STYLE MAGAZINE, Village Edition, September 2016

September

2016

VILLAGE EDITION

DIVE INTO YOUR

BACKYARD PARADISE WISEMAN POOLS WILL BUILD AN OASIS AS UNIQUE AS YOU. READ MORE INSIDE

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cont SEPTEMBER 2016 // VOLUME 12 NUMBER 11

36 // WHAT’S UP, DOCS?

Ever wonder what your favorite physician does when he or she is not at the office? Check out the interesting hobbies of local doctors. STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL+DEBBI KIDDY

44 // MEDICAL MYSTERIES

Doctors are constantly questioning patients about medical and family history, but sometimes the road to a diagnosis takes an unexpected detour. STORY: LEIGH NEELY+THERESA CAMPBELL

68 // BRIDGING THE GAP IN HEALTHCARE

The North Lake hospital tax helps those in need. STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

74 // NO SIGNS

PART 5 OF OUR LOCAL VETERANS SERIES

It was a day like any other day, but what happened next changed Pam Hunt’s life forever. STORY: PAT JOCELYN

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

55 // HEALTH PROS

Your guide to Lake and Sumter’s best in health care providers.

ON THE COVERS September

September

2016

2016

VILLAGE EDITION

What’s up, docs?

Discover the unusual ways that 4 local docs spend their time off Including Dr. Scott Werhly (right)

takes butterfly collecting to new heights

DIVE INTO YOUR

BACKYARD PARADISE WISEMAN POOLS WILL BUILD AN OASIS AS UNIQUE AS YOU. READ MORE INSIDE

LAKE&SUMTER EDITION DIRECTION: JAMIE EZRA MARK PHOTOGRAPHY: FRED LOPEZ PHOTOSHOP: JOSH CLARK

VILLAGE EDITION

PHOTOGRAPHY: FRED LOPEZ PHOTOSHOP: JOSH CLARK

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

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FIRST THINGS FIRST 18 #TRENDING If you build it, they can play at Beverly Shores Elementary.

Guardian ad Litem volunteers needed. Always dreamed of playing lawn bowling? Find out where you can sign up!

STORIES: JAMES COMBS+LEIGH NEELY+ THERESA CAMPBELL+MICHELLE CLARK

22 PERSON OF INTEREST An artist since he was 6 years old, Mike DeMinico felt compelled to take on a special project: painting portraits of all the victims in the Sept. 11 attacks.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

24 OUTSTANDING STUDENT Nicholas Smith is headed to The Citadel, his grandfather’s favorite college. His hard work and diligence paid off with a $100,000 scholarship.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

26 THIS 'N' THAT Does smoking a pipe denote intelligence or is it simply a way to keep your hands busy while talking with people?

88 SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT Delectable dishes from local chefs spiced with a dash of music and a sprinkle of comedy from a celebrity chef!

STORY: FRED HILTON

STORY: LEIGH NEELY

77

ON THE SCENE 78 THE TO-DO LIST Check out this month’s calendar for upcoming events in Lake and Sumter counties.

80 IN CONCERT See which bands are playing near you this month.

82 LOCAL TALENT Amber Jessee grew up in the theater, met her husband there, and is still performing. Now she’s bringing her children to the theater with her.

STORY: DEBBI KIDDY

84 OUT & ABOUT The picture-perfect Turks and Caicos Islands in the British West Indies offer not only the world's best beaches but also adventures.

STORY: MARY ANN DESANTIS

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92 HI, SOCIETY! A fish fry in Leesburg, a special audible Easter egg hunt for children in Tavares, and more!

1 01 EATS!

104 IN THE KITCHEN Take a walk on the wild side with Red Wing Restaurant Chef Michael Wahl as he discusses the ways he prepares gourmet dishes with wild game.

STORY: LEIGH NEELY

108 SALUTÉ If you think rum is only for mixing with Coca-Cola or for making sweet boat drinks, you may be surprised that rum experts hold their rums to the same rigorous standards as professional wine tasters.

STORY: MARY ANN DESANTIS

110 FORK ON THE ROAD The Continental Country Club has great fresh treats every day, Tillie’s Tavern and Grill wows diners with eyeappealing, fresh tasting foods, and knives are musical at the hibachi table at VKI Japanese Steak House.

STORIES: THERESA CAMPBELL+LEIGH NEELY

114 DINING GUIDE 124 FINAL THOUGHT Emogene Stegall has been overseeing Lake County elections for a long time. Take a look at her interesting and sometimes exciting career.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

108

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HOT OFF THE PRESS!

TL OSTIAIAL M INFLUENT

PEOPLE IN HEALTH

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Discover ways thatthe unusual 4 spend the local docs ir time off Including Dr. Scott

Werhly (right) takes butterf ly collect to new heights ing

YOUR DIVE INTO

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BUILD AN OASIS

AS UNIQUE AS

YOU.

INSIDE

The latest editions of Healthy Living, Lake and Sumter Style, Village Style, Lake Business Magazine and Welcome to Lake County

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We at Style appreciate our doctors and the many hours they dedicate to their profession. We know how fortunate we are to live in an area filled with health care professionals providing exceptional care. But do you ever wonder what your doctor does when he or she is out of the office enjoying some well-deserved time off? We decided to find out and have talked to several area doctors about their hobbies and interests.

We chose to feature Dr. Wehrly to represent the docs and their hobbies and featured him on the cover because we found his hobby to be the most intriguing, as he collects butterflies. After interviewing Dr. Wehrly, our team was extremely impressed with the knowledge he has about butterflies. For example, did you know that there are 20,000 different species of butterflies, and which one is the rarest of them all? Dr. Wehrly does, and after reading this month’s issue, you will as well.

We also feature Dr. Carlos Medina who loves to fly; Dr. Kim Ireland who is a scuba diver and travels all over the world for new places to explore; and Dr. Erik Zimmerman who plays in a hard rock band. It is so fascinating to see a different side to these doctors, and ultimately be able to live vicariously through them.

Additionally, you have seen the television shows such as “House” or “Mystery Diagnosis” and see what individuals go through in the process of searching for answers about what is ailing them. Many times it’s years and years of searching, only to be told there is no diagnosis for their illness and that there is no explanation for their symptoms. It’s excruciating to watch, so just imagine what it is like to live it.

In this issue, we introduce you to several locals who have endured the multitude of medical testing, unexplained symptoms, and have had their illness diagnosed as a mystery. Our hope is that their stories will help someone who has had the same experience, and leads them to find the answers they have been so desperately seeking.

As always, we hope you enjoy reading this month’s issue. We have certainly enjoyed delivering it to you. We would love to hear your feedback or any future story ideas that you would like to share.

Until next month,

LAKE & SUMTER STYLE IS A PROUD MEMBER OF

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Lake & Sumter Style, September 2016. Published monthly by Akers Media, 108 South Fifth Street, Leesburg, Florida 34748. All editorial contents copyright 2016 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.

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First Things

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First things first // #trending Spotlighting the best of local people, places, and events

NO NEED TO RESET THE PINS The Mount Dora Lawn Bowling Club will hold an open house on Oct. 1-2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those who attend may sign up for complimentary lawn bowling lessons to be held in the two weeks following.

Equipment is provided. All you need to bring is your enthusiasm.

Spokesperson Carol Bruno says the Mount Dora group is currently the largest in the United States and is looking for newcomers to join.

Played with teams of one to four players, Lawn Bowling is one of the oldest sports. Even William Shakespeare played when he wasn’t writing.

Call Tom Eppich, membership director, for information at 352.254.0478.

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Filling the Shelves Forgiveness came easy to some patrons of the Lake County Library System, which recently forgave $1,284 in overdue fines in exchange for food items. As usual, forgiveness brought about good—they gathered more than 2,300 food items for donation to local food pantries such as South Lake Community Ministries, the Leesburg Food Bank, Lake Cares, and Faith Neighborhood Center along with 10 other worthy recipients.

Another benefit of the program was children with no fines could participate in the summer reading program, says Paul Alford, Lake County Library Services division manager.

SMALL PEOPLE, BIG DREAMS!

Two local companies have big hopes for the baseball field at Beverly Shores Elementary. In its current state, students can’t use it. LassiterWare and Vac-Tron decided this won’t do, and with help from the community, they are building a “Field of Dreams,” which was revealed at the school’s Meet the Teachers Night in August.

Tim Fisher at Vac-Tron says, “It is important to us that we give back to the local community and more importantly help support our future generations. ‘The Field of Dreams’ project is about providing the best opportunities to our community’s youth.” If you’d like to be involved by donating resources or time, call Stephanie Payne at 352.787.3441.

JOSH TAKES ON: AN ADMITTEDLY ASKEW POINT OF VIEW FROM THE MIND OF ILLUSTRATOR JOSH CLARK

MOVE OVER, ROBIN HOOD

Chelsea McGowan (above center), who will be a junior at The Villages Charter School, is the national champion in Scholastic 3D Archery. She and her family traveled to Metropolis, Illinois, for her to compete in the archery event at Mermet Lake State Conservation Area. “I love archery because when my grandfather died, doing it kept me from getting depressed,” Chelsea says.

“I love the people I meet, and it’s so relaxing for me. Winning that national championship was just incredible.”

Chelsea also received two archery scholarships along with her award.

Chelsea is the daughter of Patrick and Sabrina McGowan.

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First things first // #trending Spotlighting the best of local people, places, and events

JAMES COMBS’

THE HIT

LEADERS SOUGHT FOR INVOCATIONS

LIST

A blessing at the start of a public meeting sets the tone for leaders to serve wisely and make decisions to promote the common good. Lake County Board of County Commissioners is seeking religious, secular, and community leaders living in the county who can provide invocations (up to two minutes) at county commission meetings, which are hosted 9 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Board Chambers of the Lake County Administration Building, 315 W. Main St., Tavares. Call Kelsey Hanks at 352.343.9800 to participate or email khanks@ lakecountyfl.gov.

1 // THIS MONTH MARKS the 15th anniversary of 9/11. With that in mind, I wrote a short message to Osama bin Laden … to the tune of Bon Jovi’s hit song “Shot Through the Heart.”

“Shot through the head And terrorists are so lame.

Osama you give Islam A bad name.”

2 // A POKER ROOM recently opened in Sum-

merfield. Oxford Downs features 24 tables that offer Texas Hold ‘em, seven-card stud, and other poker games. Is building a poker room worth the gamble?

You bet!

3 // THE CITY OF EUSTIS recently opened a $656,000 splash pad. With sweat dripping down their faces in the sizzling summer heat, children agreed that the splash pad is definitely a cool idea.

4 // A MOTHER, AS WELL AS her two daughters

and son, were charged with retail theft after they sped away from Wal-Mart in Leesburg with a push lawnmower and a vehicle battery. There’s value in teaching your children about discount shopping, but this is ridiculous! Much like these thieves, crime doesn’t pay.

5 // LOCATED ON A REMOTE FARM in Clermont, Florida Sun Grown Cigars opened in July. The owners grow the tobacco used in the Corona Cigar Company’s line of cigars. The cigars taste wonderful, but try not to flick ashes anywhere near your shirt.

You don’t want to make an ash-hole of yourself.

6 // A LEESBURG MAN who lives in a gated com-

munity ran over and killed a sandhill crane with his golf cart. He told a witness he did it because the bird was “messing up the golf course.” I definitely think there’s some “fowl” play involved here.

