Headline Surfer video and photos by Henry Frederick / Families and friends celebrate the festivities at the annual Riverfest on Saturday at Mary DeWees Park in Oak Hill.
OAK HILL -- It doesn't get any better than the laughter of children, the sharing of old stories by the elders and young people getting acquainted with relatives in town while pushing baby strollers.
Welcome to Oak Hill's RiverFest where once a year, in May, this often politically-divided community comes together as one.
Such was the case when 700 people sharted in the festivities like an all-American city.
With the demise of the police force after a major scandal involving the police chief, infighting among elected leaders in non-partisan seats and the lack of water and sewer hook-ups, the RiverFest was about none of that. At least not on the afternoon of May 18, at Mary DeWees Park.
Instead, the emphasis was on water-melon eating contests, the display of school projects from the Burns Sci-Tech Charter School and making peoples' acquaintances. And this is what Oak Hill needs more of if it is to move forward with any kind of harmony.
After the acrimony of the 2012 elections, things are starting to quiet down. But for how long? Only time will tell as a blended City Commission continues to tackle the ever-increasing demand for services and how to pay for them.
With intense media scrutiny by this 24/7 internet newspaper that drew more and more of the Orlando TV cameras, the city commission by a 3-2 vote with newcomer Douglas Gibson, a retired state trooper leading the charge , shut the troubled police force down in favor of public safety provided by Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson's sworn personnel and sent the divisive city clerk/administrator packing in the same August 2011 meeting.
With momentum from that dramatic change, Gibson ran for mayor in the 2012 elections against then-Vice Mayor Linda Hyatt, who supported former Police Chief Diane Young, and he won.
These days, Hyatt, a private citizen, continues writing a blog for Headline Surfer with a new blog name, "Linda's Lagoon," as has the mayor since winning the election and a sense of unity has held in place with a new attitude and a steady hand in place at City Hall with Kohn Evans elevated from deputy clerk to city clerk/administrator.
Both have been encouraged to continue doing so as Headline Surfer inked a one-year contract for $1,200 with the City on Monday to promoter the city through stories, meeting advances and speaking up for the municipality, which all too often has been ignored by county and state officials.
The vote for the Headline Surfer marketing agreement -- along with a proclamation from the city recognizing the 24/7 internet newspaper's accomplishments over the past five years of its existence -- was 4-1 with Mayor Doug Gibson and Commissioners Kathy Bittle, Jeff Bracy and Robert Livingston voting in favor of our proposal. The lone vote against was by Commissioner Ron Engele, to nobody's surprise as he's a continuing negative influence on the dais and whose record of bullying and under-handedness speaks for itself, especially when it came to dealing with the former city clerk and issues related to the troubled police force.
The vote for the Headline Surfer marketing agreement -- along with a proclamation from the city recognizing the 24/7 internet newspaper's accomplishments over the past five years of its existence -- was 4-1 with Mayor Doug Gibson and Commissioners Kathy Bittle, Jeff Bracy and Robert Livingston voting in favor of our proposal. The lone vote against was by Commissioner Ron Engele, to nobody's surprise as he's a continuing negative influence on the dais and whose record of bullying and under-handedness speaks for itself, especially when it came to dealing with the former city clerk and issues related to the troubled police force.
Nowadays, the elected officials are pressing ahead for ways to develop revenue streams with county and state officials for modernized water and sewer and vitally needed jobs with the prospect of Space Florida setting up in the Shiloh Preserve just south of the majestic Mosquito Lagoon straddling the border between Volusia and Brevard counties.
But so far, Oak Hill has received no offers of improvements or even help in converting from septics to water and sewer. It's not surprising since Oak Hill has never had a Community Redevelopment Agencuy District nor has it had representation on an advertising authority tourism board.
"There is a lot that needs to get done," Vice Mayor Jeff Bracy said at the Riverfest, "and we can accomoplish these things if everyone works together and does what they are supposed to."
Amen to that.