By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Circuit Judge Craig C. DeThomasis granted the Levy County Commission a temporary injunction Wednesday barring CrabFest organizer Kenuel Gates from going forward with the annual East Williston celebration this weekend.

            In an online hearing, DeThomasis said Gates failed to apply for a special events permit required by a county ordinance and clearly was in violation of the law.

            “Defendant Kenuel Gates shall immediately cease and desist from any activity that promotes, organizes, or anything towards conducting the 2021 CrabFest or any similar event,” DeThomasis said.

            The effect of the order is to stop the 2021 CrabFest.

            DeThomasis told Gates the way to correct the issues that led to the temporary injunction isn’t complicated.

            “You know what it takes to accomplish that. You go back to the ordinance, you go back to the county commission and follow the regulations and requirements to obtain a special events permit,” DeThomasis said.

            The judge said he would issue a written order explaining the reasons for his decision. He said evidence presented by the county was “overwhelming” that the injunction should be granted.

            Overwhelming Evidence

            “The court finds that evidence is clear, convincing, and overwhelming that the injunctive relief being sought by the plaintiffs is appropriate, it’s necessary and it’s lawful,” DeThomasis said.

            The judge said Gates was given every opportunity to act within the law but chose to do the opposite. He described Gates’ actions as, “unilateral and willful and quite frankly Mr. Gates, they’re reckless.”

             DeThomasis said he was perplexed why Gates would deviate from regulations aimed at protecting the East Williston community he claimed he respected and wanted to help.

Protesting Court Order

            Gates asked if he was prohibited from protesting the judge’s decision.

            “You said it’s something in writing. I’m an activist. I do protests. This is one decision I will protest, so are you telling me I can’t protest either?” Gates asked.

            DeThomasis said the possibility of a protest wasn’t an issue that came before him in the hearing. He said the injunction doesn’t limit Gates’ right to freedom of assembly or freedom of speech.

            The judge reminded Gates that he had appeared before him on Oct. 19, 2020, in an unrelated hearing.  DeThomasis said the State Attorney’s office requested what amounted to a gag order on Gates.

            “I denied it. I’m very much sensitive to the issue you’re commenting on and have questions about, appropriately so,” DeThomasis said. “But you need to be aware this issue before the court is about health, safety, and welfare of the community you have expressed an interest in being a part of.”

            Gates represented himself at the hearing. He had no witnesses and no lawyer to represent him. He questioned witnesses as they appeared before him and DeThomasis online.

            The county was represented by attorneys Heath Stokley, and Elizabeth Ellis from the firm of Nabors, Giblin and Nickerson, legal consultants for county government. County Attorney Anne Bast Brown coordinated county witnesses as they prepared to testify from the county commission meeting room at the Levy County Annex building.

            Powerful Testimony

            Williston resident Gussie Boatwright gave some of the most powerful testimony. She described CrabFest as a community celebration of family and friends coming together for fun and festivities, but she said CrabFest had “taken over the community.”

            “While I support a cultural event, it just needs to be more organized. I’m always concerned about safety and security. That’s a concern,” Boatwright said when asked by Ellis to describe CrabFest and comment on whether there was music at the event. “There’s always been music.  If it’s not staged, it’s coming from the cars. Music is really important for the people. It’s part of the celebration.”

            She was asked by Ellis why she started the Williston Wants Peace campaign.

             “This gentleman needs some additional safety and security in the area. Gun violence – my grandson was fatally wounded just off County Road 318 just 60 days ago. He’s got friends out there. I’m not sure how they are feeling about things. I’ve got concerns about retaliation. There’s been a couple of incidents since Khajon’s death and I don’t want people to think I’m using this event because my grandson died. I’m using this as a platform for how he died. It’s tragic. It was violent and we just need to make sure we are producing some different avenues for the youth men and they don’t get caught up in whatever else is going on out there. So until we can make sure we can keep our children safe, we do not need to have an event that’s going to bring in 8,000 to 10,000 people from all over the area.”

            Gates began questioning Boatwright.

            “Why was it hard for everyone to come to the organizing…and what’s the concern? Gates asked.

            “May I answer that — because the organizer was so very disrespectful,” Boatwright replied. “He does not want to talk to people; he wants to do social media. I don’t see your social media posts. I don’t know how to approach you. I have no desire to approach someone who does not want to be a living part of the community. You choose who you want to work with and you exclude those that you don’t want to work with. So, you can decide how you want to work with everyone in the community – I’m just not going to deal with you.”

            “Yes, Ma’am,” Gates said. “With that being said, on the events I’ve had before, haven’t you called me and asked me that you want to work with me and I allowed you to work with me?”

            “Absolutely,” Boatwright said. When there was a community need, such as a voter registration drive, Boatwright said she would do what she could to help. She said voter registration is the big thing she is doing right now.

            But she said communications broke down after she helped him the last time.

            We Want Peace

            “After we done all that, you got on Facebook and you talked about how I reached out to you and how you helped me. That’s not the way the community works together. That’s not how we solve problems. So if you’re willing to talk, I’m willing to talk too but you cannot be disrespectful anymore. We want peace, we want to work together. You decide how we can do that,” Boatwright said.

            “No further questions your honor,” Gates said.

            Pastor Johnnie Jones, III, pastor of Fountain of Life Church in Williston and president of the Williston Ministerial Alliance, testified that he grew up in Williston and his family still lives there but he moved to Gainesville in about 2010. He said his roots remain deeply embedded in Williston soil.

            Ellis asked what has changed about CrabFest in recent years.

            “In recent years it is definitely intruding on the community. It is very difficult to manage. You can’t move around very freely,” he said.

            A Perfect Storm

            “Tell the court why you are interested in putting a stop to CrabFest this year,” Ellis said.

            “My concern is retaliation for some of the shootings that have taken place and some of the other violence that has taken place in the community,” Jones said. “Law enforcement cannot easily come and go and in general it’s the perfect storm for violence.”

            Frankie Jackson, who circulated a handwritten petition and gathered the signatures of 60 property owners who were opposed to CrabFest being staged this year, also obtained 430 signatures online from people who opposed having the festival.

             Jackson said he had lost several family members to COVID-19 and he was primarily concerned that thousands of people would be coming to East Williston for CrabFest and creating a health hazard for the community. He wanted to get the festival stopped this year for reasons related to community safety.

            Coming Together

            County Commissioner Matt Brooks, who testified for the county, told Spotlight in an interview after the hearing that he was happy with the court-ordered shut down of the 2021 CrabFest.

            “I think the judge was right that the evidence presented was overwhelming. I think that the testimony produced by the residents, Mrs. Boatwright, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Jackson was compelling and I’m very glad he ruled in favor of the Williston Wants Peace campaign,” Brooks said.

            What happens now?

            “We’re going to keep working. I think there is already talks in the community after everything kind of settles down, to come together and figure out another event that can be safer and more friendly to the community and not be a situation where violence can occur. So I think it’s a good thing,” Brooks said.

———————–

Enterprise Reporting by Terry Witt April 21, 2021; Posted April 21, 2021