Style Magazine, May 2019

THE WOMEN'S ISSUE

Women who changed history, make a difference in their communities, and do business with style and elegance.

MAY '19

L AKE & SUMTER

FEATURING

ALSO

EMPOWERING WOMEN

FLY ME TO THE MOON

A variety of organizations in this area bring women together to support one another and do remarkable projects for their communities.

The anti-bullying campaign at Leesburg High School reaches new heights.

HAT'S OFF

Making hats for Kentucky Derby attendees is a passion for Chris Treick.

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND

OUTSTANDING STUDENT

Learn how 12 women wearing a diamond necklace aided a Lake County charity.

2 0 1 9

Talented, energetic, and future flight nurse, Deana McDuffie.

B U S I N E S S

W O M A N

O F

T H E

Y E A R

CONNIEMAHAN shares her expertise as a Broker/Realtor with residents and newcomers to Sumter County.

YOUR

MULTI AWARD WINNING BUILDER

WEST CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC. TAKES HOME

1ST PLACE

IN THE 2018

PARADE OF HOMES

WITH THESE CUSTOM-BUILT HOMES IN UMATILLA AND TAVARES. CALL TODAY TO START THE JOURNEY TO YOUR NEW AWARD-WINNING HOME! • CUSTOM HOMES • ADDITIONS • REMODELS • FAMILY-OWNED & OPERATED FOR 30 YEARS • GREEN ADVANTAGE CERTIFIED BUILDER

A BIG THANK YOU TO WEST CONSTRUCTION! FROM START TO FINISH, WE ARE THRILLED WITH THEIR EXPERTISE, CRAFTSMANSHIP AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL. WE WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND DALE WEST AND HIS ENTIRE WEST CONSTRUCTION TEAM TO ANYONE LOOKING TO BUILD OR REMODEL. — KIM AND STEVE BAKICH

JOSEPH & DALE WEST

352.989.7757 1004 N. DONNELLY ST., MT. DORA

CBC057387 WESTCONSTRUCTIONFL.COM

C O M M E R C I A L

R E S I D E N T I A L

0C% ING 1I0 A N N BLE F ILA AVA

HOME & BUSINESS BACKUP GENERATORS Electrical Works installs both residential and commercial generators. The best part is generators on the market are much more affordable because Electrical Works offers 100 percent financing.

307 East Main St, Leesburg FL 34748 352.460.0810 electricalworksflorida.com LICENSE EC13005476

When your Health is an urgent matter.

AFTER 20 YEARS OF CARE, we understand health issues can happen at any time. To serve those urgent needs, we are proud to introduce our new urgent care center.

27637 US Hwy 27, Leesburg 352.326.6001 / 9-7 Mon-Fri 8-5 Sat & Sun 201 LaGrande Blvd, Lady Lake 352.326.6012 / 9-7 Sun, Mon, & Fri

ȗYhealth.com CHAIRMAN, DAVID C. LEW, MD, FACC, FSCAI VICE CHAIRMAN, JOSÉ R. ROSADO, MD, FACC PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS FLORIDA HEART & VASCULAR MULTI-SPECIALTY GROUP

DO YOU KNOW YOUR BEST

OPTIONS? FACELIFT, TEMPORARY FILLERS, OR PERMANENT FACIAL FILLERS

Liz had ImageLift, Laser, and filler treatments. Results are typical and do vary.

Kathy had a Laser ImageLift. Results are typical and do vary.

YOU’RE INVITED TO FIND OUT! Double &SEVH 'IVXMÁ IH Facial Plastic Surgeon

Free ImageLift seminars are being held at the following locations in May and June. Meet the doctor and enjoy free food, books, *drawings and door prizes.

Raffle drawings for free filler, a $995-$1200 value

UPCOMING FACIAL BEAUTY SOCIAL MIXER MAY 14 WATERFRONT INN, THE VILLAGES CALL NOW TO RSVP - LIMITED SEATING

MEET THE TEAM!

WSJ

Bestseller!

FREE IMAGELIFT BOOK for first 20 callers! Limited quantities (Retail $14.95)

DR. RICH CASTELLANO

MW E (SYFPI &SEVH 'IVXMÁ IH *EGMEP 4PEWXMG 7YVKISR EW WIIR SR

4EXMIRX ERH ER] SXLIV TIVWSR VIWTSRWMFPI JSV TE]QIRX LEW E VMKLX XS VIJYWI XS TE] GERGIP TE]QIRX SV FI VIMQFYVWIH JSV TE]QIRX JSV ER] SXLIV WIVZMGI I\EQMREXMSR SV XVIEXQIRX XLEX MW TIVJSVQIH EW E VIWYPX SJ ERH [MXLMR ąĀ LVW SJ VIWTSRHMRK XS EH JSV XLI JVII HMWGSYRXIH JII SV VIHYGIH JII WIVZMGI I\EQMREXMSR SV XVIEXQIRX

8630 East CR 466, The Villages 877.346.2435 // www.IMAGELIFT.com

MAY'19 V.15

≈ N.7

CONTENTS 1 of 2

FEATURES

038

048

Connections and networks

Style 2019 Business Woman of the Year

Professional women have many ways to connect with one another, and many of these groups in Lake and Sumter counties are always looking for new members.

STORY: LEIGH NEELY

108 The story of a necklace It was a story in a book until a group of women in Lake County brought the story to life. Local women wore a diamond necklace for a month each, and then a raffle for the necklace was conducted. Style tells you how the story ends.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

114 To the moon The anti-bullying campaign that has been so successful at Leesburg High School is now planning to send items from students to the moon.

STORY: LEIGH NEELY

010 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Connie Mahan loves real estate, Sumter County, and helping people. The 2019 Style Business Woman of the Year gives her all to her business and her community.

STORY: JAMES COMBS

*Seating is very limited and by RSVP only TB Financial Group Inc. is a licensed insurance agency for life, health, and annuities. We are not securities licensed. We are not tax advisors. Our seminars are very general in nature and not meant to replace the advice of your CPA, Tax Preparer, Investment Advisor or Attorney. We will not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax or legal professional for these matters.

MAY'19 V.15

≈ N.7

CONTENTS 2 of 2

DEPARTMENTS

first

019

agenda

THE HIT LIST 020 PERSON OF INTEREST 022 OUTSTANDING STUDENT 024 MY FIRST TIME 026 THIS 'N' THAT 028

119

menu

THE TO-DO LIST 120 LOCAL TALENT 123 NEAR & FAR 124 SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT 128 HI, SOCIETY! 130

141

columns

IN THE KITCHEN 142 FORK ON THE ROAD 144 SALUTÉ 146 DINING GUIDE 148

FROM THE PUBLISHER 014 FINAL THOUGHT 152

152

120 142

024 123

E ON TH S R C OV E

THE WOMEN'S ISSUE

Women who changed history, make a difference in their communities, and do business with style and elegance.

MAY '19

L AKE & SUMTER

FEATURING

ALSO

EMPOWERING WOMEN

FLY ME TO THE MOON

A variety of organizations in this area bring women together to support one another and do remarkable projects for their communities.

The anti-bullying campaign at Leesburg High School reaches new heights.

HAT'S OFF

Making hats for Kentucky Derby attendees is a passion for Chris Treick.

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND

OUTSTANDING STUDENT

Learn how 12 women wearing a diamond necklace aided a Lake County charity.

2 0 1 9

026

144 124 146

Talented, energetic, and future flight nurse, Deana McDuffie.

B U S I N E S S

W O M A N

O F

T H E

Y E A R

CONNIEMAHAN shares her expertise as a Broker/Realtor with residents and newcomers to Sumter County.

Lake and Sumter Style Connie Mahan of Connie Mahan Real Estate Group Photo: Anthony Rao THE WOMEN'S ISSUE

Women who changed history, make a difference in their communities, and do business with style and elegance.

MAY '19

VILLAGE EDITION

FEATURING

EMPOWERING WOMEN A variety of organizations in this area bring women together to support one another and do remarkable projects for their communities.

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIENDS Learn how 12 women wearing a diamond necklace aided a Lake County charity.

LORI ESAREY

PLUS

guides clients with Total Nutrition and Therapeutics.

INSIDE!

028 012 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Read VStyle to meet a former forensic psychologist and see how to stay safe while learning ballroom dancing.

Village Edition Style Lori Esarey of Total Nutrition and Therapeutics Photo: Douglas Tyler

30th Anniversary Sale!

50% OFF

Everything is a minimum of 50% off, even the owners private collection.

Beautiful Hand-Woven Rugs Cyrus Rug Gallery brings you a selection of old-world artistry with fashion forward patterns, fresh color palettes, and elegant designs to create stunning works of art.

These stunning, exceptionally unique pieces of art are ideal for the contemporary home. Whether you are looking to add subtle texture to your rooms or want to make - 01ŋ :10 ?@-@191:@ ;A> 3-881>E ;2 4-:0 7:;@@10 >A3? 5? ?A>1 @; <>;B501 E;A C5@4 @41 perfect artistic edge for your space.

352.629.3200 | 20 SE Broadway St., Downtown Ocala | Cyrus-Rug.com

Cyrus Rug Gallery

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Women of Style

The biggest issue yet for Business Women of Style, a diverse group of energetic, intelligent women who make a difference whatever they do.

ou may notice that Style has a new look, but let me assure you, we’re still the premier lifestyle magazine for Lake and Sumter counties that you’ve always enjoyed. There’s no change to content, but every once in a while we need a makeover.

It has been an exciting time around here lately. We have more Business Women of Style than ever before!

We’re also happy to present Connie Mahan as our 2019 Business Woman of the Year.

You’ll recognize these professional women from their work and businesses in our area. They’re from all over Lake and Sumter counties and proud of what they do to expand and promote our local communities. We’re also highlighting some of the clubs and organizations for women. From the Woman’s Clubs, which have been meeting for many years, to professional networking organizations, women gain strength and knowledge from being together.

If you’ve read the book “The Necklace,” you’ll get to read how a group of local women brought the story to life with an inspired fundraiser. A work of art designed by a local jeweler was valued at $21,500. A dozen women wore the necklace for one month each during the past year so as many people as possible could see it and buy a raffle ticket to win it. Now Style has the ending to the local story of “The Necklace.”

For the past year, another exciting story has been developing and it, too, has a happy ending. Area Rotarians banded together to offer a program to work against bullying at Leesburg High School. Not only have they created great awareness of this prevalent problem, they’re now hoping to create more awareness by sending photos, poems, essays, memorials, and other digital items to the moon. This story is out of sight!

Until next month,

Have you noticed a women's movement recently? If so, I want to know your thoughts.

We are always looking for story ideas. If you would like to be featured, email me at kendra@akersmediagroup.com

014 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Kendra Akers Doug Akers OWNER/PUBLISHER kendra@akersmediagroup.com

DESIGN

/

PRESIDENT doug@akersmediagroup.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

/

AT YOUR SERVICE

EDITORIAL

Jason Fugate Leigh Neely CREATIVE DIRECTOR jason@akersmediagroup.com

MANAGING EDITOR leigh@akersmediagroup.com

Michael Gaulin James Combs SENIOR DESIGNER michael@akersmediagroup.com

STAFF WRITER james@akersmediagroup.com

Volkan Ulgen Theresa Campbell ART DIRECTOR volkan@akersmediagroup.com

STAFF WRITER theresa@akersmediagroup.com

THE WOMEN'S ISSUE

Women who changed history, make a difference in their communities, and do business with style and elegance.

THE WOMEN'S ISSUE

Women who changed history, make a difference in their communities, and do business with style and elegance.

MAY '19

DON’T LOSE YOUR MIND

LAUGHING ON A PRAYER

PARENTS’ LIVES MATTER

Stress and anxiety can be treated

Pastor brings lots of humor to his congregation

Sacrifice brings joy to parenthood

SPONSORED BY

MAY '19

L AKE & SUMTER

VILLAGE EDITION

MAY '19

Douglas Tyler Chris Gerbasi WEB DESIGNER/ PHOTOGRAPHER douglas@akersmediagroup.com

STAFF WRITER chris@akersmediagroup.com

Megan Mericle CON TRIBUTIN G GRAPHIC DESIGNER WRITER S megan@akersmediagroup.com

Anthony Rao Joe Angione Mary Ann DeSantis Paula F Howard Nicole Hamel STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Parker Martin

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER anthony@akersmediagroup.com

TO LA K E CO UN TY FEATURING FEATURING

ALSO

EMPOWERING WOMEN

A variety of organizations in this area bring women together to support one another and do remarkable projects for their communities.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

HAT'S OFF

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIENDS

A variety of organizations in this area bring women together to support one another and do remarkable projects for their communities.

Making hats for Kentucky Derby attendees is a passion for Chris Treick.

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND

LORI ESAREY PLUS

Talented, energetic, and future flight nurse, Deana McDuffie.

B U S I N E S S

W O M A N

O F

T H E

THE SHAPE OF WATER

Learn how 12 women wearing a diamond necklace aided a Lake County charity.

OUTSTANDING STUDENT

Learn how 12 women wearing a diamond necklace aided a Lake County charity.

2 0 1 9

FLY ME TO THE MOON

The anti-bullying campaign at Leesburg High School reaches new heights.

guides clients with Total Nutrition and Therapeutics.

Y E A R

CONNIEMAHAN

INSIDE!

Read VStyle to meet a former forensic psychologist and see how to stay safe while learning ballroom dancing.

S T R I K I N G

OIL

Some say CBD products offer medicinal benefits.

shares her expertise as a Broker/Realtor with residents and newcomers to Sumter County.

Great places to fish, paddle, do a boat tour, or just have fun on the water!

+

ENDLESS OUTDOOR OPTIONS Ride your bike, take a hike, grab a horse FLYING HIGH Enjoy wildlife, lots of different birds, or fly above it all AGRITOURISM Enjoy fruit and vegetables fresh from the field or get a taste of farm life.

Hot off the press!

The latest editions of Lake & Sumter Style, Village Edition Style, Healthy Living, and Welcome to Lake County.

nicole@akersmediagroup.com

SALES

/

M A RK ETIN G

Get yours SUBSCRIPTIONS: Order a subscription of your favorite magazine to be delivered

Tim McRae VICE PRESIDENT, SALES tim@akersmediagroup.com

Melanie Melvin Brianna Lemerise DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Melanie@akersmediagroup.com

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE brianna@akersmediagroup.com

Shaena Chastain Dillon True SALES ASSISTANT shaena@akersmediagroup.com

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE dillon@akersmediagroup.com

ADMIN IS TRATION Deb Matlock Aubrey Akers Simmons DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SERVICES deb@akersmediagroup.com

directly to your home for just $84. Each subscription includes 12 consecutive issues of Lake & Sumter Style, Village Edition Style, or Healthy Living. Choose 2 or more magazines for $108 per year. To order, call 352.787.4112 or mail us at: Subscriptions at Akers Media, P.O. Box 490088, Leesburg, FL 34749.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you are a seasonal resident or have moved, send your address change request to general@akersmediagroup.com or mail us at: Subscriptions at Akers Media, P.O. Box 490088, Leesburg, FL 34749.

BACK ISSUES: Order a single issue by mail for $7, or 2 or more single issues for $9. To pick up a back issue from our office, please call 24 hours in advance.

OFFICE MANAGER aubrey@akersmediagroup.com

DI STRIBUTION Scott Hegg DISTRIBUTION MANAGER scott.hegg@akersmediagroup.com

Digitize your life Visit the Apple or Android app store today and download the Lake & Sumter Style or Healthy Living online magazine app for your mobile device.

Lake & Sumter Style is a proud member of

Find us on social media

Winner of 200+ Awards for Excellence

Lake & Sumter Style. Published monthly by Akers Media, 108 South Fifth Street, Leesburg, FL 34748. All editorial contents copyright 2019 by Akers Media. All rights reserved. Lake & Sumter Style is a registered trademark of Akers Media. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. For back issues or billing information, call 352.787.4112. Return postage must accompany all unsolicited manuscripts and artwork if they are to be returned. Manuscripts are welcomed, but no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. “Paid Promotional Feature” denotes a paid advertising feature. Publisher is not responsible for claims or contents of advertisements. The ideas and opinions contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of Akers Media.

FULL-SERVICE ADVERTISING AGENCY • VIDEO PRODUCTION • CUSTOM PUBLISHING AKERSMEDIAGROUP.COM • 352.787.4112

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 015

M AY PAID

2019

EDI T I O N

P R OM OTI O NAL

FEAT URE

Skin Cancer: Know the Signs

D

id you know that doctors recommend checking your skin regularly? Our moles, blemishes, freckles, and other marks are unique. They can change over time, from aging or from seasonal variation, but also from skin cancer.

How can you tell when you should see your doctor?

Learn your skin patterns. Skin self-exams work best in a well-lit room before a full-length mirror. Use a hand-held mirror for hard-to-see places like the backs of your thighs.

Examine all areas, including your palms and soles, scalp, ears, nails, and back.

Main Types of Skin Cancers Basal cell carcinoma accounts for about 80% of non-melanomas.

Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for about 20% of non-melanomas.

Melanoma, though rare, is much more likely to grow and spread if left untreated.

016 /

Tell your doctor about any spots on your skin that are new or changing in size, shape, or color, or if you find any unusual sores, lumps, blemishes, or markings. Changes in how your

skin looks or feels could be a cancer warning sign. Signs include skin that is red, swollen, scaly, or crusty, that feels itchy, tender, or painful, or that is oozing and bleeding.

Key warning signs for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas include a new growth, a spot or bump that grows larger, or a sore that doesn’t heal within a few weeks. Key warning signs for melanomas also include mole changes. Sometimes even doctors can’t tell the difference between melanoma and an ordinary mole, another good reason to learn your skin and to be aware of any changes.

Did You Know?

Additional Skin Cancer Risk Factors

Exposure to certain chemicals (like arsenic) can increase your risk of skin cancer.

1. Exposure to ultra-violet (UV) rays from sun and from tanning beds

Radiation exposure, especially for children who received radiation treatment, can increase the risk of skin cancer.

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

2. Light-colored skin 3. Previous skin cancer 4. Long-term or severe skin inflammation or injury.

by the numbers

Moles: Benign, or Melanoma?

96,480 The estimated number of melanoma cases that will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2019

source: https://www.cancer.net/ cancer-types/melanoma/statistics

When examining moles, use the ABCDE rule: A=Asymmetry: One half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.

B=Border: Edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.

C=Color: Color is not the same all over and may include different shades of brown or black, or may have patches of pink, red, white, or blue.

D=Diameter: Spot is larger than 6 millimeters across (about pencil eraser width).

E=Evolving: The mole’s size, shape, or color changes.

Also check to see if a spot looks different from all the other spots on your skin. If you see something that doesn’t look right or that causes you concern, tell your doctor.

quick quote

“Skin has a good memory.

Skin is like the ground we walk on every day; you can read a whole history in it if you know how to look” — Caroline Kettlewell

>3 million

The estimated number of non-melanoma skin cancers diagnosed in the U.S. each year

30

Herman Flink, MD Radiation Oncologist at RBOI

Protect Yourself with Sunscreen Most of us are aware of the cause of skin cancer: Excess sun exposure. The important thing to note is the sun exposure in our youth and subsequent few decades which leads to the skin cancers that develop in our 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Avoiding sun exposure at any age is worthwhile, but when we are with our grandchildren, urge either minimal Sun exposure or the liberal use of sunscreen, SPF 30 or more.

Minimum recommended SPF strength for sunscreen

92% 5-year survival rate among all people with melanoma of the skin, from the time of initial diagnosis

Patient-centered radiation oncology close to home The Villages 352.259.2200 Ocala 352.732.0277 Timber Ridge 352.861.2400 Inverness 352.726.3400 Lecanto 352.527.0106 RBOI.com

Like us on Facebook

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 017

www.AmericanFamilyHomesInc.com

CUSTOM HOMES ON YOUR LOT FROM THE $200s.

MOUNT DORA / EUSTIS / TAVARES / CLERMONT / LEESBURG / UMATILLA / ALTOONA / OCALA / DELAND / DEBARY / SANFORD

Schedule an appontment with Mike Neace Owner, Home Designer, Licensed Contractor

and Now, Builder of The Year / 352-589-6004

1st Mike Neace Award Winning Builder Home Designer and Licensed Contractor

FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

Call Mike: 352-589-6004

mike@AmericanFamilyHomesInc.com State License Number - CBC058306 Broker friendly. Call Mike regarding co-broke commission policies.

“I can honestly say that by far, working with American Family Homes has been the best experience I have had with a builder.”

Homeowner - Clermont

“Committed to Quality & Satisfaction” OFFICE / DESIGN STUDIO 312 South Bay St., Eustis FL 32726 www.AmericanFamilyHomesInc.com Phone: 352-589-6004 “We love our American Family Home! We recommend Mike Neace to anyone looking for that personalized design and home building experience.”

Homeowner - Tavares

p.

019

BE IN THE KNOW ABOUT LAKE AND SUMTER COUNTIES | PEOPLE. COMMENTARY. NEWS.

first

020

022

024

026

028

THE HIT LIST News and notes from Lake and Sumter counties.

PERSON OF INTEREST Principal Robin Meyers from Lake Hills School.

OUTSTANDING STUDENT Dual enrollment student Deanna McDuffie.

MY FIRST TIME How Danielle Daugherty became a cover girl.

THIS N' THAT Are Oopies against the law?

THE HIT LIST

1

WIN ONE FOR THE FLIPPER! New restaurants pop up constantly around Lake County.

Unfortunately, many close their doors before the griddle cools. Maybe they just need a little coaching. All Pro Restaurant Coaches, a new member of the South Lake Chamber of Commerce, designs game plans to help restaurant owners succeed.

Learn more at allprocoaches.net.

3

FAMILIAR FACE, NEW LOOK: Wendy got a makeover. Now she has curb appeal. A new-look Wendy’s fast-food restaurant was expected to open in late May at 7549 State Road 50, Groveland.

The interior showcases open, bright dining areas, private booths, a Wi-Fi bar, touch-screen kiosk ordering, and a dispenser for more than 100 customized beverages.

Lookin’ good, Wendy.

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’: If you’re out at a job site or looking out your company’s window for an alternative to stereotypical food truck fare, brace yourself for a Health Attack. The unique food truck was recently spotted in Leesburg serving up smoothies, fruit dishes, and other healthy snacks.

The business also delivers—call 352.636.9865 or email levonhealthattack@gmail.com.

GIVE MOM SOME PAMPERING: Looking for a great Mother’s Day gift? Consider treating mom to some time at Renew Day Spa, 214 W. Main St., Leesburg, to help her feel refresh and relaxed. Renew also offers spa packages that include lunch in the day spa’s private lounge. Call 352.787.7722 to learn more.

60 minutes; $90 / 90 minutes; $125

020 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Prenatal massage is therapeutic bodywork that focuses on the special needs of the mother-to-be as her body goes through the dramatic changes of pregnancy. It enhances the function of muscles and joints, improves circulation and general body tone, and relieves mental and physical fatigue.

Please ask a member of our staff for assistance in customizing the package you want. Oh yeah, did we say lunch is included!

5

IT’S FOR THE BIRDS: Volunteers are needed June 1 at Lake May Reserve to help conduct a quarterly census of birds and butterflies. Those who would like to participate should bring binoculars and field guides and be prepared to hike three miles. The reserve is located in Eustis. Call Gallus Quigley at 352.253.4950.

6

PHILLIP S. SMITH IS MANAGING PARTNER: McLin Burnsed Attorneys at Law recently announced the election of Phillip S. Smith as managing partner of the firm. In this position, he will oversee the missions of the firm, which include expansion and exploration of new territories and specialization along with creating strategies for long-term planning and growth. Phillip has been with the firm since 1994 and became a partner in 1998.

He focuses on complex civil, commercial, and power industry litigation. A member of the Florida, American, and Lake County bar associations and the executive of the Florida Law Network, he assumed responsibilities in February.

LOST SOCK MEMORIAL DAY: Yes, this is real, and it’s a tribute to that drawer full of unmatched socks you have. Maybe it’s time to say goodbye to them. After all, their mate is, no doubt, gone forever. Take a few minutes on May 9 to look through the unmatched socks, check under beds, in sofa cushions, and around the washer and dryer, and see if any of their mates show up. If not, do the right thing and toss the unmatched socks, unless, of course, you have a child or teen who enjoys wearing unmatched socks; then you can forget about this day.

THAT’S THE TICKET: Riders of LakeXpress, a public transit service operating throughout Lake County, can now purchase fares through a mobile phone app. “We believe the app provides another great option for cashless travel on LakeXpress, and it will seamlessly integrate into the lifestyle of current and potential new customers,” Jill Brown, transit operations supervisor, says in a press release. A link to the app is available at ridelakexpress.com/help/apps.