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The Girls Scouts are a far-reaching organization, and recently, three Lake County girls—Rebecca Ammons, Jessica Hubert, and Marlee Nickerson—were honored with the Gold Award for service projects. This is the highest honor offered within the organization and qualifying requires great commitment. Each of them spent a minimum of 80 hours identifying and investigating an issue, building a team, creating a plan, and putting it into action.

The honorees set up operational programs—one for fostering animals, one a community garden, and another offers music therapy to dementia patients. Bravo, ladies!

OSTRANDER RECEIVES TOP AWARD

LassiterWare Chairman Ted R. Ostrander, Jr., of Leesburg, was surprised to be bestowed the highest honor, The Mitchell Stallings Memorial Award, at the 2016 annual convention of Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA), and he was even more stunned to see his daughter, Katie, who flew in from Nashville, Tennessee, for the occasion.

Joining in the applause was his wife, Gail; son, Matt; several LassiterWare employees, and FAIA members.

Ted was recognized for his lifetime of service, including serving as FAIA chairman in 1993, president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Lake County, and being a community leader. He became LassiterWare president in 1987 and helped the company grow to one of the largest independent agencies in the country.

“LassiterWare has been very fortunate to have Ted as a leader for the past four decades,” says Doug Childers, LassiterWare president and CEO.

BE A VOICE FOR CHILDREN Guardian ad Litem volunteers not only advocate for an abused child’s best interest in the courtroom, but lead by example as Villages resident Paul Provance strives to do in showing boys how to be gentlemen, and he impresses upon girls to avoid boys or men who behave otherwise. Paul treasures a letter he received from a girl he represented who wrote: “When our whole world fell apart, you were always with us … What you do is truly a blessing to the kids who have no one.”

At present there are 2,000 abused and neglected children residing in the 5th Judicial Circuit (Lake, Sumter, Marion, Citrus and Hernando counties) who, through no fault of their own, are in the child welfare system.

“We have 150 Guardian ad Litem volunteers in Lake County and 45 in Sumter County. We could use 100 more volunteers,” says Circuit Director Marcia Hitley. Those interested may call Diana Hollwedel at 352.812.6971 or visit the website www.guardianadlitem5.org.

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First things first // person of interest

MIKE DEMINICO INTERRUPTIONS: His painting has been slowed down by life interruptions from a divorce, relocating to Alabama to care for his ill mother, followed by Mike finding love again after meeting his wife Sue at a Sept.

11, 2013, exhibit of his work.

BEHIND THE CANVAS: I’ve gone around the country and had 15 shows of the portraits, plus fundraisers associated with the project. As far as the paintings, I’m about halfway through. I was hoping to do more portraits, but there have been a lot of distractions. My car blew up, my wife had surgery. Life has gotten in the way.

EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED: Painting the 1,500 portraits so far has been tremendously enriching to me as an artist. Meeting some of the families has been the hard part. It’s hard for me to hear their gratitude when I think about their loss.

ART SHOW CHALLENGE: There are some logical problems hauling around 1,400-some paintings for art shows, but smaller galleries will call and say, ‘Can you display 50 or 100?’ At the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, I had about 800 paintings and split it in three different shows. (Two were Manhattan venues).

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DOCUMENTARY SUBJECT: I’m a painter, so no one was more shocked than I was [to be the subject of a documentary], and it never occurred to me that there would ever be any interest. I don’t know if it will be on TV or not, but they’re editing it, and they were hoping to have it ready for the 15th anniversary. Whether they will or not is an open question. A&E made an early bid for it, but they were more interested in submitting it to Tribeca or Sundance. They’ve been following me around since 2002.

WHAT I LOVE MOST: My wife, Sue, and of course I love my kids, too.

MY MOTTO: Go for it!

MY DAY JOB HAS BEEN LAW: I am still licensed to practice and I touch on issues from time to time.

Occasionally something will come along that will catch my interest and I’ll work with it.

MY FAVORITE FOOD: Pasta in all variations: spaghetti, lasagna, and I really like lobster pasta.

BEST ADVICE I’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN: Pay attention.

PET PEEVE: Poor grammar.

ONE WORD THAT BEST DESCRIBES ME: Nuts!

PROJECTED COMPLETION FOR REMAINING PAINTINGS: I would like to finish it before I die. Again, there’s this whole thing of life interfering…But, by God, I’m going to finish this.

.com

PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

ATTRACTING ATTENTION: After Mike placed a notice to victims’ families about his project in the New York Times, it attracted national media coverage and 100-plus hours of video of him in action for a documentary.

VITAL STATS AGE: 64 HOME: Leesburg resident since April 2015 PASSIONS: Mike has been painting since he was 6. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attack 15 years ago, he began a mission to paint portraits of the 2,977 victims based from small photos in the New York Times database.

BY THE NUMBERS: He’s painted about 1,500 portraits so far.

First things first // outstanding student

MY IMMEDIATE THOUGHT: I was just surprised and speechless. Going to The Citadel, and being an out-of-state student, it would cost me at least $52,000 in my freshman year.

Getting a scholarship of that huge amount is really something I am truly grateful for.

MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: On my father’s side of the family, I will be the first Smith to go from high school right into college. My great-grandfather, who served in World War II, only had a sixth-grade education. My father didn’t receive his bachelor’s degree until his early 40s.

MILITARY ROOTS: I have relatives who served as far back as the Civil War. And in 2013, my dad finished serving 30 years in the Air Force. At his retirement ceremony, I saw the level of respect people had for him, and how they looked to him for knowledge.

AGE 18/ LEESBURG HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE

NICHOLASSMITH VITAL STATS TOP HONOR: The 2016 Leesburg High School graduate was awarded a $100,000 scholarship to The Citadel, a military college in Charleston, South Carolina ROTC LEADER: Nicholas rose to second in command in the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps

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BIGGEST INFLUENCES: My mom and dad (Shannon Smith and Jerry Smith) and their guidance in teaching me how to respect others. The next person would be my (maternal) grandfather, Charlie Baker.

He actually went to The Citadel, graduating in 1955, and when we went up there for his 50-year anniversary, I saw the level of patriotism within the college, and that was something I really enjoyed.

A SPECIAL MOMENT: As soon as my grandfather learned I was going to his all-time favorite college and continuing the family legacy, he had the biggest grin.

IF I COULD TRADE PLACES WITH SOMEONE FOR A DAY: I would trade my place with Gen. George Patton. He was a brilliant man in understanding the military, winning battles, being able to communicate and get the task done. Without his level of ingenuity and determination, it would have been a much different war to win in his time period of World War II. MY GOALS: To gain The Citadel experience, graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, and be commissioned in the Army as a second lieutenant. Right now I am deciding between my MOS (military occupational status) either as an infantry officer or a military police officer. Later down the line I would like to apply for the Green Beret of the Special Forces.

ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE: People’s view of the world. Unfortunately, in today’s society, people are a little closedminded on some things. I always find it fascinating to learn as much as I possibly can about different cultures and the way they act. If someone is doing something a little bit differently, I don’t judge them harshly.

MY HERO: U.S. Air Force Retired Maj. Christopher Honeycutt. He was the one who told me I had the capability, ability, and the SAT scores to apply for the scholarship, and that I should at least give it a try.

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PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

BEST DAY OF MY LIFE: The acceptance into The Citadel was a crowning moment, and the start of a new chapter for me. It meant things were going my way, and all my hard work paid off.

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First things first // This ‘n’ that

“GONE WITH THE WIND” — RATED ZERO PIPES STORY: FRED HILTON

When was the last time you saw anybody smoking a pipe? Admittedly, there are fewer smokers of any type than ever before. People are fi nally realizing that smoking is a disgusting habit and it does nobody any good. It’s disrupted the health of millions of people (including me).

Unfortunately, smoking hasn’t gone away for good and there are still plenty of people who puff away on cigarettes or stinky cigars. But where have all the pipe smokers gone?

There are plenty of famous pipe smokers, beginning with Old King Cole that merry old soul who “called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl and he called for his fiddlers three.” Even though good old Cole had a “bowl,” we won’t speculate what he was smoking.

The list of big name pipe smokers goes on and on. General Douglas McArthur and his corncob pipe must have terrified the enemy in World War II. Others on the A-List of pipe smokers include Albert Einstein, Wyatt Earp, Sigmund Freud, Davy Crockett, Doctor Seuss, Hugh Hefner, Clark Gable, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Where else could you put a list of people together like that?

At one time, it seemed like everybody was smoking a pipe.

That happened when the incredibly nasty effects of smoking were becoming clear and impossible to disregard. The medical folks indicated that pipe smoking wouldn’t kill you quite as fast as cigarettes so everyone started firing up their Meerschaums, Briars, and Corncobs.

Long before pipe smoking had this brief moment of popularity, my high school buddy Roger was happily puffi ng away as a teenager. Yes, it was a bit strange to see a 17-year-old smoking a Sherlock Holmes pipe. This was a time when the typical teenaged smoker rolled up a pack of Camels in his T-shirt sleeve.

Roger hung out a lot in the local pool room. In those days, only three types of people inhabited poolrooms: derelicts, winos, and teenaged boys. (Sometimes the categories overlapped.) It was a little surreal to watch a squeaky clean, crew-cut teenager puffi ng on a pipe while playing eight-ball with a stinky derelict who had tobacco spittle dribbling down the three-day stubble on his chin. As you might suspect, Roger got beaten up a lot.

Years after my poolroom days ended, I worked for a man who was known to all his minions as the Boss—and yes,

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he merited the capital “B.” The Boss had no use for pipe smokers. “They’re not worth a #$%&@” he thundered.

“All they do is fiddle with their @#%& pipes. They put tobacco in the pipe. Then they tamp it down. Then they add more tobacco and tamp it down some more. Then they light it. Then it goes out and they repeated the tamping, re-tamping and lighting. They never get any #$%&@ work done because of their &$#%@ pipes.” The exact words he used were really a bit stronger than “#$%&@,” “@#%&” and “&$#%@.” I’m just too embarrassed to repeat them.

At that time, I worked with a guy named Russ. The Boss must have been on vacation when Russ was hired because Russ was a heavy-duty pipe smoker. He did all the pipe fiddling, tobacco loading, tamping, re-tamping, lighting, and re-lighting that drove the Boss crazy. Despite the pipe, the Boss and Russ somehow got along famously.

Russ developed an ingenious pipe-based method for judging movies. Whenever he went to a movie, he would keep track of the number of times he felt the urge to get up, go out into the lobby and smoke his pipe. The lower the number, the better. If he wanted to smoke his pipe five times during the movie, then the movie pretty much was lousy. A rating of one pipe meant an excellent movie and, of course, the highest rating of all was zero pipes.

Russ’ method was much more fun than Siskel and Ebert’s thumbs-up/thumbs down system.

I haven’t seen Russ in years but, in case he runs across this article, I hope it merits at least a two pipes rating.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Fred Hilton spent 36 years as the chief public relations officer/spokesman for James Madison University in Virginia and 10 years prior as a reporter and editor for The Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia. He is now happily retired in The Villages with his interior designer wife, Leta, their Cadillac Escalade golf cart, and their dog, Paris. (Yes, that makes her Paris Hilton).

