focus magazine march 2016

• LEGACIES: THE ADVENTURES OF ANN DUPEE• FOODIE: PUDDLE JUMPERS• IN PHOTOS: HUGE HEART & INSPIRING WOMEN

GUN CONTROL INTHE CROSSHAIRS

THE UNIVERSE GOESTO BAT... IN PITTSBURGH

TWO SIDES

THE UNIVERSE GOESTHE UNIVERSE GOESSTORIES OF THE UNIVERSE

MORE

LAKE’S SCENE

FREEFREEMARCH 2016

FocusLakeCounty.comFocusLakeCounty.com“A CATALYST FOR CONVERSATION”

THE LEAD

A CRASH COURSE ON CLOSING THE FUNDING GAPA CRASH COURSE ON A CRASH COURSE ON FOCUS ON EDUCATION

FOCUS On the Arts: Richie Q28From entrepreneur to author to saxophone player...

FOCUS On Better Living: Eat to the Beat of a Different Drum30

Marc’s Remarks: Yeah. Let’s Celebrate the ‘B’ 4

Lake Legacies: The Adventures of Ann Dupee12

FocusLakeCounty.com 3FocusLakeCounty.com 3

March 2016 | Volume 9 • Issue 3 | FocusLakeCounty.comFOCUS ON CONTENTS

FOCUS In Photos: Heart Health, Inspiring Women, 6 Hands24 FOCUS On Home: The Cost of Green Building35

Got a story idea? Looking to advertise in FOCUS? Contact us for more information:

Red Apples Media 734 N. 3rd St., Suite 119Leesburg, FL 34748

Offi ce 352.801.7106 Email [email protected]

Standards of accuracy: The goal of the writers at FOCUS Magazine is to provide compelling stories that are accurate from the start. Being human however, we sometimes make mistakes. Please forgive us.

If you notice anything that is incorrect, please do not hesitate to contact the editorial department and inform us. Call 352.801.7106 or e-mail [email protected]. The staff will fi x the error in a timely manner.

FOCUS Magazine publishes 8,000 copies monthly and is available free at local Lake County businesses, offi ces, restaurants and other venues. Look online at FocusLakeCounty.com for location distribution listings.

FOCUS Magazine assumes no responsibility for photos and ownership of those provided or submitted by third parties. Any violation of ownership, copyright or intellectual property is solely the responsibility of the submitter.

Advertisers warrant and represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. FOCUS Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All letters and their contents sent to FOCUS Magazine become the sole property of Red Apples Media and may be reproduced therein. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Red Apples Media. Use or duplication of material used in this publication is prohibited without approved written consent from Red Apples Media.

Publisher Marc [email protected]

Managing Editor Anthony [email protected]

Editor/Proofreader Stephanie [email protected]

Writers Lori Farfaglia; Bruce Brown; Stephanie Sherman; Tom Kubala; Jim Gibson

Photography Bonnie Whicher Photography; Devin Collins

Contributors Don Magruder; Bob Blanchette; Jaime Alonso

FOCUS On Philanthropy: Inspiring Extraordinary Women5

FOCUS Flashback: Clermont Citrus TowerSuzy Boggus: Live in Lake County33

38

FOCUS On Mind: Green is More Than Just a Color13

FOCUS Foodie: Puddle JumpersEnjoy lakeside dining while watching seaplanes take off and land.

14

FOCUS On Events: Calendar22

FOCUS On Lake County: The Putt Stops Here36Local courses are honored by Golf Advisor rankings.

What’s a QR code and why would I use it?

You can download an app, such as Barcode Scanner, on most mobile phones from the App Stores on

Android or Apple. Scanning the codes throughout this issue will take you

deeper into the story with video content.

Scan the code to watch

March’sFOCUS TV.

FOCUS On the Issues: Gun Control in the Crosshairs6Carey Baker and Marvin Jacobson

Like us on Facebook

March 2016

FocusMagazineLakeCounty

Lake’s Green Scene8What Lake County is doing to “go green.”

FEATURES

MONTHLY

FOCUS On Education: Lake’s Schools Funding ImbalanceLake County Schools are getting short-changed. We explain why and the impact.

18

10

8 10

19

Green building is tied to another green.

28

Here Comes The SunA solar farm could be coming to Lake County.

Hidden Gems: Emera lda Marsh34Birds, a hidden lake, and lots of hiking trails.

Stories of the Universe: Introduction19

Stories of the Universe: The Universe Goes to Bat

Lake-Sumter State College Foundation Receives $5,600 from Red Apples Media

4 print • digital • television • radio4 print • digital • television • radio

PUBLISHER: MARC’S REMARKSCONGRATULATIONS are in order! In case you missed it, the Lake County School System improved from a C-rated to a B-rated district for the 2014-2015 school year! Within that increase, eight individual schools earned As for that year and 19 earned Bs. That’s compared to the previous year, in which only six

schools earned As while 10 earned Bs. And on top of that, as we’ve previously reported, Lake is also at a signifi cant funding disadvantage, ranked 66th of Florida’s 67 counties for per-student funding.

Some, including two school board members who were quoted in the Daily Commercial, “expressed reservations” about the improvement, sighting a lower threshold to achieve these grades. To that I say, are you kidding me?

In fairness, Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart also cautioned against comparing the 2014-15 grades to previous years. But to take anything away from the students, teachers, par-ents and faculty, who are constantly tasked with “teaching to the test,” is offensive and counter-productive; an improvement is an improvement. Neither the teachers nor the students changed the benchmarks, and in fact, had to adapt their curriculum and learning yet again, as the state test was changed, yet again.

When a baseball team moves their homerun walls in a few feet (within MLB regulations) to improve the chances for all who play in that sta-dium a better chance of hitting homeruns, fans don’t care – they enjoy the homeruns and they count just the same.

I was recently at a luncheon for the Lake 100 and asked Robert Chandler IV, Lake County Economic Development & Tourism Director, how important a district’s school rating is in recruiting new busi-ness and he indicated it was among the top three factors. I don’t know about you, but if I’m looking at relocating to the area, the forward momentum to a B from a C looks pretty appealing to me. Do we still have enormous opportunities to improve? Of course we do! But one way to improve is to build upon momentum. The psychological impact of the district-wide B on the teachers and students should not be taken lightly. Rather, it should be celebrated by all who have even a small part in that improvement and success.

The Leesburg City Commission recently ad-dressed the idea of throwing a parade for Danny Trevathan, former Leesburg High School football player and member of the 2016 Super Bowl champs, the Denver Broncos. I even noticed a full-page insert in the Daily Commercial congratu-lating him. Not to take anything away from Dan-ny and his professional success, but perhaps we’d be better served spending whatever time and re-sources we would invest in a “Danny Day” into a celebration of the schools that improved. Should every school be honored? Nope. We covered that a few months ago in our “Participation Awards” column. For those who improved, harness that emotion and success and continue to build upon it. For those who did not improve or slipped, look to those with success and strive to be among them when the next grades come out.

In the meantime, few things deserve more attention and support within our community than education. Especially when grades improve!

Marc Robertz-SchwartzPublisher, FOCUS Lake County

March 2016

Be sure to watch the show on

M/W/F – 8am, 2:30pmTue/Thu – 12pm, 6pmSat – 9:30am, 7:30pm

Comcast 13 Bright House 498Florida Cable 4

Viaport FloridaViaFest 2016 & The New Viaport

Haljoe’sGet Off The Bus Concerts

The Lake-Sumter State College Foundation has received $5,665 from Lees-burg marketing and video production company Red Apples Media. The donation was the result of revenue sharing agreement Red Apples Media has with Lake Sum-ter State College as part of its contract to manage Lake Sumter Television (LSTV).

“Since assuming manage-ment of LSTV in 2013, Red Apples Media has designat-ed a percentage of revenue generated from third-party production agreements and other media opportunities to the LSSC Foundation,” said Marc Robertz-Schwartz, President of Red Apples Media. “Last year, our com-pany donated $1,185 to the Foundation as a result of 2014 revenue generation. We are thrilled to have

increased the annual dona-tion signifi cantly this year.”

“This innovative revenue sharing partnership with Red Apples Media is a win for Lake-Sumter State College students who rely on scholarships to further their education and earning potential,” said Rosanne Brandeburg, Executive Director of the Lake-Sumter State College Foundation.

Lake-Sumter State College Foundation Executive DirectorRosanne Brandeburg accepted a $5665 donation from Red Apples Media president, Marc Robertz-Schwartz.

FocusLakeCounty.com 5FocusLakeCounty.com 5

Organization: Inspiring Extraordinary Women

Year Established: 2015

What is your not-for-profi t status: 501(c)3

Address: 13794 CR 109, D-3, Lady Lake FL 32159

Web Address: IEWomen.com

Email for information: [email protected]

Contact Name: Theresa Rao

Description of Organization: Inspiring extraordinary women is our focus; to provide women with the tools they need to sustain themselves, such as programs, luncheons, expo workshops and health and wellness seminars.

Who do you serve and how: As a woman your natural instinct is to be a giver, but not everyone can do what women do and do it well. Our goal is to support women by providing programs to help keep women from being worn out, angry or running on empty. We bring benefi cial and fun programs to help women focus – stay fo-cused – and be invigorated. Think of us as a B12 shot!

What are you most in need of and why: Volunteers for our 2017 luncheon. Sponsorships. Visit our website to purchase items, the proceeds go to support our organization.

Inspiring words: Inspiring Extraordinary Women is a nonprofi t organization that will always have a charitable organization featured with our programs. It’s only natural for women to look after children so we’ve adopted the Clean Kids Backpack Program and are helping them collect items and fi nd more drop-off locations.

March 2016

Philanthropy

On the Issues

6 print • digital • television • radio March 2016

Understanding the 2nd AmendmentTo solve a problem, we must fi rst examine the root cause. Our gun problems are caused by our wrongful interpretation of the Second Amendment. The amendment was originally written so men called to serve in the militia or Slave Patrols would be able to buy a musket. Noth-ing more!!!

The fi rst draft by James Madison read: “The right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed, a well-armed and regulated militia being the best security of a free country, but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.”

The South objected to “country” and it was changed to “state” so it would apply to their Slave Patrols. Congress added: “com-posed of the body of the peo-ple,” after regulated militia, but it was removed later because it could include Native Americans and slaves.

The “religiously scrupulous” sentence was removed because the South felt too many would use it to avoid serving on their Slave Patrols. The sentence shows that the clear intent of the amendment applied only to those serving in the militias.

The South defeated a motion to add after “to keep and bear arms,” the words “for the com-mon defense,” because Slave Patrols were not for the com-mon defense.

The last change adding “being necessary” gave emphasis to the importance of the two militias. The fi nal version read: “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, and the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

In one of the worst Supreme Court decisions ever, in Heller v DC, the Court in 2008 voted 5-4 that the Second Amendment applied to the indi-vidual right to bear arms.