8 SPRING’S BOUNTY:

Long and Scott Farms has cucumbers, sweet corn, okra, squashes, peas, and more for the spring season. The farm accepts calls or emails to the office for fresh harvest orders. It has to be a minimum $15 purchase with at least 24 hours’ notice.

Call 352.383.6900 or email haley@longandscottfarms.com.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 021

PERSON OF INTEREST

L V I TA AT S ST PEOPLE

Robin Meyers Principal at Lake Hills School.

INTERVIEWER: CHRIS GERBASI

Describe Lake Hills: Lake Hills (in Howeyin-the-Hills) serves 220 students with significant cognitive disabilities ages 3 to 22. The classrooms are multi-grade level and multi-ability level. Nearly 80 percent of our students are nonverbal and 20 percent have a limited ability to understand and use language. Teachers provide instruction in each student’s primary mode of communication that includes eye gazing, gestures, pictures with or without voice output, and communication software on devices such as iPad or communication switches, Dynavox.

Biggest challenge?

Over nearly the past decade, instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities has

≈ PHOTO: ANTHONY RAO been changing at a rapid pace to address curricular elements mandated by the state’s directive to transition from teaching functional skills to teaching academic skills.

Fortunately, we had the foresight to prepare for the changes and developed a long-term plan to satisfy the state’s directives. The plan included the development of an intensive school-based training program for teachers and assistants. The result is a highly trained staff adept at instruction and behavior modification for this special group of students.

Biggest reward? Our students do not have expressive language in the traditional sense, and it is our goal to provide them with means to communicate. Every person has the

Know a person of interest? Tell us!

022 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

• Born in Tampa, lives in Wildwood.

• South Sumter High School graduate.

• Husband David is supervisor of employee relations for Lake County Schools.

• Holds educational leadership degrees from St. Leo University, Nova Southeastern University.

given right to communicate and it is our job to make that happen.

The greatest reward is seeing our students use their own specialized mode of communication so they can interact in their school, home, and community.

Three words describing you?

Tenacious, creative, positive.

Favorite film about teaching? “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “Dead Poets Society.”

Pet peeve? People who choose not to find intrinsic motivation.

Email your recommendation to chris@akersmediagroup.com

s m o M g n i t Celebra

ALL MONTH LONG WITH OUR $99 MOTHER’S DAY PACKAGE

One Dermalinfusion Face & Hand Treatment Plus Free Gift ($175 Package Value)

352.259.5126 Face2FaceFL.com THE VILLAGES LEESBURG TAVARES

FACIAL COSMETIC SURGERY

|

BOTOX

|

LASER TREATMENTS

|

PEELS

|

SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

OUTSTANDING STUDENT

NA DEAN W IL L AT E U GRAD OL SCHO H IG H NTH O M T H IS A 4 .7 W IT H G PA

PEOPLE

Deana McDuffie Dual enrollment student at Lake-Sumter State College and Tavares High School

VITAL STATS

INTERVIEWER: THERESA CAMPBELL

My best friend: My mom.

She always says, “Don’t be afraid of change.”

≈ PHOTO: NICOLE HAMEL

Dad’s best advice: “Pay now or pay later. Do the work that needs to be done now, or later it’s going to bite you in the butt.”

• Age: 18; Parents: David and Louise McDuffie.

• Plans to stay at Lake-Sumter State College to earn associate’s degree, along with EMT studies at Lake Technical College, followed by DirectConnect admission to University of Central Florida to major in nursing.

Favorite family hangout: Copacabana Cuban Café in downtown Mount Dora.

One word that describes me: Adventurous. I love to

My favorite possessions:

travel and see new things.

Pictures that capture the moment.

Career goal: To be a

Favorite food: Pizza.

flight nurse.

More things about me: I When I volunteered last year at AdventHealth Waterman: I worked in the emergency room and the sixth-floor orthopedics. I kept saying, “This is going to be me one day.”

How I juggle school, activities, homework:

have high-level energy at 10 o’clock at night. I love music— any genre, any artist, and I love movies, even Disney animated ones.

My favorite sport: Beach volleyball. I’ve been playing volleyball since sixth grade.

By the grace of God.

Know an outstanding student? Fill us in!

024 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Pet peeve: Inequality.

Why I’m drawn to the medical field: My mom is a nurse, and a lot of people in my family are in the medical field.

I’ve aspired to go into nursing since kindergarten.

Guilty pleasure: Sleep.

My dream place to live: North or South Carolina. I love the scenery and seeing the different seasons.

Favorite flower: Orchids.

Ten years from now: I want to be a good nurse, helping people, and possibly have a husband. But I really want to be career-focused the first part of my adult life.

Email your outstanding student recommendations to theresa@akersmediagroup.com

WHEREVER YOU ARE… A BEAUTIFUL SMILE IS ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY AT Wollenschlaeger Orthodontics have put beautiful smiles on the faces of children and adults in Florida since 1990. For them, ‘Word of mouth’ truly is the best advertising and all those happy smiles speak volumes.

33050 Professional Drive, Leesburg, FL 34788

352.787.6800 /// drdaveortho.com

MY FIRST TIME

PEOPLE

Danielle Daugherty Appearing in Style magazine has led to nice surprises.

INTERVIEWER: THERESA CAMPBELL

anielle Daugherty appeared on the May 2017 cover of Style magazine as the face for Business Women of Style, and she continues to get comments about it.

“All the time people tell me, ‘Give me your cover girl face!’” she says.

Danielle, 34, says she had a blast doing the magazine photo shoot.

“I was laughing and having so much fun,” she says. “I started making all these faces and the photographer said, ‘That one right there!’ And it was just my normal face!”

The award-winning photo captured Danielle’s happy-go-lucky attitude and

≈ PHOTO: ANTHONY RAO

love for life. Just three months before being the cover girl, Danielle had opened Mia Bella Salon and Spa in Fruitland Park with her mother, Dawn Couliette.

Since the magazine exposure, Danielle says their business has skyrocketed. Mia Bella now has triple the number of employees, up to 15, and the salon has outgrown its current space and is expanding to a larger warehouse on the property to add more hair stations, an additional massage room, and a facial room.

The cover girl also was tickled to be discovered on social media by Progressive Insurance. Danielle and her salon have been signed for the second year to travel the country to do hair braids at motorcycle rallies and conventions. She expects Mia Bella to do 1,000 braids at the Sturgis rally in South Dakota.

Go online to read Danielle and her mother's original story

026 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

“I attribute it all to being in the magazine,” Danielle says. “Even now, two years later, we still have people who say they’ve saved the magazine. They thought it was such a fun cover and a joy to see.”

Her husband, Alan, and daughters, Olivia and Mia, were thrilled by the cover, too.

“My favorite story is my family and I were out to dinner at La Palma and my littlest, Mia, was 5 at the time,” Danielle recalls. “At the table next to us, there was a couple and both were reading the magazine, and Mia says, “Momma!

Momma! Those people are holding your face!”

lakeandsumterstyle.com/mia-bella

STAR R POWERED P

THIS 'N' THAT

ETHICS, SCHMETHICS!

COMMENTARY

A dirty word Some journalists refuse to say it: plagiarism.

STORY: CHRIS GERBASI

≈ ILLUSTRATION: MEGAN MERICLE

nd now, with stories ripped from today’s headlines and then taped back together, here’s “Deadline” with your host, Ted Kapoppel.

LAVERNA: Thank you, Ted. I look forward to your barrage of attacks and the chance to defend myself.

TED: Tell us about your book, “Brokers of

TED: Tonight, we examine ethics in me-

dia in the internet age. Recent reports have detailed allegations of plagiarism in a book about journalistic ethics written by the former editor of True or False magazine, based—where else?— in Florida. In an exclusive interview, we have the woman at the center of that firestorm, Laverna Gutenberg.

Welcome, Miss Gutenberg.

Facts: How the Media Remains Ethical in the Insta-News Age—No, Really We Do, I Teach an Ethics Class So You Have to Believe Me.” LAVERNA: I explain how today’s stories are researched and presented by news outlets from mega-conglomerates to mom-andpop weeklies, and how the quest for facts often blurs the line of ethics.

TED: That’s an admirable premise, however, you face accusations of using excerpts from other writers virtually word for word without any attribution to those sources.

LAVERNA: There may have been some oversights that have since been corrected.

“OOH. CAREFUL, TED. I DON’T LIKE THE ‘P’ WORD. I PREFER TO CALL THEM ‘OOPSIES.’”

TED: Oversights? Bob Woodward said you used part of a Watergate story.

LAVERNA: The classics are timeless.

TED: Here’s an entire page written in all caps, madeup words, and exclamation points that is clearly in the style of columnist Dave Barry.

LAVERNA: Now wait one

second. Dave Barry didn’t get a copyright on all caps and exclamation points—even though he tried. Can you believe he won a Pulitzer for that stuff?

TED: Well, here’s a page that Joseph Pulitzer’s descendants say came from an 1882 editorial that he wrote.

LAVERNA: Statute of limitations! Statute of limitations!

That’s what my lawyer always says.

TED: You’re also accused of duplicating little Britney Summerville’s recess report from the It’s Elementary newsletter at Littleton Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado. And I quote, “Mikey pushed Suzie. Mikey is a doody-head.”

LAVERNA: If it’s a crime to write like a third-grader, then I’m guilty. I’ve sent Britney a pen and pencil set as a token of my esteem. Keep up the good work, Britney.

TED: How did these plagiarized passages reach print?

LAVERNA: Ooh. Careful, Ted.

I don’t like the “P” word. I prefer to call them “oopsies.”

Regrettably, I had a head cold throughout the editing process and some bad antihistamine caused memory lapses. But I was meticulous in my sloppiness.

LAVERNA: I wasn’t aware. I’m

an atheist.

TED: I now refer to your writ-

er’s bio, which reads, “Laverna also is an accomplished singer who has sold more than 100 million albums, won a Grammy Award for ‘Lemonade,’ and received worldwide praise for her 2016 Super Bowl halftime performance.” That sounds a lot like Beyoncé.

LAVERNA: She’s a very

inspirational woman. Are you saying I can’t aspire to be like Bey? TED: You also were sued over

TED: Shouldn’t a book

about ethics be free of ethical errors?

TED: That’s chilling, Laverna.

I’ve heard serial killers say the exact same thing.

LAVERNA: Everything I’ve said is true or my name isn’t Christiane Amanpour. I mean, Laverna Gutenberg.

TED: That’s all the time we have. Thank you, Miss Gutenberg, and good luck with your new teaching position at the Journalism ’R’ Us Academy.

I leave you, viewers, with one final thought. It’s not original, I’m paraphrasing, but I will credit the source. As Lord Byron wrote, “Truth is stranger than fiction.”

your book’s original title, “50 Shades of Grey.”

LAVERNA: That was a

LAVERNA: I’m not saying this

is a bible.

TED: What about this unattributed quotation, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

That’s from the Bible.

typo—according to an undisclosed settlement.

TED: Don’t you think it’s time

to ’fess up to your lies?

LAVERNA: It’s not a lie if you

believe it, Ted.

Do you think plagiarists should face the death penalty?

Comment on this column or share ideas for new stories at chris@akersmediagroup.com

CHRIS GERBASI

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 029

l na . o i ct se un isea RE f es of d FEATU z i l i t L e s u caus OTIONA c i t eu root ID PROM p a r PA he o the T nd get t a n itio ine to r t Nu edic l a t m To

Lori Esarey

athleen Inman never imagined herself going on a five-hour kayaking trip, completing 45 consecutive push-ups, or participating in CrossFit. The 63-year-old Leesburg resident credits her health to Total Nutrition and Therapeutics in Lady Lake.

Just three years ago, Kathleen was, in her own words, “on death’s doorstep.” She had endured 40 abdomen surgeries since 1983 after being diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a rare genetic disease characterized

by the development of gastrointestinal polyps that often progresses to colorectal cancer if left untreated. Many of those surgeries were to remove adhesions, or scar tissue.

Kathleen also suffered from high blood pressure and gastroparesis, a condition where food does not move through the digestive system properly. A simple task like cooking dinner zapped her of all energy, and painful headaches became a constant companion. She was taking 26 prescribed pills daily.

At the urging of her daughter, Kathleen visited Total

“WITHIN SIX WEEKS OF MY EATING PROGRAM MY STOMACH BEGAN DIGESTING FOOD PROPERLY, I SAT ON THE FLOOR AND CRIED. I WAS BLOWN AWAY.” —KATHLEEN INMAN

Nutrition and Therapeutics.

That turned out to be a life-changing decision.

After analyzing results from blood work, Lori Esarey, owner of Total Nutrition and Therapeutics, created a healthy eating plan for Kathleen. Lori is a lifestyle medicine expert who earned master’s degrees in nutritional medicine and metabolic medicine from the University of South Florida.

“Within six weeks of my eating program my stomach began digesting food properly,” Kathleen says. “I sat on the floor and cried. I was blown away.”

After two months, her blood pressure dropped to healthy levels, and she no longer takes medicine for the condition. It was determined through blood work that her high blood pressure was related to food allergies.

“Because Lori took the time to educate herself on my conditions, she was able to come up with an effective

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 031

treatment plan,” Kathleen says. “I’ve learned so much from Lori and her entire team. They’re wonderful.”

In addition to exercising, Kathleen also opened a photography company.

“I have so much fun in life now,” Kathleen says. “Without Lori and God, I wouldn’t have made it.”

Indeed, the TNT model of care deviates substantially from a one-size-fits-all approach. Clients receive unrushed consultation meetings, individualized care plans, effective and leading-edge medical solutions, educational and interactive classroom settings, transformational nutrition counseling, IV therapy,

“FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE IS A MEDICAL MINDSET THAT FOCUSES ON LOOKING AT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE CONDITION RATHER THAN OPERATING FROM A MINDSET OF REACTIONARY CARE.” —LORI ESAREY

Who TNT is Everyone has innate healing powers. Healing takes a team approach involving the patient and doctor, addressing all aspects of a person’s life. By treating root causes of illness with diet and lifestyle change, everyone can live a vibrant life and enjoy optimal health.

That’s why Lori Esarey and her passionate team of health care providers specialize in functional medicine, a proactive and individualized approach to reducing the rsik of future disease.

“Functional medicine is a medical mindset that focuses on looking at the root cause of the condition rather than operating from a mindset of reactionary care,” Lori says. “Functional medicine is proactive alongside root cause analysis. If a person is experiencing a symptom, we can react, and we do react. But the way we react is different.”

032 /

and laboratory testing. All this and much more is offered to support natural healing of the human body and help clients achieve optimal living.

This is great news for clients who have experienced nightmares trying to navigate an often-frustrating health care system. They are suffering, stuck, and confused on how to proceed. TNT’s unique model and innovative client care gives them hope. Hope is a powerful force that has propelled many of their clients to achieve great accomplishments they once thought were impossible.

“Eighty percent of what we do in functional medicine is listening,” Lori says. “That means getting the background story. How do you feel? What’s ailing you? What kind of medical conditions have you experienced before? Twenty percent of what we do is diagnostics, or filling in the blanks to see what’s going on. It’s

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

listening to understand and react accordingly.”

Of course, improving medical conditions, activating healing, and ushering in hope is also achieved through what Lori calls lifestyle medicine, a sub-category of functional medicine. Through education and one-on-one consultations, the TNT team helps clients create behavioral changes they can incorporate into their everyday lives and into the future.

“The four things we do every day in life are eat, sleep, move, and think,” Lori says.

“We come up with ways to help clients modify the way they do these things so they can receive superior outcomes.

Throughout the years, TNT has treated a wide range of clients. Some come in with symptoms such as relentless fatigue, hair loss, endurance problems, memory loss, hormonal changes, and functional decline. Others are suffering from conditions like hypothyroidism, hypertension, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunction, and menopause.

Why they do it Lori knows from firsthand experience the trials and tribulations of battling disease. After giving birth to her oldest daughter in 1995, she weighed 186 pounds and struggled with high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

“I was depressed and fatigued,” she says. “Although I was a new mom and had a beautiful baby, I wasn’t happy.”

Ultimately, a drastic change in nutrition helped Lori overcome disease. She would spend 13 years as a nurse practitioner at both an internal medicine and family practice.

Unfortunately, when desperate patients sought her for advice, she had very little to give.

“People would ask me questions all the time about their health,” Lori says. “All I had in my toolbox was to tell them to take a pill or tell them to change their diet. That was very frustrating for me because my personal mission statement is helping people achieve things in life that they never thought possible.

At that point in my life, I was either going to stick where I was or I was going to create an opportunity to take a new route in life and help people.”

Lori chose the latter, and TNT opened in 2006. Initially, TNT was known as a weightloss and nutrition practice, but Lori has expanded its services to remove roadblocks that prevent clients from recovering their health.

“I want people to understand that health is so much larger than weight loss, and our business model is so much more than simply helping people shed unwanted pounds. Weight loss doesn’t necessarily mean healthy.”

Since opening TNT, Lori has lived a thriving lifestyle rather than merely surviving dayto-day. That thriving lifestyle comes from the satisfaction she derives from helping clients achieve optimal, vibrant health. Of course, she’ll be the first to admit that she only deserves some of the credit behind TNT’s many success stories. She praises her army of 18 female employees who share her passion in helping clients look, feel, and function to the best of their ability.

“Our team members go through our program at different levels of commitment,” Lori says.

“They’ve also sought medical care for multiple conditions such as sexual dysfunction high blood pressure, and thyroid conditions. Now, they’re connected and can share their stories with our clients. They, too, are striving to achieve optimal health.

You can’t teach or coach what you’re not currently doing.

My team members are all on this journey of living their best life, and they want our clients to get on that same ship so they can experience their best life.”

One of those team members is Kristi Bell-Boliek, who began working at TNT eight years ago and today serves as marketing director.

“My biggest love is our team,” Kristi says. “It’s because we are a family. When we come together there’s synergy. I hear client stories of how so many have not been happy in their adult life.

But when they change their spiritual being, their emotional being, and their physical being, they become happy. We have an outstanding team that leads with their heart, and you don’t find that in many places.

They lead by their heart because they were taught that way by Lori.”

How TNT does it As mentioned previously, functional medicine identifies and corrects the underlying causes of diseases and medical conditions rather than focusing only the symptoms.

TNT utilizes multiple diagnostic tools to determine the root cause. Those include serum lab testing to identify inflammation markers, hormone levels, and early risk factors for diabetes; hair analysis

for heavy metals; intestinal permeability studies; vitamin and mineral analysis, cognitive testing, and much more.

In lifestyle medicine, patients are educated on achieving optimal health. That’s why TNT incorporates wellness and educational classes into its treatment approach. These classes are held onsite and are taught by advanced practice registered nurses,licensed mental health counselors, mindset coaches, health coaches, and life coaches.

“We teach them how to shop for food, where to buy food, what to buy, how to plan, how to eat out, how to eat in, how to eat at a friend’s house, how to attend a social event,” Lori says. “That’s lifestyle medicine—incorporating new ways of healthy living into your day for it to be sustainable.”

TNT also incorporates pre-consultation meetings for new clients.

“Prior to a client’s first visit to our clinic, we send them videos so there is no question about who we are, what we do, and how we do things,” Lori says. “Then we have a liaison who meets with them and gives clients a tour.”

Existing clients undergo monthly treatment plan updates to determine what’s working and what’s not working. This allows the TNT team to modify treatment accordingly.

“We show them and we teach them how to create their lifestyle change,” Lori says. Not ours. Theirs. It’s extremely individualized and very strategic. I use homes as a good analogy. You have to have a strong foundation, and we teach them what those core fundamental principles are. It might take six to eight weeks to do that. Then we build the walls and roof over time for long-term sustainability. It’s an investment. Your health is the most valued asset you have.

You possess it. You own it.”

TNT offers it all.

Individualized care.

Innovative diagnostic and treatment approaches. And a team fully committed to helping clients live happy, healthy lives. By shifting to a more patient-centered approach, the TNT team is utilizing functional medicine to address the whole person rather than an isolated set of symptoms.

tnt4me.com / 352.259.5190 809 Hwy 466 Unit 202C Lady Lake, FL 32159 Located in the Sunset Professional Plaza

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 033

WE CREATE THE

BLUEPRINT

FOR YOUR COMPANY’S

SUCCESS VISIT THEFLB.COM

847.340.9487 Kathleen M. Bogolin, CPA Profitability Coach

Are you under 65 and unable to work?

352.326.5009

HEAR ARE INGS H IN O ELD OFFI UR CE!

CHRIS BELL, A.D.R. + JEFF BELL, A.D.R.

DISABILITY CONSULTANTS 1 0 1 E B E R C K M A N S T, F R U I T L A N D PA R K 1 0 2 0 N E 8 T H AV E , O C A L A

ALSO OFFERING HELP WITH MEDICARE INSURANCE

See how personal banking can be.

Experience the difference in quality and customer service a community bank can offer. Exceptional service, 11 branch locations, mobile banking, and a commitment to making things happen for our customers. See the difference when you bank with USB.

www.unitedsouthernbank.com

034 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

LAKE COUNTY’S #1 AND MOST AWARD WINNING CUSTOM HOMEBUILDER

2019 PARADE OF HOMES AWARD WINNER Best in Class ($390,000 - $440,000)

“Barcelona III”

352.742.3398 KevcoBuilders.com CBC #1262458

Y A S Y E H T Y H W F EL S R U O Y R O F E E S COME S I , E C I R P R U O N A TH R E T T E B E K I L L L YOU’

G N I H T Y L N O E H T

G N I Y U B E TH ERIENCE P X E !

F L E S IT

n ever bee n s a h e e rienc My expe ss than awesom le anything ordinary. This is or extra e dealership it my favor hevy. for C

w way, I kno a n n a G n es, At Van heir nam ’re t f o y n a ey so m onnie. Th lain B d n a e xp like Jo always e stand. d n a y h s er not pu s so I und g in h t d e t y complica onna Care

Gabby F

ck y 1st tru m t h g u Bo r the here afte n of my endatio recomm I was not brother. inted. disappo Jordan M

D

ASK ABOUT OUR MONTHLY DISCOUNTS!

SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR EXCLUSIVE OFFERS!

Facebook 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 125 reviews

OF THE BEST

WINNER

HOTLIST

Google 4.7 out of 5 stars based on 308 reviews

a ar in for c r u o k o To . It the hood e n o ir a p re Th ed early. ey h is n fi s h wa cellent. T rned x e is ir a tu rep ar and re ever. c e h t d e wash ape than h s r e t t e it in b Paula Q friendly y r e v s y Alwa service.

Charles H

g to writin d e m o t s ot accu estly We are n eviews, but hon ut a lot of r ay enough abo s evrolet h cannot C y a w nna Vann Ga taff working at s and the lership. this dea Jenny F

Every

ike ou feel l y s e k a one m Mary H

family.

ushy, had p t ’ n s a W ur wer to o d s n a y r e e ev and help . s n o i t s e qu g part in c n a n fi with the more money to had .

Wish we er car from them h buy anot enjamin H B

in there e m d a h They tes. Had u in m 5 s. within 0 minute 3 in h it w me out stomer u c l u f r e re Wond ys go the d. a lw a I e ice servic son serv c u T y m and get yB

HWY 441, Eustis FL 32726 / VGC Chevy.com / 352.343.2400

Cind

‘If you want to be a woman in power, then empower other women.’—Nina Shaw.

STORY: LEIGH NEELY

WOMEN find POWER IN

organizations

omen have always known numbers count, and they find support, inspiration, and friendship working together.

In this area of Central Florida, a variety of organizations are available to women and they all are community minded, widening that community to include the world.

ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL, LAKE COUNTY Altrusa is an organization that works together for the benefit of others. The international nonprofit organization aims to make local communities better through leadership, partnership, and service.

District Three is based in Lake County, meeting the second and fourth Thursdays of each month in Leesburg at Rogers Park in Venetian Gardens.

The meeting on the fourth Thursday always features a speaker.

District Three has about 25 members, and many of them

are working women. These women volunteer continually.

Each month when they sign in for the meeting, they list their volunteer hours since the previous meeting.

Their latest project is gathering materials, such as personal hygiene items and intimate apparel, for the Days for Girls nonprofit organization. They’re also working on donations for the damage in their district from Hurricane Michael in October 2018.

“They’re saying now it could be three to five years before everything is rebuilt,” President Julia Allen says.

Shannon Schell is running for governor of District Three.

“I’ve been a member for 20 years and I never thought I’d be a lifer,” Shannon says.

“We are a club that also has younger members because we’ve done succession planning. Some clubs are dying because they’re not actively seeking members.

I have flourished here. This group has brought great skills to me.”

“I started coming to meetings in 2008 and my primary reason was networking, because I own my own business,” member Nancy Schwartz says. “But I saw

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 039

I joined Altrusa because it was a way to give back to my community and enjoy the fellowship of likeminded women.”

—JULIA ALLEN

040 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

faces of women I recognized as leaders in this community.

They were kind, generous, and down to earth.”

