BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Bradford County commissioners approved a joint resolution with the Starke City Commission to dedicated State Road 230 (Call Street) to the memory of Dr. Peter J. Gianas.
“We wanted to work with the city on this and it be a joint effort because he meant so much to our county, the city and so many people in the county, in the city and also a lot of counties around us,” Commissioner Chris Dougherty said.
Among them, he listed Clay, Union, Alachua, Levy and Gilchrist counties.
Dougherty said they had also worked with Clay County on dedicating the portion of S.R. 230 across the county line. Signage is already up in Clay County, and he said the signage in Bradford County will be placed in front of the hospital where Gianas worked.
“I can’t think of anywhere more appropriate,” Dougherty said.
State Road 230 was also chosen because Gianas lived on Kingsley Lake.
August marked two years since Dr. Gianas passed away at the age of 65, leaving the community with innumerable memories of his lifetime of service, care and leadership.
Gianas opened his private practice in Starke and began work with Shands hospital in 1983 after attending medical school at John Hopkins University and George Washington University. His career included serving as medical director for Alachua County Fire Rescue, Bradford County EMS, Bradford County Fire Rescue, Clay County Fire Rescue, Union County EMS, Gilchrist County Fire Rescue, Starke Fire Rescue, Santa Fe Community College EMS Programs and the Florida Gateway EMS Training Programs. He served on the Area Health Care Center board of directors and the International Trauma Life Support board of directors.
Gianas worked with ITLS for more than 20 years, including serving as medical director of the Florida chapter. Among his accolades was winning the ITLS Jackie Campbell Award, the organization’s highest honor. The global nonprofit works to prevent death and disability though education and emergency care.
Earlier this year, Gianas was posthumously awarded the Wendell N. Rollason Award by the Florida Rural Health Association. The award is presented to individuals who have provided an enduring contribution to rural health care.
In other business:
—the commission set a reserve price of $250,000 for the old Pizza Hut property (appraised at $200,000) and authorized advertising it on a government surplus website.
The commission is also selling an old welding shop in Brooker. The reserve price was set at $81,000.