It basically legalized the slaughter of innocent people with military-grade weapons.

Americans are stunningly different than the rest of the world in regards to individual fi rearm ownership. It is now estimated that Americans own over 360 million fi rearms of all types.

We all understand the human need to feel safe and the desire to protect our families, particularly our children. But the question continues to be, how best to address the vio-lent crime that threatens us? Studies have shown us that in the past 30 years the number of fi rearms has dramatically increased yet violent crime has dropped in most of Amer-ica to a 60-year low according to FBI statistics, likely due to the passage of increased pen-alties for violent crime.

We must start this discussion with the understanding that crime, at its core, is caused by the corruption of the heart. The important values that both life and property should

be protected are not innate, they must be taught and learned. Along with learning these values is the knowledge that consequences will occur if these values are broken.

The argument over gun con-trol almost always ignores the simple observation that the presence of a fi rearm doesn’t change a person’s behavior. An honest and moral person with a fi rearm remains hon-est, and a dishonest person remains corrupt.

If guns are the problem and not individual behavior, let’s ask ourselves the tough ques-tions in regards to most gun control measures - would any measure proposed actually reduce the existing 360 million fi rearms? Waiting periods, re-strictions on so-called assault rifl e bans, background checks, and similar proposals will have virtually no effect on the access to guns or the number of fi rearms in America.

The answer to violent crime has always been and always will be, to be a community comprised of moral people, that provides swift punish-ment to those who commit terrible and violent acts against another.

Guns Don’t Kill People...

Gun Control In the CrosshairsFew issues stir as much passion and debate as gun control. Are we a socitey gone mad with weapons or are we just responsible Americans exercising our 2nd Amendment right? Two passionate advocates face-off this month with two sides of an issue which probably has even more perspectives. What do you think? Weigh in via email at [email protected]

Written By Carey Baker

Written By Marvin Jacobson

Performers, dates & times subject to change.Performers, dates & times subject to change.

Where MUSIC

LEGENDSAND

HOMEGROWN TALENT

share the stage!

Performers, dates and times are subject to change

Tickets On Sale Now! SUNDAY 3/6

3/11 TOMMYMARA

& The Crests

FRIDAY 3/11 MEN of

COUNTRY MUSIC

TRIBUTEFRIDAY 3/18CHARLIE McCOY

Harmonica Legend

FRIDAY 3/20RICKY

SKAGGSBluegrass Legend

FRIDAY 3/25GOSPEL MUSIC

Good Friday Variety

Suzanne and

The Opry Band

THURSDAY

JAM NIGHTS!3/3-3/10-3/24-3/31

— PLUS —

ST. PATRIck’S DAYSUPER JAM!

THURSDAY

3/17

Use the code FOCUS for $2.00 Off Restless Heart tickets!

Use the code for $2.00 Off for $2.00 Off Restless Heart tickets!

for $2.00 Off Restless Heart tickets!

WeirSDAle Corner of

HWY 25 & Cr 42352-821-1201

$2.00 Off

Restless Heart ONLY

Purchase your tickets online at: www.OBOpry.comor call the Box Office at 352-821-1201 & mention the code.

WRITTEN BY LORI FARFAGLIA

With the ever-increasing cost of fuel in the changing global economy, consumers are con-tinuing to look for alternative

energy sources. Here in the US, the demand for our natural resources is on the rise and the supply is continuing to decrease. Con-sumers want better fuel economy for their vehicles and greener energy sources for their homes. The choice for green energy sources isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for consumers’ budgets. Recycle, reduce and reuse seems to be a common theme but just what is going on in Lake County and where are consumers making changes?

Local builder Bobby Rhodes, President of EcoConstruction Group, has been building ecofriendly homes in Lake County since 2008. Rhodes is a Lake County native and says he feels that building a higher-quality, more effi cient home in Lake County is key to long-term success. He says building homes and businesses that not only stand the test of time, but sustain themselves through bet-ter energy effi ciency, will attract long-term residents and business owners. “Sustainabili-ty is the key,” Rhodes reiterated.

“We have seen the effects of low-quality construction and how it affects each family over their lifetime. As a result of wanting to make a change in the homes and businesses built in Lake County, we want to eliminate the old building practices that are ineffi cient and out of date and introduce new construc-tion methods that work more effi ciently, to improve the quality of our homes and the lives of our clients,” Rhodes said. He went on to say that he has made it his mission to im-prove the quality of homes in his community.

So what makes a home or project “green?” According to EcoConstruction Group, the term “green” is thrown around a lot in the construction industry. People or business-es trying to be politically correct or trying to gain clients by advertising that they are green because they do one specifi c thing, doesn’t make them green.

EcoConstruction Group says in order to be a truly green builder, the builder must address all of the issues: energy effi ciency, water conservation, indoor air quality, exterior shell quality and overall health of the building. Building green incorporates total environ-mental consideration and resource effi ciency into every aspect of site and construction de-

velopment. Rhodes says that any true eco builder will begin

the process with the design phase.

The builder will take into consideration the building site, the building orientation, the construction components, the indoor air quality and the building’s energy consump-tion. Rhodes says all of these items will positively impact the energy and resources consumed by the home or commercial struc-ture.

EcoConstruction explains that the cost to build green isn’t as intimidating as one might think. According to Rhodes, the cost to upgrade your project to a greener structure is nor-mally projected to be 5-10% of the total building budget. The increase in cost to build compared to the overall savings in the utility costs is offset the fi rst day an occupant moves in. A more energy-effi cient structure creates lower utility bills and reduced main-tenance.

After weighing the overall savings, it is clear to see the green building structure is the best way to go for long-term cost effective-ness. Don’t forget the overall increase in value to the structure, Rhodes adds. He in-stalled a 10 kilowatt solar PV electric system on his own home and says that for over half the year his energy bill is zero. Going green just makes sense.

First Green Bank in Mount Dora is a business that is living the green life every single day. It is one of the fi rst banks in the US that is dedicated to an environmental and social mission. According to First Green offi cials, this location is LEED-certifi ed Platinum by the US Green Building Council. The LEED certi-fi cation stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design. The Platinum ranking is the highest ranking possible. According to the certifi cation, the Mount Dora location is one of the most environmentally sustainable and energy-effi cient bank buildings in the southeastern United States.

The Mount Dora location of First Green was built with solar panels that provide 17% of the total operating energy for the building. The fl ooring in the lobby is made with recy-cled shards of glass. The walls are nontoxic natural clay and do not emit any volatile organic compounds (VOCs.) The lobby coun-tertops are made of shredded counterfeit money. Cabinetry, ceiling panels and select fl oor boards are made of bamboo, a rapidly renewable natural resource.

The branch uses natural lighting throughout its location, with 90% of the building occu-pants having windows to capitalize on the availability of sunlight. There is a living green wall in the lobby that helps improve air quali-ty by reducing CO2 and VOC emissions.

People or businesses trying to be politically correct or trying to gain clients by advertising that they are green because

they do one specifi c thing, doesn’t make them green.

March 20168 print • digital • television • radio

AKE’S GREEN SCENE

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this year 40-48% of all new

nonresidential construction will be green.

According to First Green offi cials, the bank is completely dedicated to a greener way of life. As a business, the bank offers discount-ed interest rates for residential and commer-cial projects that meet LEED certifi cation. They offer a solar loan program for custom-ers installing solar panels and most branch locations even offer charging stations for alternative means of transportation.

Employees of First Green receive quite a few green benefi ts as well. They receive a 0% interest rate on vehicle loans for vehicles that get 30 mpg or more. They get compli-mentary use of hybrid employee loaner cars for any purpose, including personal use. There is an onsite gym and the company also offers reimbursement for off-site gym memberships.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this year 40-48% of all new nonresidential construction will be green. The EPA says that buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources, and account for a signifi cant portion of green-house gas emissions that impact climate change. In the US, nonresidential buildings account for 38% of all CO2 emissions and 73% of electricity consumption.

The EPA says the facts are, green build-ings consume less energy. Compared to the average commercial building, those with the LEED Gold building status (which isn’t even the highest status) usually consume 25% less energy and 11% less water. They have 19% lower maintenance costs and 27% higher occupant satisfaction. The buildings also have 34% lower greenhouse gas emis-sions and the overall footprint of a green building is smaller. By doing a little more work on the front end, consumers are saving and the environment is winning.

Lake County residents are doing more to make their environmental footprints smaller as well. Leesburg resident Brooke Hwang says she recycles because it’s the least she can do to make the planet better for future generations. Hwang believes in eliminating unnecessary waste by doing small things like

taking reusable bags to the grocery store. She’s an art teacher at an elementary school in Lady Lake and loves to make a difference by “upcycling” ordinary household waste items like empty paper towel rolls. Hwang can turn the empty rolls into art projects for her kids.

Joe Jarrett says he keeps his thermostat at 78 degrees during the summer in an effort to reduce cooling costs and 68 degrees in the winter to reduce heating costs. Joe says even though he has a home that isn’t as en-ergy-effi cient as some of the newer homes, he tries to reduce costs any way he can. Joe and his wife Danielle like to carpool when possible in order to reduce carbon emissions.EcoConstruction says consumers can begin by working to make a difference in their own home. Adding a solar grid to an older home that has other energy defi cits might not make sense, but homeowners can start small. Making sure home appliances are energy-effi cient; sealing leaks around windows and doors and installing water-effi cient plumbing fi xtures in bathrooms can make a big difference; bump-ing up the thermostat during the summer is a great energy saver. Rhodes says, “There are all kinds of low-hanging fruit that home-owners can pick to make a difference. No change is too small.”

The EPA says that retrofi tting to wa-ter-effi cient plumbing fi xtures in just one out of every one hundred Amer-ican homes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 80,000 tons, the equivalent of remov-ing 15,000 cars from the road for one year.

According to the EPA, there are several things that every homeowner can do to reduce their environmental footprint with little effort. By changing the fi ve most-used light bulbs in your home to Energy Star light bulbs, con-sumers can save an average of $70 on energy costs. Energy Star appears

on anything consumers buy that requires the use of energy. They also recommend to change air fi lters regularly and have heating and cooling units serviced regularly. Make sure to seal and insulate your home to re-duce air leaks and stop drafts by using caulk or weather stripping. Use water effi cient-ly; fi x leaky toilets and don’t let the water run while brushing teeth. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per year. Current market trends suggest that building owners and managers will invest an esti-mated $960 billion between now and 2023 on greening their existing infrastructure. It is possible that these estimates could be surpassed in the event of unexpected gains in the US or global economies. Lake County residents are changing their personal trends

and working towards reducing their environ-mental footprint. It takes just one person to be the change and start the movement. The county is working towards approving and allowing the use of alternative forms of energy like independent solar farms. Lake County and its citizens are on the right path, one business, one home, and one builder at a time.