Nancy says she has attracted business because of her association with the group but, most importantly, she has helped others in the group get business.

“This group is run professionally yet everybody is a volunteer,” she adds. “We’re here to do a good thing for our community and for ourselves as individuals.”

Julia says the group originally was based on the Rotary International concept but has grown into its own program and vision. Altrusa was founded by Mamie L. Bass in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1917. Altrusa also allows men to join. Get more information at altrusa.org.

GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S CLUBS General Federation of Women’s Club is an organization that originally was founded because journalist Jane Cunningham Croly was not allowed to attend

a dinner at an all-male press club honoring novelist Charles Dickens. The club’s only reason for refusing her admittance was her sex.

An angry woman often takes action, as Jane did. She formed Sorosis in 1868. The definition of Sorosis is “a woman’s club.” This led to her inviting women throughout the United States to come together. A convention in New York City led to the formation of the General Federation of Women’s Club on April 24, 1890, and ratification of the GFWC’s constitution. Today, there are 80,000 members working together for the betterment of their communities.

GFWC MOUNT DORA WOMAN’S CLUB Judith Shepp is president of GFWC Mount Dora, which was organized in 1919, and the group is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

“We started with 14 women and within a year we had 60 members,” Judith says. “We took over finances for the public library and did that until the 1950s.”

70%

of mothers today with children under 18 are employed

TheLeagueofWomenVoters was founded in 1920 by

Carrie Chapman Catt.

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs has research collections of the Women’s History and Resource Center, which include documents and artifacts of historical significance to the organization’s mission. GFWC began collecting these items in 1890.

In the U.S. armed forces today,

14

percent of those serving are women.

YWCA, The Young Women’s Christian Association, or

believed to be the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organization in the world, came after the Relief Society in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois.

BOSTON

Judith says the club was instrumental in getting John Donnelly to donate the land for Donnelly Park.

“Our work includes arts, education, home life, international outreach, and public issues,” Judith says.

“Our big project now is getting 500 books to second-graders in Sorrento Elementary, Round Lake Charter School, and Spring Creek Charter School. We’ll give them the books the last week of school.”

In 1990, the group gathered 1,000 volunteers and built the Gilbert Park Playground in one week. Members also volunteer with the local theaters—Bay Street Players and IceHouse Theatre—and at the concession stand at the Bay Hill Club Classic. The club’s conservation project was planting trees in Seminole State Forest.

GFWC Mount Dora is now 52 members strong, and they continually provide help in any way they can to their community and internationally.

WOAMTEC WOAMTEC is an organization whose acronym stands for Women on a Mission to Earn Commission, a networking

was the first city to use the name YWCA in 1859.

group for businesswomen.

Members are involved in commissioned sales only and gather for networking and sharing knowledge with one another.

Their priorities couldn’t be clearer: “faith, family, career without feeling guilty about it.”

WOAMTEC has chapters all over the United States, with more starting all the time, and Joanne Murray is executive director of the chapter in The Villages.

“We take pride in the fact that we are a networking group for entrepreneurial women and a few good men,” Joanne says.

“Our members want to build their business, and we focus on relationships to do that. Once you get the trust and establish a relationship, the business will come.”

At meetings, members can showcase their businesses, and occasionally the group will have a guest speaker for educating small businesses.

One way this group differs from others is that the seats are exclusive. Joanne is a payroll specialist. That means no one else in the group can enter with that category. As an executive director, however, she can provide information

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 041

The

National Council of Negro Women Inc. was organized in

1935 and promotes education, encourages entrepreneurship, financial literacy, economic stability, good health, civic engagement, and public policy consistent with traditional values.

Girl Scouts was organized

March 12, 1912,

by Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia.

The National Woman Suffrage Association, formed May 15, 1869, helped women get the

right to vote,

among many other activist actions.

club regularly donates to Alee Academy Charter High School, Slaves No More, Trout Lake, Project Graduation, Habitat for Humanity, Umatilla Museum, LovExtension, Deliver the Difference, Lake County Humane Society, the Open Door, Heifer International, and many others.

For more information, write GFWC Umatilla Woman’s Club, P.O. Box 704, Umatilla, FL 32784 or email umatillagfwc@yahoo.com. A member will contact you.

GFWC WOMAN’S CLUB OF LEESBURG

WILDWOOD WOMEN’S CLUB and training to help another payroll specialist start a group in another area, which is what she did recently. A new group will start having meetings in June in Mount Dora.

“My main job is building the group,” Joanne says.

“We recently had our first networking event with the other chapters in Ocala and were expecting 30 to 40 women. We had 75 women show up! I got five memberships for my chapter.”

To join WOAMTEC, you must file an application (found on the website) and send it to Joanne, who will conduct an interview. If the fit is good for you and for the group, she will send the application to the head office of WOAMTEC in Texas. After that, the new member will receive a welcome letter and instructions for getting on the website and establishing a presence.

“We let members advertise on our Facebook page, which means they get promotion on a national level,” Joanne says. “We are actively looking for members, for people we can partner with. I always encourage members to bring a guest to visit our group, too.”

042 /

For more information, see woamtec.com, locate The Villages chapter and email Joanne.

GFWC UMATILLA WOMAN’S CLUB When a group of civic-minded women saw a need for a public library in Umatilla, they came together and formed the GFWC Umatilla Woman’s Club. The library was established in 1917, and the Woman’s Club was established in 1920 to better promote civic projects and their city.

Carol Olson says the club helps the community by focusing on many public issues, including art, conservation, education, home life, and international outreach.

“I joined because I felt the Umatilla Woman’s Club is dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service,” Carol says.

“This was a good way for me to become active in my community and enjoy the fellowship of like-minded women.”

Some of the club’s projects are working with Umatilla High School, scholarships, and Youth Are Contest. The

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

This group was founded in May 1945 and at one time had more than 100 members.

Roslyn Davidson is the current president of the club and is proud of its work in the Wildwood community.

“We have a history of being involved in Wildwood, and every year we give two scholarships to students at Wildwood High School,” Roslyn says. “We’re small now but aware of doing our part for the community.”

The group is also very involved with the historic Baker House in Wildwood.

Every year, members decorate a room for the Christmas holidays.

Promoting, developing, and supporting the growth of Latina businesses is the mission of

National Latina Business Women Association.

1914

In

“We think of this room as our room,” Roslyn says. “I talk to Carlton Baker every year, and he tells me a story. We decorate according to what he says in the story.”

The Wildwood Women’s Club meets at 6:15pm the fourth Monday of each month at the American Legion Hall, 401 E. State Road 44, Wildwood. For information, contact Roslyn at 352.457.4936 or Tanya Michaels at 352.461.3206.

When asked why she became a member of the Woman’s Club of Leesburg, Lynn Klaczak says, “I wanted to no longer look inward at myself but look outward toward service and do it in a variety of ways.”

The 37 members of GFWC Leesburg meet at 10am the second Monday from September through May at the Salvation Army Leesburg, 2605 South St. They have a business meeting, discuss volunteer activities, and then enjoy a speaker.

Some of their worthy projects include Guardian ad Litem Angel Tree at Christmas, the Leesburg Heritage Society, the Police Bikes for Kids program, and

GFWC Umatilla Woman’s Club wanted to help its progressive community, which had its own electric company, ice plant, and telephone service in the early

1900s.

the Woman’s Club of Leesburg met with city officials to get cows and chickens off the dirt streets, find a way to block flies coming from the livery, and build a high , wall in front of the privies.

Our members want to build their business, and we focus on relationships to do that. Once you get the trust and establish a relationship, the business will come.”

— JOAN NE MURRAY

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 043

bringing microwaveable and nonperishable food to schools so children can eat on weekends and during summers when they’re unable to get school meals. They also do backpacks with school supplies for elementary schools and holiday food baskets.

“We also do little things like collecting the pull tabs off tin cans,” Lynn says. “The Ronald McDonald House can recycle these for cash, the state project is Operation Smile, and our international program is Heifer International (and) Mercy Ships.”

To join, a woman must attend two meetings to see if GFWC Leesburg is a good fit for her. The group encourages everyone to keep up with their projects on their Facebook page, which has photos of many of their activities, events, and projects. Their page is GFWC Leesburg.

“We’re a diverse group of women who have lived all over,” Lynn says.

“The women come from a variety of industries, including entrepreneurs, homemakers, and local government.”

GFWC Woman’s Clubs also has chapters in Clermont, Lake Dora Area, South Lake, The Villages, Central Florida, and Wildwood.

Go to gfcwflorida. com/district-7/ for information on how to contact these groups.

For information about the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, see gfwc.org.

044 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I wanted to no longer look inward at myself but look outward toward service and do it in a variety of ways.”

— LY N N K L AC Z A K

Celebrating 20 years 1998-2018 Specializing in: • Mini Face and Neck Lift with Smartlipo of Neck and Jowls • Xeomin/Botox/Belotero/Radiesse Facial Enhancements • Direct Neck Lift • Torn Earlobe Repair • Smartlipo (Laser Assisted Liposuction) • Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) • Arm Lift • Thigh Lift • Body Contouring After Weight Loss • Breast Augmentation • Breast Reduction and Lift • Skin Cancer Removal and Reconstruction

AUTO ACCIDENT

HEADACHES

NEUROPATHY

At Etheredge Chiropractic, we are experts in treating injuries due to auto accidents by providing a natural, holistic approach towards your healing and recovery.

I M P R OV I N G

PAT I E N T S

Q U A L I T Y

O F

L I F E

S I N C E

1989

CHIROPRACTIC CARE WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH The most trusted chiropractic technique and expertise based on 30-years of experience. Our patients receive the highest standards of chiropractic care within a safe, effective and preventative manner.

We treat with improved function as our goal.

The Villages 910 Old Camp Rd. Bldg 110 352.750.1200

R. Kim Etheredge, D.C.

Jennifer R. Paul, D.C. SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE

Fruitland Park 3261 US HWY 441/27 352.365.1191

ecdoctors.com

The ultimate ED treatment Alpha Wave Health Centers is changing men’s lives.

PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

rectile dysfunction, or ED, is likely to strike all men at one time or another during their lives.

Though ED can occur at all ages, it becomes more common as men age. The primary cause of ED is restricted blood flow to the penis. Restoring normal, healthy blood flow is vital to restoring healthy function.

Men now can have their ED treated without surgery, drugs, or side effects at Alpha Wave Health Centers, an Alpha Medical Group company with offices in Leesburg, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, and Farmington, Connecticut.

The practice offers an innovative treatment called Acoustic Pressure Wave Therapy, or APWT. With the use of a small handheld device, energy from acoustic waves moves through tissue, gently dissolving plaque that restricts blood flow, activating stem cells that cause veins to regenerate and new blood vessels to grow, and promoting nerve growth that gives men greater sensitivity and more enjoyment.

“The acoustic waves trigger or stimulate cell growth and tissue growth in the

penis,” says Dr. John Ligeon, an internal medicine specialist at Alpha Wave Health Centers in Leesburg. “Because it’s acoustic waves, it doesn’t involve prescription medications or surgical interaction. Most people who have done this procedure see this lack of invasiveness as the big difference between other methods of treating erection difficulty.”

During therapy, clinicians use an ultrasound probe to target different areas of the penis and near the groin and send acoustic wave pulsations, Dr. Ligeon says. The procedure is completely non-invasive and non-surgical. Each treatment generally lasts about 20 minutes. There are no needles, no bruising and no side effects.

The procedure also requires no down time—patients are encouraged to have sex the same day of the treatment. Success is defined as any improvement at all, and APWT has a success rate of more than 80 percent.

“The results are very favorable,” Dr. Ligeon says. “The majority of the patients have positive results even if they have risk factors.”

Some of the risk factors for ED include cardiovascular and heart disease, diabe-

Dr. John Ligeon

An Alpha Medical Group Company

352.816.1901 / 4120 Corley Island Road, Leesburg / AlphaWaveHealth.com

tes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, and kidney disease.

Dr. Ligeon joined Alpha Wave Health Centers in 2018 after hearing about APWT. Other treatments he had used on patients included pills or injections that come with inherent risks of side effects or complications from drug interactions.

“I was looking for ways to fix the problem but take away many or all of the risks or side effects,” he says. “When I heard about Acoustic Pressure Wave Therapy essentially being risk-free, it intrigued me.”

Patients such as Collin M. also were intrigued by the treatment: “I don’t usually discuss my personal life. But this treatment is so amazing, I’m going to tell all my friends about it. Visiting your clinic is the best choice I’ve ever made. I only wish I had known about it years ago.”

Gerald F., 70, also enjoyed amazing results: “It has been nine years since I could get and maintain an erection. I heard about APWT and decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. Thank you for giving me my life back.”

Alpha Wave Health Centers is located at 4120 Corley Island Road in Leesburg.

For more information, call 352.816.1901.

Dr. Scott Hollington

RE PUTTING THE

AL INTO

REAL ESTATE

Broker Connie Mahan Style's 2019 Business Woman of the Year.

STORY: JAMES COMBS

≈ PHOTOS: ANTHONY RAO

f Realtors from other agencies have questions about real estate, they call Connie for answers.

If a local business has a non-English-speaking customer, they call Connie to translate in Spanish.

If high school band directors need in-kind donations, they call Connie for her unwavering support.

“Connie” is 44-year-old Connie Mahan, a proud Sumter County resident whose familiar face comes with a permanent smile that radiates sunshine. To locals, she’s

much more than the successful, awardwinning broker/owner of Connie Mahan Real Estate Group in Bushnell.

Some may recognize her as the woman who picks up trash and sells hot dogs at youth baseball games. Others may recall her mopping bathroom floors at the Sumter County Beef and Boogie Festival.

Ask her clients or colleagues, and they’ll tell you Connie possesses all the necessary qualities to succeed in a competitive real estate market: a strong work ethic, a high level of professional integrity, and a servant’s heart.

“Connie has a true passion for real estate and a genuine passion for the people in Sumter County,” says Erin O’Donnell, Connie’s office manager and business

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 049

Above: The Connie Mahan team, photos provided by Connie Mahan.

Below: Top producing agent, Jessica Duteau, and Connie Mahan.

partner. “She is extremely giving to the community and is always accessible to her agents. This is an industry where you earn your license and get thrown to the wolves. You really need training to be successful, and Connie goes above and beyond to provide that.”

It was Connie’s propensity for helping others that led her to a real estate career. In 2000, a friend asked Connie if she would drive her to Weeki Wachee twice a week to attend an evening real estate class. Connie, then 25, agreed.

“I could either sit in the parking lot for several hours or take the class with her,” she recalls. “I decided to take the class just for the heck of it. I knew nothing about real estate and had no desire to go into real estate.”

But Connie became enamored with her teacher’s real-life tales from the real estate industry—from heartwarming first-time buyer stories to the deal-gonebad horror stories. She had accidentally stumbled upon destiny.

“I joke around that real estate must’ve been in my DNA and I had no idea,” Connie says. “Going to that class discovered it.”

She graduated from the class, passed the state exam in 2001, and quit her two jobs, one stocking shelves inside a Webster warehouse during the day and the other making sandwiches at a small Bushnell restaurant at night.

Connie landed a position at Micki Blackburn Realty’s Webster office. Of course, ditching one career to embark

050 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

“NOT EVERYBODY GETS TO DO WHAT THEY LOVE AND LOVE WHAT THEY DO. I FOUND SOMETHING THAT I’M GOOD AT, THAT I LOVE DOING, AND THAT I GET TO MAKE MONEY AT. I’LL DO REAL ESTATE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE IF THE GOOD LORD LETS ME.” —CONNIE MAHAN

on another isn’t for the faint-hearted. It means saying goodbye to the comfort of familiarity and hello to uncertainty.

“I knew nobody in Sumter County,” Connie says. “I wasn’t born and raised here so I didn’t have a built-in network to call on. In fact, I had only been living in the county for six months.”

That didn’t keep her from starting off with a bang. The rookie Realtor completed 27 transactions in her first year. As a result, the Realtors Association of Lake & Sumter Counties named her the 2001 Rookie of the Year, marking the first time a Sumter County real estate agent won the award.

“It was the most money I had ever made in my life,” Connie says. “It didn’t seem like work. I just loved it; I loved it from the beginning.”

After that first year, Connie discovered that networking is the cornerstone of a successful real estate career. In an effort to meet people, she began a door-knocking campaign and became active with local organizations such as the Sumter County Youth Center, Relay for Life, and Kiwanis clubs. She was elected president of the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce in 2006.

That same year, she was included in a local newspaper’s “Top 10 Women to Watch in the Heart of Central Florida.”

“My career really took off when I began meeting people and business leaders in the community and

establishing relationships that I still have today,” she says.

Connie, who was a multi-milliondollar producer for 10 consecutive years, decided to open Connie Mahan Real Estate Group in August 2011. To say she started from scratch would be an understatement. She had no office, no staff, and no business cards. But she was armed with one essential office tool: the ever-handy Post-it Notes.

“During the first chamber event I attended after opening my office, I handed everyone a Post-it Note with my information on it,” she says. “Looking back, it was a little embarrassing, but I didn’t think much about it at the time because I had to get my new information out there.”

Connie eventually settled into an office, purchased necessary supplies, hired staff, and generated business in no time.

Before long, awards started pouring in from the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce. She won Small Business of the Year in 2012, Businesswoman of the Year in 2013, Innovator in Real Estate in 2015, and repeated as Businesswoman of the Year in 2017. With those accolades, Connie Mahan Real Estate Group remains the only award-winning real estate company in South Sumter County.

Her business offers residential and commercial real estate, vacant land, and property management. But not everyone comes to Connie to benefit from her vast real estate knowledge. Leaders

of local organizations call Connie for her generosity, and anything related to children particularly pulls on her heartstrings.

Connie gives a quarter of her profits back to her community, ranging from school bands, art programs, and scholarships to day camps, sports programs, the Sumter County Youth Center, and more.

“There is some poverty here in Sumter County, but it’s certainly not the fault of children when they’re born into that situation,” Connie says. “Somebody has to step up and help take care of the little guy. Kids deserve to be kids, regardless of their family’s economic situation.”

That culture of philanthropy is what attracted agent Jessica Duteau to the company several years ago.

“When I attended events, I would always see Connie and Erin,” Jessica says. “At the fair. At baseball games. At festivals. I knew I wanted to be out in the community just like they always are.

When I decided to finally transition into real estate, Connie Mahan Real Estate Group was the only company I called.”

Although relatively new to the industry, Jessica, a 2001 South Sumter High School graduate, was the company’s multi-million-dollar, top-producing agent with 35 transactions in 2018. Whenever she has questions about real estate or life in general, finding an answer is easy.

Just call Connie.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 051

FENCES

WOOD • VINYL ALUMINUM • RANCH RAIL CHAIN LINK • PERGOLA'S ESTATE GATES

MOSSYOAKFENCE.COM 407.900.2940

I

N

W E

BUS

E

N

S WOM S E

OF STY

L

You see them every day.

You may do business with them. They’re your neighbors and friends— the 2019 Business Women of Style.

PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 053

I

Joleen Cooper Howe

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

352.267.0770

Theresa Morris 352.360.3736

Morris Realty and Investments

Joan DeFoe

10135 U.S. Hwy. 441, Ste. 3, Leesburg 352.435.4663 1217 W Miller St., Fruitland Park 352.530.2665 morrisrealtors.com

352.516.6843

Cheers from the Morris Realty & Investments team to women everywhere who meet the challenge of juggling careers, families, busy schedules, and all the other demands of daily life!

The Morris Realty team of ladies knows what it takes to succeed.

Morris Realty & Investments currently ranks 8th among the top 25 agencies in Lake and Sumter counties. This is astounding when you consider this all-star team of women accomplished this with only 12 agents, compared to some agencies with more than 200 agents. The professionals at Morris Realty are more active, more productive, and work harder for their clients.

The women of Morris Realty & Investments celebrate our friends, families, colleagues, and all women who are doing their best every day to make their communities better for everyone. We are proud to stand beside you. Here’s a toast to you for continued success and happiness from the ladies of Morris Realty & Investments.

054 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Lena Williams 352.636.4488

Kim Ducharme Levensohn 352.874.5906

Camie Kennedy

Lynn Haynes

352.408.4668

352.516.0903

Lauren Fickett 352.636.2167

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 055

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

LizCornell CEO AND FOUND ER , CERTIFIED ANNUIT Y SPECIALIST

TB Financial Group Inc. 3261 U.S. Hwy. 441, Fruitland Park 352.350.1161 / tbfinancialgroup.com Passionate, educated, and caring accurately describes Liz Cornell, owner of TB Financial Group. Providing clients trusted advice and financial strategies is why TB Financial Group has doubled its business every year since opening in August 2013. “I love when the light bulb goes off and my clients understand what I’m saying,” Liz says. “At that point, we can have an intellectual conversation about what they want their financial profiles to look like.”

Although Liz specializes in financial retirement strategies, she recently launched a program called The Inheritance Group. This allows her to provide financial advice and strategies for young adults who inherited money.

056 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

AnnGibbs OWNER

A&B Title and Escrow Services 352.805.4001 / 918 W. Main St., Leesburg abtitle.com Ann Gibbs is loving Leesburg. This year, she celebrates the third anniversary of opening her company, A&B Title and Escrow Services, in downtown Leesburg. The company is owned by Ann, who has 31 years of experience as a Licensed Title Agent, and Bob Bone, who has 29 years of experience as a licensed attorney. We cover all property transactions with everything from vacant land to commercial in Lake County and all surrounding areas.

Outside of work, Ann volunteers for organizations such as the Downtown Leesburg Business Association, the Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Leesburg Partnership.

Ann deeply loves her family. She’s been married for forty-seven years with two children and six grandchildren. She also loves fishing , boating and spending time at the beach.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 057

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Merideth Nagel, P.A. 1201 W. Highway 50, Clermont 352.394.7508 / mnagellaw.com Merideth Nagel makes things happen. As a young girl, she knew she was meant to be a lawyer. Now 50, the results of her commitment and hard work are clear: her own law practice, Merideth Nagel, P.A. is growing and thriving like never before, staffed by a dedicated team of attorneys, paralegals and other personnel. “We’re here to fight for you, to make a difference in your life. It’s woven into the fabric of who we are,” says Merideth. The firm focuses its practice on real estate, business representation, litigation, probate, guardianship and estate planning.

Merideth Nagel 058 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Merideth Nagel Trisha Sorval OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

JoniStory

TinaSmith ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

TITLE TEAM LEAD

Tracy Attaway TITLE TEAM MEMBER

Caren Geyer PARALEGAL

Chandra Neilly Susan Jessica Roberts Fleming CLIENT RELATIONS

RESIDENTIAL TITLE TEAM MEMBER

PARALEGAL

AshleaLapre TITLE TEAM MEMBER

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 059

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Sharon Bassett BROKER, OWNER

Jenelle Littizzio

DeLynda Pratt Glori Hooke

ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST

REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST

REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST

Bassett Premier Realty, Inc. 352.307.2925 / Spruce Creek Professional Plaza, 10935 SE 177th Place, Ste. 403, Summerfield The Realtors at Bassett Premier Realty, Inc. work hard to achieve their ultimate goal; to exceed expectations of their clients every time. Each Real Estate Specialist shows meticulous attention to detail from start to finish. Sharon is proud of her team, “We share the same values and objectives.”

Bassett Premier Realty prides itself on the trusted relationships they’ve developed with both sellers and buyers as well as their internal clients to bring the entire process together. This team aspires to give the highest level of customer service with their knowledge of the local Real Estate market; serving Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. At Bassett Premier Realty, we establish and demand the highest standards of excellence.

060 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Scottie Bull CO-OWNER / PHYSICAL THERAPIST, CLT-LANA

Physio Med Outpatient Rehab 352.259.2522 / 765 County Road 466, Lady Lake physiomedinc.net Scottie Bull, a self-made entrepreneur, came from a middle-class military family. She earned her degree in physical therapy from the University of Central Florida after she, too, served her country in the armed forces.

Scottie spent five years developing her skills at Leesburg Regional Medical Center, and in 2001, she and business partner Wim Vergauwen opened Physio Med of Leesburg. They now own four locations offering physical and occupational therapy. They are distinguished in their field by providing personalized one-on-one care to ensure that patients have the most successful outcome.

“It has been a challenging journey, but I attribute much of my success to my parents, who instilled in me a strong work ethic and values,” Scottie says.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 061

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Annette Cynthia Frederick Couillard Dawn Cary Amanda Miller OWNER, HAIR AND NAIL

VP, CAPS, DIBARCO BUILDING

CREATIONS / 352.330.4040

CORPORATION / 352.748.5228

Custom homes and accessibility needs.

“May we be of service to you?”

GREAT LAKES CARPET & TILE, WILDWOOD / 352.267.8801

We are your one-stop flooring, cabinet and window treatment business! I love to help my customers make their homes beautiful!