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AN INSPIRED LIVING EXPERIENCE FROM

THE GRAY POOL

Wiseman Pools

RELISH THE SOUND AND POWER OF WATER III PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE III

Imagine a personal oasis where you can sit for hours enjoying quiet relaxation in the sparkling waters of your own pool. A shimmering pool will give you the perfect place to enjoy fun, exercise, and even entertain. When you choose Wiseman Pools, not only will you be getting the best, you can make it exactly the way you want it.

When you’re building a home, you look for the best General Contractor, and when you want a pool to enhance your home, you want the best. Wiseman Pools is a family business that has been in the area for more than 10 years. They have worked with local construction companies for more than 17 years, meaning they not only know this area, they know the people and those make dream homes a reality.

Shawn Wiseman gained most of his knowledge working with one of the largest pool builders in Central Florida and he also has an Associate in Science degree in Aquatic Engineer from Keiser College. Horner, the well-known pool industry supplier, specifically developed this engineering program for the pool industry.

“With a Wiseman pool, you can expect quality and grandeur,” Shawn says, “not your typical cookie-cutter pool. Your pool will be custom built to fulfill your wishes.

We listen closely and interpret what you want into what will fit within your budget.”

A Wiseman pool is built with you on the team, every step of the way. “Working with Wiseman Pools was a great experience. From initial site consultation to the graphically detailed site/pool plan, you know what you’re going to get,” says Jason Gray.

You can customize the shape, choose different finishes, with various colors & qualities. Wiseman Pools is constantly studying the market for newer, better technolo-

III PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE III

gies as well as trends in design and décor. They only offer the best in equipment to make your pool a place for beauty and enjoyment.

Jason and his wife Beverly don’t hesitate to tell friends and neighbors about their great experience.

“Their many options, superior results, and great prices set them apart, which is why we chose Wiseman Pools. Shawn was available throughout the entire process and had great suggestions when we couldn’t make a decision on tile color,” Jason says. “We enjoyed the process, and now the product, so much that we’ve recommended them to dozens of friends and colleagues who were in the market.”

Neil and Eunice Cabrera of Groveland found the task of building a pool better than expected.

“They came alongside us and helped design it, like a collaboration,” the Cabreras say. “They finished in the time that they promised. They were prompt and timely, and it looks even nicer than what we initially imagined. We’re happy!”

If you think dealing with the equipment and lighting might be challenging, consider this: Wiseman Pools has a complete automation package, which means you can operate everything from your computer, tablet or phone with ease. Turn on lights, adjust water temperature, turn on the jets in the spa—whatever is needed can be done with ease.

Since Wiseman Pools is a fully licensed pool and building contractor, there are no worries about dealing THE CABRERA POOL

with additional contractors. This also means Wiseman Pools can add the extras you might like to have like an outdoor shower or an outdoor kitchen for those get-togethers with family and friends.

The beauty of any project you undertake with Shawn Wiseman and his company is that every project is unique and as individual as you are.

There’s nothing high pressure about the process. Everything is done according to your specifications with you observing and helping with every step.

“Wiseman Pools were careful to ensure that they understood what we really wanted,” says Wendell Couch. “They took our key design criteria, improved on them, and gave us a pool that exceeded our expectations. The quality of their work is excellent. We’ve had no issues since the pool was turned over to us.”

It all begins with a conversation with a consultant, who ensures there’s no pressure or negativity involved. They’ll show you a portfolio of their work or you

THE COUCH POOL

can view it online at www. wisemanpools.com. When the consultant arrives to study the area for construction, they’ll walk around outside your home to view and measure the house area.

This is important because a pool

“With a Wiseman pool, you can expect quality and grandeur, not your typical cookie-cutter pool.

Your pool will be custom built to fulfill your wishes.

We listen closely and interpret what you want into what will fit within your budget.”

—SHAWN WISEMAN

III III PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE III

PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE III

complements a home and is not meant to overwhelm the home’s design. He’ll need a property survey to be aware of easements and other relevant issues.

Once this is done, your consultant does a preliminary sketch, and the real fun begins. You select pool shape, finishes, water features— think natural rock or sheer descent waterfall or even a custom cascade. You’ll make decisions about pool heating, lights, and any other custom elements to make the pool uniquely yours. Be assured intense detail will be involved in construction—plumbing will be sealed and watertight, electrical is working properly and safe and watching the concrete shell go into place is often a highlight.

Remember, throughout this process, your consultant is working with you to be sure everything is like you wish it to be. At this point,

THE BATTAGLIA POOL

THE SALSER POOL

you’ve chosen a concrete deck with a knockdown texture, a paver deck or maybe even travertine decking. Don’t worry if you’re feeling overwhelmed just reading this. Your consultant will explain in everyday terms every step of the process and meet with you to make these decisions easier so building a pool is not only a project, it’s an enjoyable process.

Nesha Salser of Ocala says, “We built four pools in the past, and this one was by far the best. We had no problems like we have in the past.

The people at Wiseman Pools are completely professional and on top of things, which is hard to find in a pool company.”

Next, you’ll decide whether you’ll want a screened enclosure or a fence around your pool. It’s a separate job from building the pool that requires an additional permit.

Wiseman Pools has an in-house screen contractor and can also arrange for fencing.

Whether you’re selecting the type of lights or décor for water

spouts, you’ll be getting closer every day to the time you can fully delight in the sparkling water of your pool. You can see photos before every step of the process so you know what to expect. Wiseman Pools wants you aware of the time it takes and what’s involved in getting things done. Though every pool is unique, many of the construction phases are basically the same, so they will be able to easily keep you informed.

Once the big day has arrived and your pool is finished, their work doesn’t stop. They know how important it is to teach you what is necessary to keep your pool beautiful and running the way it should.

This begins with the field superintendent going over all of the equipment and its care with you.

Learning how to take clean a pool and maintain it properly is crucial.

There are the small things like remembering to brush it every day for the first month to remove the top “cream” layer of the interior finish.

This will reveal more of the colored

III PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE III

crystals and brighten your pool giving it a beautiful even finish.

“I highly recommend Wiseman Pools to someone who is looking to design a custom pool,” says Diane Battaglia of Lady Lake. “They really pay attention to detail and they follow up after completion to ensure all is satisfactory. They even go over all the equipment and make it very easy to understand.”

Now, you’re all set, ready to enjoy a dip in your pool, a pool party, or a family gathering to celebrate the grand opening! The best part of it is you’ll know you have worked diligently with a trusted, reputable contractor to enjoy all the pleasure of your magnificent pool for a lifetime. ________________________________

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A look at some of out-of-the-box experiences your doctors or dentist enjoy when they are not on the clock.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL+DEBBI KIDDY PHOTOS: FRED LOPEZ+PROVIDED

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What’s up, docs?

T R AV E L S T H E WO R L D TO E X P E R I E N C E D E E P D I V I N G

Dr. Kim Ireland

B

eneath white sands and turquoise waters, Dr. Kimberly Ireland relishes the tranquility of scuba diving. She says each deep diving adventure gives her the chance to see colorful underwater gardens, coral reefs, and vibrant marine life inhabiting oceans.

A board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in advanced cataract surgery, Kim says scuba diving has been her passion for 30 years.

“I use it as an excuse to travel around the world,” says Kim, 46, of St. Luke’s at The Villages. “It’s fun to step out of the operating room into a different environment. Being underwater, you feel suspended, calm, and you just hear your own breathing and your own bubbles. You can see things like giant Manta rays in Indonesia. It’s always new and exciting.”

One unforgettable experience was cage diving at False Bay, near Cape Town, South Africa, and seeing sharks.

“The great whites come very, very close, but it’s really amazing to see,” she says.

Other enjoyable dives have been in the Maldives off India’s coast, the Red Sea in Egypt, the Mediterranean, South Pacific waters of both Tahiti and Fiji, Galapagos,

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“It’s fun to step out of the operating room into a different environment. Being underwater, you feel suspended, calm…”

the Caribbean, Australia, Ecuador, the coast of California, and of course, right here in Florida—diving in Key West and the nearby springs.

“Diving in Crystal River with the manatees is really fun,” she says. She also believes diving in the

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springs close to home— Alexander Springs in Altoona or Rainbow River in Dunnellon—is a great way for beginning divers to get started.

Her love for diving has been passed down to her three children.

Growing up in the mountains of New Hampshire, Kim

was 16 when she was introduced to scuba diving by her uncle living in Coral Springs.

After completing premed college coursework in Maine, Kim became involved in marine biology research for nine months as an exchange student at James Cook University in Australia.

“I very much enjoyed living there, diving, doing research, and I really immersed myself in marine biology,” she says.

“I did a lot of technical and research diving of counting fish.”

While there, she pondered making a career change.

“My passion for medicine has been since childhood,” she says. “It was nice to take a step away from academics and do something completely different on the other side of the world to really make sure that is what I wanted to do.”

She chose to keep diving as a hobby. “I dive as often as I can,” she says.

In Galapagos and Egypt, she went diving five times a day.

She also looks for night dives.

Kim’s planning a trip to Antarctica with her family in December, and she’s eager to dive in Cuba.

“Over 30 years traveling around the world and diving as much as possible, I’ve noticed a big change in the oceans,” she says. “So now I’m traveling further to isolated places to try and find pockets that haven’t been touched.”

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What’s up, docs?

“I love that I get to act crazy, jump around, be loud, play guitar, and have an overall blast!”

FROM HAMMERTOE TO HARD ROCK

Dr. Erik Zimmerman

W

ould it surprise you to learn your podiatrist can not only help you with bunions or hang nails, but he also sings and plays a mean

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guitar in a hard rock band called INFIDEL? Dr. Erik Zimmerman, a Leesburg podiatrist, gets his musical inspiration from “very loud and aggressive

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rock bands” such as AC/DC, Metallica, Godsmack, and the Rollins Band.

“When I was probably 6 or 7 years old I heard ‘TNT’

by AC/DC on my clock ra-

dio. My foot started tapping, and I could not get the song out of my head,” he says. “I loved it!”

Erik initially wanted to be a guitar player “like Angus Young,” but found he was more drawn to singing.

“Starting in high school and then into the Marines, music, mostly punk rock, became very important for me,” he says. “I would listen to music and calm down no matter how crazy things were.”

After the busy years of college and podiatry school, Erik still wanted his own rock band.

“I wasn’t able to line up a reliable band to sing and play with until I was 40,” he says. “I just figured out it was something I wanted to do, and I kept plugging along and practicing my guitar and singing until I was able to find three other guys to hit a stage with.”

The band’s name, INFIDEL, came from the doctor’s stint in the Marines where he says, “I felt invested in the fight we faced against those that deem us all to be infidels. It is also an aggressive name and I like that, too.”

The band usually practices once a week, and he says it may take a month or two to get everything sounding just right. “Most everyone in our band has a job and a family, and it is hard to get schedules squared away,” he says.

The band has gigs throughout Central Florida, from Gainesville down to Orlando.

“Some of the places are bars, music venues, outdoor stages, and in one case, an outlaw

music festival set up in the mud pits of the Ocala Forest…that one was quite odd! Being that we play original music, it makes it difficult to get into many local venues.”

Erik says his patients are usually surprised by his hobby, and they have a tendency to assume his music will be Elvis, Chuck Berry, or the Beatles. “I’ve had some patients say they will come out to see me play, but it never happens. We usually play late and out of town.”