March 2016

The EPA says that retrofi tting to water-effi cient plumbing fi xtures in just one out of every one

hundred American homes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 80,000 tons.

FocusLakeCounty.com 9

EcoConstruction Group says in order to be a truly green builder, the builder must address all of the issues: energy effi ciency, water conservation, indoor

air quality, exterior shell quality and overall health of the building.

WRITTEN BY JIM GIBSON

The vast array of solar panels moves in uni-son like an army of black, shiny robots. In increments barely discernible to the human eye, acres of panels follow the sun’s steady arc across a clear blue sky. The power of the sun is being harnessed to produce elec-tricity, cleanly and effi ciently, while produc-ing no waste and emitting no carbon into the atmosphere.

Just the name “Sunshine State” should make ecologists and utility companies alike dream of hundreds of such solar farms fi lled with countless banks of panels provid-ing an endless, eco-friendly energy source to service Florida’s burgeoning population. So, why aren’t Lake County’s abundant pastureland and abandoned citrus groves home to enterprising solar farms? Why aren’t ambitious entrepreneurs or local util-ities taking advantage of this “free” green renewable energy source?

When the Price is Right

“Solar power is a wonderful and clean way to produce electricity, but right now it can’t quite compete with traditional energy pro-duction when it comes to price, especially natural gas,” says Leesburg Electrical Di-rector, Patrick M. Foster, P.E. “Even though the price of solar panels and inverters has come down drastically in the last few years, the drop still isn’t enough to make it truly competitive in today’s market. With today’s technological advances coming so quickly, this could change overnight, but it looks like it might be several years before the signifi cant production of solar power will be cost-effective… but, like I said, that could change overnight.”

Such a change could come about through the development of cheaper and more effi cient solar panels. Ongoing research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

using graphene and molybdenum disulfi de to replace silicon in solar cell production, is hoped to soon produce cells that are more than 1,000 times more effi cient than today’s cells, pound for pound… yet cheap-er to manufacture.

Armed with the knowledge that the tech-nology is moving forward at an unprece-dented pace, that the price of solar system components is still falling, and that we all need to be good stewards of planet Earth, Orlando resident and solar entrepreneur Dr. Rufus Holloway is ambitiously planning to build a solar farm on 100 acres of a 250-acre parcel of land partly located in Lees-burg and partly in Fruitland Park. Dr. Hol-loway, who grew up in Leesburg, attended Leesburg High School and has extensive friend and family ties to the area, hopes to sell the power produced, to the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), a whole-sale power agency that is comprised of 31 Florida cities stretching from the Panhandle to Key West, including Leesburg.

“I believe in solar power,” Dr. Holloway says. “It’s important to utilize these types of renewable energy sources if we are going to conserve the Earth’s natural re-sources. Florida, this area in particular, is very far behind other areas of the country in utilizing renewable energy sources and we need to step up our efforts to develop solar power. The site we are hoping to use is ideal for a solar farm. It has transmission lines crossing the property and it is located near an existing substation, so inputting the power we would produce to the grid could be easily done.”

However, it will take more than Dr. Hollo-way’s passion to produce solar power, to make Holloway Solar Farm a realization. He must fi rst respond to a request for proposal (RFP) issued by the FMPA. This RFP, which is still in the process of being written, will solicit bids from suppliers of renewable en-ergy sources such as solar or wind power,

to supply energy to the FMPA at an accept-able price and in an acceptable manner. Following his response, the members of the FMPA must vote and choose his site over other bidders. If chosen, then Holloway Solar Farm would receive a Purchase Power Agreement from the FMPA indicating they will purchase the power produced by the farm at a set wholesale rate. There may also be other wholesale suppliers such as Duke Energy and Seminole Electric that may be interested in purchasing energy from the solar farm.

It is this wholesale rate that makes a solar farm a somewhat risky endeavor. If the wholesale rate is too low, then the con-struction of the farm simply isn’t cost-ef-fective. Solar farms such as Holloway’s proposed farm, will cost tens of millions of dollars and must produce a minimum amount of power sold at a price high enough to pay for land usage and construc-tion, operation and maintenance of the system.

Jumping Through Hoops

Foster, a Florida registered professional engineer, is also a board member of the FMPA. He says the FMPA was created to provide more and varied options for its city-members when it comes to purchasing electric power from wholesale distributors. These options allow FMPA members to get the lowest possible price per kilowatt for their customers.

Foster is also a member of CREAC, the Conservation and Renewable Energy Advi-sory Committee, a FMPA committee formed in 2008 to make recommendations to the Executive Committee concerning energy conservation and renewable energy proj-ects. (For more information on “going green,” see Green in Lake, page 20.)

“CREAC was formed when renewable en-ergy started to become a feasible source

10 print • digital • television • radio









ere Comes the Sunere Comes the Sunere Comes the Sunere Comes the Sunere Comes the Sun

March 2016

March 2016

of power supply for our customers,” says Foster. “We recognized that solar and wind farms could soon become cost-effective to build and we wanted to be prepared. We have several goals: we want to provide the cheapest power available to our custom-ers, we want to please our customers and we want to provide the cleanest possible sources of energy.”

Dr. Holloway says that a study performed by the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communication’s senior marketing program, showed that more than 60 percent of utility customers in this area were willing to pay more for cleaner energy if it was provided as an alternative to more polluting sources. He feels this is proof that the public is interested in conserving natu-ral resources and is also becoming more aware of the deleteri-ous ecological effects of car-bon emissions from fossil-fu-el-powered energy plants.

Foster also feels that the public is becoming more ecolo-gy conscious and says that the FMPA is aware of this. “We want to please our customers,” says Foster. “If enough of them are willing to pay a higher price for renewable energy, which many studies have shown, then we will look for a way to accommo-date them. We are willing to utilize any re-newable energy source that is cost-effective and nothing would suit me better than to be able to provide totally free power to our customers (which of course, isn’t possible), but until that day comes, we will always be searching for the cheapest supplier of energy for Leesburg’s residents.”

Foster says that once the RFP is issued, then anyone with a serious plan to produce power can respond. He says the RFP can contain very stringent criteria that must be met by the responding parties in order to be considered. Once all responses have been received by a set deadline, the FMPA Executive Committee members vote to ac-cept none, one or possibly more than one of the respondents’ bid proposals. Purchase Power Agreements would then be issued for any proposals accepted.

“Dr. Holloway’s proposed farm has many positive attributes and will be considered carefully by the board for acceptance,” says Foster. “Personally, I think renewable ener-gy is the wave of the future and it would be nice for Leesburg and the surrounding area

if Dr. Holloway’s farm is accepted, but it will be entirely up to the voters on the board, who will choose the project with the best overall offer.”

A Bright Legacy

Dr. Holloway hopes to use the plant to pow-er a proposed educational center he and his wife, Leslie Scales Holloway, a former Marion County School Board member, plan to house in a large barn that already exists on the site.

“Our goal is to construct an educational center that will highlight the onsite solar plant, native Florida vegetation and area wildlife,” he says. “Leslie and I want to create a place for students at every level to learn about solar energy and pursue their own solar projects. It can be as simple as elementary school students seeing solar panels for the fi rst time to as complex as Ph.D. students researching solar storage. Our plans are that the solar farm will make it fi nancially possible for the center to keep operating far into the future to enrich the lives of the children in this area.”

Though he understands that the path ahead is anything but smooth, Dr. Holloway is planning for the future. “I am optimistic. We still have a lot of hurdles to clear, but

I feel I am a strong bidder,” he says. “This farm will be a win/win situa-tion for every-body, espe-cially the City of Leesburg, its businesses, and residents. Just think what it would mean for this area to be able to put up billboards that say ‘We are part of the energy solu-tion.’ That is a very strong thing for the community and the city, and in order for projects

like this to be successful, we need total community support. I honestly think we have an acceptance of magnitude already in place locally and I look forward to a sun-ny future for Holloway Solar Farm and the local community.”

Source: Solar power heads in a new direc-tion: thinner; http://news.mit.edu/2013/thinner-solar-panels-0626 (Accessed Febru-ary 9, 2016)

ere Comes the Sun

March 2016

WRITTEN BY BRUCE BROWN

Clermont’s own Ann Dupee (pronounced Dupay) has had a very interesting life and career, breaking barriers in more than one fi eld and leaving her mark all across the country. As a young career woman, she went to work as part of the publicity department for KGW-TV, Channel 8, in Portland, Oregon (an NBC affi liate), which went on the air in December, 1956. She worked on the publishing of their newsletter, called the “Merchandigest” and had the opportunity to rub elbows with many celebrities. Ann also remembers working many late nights and her fi rst night on the job, in particular. She was writing copy and then hav-ing to produce it on a mimeograph machine, after waiting her turn behind someone doing the same thing for Speedy Alka-Seltzer.

After working at the station for a few years, an opportunity arose. The show Truth or Conse-quences was being fi lmed at their studio for a month and Ann became friends with one of the women working on the crew. Not long after, Ann, while visiting her new friend in Hol-lywood, went searching for a new opportunity and landed a job with the Wade Advertising Agency. After returning to Portland, she was offered another job with NBC, but it was with their engineering department, so she gave her notice and went to Hollywood.

Her new position was assistant to the new business account executive, where she wrote proposals for their various products. One day her boss came to her and told her she had an interview in an hour and to report for a new opportunity. It was a job for the Ice Capades.

Does Anyone Remember The Ice Capades?

Founded in 1940, the Ice Capades became a household staple and over several decades, an institution. A young Ann Hudson went to that interview and was later hired as an “advance-man” and part of the touring staff in the public relations department. She hopped on a train to New York and another new adventure. Ann traveled to 25 cities each year promoting the Ice Capades, averaging about two weeks in each city. She attended events and met with owners and managers of the various arenas, setting up interviews for some of the stars,

with the various advertising people and com-panies.

Over the course of time, she became known as “the little thief” for all the free publicity she worked to get from the various advertisers. The Ice Capades actually had two tours, divid-ed primarily between the larger cities and the smaller ones. Ann was with the group touring the larger cities.

Off They Go to Clermont

By 1967, George was thinking of a move of his own. He was interested in moving to Miami and buying a printing plant. They put the money down, but the owner’s previous deal fell through so then he decided not to sell the business.

Working through an agent, W.B. Grimes, they discovered that the South Lake Press in Cler-mont was up for sale. George boarded a plane and traveled to Orlando and Clermont to check out the business. He fell in love with the com-munity and decided to buy the paper, telling Ann that she would have to work with him for three or four years to make it happen. They purchased the paper on January 1, 1968.George sold advertising, while Ann was writer, editor and essentially the manager of the busi-ness. When people came in with stories or oth-er issues they would normally go to George. He would point to Ann and tell everyone that if they wanted to get the paper to cover their

stories, they would have to talk to her. Ann became a trusted individual within the city of Clermont, even riding with the police and sher-iff’s staffs investigating thefts and accidents. During the whole process of investigation and reporting, she was never sued by anyone. On March 29, 1984, they published the cen-tennial edition of the paper.

