Howdy Folks!

• Drugs will get you arrested in Florida. Leave them at home.
• Alcohol disrupts our ability to pray in peace and clarity. Try sobriety instead.
• Shoplifting is everybody's problem, sewing distrust in the local community and robbing folks of their livelihoods. We send out a prayer that every theif who shows up in the Ocala area is accompanied by an honest person. Refrain from taking people who obviously have no money into town. We'll feed 'em.
• Panhandlers need a ride back to the Gathering. Please try to squeeze them in, whether they want to or not.
• Your vehicle will have to stay outside the gathering, because Juniper Prairie is closed to *all* vehicle use (including bicycles) and has no roads anyway. Be prepared for a two mile hike into this year's Gathering. Bring water for the hike.
• Expect to be detained at a multi-agency road-block. Expect to have your rights violated at this road-block. Don't give the officers at this road-block any reason to detain you. Don't carry drugs in your car. Have a sober, licensed driver with no outstanding warrants safely operating a vehicle that is registered, insured, and fully functional. Have your license, registration, and proof of insurance handy. Proof of insurance is required in Florida, even if you are from Tennessee. In Florida, even a crooked license plate or a malfunctioning horn can get you arrested. It's for real down here, folks. Be real. Be legal.
• Know your rights and don't hand them away! If your vehicle and driver are legal, the police have no right to search your vehicle or your person. They *do* have the right to walk a certified K-9 unit (with badge) around the outside of your car. Do not consent to this type of search without first asking for the dog's badge number. A K-9 unit is required to where a badge or carry identification like any officer of the law. If the dog makes a "hit", the attending officers are entitled to search your vehicle and your person. Do not resist because, if you have nothing on you, they will arrest you for resisting.
• If you are arrested, legally or not, say nothing. Do not resist. Call who you need to call. Unless it's a serious charge, make bail and you'll be out the next day. There is help available at the Gathering. Show up for court and challenge the charges against you. Most of the 90 arrested last year were given "time served". Those who challenged won. Another is still pending with charges greatly reduced.
• Keep pen and paper handy to write down officers' names and badge numbers. Legal action against officers who violate the law is your right. Please bring video cameras and recording devices as these are very valuable tools for recording abuses. Share your information with volunteers from the Ocala Defense Project.
• Speaking to officers of the USDA Forest Service opens you up to a variety of troubles. If a Forest Service officer asks to speak with you, invoke your 5th Amendment right to remain silent, because, "anything you say can and *will* be held against you in a court of law." Simply ask, "Am I being detained?" If the answer is no, keep walking. If the answer is yes, invoke your 5th Amendmant right to remain silent. And, most of all, SIGN NOTHING without first showing it to a licensed practicing attorney certified by the Florida State Bar Association.

How to get there:

1. (Going east from Ocala) SR 40 to FR 65, turn left. Go 3 1/2 miles.
2. (Going east from Ocala) SR 40 to FR 88. Turn left. Go 3 1/2 miles to FR 76. Turn right. Go 2 1/2 miles until FR 76 ends.

   From I-95, exit at SR 40 in Ormond Beach. Go west.

3. SR 19 to FR 10 (8 miles south of Salt Springs, 3 miles north of SR 40). Turn right if you are heading south, left if going north. Go 4 miles.
4. SR 19 to FR 65 just south of Salt Springs. Turn right if you are heading south, left if your are heading north. Go 6 miles. When you get to FR 10, either go forward or turn left onto FR 10. Either way, go 1.2 miles.

Please use all of these routes. Roadblocks in past years began on weekends beginning Friday afternoon and closed down early Sunday morning. Keep this in mind when making your travel plans.

Welcome Home!