062 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

PRESIDENT, LASER ACTION PLUS / 352.622.1786

Take care of your clients as well or better than you would want to be taken care of and your business will thrive!

Elin Mayer

Angela Shepherd Tammy Dunseath

BUSINESS & LIFE STR ATEGY

CO NSULTANT / 95 4 . 4 39. 5155

BUSINESS D EVELO PMENT E XECUTIVE , CHEL SE A TITLE / 352 . 459. 61 6 0

Let me help you accelerate your business, while at the same time, strategizing your best personal life — that’s what you are working for!

B R O K ER ASSO CIATE , R E ALTO R ,

RE /MA X PREMIER / 352 . 512 . 4 419

Bridget Saunders YOUR GO 2 GIRL / PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER

Because who you work with matters! I work hard to be the top choice for buyers and sellers through consistent communication, high level of customer service, always growing in market knowledge and innovative marketing strategies.

804.405.3864 / VILLAGEGO2GIRL.COM

I love conquering clutter and bringing order to my client’s lives. Whether it’s a closet, garage, or an entire house, I can organize it to their specific needs.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 063

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Denise Suzanne Munn Hardaway CO-OWNER / DECORATOR

CO-OWNER / DECORATOR

Inspired Decor 352.728.0827 1134 E. North Blvd., Leesburg inspiredecor.com Petrified wood worn by waterways in Venice. Intricately laid mosaic tiles in Israel.

Timeless ironwork adorning doors and churches in an Old World. French architecture.

These are just tidbits of what has excited and inspired longtime friends and design team Suzanne Hardaway and Denise Munn.

Texture. Color. Time.

In 2005, Inspired Decor began serving hometown clients in a vast spectrum of design and decorating specialties. The company’s work and reputation quickly expanded across Florida from coast to coast and “Designed with You in Mind” became its well-suited slogan.

Inspired Decor is passionate about every part of the curating process. From consultations on paint color and freshening up spaces, to redesigns and remodels, this full-scale design team approaches each and every project in a conscientious and thoughtful manner with the client in mind.

“It’s never about us, it’s about you,” Denise says. “We want to know what inspires our clients.”

“We believe the relationships built with clients along the way are a part of the beauty,” Suzanne says, “a part of the design.”

064 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

SUZANNE

DENISE

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 065

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

TracyBelton CFP ®, CDFA™

Belton Financial Group of Raymond James Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC 531 W. Main St., Tavares 352.253.5244 / beltonfinancialgroup.com Giving back to the community is a responsibility Tracy Belton takes very seriously. A Lake County native, she is passionate about making Lake County a better place to live and work. “Investing well has afforded me the opportunity to give back to the community,” says Tracy, a financial advisor with Belton Financial Group of Raymond James. She also shares a lot of her time and energy with the causes she believes in.

She is the past-president of the Rotary Club of The Villages-Noon, a board member of the Lake Eustis Museum of Art and a passionate supporter of Camp Boggy Creek. She also loves animals. Accompanying her to work each day are her Papillion, Bella, and Maltipoo, Ladybug.

066 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Kasey Mannes J’nay Hector

Erin Johnson

SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

FOUNDER AND CEO

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Concierge Media Solutions 352.405.2709 conciergemediaco.com info@conciergemediaco.com Concierge Media Solutions started in 2013 with the goal of helping small businesses achieve their marketing goals successfully. Since then, the team has grown as they’ve continued to help Central Florida businesses as a full-service marketing and design agency.

They are a team of four independent marketing and design professionals who are truly “at your service!”

Alexandria Pauluhn PR AND MARKETING STRATEGIST

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 067

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Debbie Seiferth OWNER

Fleur de lis Home Design The Villages / 516.509.0999 fleurdelishomedesign.com Interior Designer Debbie Seiferth has been creating beautiful interiors for as long as she can remember. She holds an advanced degree in Interior Design and is president of Fleur de lis Home Design, formerly of Long Island, New York, and now located in The Villages.

Debbie’s company offers all aspects of Interior Design, including new construction, kitchens, bathrooms, furniture layouts, window treatments, new and redesigns, wall coverings, painting—everything needed to create a dream home.

“Every job is a privilege and I take a lot of pride in creating a space that pleases my client,” she says.

Debbie enjoys traveling and has attended design shows in Milan, Paris, New York, Las Vegas, North Carolina, and

068 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

New Orleans. Debbie belongs to many design organizations, and in 2016 won a national award as first runner-up for the Interior Design Society’s Designer of the Year. She also taught at Metropolitan Institute of Interior Design in New York.

She’s up to date on the latest trends and sustainable design.

“I like to search out unique products to share with my clients,” Debbie says. “I’m designing their home for them, not for me, so it’s very important that their space reflects their vision and personality.”

Debbie’s four children and two grandchildren are the joys of her life. She also is a talented artist. She finds something to be joyful about every day, and believes life is about the journey…and it’s just beginning!

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 069

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Becky Pilipow

Rachelle Neck

CO-OWNER

CO-OWNER

Edible Arrangements 3509 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages / 352.391.1334 / ediblearrangements.com “Wow!” That’s the common compliment Rachelle and Becky hear when they prepare and deliver artistic, scrumptious, fresh-tasting fruit bouquets that resemble floral arrangements.

070 /

“Our passion is helping people celebrate life’s most special moments with a fresh, handmade, delicious edible arrangement,” says Becky.

Each and every arrangement is made from scratch, and the

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

owners take great care in hand selecting the freshest fruits, and hand dipping several in tasty gourmet chocolate.

Customers can choose from many Edible Arrangement designs for holidays, special

occasions, or simply to say, “thinking of you.”

“We take great pride in each and every arrangement we make; it’s wonderful to be part of someone’s special occasion,” says Rachelle.

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Dr. MarianadeJongh GASTROENTEROLOGIST

Gastroenterology Associates of Ocala 1400 U.S. Hwy. 441, Suite 531, Lady Lake 352.751.4885 / gaocala.com By day, she’s “Dr. de Jongh.” By night, she’s “Mommy.” And Dr. Mariana de Jongh wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love both roles equally. I love going to work but I also love getting home and doing things with the girls and my hubby,” says Dr. de Jongh, a gastroenterologist at The Villages office of Gastroenterology Associates.

Dr. de Jongh enjoys running, family vacations, and having fun with her three daughters and hubby at Disney World, school fundraisers and field trips, or just hanging out together at home.

“We really do try to enjoy life to the fullest,” she says.

The Villages also feels like home to her after 11 years of developing a rapport with patients.

“They are open to the doctor-patient relationship,” she says. “They are ready to hear what I have to say, and we nurture a relationship built on trust and come up with a plan together.”

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 071

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

SineWallace

Jimberly Staubs

OWNER, THE LOFT

Rustic, chic traditional and plant-based comfort food.

CEO, WALLACE FITNESS / 352.735.4881

At Wallace Fitness we are committed to helping you reach your healthy living goals through our unique and individualized fitness program at our private studio.

Cathrine Flury MANAGER/OWNER, SCOOPS ON 5TH &

LET’S DO A MAINE LOBSTER ROLL / 352 800 9381

In the restaurant business for over 35 years. Cathrine loves to manage the two business, meet new people and makes the customer happy with delicious Ice cream and with a Maine Lobster Roll. She is just glad to be a part of downtown Mount Dora.

072 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Sonya Watson JEWLERY ARTIST, MATAMO DESIGNS

In Mount Dora for over 10 years Sonya works with sterling silver, precious and semi precious stones, fossils and antiquities to create one of a kind art jewelry and statement pieces. She has recently moved her jewelry to a new location. She is proud to have her jewelry on display at Matamo Designs.

Lynn Wisniewski

OWNER, UNDER THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS / 352.735.3090

I am overjoyed to have created an uplifting space providing opportunity for local artists to showcase their work. Thank you for your love and support of handmade art; we look forward to seeing you soon.

Amy Becker

Clara Schneider OWNER, EMZ ON FIFTH

Em’z on Fifth is a ladies fine clothing boutique offering fashions with style for the woman who appreciates being noticed!

Lisa Winslow OWNER, HOME AND GARDEN TREASURES

If they leave happier than when they walked in, it’s good.

OWNER, BECKER’S BEST SHOES

Offering our “Becker’s Best” selection and service of women and men’s shoes and accessories. A fun place to shop for comfort and fashion!

LeeAnn Ganung OWNER, BLACK SWAN MERCANTILE

Our French and Southern inspired Mercantile offers a variety of exclusive items for women and men such as Home and Garden Decor, Gifts, Gourmet Grocery, Apparel and More.

Marla Montgomery OWNER, KISS MY GLASS / 503.830.0180

When commissioned to do a piece and see it in their home, it warms my heart. My studio is my sanctuary. My art is a direct reflection of the joy it brings to me. A clear view of life through glass.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 073

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Connie Mahan BROKER / OWNER

Connie Mahan Real Estate Group 218 N. Florida St., Bushnell / 352.569.0233 / conniemahan.com Extreme commitment to community. Connie’s style may be laid back but she is definitely laser focused. Typically in jeans and that signature Connie Mahan blue shirt, Connie is on the go all the time. “There’s no quitting time in our day,” says Connie “The needs of our customers, our community and our agents don’t stop so neither do we.” Continuously committed to the real estate needs of South Sumter County, Connie’s reputation speaks for itself. She has built a foundation of hard work, trust and integrity that has led to her remarkable success.

074 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Samantha Merritt REALTOR / PSA

Connie Mahan Real Estate Group 218 N. Florida St., Bushnell / 352.457.7443 / samanthamerritt.org Community is the cornerstone. From my work as Executive Director of the Sumter Chamber, to marketing in economic development and tourism I have spent my entire career selling Sumter County in some form.

As a Realtor, my passion for this great community is fed by helping others find their own little piece of it.

A third-generation resident myself, there is no place I would rather live, work, or raise my own children.

My roots and my heart are grounded in Sumter County, and its truly at the heart of everything I do.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 075

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Lisa Thomas BRANCH MANAGER / WILDWOOD

Stacie Price

SENIOR BRANCH MANAGER / LADY LAKE

Tricia Guido SENIOR BRANCH MANAGER / EUSTIS

Insight Credit Union insightcreditunion.com For more than 80 years, Insight Credit Union has delivered exceptional financial solutions with personal service, offering many of the same options that can be found at traditional financial institutions: banking, loans, mortgages, and investments for anyone who lives or works in Central Florida. The difference, however, is that Insight Credit Union is a member-owned organization, meaning profits are returned to members in the form of higher interest rates on deposits and lower rates on loans.

076 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Although our rates may be low, our standards are high. Credit unions were founded on the cooperative philosophy of not for profit, but for service, and giving back to the community is a core component of the work that Insight staff and these Business Women of Style dedicate themselves to every day.

Not only are these Business Women of Style managing teams of employees and helping to build the Insight brand, but each of these women also exemplifies the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.”

Each one shows a commitment to the communities they serve by volunteering with various organizations that include Lake County Schools, Take Stock In Children, Lake-Sumter State College, Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as their local chambers of commerce. They offer their time with the hope of improving lives in the communities where they live and work.

Latoya Lawrence SENIOR BRANCH MANAGER / CLERMONT

Rosanne Brandeburg

Deborah Potter SENIOR BRANCH MANAGER / LEESBURG

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Federally Insured by NCUA

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 077

I

Whitney Law

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

BILLING COORDINATOR

Chelsea Giles CHIROPRACTIC ASSISTANT

Kendra Armbrecht

Savannah Crawford

CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC PHYSICIAN’S ASSISTANT

FRONT DESK COORDINATOR

Elizabeth Sellers

Jessica Rinne CHIROPRACTIC ASSISTANT

OFFICE MANAGER, C.C.P.A.

Glover Chiropractic 352.787.9995 / 312 N. 14th St., Leesburg / gloverchiro.com When entering Glover Chiropractic in Leesburg, patients enjoy seeing a group of friendly and familiar faces. The staff is helpful and comforting and they always greet patients with a smile.

The group of female employees at Glover Chiropractic is comprised of Elizabeth Sellers, Jessica Rinne, Chelsea Giles, Whitney Law, Savannah Crawford, and Kendra Armbrecht. It’s safe to say they’re one big family, and in return they treat patients the same.

“We know each other’s family members and children, and if anything personal comes up in our lives we can rely on one another,” Elizabeth says. “We’re an amazing support system for each other.”

078 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Tera Townsend EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

LassiterWare Insurance 1317 Citizens Blvd., Leesburg / Office: 800.845.8437, ext. 114 / lassiterware.com “Serving You First” means Tera Townsend and LassiterWare are there for you! As one of the company’s top performing consultants, Tera has a proven history of success consistently putting these words into action with each client she serves! As a dedicated and organized Employee Benefits Consultant, Tera welcomes each day as another opportunity to be genuinely focused on her clients. Established in 1912, LassiterWare has multiple locations throughout Florida. Tera operates out of the corporate office located in Leesburg where she has been providing consultation to her commercial clients for over 10 years.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 079

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Renew Day Spa 214 W. Main St., Leesburg 352.787.7722 / renewdayspa.org Upon opening Renew Day Spa, owner Dina Simpson had the vision of bringing a full-service spa to downtown Leesburg. We wanted to provide guests with an environment where they could relax and receive first-class customer service. We quickly realized “men and women experience stress as a result of not taking time for themselves,” Dina notes. The ability to offer all spa services, including hair, massage, facials, body treatments and nails, provides guests with a chance to be pampered by top-rated technicians.

Renew Day Spa offers products that are made with natural ingredients, including Joico, HydraFacial, Repêchage and FarmHouse Fresh.

After celebrating their two-year anniversary, this team of nine professionals continues to find new opportunities. Dina says, “Our offerings continue to grow to meet guests’ needs, and we now offer eyelash extensions and hair extensions.”

Renew Day Spa was chosen as Small Business of the Year in 2018 by the Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Dina says, “Our team was extremely surprised. It was a true honor for the team to be recognized.”

Beginning in April, the team will perform hair and makeup services for the Orlando Predators dance team, which will perform at the Amway Center as part of the National Arena League.

This May, Renew Day Spa will offer a Mother’s Day Special with a 30-minute massage, deluxe facial, shampoo, cut and style, and six custom cupcakes prepared by local dessert maker Bre’s Berries and More. Be sure to spoil your mom this Mother’s Day.

080 /

Kim Brittany Planck Goff Korrin Cogswell Apryle Perry

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

MASSAGE THERAPIST

MASSAGE THERAPIST

HAIRSTYLIST

ESTHETICIAN

Anna Bey ESTHETICIAN / MAKEUP ARTIST

Kayla Herl Leslie Cochran

Dina Simpson Christina Pizzimenti

INTERN

RECEPTIONIST

OWNER / STYLIST

HAIRSTYLIST / MAKEUP ARTIST

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 081

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

StacyPotter CERTIFIED INTERNATIO NAL PRO PERT Y SPECIALIST / RE ALTO R ®

ERA Grizzard Real Estate, Inc. 352.267.0804 / StacyPotterPA.com Buying a home abroad or those in foreign countries seeking to relocate to Florida, Stacy Potter is the real estate agent to call!

Stacy specializes in International Real Estate and serves as a Military Relocation Specialist.

She’s also a member of the Canadian Realtors® Association.

“I get a lot of international buyers and sellers from all over the world,” says Stacy, who enjoys traveling the globe to serve customers. “People love my honesty and that I stay in contact with them throughout the entire process. My customers are not just my buyers and sellers; they become part of my family for life.”

082 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

Disclaimer: Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. A licensed agent may call or e-mail as a result of completing information to discuss Medicare Advantage, Prescription Drug Plans or Medicare Supplement Insurance.

OF STY

Julie Graham INDEPENDENT AGENT

Health Insurance & Retirement Advocates 411 N. Donnelly St., Suite 300, Mount Dora 352.735.7795 hiradvocates.com For residents on or approaching Medicare, a comfortable setting and meaningful conversation can make navigating the Medicare landscape effortless.

That’s what clients will find at Health Insurance and Retirement Advocates, Inc., which is nestled on the third floor of the Renaissance Building in the heart of downtown Mount Dora. Susan Brisbin and Julie Graham formed the agency in Jan. 2018 and have more than 50 years of combined experience in the industry. As licensed agents, they have chosen to exclusively represent UnitedHealthcare® products. Susan and Julie pride themselves on Making Medicare Easy, and having a little fun in the process!

L

Susan Brisbin INDEPENDENT AGENT

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 083

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

LisaMariaTartaglia, DO MEDICAL DIREC TOR

VITAS Healthcare 127 N Bay St., Ste. 200, Eustis 352.800.5101 / vitas.com Lisa Maria Tartaglia, DO, is medical director of VITAS® Healthcare, overseeing the care of VITAS hospice patients in their homes, nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Lake and Sumter counties. Board certified in both family medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine, she developed an interest in end-of-life care early in her career and continues to mentor student physicians, residents and colleagues in the specialty that has become her passion. In her spare time, Dr. Tartaglia is an experienced baker and cook who loves to travel with her husband and two children.

084 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Prominent Fox Boutique 352.661.3170 / 4313 E. County Road 466, Suite #103, Oxford It’s little surprise that customers drive from far as three hours away to visit Prominent Fox Boutique, which is nestled in Oxford. Owner Leigh Ann Berry does more than sell clothes; she wants to make women feel beautiful in their own skin and enjoy a pleasurable shopping experience. She sells everything from casual to formal clothing and accessories.

“We have a happy atmosphere that uplifts customers when they come in and makes them feel even better when they leave,” says Leigh Ann, who opened the company 1.5 years ago. “I love to help my customers mix and match their clothing until they find something they absolutely love! I see my customers differently than they see themselves and my goal is for them to see themselves in the same light I see them before they leave Prominent Fox Boutique.”

LeighAnnBerry OWNER

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 085

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Shayna Grunewald CEO

Lake Centre Home Care 310 Market St., Leesburg 352.315.0050 / sgrunewald@golchc.com During her two-plus years as CEO of Lake Centre Home Care, Shayna Grunewald has found reward and satisfaction.

“I love that it’s something new every day.

There are always new challenges. We’re getting to help people and that is very rewarding,” she

086 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

says. “Our patients would rather be in their own home while recovering.”

Lake Centre Home Care is a skilled home health agency that provides nursing; physical, occupational, and speech therapy; along with home health aides and medical social services.

“Our services cover a broad range of clinical needs,” she says.

Away from the job, Shayna enjoys reading and trips to the beach with her husband, Jimmy, daughter, Anna Grace, 14, and son, Jack, 11.

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

IshbelNieves OWNER

Highland Lakes Dental 6540 Ace Ave., Leesburg 352.326.4404 As a dentist for 12 years, Dr. Ishbel Nieves and her staff are committed to providing patients quality dental care.

“We care about them, and we treat them like our own family, and we do our best to make them comfortable and happy. We are willing to go above and beyond to meet their expectations,” says Dr. Nieves, who does a lot of dentures, crown and bridge work.

She hears praise about her compassion, and patients appreciate she talks—and even sings—while doing dentistry work.

“They like that!”

Dr. Nieves says Highland Lakes Dental is preparing for growth with an additional dentist and more services available to patients.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 087

I

S WOM

W N

Danielle Emily Odom Parks

E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

STYLIST

STYLIST

Rachel Robinson

Brooke Martinez

STYLIST

MICROBLADING

KaraSparks OWNER

Brittany Steverson RECEPTIONIST

LaRu’e Kay Salon

16840 U.S. Hwy. 441, Mount Dora / 352.508.9542 / laruekay.com The creative hair artisans at LaRu’e Kay Salon in Mount Dora take pride in helping clients look and feel their best. The talented team includes owner Kara Sparks, stylists Danielle Odom, Emily Parks, and Rachel Robinson, and receptionist Brittany Steverson.

Another stylist, Brooke Martinez, offers microblading, the latest beauty trend that involves tattooing your eyebrows on.

“My team is awesome,” says Kara, who opened the company six years ago. “We’re always willing to help each other out.”

Other services offered at LaRu’e Kay Salon include full-body waxing and spray tanning. The ladies also find themselves doing many weddings, as well as kid parties.

088 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

KarenRiscinto B RO KER /OWNER , CDPE , CIPS , TRC MRP

Florida Lifestyle Realty Group, Inc. 303 E Main St., Tavares 352.343.0030 office 352.250.3166 cell Pack your boxes and get ready to move! Karen, is a full-service Broker-Realtor located in downtown Tavares, FL and is very familiar with all the local market areas, she believes what she does is all about customer/client happiness. Having a background and a company that does interior decorating she is able to go into a home and see beyond what is there to make it the buyers own or help a seller prepare the home to sell. In working with sellers and buyers, she sits with them and listens to their needs and end goals of why they are selling or what they are really looking for in buying. You need to connect in order to do a great job for them.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 089

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

LisaSchau Sue Vaccaro CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER; DATA MANAGEMENT

CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER; CSA

Denise Hegarty

Lorraine Dynda

SPANISH SPRINGS MANAGING ADVISOR

CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER; CONCIERGE

Jody Harter

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Carri Wildman

Elizabeth Bowman BROWNWOOD MANAGING ADVISOR

LAKE SUMTER LANDING MANAGING ADVISOR

The Villages Insurance 352.751.6622 / thevillagesinsurance.com The team at The Villages Insurance considers it an honor to serve the area’s residents, whether or not they are clients. Anyone in need can call the agency’s 24/7 Emergency Response Team.

“We are here to assist all those who live in our community. We bump into each other at the grocery stores and share the same beauty

090 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

parlors, so naturally we will be there to help in their time of need,” states Chief Operating Officer Jody Harter. “We’re just as concerned about those individuals who are not insured with our agency as we are our own clients.”

Established in 1985, The Villages Insurance offers Personal Lines insurance, Commercial and Private Risk Management, Retirement Specialist, and a 24-hour Claims Hotline.

Jody and Erin Natalino, Director of Operations, have seen the community and the company grow during their 20 rewarding years on the job.

“In insurance, you have the joy of helping someone at their time of need and bringing them back to whole, which is an extremely important and rewarding responsibility,” Erin says.

Darielle Spafford

Allison Grant

SOUTHERN TRACE MANAGING ADVISOR

COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST MANAGER

Erin Natalino DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Barbara McDonald MULBERRY GROVE MANAGING ADVISOR

Rose Connell

Sandy Bass DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Keriann Varney COLONY PLAZA MANAGING ADVISOR

PERSONAL LINES EXECUTIVE MANAGER

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 091

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Main Street Hair Studio 9813 N. U.S. Hwy. 301, Wildwood / 352.461.0861 52 U.S. Hwy. 41 S., Inverness / 352.423.1487 mainstreethairsalon.com The “heart and soul” of Lindsey and Kevin House’s two Main Street Hair Studios are 12 experienced stylists who devote their full attention to clients’ needs.

“We have the most talented group of women I have ever worked alongside.

They all have their own creative styles,” Lindsey says. “Kevin and I just provided the space, and these stylists have taken this company to the next level.”

Lindsey finds inspiration in milestones, both joyful and heartbreaking, that mark the openings of each studio. Six weeks after opening their Inverness location, the couple adopted a daughter, Aria. Six days after opening in Wildwood, Lindsey’s mother, Kathleen Glen, passed away.

“We put everything we have into these businesses,” Lindsey says.

“But everything we do, we do for our daughter, and I get my strength from my mother.”

LindseyHouse OWNER , ST YLIST

092 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

RobinGump AGENT

Mid Florida Agencies Local offices in The Villages, Eustis, Ocala, and throughout Central Florida.

352.259.0666 Navigating a complicated health care system can be frustrating and time-consuming. Fortunately, Robin Gump of Mid-Florida Agencies has spent 30 years helping individuals, families, and business owners choose the right health insurance plan. Mid Florida Agencies is your LOCAL Florida Blue, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida office. Robin and her team specialize in health insurance, Medicare Advantage, and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and they pride themselves on educating clients so they can make informed decisions. For Robin, the company’s focus on quality and professionalism as well as listening carefully and effectively while communicating with clients has resulted in many trusting, long-term relationships.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 093

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

KatherineA.Barski ESTATE PL ANNER

Bogin, Munns & Munns 8564 E. County Road 466, Suite 102, The Villages 352.391.6031 www.boginmunns.com/attorneyprofiles/katherine-barski As an estate planner, Katherine A. Barski of Bogin, Munns & Munns ensures that your hard-earned wealth and business assets pass to your beneficiaries as intended.

Katherine has been an estate planner for 18 years and focuses on wills, trusts, and probate.

“I love helping people, and I don’t like to see people taken advantage of, particularly when it comes to seniors.”

Katherine lives and works in The Villages and regularly participates in golf, pickleball, and running. She also enjoys taking her 1-year-old schnauzer, Rhett Butler, to various town squares.

“When I introduce him to people, everyone falls in love,” she says.

“He keeps me active.”