Throughout this time, Ann would occasionally remind George about her time put in working for the paper, which quickly turned into fi ve years, then 10, then 15. George passed away in 1986, and Ann sold the paper in 1992, twenty-fi ve years after they purchased it. The paper was eventually sold three or four more times over the course of just a few years, and was eventually purchased by the company that owned the Leesburg newspaper, the Daily Commercial.

Community Service

Ann has been a member of the South Lake Chamber of Commerce for a good number of years. She was elected as president (now called Chairman) of the chamber in 1995. During her tenure, she started the “Gem of the Hills” award, which is still given out today. A member since 1968, Ann is the longest active member of the South Lake Chamber.

Ann also served the city for 11 years as a city council member, from 1983-2006. In doing so she was a part of and witness to, many chang-es. Those changes include the development of the area surrounding the South Lake Hospital, which includes Lake-Sumter State College, UCF, and the development of the National Training Center (NTC).

As part of her service, Dupee was a member of the South Lake Kiwanis Club, serving as president from 1994-1995. Without a doubt, Ann’s life has been fi lled with many adventures and experiences that many of us didn’t have the opportunity to share. She is the only wom-an to be inducted into all four of our local halls of fame: Lake County Women’s Hall of Fame, Business Hall of Fame, Lake-Sumter State Col-lege Hall of Fame, and the Lake County Lead-ership Hall of Fame as one of the fi rst three inductees, in 2015.

It Wasn’t a Career, It Was an AdventureIt Wasn’t a Career, It Was an Adventure


The everyday defi nition of “green” is listed in the dictionary as a color on the spectrum be-tween blue and yellow. However, for this ar-ticle we will use the term green in an entirely different context—instead of “painting green” on a canvas, we will discuss “going green” in our environment.

The color green appears in varying shades everywhere in nature—in grass, trees, vegetables, fruits and plants; so it’s not surprising that the slogan “going green” has also been used to identify a movement. It’s not about “hugging trees,” but falling back in love with Mother Nature again. So what does it mean to “go green?” There are many ways this slo-gan has been defi ned. For this article we will operationally defi ne it fi rst of all, as the con-scious effort to become aware of and in tune with, how our activities of daily living impact our immediate and personal environment as well as the world at large. With awareness comes action.

“Going green” refers to taking steps to do your part to protect and sustain our natural resources, including the air we breathe, the water we drink and leaving some space for our wildlife to thrive. So why “go green?” There are hundreds of ways and reasons you

might want to consid-er participating in the “green movement.” A good way to begin is by typing “why go green” into your Goo-gle search engine and you will be directed to 944,000,000 web-

sites to visit. Perhaps consider shifting your thinking and ask yourself, “How might I give back to the planet rather than always taking away from it; what steps can I personally take to conserve, replenish and protect the planet for my children and grandchildren so they might enjoy it too in all its richness and bounty?”

“Going green” is not only a movement for the conscientious and caring individual citi-zen to ponder and consider engaging in, but

also a movement for governments, industries and business owners to take ownership of. Perhaps the fi rst major and powerful governmental offi cial to “think and go green” was our visionary 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, who orchestrated a mighty big conservation effort when he offi cially desig-nated an additional 151 million acres of Na-tional Forest be set aside as public domain. The next time you visit Yosemite National Park or greet Old Faithful in California, take a moment to thank one of our greatest pres-idents for “going green” long before it was cool to “go green.”

For business owners reading this article that might need additional inspiration to imple-ment environmental conservation practices in their operation, they need go no further than to take 15 minutes to view the Ted Talk video by Ray Anderson: https://www.ted.com/talks/ray_anderson_on_the_busi-ness_logic_of_sustainability Anderson is the founder and CEO of the company Interface that makes Flor carpet tiles. For the busi-ness owner worried about their bottom line Anderson discusses how, after implementing his environmentally sensitive polices in 2001, his sales increased and his profi ts actually doubled.

He has made it his mission and has gone around the country and given more than 1000 speeches promoting the moral impera-tive for businesses and industry to integrate and consider environmental sustainability when doing business. Anderson promotes his “going green” ideas not from the moun-tains of idealistic academia, but from the real-world perspective of the owner of a company that had $272 million of carpet sales in 2014.

n the Mind

What is the use of a house if you don’t have a decent planet to

put it on? —Henry David Thoreau

“Green” is More Than Just a Color

Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t

breathe the air and drink the water. Don’t sit this one out. Do something.

—Carl Sagan

We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is wor-

thy of its good fortune. —Theodore Roosevelt

Bob Blanchette is a private practice psychologist in Lake County.

[email protected]

FocusLakeCounty.com 13March 2016


Upon entering Puddle Jumpers Lake-side in Tavares (former location of Al’s Landing), my companion and I were surprised. Our fi rst impression was that we were in a sports bar as the atmosphere lent itself to that type of concept. We were greeted by our server Chris and he seat-ed us at a table inside. From our vantage point, we could see the lake outside. It was not only a beautiful view, but while there we saw two seaplanes take-off and land.

They have an outside bar and patio where you can order food or drinks, as well as inside. Their happy hour is Monday - Friday, 3:00pm - 7:00pm, with $1.00 draft beer, $2.00 wine, and $3.00 well drinks, which is more than reasonable.

Our bartender, Samantha, was very pleas-ant and mixed great drinks. We met the

owner while there, Jon Aramino. He seemed very knowledgeable and made us feel very wel-come. I ordered a rack of baby back ribs, served with an ear of corn and french fries. The ribs were delicious and were slathered with a very good, spicy barbecue sauce for $21.99.

My companion had the 14 oz ribeye. It was cooked

a perfect medium rare as ordered, topped with garlic butter and served with a vege-table medley and garlic mashed potatoes.

As I said before, we were quite surprised as I assumed the food would be of a mediocre quality because of the sports-bar feel. However, the food we were served was outstanding and our server Chris was very attentive.

We didn’t order a salad as it was a la carte and we didn’t want the additional food. The cost for the salad is $2.00 with dinner. The ribeye steak at $21.99 was more than reasonable. I doubt you would fi nd a ribeye that large and that good of quality anywhere else in Lake County at that price!

We skipped dessert as we had no room for another morsel.

I inquired about some of the other dishes. Our server had good things to say about their fi sh & chips. The fi sh is cod which makes a very good fried fi sh, at $11.99. They also have the usual assortment of sandwiches that range from a half-pound burger at $9.99 to a jalapeno cornbread BLT at $7.89. All sandwiches are served with fresh-cut fries or house kettle chips.

All in all, a pleasant experience and I look forward to a return visit. Puddle Jumpers has a casual dress code although the menu is basically upscale.

FOCUS sends an anonymous, qualifi ed Foodie to review one Lake County restaurant each month and then gives the local owner a chance to respond to the good and not-as-positive experiences they’ve had. Our Foodies have worked with the likes of Dan-iel Boulud, Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay. They have owned and operated their own establishments and are happy to fi ll you in on local eateries. If you would like to nominate a favorite spot where you dine, con-tact us at [email protected]. Enjoy and bon appetit!

Casual lakeside dining at its fi nest. Our pri-mary goal is to offer our patrons a warm, welcoming atmosphere accompanied with personable and attentive service that high-lights our extreme care for the food and drinks we serve. We have a fully-stocked bar, fresh seafood, delicious traditional fares, and experienced and friendly staff to ensure you have a great time. All major credit cards accepted. Come join us for good food, good drinks, and a great time.

Tavares is the seaplane capital of America and you can see on average 5 to 7 Sea-planes take off and land right in front of the restaurant on any given day. We open at 11:00am, 7 days a week and have live music on the weekends. All of our sauces and dressings are made in-house and our cod is wild caught and hand-bat-tered. We also offer balcony seating overlooking the water and are equipped to do banquets upstairs for up to 100 people. We look forward to seeing you at Puddle Jumpers Lakeside!

Response: Casual Dining at its Finest

Puddle Jumpers Lakeside on Ruby St. in Tavares

Images supplied by Puddle Jumpers

# with the classics.

More seniors rely on the specialists at Florida Hospital Waterman for their emergency care than any other hospital in Lake County. Our team of experts are specially trained and our services are specially designed to care for the special needs of seniors. Should the time ever come when you need us, we’ll be number one for you.

We’rEReadyVisit FHWaterman.com to view our average ER wait time.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.

# with the classics.

More seniors rely on the specialists at Florida Hospital Waterman for their emergency care than any other hospital in Lake County. Our team of experts are specially trained and our services are specially designed to care for the special needs of seniors. Should the time ever come when you need us, we’ll be number one for you.

We’rEReadyVisit FHWaterman.com to view our average ER wait time.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.

# with the classics.# with the classics.#

KEVCOBUILDERSInnovation. Integrity. Excellence.

Joe ZilerPresident

Scan the code to view a video featuring Dr. Golkar’s story

“ When we refl ect back on the process and the end result,

I think building our home with Kevco provided for a great experience and a tremendous value.” — ELIZABETH AND DANIEL HEINE

Scan the code to view a video featuring the Heines’ story

“The standard list of features Kevco offers is substantially morethan what other builders offer. Features others wanted to charge for are standard with Kevco and that

made a major difference in our impression of Kevco as well as getting the most for our investment.” — DR. FARHAAD GOLKAR

18 print • digital • television • radio18 print • digital • television • radio March 2016

On Education:WRITTEN BY TOM KUBALA

It appears that the Lake County School System is not getting its fair share when it comes to funding, and State Representative Larry Metz is trying to do something about it. Rep. Metz (R-Yala-ha) has fi led House Bill 4047, intended to repeal the District Cost Differential in the K-12 funding formula. According to the Florida School Boards Association, the District Cost Differential is a factor used to adjust funding to refl ect each district’s cost of living. The Cost Differential for each district is computed annually, based on a three-year average of the Florida Price Level Index as adjusted by various factors. The Price Level Index compares the cost of pur-chasing a specifi c list of one hundred goods and services in each county. The District Cost Differential also adjusts funding by an “amenity factor” based on wage data that assumes that the desir-ability of living in an area makes employees willing to accept lower salaries.

The adjustment factor for Lake County Schools in Fiscal Year 2014-15 resulted in the District receiving over $4.5 million less in funding. The factor was 0.9744, which meant that the District re-ceived $0.0256 cents less for every dollar it would have otherwise received directly from the Florida Education Finance Program (the funding formula.) Without the District Cost Differential, full-formula funding would have been received by the District in 2014-15, and in earlier years. The District Cost Differential within the funding formula has been used since the early 1970’s.