A humorous experience Erik recalled was “a drunk woman in Daytona had us sign our autographs on her jeans because she thought we were a famous rock band she had never heard of.”

What excites the podiatrist the most about singing with the band?

“I love that I get to act crazy, jump around, be loud, play guitar, and have an overall blast!”

SKY HIGH

Dr. Carlos Medina

D

r. Carlos Medina is not your typical dentist with a hobby of golf or stamp collecting.

Instead, he has always had the desire to fly.

“Flying has been one of mankind’s great aspirations and achievements,” he says.

“I wanted to be part of it.”

Not only can he fly a plane, he can also safely and expertly jump out of it, if necessary. “When I learned aerobatic flying, I decided to learn skydiving in case I ever had to bail out of a disabled plane,” he says. “After that, it became one of the most exciting

things I have done.”

Location was most important when he purchased his dental practice in 2002.

His office is near the Deland drop zone, and he skydives on his lunch hour.

Dr. Medina was only 28 years old when he flew solo for the first time, and fulfilled his lifelong dream to certify as a private pilot in July 2013.

He flies mostly within the state to Key West, Panama City, Jacksonville, St Augustine, and Tallahassee, and took one long-distance trip to Atlanta.

It’s the commitment and attention to detail that attracted the dentist to these skills.

“Being a skydiver and

pilot requires discipline,” he says. “Most accidents are caused by a lapse in judgment or distractions.”

His patients aren’t surprised to hear of Dr. Medina’s “extreme” hobby, as Deland has a very large population of pilots and skydivers.

However, most pilots probably haven’t experienced the thrill of “buzzing” (with permission, of course) the field at the Space Shuttle landing facility at Kennedy Space Center NASA. “I simulated the space shuttle landing approach. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done during my flights,” he says.

The dentist has other hobbies he enjoys, including building LEGO sets, rollercoasters, auto racing, and snowboarding. He is an “expert-level” snowboarder and has even gone heli-snowboarding on Cardiac Ridge.

Dr. Medina also enjoys the thrilling rides at Disney World, Universal, and SeaWorld.

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What’s up, docs?

WAT C H T H E B E A U T Y F L U T T E R B Y

Dr. Scott Wehrly

D

r. Scott Wehrly is a boardcertified ophthalmologist at Lake Eye Associates, but it is also fitting to call him a lepidopterist—an avid butterfly collector—who is currently building an addition onto his Tavares home for his vast, growing collection.

“A bug room,” he says.

It sounds like he really could use the extra space since he presently has about 50,000 butterfly specimens from all over the world mounted, labeled, and filling 400 drawers and 13 cabinets.

Some of his collected butterflies date back to when he was 10, yet he remembers being involved in his hobby as a 3-year-old.

“I had a screened-in box my dad built for me for the insects I caught with a small net,” he recalls.

Scott loved every chance to be outdoors while growing up in Ohio, where he was fascinated with insects, nature, and watched in awe as butterflies with brightly patterned wings fluttered about.

Sadly, he says, some of the beautiful butterflies he saw as a young boy are rarely visible today.

“There has been so much environmental impact of building houses and human growth, there’s less wetlands and wooded areas now, so all those I used to see as a kid, are really hard to find,” Scott says.

Many of the butterflies in his

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collection were purchased from other avid collectors, yet he concentrates on acquiring specimens common in this hemisphere and throughout North, Central, and South America.

He devotes about eight hours a week to his hobby.

“It’s relaxing and it’s a way to get my mind off of the worries and concerns of the day,” Scott says. “It’s a chance to enjoy nature.”

He also finds his medical skills come in handy for mounting the butterflies to display their colorful wings.

“The dexterity that’s required to work with the specimen’s transitions into ophthalmology very nicely, because it, too, is a very delicate, fragile profession where you have to be very good with your hands and with your eyes. The two complement each other,” he says.

In college, he pondered going into entomology, the study of insects, and earned a degree in zoology, yet he became fascinated with medicine and the idea of helping improve patients’ vision. He finished his medical training in 1994 at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.

Many of his patients are intrigued by his hobby. Some will bring him butterfly-related items and pictures, or seek his input on butterfly gardens. No one else in his family collects butterflies, but Scott says they do recognize the beauty of the individual specimens.

“Butterflies really are gorgeous in a purely aesthetics standpoint.”

His collection allows admirers to view a wide range of butterflies that are rarely seen, and his overall goal is to continue to grow his collection.

There are about 20,000 butterfly species in the world, and one of the rarest is the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing, which is only found in the rainforest of New Guinea.

“It is the largest butterfly in the world, and it’s magnificently beautiful, and everybody wants one.

But it’s the one specimen that is internationally protected.”

He is hopeful that within the next 10 years, New Guinea will raise the butterfly, sell the specimens, and place funds back into protecting the environment so the species is never lost.

Scott predicts he will sell his own collection in sections to other collectors in his retirement years, and bestow what is left to UF. “The University of Florida has an enormous, world-renowned collection, probably one of the best in the world,” Scott says, while also praising Gainesville, home to the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History, filled with hundreds of free-flying butterflies for the public to enjoy.

“People are more inclined to protect their environment once they see it,” he says. “It’s a wonderful place.”

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Facelift, Temporary Fillers, or Permanent Facial Fillers?

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Dr. Rich Castellano is a Double Board CertiďŹ ed Facial Plastic Surgeon as seen on:

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DIAG KNOW SIS When the doctor doesn’t have a clue what ails you.

STORY: THERESA HERE RESA CAMPBELL+LEIGH NEELY PHOTOS: FREDD LOPEZ+PRO LLOPEZ+PROVIDED ROVIDED

When we are ill, we describe our symptoms to the doctor with the belief he or she will pinpoint what is wrong and prescribe a treatment or medication to make us well. But what if the doctor doesn’t have a clue? A series of tests stss later, your ailment persists, and it’s still termed a medical mystery.

In a perfect world, there would be a correct diagnosis and a quick fix like we see on the

hour-long medical hour ur-long m edi dramas. Where’s that curmudgeon diagnostician Dr. House when we need him? diagnost di stiician D doctor with all information— Provide your Pr y symptoms, sympto tom ms places you’ve traveled, etc. And do research re esearch on reputable medical websites, such MayoClinic.com and Health.gov. You aass May ay discover other symptoms you forgot may d ma may be worth mentioning at your that m next nex ne xt appointment.

BonnieClyne Bouncing back from heartaches, deadly health woes

R

egistered nurse and certified medical transcriptionist, Bonnie Clyne, 63, of Leesburg went through a series of unexpected heartaches.

She sincerely believes that level of stress led to life-threatening health woes in her 30s and 40s.

Bonnie was 29 when she went through the wrath and destruction of 155 mph winds from Hurricane Andrew in late August 1972.

The storm left her family’s Miami home in shambles.

Her husband Jerry was killed in a motorcycle crash four months later.

When she and her daughters came home from the funeral and burial in Jerry’s native Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, they found burglars had robbed and vandalized the family’s remaining belongings.

The severe stress gradually began taking a toll on

Bonnie’s health.

She became seriously ill with pancreatitis due to blockage from gallstones.

After having her gallbladder removed, Bonnie noticed mysterious, painful breast symptoms.

Through her medical background, she brushed

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it off as being fibrocystic breast disease, a noncancerous condition of painful lumps in the breast. Instead, it was a large, aggressive breast cancer.

“It was a surprise diagnosis because normally you don’t have pain with cancer, but I did have pain,” she says. “I was very surprised to find out there was a tumor.”

She had a mastectomy along with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This was followed by treatment for a life-threatening battle with septicemia, an infection in the blood, which came from an infected central IV line used for the chemotherapy drugs. Though she knew this was a common occurrence for cancer patient, she knew it wasn’t good.

Septicemia occurs when a bacterial infection elsewhere in the body enters the bloodstream.

“When you hear about deaths from cancer, a lot of times it’s due to the actual

had enough antibiotics to get rid of the infection.

After winning her battle with breast cancer for two years, she moved to Leesburg in 2004. Soon after moving here, she had gastric bypass surgery.

“I was having trouble keeping my blood pressure and blood sugar down to a normal range,” Bonnie says. “After the surgery, they both normalized, so it really does help.”

She lost 120 pounds through the procedure. “I’m not small yet. It’s constant work.”

“I’m in better physical condition as far as blood work and things than when I was in my 40s. And that’s really weird because people think it’s often the other way around,” she says. She notes people have a tendency to develop more health problems in older years.

Through the trials in her life, Bonnie found faith and maintaining a positive attitude helped her cope,

“The most important thing I learned is a respect for people rather than things. You can replace things but you can’t replace people.”

—BONNIE CLYNE

treatment because it lowers your white blood cell count,” she says. “In my case, it got in the blood…I thought I was going to die, I really did.”

She remained in the hospital for two weeks to remove the line; however, doctors couldn’t do any surgical procedure until she’d

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and it’s the main focus of a book she wrote, “Buzzards to Butterflies: My Memoir And Testimony.”

“The most important thing I learned is a respect for people rather than things. You can replace things but you can’t replace people,” she said after surviving the hurricane.

.com

Her illnesses opened her eyes to have empathy for what other people are going through in their lives.

“I gained a renewed appreciation for the people who were there for me,” she says of her daughters, who stood beside her and declared, ‘OK. Let’s do this!’”

Bonnie stresses the need to never give up in tough times.

“Things can be looking really bad, but things can get better. It doesn’t have to stay that way,” Bonnie says. “You have to trust that God is working behind the scenes and he can figure it out.”

DI AGKNOWSIS

“I told my husband that we should probably go to the hospital,” she says.

“Not thinking at all it was my heart, we made a big mistake and did not call an ambulance. The last thing I remember is sitting in the car waiting for Don.” Luckily, her husband noticed something was terribly wrong. Don instructed the gate guard at their Royal Highlands community to call 911, and he put Michele’s passenger seat down and began CPR. After the paramedics arrived, they used a defibrillator twice.

“Fortunately, we were still in our community when I ‘died’,’” she says.

Michele Klaben

M

too busy taking care of others,” Michele says. “We need to remember to focus on ourselves, because if we don’t, we won’t be able to continue caring for others.”

Michele and her husband have adopted a healthier lifestyle since her open heart surgery.

“We eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, less carbs and fats. We try to walk about two miles every day, and we also try to give back by being members of Mended Hearts, a national support group of heart patients and caregivers,” she says. “We are accredited ‘visitors’ who can visit patients in the heart unit at

“Speak out and do not hold back on any symptoms you may have. Ask questions always.”

Heart attack survivor ichele Klaben thought of herself as a healthy person. She didn’t have the traditional risk factors of heart disease: high blood pressure, family history, diabetes, smoking, obesity, or overly high cholesterol, so she never thought a heart attack could happen to her.

But, it did. One November 2005 morning while getting dressed, she felt a brief uncomfortable feeling in her chest that would come and go, and then a tingling sensation raced down her left arm.

who was 55 when she had a single-bypass surgery at Leesburg Regional Medical Center. “I feel blessed to be alive, and I thank God, the surgeons, and nurses for being alive right now.”

Looking back, Michele remembers a time when she was feeling short of breath, and her female general practitioner put her on a heart monitor.