094 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

KimberlyIreland, MD CATARACT SURGEON

St. Luke’s at The Villages 1050 Old Camp Road, The Villages / 352.350.8484 / stlukeseye.com When it comes to laser cataract surgery, residents of The Villages and surrounding areas are setting their sights high by choosing Dr. Kimberly Ireland of St. Luke’s Cataract and Laser Institute. With more than 20 years of surgical experience in laser cataract surgery, Dr. Ireland is a visionary in the field and the most sought-after cataract surgeon in The Villages. “For me, it’s an honor to restore the vision and quality of life of my patients,” she says. “With our surgery, there’s no downtime, no patches, no stitches, and no needles.”

St. Luke’s at The Villages will soon be expanding and bringing its brand of excellence to the Center for Advanced Healthcare at Brownwood. The vision behind this growth is clear: offer more world-class eyecare services right here in Central Florida.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 095

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Christine Williams VICE PRESIDENT / CO MMERCIAL AG ENT

Pruett-Williams Insurance Agency Inc. 15820 Dora Ave. C, Tavares / 352.357.6119 pruett-williamsinsurance.com Christine Williams Stewart is using experience gained throughout her law career to contribute to the family business in her hometown. In the 1980s, her father cofounded Pruett-Williams Insurance Agency Inc., an independent insurance agency whose history dates to the 1950s.

Christine, a Mount Dora High School graduate, earned degrees from the University of Florida and Charleston (S.C.) School of Law. Several years ago, she turned her focus to commercial insurance, and the agency also handles personal lines.

“I really enjoyed consulting with my father on business questions, and the business world was interesting to me,” Christine says.

“I loved my business clients and still do, so it was a natural fit.”

She serves in the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce, Executive Women of Mount Dora, the Ambassadors, and the Antique & Classic Boat Society Sunnyland Chapter. She lives in Tavares with her husband, John Stewart, who is with Edward Jones, their family, and their rescue dog.

096 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

DeniseBerlin OWNER

Wildwood Kitchen & Bath, Inc. 368 Shopping Center Drive, Wildwood / 352.539.0220 A locally owned company, Wildwood Kitchen & Bath, Inc., has been providing professional service and individual expertise for the past 26 years...the last 12, here in Florida.

“We offer over 100 years of combined Designer, Installation and Public Relations experience,” says Denise Berlin, who owns the business with her husband Greg.

"We do all internal remodel projects-granite, quartz, solid surface and tiled showers, cabinets, backsplashes and outdoor kitchens. If a consumer wants a One Stop Shop, we offer it.”

The customer will experience a “family felt” experience with Wildwood Kitchen & Bath...many of their employees have been with them since day one. Denise and her staff enjoy interacting with customers, whether their project is small or large.

“I want our customers to be extremely happy and satisfied!” says Denise.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 097

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

Dawn Coulliette CO-OWNER

Danielle Daugherty CO - OWNER

Mia Bella Salon & Spa 201 W. Miller St., Fruitland Park 352.508.7277 / miabellasalonandspa.net Mia Bella Salon and Spa, owned by Dawn Coulliette and her daughter Danielle Daugherty, offers trendy services, including intricate hair braids with pops of vivid colors.

“It’s not your Momma’s braids,” says Dawn.

The braids are attracting customers from other states, some who call the salon first for before they book flights.

“We’ve established a name for ourselves with our coloring and braiding,” says Danielle, with the majority of clients from social media.

“We’ve added full-service barbering for men, too,” says Danielle, including faux dreads. “It goes with the Viking hair, which is very on trend.”

Dawn’s specialty is providing massage therapies. Aqua chi, which is a detox, and ear candling are popular, too.

098 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

AubreyRoberts CO-OWNER/AGENT

Roberts Insurance Agency of Florida 2001 W. Old Highway 441, Mount Dora 352.735.1410 / robertsinsurancefl.com Aubrey Roberts and her husband Ryan have owned Roberts Insurance Agency of Florida for seven years, and she values helping people with their insurance needs.

“We started from the ground up, and we sell a variety of insurance— auto, business, personal, homes, professional,” she says.

“I love helping people and saving them money; we have all different options, so we can do multiple proposals and you can choose what best fits you,” says Aubrey. “Clients love that they can call and talk directly to an agent.”

Call and see what we can do for you!

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 099

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

RosalynHousley OWNER

The Rustic Rose 3646 Kiessel Rd., The Villages 352.399.5407 2757 W Torch Lake Dr., The Villages 352.571.5256 There’s a word that Rustic Rose owner Rosalyn Housley frequently hears when customers enter her store for the first time.

“Wow!” That's because the store, located at Brownwood Paddock Square is a place that offers a great variety of exceptional home accents and gifts.

Its sister store, Rustic Rose Fashion Boutique, is just across the square in Brownwood and features an equally awesome selection of women’s jewelry, tops, pants, and much more.

“Customers love the selections, how they’re displayed, and the friendly staff,” Rosalyn says. “We keep them coming back with always offering something new at prices that make them smile!”

100 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

I

S WOM N

W E

BUS

ES

E

N

OF STY

L

KristinJamieson MORTGAGE LOAN CONSULTANT

Success Mortgage Partners, Inc. 16903 Lakeside Drive Unit #1, Montverde 352.242.1535 NMLS #1097663 When it comes to helping clients through the mortgage process, Kristin Jamieson of Success Mortgage Partners, Inc. strives to make the experience as pleasant and simple as possible.

In fact, as a mortgage loan consultant, she has helped over 1,000 Lake County families achieve the dream of home ownership.

Hardworking, responsive, and detail-oriented, Kristin also prides herself on giving back to the community.

She supports local schools and local charities, and her staff is comprised of Lake County residents. “The community is only as strong as the people in it,” she says, “we care because it’s our community too.”

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 101

N

N

W OM S S E

E

W E

I

THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS OF THE 2019

OF ST

L Y

decor Events by Miss Daisy

stylist

Renew Day Spa Amanda Grace at Lather Beauty Salon

102 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Lake Centre Home Care has a team of highly skilled clinicians dedicated to all aspects of managing your home care safely and effectively.

• Skilled Nursing • Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy • Speech Therapy Certified Nursing Assistants Medical Social Services • Medicare Assignment Accepted • Private insurance Accepted with Pre-Authorization

LAKE CENTRE HOME CARE

For more information about our services, staff and quality of care, contact us:

310 Market St. Leesburg, FL 34748

Phone: (352) 315-0050 Fax: (352) 315-0059 HHA299992424

L-R: Mike Lovett, Dan Brady, Robert Lyles, Ricky Cabrera, Joe Patterson and Larry Hilton, holding Micki Blackburn

The men of Micki Blackburn Realty Local businesswoman Micki Blackburn says a group of men are instrumental in helping her company achieve success.

PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

104 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

hen it comes to leading a successful real estate company, Micki Blackburn has been quite innovative. She has learned to stand out in the marketplace and outperform competition.

She has acquired an in-depth knowledge of her market. She stays educated to stay up-do-date with current laws, regulations, and real estate trends.

However, Micki is the first to admit that none of her success would be possible without a dedicated group of men who are committed to integrity and honesty in all their dealings.

“I am so blessed to have a fantastic group of men work for me,” Micki says. “They are a big part of my company’s success, and I couldn’t do it without them.”

Micki wishes to highlight these six professional men. They have more than 100 years of combined real estate experience.

Robert Lyles Robert runs Micki Realty’s Mascotte office. A lifelong Lake County resident, Robert has been employed at the company for 15 years and has been a multi-million dollar producer each year. He is a member of the Florida Association of Realtors, the Realtor Association of Lake and Sumter Counties, and the National Association of Realtors.

“He has vast knowledge of land in South Lake County,” Micki says “He’s a very dedicated, good man who goes above and beyond to satisfy his clients.”

Robert thoroughly enjoys being part of the Micki Blackburn Realty team. “Micki knows each deal is different,” he says. “She gives us the leeway to negotiate deals so we can get them done effectively.”

Joe Patterson An employee of Micki Realty for 15 years, Joe specializes in the downtown commercial business district, as well as residential real estate. Joe is a 1982 graduate of Clermont High School and prides himself on professionalism, communication, and integrity.

“Everybody likes Joe because he has a great personality,” Micki says. “He’s very kind and smart.”

Joe offers equal praise for his employer.

“I like working here because it’s a home feeling,”

Joe says. “We help each other to the best of our ability, and we help the public with their residential, commercial, and property needs.”

Michael Lovett Michael started with Micki Blackburn Realty in 2002 and has been a multi-million dollar producer for 16 consecutive

Larry Hilton You might refer to Larry as the “new kid on the block.”

He started with Micki Blackburn Realty on Jan. 20, 2019. A fourth-generation Realtor, Larry’s focus in on land, residential homes, and commercial properties in Polk County.

“Larry is very friendly and easy to get along with,” Micki

“THEY ARE A BIG PART OF MY COMPANY’S SUCCESS, AND I COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT THEM.”

management. His job entails acting in the best interest of the owner to maintain the property, keeping the property occupied with tenants, and handling the day-to-day activities that are centered around the home or property.

“He’s extremely good at rental management,” Micki says. “If you need to rent or interested in becoming a landlord, I would highly recommend contacting Dan.” Dan brings much passion to his job. “I love the interaction of working with buyers and sellers,” Dan says. “I consider it a privilege when people trust me to take care of rentals.”

Ricky Cabrera

—MICKI BLACKBURN

years. Born and raised in Sumter County, Michael is a 1972 graduate of South Sumter High School. He specializes in land, as well as residential homes and commercial properties in Sumter County.

“Michael is a hard worker,” Micki says. “That work ethic is why Michael has enjoyed a long and successful career in real estate.”

Michael wouldn’t think of working anywhere else.

“Micki is a great broker to work for,” Michael says. “If I need anything I just pick up the phone and call her. She has always given me the tools to do the job right.”

says. “He is always focused and that allows him to do his job effectively.”

Larry is extremely excited about his new career with Micki Blackburn Realty.

“We’re one big family here,” he says. “I’ve only worked here for several months but have learned so much from Micki. She’s the best teacher you could ask for in real estate.”

Dan Brady Dan has worked at Micki Blackburn Realty for 20 years and specializes in property

Ricky has been employed at Micki Blackburn Realty since 2011 and focuses primarily on land and residential homes.

Ricky also speaks fluent Spanish and enthusiastically communicates with clients whose English is limited or nonexistent.

“Ricky is always very prompt and professional,” Micki says. “He always has a great attitude and is very personable.”

Ricky considers it a pleasure to work at Micki Blackburn Realty. “We have all the support here that we need as real estate agents,” he says. “Micki gives us all the tools we need to be successful. What more could you ask for?”

352.267.3669 / mickirealty.com / 450 E. Hwy 50 Suite #1, Clermont

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 105

WR &DO IR GD\ O RX U R W U R XU R V ɝ Q FK FH H[ HG W F XO OD H VV

Our 10 Day Blood Sugar, ΖQȵ DPPDWLRQ RU 'HWR[ %DODQFH Classes Begin July 8th & 18th.

Visit us online for more information on these programs!

Dr. Kimberly Besuden

BAY STREET WELLNESS

Dr. Lauren Cooper

352.357.7244 | BayStreetWellness.com 2430 South Bay St., Eustis

• MASSAGE • SKINCARE • ACUPUNTURE • CHIROPRACTIC • FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

Impotence isn’t important; getting help is PATIENT Alpha Medical Group uses an exclusive, all natural ED treatment.

REVIEW

We are the experts in the newest and most innovative ED treatment on the market today. Acoustic Pressure Wave Therapy (APWT).

How APWT Works & What to Expect When you come to our clinic, a doctor performs a Doppler Ultrasound test. This determines whether there is a blockage in the veins or arteries supplying blood to the penis and to what extent the blockage is restricting blood flow. If a blockage is present and the doctor clears you for treatment, the technician uses a hand-held device to focus the acoustic waves on the veins and arteries with obstructed blood flow.

Veins regenerate, nerves grow and narrow, shriveled-up blood vessels become big and plump again. Girth increases, sensitivity increases and intimacy feels better than ever.

The acoustic waves move through tissue and…

1) Gently dissolve plaque that restricts blood flow.

2) Activate stem cells that cause veins to regenerate and new blood

vessels to grow.

3) Promote nerve growth that gives you greater sensitivity, more

enjoyment and makes it easy to get and maintain an erection.

No more headaches, distorted vision or other nasty side effects. Plus, you'll never hide pills again to keep your ED a secret and never fall asleep waiting for them to work. The non-invasive treatment, which takes about twenty minutes has no known side effects and requires no recovery time. Regardless of the number of treatments you need, we are here to help you achieve your desired results.

352.816.1901 / AlphaWaveHealth.com *Individual results may vary. © All rights reserved

106 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

“It has been nine years since I could get and maintain an erection. I couldn’t take Viagra because I couldn’t stand the side effects. I heard about APWT and decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. The staff never made me feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. Thank you for giving me my life back.”

— J.K. (age 62)

MEDICARE

A D VA N TA G E

BlueMedicare means more savings 0 $0 $0 $ Our Florida Blue HMO plans received Medicare’s highest rating of 5 out of 5 stars for 2019

monthly premiums on most BlueMedicareSM Advantage plans primary care doctor copays

preventive and wellness care

Get dental, vision and hearing benefits at

NO EXTRA COST

Switch to one of our 5-star HMO plans now!

No need to wait for Open Enrollment.

Enjoy benefits * that include: • • • •

Predictable out-of-pocket costs Medicare-approved Part D prescription drug coverage Dental, hearing and vision coverage at no additional cost Free SilverSneakers® Fitness membership

A Florida Blue agent can help you find the right plan and enroll.

Call today!

(352) 259-0666 Mid Florida Agencies LOCAL office in Lake, Sumter & Marion Counties!! *Not all benefits are available in all BlueMedicare plans. Florida Blue HMO is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Florida Blue HMO depends on contract renewal. HMO coverage is offered by Health Options, Inc., DBA Florida Blue HMO, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Tivity Health, SilverSneakers and SilverSneakers FLEX are registered trademarks or trademarks of Tivity Health, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system. Applicable to 2019 BlueMedicare HMO plans on contract H1035. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or gender. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-352-2583 (TTY: 1-877-955-8773). ATANSYON: Si w pale Kreyòl Ayisyen, gen sèvis èd pou lang ki disponib gratis pou ou.

Rele 1-800-352-2583 (TTY: 1-800-955-8770). © 2019 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc., DBA Florida Blue. All rights reserved.

Y0011_95238_M 0219 CMS Accepted

BELLA DIAMANTE &

MARIBELLA The book ‘The Necklace’ sparks a diamond necklace fundraiser for Lake Cares Food Pantry’s 10th anniversary.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

108 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

oon after The Villages resident Carol Lynn Nelson’s name was drawn as the winner of a $21,500 diamond necklace, Bella Diamante, at a recent gala for Lake Cares Food Pantry’s 10th anniversary, the pantry’s executive director, Irene O’Malley, enticed the 400-plus crowd with news they were thrilled to hear.

“We can’t just stop with one necklace, now can we?” she said.

The crowd at Lake Receptions in Mount Dora gushed as Irene unveiled on two large screens a photo of Maribella, the second and latest fundraiser necklace for Lake Cares designed by Gold in Art Jewelers.

The necklace features 28 carats, blue topaz, teal, blue and white diamonds in white gold and listed with a minimum value of $21,500. It will be raffled off April 2, 2020.

“And only when the necklace has been raffled will the actual value be revealed. We want this to be a mystery,” Irene says.

Tickets for the Maribella raffle are $50 each. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold.

They can be purchased at Clara Schneider models the Lake Cares office in Maribella, and the winner of Mount Dora or through the necklace raffle will be lakecares.org. announced April 2, 2020.

Throughout the year, Holly Stratton Farley, Tina Morin, Erika Green, Kelsey Gonzalez, Edna Gonzalez, Theresa Elliott, Christina Williams Stewart, Donna Marini, Jodie McEwen, Linda and Jeanette Bokland, Cathy Hoechst, and Clara Schneider will be the “Maribella Ladies,” wearing the necklace to showcase and promote Lake Cares’ fundraiser.

“WE ARE NOT WHAT WE OWN. WE ARE WHAT WE DO, WHO WE HELP, AND THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE IN THE WORLD.”

How it all began Cathy Hoechst, board chairwoman for Lake Cares Food Pantry, was inspired in her book club by reading “The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives,” based on a true story. Cathy was touched by one of the quotes: “We are not what we own. We are what we do, who we help, and the difference we make in the world.”

Cathy thought about the inspirational women in the book who collectively purchased a diamond necklace to wear and share with others.

“Do you think we could do something like this and use it as a raffle?” Cathy asked Irene.

“Well, yeah!” Irene replied.

Gold in Art Jewelers in Mount Dora was

commissioned to design the first diamond necklace, christened Bella Diamante, an 18-inch, 14K necklace with a one-carat center diamond orbited by 26 diamonds and 3.51 total carat weight. It was appraised at $21,500.

Donna Brown, Leslie Campione, Diane Culpepper, Melissa “Mel” DeMarco, Karen English, Janet Gamache, Diane Grande, Dawn O’Rourke, Robin Skaggs, Mary Stanley, and Ann “Bunny” Waddell each took turns wearing Bella for one month from April 2018 through March 2019. They developed a strong friendship, just like the women in the book.

“I feel very privileged,” says Janet, while wearing Bella at the gala. “I feel very proud and I also feel a sense

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 109

“THE HEART OF THE STORY TO ME WAS HOW THEY LOANED IT OUT TO EVERYBODY, TO THOSE WHO COULDN’T HAVE AFFORDED IT.” —CHERYL JARVIS

principal, her fellow teachers, even two of her students.”

Before she met the women, Cheryl was skeptical about writing the book. She had received a call from the group’s agent ‘The Necklace’ author saying “The Necklace” was a story that Cheryl Jarvis, of St. Louis, author of needed a writer. It had been a feature “The Necklace,” flew to Florida for a article in People magazine and optioned meet-and-greet with the gala guests and

by Fox Searchlight Pictures. to do the raffle drawing, which netted “All I knew is that these women had nearly $30,000 for the food pantry. gone collectively to buy a pricey diamond In addition to the winner, Mount Dora necklace,” she says. “I thought, ‘I don’t residents Vivian Rice won the $5,000 know if this can engage me for a year. second-place prize and Holly Stratton What else is there to say?’ So, I decided Farley received $2,500 for third place. to stay open to the possibility that there Cheryl says she has never been drawn was more to the story.” to diamonds, but her life changed when Once she met two of the women over she met the Ventura, California, women a long lunch, she was hooked behind her 2008 New on writing the book. Cheryl York Times bestseller. spent two weeks with each “The heart of the woman in the book club, story to me was how including joining a single they loaned it out to woman on her date. everybody, to those who “They were my age, couldn’t have afforded demographically,” she says of it,” Cheryl says. “The the women in their early 50s group loaned out the to 60s. “I saw how these 13 necklace to young brides women lived their lives, and on their wedding days through them, I saw what and 90-year-old women was missing in my life.” on their birthdays. One Cheryl realized the of the women was a importance of being open to middle school teacher Find “The Necklace” on new ideas and projects. who loaned it to her Amazon.com of protection and ownership over it because it’s such a magnificent piece and it represents so much.”

110 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

“I really believe in saying ‘yes’ to life and to life’s opportunities,” Cheryl says, adding she felt a desire to give back as a volunteer. “After I wrote the book, I started doing it. I do a writing workshop for women who are incarcerated to write their stories, and that has been an amazing, life-changing experience for me.”

The California book club group is still together, Cheryl says, adding they’ve lost one member. The author is pleased “The Necklace” has provoked discussions in many book clubs. London’s Daily Mail commissioned a necklace and had 12 women report on their experiences in an ongoing feature in the newspaper.

“It’s been replicated all over the world.

Everybody has their own spin to it,” Cheryl says.

“Rachael Ray, the TV talk-show host, did a show with a New York book club. The women couldn’t agree on one necklace, so each woman picked a charm that was meaningful to her, and they did it that way,” Cheryl says, adding that one group of wealthy California women had the idea of buying a Bentley to take older patients to medical appointments.

“I don’t know if it materialized, but I thought it was a very cool idea,” she says.

“The Necklace” has been published in 19 countries and translated into 15 languages.

History of Lake Cares Pastor Paul Hoyer, Debra Paradis, and Jodie McEwen are credited as Lake Cares’ founders. The pastor encouraged the congregation at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Lake Mary to make a difference, and the words touched Debra and Jodie. They decided to do a food drive, and after 75 bags were distributed, they noticed the demand for food didn’t end.

“They always talk that it takes a village to make a difference. It doesn’t really necessarily take a village, but just that one person that just wants to do something to make a difference, and that is what they did,” Irene says.

The founders opened Lake Cares on April 4, 2009, thanks to Jim Croson, who provided a Mount Dora building rent-free, and utility-free for the first year.

“Jim loved what we did so much that in in 2010, he donated the entire building to us, and that is when Lake Cares realized that we finally have a home,” Irene says. “We had some place that we could continue doing our mission, and it has made all the difference in the world.”

In 2018, Lake Cares served 48,904 individuals, 11,650 families, and distributed more than 733,000 pounds of food.

Lake Cares’ main distribution hub and offices are at 2001 W. Old Highway 441, Mount Dora, and there are four satellite locations: Martin Luther King Center in Mount Dora; Bates Neighborhood Resource Center in Eustis; Faith Christian Fellowship in Tavares; and the Paisley Community Center.

“We just keep on growing and we just keep on going into our community and doing more and more,” says Irene, grateful for the public support at Lake Cares’ 10th anniversary gala. “What pleased me the most is that this was truly a community celebration.”

“IT DOESN’T REALLY NECESSARILY TAKE A VILLAGE, BUT JUST THAT ONE PERSON THAT JUST WANTS TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND THAT IS WHAT THEY DID.” —IRENE O’MALLEY

L A K ES CARE S FAC T

200+ Lake Cares has more than 200 volunteers.

224+

More than 224 families regularly count on Lake Cares Food Pantry.

ONE SIX out of every

One in six Central Floridians battle hunger and “food insecurity”—what the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as the “lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods.”

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 111

STARTING AT

$29* INSTALLED *per/sq.ft.

Over 300 colors in stock!

BUILDING STONE :: COUNTERTOPS :: FURNITURE :: LANDSCAPING STONE :: MISCELLANEOUS www.southeasternstoneandtile.com :: 352.629.7518 :: 1208 S.E. 3RD AVE, OCALA, FL 34478 112 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

people. commitment. dependability. growth.

Construction and development that is woman-owned, locally grown, and veteran-run.

Facilitating growth to communities through construction excellence.

We add value through innovation, dependability and foresight.

4130 United Avenue, Mt. Dora FL 32757 phone (407) 502. 2939 email info@gopcdg.com gopcdg.com

Multi-Family

Commercial

Healthcare

Education

Government

Hospitality

114 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

As part of Leesburg High School’s Anti-Bullying Program, you have a chance to go—well, send photos of yourself—to the moon!

ullying is a type of behavior that is aggressive and mean, and no school is an exception to this problem. Like most high schools, Leesburg High School deals with the issue almost daily. With the help of members of local Rotary clubs, the school’s Anti-Bullying Program has shown great promise within the scope of one year.

Rotary International is involved with almost every high school through the Interact program. For students ages 12-18, the program helps them develop leadership skills and learn how valuable “Service Above Self” can be. The club at LHS is active and always growing.

When Rotarian David van de Velde, founder of the group, realized he needed student leaders for his antibullying campaign to be a success, he knew he would find them among Interact members like Jalen Hodge, who does frequent public speaking and counsels fellow students. Jalen’s enthusiasm and love for the program is evident in everything she does.

“I’m glad I’ve gotten to be part of such a great program,” Jalen says. “I’m hoping it will last a long time and help lots of students.

Students are willing to talk to administrators now, and that’s important. If they don’t feel safe talking to adults, it makes it worse.”

The program is Pledge Against Bullying. Each student signs a card that reads, “End Bullying Pledge, Leesburg High School.” Their signature is witnessed by another student and dated.

These cards are put into plastic holders with chains so they can be attached to the student’s backpack and visible for all to see. David says the white tags attract attention and students ask about them, spreading the word.

David understood the campaign would never be successful without the help of students.

“If I speak to them, it goes in one ear and out the other, but hearing the same message from a peer— another student—makes an impact,” he says.

Ira Nodelman, also in the Leesburg Rotary ClubNoon, works with David on the project.

“The fact that we do this through clubs in the school means the school curriculum is not touched,” he says.

The mission statement of the Pledge Against Bullying is “to create and support an innovative new high and middle school club initiative to stop bullying before it starts.”

Leesburg High Principal Michael Randolph says getting students to report bullying is one of the biggest hurdles. In an effort to help students understand the school is now a safe zone, the administration brings the students involved in a bullying incident together to discuss what happened and get to the root of the problem with the hope of a positive outcome for them.