In a telephone interview with Rep. Metz, he said that larger urban school districts benefi t fi nancially while applying the Cost Differ-ential due to their richer and more diversifi ed property tax bases. However, for small and medium-sized school districts, with lower property tax bases, they are fi nancially harmed. Rep. Metz said he has 15 co-sponsors for his bill, and he is hopeful that it will be considered during the current legislative session.

The Lake County School Dis-trict is further harmed fi nan-cially since it does not qualify for the Sparsity Supplement. The Sparsity Supplement is received by approximately half of the 67 school districts, and provides funds to small school districts to compensate for what is called the disec-onomies of scale. Funds are allocated based on the total full-time equivalent students in a district, per high school cen-ter, and adjusts based upon the wealth of the district.

If the funding of the Lake

County School District is com-pared with a similar district in size the inequities become clear, according to information

from the offi ce of Rep. Metz. The Sarasota County School District has about the same en-rollment as Lake County, 41,000 students. How-ever, in 2014-15, Sara-sota had an adjustment factor of 1.0049, which brought in $900,000 more than the funding formula alone would have allocated. In addi-tion, Sarasota received approximately $33.7 million from its Supplementary Discretionary Millage, whereas Lake County only received $12.4 million. According to Carol Macleod, Chief Financial Offi cer of the Lake County School District, Supplementary Discretion Millage is part of a two-pronged approach to funding a district. There is a State portion and a local por-tion. The State sets the millage rate for the local share, and the school board acts to achieve the levy.

The State Legislature established the maximum millage that each dis-trict may levy at 0.748 for 2014-15, as per the Florida School Boards Association’s website. In any district where the discretionary levy gen-erates less than the State average, the State allocates additional funds to that district to bring the total up to the State average.

The $12.4 million amount for the Lake County School District was aug-mented by $4.3 million from the State through the funding formula, which brought the District’s levy from its Supplementary Discretionary Millage up to the State average, as required by law. In combination, the Lake County School District received $16.7 million from State and local sources via the Supplementary Discretionary Millage. However, on that line item alone, Sarasota received approximately $17 million more than Lake. In total, considering all factors, Sarasota received over $22 million more than Lake even though Sarasota has only a few more students than Lake. According to Lake County School Board Chairman Bill Mathias, the stu-dent population of the Lake County School District ranks 19th among the 67 districts in the State. Funding for the current fi scal year how-ever, ranks it at 66, simply due to the application of the District Cost Differential. Mr. Mathis further stated that only nine school districts in the State benefi t from the Cost Differential. He expressed his disap-pointment that the bill fi led by Rep. Metz has not gotten more support with many more co-sponsors.

Rep. Metz said, “Repeal of the District Cost Differential will put small-er and medium-sized school districts in mainly rural areas, on a more level fi nancial playing fi eld with their larger and more affl uent counter-parts, who benefi t from richer and more diversifi ed property tax bases, and do not need the Cost Differential in order to have adequate K-12 funding. Moreover, from a broader policy perspective, these funding disparities highlight the need to study the current K-12 funding formula in its entirety, perhaps by a blue-ribbon commission.”A companion bill, SB 1284, has been fi led in the State Senate by Dorothy Hukill (R-Port Orange.)

Funding Imbalance for Lake County Schools

O Educatio nn

Rep. Larry Metz debates on the House fl oor during Special Session B August 18, 2015House photo by Mark Foley

For those who have ever visited the Red Apples Media website or of-fi ces, you know that Red Apples is also an acronym which represents our core values. The fi rst – and by no accident – is, “Respect the Universe.” Over time I’ve learned that nearly everyone has some belief in the Universe; we may just call it or describe it differently. For some, the Universe is actually based on a deep religious belief. People who “pray on” things for guidance. For others, it’s more mys-tical or metaphysical. Some would refer to it as Karma, The Butterfl y Effect, “The Force” or, at its simplest form, coincidence.

For me, personally, the Universe connects things and brings things together that might not otherwise occur. It could be people, oppor-tunity, circumstances, joy, danger, love or heart break. Generally these things are meant to be, even if not immediately obvious as to why or even counter-intuitive to your wants or common sense. It has been my experience that I have no control over the Universe, fi ghting it is fruitless and when I don’t respect the Universe, it usual-ly comes back to haunt me.

That said, I often share a corollary to my theories of the Universe; Just because the Universe leads you to the rapids, doesn’t mean it wants you to jump in.

Yes, sometimes the Universe tests us and other times, well, it just screws with us.

As we begin our next serial series, Stories of the Universe, we have invited area authors and those who have had, and agreed to share, their own encounter with their Universe, however they defi ne it. So whether you believe in the role the Universe has on your life or not, we hope you enjoy the next several months of stories which cover the gamut of personal impact.

And, as always, if you have a story you would like to contribute to the Stories of The Universe series, we encourage you to contact us at [email protected]

Who knows? Maybe you’re reading this introduction, at this moment in time, in this publication, wherever you are, was the beginning of your Universe opening a possibility in your life. My personal story of the Universe begins with the turn of this page... in Pittsburgh, of all places.

Marc Robertz-SchwartzPublisher

Introducing Stories of the Universe

FocusLakeCounty.com 19FocusLakeCounty.com 19March 2016


WRITTEN AND PHOTOS BY MARC ROBERTZ-SCHWARTZ

I’m not as much a fan of baseball as I am of baseball stadiums. Whenever I travel, I always try to catch a game so I can add an-other stadium – major league, minor league, college – to my map of visited stadiums. But if I had to pick a team, I would tell you the Baltimore Orioles are my team, dating back to my fi ve years living in Charm City just after Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the crown jewel of Major League Baseball at the time, opened.

Back in May of 2012, I was in Baltimore on business, visiting a friend and client. Chris knew there was no way I could come to town and not catch an Orioles’ game so she scored four tickets for us and two of her coworkers. As the temp began to drop and a light rain began to fall, her coworkers bailed on us. We went to the stadium and I suggested we give the two extra tickets away. I’ve done this on numerous occasions and I am always perplexed by those who won’t take them because they think there’s a catch.

After a few rejections, we found a col-lege-aged couple standing in line to purchase tickets and offered our two ex-tra tickets for free. “What’s the catch?” asked the female.

Actually, there was one catch. I never hand free tickets to someone and walk away. They have to enter the stadium with us. Not that I doubted their honesty, but I’ve been burned by some who took the tickets and I suspect sold them afterwards.

Chris and I sat and marveled that the stadium was empty. Forget the “announced atten-dance,” there were no more than 1000 people sitting in the damp, chilly seats. Chris was a trooper.

To our surprise, the couple came and sat in their ticketed seats right next to us – fi ve rows behind the dugout on the third base

side. They could have sat anywhere in the stadium but they chose to sit next to the strangers who gifted them these tickets. As we chatted, Chris and I learned they were in fact, college students, it was his birthday and she had been saving for months to treat him to his fi rst Orioles’ game, and we had saved her about $190 which she could then use to get two desperately needed new tires on her car.

Chris and I were feeling pretty good and I suggested to her that the Universe connected us to that couple that night.

*********

Since 2004, my best friend Mark (I know, right?!) and I have taken a “Guys’ Baseball Weekend.” Every summer we pick a city, zip in on Friday and come home on Sunday. The purpose is simple; visit a stadium (or in some cases multiple stadiums, when the major league cities are close enough, such as Hous-ton and Arlington), enjoy the architecture, the unique nuances and traditions of each stadi-um, the food, beer, fans and the game.

In July of 2012, two months after my visit to Baltimore, Mark and I visited PNC Park in Pittsburgh. This was a rare occasion in which we didn’t have tickets for the game. For the most part, I was able to secure tickets year-after-year through my extensive media and

marketing network. But not this trip – we would have to do it the old fashioned way… Buy them at the window.

I purposely selected the hotel based on their offering a shuttle to and from the stadium for $10 each, round trip. To me, it beat driving, parking and traffi c. We had gotten really good at the strategies of Baseball Weekend.

We headed down to the lobby two hours be-fore fi rst pitch to get the fi rst shuttle. I like to get to the stadium early, watch batting practice, scout the food, and we still had to buy tickets. We waited for 30 minutes without a shuttle coming to the hotel. As we waited, the crowd of people who had the same plan

began to grow and it occurred to me, when the shuttle did come, there would be a mad dash to get on and there were clearly more people than the fi rst shuttle would hold. I really had no patience for that and suggested we check to see if we could get a refund on the shuttle from the hotel and just drive to public trans-portation. This was the fi rst step in rais-ing my pulse. There was more to come.

Following the vague directions of the teen at the hotel front desk, we drove to what we thought was a public bus shut-tle to the stadium. We parked the car and began to follow the crowds dressed

in Pittsburgh Pirates black and yellow. We reached a kiosk… for a ferry to take game at-tendees across the river to the stadium… $15 each, round trip. Are you kidding me?! So, not only did we lose more time and paid for parking, but now we increased our transpor-tation to the stadium by 50%. Another notch on my blood pressure kicked in.

I tried to convince Mark we should walk away out of principle but he convinced me other-wise. We paid, boarded the ferry and waited. And waited. And waited for more than 30 minutes. I never understood why we wait-ed so long but it was tormenting to see the stadium on the other side of the river. I was pretty sure I could have doggie-paddled there

Chapter OneThe Universe Goes to Bat

and back during that time. My foot started to tap. My head started to pound. I was getting frustrated, anxious and concerned about our ability to get tickets (I had written off batting practice by now.)

I’ll admit, once the ferry departed the dock and headed to the stadium, it was a pret-ty cool sight. This was one of those unique experiences that we would remember. But at the time, I was more overcome with the an-ger that had built during the hour-plus since we had left our hotel room for the “conve-nience shuttle.”

When the ferry docked, we realized it had left us on the absolute furthest side of the stadium in relation to where the ticket offi ces were; with the exception of a single ticket window on our side. We would learn that they only had standing-room tickets remain-ing. My blood began to boil. I convinced Mark we should split up and look for anyone selling tickets.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw two col-lege-aged guys chatting up some tickets with a co-ed their age. Trying to impress or hit-on her was my guess. When she waved them off and walked away, I approached them. “Extra tickets?” I asked.

“Yeah. Two.”

“How much do you want for them?”

He looked at his friend and they shrugged. He replied, “Well, someone gave them to us so I don’t really feel right charging you for them.”

“That would be great. Maybe let me buy you guys a beer?”

“We’re not old enough to drink but thanks. But we’re kind of ready to head in and I don’t want to just give you the tickets and walk away. Nothing personal.”

I felt my entire demeanor change. My blood

pressure dropped within minutes. Al-most word for word, this young man put the same requirement on the free tickets as I do.

We found Mark and the four of us walked through the turnstiles togeth-er. I leaned into Mark, “You’re not going to believe this. I’ll explain when we sit.”

We thanked the two young men and told them we’d see them at the seats.