“It did not show anything abnormal, but my cholesterol was high (nearly 200) and she ignored that,” Michele recalls. “After my heart attack and surgery, I kept looking for doctors who would listen to me and whom I could trust and feel comfortable with.”

—MICHELE KLABEN

“If we were out on the main roads, I would never have survived.”

For a woman to experience the kind of heart attack and cardiac arrest like Michele, Don was told there was only a five-percent chance for survival.

Doctors told Don his wife would have 50-percent chance of survival if they tried to use a stent. Her chance for survival was much better with open heart surgery.

“I was not aware of any of this as I was in critical condition in ICU,” says Michele,

Her advice to fellow snowbirds and newcomers in the area seeking doctors for their care, is to look around, ask neighbors for suggestions.

“Be assertive with your doctors regarding treatments. Speak out and do not hold back on any symptoms you may have. Ask questions always,” she says.

“Women need to pay attention to what their body is telling them. If they do not feel ‘right,’ see a doctor right away to rule out any problems. We women usually ignore any slight symptoms because we are

LRMC before and/or after surgery to share our story and hopefully give them the hope for their future.”

Michele knows she would not be alive today without the quick action of her “hero” husband performing CPR on her before paramedics arrived.

Don’s former job as a New York state employee required him to know CPR, and he also taught first aid and CRP as a Boy Scout leader.

“Luckily, he has never needed to use it on anyone but me,” Michelle says.

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Joscelyn Dempsey There was a little girl

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DI AGKNOWSIS

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rincess Joscelyn likes to play with her big dollhouse, enjoys singing and listening to music, and fakes falling asleep so she can sneak out of her new bed.

These sound like normal activities for an energetic 5-yearold, but Joss, as she’s affectionately called, is just a bit off the normal scale since she had the left hemisphere of her brain removed.

When Joss was born, everything appeared normal. She rolled over early and was playful and happy. After an uneventful pregnancy, Michael and Jennifer Dempsey thought their little girl was perfect. But when Joss was two months old, she had a seizure. Her EEG was normal, and she was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal condition.

Problems continued until Joss was six months old when she had another massive episode. This time the EEG was termed “extremely abnormal.” The follow-up MRI indicated Joss has a rare, debilitating congenital disorder called hemimegalencephaly, which meant the left hemisphere of her brain was larger than the right. By the time she was a year old, there were significant developmental delays.

While all this was happening, her big brother, Nicholas, was killed in an accident at Lake Joanna.

to short sentences, maybe three-word phrases,” Jennifer says. “She only sees the doctor once a year unless there’s a concern. They do neuropsyche testing to evaluate how she’s learning and if the shunt is doing well.”

Joss is once again an energetic, happy child who keeps her parents busy. However, the future is still unknown. Every child who has this surgery develops differently. Some are adults now and drive and function independently, but others will always need assistance.

“One of the hardest things for us is you can’t compare the children who go through this,” Jennifer says. “They won’t do the surgery unless they’re sure the other side of the brain is healthy and can compensate, and they can’t tell you to the degree it will be able to compensate.”

Joss loves music and Mickey Mouse and enjoys playing with her dolls. She just graduated to a big-girl bed, recently feigned sleep while providing fake snoring to see if Daddy would leave so she could get up.

“She has been a revelation and a teaching moment. I thought at my age I didn’t have that much to learn, but we’ve learned so much about neurology,” Mike adds. “You can’t plan ahead. You release your expectations. There’s no know-

“You can’t plan ahead. You release your expectations There’s no knowing what she’ll be able to do. She surprises me every day.”

—MICHAEL DEMPSEY

Various medications were prescribed, but the seizures continued and worsened, putting the little girl at risk for sudden unexplained death in epilepsy. The Dempseys couldn’t bear the thought of losing another child. Doctors told them Joss’s best chance at “normal” was the surgical removal and/or disconnection of the entire left hemisphere of her brain.

However, the first surgery wasn’t successful, and Joss ended up having three surgeries within five weeks to remove “bad brain” that kept the seizures returning. It took a fifth surgery to remove a final piece of incredibly small tissue and at long last, the Dempseys began measuring time in seizure-free months.

“She has been seizure free since Feb. 27, 2012, and now has a shunt,” Jennifer says. “She is also medication free.

She is in preschool at public school in the special needs class where she’s doing well and is completely unassisted.”

Though she had some problems with infection, Joss is thriving and developing nicely.

“We didn’t know if she was going to be nonverbal or not, but she started talking about a year ago, and she’s up

ing what she’ll be able to do. She surprises me every day.”

“We’re so fortunate Florida Hospital Waterman had the level-4 Epilepsy Center, which had only been open about a year,” Jennifer says. “We were able to do it very close to home, and the doctors were great.”

The Dempseys don’t put limitations on Joss, but are thrilled with any accomplishment. She does physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapy and recently added music therapy.

“She still does therapy one day a week at the hospital, which I love,” Jennifer says. “They know where she has come from and how much better she is doing.”

The Dempsey family also includes Jennifer’s sons, Mark, 25, Clayton, 14, and Jackson 13, along with Mike’s daughter Javelyn, 14. They are a close-knit group and Joss’s personal fan club.

In preschool for the end-of-the-year awards they voted Joss “Most Likely to be President.”

“We had a good laugh about that. I think she’d get a lot of votes this year,” Jennifer says.

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PROBLEMS WITH YOUR PROSTATE? Does this sound familiar? As you grow older, do you realize you are getting up more often at night to urinate? Have you come to accept this as in inevitable part of aging as your father did or his father before him?

There is no need for men to suffer from frequent urination because they are getting older. Dr. James Young, a down-to-earth urologist in Lake County since 1982, has successfully treated thousands of patients who suffer with enlarged prostate (BPH).

What’s even better is that treatment options are more numerous and far less invasive than those offered to our fathers and grandfathers.

Dr. Young is internationally recognized as one of the leading experts in Prostiva RF Therapy, an in-office procedure for the treatment of enlarged prostate in men. Prostiva utilizes low-level radiofrequency energy to destroy the obstructing component of the enlarged prostate The procedure allows men to stop taking medications for their prostate issues without undergoing major surgery.

That distinction has placed him on Castle Connelly’s prestigious Top Docs list for five consecutive years.

“Dr. Young is one of the pioneers

and current leaders of in-office BPH therapy, particularly with the Prostiva RF therapy system,” said Greg Fluet, former CEO of Urologix, Inc. “He has been a consistent and committed champion. For that, I have significant respect and admiration.”

Dr. Young has performed more Prostiva procedures than any urologist in the United States and possibly the world. In 2014, he performed nearly 400 Prostiva procedures, accounting for approximately 5 percent of the 8,000 performed worldwide.

The procedure is performed in Dr. Young’s office under local anesthesia. “I am very happy with the results I have achieved for many patients using Prostiva RF Therapy,” says Dr. Young, who has successfully treated nearly 3,000 patients with this procedure.

Not only is Dr. Young happy; patients are extremely satisfied, as well. That’s evidenced by the glowing reviews he receives on healthgrades.

com and vitals.com from patients who underwent the procedure.

“His revolutionary procedure was easy with very little discomfort,” wrote one patient.

“My urinary problems have disappeared, I sleep better, and have significantly more energy,” another patient wrote.

Dr. Young encourages all patients to visit vitals.com and healthgrades. com to find for themselves what patients are saying. Dr. Young’s Healthgrades online profile was visited 2,311 times between January 2015 and January 2016, ranking him 18th among 978 urologists in Florida.

Always striving to be on the cutting-edge of therapies to treat enlarged prostates, Dr. Young will soon be offering a new procedure called Rezum. This safe and efficient treatment uses thermal energy in water vapor to remove obstructive tissue surrounding the prostate. The procedure is performed in-office

III PAID PROMOTIONAL FEATURE III

under local anesthesia or oral sedation. Dr. Young will be the first urologist in Central Florida to offer this cutting-edge treatment.

“It takes less time to perform and destroys even more of the obstructive tissue. It also has rapid symptom relief and minimal discomfort. I’m usually not a doctor who jumps on new technology, but I’ve talked to many urologists who have studied this procedure in clinical trials and are now using this therapy at their practices today.

They are extremely pleased with the results they’re receiving.” ________________________________

JAMES W. YOUNG III, M.D. Board-certified Urologist

Practicing in Lake County since 1982 with extensive experience in evaluation and management of prostate problems.

Comprehensive care If you are a first-time patient of Dr. Young, you will receive a detailed examination.

“When I see a new patient I perform physical examinations and properly evaluate the patient’s symptoms, thus diagnosing the underlying problem(s),” Dr. Young said. “Next, I describe to the patient what’s normal and then explain what is abnormal with him.

Lastly, I teach him his treatment options. If I’ve done a good job of teaching, he will select the correct option for himself.”

While prescribing medications for enlarged prostate can be done by primary care physicians, only urologists are trained to thoroughly evaluate the bladder and prostate (including ruling out prostate cancer), as well as providing extremely effective minimally invasive, officebased therapies as alternatives to lifelong medical therapy.

With an office staff with nearly

as much experience as the doctor (many have worked with Dr. Young for 25 years), you don’t spend a great deal of time waiting to see him. “We pride ourselves in being timely in seeing our patients.

We respect our patients’ time as much as we do our own. Patients appreciate this; many of our patients tell me I have the best office staff on the planet. I consider that a huge compliment.”

So if you are waking up at night and have difficulty falling back asleep because you’re worried what may be wrong, then it is time to check in with Dr. Young and have him examine you.

“Many men accept frequent bladder urges as part of aging. And while it is part of the aging process, it’s not like death and taxes. There is something you can do about it.”

Prostate Cancer Screening

James W. Young III, M.D. Nationally recognized board-certified urologist

Annually over 50 years of age (At age 40 if family history or African American)

AVAILABLE FOR SECOND OPINIONS FOR BPH AND PROSTATE CANCER

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The Area’s Premier Board Certified Plastic Surgery Group

MEMBER OF American Society of Plastic Surgeons

MEMBER OF American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Our practice is dedicated

to providing exceptional plastic surgery and achieving a beautiful, natural-looking result for our patients. We strive to combine surgical expertise, artistic vision, and outstanding service to make your visit with us a positive, rewarding experience. We offer a complete range of modern procedures that include non-surgical and surgical techniques.

Each of our surgeons is board certified in plastic surgery. They are all fully trained and experienced in cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery. Our surgeons are always on site and are directors of our medi-spa and ancillary procedures.

In addition, we have registered nurses assisting the physicians with your care.

This cadre of dedicated professionals ensures that all your questions are answered and that your experience is personal and complete to your satisfaction.

So, if you are seeking a more youthful face, enlarging your breasts, a flattering figure, the solution to a problem area, or guidance to help beautify and rejuvenate your skin, our practice can help you achieve your goals.

GET TO KNOW OUR James Rogers DMD, MD

Dr. Rogers is a native Floridian.

He is a graduate of Emory University, and completed his dental and medical degrees from the University of Florida.

He trained in surgery at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida, and completed his plastic surgical training at Tulane University and Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. Dr. Rogers is a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and has performed Cosmetic and Reconstructive Procedures in Ocala for over twenty years. He is one of the most experienced surgeons in Central Florida.