In an effort to keep students interested and excited about the antibullying campaign, David and the Rotarians are planning to send digital material to the moon on a microSD chip.

“The opportunity that our students now have to send their Pledge Against Bullying commitments to the moon is a unique chance for our students, and we are ecstatic that they are taking

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 115

advantage of this experience,” Michael says.

“Now we need to pull in parents and teachers and other adults to be sure the program continues moving forward,” says David, founder of the group. “We’re going to send digital files of photos, essays, poems, letters, artwork, and memorials to the moon on a rocket.”

A Falcon Heavy rocket will be used to launch the collected digital material into space in the fall. There will be plenty of room for everyone who wishes to send an item. David and Ira have a 2 terabyte (2 trillion bytes) microSD chip for collecting digital content.

The commercial rocket can do what NASA cannot because the space organization does not work with private customers.

“Students can write essays, send photos of mom and dad or in memory of a pet.

Students who go to school and live within the city limits of Leesburg, including homeschoolers, can do this for free,” David says. “Remember, there has never been a school or student on the moon, but we are going to do that. We know that at least 95 percent of the people in Leesburg have a connection with a child here.

This is their chance to help the child do something that’s never been done before.”

However, there is a condition to getting digital material included on the microSD chip. Each person who wants something added to the moonshot must include a sentence about one random act of kindness he or she has done.

“WE’RE GOING TO SEND DIGITAL FILES OF PHOTOS, ESSAYS, POEMS, LETTERS, ARTWORK, AND MEMORIALS TO THE MOON ON A ROCKET.” — D AV I D VA N D E V E L D E

“An example of that could be, ‘I took out the garbage without being asked,’ or ‘I helped my grandmother with yardwork,’” David says. “We want to promote people being kind and recognize them for their kindness.”

No material will go into space unless it has the random act of kindness noted on it. Participants may send their items to PledgeAgainstBullying@ aol.com and they will be put onto the microSD chip. Start sending your items now. Students will need a parent’s signature on the photo or essay to ensure they have permission to send it on the rocket. There also will be a certificate to acknowledge participation in the project.

Another positive element of this project in these days of information being shared so easily is that nothing included in the project can be found anywhere electronically or on paper.

“No one can see it,” David says. “Nothing is searchable on the internet.”

The purpose of this huge project is to spread the

Want to learn more?

116 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

word about the anti-bullying program and its successes.

Many students tell David and Ira they feel safer and stronger at school because they know they can go to one of the students with the white “AntiBullying Program” badge on their backpack and that student will help. The student resource officer at Leesburg High School found that seeing students with no tags on their backpacks made the job a little easier to be aware of students who might be troublesome.

David says he spoke with a martial arts teacher recently and learned as many as 80 percent of martial arts students attend classes because they’ve been bullied.

Gary Wayne, the instructor, is now promoting the program.

“Bullying is a universal problem,” says Ron Janssen, district governor for Rotary International. “That’s why we’re expanding the program to other counties in the state. We have also learned success is dependent on the school administration, law enforcement, students, and Rotary all working together, hand in hand, toward this common goal.”

pledgeagainstbullying.com

Knowing what the moonshot means to students at LHS, as the pilot school, Michael says, “It is rare for students to have the opportunity to say that part of their high school legacy is having one of their commitments sent to the moon. However, the students of Leesburg High School now have that opportunity thanks to the Pledge Against Bullying Program.”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” David adds.

“Remember, the company carrying our cannister is also the company that took the Tesla up in a rocket. The actual flight will be streamed.

We hope to see the module on the moon. Older people like us remember when they went to the moon the first time. This is just as exciting to me.”

The three Rotary Clubs of Leesburg partnered on this project to give it a stronger focus.

“The awareness created by this movement means the kids are talking to each other,” Ira says. “The communication between students and student resource officers has also increased. This is very good.”

WE ARE MAKING

AN IMPACT AND SUCCESS END BULLYING - PEOPLE OF ACTION

Principal M. Randolph

Teacher Chef John Bell

Commissioner Peggy Choudhry

Jalen Hodge

Pilot John Carlilie

Rotary Governor Ron Janssen

THANK YOU

PARTNERS IN PLEDGE AGAINST BULLYING Celebration High School City of Leesburg Jalen Hodge

Style Magazine Athena Choudhry CHS Police Chief Bob Hicks

Springstead High School Sheriff Peyton Grinnell Lane Daivs

Leesburg Rotary Clubs Kathy Feliz CHS Pilot John Carlile

GET YOUR ESSAY/PHOTO

ON THE MOON MOON LANDING MID-2020

•

Submissions are free to enter.

•

Each student in the Leesburg, FL City limit is eligible. (must be in Elementary/Middle/High School/Home schooled)

•

Include your Act of Random Kindness.

•

Your digital essay/photo will be stored in a time capsule canister forever on the moon surface.

For more information go to PledgeAgainstBullying.com 352-205-6194 PledgeAgainstBullying.com PledgeAgainstBullying@aol.com

TOGETHER WE

CONNECT | INSPIRE | TRANSFORM | END BULLYING

118 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

119

p.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! PLAN YOUR TRIP! BE SEEN IN LAKE AND SUMTER! | EVENTS. TRAVEL. PEOPLE.

agenda

120

123

124

128

130

THE TO-DO LIST What’s happening this month.

LOCAL TALENT Chris Treick keeps ladies fashionable.

NEAR & FAR Visit history with two remarkable women.

SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT Up, up, and away in a beautiful balloon!

HI, SOCIETY! A crowning moment, dragonboats ahoy, a tasty tour of town.

THE TO-DO LIST

may.

2019

EVENTS

Hunt country horse shows It’s Derby Days at the Hunt Country Horse Shows at Grand Oaks Resort. See hunter/jumper riders challenged to jump safely in a broad spectrum of classes and divisions. Grade-A rated proficiency shows with great competitiveness, camaraderie, and family fun.

May 3 @ 8am / Grand Oaks Resort 3000 Marion County Road, Lady Lake horseshowsinthepark.com

MAY

4

MUSIC

Mood music

MAY

3-5

The Modernism Museum is featuring jazz and blues singer Laurent Mitchel with pianist Bill Buchanan. The concert will be in the gallery with a sparkling and white wine reception included with admission. Admission: $20 for members; $30 for nonmembers.

May 4 @ 6:30pm / Modernism Museum, 145 E. Fourth St., Mount Dora modernismmuseum.org

120 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

may.ON STAGE

MAY

11

Enjoy quality entertainment on the many stages of Lake and Sumter counties.

THE CENTURY 1970-1999 Clermont Performing Arts Center

5/1 @ 7pm STEEP CANYON RANGERS The Sharon, The Villages

EVENTS

ONE OPEN MARRIAGE The Studio Theatre, The Villages

FIRST DATE: THE MUSICAL Moonlight Players Theatre, Clermont

The Miss Leesburg Scholarship Scramble is at Arlington Ridge Golf Course, 4463 Arlington Ridge Blvd., Leesburg. Registration is at 7am and shotgun start is at 8:15am. The $75 registration fee includes lunch, and there will be awards, prizes, and raffles throughout the day. All proceeds go toward scholarships for Miss Leesburg pageant winners.

For an application or information about the event, see missleesburg.com or call 352.326.4217.

5/10 @ 7pm SOMETHING’S COMING The Studio Theatre, The Villages

ONE NIGHT IN MEMPHIS Clermont Performing Arts Center

FRANKIE PAUL, FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE BLACK BOX Clermont Performing Arts Center

5/2 @ 6pm; 5/3 @ 7pm; 5/4 @ 2 & 7pm THE VILLAGES CHARTER SCHOOL DANCE CONCERT The Sharon, The Villages

MAY

4&5

LOBBY LOUNGE: ANGIE ROSE The Sharon, The Villages

5/11 @ 7pm

5/28 @ 3pm VOCAL MASTER CLASS WITH JUDITH FARRIS The Sharon, The Villages

5/3-19 @ various times

5/13 @ 7pm

5/24-31 @ various times

THE VILLAGES CHARTER SCHOOL BAND CONCERT The Sharon, The Villages

Villages Craft Festival is one of the most popular annual events. Held at Spanish Springs Town Square on Main Street in The Villages, it offers a variety of crafts and art and food vendors.

ACCOMMODATION The Studio Theatre, The Villages A SUPERIOR SHAKESPEARE The Studio Theatre, The Villages

5/9 @ 7pm

A CRAFTY DAY

5/9 @ 2pm

VILLAGES PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: MOMENTS OF OPERA The Sharon, The Villages

5/16 @ 7pm THE VILLAGES CHARTER SCHOOL CHOIR CONCERT The Sharon, The Villages

RIPCORD Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse, Mount Dora

5/30 @ 7pm GROWING BOLDER’S LAUNCHPAD TO WHAT’S NEXT LIVE! The Sharon, The Villages

5/31 @ 8pm SISTER ACT Bay Street Players, Eustis

YOU ARE THERE: THE BEST OF THE REST OF

May 4 & 5 / Spanish Springs Town Square

LINDA EDER The Sharon, The Villages

GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS Clermont Performing Arts Center

THE BOYS NEXT DOOR Melon Patch Theatre, Leesburg FESTIVALS

5/21 @ 7pm; 5/22 @ 2pm

5/22 @ 7pm

5/11 @ 4pm

5/3 @ 8pm

Events are subject to change and cancellation.

5/18 @ 7:30pm

5/10 @ 8pm

May 11 @ 7am / Arlington Ridge Golf Course 4463 Arlington Ridge Blvd., Leesburg missleesburg.com

ONGOI NG EVENTS

NOW. HERE. THIS. The Studio Theatre, The Villages

5/10 @ 4pm

5/1-12 @ various times

Scholarship scramble

5/16-26 @ 7pm

EVERY MON

EVERY TUE

EVERY SAT

1ST MON

3RD WED

Webster’s Farmer’s Market 6am-2pm, 524 North Market Blvd., Webster

Lady Lake Farmer’s Market 9am1pm, Lady Lake Log Cabin, 106 S. U.S. Highway 441/27

Brownwood Farmer’s Market 9am1pm, 2726 Brownwood Blvd., Wildwood

Senior Shakedown 1-3pm, Tavares Civic Center, 100 E. Caroline St.

PAWS Reading Dogs W.T. Bland Library, Mount Dora.

3RD THU

Mount Dora Food Trucks downtown Mount Dora.

1ST FRI

Street Party Downtown Eustis, 6-10pm

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 121

THE TO-DO LIST

may.JAMS Move to the beat of one of your favorite performers at one of these great concerts or local venues!

MAY

5/4 @ 7:30pm

5/12 @ 2pm

5/21 @ 7pm

DOUG STONE Orange Blossom Opry, Weirsdale

AIRTIGHT WITH MARC CLERMONT Lakeridge Winery

LINDA ELDER The Sharon, The Villages

5/8 @ 2pm

5/12 @ 7:30pm

KEVIN DANZIG Lucky’s Market, Clermont

DEFENDERS OF DAISIES Ruby Street Grille, Tavares

GREG PANDO Mojo Grill and Catering, Belleview

5/8 @ 7:30pm

31

JEFF WHITFIELD Ruby Street Grille, Tavares

5/8 @ 9pm TRACKSIDE BAND Margarita Republic, The Villages

FESTIVALS

Would you like to ride?

If you’d like a ride in a beautiful balloon, head to The Villages Balloon Festival. It begins Friday and continues Saturday-Sunday, June 1-2. Vendors, arts, crafts, the “Bottoms up Beer Garden” for grownups, and the Kids Zone with free entertainment for children. Sponsored by The Villages Polo Club, the event is at the polo field. There will be hotair balloon flights, tethered balloon rides, and live entertainment. See Social Spotlight, Pg. 128.

TRACKSIDE BAND Crossroads 44, Eustis

GREG PANDO Mojo Grill and Catering, Belleview

5/11 @ 10am THE DAVE CAPP PROJECT Lakeridge Winery

5/11 @ 2pm ROBERT HARRIS GROUP Lakeridge Winery

5/11 @ 7:30pm JOHN DENVER TRIBUTE Orange Blossom Opry, Weirsdale

5/11 @ 8pm DA BOYS Ruby Street Grille, Tavares

To have an event considered for the calendar, send a short text description along with a color photo (if available) 45 days in advance of event to: calendar@akersmediagroup.com or Lake & Sumter Style Calendar, P.O. Box 490088, Leesburg, FL 34749

5/12 @ 10am

122 /

Open House 6-8pm Mount Dora History Museum, 450 Royellou Lane

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

5/17 @ 8pm BLUE STONE CIRCLE Ruby Street Grille, Tavares

5/18 @ 11am CARL ADCOX Yalaha Bootlegging Company, Yalaha

5/18 @ 1pm MAIDEN VOYAGE BAND Lake Harris Hideaway, Tavares

5/18 @ 2:30pm & 7:30pm JIMMY FORTUNE Orange Blossom Opry, Weirsdale EAST SIDE ROCK Oasis Saloon, Sorrento

NEIL DIAMOND TRIBUTE Orange Blossom Opry, Weirsdale

5/25 @ 8pm LONIE CARTER Crossroads 44, Eustis

5/25 @ 8pm DA BOYS Ruby Street Grille, Tavares

5/26 @ 1pm JIMMY HUNTER Lake Harris Hideaway, Tavares

5/26 @ 1pm CARL ADCOX Yalaha Bootlegging Company, Yalaha

5/29 @ 7:30pm JEFF WHITFIELD Ruby Street Grille, Tavares

5/30 @ 7pm GREG PANDO Mojo Grill and Catering, Belleview

5/31 @ 9pm 10,000 PAPERCUTS Frank’s Place, Leesburg

5/31 @ 9 LONIE CARTER McGregor’s Bar, Mount Dora

SHADES OF BUBLÉ SeaBreeze Recreation Center, The Villages 1ST SAT

Movie in the Park Free family movie starts at dusk in Donnelly Park, downtown Mount Dora.

5/25 @ 7:30pm

5/19 @ 6pm

5/12 @ 1pm

2ND FRI

Acoustic Music Hear local musicians free from 7-9pm at Leesburg Center for the Arts, 429 W. Magnolia St.

GREG PANDO Mojo Grill and Catering, Belleview

5/18 @ 9pm

UFC JAZZ PROFESSORS Lakeridge Winery CARL ADCOX Yalaha Bootlegging Company, Yalaha

Art in the Alley Features artists and performers on the sidewalks of downtown Mount Dora, 6-8pm

5/15 @ 7:30pm

5/16 @ 7pm

5/10 @ 8pm

Let us help you get the word out!

THE VILLAGES PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA The Sharon, The Villages JEFF WHITFIELD Ruby Street Grille, Tavares

5/9 @ 7pm

May 31 @ 7:30am-11pm / The Villages Polo Club 703 N. Buena Vista Blvd., The Villages thevillagesballoonfestival.com

5/13 @ 7pm

5/23 @ 7pm

Wine Tasting Stroll 6-8pm, Starts at Maggie’s Attic on Alexander Street and 4th Avenue.

2ND SAT

Food Truck N Flick Night Entertainment, Leesburg Towne Square.

4TH SAT

Classic Car Cruise-In downtown Eustis.

LOCAL TALENT

PEOPLE

Heading to the finish Hatmaker Chris Treick keeps Derby fans in style.

STORY: CHRIS GERBASI

≈ PHOTO: NICOLE HAMEL

hris Treick has never been to the Kentucky Derby, but she turns heads there every year.

Chris is a milliner, a designer of women’s hats. It’s a bit of a lost art, but spring is her busiest time: she is handcrafting about 75 custom hats for fans attending the May 4 horse race.

Rather than flamboyance, Chris prefers a classic yet contemporary style. Working from scratch in her home studio in The Villages, she creates spring hats made of high-quality straw and designed with her signature pleats and

embellishments of silk bows, flowers, or feathers. For winter hats, she uses fur or wool felt.

“I love the style. I love the way they finish off an outfit. They frame a face. They really are a great accent to someone,” she says.

Chris formerly worked as a clothing designer with Nike, Columbia Sportswear, and Pendleton. She became fascinated with millinery about 10 years ago when she walked into a Los Angeles shop and discovered a trove of antique supplies. Millinery became a sideline business, growing organically through her website, luminataco.etsy.com.

The popularity of TV’s “Downton Abbey” gave Chris the chance to work with her favorite style, the cloche, or bell-shaped hats, from the 1920s flapper era. Her worldwide clientele also buys hats for the Preakness and Belmont horse races, as well as races in England and Australia, and weddings and garden parties.

But the Kentucky Derby stands head and shoulders above the rest. Chris’ bucket list includes a trip to Churchill Downs in Louisville for the Derby.

“I just love seeing and working with my clients and having them be so pleased with the end result. That’s the highlight for me,” Chris says. “There’s a hat for everybody. You just have to find the right one.”

Check out Chris' collection.

luminataco.etsy.com

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 123

NEAR & FAR

TRAVEL

Women of

vision The phrase ‘ordinary women doing extraordinary things’ is repeated at each of the historical sites where two women who changed the world are honored and memorialized.

STORY: MARY ANN DESANTIS

124 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

usan B. Anthony and Rosa Parks could not have been more different. One was Northern, the other Southern; one attended a Philadelphia boarding school while the other attended a segregated school where she cleaned classrooms to pay her tuition. “Ordinary women who did extraordinary things” may sound like a catchphrase, but for Anthony and Parks, it sums up their lives like no other words can. Visitors to the distinctly different museums honoring them will leave in awe of how these tiny, but mighty, women made a difference for all the women (and men) who followed them.

The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House ROCHESTER, NEW YORK susanb.org

Susan B. Anthony house photos by MaryAnn DeSantis

Her $1 coin didn’t last, but Susan B. Anthony’s legacy in securing women’s right to vote did. More than 13,000 visitors annually

come to the brick house at 17 Madison St., where Anthony’s incredible and inspiring story comes to life through interpretive guides. Next year is the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote.

I could almost sense Anthony’s spirit in the 19th-century living room where she was famously arrested after voting in 1872. The officer wanted to take her quietly out the back door to the jail, but Anthony insisted on being handcuffed and paraded down the street just as any other arrestee would be. She would not budge until he relented and put the handcuffs on her.

“She knew how to use publicity,” says Dr. Linda Lopata, director of Interpretation and Visitor Services.

Anthony was born in Massachusetts but she came to the boomtown of Rochester via the Erie Canal. She was incredibly well-traveled, having been to Europe three times. When Anthony went

More than

13k

The Susan B. Anthony House

people visit the home annually.

The parlor of the Susan B. Anthony House

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 125

NEAR & FAR

The Rosa Parks Museum

Photo by MaryAnn DeSantis

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA troy.edu

126 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

The quiet, sparsely decorated lobby of the Rosa Parks Museum in downtown Montgomery belies what lies ahead when the doors open to reveal the museum itself. The full-size bus is a dramatic backdrop for a video about Rosa Parks and how she became known as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.”

Located on the actual site where Parks was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man, the museum opened Dec. 1, 2000, the 45th anniversary of Parks’ arrest.

The property was slated to become a parking lot,

Photo by MaryAnn DeSantis

to Wyoming to do a lecture, she told her hosts to “look for a woman who has a red shawl and an alligator purse.”

“She believed every woman should have her own purse,” Dr. Lopata says. “She never married despite having more than 20 proposals.”

The home on the quiet street also was the headquarters of the National American Woman Suffrage Association while Anthony was the organization’s president. Today, the National Historic Landmark Home is the repository for exhibits and artifacts related to Anthony’s life and work. The interpretive programs aim to inspire and challenge visitors to make a positive difference as Anthony did. Not only did her causes include women’s suffrage, but she also worked for other reforms, including temperance and abolition. She was close friends with Clara Barton, who founded the Red Cross.

Visitors to the home will see the upstairs bedroom where Anthony died at age 86 in 1906, following her “Failure Is Impossible” speech in Baltimore.

Anthony is buried at a nearby Rochester cemetery where voters—especially women—make a pilgrimage following national elections and leave their “I Voted” stickers on her grave.

“When Hillary (Clinton) ran in 2016, there was a groundswell of people at the gravesite,” Dr. Lopata remembers. “It was an incredible energy and very special to be a part of.”

The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House is supported primarily through the contributions of its members and donors. It is not affiliated with other organizations bearing Anthony’s name.

Left: The restored 1955 Montgomery City Lines bus is one of two remaining from the Montgomery fleet. The other 1955 bus currently resides at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, Michigan and was the bus Mrs. Parks was riding on the day she took her courageous stand by sitting.

Below: The restored 1955 Chevy station wagon (Rolling Church) – 19 Rolling Churches in addition to approximately 300 resident vehicles were used throughout Montgomery as a part of the strategic carpooling system.

Photos provided by the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University.

but Troy University officials believed the property was too significant to let it be lost in history.

Today, the museum is a memorial not only to Parks’ life but also to the lessons learned during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which ended segregation on public transportation nationwide.

The museum’s collection contains historically significant artifacts, including Parks’ original fingerprint arrest record, a 1950s-era Montgomery city bus, original works of art, court documents and police reports, and a restored 1955 station wagon. Known as a “rolling church,” station wagons were used to transport protesters to their jobs in lieu of the buses they refused to board.

The story of the

The museum opened on the

th

45

anniversary of Parks’ arrest. bus boycott is so interesting that museum visitors come away with a new appreciation of the faith and courage it took for many people—not just Parks—to stand up to injustice. For the 382 days of the bus boycott, life wasn’t easy for those who had to find alternate ways to get to work.

Parks worked as a seamstress at Montgomery Fair department store when her story began. Unfortunately, she lost her job and was unable to get work. In 1957, she and her family moved to Detroit, where her brother lived. However, she never saw herself as a victim.

“Rosa defined herself as a protester, not a victim,” the narrative in the opening video explains.

Indeed, she went on to have a fulfilling career in public service as a staff member for U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., of Michigan, and co-founded a nonprofit organization to help young people. Like Anthony, who traveled and lectured about women’s suffrage, Parks traveled the country extensively to lecture on civil rights.

Parks and her family returned to Montgomery to participate in the grand opening and dedication of the museum and library. Three days after her death in 2005, all of the city buses in Montgomery and Detroit honored Parks by reserving their front seats with black ribbons, which remained until she was laid to rest.

The Rosa Parks Museum

Mary Ann has written for Lake & Sumter Style since 2006. She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and a fellow of the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, Napa Valley.

Her travel and wine articles have won several first-place awards from the Florida Press Club.

MARY ANN DESANTIS

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 127

SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT

EVENTS

Up, up, and away Beautiful balloons are flying in for a Villages festival.

STORY: CHRIS GERBASI

an Stukas has flown Air Force supersonic jets and Delta airliners.

But there’s a thrill about piloting a hot-air balloon that other aircraft can’t provide.

“When you take off, no matter how much preparation you’ve given it, there’s an element of adventure that happens with every flight,” Dan says. “It’s not scary adventure, it’s just that the question pops up, ‘Where are you going to land?’ The answer’s always ‘We’re not sure.’”

Dan and his wife, Susan, will float in from their South Carolina home and land in Sumter County to organize The Villages Balloon Festival. The inaugural event is scheduled for May 31-June 2 at The Villages Polo Club, 703 N. Buena Vista Blvd. The festival is open to the public,

128 /

and about 5,000 visitors are expected each day.

Dan and Susan have flown balloons for about 30 years and traveled to many countries.

Dan has won competitions such as the Helen (Georgia) to the Atlantic Race, the only long-distance race for balloons, and Susan is an experienced crew chief.

They connected with The Villages through friends who heard the community wanted to stage a festival.

In 2018, the Polo Club hosted a balloon glow evening event, but this festival has a full daily schedule, ballooning competitions, and more activities.

“Balloon festivals offer an exciting opportunity for an up-close look at hot-air balloons,” says Barbara Warner, one of the organizers of the event. “It’s an enchanting experience to watch balloons in flight as they participate in competitions in and out of the event grounds.”

Anyone who thinks they’ll go up in a balloon “when pigs

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

“THERE’S AN ELEMENT OF ADVENTURE THAT HAPPENS WITH EVERY FLIGHT.” —DAN STUKAS

fly” may want to attend.

Balloons shaped like a pig, a seahorse, and an eagle are expected, Dan says. About 20 balloons will participate in com-

petition flights, tethered rides, and lighted balloon glows. The festival will also offer musical entertainment, arts and crafts, a Kids Zone, food and beverages, and a Saturday appearance by the Gentle Carousel miniature therapy horses.

A tethered balloon ride usually is at less than 40 feet off the ground. Balloon ascensions are planned for early morning and late afternoon, when weather conditions generally are favorable.

But flight times will be determined

by Dan, the “balloon meister,” and his team.

The position requires piloting experience, knowledge of micrometeorology, good decision-making, and strong people skills

to ensure safety and enjoyment for pilots and spectators, he says.