Mark and I stood in the beer line and I recapped our past 90 minutes and began to see how all of these seem-ing annoyances and detours, in fact, led us to two free tickets. Had we taken the shuttle… Had we found the correct commuter lot with the bus… Had we not swallowed our pride and boarded the ferry…. Had the ferry not sat as long as it did… Had the ferry

not docked where it did… Would any of this have happened? As I said, sometimes the Universe just likes to screw with you.

With food and beverages in hand, we found our section of the stadium. As we got clos-er, my eyes began to widen and my heart began to beat faster. We were on the third base side. We walked down our aisle and found our original guys. Mark and I sat next to them, fi ve rows behind the dugout. Not exactly where I had sat in Baltimore a few months earlier, but within 10 feet. Which goes to show, even the Universe isn’t perfect.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards has a seating capacity of nearly 46,000 while PNC Park has a capacity of just more than 38,000. And yet, the Universe seemingly brought us to near-identical seats with extremely similar circumstances, two months apart from other-wise independent events.

Respect the Universe.


22 print • digital • television • radio22 print • digital • television • radio March 2016

On Events Every Saturday; 8 AM - 1 PMLeesburg Saturday Morning MarketDowntown LeesburgLeesburgSaturdayMorningMarket.com

Every Sunday; 9 AM - 2 PMFarmers’ MarketHistoric Downtown ClermontFor more info 352.247.4640

Tuesdays; 10 AM - 12 PMGroom and Love a Rescue HorseDreamCatcher Horse Ranch & Rescue CenterFor more info 407.702.8332

March 4; 5:30 PM - 9 PMFamily Food Truck NightHistoric Downtown ClermontFor more info 352.247.4640

March 4; 6 PM - 9 PMMusic on MontroseDowntown ClermontFor more info 352.247.4640

March 5; 7:30 PMGuy Bavli – Master of the MindClermont Performing Arts CenterClermontPerformingArts.com

March 10; 10 AM - 2 PMJob Connection Center Job Fair Goodwill Job Connection Center For more info 352.404.7799

March 11; 5 PM - 10 PMMarch 12; 10 AM - 10 PMMarch 13; 11 AM - 6 PMPig On The Pond FestivalWaterfront Park, Lake MinneolaPigOnThePond.org

March 12; 9 AM - 5 PM15th annual GCCF Round Robin Tennis Tour-neySummit Greens Tennis Courts For more info 407.325.5054

March 17; 7 PMPastfi nders Genealogy SocietyMary Jackson Fears, Guest SpeakerCooper Memorial LibraryFor more info 352.242.9805 March 18; 7 PM - 9:30 PMMovies Under The Stars “Night At The Museum”Clermont Arts & Recreation Center For more info 352.394.3500

March 20; 7 PMPop, Rock & Doo Wopp Live! Clermont Performing Arts CenterClermontPerformingArts.comEvery Wednesday; 7 PM - 9 PM

“Julia Cameron - Artist’s Way” ClassLeesburg Center for the Arts For more info 352.365.0232

Every Thursday; 6:30 PM Yoga Classes at Unity Church 826 East Dixie AvenueFor more info 505.967.9312

March 4-6; 11-13; 18-20The Drowsy ChaperoneMelon Patch PlayersMelonPatchPlayers.com

March 7, 14, 21, 28; 11 AM - 8 PMCollecting Care Packages For Our Troops AMVETS Post 2006For more info 352.430.4355

March 12-13; 10 AM - 5 PM39th Annual Leesburg Fine Art Festival Towne Square For more info 352.365.0232

March 19; 11:30 AM - 3:30 PMAll American Veterans Tribute AMVETS Post 2006Viaport Florida MallFor more info 352.323.8750

March 19; 5 PM - 10 PMLeesburg BBQ~Blues & Brew Towne Square For more info 352.365.0053

March 24; 11 AM - 12:30 PMBig Kidz Cook-Iron Chef Pasta Teen Chefs (Ages 13-17)Leesburg Public LibraryFor more info 352.728.9790

March 1, 15; 9 AM Board of County Commissioners Meeting Administration Building, Commission Chambers For more info 352.343.9888

March 3; 7:30 PMTavares Civil War & WWII RoundtableTavares Civic CenterFor more info 352.357.8476

March 8; 2 PM - 4 PMAdult Coloring & TeaTavares Public Library For more info 352.742.6204 March 14, 28; 6 PMLake County School Board MeetingAdministration Building, Commission ChambersFor more info 352.253.6500

March 22; 2 PM - 5 PMRoots and Branches Genealogy GroupTavares Public Library For more info 352.742.6204 March 26; 9 AM - 10 AMKayakathon - Benefi t for Camp Boggy CreekWooton ParkFor more info 352.217.7966

Every Sunday; 9 AM - 2 PMThe Mount Dora Village MarketElizabeth Evans ParkMountDoraMarket.com

March 11; 8 PM - 10 PM2nd Friday Movie in the ParkDonnelly Park WhatToDoInMtDora.com

March 17; 5 PM - 8:30 PMFamily Food Truck NightSunset Park, DowntownFor more info 352.735.7100

March 17; 7:30 PM - 9 PMFlorida Lakes Symphony Orchestra Somewhere in Time St. Patrick Catholic ChurchFor more info 352.589.1500

March 18; 7PM6th Annual Eustis School Bands Jazz RevueMount Dora Community BuildingFor more info 352.602.3726

March 18, 24, 31; 8 PM - 11 PMGypsy - A MusicalThe Ice House Theatre IceHouseTheatre.com

March 19-20; 9 AM - 5 PMSpring Show: Antiques, Arts & Crafts Downtown Mount Dora For more info 352.217.8390

March 31-April 3Florida Storytelling Festival Lakeside Inn For more info 800.327.1796

Every Thursday; 8:15 AM - 1:30 PMLake County Farmers’ & Flea MarketLake County FairgroundsFor more info 352.357.9692

March 4-6; 8 AM - 5 PMVintage Motorcycle Swap Meet and Bike ShowLake County Expo Center/FairgroundsFor more info 904.626.0664

March 4; 6 PM - 10 PMFirst Friday Street PartyDowntown EustisFor more info 352.357.3434

March 5; 9 AM - 11 AMEcology Hike Lake May Reserve For more info 352.516.7011

March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; 9 AM - 3 PMAARP Tax Aide - By Appt OnlyFruitland Park LibraryFor more info 352.360.6561

March 10; 3:30 PM - 4:30 PMPAWS Reading Dogs (Ages 1-7)Fruitland Park LibraryFor more info 352.360.6561

Every Tuesday; 9 AM - 1 PMLady Lake Farmers’ MarketLog Cabin ParkFor more info 352.552.1266

March 8; 7 PMWillie NelsonThe Sharon Performing Arts CenterTheSharon.com

March 19; 9 AM - 12:30 PMLady Lake Easter Egg HuntJunior Baseball Field, Hermosa Street For more info 352.430.0451

March 23; 11 AM - 12:30 PMKidz Cook with Ze Carter (Ages 7-12)Lady Lake Public LibraryFor more info 352.753.2957

March 25; 7 PMMarch 26; 2 PM & 7 PMThe Offi cial STOMPThe Sharon Performing Arts CenterTheSharon.com

March 6; 3 PM - 4 PMThe Living Roots of MusicMinneola City Hall For more info 352.432.3921

March 12; 7:30 AM - 11 AMQuarterly Bird & Butterfl y SurveyPasture Reserve, Groveland For more info 352.253.4950 March 12; 8 AM - 12 PMAnnual Book Fair Astor County Library For more info 352.759.9913 March 17; 6 PM - 9 PMLake County Boy Scout Golden Eagle DinnerMission Inn, Howey-in-the-HillsFor more info 386.506.1853

March 18; 9 AM - 1 PMStagger Mud Run Paddling AdventurePowell’s Campground, AstorFor more info 352.324.6141

March 20; 9 AM - 11 AMInvasive Plant Species ID & RemovalFerndale PreserveFor more info 352.516.7011

March 5; 2 PM & 7:30 PMMarch 6; 2 PMCirque Zuma ZumaPaul P. Williams Fine Arts AuditoriumLeesburg Campus For more info 352.365.3506

March 19; 6:30 AMEye Run/Walk 5/10KNew Vision for IndependenceLeesburg Campus For more info 352.435.5040

March 5; 10 AM - 3 PMNo Duck Left Behind Rubber Ducky Race & CarnivalWooton Park, TavaresFor more info 352.326.1265

FOCUS Magazine Lake County

Go to FocusLakeCounty.com and Like the FOCUS Lake County Facebook page to fi nd more events information.

FocusLakeCounty.com 23FocusLakeCounty.com 23 March 2016


IN PHOTOSFLORIDA HOSPITAL WATERMAN HEART HEALTH


IN PHOTOSINSPIRING EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN


IN PHOTOS6 HANDS STAGE READING AT BAY STREET THEATRE

352.787.8533NorthgateAnimalClinic.com

2473 Citrus Blvd. • Leesburg, FL 34748Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm

2473 Citrus Blvd. • Leesburg, FL 34748

Dr. Kathie Robinson Veterinarian

Dr. Thomas Piekunka

Veterinarian

Dr. Richard “Bailey” Clark

Veterinarian

Wellness Exams Vaccinations

Laser Therapy Microchips

In-house Diagnostics Digital Radiography

Dentistry Senior Wellness

Management of Chronic Illness Allergy Testing & Management

Parasite Screening & Prevention Pain Management

Surgery

If Your Pet Is In Pain...Laser therapy is a scientifi cally proven, non-invasive treatment for post-surgical pain and many acute and chronic conditions.

Call us today to fi nd out more.


On the ArtsWRITTEN BY ANTHONY RAO

First in war, then in carpet, now an author and a musician. Richie Quarantello, or Richie Q for short, is an entertainer you

can fi nd at local venues like Sip in downtown Leesburg. But be-fore he picked up his saxophone and penned his autobiography, he was just a boy in the streets of Brooklyn, New York.

Quarantello was born February 6, 1945 to Josephine and Dom-inick Quarantello in Brooklyn. He is a second-generation Italian American. He was drafted into the Vietnam War when he was 20 years old where he was wounded three times and the recipient of three Purple Hearts during his service. After the war he married, fathered three children and became an entrepreneur in the carpet business.

In his autobiographical book, in which he describes himself as a Brooklyn street fi ghter, he details his exploits on the mean streets of Brooklyn. It’s called Surviving the Warzone: Growing Up East New York Brooklyn and is published by Xlibris, available in print and online through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. At 192 pages, it’s an easy read for those curious about the life and times of a self-described warrior.

“Eastern New York was a lawless place during the late 50s and 60s when I was growing up. It made the Wild West look like Dis-ney World,” he recalls of growing up in the long-gone streets of Brooklyn.