Board Certified Plastic Surgeons

Navinderdeep Nijher MD

Dr. Nijher is a native New Yorker who now resides in Ocala with his wife who is a pediatrician. He completed his plastic surgery training at the prestigious New York Hospital of Cornell and Columbia Universities and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He provides the latest cutting edge techniques in minimal scar surgery of the breast, face, forehead, and eyes. He also specializes in all facets of body sculpting including but not limited to liposuction, abdominoplasty, and post bariatric body contouring. Dr.Nijher lectures extensively trying to educate patients on plastic surgery and has subsequently become one of the most sought out plastic surgeons in Central Florida.

Leonik Ahumada MD, FACS

Dr. Ahumada specializes in cosmetic and plastic surgery. He is trained in the latest plastic surgical techniques of the face, eyelids, breast and body with emphasis on minimal scarring. This includes non surgical (fillers, botox, fat grafts, sclerotherapy) and surgical procedures (facelift, eyelids, nose, breast, tummy tucks, liposuction). He graduated from Harvard with a degree in biochemistry and completed medical school at the University of Miami. He was awarded many honors while completing Plastic Surgery training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has authored and co-authored papers in plastic surgery. He prefers a personal approach to his patients and will listen to your concerns when suggesting procedures. Dr Ahumada’s family is from South America; in addition to English he is also fluent in Spanish and has an international clientele. He is married and father to three girls; when not seeing patients he enjoys time with his family.

Procedure Spotlight

SKIN & INJECTABLES M E E T O U R S K I N & I N J E C TA B L E A N D L A S E R T R E AT M E N T P R O F E S S I O N A L Lindsey Hicks ARNP-C

Lindsey is a Certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses. Lindsey received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Florida State University and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama.

Lindsey began her nursing career providing care for surgical patients prior to finding a real love in aesthetic medicine. She has had extensive training working alongside Board Certified Plastic Surgeons providing aesthetic treatments including Botox cosmetic and dermal fillers. She has attended many workshops and completed private trainings in Botox, Juvederm, Voluma, Dysport, and Restylane. Lindsey is passionate about educating her patients and strives to provide a personable and individualized experience.

Lindsey is an Ocala native, who enjoys spending the weekends with her husband and their fur babies (Cash and Benjamin).

O U R FA M I LY O F P R O D U C T S We offer a wide variety of non-surgical injectable cosmetics to add volume, create angles and give a more youthful look. Non-invasive cosmetic treatments are a cost effective way to help combat the appearance of aging and show instant results with minimal to no downtime.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY MORE INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE PRODUCTS, CALL US OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

C A L L U S T O D AY

(352) 750-0019 REQUEST A FREE CONSULTATION

www.VillagesPlasticSurgery.com THE VILLAGES/DANA CENTER LOCATION 11950 CR 101, Suite 205, The Villages, FL 32162

OCALA/PADDOCK PARK LOCATION 3320 SW 34th Circle, Ocala, FL 34474

Come Discover!

LAKE COUNTY’S PREMIER SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY

The Lake County Farmers & Flea Market offers crops cultivated locally at U-pick fruit farms, citrus groves and nurseries.

With more than 150 vendors selling a wide variety of goods and services, indoor and outdoor exhibitors, free onsite parking, live music, and an onsite ATM, Farmers & Flea Market is the place to bargain shop beginning at 8 a.m. every Thursday.

The Farmers & Flea Market is located at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 2101 N. County Road 452 in Eustis, Florida.

For more information, visit facebook.com/lakecountyflfairgrounds or call 352-357-9692 for facility rental information or to become a vendor.

Call today to schedule your visit!

352.775.0345 OspreyLodgeTavares.com 1761 Nightingale Lane Tavares, FL 32778 AL License #12259

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2016HEALTHPROS WARNING: Finding the right doctor is essential to good health. The 2016 Health Pros Guide is designed to help make that decision easier.

Categorized by Profile, Practice, and Procedure, it’s an easy-to-use directory of the best health care providers in their field.

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DR. JEFFREY GLOVER

HE FEELS YOUR PAIN Experiencing lower back pain, a pinched nerve, sciatica, neck pain, or a variety of symptoms related to damaged or degenerative discs?

Dr. Jeffrey Glover of Glover Chiropractic Clinic personally understands how debilitating it can be because he has experienced back issues, and as a result, he found relief from the pain-free, non-surgical, DTS Spinal Decompression Therapy—the same treatment he provides his patients.

“This is what was used to fix my back,” he says. “When I was in chiropractic school, I suffered from low back pain and was unable to get out of bed for three days.”

DTS Therapy eliminated his pain.

“It’s what got me back to being able to go to the gym and do more things,” Dr.

Glover says, adding many of his patients are thrilled after a few treatments to feel great and be able to play golf, go shopping, perform household chores, and do activities they enjoy again.

“This increases a patient’s quality of life to live as pain free as possible,” he says.

Patients appreciate DTS Therapy as an alternative to surgery, and they feel comfortable knowing Dr. Glover understands what they’ve been experiencing.

“To sympathize is good, but being able to empathize is just as important,” he says.

DTS Therapy is a major part of Glover Chiropractic Clinic, and Dr. Glover shares with patients the pain-free treatment creates decompression by gently stretching the spine to relieve pressure from the discs, joints, and muscular tissues while the patient is in a comfortable position.

Treatments are short in duration, and most patients report improvements and reduction in pain after only a few sessions.

Those who suffer chronic low back or neck pain owe it to themselves to call Glover Chiropractic Clinic to see if they are a candidate for DTS Spinal Decompression Therapy.

GLOVER CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC 312 N. 14th St., Leesburg, FL. 34748 Phone: 352-787-9995 www.GloverChiro.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

FLORIDA HOSPITAL RESPIRATORY & EQUIPMENT Florida Hospital Respiratory & Equipment (FHRE) services all of Lake County from their new Mount Dora location, located conveniently at the tri-city connection of 441 and 19A with respiratory, durable medical equipment, and supplies. The office space offers a place where customers can walk-in and make appointments for many services. FHRE’s main office in Longwood services all of Orange, Osceola, Seminole Counties and beyond.

The staff is dedicated to providing the best customer service experience for all of our Community. Our respiratory services such as CPAP/BIPAP for the sleep apnea patient, Heated High Flow Units, High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (Afflo Vest) and Non-Invasive Ventilators are setup by our highly qualified Respiratory Therapists. Highly trained equipment technicians provide the delivery, setup and instruction for our many other products, such as oxygen therapy, hospital beds, mobility and ambulatory aids, bathroom products, and much more.

Rose Schiebold, Branch Manager and the MT Dora FHRE team has decades of experience in the DME Industry. We understand what the patients and families go through and we take pride in creating a comfortable setting for the patient and families when entering their homes or when they visit our facility. Our knowledgeable and experienced staff allow the patient to feel comfortable and alleviate any anxiety they may be feeling. We assess the patient’s needs and provide the best suitable medical products and devices available.

FHRE works closely with all the surrounding hospitals and healthcare providers to obtain the necessary documentation to qualify the services to be paid under insurance. We accept Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial insurances.

FHRE is part of the Florida Hospital Connected Care Team, which allows us to assist patients and families with all the services offered within the Florida Hospital Network. FHRE is grateful to have the opportunity to serve you.

4855 N. U.S. Highway 19-A Mount Dora, FL 32757 352-253-2326

556 Florida Central Parkway Longwood, FL 32750 407.830.1938

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

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practice

LAKE WELLNESS FOR WOMEN OB/GYN

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omen know it’s important to take an active role in their personal health care, especially issues specifically related to obstetrics and gynecology.

The physicians at Lake Wellness for Women OB/GYN are dedicated to providing the best care by forming a partnership with each patient that ensures their needs are met in a caring and timely manner.

“We want our office to be the premier OB/GYN location where patients can get the treatment they need and the care they deserve,” Dr. Hallam said.

Lake Wellness for Women OB/GYN includes 3 physicians: Marilyn Mayne, D.O., FACOOG, Mamie Rogers, M.D., FACOG, and M. Joel Hallam, D.O. By keeping current with the latest developments in obstetrics and gynecology, these experienced physicians deliver new therapies and diagnostics to ensure that area women receive the care they need. Developing trusting relationships with patients is a vital part of patient care for these doctors, and they truly understand the significance of this.

“We take time to get to know our patients and families so we may gain an understanding of your lifestyle, family history, and other critical factors important in providing

(L–R) MAMIE ROGERS, MD, FACOG; JOEL HALLAM, DO; MARILYN MAYNE, DO, FACOOG

quality health care and meeting our patients’ needs,” Dr. Hallam said.

Your health begins with YOU, this is why it is very important to take the necessary steps to ensure you practice a healthy lifestyle. One way the doctors help you achieve this goal is by providing resources and information in the field of women’s health, so you can stay up to date on the latest medical breakthroughs and know about local events related to women’s health issues.

“It is our mission to provide the highest quality obstetrical and gynecology care available in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere,” Dr. Hallam said. “Our friendly staff helps guide our patients through every step of care.”

LAKE WELLNESS FOR WOMEN OB/GYN 3340 Waterman Way Tavares, FL 32778 352.589.6005 LWWObGyn.com

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201 6 h e al thp ro (L–R) JASON GERBOC, DO; REGINA GUZZI, PA-C; MICHAEL FOUNTAIN, DO, FACOS

practice

UROLOGY SPECIALISTS OF LAKE COUNTY

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r. Jason Gerboc, Dr. Michael W. Fountain, Regina Guzzi, P.A., and the staff of Urology Specialists of Lake County seek to provide the highest quality of care for their patients. With a combination of specialized training and evidence-based treatment, they ensure patients not only get better, but also are completely satisfied with the level of care received.

“Our goal is always that the patient’s condition improves and they feel better,” Dr. Gerboc said. “When I’m listening to symptoms and complaints, I want to get to the heart of the matter so I can make an accurate diagnosis.”

Many urological problems often go untreated because people find them embarrassing or difficult to discuss with a doctor. Dr. Gerboc and Dr. Fountain understand the need for compassionate dialogue where health issues are concerned. The practice focuses on treating problems such as enlarged prostate, urinary incontinence, and erectile dysfunction. There is no need to have discomfort or pain when the treatment is often available on site, using stateof-the-art technology and equipment.

“We want to be sure patients get treatment in a timely manner. We have immediate availability, SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

sometimes same-day office appointments. Certainly we can see patients within a quick turnover,” Dr. Gerboc said. “We have a great office, clean environment, friendly staff, convenient location, state-of-the-art equipment. Our staff is caring and concerned, always eager to meet our patients’ expectation.”

Urology is a constantly changing specialty, but the staff of Urology Specialists of Lake County are always prepared to provide compassionate care combined with cutting-edge treatment.

UROLOGY SPECIALISTS OF LAKE COUNTY 1210 Waterman Way Tavares, FL 32778 352.343.2364 LakeCountyUrology.com

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BEACON ADVANCED EYECARE CENTER

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veryone regards eyesight as a precious gift. Dr. Albert R. Ducharme, Dr. James K Berry, John Naumann, and the staff at Beacon Advanced Eyecare Center dedicate themselves to providing patients the best possible eye care as reflected in their mission statement: Focusing on You with Quality Care.