“This is a serious people sport,” Dan says. “You involve everyone in getting the balloon up.”

And after the flight, everyone celebrates the return to earth. Dan and Susan hope the balloon festival is the first of many in The Villages.

“We actually love sharing ballooning, and this is another opportunity to do so,” he says.

IF YOU GO

THE VILLAGES BALLOON FESTIVAL Hours: 1-9pm Friday, May 31, and 6:30am-9:30pm June 1-2. Balloon events start around 6:30am on the weekend but they are weather-dependent.

Tickets: $15, adults; $10, ages 10-18; free, 10 and under. Available at Villages box offices and thevillagesballoonfestival.com.

E N T E R TA I N M E N T (Subject to change)

5/31 @ 1pm BEAUTIFUL BOBBY BLACKMON Blues

5/31 @ 4pm HANDPICKED TRIO Bluegrass

5/31 @ 7pm N-SPIRE Soul/dance variety

6/1 @ noon N-SPIRE Soul/dance variety Photos provided by Dan Stukas

6/1 @ 3pm PENTA Rock

6/1 @ 6pm SELWYN BIRCHWOOD Blues and funk

6/2 @ noon STEELHORSE Country

6/2 @ 3pm CECE TENEAL & SOUL KAMOTION Soul/Motown

6/2 @ 6pm THE HOOLIGANS British rock

Dan Stukas

Do you dream of flying away in a balloon?

Comment on this article or share ideas for new stories at chris@akersmediagroup.com

CHRIS GERBASI

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 129

HI, SOCIETY!

Jonathan Simon and Lisa Reymont

Anita Young and April Kauffman

Amy McCrory, Laura Perry, and Erin Lewin

Barry and Erin Simmons with Sarah and Reeve Wall

J Fernando Ramirez and Vicky Pyle

Katrona and Ricardo Walker

JC Conklin and Ken Britt

Joshua Champion and Ken Britt

A DV E N T H E A LT H WAT E R M A N F O U N DAT I O N R A I S E S M O R E T H A N $ 1 5 0 ,0 0 0 F O R E R @ ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER ≈ PHOTOS: DOUGLAS TYLER. During the 10th annual Celebration of Life Gala for AdventHealth Waterman, guests enjoyed a silent auction, elegant dining, and entertainment by MPire, along with a special drawing for a pair of garnet and diamond earrings. The first phase of the emergency services expansion will be opened this month. All proceeds from the gala supported this campaign.

See all the photos for this event at lakeandsumterstyle.com/hisociety

Janice Epaillard and Amy Doyle-White

E 'S WHER ?!

M Y P IC

Ignore What You’ve Heard Contrary to what many believe, insurance may cover your hearing aids.

If you’re covered by: • BCBS Federal Employee • Empire Plan • UAW • Freedom Health • United Healthcare you may have benefits to take advantage of this year.

Call Today For Your FREE Hearing Screening & Consultation.* *Excludes diagnostic hearing test

352.728.2404 LakeENTHearing.com T H E V I L L AG E S • L E E S B U R G • TAVA R E S

HI, SOCIETY!

Karon Roberts and Brinda Sims

Kathy Fik and Carol Mazzenga

Sarah Bouthner and Harry Yarger

Brinda, Daphne, Victoria, Gina, Leyton, Brian, Wyatt, and Sandon Ward, with Gary Lester and Carlos Ortiz

Jim and Diane Bastome

Brinda Sims and Nancy Dudley

B A B E T T E ’ S E X PA N D S T O A N E W S T O R E I N B R OW N WO O D PA D D O C K S Q UA R E

Carlos Ortiz

132 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

@ BROWNWOOD PADDOCK SQUARE ≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL. Popular furniture and décor store Babette’s Furniture & Home has opened a new location in Brownwood Paddock Square in The Villages. The 12,000-square-foot showroom features the same quality furniture and home décor found in the Leesburg store. The grand opening was truly a celebration of 30 years of serving this area with an unparalleled reputation for quality and service.

See all the photos for this event at lakeandsumterstyle.com/hisociety

Maureen Steffani and Fran Meyers

E 'S WHER ?!

M Y P IC

14TH ANNUAL

Stepping Out For

Education LOCAL CELEBRITIES COMPETE ON THE BALLROOM FLOOR

Nan Cobb

Chief Charles Broadway

Owner, Cobb’s Tractor

Clermont Police Dept.

Diane Kornegay

Jim Miller

Lake County Schools Superintendent

Grizzard Commercial RE Group

Alise Morris

Representative Anthony Sabatini

Business Development Florida House Manager, Ernie Morris Enterprises

TWO FULL PERFORMANCES! $150red r Prefaetingeal, Se urse m o s a 7 cer bar and e d u l c In ne & be ote for wi nce to v a cha he winner. t

Friday, July 26, 2019 or Saturday, July 27, 2019 Mission Inn • Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida For tickets: www.edfoundationlake.com or 352-326-1265

Hosted by

Hosted by The Educational Foundation of Lake County. Benefiting the teachers and students in Lake County Schools

HI, SOCIETY!

Dee Johns, Don Xoder, and Carl Lueck

The Allen Family Debbie Esposito, Nina Esposito, Kat Meyer, and Danielle Rispoli

Jimmy and Andrew

Brian, Kelsie, and Bailie

Cathie, Jenn, Joe, and Joey Guinto

O N C E AG A I N , T H E H I S T O R I C D R AG O N B OAT S W E R E O N L A K E D O R A AT D R AG O N F E S T 2 01 9 ≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL. They may not have been Vikings, but their dragonboats performed beautifully on Lake Dora during DragonFest 2019. Hosted by Lake County Golden Triangle Rotary Club, the colorful event featured dragonboat races, an arts and crafts fair, live entertainment, a car show, a 5K road race, and multiple food vendors. It was a great day of fun on water and land.

@ WOOTEN PARK

134 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

See all the photos for this event at lakeandsumterstyle.com/hisociety

Nancy Zinkofsky, Garrain Elhallak, Ruth Jones, Kathy Yarbrough, Joseph Heintzelman, and Sandra Guckenberger

E 'S WHER ?!

M Y P IC

HI, SOCIETY!

Corey and Misty Abbott

Joanie and Jason Smalley Nanci and Marc Robertz Schwartz

Shawnn and Lorie Lynch

Melonie Henderson with Denise and Jimmy Burry

John Mayfield

Jessi Flinn and Lyndsi Johnson

Melisa Franklin Janet Galbreath and Leslie Stewart

Rhonda Pincus

A N ELEGA NT EV ENING EN DS W I T H T H E C R OW N I N G O F T H E K ING A N D QU EEN ≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL. Mardi Gras is one of the most popular celebrations in Leesburg, and one of the highlights is the crowning of the king and queen. This year’s royalty was King Rex, Steve Bell, and Queen Divine, Lyndsi Johnson. All guests wore formal attire or costumes and enjoyed the music of Hypersona. The royals were crowned at the Leesburg Boat Club.

See all the photos for this event at lakeandsumterstyle.com/hisociety

Joe Shipes and Mary Tananto

@ LEESBURG BOAT CLUB

136 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

E 'S WHER ?!

M Y P IC

BUILDING UNIQUE POOLS We know that every single customer is unique— Building Unique Pools is our company motto—and so every project we undertake is delivered to a client’s signature set of personal tastes and, where necessary, solves any challenges their property may present.

Wiseman Pools is a family-ownedand-operated, licensed residential and commercial swimming pool builder with an extensive portfolio of projects. From the small—fountains and in-ground spas. To the large— million dollar installations with multiple pools and spas. Our customers, large and small, demand a quality swimming pool for a fair price.

And we deliver.

352-431-3766

1517 W Main St., Leesburg www.WisemanPools.com CPC1457504

7KLV ZDV RXU ȴ UVW H[SHULHQFH ZLWK D SRRO DQG WKDWȇV ZK\ ΖȇP VR JUDWHIXO ZH went with Wiseman Pools because the company has an extremely friendly and WDOHQWHG VWD΍ 7KH\ ZHUH UHDGLO\ DYDLODEOH WKURXJKRXW WKH SURMHFW DQG HQWKX VLDVWLFDOO\ DQVZHUHG RXU TXHVWLRQV RU DGGUHVVHG RXU FRQFHUQV Ζ ZRXOG KLJKO\ recommend the company to anyone who wants a pool.

—VALERIE RHOADES, THE VILLAGES

HI, SOCIETY!

Nick Retenio

Kim Gordon “Spice and Tea Exchange”

Josh Oakley of “1921” and Michael Ondrasik

Sine and Lincoln Wallace with Jodie McEwen and Kim Stewart

Kevin McEwen, Jodie McEwen, Ray Villegas, and Kim Stewart

Ella Brignani and Sophia Kainz

Jeanette and Linda Bukland with Michael and Kate Ondrasik

Gregg Case and Roger Krause

A F L AVO R F U L E V E N T F O R T H E W H O L E T OW N T O C E L E B R AT E —TA S T E O F MOUNT DORA @ SUNSET PARK ≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL. It’s always a culinary treat when everyone gets a taste of the best eating places in town. The 19th annual Taste of Mount Dora was no exception. Downtown streets were closed and residents and visitors were able to casually stroll through Sunset Park and taste the treats from 20 local restaurants. There was also a silent auction and some great games of chance, as well as live entertainment.

138 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

See all the photos for this event at lakeandsumterstyle.com/hisociety

Chris Marsha and Whenzdei Bixby

E 'S WHER ?!

M Y P IC

Your Solution to Social Media

Social Media Management Over 700 billion minutes are being spent monthly on Facebook alone, making social media the most powerful venue for engagement. Allow Akers Media to evaluate your business, discover where your key customers are and develop and plan to grow your business through social media management.

Call us today for a free consultation

352.787.4112 akersmediagroup.com

HI, SOCIETY!

Dan Smith with horses Walker and Terry

Pete, Dog Bear, Bill and Tammy Kelley

Back row: Mary Kay and Rich Fritts Front row: Jasmine, Bryanna, Laura, and Seth Lachance

Mike and Kim Poirier

Curley Leclere and Ray Cassapy

Dana Christensen, Tori, and Garrett Cannon

John and Sonya Babb

Sheila and Dan Gibson

D R A F T H O R S E S S T R U T T H E I R S T R E N GT H AT T H E NAT I O NA L D R A F T P U L L I N G C H A M P I O N S H I P @ THE VILLAGES ≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL. The Southern Draft Horse Association sponsored the National Draft Pulling Championship, featuring more than 45 teams of sturdy workhorses at The Villages Polo Club. The sport of horse pulling is simply that—a team of horses pulling heavy loads. The best horses in this competitive sport are worked daily to prepare for the contests. Some may think it’s not good for these horses to be pulling such heavy loads, but the truth is, draft horses were bred to handle weight and pulling. The winning lightweight team was Durgin Pulling and the winning heavyweight team was Roger and Smock.

140 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

See all the photos for this event at lakeandsumterstyle.com/hisociety

Brian and Jenny Goss

E 'S WHER ?!

M Y P IC

p.

141

menu

DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW FOR YOUR KITCHEN, GET THE SCOOP ON EATING OUT, AND TOAST THE WINE! | FOOD. DRINKS. REVIEWS.

142

144

146

148

IN THE KITCHEN Cooking class time with Chef Lynn.

FORK ON THE ROAD Savor sandwiches at Deli Llama.

SALUTÉ Smell the roses and the wines!

DINING GUIDE Restaurants to engage any appetite.

IN THE KITCHEN

FOOD

Homeschooled Culinary instructor Lynn Beacher leads cooking classes in her Mount Dora kitchen.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

ynn Beacher had an aha moment when she watched her then-teenage daughter Alex become frustrated trying to get an entrée and side dishes done—all at the same time—for a family meal.

Her daughter’s struggle was a catalyst for Lynn to start Orlando Cooking Classes in 2010 and help cooks throughout the metro area feel more at ease in the

kitchen. She offers personalized, hands-on classes for individuals, couples, or small groups in her galley kitchen at her Mount Dora home.

Clients learn cooking and kitchen tips as they follow recipes to prepare a complete meal of an appetizer, main course, side dish, and dessert. Lynn’s dishes feature fresh ingredients based on clients’ taste and dietary needs.

“The best compliment is people say I make it look easy,” she says. “I love cooking, so this is not a burden for me. I love meeting

≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL people, and I just love what I do.”

Some of her clients take her class to celebrate an anniversary, a date night, or a girls’ day out. (Two Style staffers found it’s a fun way to enjoy a delicious meal).

Lynn’s No. 1 tip: Read a recipe first before you do anything. Get your ingredients out. “If you are searching for ingredients while you are making it, you’re making it harder on yourself,” she says.

The self-taught cook has taken numerous cooking courses and online classes

from top chefs over the years, and she continues to do so.

“You want to stay on top of your game, and there is so much knowledge out there,” she says.

Some of Lynn’s favorite childhood memories are the times at her Italian grandparents’ home for big family meals. “Everybody was always cooking, and that is where memories are created,” she says.

Each cooking class ends with clients and chef Lynn dining together over the meal they made. To learn more, visit orlandocookingclasses.com.

LY N N ’ S FA S T A N D J U I C Y HERB CHICK EN WITH K ALE, T O M AT O , A N D F E TA S A L A D HERB CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

142 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

4

6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1

teaspoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1

teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or you can use dried herbs, such as oregano, basil, thyme)

4

tablespoons olive oil

1

teaspoon sea salt

12

/

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1

lemon, juiced

C H O C O L AT E AVO C A D O PUDDING INGREDIENTS

3

large avocados, soft and ripe

14

/

cup cacao powder

3

6 tablespoons coconut milk

1

teaspoon vanilla extract

2

teaspoons coconut oil

2

tablespoons raw honey Whipped cream

DIRECTIONS

“I LOVE COOKING, SO THIS IS NOT A BURDEN FOR ME. I LOVE MEETING PEOPLE, AND I JUST LOVE WHAT I DO.”

Combine avocado, cacao powder, coconut milk, vanilla, coconut oil, and honey in a blender or food processor.

Blend on high for 1 minute or until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. For a pretty presentation, Lynn tops individual servings with whipped cream, a drizzle of honey, and maraschino cherry on top.

FA N F AV E !

CHEF LYNN'S CLOSE FRIENDS RAVE OVER THIS RECIPE.

— LY N N BEACH ER

DIRECTIONS

SALAD INGREDIENTS

Heat panini press or grill pan over medium-high heat. Wash and pat dry chicken. One at a time place the chicken on the cutting board and tenderize/ pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness. It’s not necessary to tenderize if the chicken breast is already 1/4-inch in thickness. In a nonreactive bowl, add all seasonings, olive oil, juiced lemon. Place chicken in mixture to coat. Place the chicken in the press. (You may be able to cook several at once, depending on your press or pan). Cook until cooked through about 4 minutes. If you use a grill pan, the cooking time will be longer and chicken will need to be turned over after 3 minutes and cook 3 minutes longer.

1

bunch dinosaur kale

1

English cucumber, peeled and sliced to chunks

2

tomatoes, chopped

12

/

cup feta cheese, crumbled

1

garlic clove, minced Dressing ingredients Extra virgin olive oil

2

tablespoons red wine vinegar Salt Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Remove thick stem and spine from kale. Season kale with salt and drizzle of olive oil. Grill kale until wilted, along with grilling the cucumber and tomatoes,

about 2-3 minutes. Remove from grill and chop. Place kale, cucumber, and tomato mixture in large bowl with 1/2 cup feta cheese, and the minced garlic.

Making the dressing: whisk together 4 tablespoons olive oil, red vinegar, pinch of salt and pepper. Toss salad with the dressing. For a pretty plate, Lynn likes to sprinkle some feta cheese on top of the salad and chicken.

Hey, readers! Do you have a favorite dish or funny cooking story?

Tell me about it! Email me at theresa@akersmediagroup.com

THERESA CAMPBELL

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 143

FORK ON THE ROAD

t’s exciting to visit a restaurant that offers a variety of craft sandwiches and unique menu items, and the Deli Llama in Tavares does just that—inside the 124 E. Alfred St. building that once was the popular Lama Grocery/1950s single-pump gas station.

The interior of this eatery features a cool vibe with a retro 1960s atmosphere and vintage décor. Owners Brent and Michelle Williams added an “L” to the Lama name to pay tribute to the former business when they opened the restaurant in December 2018, and they have been thrilled by the positive reviews on social media from fans who rave over the sandwiches and cozy atmosphere.

“Our lunches get kind of crazy, which is nice,” Michelle says. Her husband of nearly 25 years can be seen behind the counter making the pressed paninis, while Michelle cooks up to 8 pounds of pulled pork a day, and 20 pounds of turkey every three days for the housemade meats for the sandwiches.

“Brent has wanted to open a sandwich shop for the last 20-plus years. We both like to cook, we both eat out a lot, and we REVIEWS

Tantalizing the taste buds Former Lama Grocery/gas station is now Deli Llama a bustling sandwich shop where diners rave over paninis and appetizers.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

144 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

≈ PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL

really like good food,” she says.

The pair had fun experimenting with and creating their menu items.

“We would just start talking about different types of sandwiches, and it was, ‘Let’s do this, and let’s do that,’” Michelle says.

The Deli Llama’s most requested panini is the Hot Mess, which features Italian ham capicola, house-made turkey, a three-cheese blend, arugula, and cherry peppers.

“People love that it’s so different,” Michelle says, adding that another highly requested sandwich is the Llama Cuban

(one of her favorites), filled with ham, pork, salami, Swiss and cream cheese, pickles, and Cuban mustard sauce. All of the shop’s hearty paninis are pressed on a nine-inch French hoagie; the breads come from DF Bakery in Winter Garden.

Deli Llama is not your average sandwich shop. The ingredients in the craft sandwiches are not for people who seek something plain, Michelle says.

“I would say, ‘Picky eaters beware,’” she says. “The best compliment has been that our sandwiches are amazing. A lot of people are excited that we do different things, like the cheese and meat boards at night. Nobody does it around here the way that we do.”

Deli Llama’s meat and cheese boards are served with crackers, seasonal fruits, nuts, and jams.

The DIY hummus plate on the menu attracted my attention. Diners are given a pestle and mortar to grind their own hummus, which makes it fun to do. This appetizer was served with tasty, warm pita bread wedges and fresh carrots and celery sticks.

Another unique appetizer on the menu is goats on a date—prosciutto-wrapped

vintage lamps were brought straight dates stuffed with goat cheese and from home. topped with pecans, basil, and a bal“The Budweiser lamp was given to us samic glaze. by a customer that we hardly knew, so My lunch companion chose a douthat was cool,” Michelle says of the light ble-decker panini—which she declared fixture that hangs from the ceiling. tasty and flavorful—piled high with ham, “The cigarette sign was here when it capicola, Swiss, cheddar, and cream was Lama Grocery,” Michelle adds of the cheese, pickles, and mustard pressed sign above a spacious wall cooler that between sourdough bread. stores a wide array of beers, wine, and We love that this restaurant also has other beverages. unique paninis for the sweet tooth, inMichelle remembers when Lama cluding the Nutella Smash with Nutella, Grocery was a popular hangout and the cream cheese, raspberry preserves, “go-to” place for fried egg rolls and fried and chocolate Rice Krispies, and the chicken wings, as well as sandwiches, P’Nut Banana Crunch with peanut coffee, ice cream, and gasoline. butter, banana, spiced honey, and Cap’n “That was many, many years ago,” she Crunch cereal. says. “My kids used to come here all the The retro atmosphere of Deli Llama time, when they is reminiscent went to the school of a cozy coffee down the street.” shop—one where EXTRA! EXTRA! Now her grown the “Friends” TV Owners Michelle and Brent Williams children, ages 22 cast would have felt also own Mr. Williams Tattoo Co. and 24, are pleased right at home—and in downtown Tavares. During slow the building has the Williamses hear times at Deli Llama, Brent goes been revitalized and raves about their over and does tattoos and then he comes back to make Deli Llama’s has come to life as cozy nooks with famous sandwiches.

Tavares’ trendy chairs, toys, and sandwich shop. books. The

Deli Llama 124 E. Alfred St., Tavares / 352.508.5044 Hours: Tue-Thu 11am-8pm; Fri 11am-9pm; Sat noon-9pm; Sun-Mon closed / Menu prices: $6-$9.50.

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 145

SALUTÉ

DRINKS

Stop and smell the…floral wines If you love to stop and smell the flowers, then you will love these aromatic white wines.

STORY: MARY ANN DESANTIS

ow that swimsuit season is upon us, it’s time for lighter menus and lighter wines. If you are tired of citrusy sauvignon blancs and full-bodied chardonnays with your salad and seafood dishes, you may want to try something different and possibly even more delicious. Floral wines are a little harder to find locally but are worth the effort, especially if you are looking for something to pair with spicy sushi or grilled fish.

Highly aromatic wines often are described as floral or flowery. Traditional winemaking methods characterize the wines most familiar to us— chardonnays, sauvignon blancs, cabernets—and most get their aromas from the fermenting or aging processes. Aromatic wines, however, get their characteristics from the wine grape. White wines tend to have more floral aromas

146 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

than reds, and that is Mother Nature doing her job.

Aromatic whites have high levels of terpenes, an aroma compound which includes the same scents found in flowers.

The aroma of terpenes can range from sweet and floral to resinous and herbaceous.

Rose and lavender, as well as lychee, are common aromas found in gewürztraminer and riesling wines. When drinking a pinot noir, you may get a whiff of roses or your pinot gris may have a scent of white flowers like lilies.

It’s a mistake to think all floral wines are syrupy sweet.

The good ones—particularly those from France’s Alsace region or Oregon and Washington—are wellbalanced and perfect matches for food, particularly seafood and spicy Asian food. The best news is they do not have to be expensive to be good.

If you’ve never tried gewürztraminer, you’re in for a treat. The wine is silky, smooth, and can seem sweet upon first taste.

Take a bit of spicy sushi

TAS T I N G NOTES DEFINED

“FLORAL WINES ARE A LITTLE HARDER TO FIND LOCALLY BUT ARE WORTH THE EFFORT.”

Sources: Winefolly.com and “Wine Tasting: A Professional Handbook,” by Ronald S. Jackson, 2017.

roll and a sip of wine—it’s a party in your mouth! The flavors of both the wine and the food complement each other perfectly. Not only is gewürztraminer hard to pronounce, it can be difficult to find locally.

The best supposedly comes from the Alsace region near the Rhine River, but the Pacific Northwest offers some delicious options.

Chateau Ste. Michelle’s in Washington’s Columbia Valley produces an aromatic and spicy gewürztraminer that

is found locally and sells for about $12.

A surprisingly aromatic pinot gris is Cedar and Salmon Pinot Gris from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

Pinot Gris is the preeminent white wine of Oregon, which produces lively, pear-flavored wines that may carry a touch of sweetness. The recently released 2018 Cedar and Salmon Pinot Gris is dry, however, and well-balanced with stone fruit aromas like peach and nectarine. It’s a refreshing springtime wine

Floral/Flowery Wines, especially white wines, are described as “floral” if their aromas are characteristic of flowers. Roses and citrus blossom are two complex aromas desirable in gewürztraminers and rieslings.

that pairs well with roasted chicken, sushi, and, of course, grilled salmon. The suggested retail price is $18.99.

With the arrival of warm weather, take time to stop and smell the roses…and maybe the terpenes in the wine.

THE E GRAP

GEWÜRZTRAMINER A pink-skinned grape variety, gewürztraminer produces some of the world’s most aromatic wines. The floral scents are intense but the wines produced from this grape are low in acidity. Literally translated, gewürztraminer means “spiced Traminer,” which suggests the grape may have originated in Tramin (Termeno) in Italy’s Alto Adige region. The grand cru vineyards of Alsace are said to produce the best gewürztraminer grapes and serve as a benchmark for all others. Oregon and Washington state also are recognized for their gewürztraminer.

Mary Ann has written for Lake & Sumter Style since 2006. She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and a fellow of the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, Napa Valley.

Her travel and wine articles have won several first-place awards from the Florida Press Club.

MARY ANN DESANTIS

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 147

DINING GUIDE

dine

OUT Whatever your favorite dish, you can find a great place that serves it in this area. Check out what's nearby or take a little drive to a new place!

Denotes locations where you can find Lake & Sumter Style

A S TAT U L A Race Car Diner 25641 Monroe St. 352.253.6940 ASTOR Blackwater Inn Williams Landing 55716 Front St. 352.759.3802 Castaways Restaurant 23525 US SR 40 352.759.2213 Sparky’s Place Restaurant 24646 SR 40 352.759.3551 William’s Landing 55716 Front St. 352.759.2802 BUSHNELL Chuck’s Odd Cuples Café 117 W Belt Ave 352.568.0408 Hong Kong Restaurant 2229 W CR 48 (352) 568-8888 Howie’s Family Restaurant 840 N. Main St. 352.793.8582

148 /

TJ’s Family Restaurant 412 W. Belt Ave 352.793.8877

Friar Tuck 16640 Cagan Crossings Blvd.