Quarantello was exposed to street violence in 1958 at just 13 years of age when he became a member of the notorious gang, the New Lots Boys. As a kid he had heard stories about how bad they were, with their cool motorcycle jackets and greased-back hair, but he never thought about joining a gang. Each day on his way to work as a butcher, working for his uncle, he had to pass Elton Street Park where the gang loitered. He would often stop at the park to talk to some gang members he knew, and that’s where his journey began.

“My book is an honest account of how my life has turned around since my younger days as a member of that gang in East New York and the unforgettable experience of serving my country during the Vietnam War,” recounts Quarantello as the reason he penned his story.

From the streets to the jungle, and all the way to Lake Coun-ty where he now entertains and serenades audiences with his smooth jazz and familiar standards, Quarantello isn’t a street fi ghter anymore. Now he shares his tale as an author and an art-ist through music and the written word.


Now on My790AMTune in every Saturday and Sunday

afternoon for Rays Baseball Live

The New Lake County Home of

Offi ce: 352.787.7900 • Studio Line: 352.787.WLBE (9523)Streaming Live at My790AM.com

LIVE! Radio every fi rst & third Thursday at 1:30pm, plus watch us on LSTV & on the web!

County Home of

Visit CFLHDComputers.comCall 352.314.3855

2700 US Hwy 27/441 • Fruitland Park, FL 34731If it’s a computer... We Fix It!

Visit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.comVisit CFLHDComputers.com

CFLHD COMPUTER CENTER, INC.

BEFORE THIS... CALL US

Changing Lives & Building Futures

Join us for the 31st Annual Gala Auction

Savannah Center, The Villages

Presenting Sponsor ENTERPRISES, INC.

Erniemorris.com

Changing Lives & Building Futures

JoJoJoJoJoJoJ ioioiioioiioio nininnininninin ususussusussusususususu fofofoofofofofofof rororrororr thththhththhththeheheeheheeheh 31s1s1s1s1s1s1 tststtststtsts AnAnAnnAnAnnAnAnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnununuununuunun auauaauauaauau lalallalallala GaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaG lalallalallala alalaalalaalalalal AuAuAuuAuAuuAuA cucuccucuccucu tctcttctcttctc ititiititiitit oioiooioioonononononononnononnonon

Presenting Presenting SponsorSponsor

Presenting Sponsor

Presenting Presenting Presenting Presenting SponsorSponsor

Presenting Sponsor

Presenting Presenting Presenting SponsorSponsor

Presenting Sponsor

Presenting Sponsor

Presenting Sponsor

Presenting ENTERPRISES, INC.ENTERPRISES, INC.ENTERPRISES, INC.ENTERPRISES, INC.ErniemorrisErniemorrisErniemorrisErniemorrisErniemorris.com.comSavannah Center, The Villages

Presenting Savannah Center, The VillagesSavannah Center, The Villages

Presenting

Sponsorship Opportunities Availablebbleleleelelelel pSpSpSpSpoononsnsn oososorororssrsrshshshshihih pipippipip OpOpOpOpOpOpOpOpO ppppppppppppp ororortrtr ututututununununiinin tititititit eiei sese AvAvAvAvATickets $150 Per Person

bblelelvavav iiaia lililalalal babaoooooonnonoonoononnonoononnnnnn

For more information on tickets, sponsorships, and donating items for the silent or live auction, please call the LSSC Foundation at 352.365-3518 or email [email protected].

Dealing with social pressures that come with living a healthy lifestyle is not always easy. Especially when you go

out to eat. Why do you eat like that? You ordered what?

From social events, to dinner with family and friends, or even church events. Some-times we have trouble speaking up for ourselves or just don’t know how to answer the many inquiring minds and are left to feel embarrassed or confused.

“Fitting out” is actually a good thing; leading by example is very rewarding and creates a ripple effect in your family and the commu-nity. After all, why wouldn’t you want to feel your very best?

Here are a few ways to help avoid or redi-rect such inquiries that have worked for me in the past.

1 First of all, you don’t need to ex-plain, the only person you have to answer to is yourself!

2Google the menu of a restaurant before you go and decide your order before you get there.

3Sit closest to the server so you can order right away without being bogged down with questions.

4Redirect: Let’s face it, people like to talk about themselves... redi-rect the conversation and make it

about them. (It works like a charm!)

5Respond with: “I can eat whatever I want, I’m choosing to eat this way.”

6If you are allergic to a food and you are being pressured, at what expense to yourself are you going

to take the risk to please someone else?

7Worried about receiving commu-nion because you have a gluten allergy? Ask your church board

if they have an alternative, they may already have one in place.

8Eat before you go and just enjoy the company!

9Still struggling after trying all the above? You may need to

re-evaluate your support system and surround yourself with more posi-tive infl uences!

Everyone’s chemistry is unique, what works for one person may not work for another so be sure to seek the

advice of a professional that can do the proper testing to see which way of eat-ing is right for you. And until next time, “check, please!”

Jaime Alonso,Health CoachTotal Nutrition & Therapeutics

TotalNutritionAndTherapeutics.com

March 2016

On Better LivingEat To The Beat of A Different Drum!

3order right away without being bogged down with questions.


Jaime Alonso,Health CoachTotal Nutrition & Therapeutics

TotalNutritionAndTherapeutics.com

Multimedia • Video • Marketing

Stand Out From the Bunch

RedApplesMedia.com • 352.801.7106

www.GetOffTheBusConcerts.com Like Us on

Mount Dora, FL More Than Just

The Festival City

www.MountDoraLive.com (407)603-9215



The Festival City


www.GetOffTheBusConcerts.com

We fl y by the seat of our pants and it tickles me when we show up and off.

WRITTEN BY ANTHONY RAO

It’s been a long road for country star and Grammy winner Suzy Bogguss, who set out on her musical journey in 1989, and she’s not “Letting Go” just yet.

Her performance March 4 at the Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale will mark the fi rst time Bogguss graces the local stage, performing some of her Billboard Top Ten singles such as “Outbound Plane,” “Drive South,” or “Hey Cinderella.” Bogguss will also be honoring Merle Haggard, a country music hero of hers, by performing songs from her album Lucky, a tribute to his legacy. It was that love of Hag-gard’s music that fi rst put her on the charts with a cover of his song “Somewhere Between.”

Bogguss was raised in Illinois by her parents, Charles “Bud” and Barba-ra Jean “B.J.” Bogguss, along with her sister Sally and two brothers, Scott and Kerry. The children grew up singing and playing instruments in the church choir. And although most of their musical talent came from B.J., her father was a great dancer who blessed his kids with rhythm.

“Dad wasn’t a musician, but he loved music and had real respect for it. So we listened to all types of music growing up,” Bogguss says of the infl uence both her parents had musically on her and her brothers and sister. The family had a single record player and as the youngest, Bogguss had some trouble getting her turn at listening to music.

“Everybody had their own groups they wanted to listen to. So

you had to arm wrestle for who was gonna get to play the record player. That was the big deal, if somebody else wasn’t around you could listen to your songs,” remembers Bogguss of those childhood days. After graduating high school she attended Illinois State Uni-versity, where she studied art and graduated in 1980. College was

where her love of singing and music blossomed.“I was heavily infl uenced by folk music. When I fi rst learned guitar it was James Taylor and Carole King. In college I started delving into country more and started playing bluegrass and the like,” she says of how she’s grown into the songwriter, musician and performer she is today. “I was a novice at the arts and through the years I’ve developed a different view. After I made the Merle record, Lucky, it was like going to songwriting school.”

Bogguss’ husband Doug Cryder, who originally worked at RCA Records where the couple met, serves as her sound engineer and travels with her on the road now that their son is off at college. Cryder even writes some of Bogguss’ songs, such as her hit “Let-

ting Go.” Bogguss herself also writes her own songs, which she plays from her heart and to her audience. In fact, she doesn’t even have a set list when she per-forms live on stage. Charlie Chadwick and Craig Smith, who dons a cowboy costume on stage, accompany her on acoustic and electric guitars. They too play from their own experience, adding a fl avor to the performance that audiences respond to with enthusiasm.

“There’s always a surprise. I feel how audiences respond to particular songs and I try to get my hits in there, but also to dazzle with interesting songs,” she says

of her spontaneity onstage. “We fl y by the seat of our pants and it tickles me when we show up and off.”

A highlight of her career was her fi rst performance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee back at the start of her career in 1989. She recalls hoping there wasn’t an eject button to throw her off the stage. “When I go out to play the Nashville Opry, it’s a big place with thousands of people. There are days when my voice still shakes, I’m not over it yet,” Bogguss says of the nervousness she still feels when play-ing the legendary ven-ue. “Hopefully, it won’t shake at the Orange Blossom Opry.”

March 2016 FocusLakeCounty.com 33FocusLakeCounty.com 33



The Festival City


Suzy Bogguss is Real Country


Exploring Emeralda Marsh WRITTEN BY DEVIN COLLINS

Just off the beaten path, there lies a place of pristine beauty and serenity. It’s a place where, at the right time, the lines separating heaven and earth fade. Although the 7,089 acre preserve known as Emeralda Marsh is almost a complete secret outside the sunshine state, local birdwatchers and environmentalists rave about its large and diverse wildlife population. If that doesn’t suit your tastes, there are always the nature trails. After only a decade of rehabilitation, the St. John’s River Water Management District, along with support from the Lake County Board of Commissioners and the Oklawaha Valley Audubon Society, have accomplished an astounding feat of creating a viable conservation area and ecotourism attraction.

A single road leads through the heart of Emeralda Marsh. Built atop a series of dikes, the 4.3 mile scenic drive offers a glimpse of the awe-inspiring natural beauty contained in the wetlands of the local area. As you drive, you’ll notice various stopping points along the way where you can pull off to the side of the road, park your car, and go hiking. While each stopping point has a gate preventing vehicles from going inside, this does not prevent you from being able to take a little adventure for yourself on foot. Keep in mind however, that public access, whether by car or on foot, is prohibited on any portion of the area posted as “Closed” or “Restricted.”

One trail in particular boasts an impressive variety of different Florida landscapes. This trail, like many others, is a protected conservation area. When you start off it begins by crossing through a small, dense

grassland area. From this area, look out at the horizon at sunset and if weather conditions are right, it will appear as if you’re standing on another world, looking out into the vast universe and beyond.

Once past the grasslands the trail continues for another mile, taking you through various landscapes of natural Florida. While hiking the trail you’ll fi nd yourself at a crossroad. You can either travel to the left or you can travel to the right. At the end of the trail there exists a large lake, hidden away by the natural growth around it. It’s a sight you won’t be able to see from the road.

From this point on, it’s recommended that you proceed with caution. During periods of heavy rain, the water can easily rise to be level with the trail. When this occurs, you will likely spot an alligator or two sunbathing right in the middle of the trail. Of course, you will also spot the lake. One of the unique aspects of this location is its ability to support a large and diverse wildlife population, particularly migrating and wintering birds. Multiple species coexisting in the same habitat, utilizing the same resources to survive and thrive. For any bird enthu-siast, this lake will provide the ultimate birding experience.