Beacon Advanced Eyecare Center, started in 1986, is a full-service vision care provider for scheduled appointments and emergency eye care too. For more than 25 years, they’ve consistently received excellent ratings from the Better Business Bureau.

Shannon Leafers, office manager, has been with the practice 10 years. “I am proud to be a member of this practice because I know patients who come to see Dr. Berry or Dr. Ducharme get the best care. And if they need or want new glasses, there’s no one better in the business than our master optician, John Naumann.”

Patients benefit from Beacon Advanced Eyecare Center

for many reasons: • Two locations—Leesburg and Lady Lake • Leesburg opens Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Patients can see either Dr. Ducharme or Dr. Berry • Complete eye exams for glasses or contact lenses • Testing for glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration • Pre- and post-operative care Both doctors promote a warm, trusting, and professional relationship with patients and think of patients as extended family.

Dr. Albert R. Ducharme says his main goal for patients is, “The most thorough eye exam possible in a friendly and courteous atmosphere, and provide the best vision attainable.”

When asked what gives him the most pleasure in serving his patients, John says, “I love it when patients smile and say they can see well again.”

BEACON ADVANCED EYECARE CENTER Leesburg - 352.728.8318 Lady Lake - 352.740.2414 beaconadvancedeyecare.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

YIN “TAMMY” LUK, MD, FACS GENERAL SURGEON

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board-certified surgeon with Central Florida Health, Yin “Tammy” Luk, MD, performs hernia repairs and does surgeries on the gallbladder, breast, stomach, bowel, and wounds at Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages® Regional Hospital. She praises the “team approach” in treating patients. “From the nursing staff to the technical support/equipment, we are able to give patients the best possible outcomes,” she says. Hernia repair is the most common surgical procedure, and Dr. Luk performs several a week.

She uses a laparoscopic, minimally invasive method that allows patients to experience less pain, swelling, or scarring. Patients are generally able to go home the same day as their surgery. “Many of the cases that I perform are life-saving and it is very rewarding to see the immediate and positive result,” she says.

1400 US Hwy 441 N. Sharon Morse Building, Suite 526 The Villages, FL 32159 352.323.1405

profile

TAREK BAKDASH, MD NEUROLOGIST

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ur strategy is to acknowledge the patients and listen to their needs and concerns; a crucial approach to defining an accurate diagnosis and planning its management,” says Tarek Bakdash, MD, a board-certified neurologist with Central Florida Health. To provide optimal care for his patients, Dr. Bakdash practices the entire field of neurology and its disorders of the brain, spinal cord and neuromuscular systems. In addition to being certified in neurology, he is also certified in performing neurodiagnostic studies (EEG, and EMG studies) and treatment of muscles and nerves. Extensive dialogue with patients and their families is imperative to reaching an accurate diagnosis and management. Dr. Bakdash wants his patients to know he is here to help. “I take my time and provide compassionate care because I am dealing with the huge responsibility of another human life.”

1400 U.S. Highway 441 N Sharon Morse Building, Suite 524 The Villages, FL 32159 352.751.8790

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MICHAEL BRANCH, MD OTOLARYNGOLOGIST

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ichael Branch, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist, specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of the ear, nose and throat. He has advanced experience in endoscopic sinus surgery, rhinology, hearing loss and chronic ear surgery. He practices at The VillagesÂŽ Regional Hospital. Dr. Branch earned his MD at Wake Forest University, Bowman Gray School of Medicine; and then completed a six year residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. He served as an active duty Otolaryngologist with the United States Navy for three years. He then practiced in the Orlando area for 20 years and joined Central Florida Health in January 2016. He has participated in over 20 medical missions to Pucallpa, Peru performing ear, nose and sinus surgeries for the poor of that community. He is a fellow of the American Board of Otolaryngology.

1501 U.S. Highway 441 N, Suite 1830 The Villages, FL 32159

352.751.8960

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HARRY C. WEISER, MD, FAANS, FACS NEUROSURGEON

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arry C. Weiser, MD, diplomate, American Board of Neurological Surgery, is a board-certified neurosurgeon with Central Florida Health, where he specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cranial and spinal disorders, pain management and procedures, and cranial/spinal surgery. Dr. Weiser also has advanced training in stereotactic navigation of both the spine and brain. Comparable to the way a GPS works in a vehicle, stereotactic technology provides 3-D navigation by mapping the location of an abnormality and sending information to the MRI system in real time, giving Dr. Weiser a clear image of the precise position that needs treatment. Stereotactic surgery is touted as ideal for patients with tumors deep in the brain, and the minimally invasive procedure often means a quicker recovery time.

1501 U.S. Highway 441 N., Suite 1832 The Villages, FL 32159 352.751.8830

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CELIA NELSON, MD, FACS GENERAL SURGEON

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elia Nelson, MD, a board-certified general surgeon with Central Florida Health, performs many breast cancer surgeries, along with surgical procedures for patients with hernias, gallbladders, appendix, and abdominal issues. Dr. Nelson wants patients to know she’s a person who lives by faith in God and that she is committed to their care. “The reward is seeing people get well, recover, and overcome an illness,” she says. The Jamaican native chose to become a surgeon while in medical school at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.

She has been in practice here since 1992. Some patients tell her they appreciate that she’s a female surgeon. “The most important thing is that you have somebody that you can communicate and feel comfortable with, whether it’s male or female,” she says.

1400 US Hwy 441 N. Sharon Morse Building, Suite 526 The Villages, FL 32159 352.728.8088

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SAMUEL BUNDZ, MD, FACS GENERAL SURGEON

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amuel Bundz, MD, a board-certified general surgeon with Central Florida Health, provides endovenous laser treatments—the most advanced technique for addressing spider and varicose veins. This highly specialized treatment works to maintain proper leg health by sealing faulty veins and rerouting the blood flow through healthier veins.

Hundreds of his patients have been treated by this minimally invasive procedure on an out-patient basis. “I’ve performed the procedure on my patients in the afternoon, and the next morning they’re back to work,” says Dr. Bundz, who notes those who receive the laser treatments generally do not experience discomfort, pain, or scarring—common occurrences with the traditional method of vein stripping. In addition to endoveous laser treatments, Dr. Bundz also performs surgical procedures for patients with breast cancer, hernias, gallbladders, and colon cancer.

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DAN NICOLAS TRAN, MD, FACS GENERAL SURGEON

A physician who loves his work and focuses on patients’ needs.

Board certified in general surgery, Dr. Dan Nicolas Tran has been practicing in Lake County for over a decade, and he’s the only general surgeon with fellowship training in minimally invasive surgery at Florida Hospital Waterman.

Some of his research has been published in major medical journals.

“I do a lot of laparoscopic surgeries,” says Dr. Tran. “It’s a minimal invasive surgery with little, tiny incisions and less pain. People are able to go home earlier and back to work sooner than the traditional open surgical techniques.”

He specializes in hernia repair, bowel resection, gallbladder removal, anti-reflux surgery, and surgical procedures to address skin, breast and colorectal cancers.

Hernia repair is a major part of his practice.

“We usually diagnose it just from the pain alone,” says Dr. Tran. “We explain that a hernia is very common and something we see all the time, and we can fix it. It’s something that can be done as an outpatient.”

Some patients are able to return to work the day after surgery.

Dr. Tran received his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine. He completed a General Surgery residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky, followed by a fellowship program at the school’s Center for Advanced Surgical Technology.

Dr. Tran says his staff members are dedicated to serving patients.

“We strive to be the gold standard for patient care, comfort, and practicing quality outcomes,” he says.

Dr. Tran says patients appreciate it.

“We have long-term experience of doing this for over a decade,” says Dr. Tran. “We have a very friendly staff who gets people in quickly, and we get good results. Everybody is happy.”

LAKE SURGICAL ASSOCIATES 1290 Waterman Way Tavares, FL 32778 352.742.0054

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HASEEB BEN KAZIM, MD In the late 90s a new trend emerged in hospital care.

Normally a patients’ primary care physician would monitor their care and treatment during a hospital stay. However, a hospitalist now handles that care—a doctor who specializes in treating those who are in the hospital.

Lake County Hospitalist Care is a group of highly trained, board-certified physicians and advanced registered nurse practitioners who oversee and coordinate the medical care of Florida Hospital Waterman patients. They are, essentially, the experts in taking care of those who are hospitalized. Haseeb Ben Kazim, MD, is medical director of the group and has 14 years of experience in internal medicine.

“Our primary focus is twofold,” Dr. Kazim says. “We offer the highest level of care along with compassion for all our patients.”

The family and the patient are included in all discussions, and time is taken to outline tests, procedures, medications, or surgery that is needed. This doctor becomes the patient’s physician of record during the hospital stay and is consulted for information and answering questions.

“Our group of highly trained physicians are happy to serve the Waterman community,” Dr. Kazim adds.

These doctors know being in the hospital is a stressful time, and they are intent on easing that stress and assuring the family that everything needed is being done. “We want our patients to feel comfort able and informed during their hospital stay.”

Dr. Kazim and his associates know that a patient’s view of their hospital care comes from their relationship with the doctor. This care includes overseeing and coordinating all the medical care, working directly with surgeons or other specialists involved in patient care, and easing the transition from inpatient to outpatient.

“We consult with the specialists about the patient’s health history and medications, and determine when the patient is well enough to be discharged,” Dr. Kazim says. “It is our mission to make sure our patients are provided with the best medical care while a patient at Florida Hospital Waterman.”

Following the patient’s release from the hospital, this connection returns to the primary care physician. Lake County Hospitalist Care sees more patients admitted to the hospital than any other group so they are leaders in this field.

LAKE COUNTY HOSPITALIST CARE 1737 David Walker Drive Tavares, FL 32778 352.742.3578

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CARDIOLOGY

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aving a cardiologist in the Vein Center adds an extra measure of high quality care for the patients. Kalpesh, Solanki, DO, FACC, originally from Sarasota, is not only has a general cardiovascular specialty, he works with heart failure and hypertension management, peripheral catheterization for peripheral artery disease, and device implantation—pacemaker, defibrillator (AICD), cardiac resynchronization therapy (bi-ventricular). He also does catheterization as well as noninvasive cardiology—nuclear stress testing, peripheral vascular studies, and echocardiography. Dr. Solanki is board certified in general cardiology and internal medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. Dr Solanki has offices in The Villages and Ocala and is accepting new patients and most major health insurance plans. It’s interesting to note before he went into medicine, Dr. Solanki received a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering.

SOLANKI CARDIOLOGY AND ASSOCIATES • 3515 SE 17th St, Suite 100, Ocala • 1050 Old Camp Road, Suite 202, The Villages 352.245.7788 (Cardiology main number)

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VEIN CENTER

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om Tran, PA-C and Michael Richards, PA-C have more than 20 combined years of experience in the field of Phlebology, the treatment of vein disease. They are the founding members of Comprehensive Vein Center treating patients in the Villages and Ocala for over 9 years. They feature highly specialized treatment for varicose veins. They perform the latest minimally invasive procedures that replaced surgeries for varicose veins— EndoVenous Laser Treatment and Radiofrequency ablations as well as ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy and cosmetic vein treatments. The treatment includes a detailed ultrasound evaluation by a certified vascular sonographer. These procedures require no hospitalization and only local anesthesia. “We close off the vein, with Laser or RF heat and the body absorbs the vein with no scaring or surgical wounds. Everything is done here in our offices, so there’s no need to worry about doing tests elsewhere,” Michael says. “We are dedicated vein specialists.” The staff understands you want your legs to feel and look good. They have now joined with Solanki Cardiology and Associates to offer comprehensive care and are currently accepting new patients.

