSION!

Join FAST and Harlow’s Helping Hands for a family-fun day focused on making Ocala water safe! 💙

✔️ Learn the importance of water safety
✔️ In-water demonstrations of water safety techniques
✔️ Informational booths from local fire stations, hospitals, police, sheriff stations & more
✔️ Fun for the whole family

Bring the kids, invite your friends, and come ready to make a splash while learning lifesaving skills! 🏊‍♀️☀️

🍔 Lunch and snacks available for purchase at FAST Fuel Café.

👉 Register for this FREE event at:
FloridaFAST.com/tickets

Let’s work together to keep our community safe around water! 💙

🌟 FOR THE CITY COMMUNITY EVENT 🌟
We are so excited to be a part of this amazing event! Join us for a day full of fun, resources, and support for the whole family. 💛
📍 Location: Revo Church, 3140 SW 26th St, Ocala, FL 34474
📅 Date: Saturday, 11/15/2025
⏰ Time: Open to the Public at 11 AM
What to Expect:
🍽️ Lunch
🛍️ Community Resources
🎨 Kids Zone
👟 Free Children's Shoes (children must be present)
🩺 Health Screening and Groceries
— In collaboration with CONVOY OF HOPE® —
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and have fun with your community! 💫

🥒🏓 Coming soon to a court near you… The City-Wide Corporate Pickleball Challenge is about to serve up something BIG! We are just weeks away from launching our official fundraising campaign—and trust us, this is not your average tournament. It's a high-spirited, community-powered showdown that brings together businesses, civic leaders, and pickleball enthusiasts to raise the roof (literally) for Habitat for Humanity of Marion County. 🏡

This is more than a game—it is a mission. Hosted by the Rotary Club of IMPACT Ocala, this event will not just fund the construction of a new home; we will build it with our own hands. Ready your paddles, rally your team, and prepare to be part of something truly transformational.

🤩 Paddle Up, Ocala!

UPDATE: ACTION ALERT! 🚨 NDSC has created a game plan for all advocates. Read below for our newest action alert on this topic. Click here to contact your legislators: https://ndsccenter.salsalabs.org/savetheusdoe
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The U.S. Department of Education is in imminent danger of being weakened and dismantled by the Administration through proposed Executive Orders, actions by Elon Musk and his DOGE team, and through legislation in Congress to abolish it. Such actions would have dire consequences for students, educators, and the future of our education system, and especially students with disabilities. These actions could result in the loss of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and civil rights protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as the loss of billions of dollars in funding for special education services and programs.

Disability laws and special education have always had strong bipartisan support. We call on the Administration and Congress to step back and discuss ways to improve the U.S. education system and best serve students with disabilities in a bipartisan manner before it’s too late. NDSC will be releasing an Action Alert to contact your legislators.
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CALL ON YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO OPPOSE EFFORTS TO DISMANTLE THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The U.S. Department of Education (the “Department”) is in imminent danger of being weakened and dismantled by the Administration through proposed Executive Orders and actions by Elon Musk and his “DOGE” team, and through legislation in Congress to abolish it. Such actions would have dire consequences for students, educators, the future of our education system, and especially students with disabilities. Specifically, these actions could result in the loss of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and civil rights protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as the loss of billions of dollars in funding for special education services and programs.

Multiple news sources, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and ABC News, are reporting that the Administration is planning an Executive Order to dismantle the Department, many employees have been put on leave, the Department is in "chaos", and Elon Musk’s DOGE representatives are already working inside the Department to dismantle it.

Disability laws and special education have always had strong bipartisan support. We call on the Administration and Congress to step back and discuss ways to improve the U.S. education system and best serve students with disabilities in a bipartisan manner before it’s too late.

A strong Department of Education is critical to students with disabilities, their families, and educators. The Department:

· Is responsible for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”), the federal law that guarantees a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities;

· Provides billions of dollars to states and local school districts to serve students with disabilities and for critically important programs such as technical assistance centers on topics like positive behavior supports, universal design for learning, and inclusive higher education for students with intellectual disabilities; and

· Is charged with protecting the civil rights of students with disabilities and investigating patterns of discrimination within individual states and across the country.

Current threats to the Department include:

· A bill introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) (HR. 899) that would abolish the Department of Education;

· Pending executive orders to direct the Department to develop a plan for diminishing and ultimately eliminating its own existence and getting rid of many established education programs and resources, including those that most significantly impact students with disabilities;

· Block granting IDEA funds to the states with “no strings attached” which could mean loss of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), parental rights, and civil rights protections for students with disabilities; and

· Dismantling the Department and scattering certain offices to other government agencies that lack the experience and expertise to implement IDEA and protect students with disabilities.

The greatest immediate threat to students with disabilities and their families is the ongoing purge of longtime, nonpolitical, career Department employees that is being led by Elon Musk and his DOGE team. It would take an act of Congress to completely close the Department, but it is already being dismantled from within.

NOW is the time to contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and urge them to oppose all efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. To find your Senators and Representatives go to https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials. Their contact information will be there. We recommend calling. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senators or Representative.

Here is a script you can use:

I am a constituent, living in [HOMETOWN]. I am a [PARENT, SELF-ADVOCATE, FAMILY MEMBER, FRIEND, ETC] of a student with a disability who receives special education services. I am calling to urge you to keep the U.S. Department of Education open and keep it strong. I am asking you to please urge the President to stop the dismantling of Department of Education and oppose efforts to gut and disperse it, as well as to oppose all legislation to abolish the Department. Protecting students with disabilities and special education have always had bipartisan support. Significant changes to the Department of Education that will impact students with disabilities need to be discussed in a deliberate, bipartisan manner so that solutions can be found that do not harm students with disabilities.

A strong Department is vital to the future of my [CHILD, FAMILY MEMBER, FRIEND, ETC.] so that they can receive the education that is guaranteed to them under federal law and be prepared for employment and living in the community. Without the Department of Education, students with disabilities will fall through the cracks and our progress set back decades. Thank you.

The family of a girl with a rare genetic disorder is working to fund research.
https://bit.ly/40oZWzf

🖊 Susan Smiley-Height
📷 Bruce Ackerman .ackerman.986