Looking out on the lake you may see anything from a family of ducks racing across the water, to hawks that swoop from the branches of trees, fl ying level with you in what initially appears to be a potential head-on collision. With luck, you will even spot the red cardinals, which seem inclined to follow you all the way back to your vehicle when you leave.

When hiking, keep in mind that the area is eco-sensitive. It is recom-mended that you bring nothing more than a good pair of hiking shoes, binoculars, and a camera. Anything else would potentially risk damag-ing an already fragile ecosystem. Always remember that when walk-ing these trails, you are passing through their home, not yours. This hidden gem is truly something to witness. Take a few hours and give yourself a break from the stresses of everyday life. Relax and take a walk out onto one of the many trails that Emeralda Marsh has to offer. You’re guaranteed to see something, whether it be a bird, a snake, or merely Florida in its natural state. Altogether, this destination truly represents real Florida, real close.

LAKE COUNTY’S

Experience ‘Real Florida. Real Close.’TA K E A N A DV E N T U R E T H RO U G H NAT U R E

www.RealFloridaRealClose.com/FOCUS

Green building was a very hot topic in the construction industry several years ago. In many respects, because of the Great Re-cession and the cratering of appraisals for new construction, the buzz has somewhat quieted. It is undereen building movement has changed attitudes toward environmen-tally-friendly building practices, conservation, and recycling—even if it is not on the formal and certifi ed level many activists sought.

Offi cially-certifi ed green projects still make up a sector of the building industry. However, these projects are typically being construct-ed for owners who are very committed to the environment or for government entities whose political leadership has committed to green building standards. The main struggle for the green construction industry is cost in a competitive marketplace as it relates to certifying building products and methods through a fairly cumbersome bureaucracy.

The problem for green building, in one word is “green.” Green, as it relates to the envi-ronment, has been negatively characterized by politicians who have successfully linked the word to extremists in the environmental movement. For most people in the construc-tion industry, green building is really energy

conservation, and that message is more palatable to sell to builders and project own-ers. It is easy to convince a project owner to buy a product or change a construction method when a 15 percent energy savings is the payback, rather than certifying that a piece of wood came from a certain forest in California.

The other main reason why the building industry is slowly going green is due to gov-ernment regulations, which are mandating higher energy standards, recycling of certain waste, and the control of VOCs (volatile organic compounds)—chemical vapors in the home. Construction products and meth-

ods used to construct a Florida home just a decade ago are obsolete today. In my view, for green building standards to become the universal norm in the construction industry, they must move from private certifi cation programs to government mandated and inspected programs.

The downside of mandating green building standards is the negative effect on afford-able housing. While products and building methods have changed over the past de-cade, so has the cost of building. This is counter to costing trends in other industries. Because of technology and automation, costs for many business sectors have de-

creased. However, in the construction in-dustry the costs have dramatically increased because of these green and energy conser-vation mandates. Recycling costs for many building material products are still more than raw costs and this disparity is creating real issues in affordable housing.

The success of green building continues to be dependent on cost and creating a product that is priced competitively for the market-place. There is little doubt that builders and project owners would immediately switch to green building standards if ultimately it could be done profi tably and on a level playing fi eld with other projects. The standards of green building will continue to expand in the construction industry, but at a much slower pace than many would hope. Green building changes will continue and will accelerate once the affordability equation is resolved.

Where is Green Building Heading?

Don Magruder is the CEO of Ro-mac Lumber & Supply, Inc.

RomacLumber.com

March 2016

The success of green building continues to be dependent on cost and

creating a product that is priced competitively for the marketplace.

n Home

FocusLakeCounty.com 35

WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE SHERMAN

Golf courses in Lake County boast scenic vis-tas of “Old Florida” as well as the natural roll-ing hills unique to Central Florida. With more than two dozen courses in the area, golfers have plenty of options. Two of the most distinguished courses are Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills and Bella Collina in Montverde. At Mission Inn, El Campeon, or “The Champion,” is the third-oldest golf course in the state. Featuring water on 13 of 18 holes and rare 85-foot elevation chang-es, the course consistently ranks among the best in the state. Bella Collina is noted for its beautiful clubhouse, gorgeous views, and Italian village atmosphere. The two courses make for outstanding tournament play.

So it was no surprise when these two courses were recently awarded top honors by Golf Advisor’s 2015 “Best Of” lists, based on thou-sands of reviews by golfers, for golfers.

“It’s always exciting when you get any kind of accolades from a nationally-known publication and it certainly validates what we already knew, that we’ve got pretty nice golf courses around here and they’re unique in terms of the hills and changing landscape and terrain that you might not fi nd elsewhere in Florida. Mission Inn was recognized for the course itself whereas Bella Collina won for the off-course amenities. For us at the county we’re trying to drive visitation here and our two

main focus areas are ecotourism and sports. Golf fi ts both of those in that it’s an outdoor sport that gets you out in nature,” says Rob-ert Chandler, Lake County Economic Growth Department Director.

The El Campeon course at Mission Inn has been ranked the second-best course in the nation and the best in Florida. “The key point is not only the rankings but the fact that people here are friendly and the unique thing is we happen to be 99 years old. So it’s the

consistency of quality, the classic vintage-ness of the course, and that it’s still a very challenging course design,” according to Drew Toth, Director of Sales and Marketing at Mission Inn.

“The course was carved out of citrus groves by Mr. Howey over a hundred years ago, and 16 of the original 18 holes are still intact from the original design. There are only a limited number of homes on the course as well. Only on the fourth hole, that’s it. The signature hole is #17, called The Devil’s Delight be-cause it’s a par 5 with the third shot

where you have to hit under a large live oak tree and over a lake, to the green. One of the best things about the course is that you’re rewarded for good shot-making here. And even for average play-ers it’s still a thrill to play,” adds Toth. We also do 16 collegiate events a year with the NCAA Divisions 1 through 3.

Bella Collina was ranked number fi ve of the top twenty-fi ve US courses for off-course amenities. It’s a private club but non-mem-bers can make appointments for tee times or the full-servicespa on a space-available basis. Once you’re on the property there is fi ne din-ing, a pool, tennis courts and fi tness center, that can be experienced on a day-pass basis. “The 55,000 square-foot clubhouse is the focal point, sitting on the highest point on the property. The beautiful stone work on the clubhouse and the half-mile long cobblestone entryway leading up to the clubhouse brings the feeling of being in an Italian Tuscan vil-lage. We’ve also been voted the #1 wedding venue in all of Central Florida,” says Jim Kroll, Director of Golf at Bella Collina.

There is a beautiful wine cellar and both private and casual dining in an architectur-ally-unique setting. The wine cellar can be rented for events. Aside from the amenities, the course itself is both beautiful and chal-lenging. “We’ve got uphill and downhill lies, a lot of elevation and topography changes and the course runs through the ridge here in Montverde, designed to make the most of the natural terrain,” adds Kroll. Bella Collina is a private community and currently selling real estate. As a property owner you’re automati-cally a member of the club and there are only about 4 or 5 holes with houses on them along the course.

“In our marketing plan, golf is one of the niches to bring people here to Lake County as a golfi ng destination because we do have some pretty unique courses, some of the best in the state if not the country,” says Chandler. For more information about Lake County’s premier golf courses, visit SportsInLakeFL.com/Sports/Competitive/Golf


OnGreat Golf? The Putt Stops Here!Great Golf? The Putt Stops Here!Great Golf? The Putt Stops Here!Great Golf? The Putt Stops Here!Great Golf? The Putt Stops Here!

Golfi ng in an Italian village inspired setting. Submitted by Bella Collina

Golfi ng in the early days. Submitted by Mission Inn Resort and Club

1585 Santa Barbara Blvd., Suite B, � e VillagesTriCountyPodiatry.net // 352.259.1919

MEDICAL & SURGICAL TREATMENT OF:• Bunions and Hammertoes• Corns• Morton’s Neuromas• Ingrown Nails and Warts• Heel and Arch Pain• � ick, Painful Toenails• Foot Injuries• Diabetic & Geriatric Foot

Care• Sports Medicine• Orthotics• Diabetic Shoes• Numbness/Tingling of Feet

FOOTC A R E FOR PEOPL E OF A L L AG E S

W IT H AC T I V E L I F E ST Y L E S.

MEDICARE AND MOST

INSURANCES ACCEPTED

SCAN HERE with your smart

phone to learn more about Tri-County

Podiatry


FLASHBACK

March 2016

Clermont’s Citrus TowerOnce the most famous landmark in the Orlando area, the Citrus Tower in Clermont was built in 1956 to allow visitors to observe the miles of orange groves surrounding it. Providing a 360 degree view of the surrounding area, travelers could look out and enjoy the panoramic view of Florida’s rolling hills and lakes in the surrounding area. It remains the highest observation point in Florida. Today, the Citrus Tower is a monument to Florida’s once famed citrus industry. It is still open to the public and people can go up and get a fi rsthand look at Florida’s ever-changing landscape.

Offer Expires 2/29/16

Gift Certificate are always available

Laser Hair Removal 20% Off IPL for Pigmented Lesion 25% Off

Laser Vein Treatment 20% OffViPeel 15% Off

Open 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM (summer hours) Monday through Friday

Where beautiful Skin Happens






Where beautiful Skin HappensOffer Expires 2/29/16

















Where beautiful Skin HappensOffer Expires 2/29/16






US Hwy 441/27 Lady Lake, Fl. 32159352-350-1210 www.alani.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alani-Medical-Spa

call us and Add your Email to our online concierge systemand receive exclusive discounts and gifts



Botox $10 per unit Restylane 15% Off

ViPeel 20% OffFacial 15% Off



Leesburg 352.787.4545700 EAST MAIN STREET ~ LEESBURG, FLORIDA 34748

• Two convenient Window & Door Showrooms where you can try the actual product before you decide to buy.

• Two fully staffed brick and mortar stores. Not some rolling office in a pickup truck.

• Ro-Mac sells and installs all major brands.

• Free jobsite quotes. You’ll never get a surprise from us.

• We follow Florida’s strict hurricane and building codes.

We also sell and service MOTORIZED SCREENS. A great way to increase the size of your family’s living space while keeping the bugs out during the warmer months; allowing a cool breeze during the autumn months; and blocking harmful and damaging UV rays. Now with the click of a button, you can bring the outside... inside (minus the bugs of course).

Ocala 352.622.70991432 SW 15th AVE ~ OCALA, FLORIDA 34471

Lic# CBC1252465 - Ro-Mac Lumber & Supply, Inc.

*Limit one coupon per customer. Offer expires March 31, 2016

focus magazine march 2016

Documents