Mainstreet launched its Stars, Stripes & Shoutouts initiative in early June, gathering nominations about local residents who represent the best of Alachua County and North Central Florida.
Leading up to the Fourth of July, we’ll release new nominations each day on this page. Then we’ll randomly pick one of the shoutouts to win a $50 certificate to Public and General, along with two free entries to a Hippodrome Cinema showing.
Thanks for making our communities a great place to live, work and play!
Michael Maloney
Michael Maloney is a Volunteer Coordinator and Head of the Veterans’ Recognition Team at Haven Hospice in Gainesville. Michael is a 12-year Combat Veteran, serving as a Sgt. First Class in the Persian Gulf War: Iraq and Kuwait.
I believe that Michael deserves a “shoutout” because he goes “above and beyond” without fanfare in conducting the “Veterans’ Recognition Ceremonies” at Haven, presenting special recognitions to our dying Veterans.
Michael takes the extra steps to research each Veteran’s individual contributions to his or her branch of service. For instance, he will research, locate, and frame photos of the Veteran in uniform decades ago and present these along with certificates, pins, and “dog tags” to the Veteran and to his or her loving family. These ceremonies are held during the Veteran’s last hours and are very moving and poignant. The Veteran’s grieving family members are especially grateful for this extra effort that Michael puts into each ceremony.
He has performed almost 200 of these ceremonies throughout Alachua and Bradford counties in Veterans’ homes, Hospice centers and facilities like nursing homes whenever needed, often “on his own time” on weekends.
Everett McConn
Mr. McConn taught band at Fort Clark M.S. for 20+ years of his approximately 50 years of teaching in Alachua Public Schools. Students have loved him for decades as he has selflessly passed on his love for music, God, and country to generations. He’s accomplished this through both public school classrooms and his Community Christian Band, where he teaches home and private school students how to play instruments and perform in community band concerts twice a year.
What my family loves most about Mr. McConn is that he is a man of conviction who uses his concerts as an opportunity to share his love for God and America. He understands the great blessing and privilege it is to have freedom from sin and death, thanks to Jesus Christ, and freedom from a tyrannical government, thanks to the many who gave their lives. He’s a gift.
Return tomorrow to read about more nominees.