352.404.6818

CLERMONT

G’s NY Pizza 12346 Roper Blvd.

352.243.8900

801 City Grille 801 Montrose St. 352.394.6911 Akina Sushi Bar & Asian Fusion Bistro 4300 S. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.243.8988 Calabria Ristorante 13900 CR 455 407.656.5144 Cheeser’s Palace Café 707 W. Montrose St. 352.404.9431 Corelli Italian Restaurant 1042 E. Hwy. 50 352.989.5924 Devenney’s Irish Pub 16909 High Grove Blvd.

352.432.3925 El Cerro Restaurant 811 W. Hwy. 50 352.241.9884 Flippers Pizzeria 2523 S. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.242.2214

Green Garden 1790 E. Hwy. 50 352.243.2077 Guru Restaurant 2400 S. Hwy. 27 352.241.9884 Legends Grille & Tavern 1700 Legendary Blvd.

352.243.1118 Lilly’s on the Lake 846 W. Osceola St. 352.708.6565 Napolis Pizzeria 556 S. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.243.7500 Robata Japanese Steak House & Sushi Bar 1500 Oakley Seaver Dr. 352.404.9688 Root and Branch Bistro and Bar 1200 Seaver Dr. 352.708.4529 Sanctuary Ridge Bar & Grille 2601 Diamond Club Road 352.243.0411

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Sarah’s Greek Cuisine & More 16640 Cagan Crossings Blvd., Ste. 305 352.404.8031 The Crooked Spoon Gastropub 200 Citrus Tower Blvd.

352.404.4808 Troy’s Cuban & Deli 1200 Oakley Seaver Dr. 352.241.4295 Uncle Kenny’s BBQ 157 Hwy. 27 352.394.1225 EUSTIS 1884 Restaurant & Bar 12 East Magnolia Ave. 1.800.856.1884 Combat Café 1602 N. Hwy. 19 352.483.0250 Haystax Restaurant 15439 Hwy. 441 352.489.0510 Jeannie’s Place 209 E. Gottsche Ave. 352.359.0027 Kiku Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar 15211 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.483.8288

King’s Taste Bar-B-Que 503 Palmetto St. 352.589.0404 LaCabana Mexican Bar and Grill 2060 S. Bay St. 352.357.4600 Nalan Sultan Mediterranean Grill 1 N. Eustis St. 352.357.4444 NightOwl Caribbean Restaurant 929 S. Bay St. 352.589.0256 Stavro’s & Sons of Eustis 2100 W. CR 44 352.589.9100

G R OV E L A N D Coyote Rojo 214 W. Broad St. 352.557.8999 Ikaho Sushi Japanese 7965 SR 50, #900 352.557.8988 James Barbeque 262 W. Orange St. 352.557.4050 Lil Anthony’s Pizza 7965 SR 50 352.429.7499

God Café 300 W. Main St. 352.801.7447

La Hacienda Restaurant 10400 CR 48 352.324.3910

The Crazy Gator 402 N. Bay St. 352.589.5885

Nicker’s Clubhouse Restaurant 10400 CR 48 352.324.2718 L A DY L A K E

The Oyster Troff 936 N. Bay St. 352.357.9939

Bamboo Bistro 700 Hwy. 441 352.750.9998

Tillie’s Tavern & Grill 31 E. Magnolia Ave. 352.602.7929

El Ranchito 1 Lagrande Blvd.

Tony’s Pizza & Subs 2760 E. Orange Ave. 352.589.9001

Lady Lake Harbor Hills Country Club 6538 Lake Griffin Rd. 352.753.7000

F RU I T L A N D PA R K

Mom & Dad’s Italian Restaurant 504 S. U.S. Hwy. 441/27 352.753.2722

Legends Cafe 2468 U.S. Hwy. 441/27 352.728.0006 Rae Rae’s Restaurant 2468 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.323.1595 The Rose Plantation 200 Rose Ave., Fruitland Park 352.805.4340

Frank’s Place 201 N. 1st St. 352.323.1989

H OW EY- I N THE -HILLS

Thai Sushi America 925 N. Bay St. 352.357.1949

ibar-be-que Express 3170 Hwy. 27 352.315.4227

Dance’s BBQ 1707 South Street 352.801.8885

Gator Bay Bar & Grill 10320 CR 44 352.365.2177

JB Boondocks Bar & Grill 704 S. Lakeshore Blvd.

352.324.3600

Fruitland Park Café 3180 US Hwy. 441/27 352.435.4575

Cousin Vinnie’s Family Sports Restaurant 10700 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.253.2442

Red Wing Restaurant 12500 S. SR 33 352.429.2997

Taki’s Pizza House 2824 S. Bay St. 352.357.0022

The Great Pizza Company 23 E. Magnolia Ave. 352.357.7377

Chesapeake Bay Grill 4467 Arlington Ridge Blvd.

352.315.0066

352.750.3335

The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. 514 Hwy. 441 352.614.9000 LEESBURG Cafe Ola 400 N. 14th St. 352.365.0089 Cedar River Seafood 8609 S. U.S. Hwy. 441 352.728.3377

Great Chicago Fire Brewery & Tap Room 311 W. Magnolia St. 352.474.2739 HP Grill 1403 S. 14th St. 352.314.0006 Ichiban Buffet 10301 Hwy. 441 352.728.6669 Johnson’s Pizza Place 4120 Corley Island Rd., Ste. 300 352.801.7250 Kountry Kitchen 1008 W. Dixie Ave. 352.323.0852 La Palma Mexican Grill 1690 Citrus Blvd.

352.323.1444 Lilly’s Super Subs 2339 CR 473 352.343.4663 Magnolia’s Oyster Bar 201 W. Magnolia St. 352.323.0093 Mrs. T’s Place, Southern Restaurant 305 Pine St. 352.431.3217 Naples Italian Restaurant 1107 W. North Blvd.

352.323.1616 Osaka 1401 Citrus Blvd.

352.728.0788 Pine Street Bar-B-Que 408 Pine St. 352.728.1293

Plantation Oaks Restaurant 4720 Plantation Blvd.

352.530.2680

Wrapsody 712 W. Main St. 352.801.7239

Highland Street Café 185 S. Highland St. 352.383.1446

Ramshackle Café 1317 N. 14th St. 352.365.6565

MASCOTTE

Jeremiah’s 500 N. Highland St. 352.383.7444

Rodello’s Italian Restaurant 26736 US Hwy. 27 352.319.8093 San Jose Mexican 1337 S. 14th St. 352.805.4174

Rainbow Restaurant 704 E. Myers Blvd.

352.429.2093 MINNEOLA Jack’s Barbecue 100 S. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.394.2673

Sip Restaurant and Wine Bar 707 W. Main St. 352.435.7840

Lil Anthony’s Pizza 205 N. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.394.1516

Southern Gourmet 314 W. Main St. 352.409.7512

Minneola Grill 117 W. Washington St. 352.394.2555

Stavro's Pizza 755 N. 14th St. 352.326.4202 Stokes Seafood Market and More 719 W. Main St. 352.787.3474 Sully’s Smokehouse 10820 CR 44 352.483.7427 Takis Pizza Restaurant 1205 N. 14th St. 352.787.2344 Mammoth Oak Brewing Company 1107 W. North Blvd.

352.315.0198 The Florida Porch Café 706 W. Main St. 352.365.1717 The Mojo Grill & Catering Co. 9925 US-441 352.787.0494 The Old Time Diner 1350 W. North Blvd.

352.805.4250 Turners 114 S. 5th St. 352.530.2274 Two 09 West Main 209 W. Main St. 352.801.7966 Two Old Hags Wine Shoppe 410 W Main St 352.435.9107 Vic’s Catering 352.728.8989 Wolfy’s 918 N. 14th St. 352.787.6777

Napoli’s Pizzeria 556 Hwy. 27 352.243.7500 The Surf Bar and Grill 650 N. Hwy. 27 202.527.0100 Tiki Bar & Grill 508 S. Main Ave. 352.394.2232 MOUNT DORA 1921 Mount Dora 142 E. Fourth Ave. 352.385.1921 Anthony’s Pizza 17195 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.357.6668 Barnwood Country Kitchen and Smokehouse 3725 W. Old US Hwy 441 352.630.4903 Beauclaire Restaurant at Lakeside Inn 100 N. Alexander St. 352.383.4101 Bocce Pizzeria 925 E. First Ave. 352.385.0067 Café Gianni 425 N. Alexander St. 352.735.3327 Cody’s on 4th Cafe 111 E. 4th Ave. 352.735.8426 Copacabana Cuban Cafe 320 Dora Drawdy Way 352.385.9000 Frog & Monkey English Pub 411 N. Donnelly St. 352. 383.1936

J.K. Thai & Sushi 116 E. 5th Ave. 352.385.5470 Let’s Do Lunch 426 N. Donnelly St. 352.735.4577 Magical Meat Boutique 112 W. Third Ave. 352.729.6911 Mount Dora Pizza & Subs 2718 W. Old U.S. Hwy. 441 352.383.5303 Olive Branch MediterraneanItalian Grille 115 W. 3rd St. 352.729.6734 One Flight Up Coffee, Dessert & Wine Bar 440 N. Donnelly St., Ste. 100 352.758.9818 Pisces Rising 239 W. 4th Ave. 352.385.2669 PizzAmore’ 722 E. 5th Ave. 352.383.0092 Shiva Indian Restaurant 140A W. 5th Ave. 352.735.4555 Sidelines Sport Eatery 315 N. Highland St. 352.735.7433 Sugarboo’s Bar-B-Que 1305 N. Grandview St. 352.735.7675 The Bavarian Haus 433 N. Alexander St. 352.735.8387 The Country Club 1900 Country Club Blvd.

352.735.2263 The Goblin Market 331-B Donnely St. 352.735.0059 Whale’s Tale Fish House 2720 W. Old U.S. Hwy 441 352.385.1500 Zellie’s Pub 4025 N. U.S. Hwy. 19A 352.483.3855

SORRENTO

T H E V I L L AG E S

Del Franco Pizza Place 31436 CR 437 352.383.8882

Amerikano’s Grill 998 Del Mar Dr. 352.633.8027

Lisa’s Kountry Cafe 23911 CR 46 352.735.3380 TAVA R E S Angelo’s Italian Restaurant 2270 Vindale Rd. 352.343.2757 Fish Camp Lake Eustis 901 Lake Shore Blvd.

352.742.4400 Hurricane Dockside Grill 3351 W. Burleigh Blvd.

352.508.5137 Kalua Hale Sand Bar 111 W. Ruby St. 352.609.5910 Lake Dora Sushi & Sake 227 E. Main St. 352.343.6313 Mary’s Kountry Kitchen 15945 CR 448 352.343.6823 O’Keefe’s Irish Pub and Restaurant 115 S Rockingham Ave. 352.343.2157 Palm Gardens Restaurant 1661 Palm Garden St. 352.431.3217 Ruby Street Grille 221 E. Ruby St. 352.742.7829 Sunrise Grill 462 E. Burleigh Blvd.

352.343.7744 The Hideaway 11912 Lane Park Rd. 352.343.3585

Margarita Republic 1102 Main St. 352.753.4600

Belle Glade Country Club 446 Moyer Loop 352.205.8208

Mezza Luna Italian Restaurant and Bar 320 Colony Blvd.

352.753.3824

Bravo Pizza 1080 Lake Sumter Landing 352.430.2394

NYPD Pizzeria 4046 Wedgwood Ln 352.750.1994

Cane Garden Country Club 1726 Bailey Trail 352.750.0627 Chengs Chinese and Sushi Restaurant 4050 Wedgewood Ln. 352.391.9678 China Gourmet III 343 Colony Blvd 352.750.4965 City Fire Brownwood & Paddock Square 352.561.2078 Evans Prairie Country Club 1825 Evan’s Prairie Trail 352.750.2225 Fiesta Grande Mexican Grill 297 Colony Blvd 352.751.0400

Orange Blossom Country Club 1542 Water Tower Circle 352.751.4501 Palmer Legends Country Club 1635 Palmer Way 352.750.4499 RedSauce 1000 Canal St. 352.750.2930 Ricciardi’s Italian Table 3660 Kiessel Rd. 352.391.9939 Sakura 265 Colony Blvd 352.205.7393 Takis Greek and Italian Restaurant 13761 U.S. Hwy. 441 N. 352.430.3630

Giovanni’s 3439 Wedgewood Lane 352.751.6674

The Lighthouse Point Bar and Grille 925 Lakeshore Dr. 352.753.7800

Glenview County Club 3914 Glenview Rd. 352.753.0077

Tierra Del Sol Country Club 806 San Marino Dr. 352.753.8005

Hemingway’s at Havana Country Club 2484 Odell Circle 352.430.3200

VKI Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar 1004 Old Mill Run 352.259.9887

Legacy Restaurant Nancy Lopez Country Club 17135 Buena Vista Blvd.

352.753.1475

U M AT I L L A

Gator’s 9 N. Central Ave. 352.669.6969 Greg’s Haystax 526 Umatilla Blvd.

352.669.1555 Old Crow Real Pit Bar-B-Q 41100 SR 19 352.669.3922 Shanghai 531 N. Central Ave. 352.669.2004 The Mason Jar 37534 State Rd. 19 352.589.2535 W I L DWO O D China Jade 420 W. CR 44 352.330.5913 Continental Country Club 50 Continental Blvd.

352.748.3293 Cotillion Southern Café 101 N. Main St. 352.748.1223 Los Magueyes Mexican Restaurant 346 Shopping Center Dr. 352.461.0577 O’Shucks! Oyster Bar and Grill 1016 S Main St. 352.399.2200 Traditions Café 3107 Hwy. 44 352.748.1077 Woody’s Bar-B-Q 1220 S. Main St. 352.748.1109 YA L A H A Yalaha Bakery 8210 CR 48 352.324.3366

Fish & Chix 100 N. Central Ave. 352.669.7145 GOOD GRUB

Angelo’s Italian Restaurant

THIS MONTH'S EDITOR'S PICK

Chef and owner, Angelo Manco, is widely known for his authentic Italian cuisine.

Originally from Naples, Italy, he and his wife fulfilled a dream when they opened their restaurant in Tavares. He says most of his recipes come from his mother's kitchen. Grazie, Mama!

2270 Vindale Rd., Tavares 352.343.2757 / angelositalianrestaurant.com

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 149

DINING GUIDE

Cousin Vinnie’s Family Sports Restaurant 10700 U.S. HWY. 441, LEESBURG | 352.253.2442 | CVINNIES.COM Owner “Cousin” Vinnie Vittoria and his family have created a unique atmosphere by combining a “Sports Bar” with a “Family Restaurant”. As soon as you walk in, you will immediately notice why they are famous for outstanding comfort food and service!

Their 30+ wing sauces have awarded them BEST WINGS in Lake & Sumter County every year since opening in 2008. In 2017 & 2018, Vinnie’s was also voted BEST SPORTS BAR! There is no better place on the weekends to see who hoists the trophy or takes home the checkered flag. A few menu items offered are (never frozen – 80/20) 1/2 lb. burgers, personal pan pizzas, amazing rib-eye Philly cheese steaks, healthy wheat wraps, fresh homemade chicken salad and 15 awesome appetizers, including Cousin Vinnie’s Signature Secret Shrimp! Families simply can’t get enough of their deep-fried Ice Cream! Cousin Vinnie’s also offers a small arcade for the kids, free Wi-Fi, great music, and an enthusiastic staff ready to exceed your expectations. “I absolutely look forward to serving you and your family very soon!” says owner Cousin Vinnie.

Tuesday Family Night 5pm–8pm Kids 12-and-under eat free.

Wednesday Trivia Night The fun starts at 6:30p.m. with prizes given to the top 3 teams.

Food, Spirits, Music, Sports Open daily 11am-9pm

Fish Camp on Lake Eustis 901 LAKESHORE BLVD., TAVARES / 352.742.4400 FISHCAMPONLAKEEUSTIS.COM The Fish Camp on Lake Eustis is your spot for sampling the best locally sourced foods, liquors, craft beers, and wines of Central Florida. In addition to the local fare, Fish Camp serves up Southern classics like Gullah-style shrimp & grits and signature favorites like our blackened grouper Reuben. Our Central Florida dishes include swamp cabbage ceviche, Florida grass-fed burgers, Cedar Key clams, kale Caesar and farm salad from Aquaponic Lynx Farm in Yalaha, and Zellwood sweet corn from Long & Scott Farms. Come enjoy the view with our full bar featuring local moonshines from Yalaha Bootlegging Company, local craft beers, and our fresh-squeezed margaritas. Voted Best Seafood in the Lake & Sumter Style magazine and Daily Commercial newspaper contests in 2018.

150 /

Hurricane Dockside Grill

Hours

3351 W. BURLEIGH BLVD., TAVARES / HURRICANEWINGS.COM 352.508.5137 / FACEBOOK.COM/HURRICANEDOCKSIDEGRILL

Sun-Thu, 11am-10pm

Hurricane Dockside Grill in Tavares provides an inviting, laid-back atmosphere to chill and enjoy tasty fare on a spacious outdoor deck overlooking Dead River, or inside where colorful, beachy decor covers the walls and gives the feeling of dining on the coast. Guests may arrive not only by car and motorcycle but also by boat or seaplane, pulling up to a large dock. Hurricane Dockside is best-known for its great seafood, such as shrimp, swordfish, salmon, and mahi mahi; burgers, including build-your-own versions; and wings in orders numbering from five up to 100 for large parties—and on Monday nights, enjoy all-you-can-eat wings. All the menu items are inexpensive and served by a friendly staff. Happy Hour specials are Monday-Friday, and live entertainment is presented Friday-Sunday. Sunday brunches from 10am-2pm are expected to start in May. Sports fans can pull up a seat in front of a big-screen TV or more than 20 other TVs that show the NFL package and other pro and college sports. Great food, great service, and great scenery make Hurricane Dockside Grill a fun Florida fish house.

Fri-Sat 11am-midnight

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

Hours

Stokes Seafood Market & More

Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, 9am-3pm

719 W. MAIN ST., LEESBURG | 352.787.3474 FACEBOOK.COM/STOKESSEAFOODMARKETANDMORE The freshest seafood available, custom-made party platters, and many delicious “grab and go” meals and house-made soups and salads are available from Stokes Seafood Market and More every day. We now have outdoor seating so you can pick up a quick lunch to go, or enjoy a delicious lunch at the market…you can call and ask what is available that day! We are located at 719 W. Main Street at the corner of 9th Street in historic downtown Leesburg. Come try our wonderful house-made seafood dishes at the market including sesame-seared Ahi tuna, salad with blackened salmon, shrimp or Ahi tuna, delicious soups and other daily specials. When you pick up your fresh seafood you can sample some of the wonderful house-made seafood salads, spreads, and dips, wine and beer, and take some home to go with your dinner. Ask us about our fun and informative Cooking Demonstrations! We specialize in hardto-find Northern fish and shellfish, live Maine lobster and blue crab, salmon, tuna, snapper, grouper, mahi, oysters, mussels, mullet, catfish, tilapia, swordfish, crab, and so much more! Stokes Seafood Market and More is your One-Stop-Seafood-Shop!

Custom-made, fresh sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads made right before your eyes.

The “healthy” alternative to fast food.

Subway SUBWAY.COM LADY LAKE | 208 W. GUAVA ST. | 352.750.4929 EUSTIS | 469 PLAZA DR. | 352.357.7827 MOUNT DORA | 18870 U.S. HWY. 441 | 352.735.4376 LEESBURG | 2013 CITRUS BLVD. | 352.787.6442 10135 U.S. HWY. 441, SUITE 4 | 352.326.3234 27405 U.S. HWY. 27, SUITE 4 | 352.314.8847 THE VILLAGES | 1580 BELLA CRUZ DRIVE | 352.750.9600 8796 S.E. 165TH MULBERRY LANE | 352.750.9991 1070 LAKE SUMTER LANDING DRIVE | 352.205.8535 349 COLONY BLVD. | 352.391.1657 WILDWOOD | 480 W. GULF TO ALANTIC HWY. | 352.748.8800

A German Bakery Like No Other!

Open daily 8am-7pm

Yalaha Bakery 8210 STATE ROAD 48, YALAHA 352.324.3366 | YALAHABAKERY.COM The family owned German Bakery since 1995, is an award-winning Bakery that offers to customers high-quality German products made with the highest culinary standards. Fine European pastries and breads are made with organic flours, chocolates, and spices, butter, and imported European ingredients. Take home tortes, tarts, and wonderful pretzels, but before you go home, enjoy something from our delicious deli menu. We serve breakfast from 8-11am and lunch and dinner are served 11am-7pm. Enjoy German specialties like Nurnberger breakfast, Hunterschnitzel with Spätzle, Bratwurst, Reuben, Quiche, typical German soups, and maybe Semelknoedel (bread dumplings with mushroom sauce) for lunch or dinner.

We offer a fine selection of German beers and wines. Whatever time of day, you’ll find something you love at Yalaha Bakery.

On the weekends you can come and enjoy various events and music concerts on Saturdays and Sundays at our Beer Garden. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter or via our website www.yalahabakery.com

M AY ' 1 9 • L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M

/ 151

FINAL THOUGHT

Experiencing new adventures Whether you’re a native or a visitor, there are exciting things to see and do in the Sunshine State.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

onder this question: When did you last do something for the first time?

Thanks to my grown stepson Kyle visiting from Indiana recently, he had a list of first-time adventures he wanted to explore—and some were new for me, too.

High on his list was visiting NASA Kennedy Space Center, which we did immediately after he landed in Florida.

We were mesmerized by the huge orbiter of the space shuttle Atlantis on display, with its payload bay doors open. We also felt like we were in space watching the five-story-tall movie screen bring to life riveting 360-degree visuals shot by astronauts from the International Space Station, and we marveled at seeing images of Earth in a new light.

July marks the 50th anniversary of astronaut Neil Armstrong setting foot

on the moon, and the Saturn V rocket that launched Apollo 11 took off from the space center. After seeing projections of the historic moon-landing footage, it was thrilling to walk below the 363-foot-long Saturn V, the largest rocket ever flown in space.

Another new experience for Kyle and me was zooming across the waters of Lake Panasoffkee in an airboat from Swamp Fever Airboat Adventures. The speed and swift turns were more thrilling than an amusement ride, and our captain also steered us into three miles of gentle calmness in secluded Sumter County swamp filled with serene scenery and beautiful wildlife. We gushed over seeing baby gators and even a momma alligator sunning on a log with one of her babies on her back.

One of the surprising thrills after the ride was the chance to hold Ali, a female alligator. “That was awesome!” Kyle said, while quickly posting a photo of him and the gator for his Facebook friends to see.

Top: Theresa Campbell, daughter Maria Campbell, and stepson Kyle Campbell with a NASA astronaut.

Middle: Airboat ride on the waters of Lake Panasoffkee.

Bottom: Kyle Campbell and Theresa Campbell with alligator Ali.

Where are some of your favorite places to take visiting friends and family?

Share with theresa@akersmediagroup.com

152 /

L A K E A N D S U M T E R S T Y L E .C O M • M AY ' 1 9

THERESA CAMPBELL

Home improvements are easier with the right tools.

Open a Home Equity Line of Credit with Insight, for up to $50,000, and your appraisal is on us*!

Get the tools you need for your home improvements. Call us today at 407.426.6000 or TollFree 888.843.8328, or visit one of our convenient locations to speak with a Representative for more information, or to apply for a HELOC today!

INSIGHTCREDITUNION.COM *Insight Credit Union will pay the appraisal fee for Home Equity Lines of Credit, up to $50,000, funded starting April 1, 2019, for a limited time. $5,000 minimum to open a Home Equity Line of Credit; up to a maximum of $100,000. Standard appraisal fee will apply to Home Equity Lines of Credit $50,001 to $100,000. Eligible collateral includes primary single-family detached residence only. Offer valid in the State of Florida only.

Loans subject to normal underwriting guidelines. Interest accrues from the date of disbursement. Offer subject to change at any time. Other restrictions and fees may apply.

Equal Housing Lender. Federally insured by NCUA.

Limited time only.

Experts who go the extra mile.

Care that’s never far.

By your side.

Visit leesburgregional.com to learn more about our services.

feel uplifted A higher level of whole-person care is here.

Go ahead. Make every day great. Make every moment count. We’ll be here, raising the bar for medical excellence and compassion — at our new Patient Tower. Experience a thoughtfully designed new version of Lake County’s most trusted E.R., featuring a welcoming lobby and nationally accredited chest pain care.

And find everything from cozy birthing suites to pediatric services at our comprehensive Women and Children’s Center. It’s four stories of whole-person care, designed to inspire stories of healing, hope and joy for years to come. Feel uplifted. Feel whole™ AdventHealthWaterman.com