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BRIDGING THE GAP IN HEALTH CARE

THE NORTH LAKE HOSPITAL TAX HELPS THOSE IN NEED STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL

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orking for a major landscaping company and commuting to Orlando, Mike Pelcha, 52, of Leesburg, couldn’t do his job when he developed cataracts. He also was experiencing dangerously high blood pressure and other health ailments.

“It was getting to the point where I couldn’t drive,” he says.

It wasn’t long after that he was out of work and uninsured.

Annette Peterkin, 55, of Lady Lake, lost all of her health insurance

benefits after her husband’s 25-year job with a citrus juice plant ended.

“It was devastating because I had always had insurance coverage, and I had a lot of health problems,” Annette says. “I didn’t know where I was going to turn for help.”

They’re not alone. According to local health officials, the pair are among 45,000 uninsured residents in Lake County.

Luckily, Mike, Annette, and countless others living in Astatula, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Howey-in-the-

Hills, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Tavares, and Umatilla, can get medical care as residents living in the North Lake County Hospital District (NLCHD). This organization provides more than $7 million annually to community health clinics, Florida Hospital Waterman, Leesburg Regional Medical Center, and LifeStream Behavioral Center to help offset the costs of caring for uninsured district residents.

Annette and Mike are patients of the Community Medical Care Center,

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NORTH LAKE HOSPITAL DISTRICT LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA

a free clinic founded in 1999 by Leesburg Regional Medical Center and First Baptist Church, where local doctors, retired practitioners, and specialists volunteer their time to treat an average of 600 uninsured patients a month, and provide referrals for free diagnostic tests, and chronic disease care to those with incomes under 150 percent of the federal poverty level ($17,820 or less for one person; $24,030 or less in twoperson household).

“I have a lot of medical issues going on, and I couldn’t even imagine not having a place to go,” Annette says.

“They are just awesome people and I thank God for them. I am pretty sure I would not have the quality of life I have now if had not been for the

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center and help from the North Lake County Hospital District.”

Mike feels the same way. He shudders to think what would have happened if he had not received care from the clinic.

“I probably would have died from a heart attack,” Mike says. “Without them, I don’t know where I would be now.”

Community Medical Care Center’s director, Tammy Halsey, says the clinic receives about 80 percent of its funding from the NLCHD with the rest coming from small grants and donations from foundations and individuals. The center received $473,461 from the NLCHD last year.

“The funding that we receive from the tax district is extremely vital to the daily operations and the

survival of the clinic,” Tammy says.

“We are taking care of folks who are in the gap. They don’t have any opportunities for the Affordable Care Act because they don’t qualify for that, and they can’t receive Medicaid or Medicare, so they are out there with nothing. If they didn’t have us, they would be using the ER for their medical home.”

Created by the Florida Legislature, all NLCHD funds are generated from businesses and homeowners residing within the district, via an assessment on their property tax statements—a 1 mill surcharge—or $1 per $1,000 of property value.

“For the average homeowner in north Lake County, the district collects around $120 annually in property

taxes—typically less than $10 a month, or the cost of a large pizza. It’s a small amount that goes a long way to helping our neighbors in need,” says Steven Jenkins, administrative director of strategy and integrated marketing, at Florida Hospital Waterman.

“The clinics serve as a medical home, helping patients manage chronic diseases, have access to preventative healthcare services, and even get assistance with prescriptions,” he says. “Without the community clinics, most patients would be forced to seek care through our hospitals’ emergency departments at a much higher cost to the entire community.”

Florida Hospital Waterman’s free clinic, Community Primary Health Clinic, provides medical care for uninsured residents living below 150 percent poverty level. It received $275,610 from the NLCHD in 2015.

Mark Dickinson, executive vice president and chief financial officer of 13 Florida clinics, including Leesburg Family Health Clinic and Tavares Community Health Center, says the two facilities combined serve about 8,000 clients, those under 200 percent poverty level ($23,760 or less for one person; $32,040 or less for two-person household) pay for their care on a sliding-fee scale.

“I’m just grateful that we get some support from the hospital district,” he says. “It goes a long way and it helps us a lot; it allows us to see additional patients with no insurance.” The NLCHD provided $190,102 in funds for these clinics last year.

St. Luke Free Medical and Dental Clinic in Eustis treats the uninsured who are at 200 percent poverty level, and it received $78,426 last year from the NLCHD; LifeStream Behavioral Center, which provides care for the uninsured at 150 percent poverty level through the WIN Clinic of LifeStream, was reimbursed $739,272 from the district in 2015.

FREE CLINICS

in____________________________ North Lake County Hospital District COMMUNITY MEDICAL CARE CENTER 1210 W. Main St., Leesburg, FL 34748 352.589.2501 FLORIDA HOSPITAL WATERMAN COMMUNITY PRIMARY CARE CENTER 2300 Kurt St., Eustis FL 32726 352.589.2501 ST. LUKE FREE MEDICAL AND DENTAL CLINIC 722 S. Grove St., Eustis, FL 32726 352.602.4620

CLINICS WITH SLIDING FEES

in____________________________ North Lake County Hospital District WIN CLINIC OF LIFESTREAM 215 N. 3rd St., Leesburg, FL 34748 352.315.7946 LEESBURG FAMILY HEALTH CENTER 225 N. 1st St., Leesburg, FL. 34748 352.435.6699 TAVARES COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 212 E. Main St., Tavares, FL. 32778 352.314.7410

Leesburg Regional Medical Center received $3.4 million from the North Lake County Hospital District last year, even though the hospital provided the community with nearly $16 million in charity care, and Florida Hospital Waterman was given $3.3 million by the NLCHD to offset more than $11 million it provided the poor and uninsured in charity care.

“Everything that we can do to offset that huge charity burden at the hospital level helps, because people can’t get better without hospital care,” says Don Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Central

Florida Health, which oversees Leesburg Regional Medical Center.

By providing funds to the clinics and hospitals to care for those without health insurance, he says it’s not only an efficient alternative over emergency room visits, but it also lowers the overall healthcare costs for the entire community.

Voters will be able to vote for the continuation of the North Lake County Hospital District during the Nov. 8 general election, when the assessment comes up for a 10-year renewal.

The language on the ballot will read: “Shall the independent special district known as the North Lake County Hospital District with authority to levy each year an ad valorem tax not to exceed 1 mill to fund indigent care to qualified residents of the district be continued for another 10 years?”

Leesburg Regional Medical Center’s top chief believes voters will show their support in renewing the assessment.

“People in Lake County are extremely generous and they have been very supportive of our hospital,” he says. “I would humbly ask the community to continue their support for the hospital; it’s been there, and it has always there in their time of need. We don’t deny central care to anybody, regardless of their ability to pay, and that is certainly not the case in other communities.”

Since hospitals in Ocala have become for-profit facilities, he has observed patients being denied care, and those with elected procedures turned away in Marion County.

Leesburg Regional Medical Center’s CEO says there’s a big difference in the level of care patients receive here, thanks to the North Lake County Hospital District being locally governed and operating on the philosophy of not denying care when care is needed.

“And it’s why this tax district is so important,” he says.

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BESH Principals Chuck Hiott and Mike Straughan, pictured with Banker Bill Brooks ks

pay

Featuring

TOP MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS

A look at cutting-edge advances in The Villages®

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Plus

IN THE VILLAGES

Prime Time Twirlers put on dazzling shows!

PAGE 4

BOOK CLUB

Meet “A Man Called Ove” PAGE 15

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meet a villager STORY: CHRIS GERBASI PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

THE TWO CONNIES “Hi, I’m Connie.”

“Hi, I’m Connie, too.”

Connie Rogers and Connie Lumpkin met in The Villages and became fast friends, partly because they share the same first name.

They’re known as Connie 1 and Connie 2, dubbed by Lumpkin’s husband, Harry. Rogers is Connie 1 because she arrives everywhere first, including moving to The Villages 10 years ago.

Lumpkin arrived in 2009, and they met at First Baptist Church at The Villages, where they take roles in church activities and sit together during services.

“She was the first person that I met when I came here to The Villages and started attending (church) here,” says Lumpkin, of The Village of Hadley. “She welcomed my husband and me, made us feel really welcomed, so that was a big plus.”

Of course, the two Connies are connected by more than just a name. They socialize and share many similarities.

“One of our traditions is we always go out on Mother’s Day together to a nice restaurant,” says Rogers, of The Village of Mallory Square. “And they like to come to my house for a good breakfast. I do a mean breakfast.”

“They say opposites attract, so that’s why I like her, for her cooking,” Lumpkin says as both women laugh.

Rogers also is known as “Da Mayor,” the leader of the 750-member Chicagoland Club in The Villages, and Lumpkin is president of the Baby Boomers Club, which has 900 members. You won’t find both of them at the same club, however.

The “baby boomer” label doesn’t fit

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Rogers, the elder of the two Connies, while Lumpkin, a Washington Redskins fan from Baltimore, doesn’t want to hear about Rogers’ Chicago hometown sports teams.

Both women are involved in other clubs as well. Three days a week, Rogers teaches mah-jongg, a domino-like game played with tiles, and Lumpkin teaches Zumba aerobic fitness classes. During the Camp Villages summer program for grandchildren, Rogers leads arts and crafts, and Lumpkin demonstrates Zumba and T-shirt designing.

“She teaches to exercise the body, and I teach to exercise the mind,” Rogers says.

Both Connies love to spoil their grandkids and take them on vacations each year. Rogers and her husband, David, have two daughters and six grandchildren. The Lumpkins have two sons and three grandchildren, including a granddaughter who is “Connie 3.”

Each couple also wasted little time in deciding to live in The Villages.

Rogers recalls she and David bought their house sight unseen when their sales agent had only three hours to sell it or lose it to another agent.

Lumpkin wrote a list of 20 reasons not to move to The Villages as she and Harry headed there from their northern home. She was braced for a high-pressure sales pitch that never materialized. Instead, after taking a trolley tour of the community, they bought a house within four hours.

The two women always will have the “Connie” bond.

“I think that’s part of the connection, just the funniness of it,” Rogers says. “I have never had to share my name. I was the only Connie growing up. I never met another Connie.”

“I guess I haven’t either, now that I think about it,” Lumpkin says.

It’s funny how sharing a name became sharing a friendship.

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in the villages STORY: LEIGH NEELY

PRIME TIME TWIRLERS Seventy-six trombones may have led the big parade, but the twirlers were always more fun to watch!

The Prime Time Twirlers is a group of ladies who twirl six different items while performing their routines. They use batons, hoop batons, flags, pompoms, ribbons, and rifles. They’ve been together for more than nine years and are always looking for new members— beginners and those with experience are welcome!

“One of the things we take the most pride in is our patriotic programs,” says Elin Jones, the group’s leader, who lives in The Village of Mallory. “We love doing these programs at parades, events, and even for clubs and assisted living facilities.”

Elin began twirling when she was 9 years old, and started competing at age 10. She was a three-time Ohio State Champion in her division and was fifth in the nation.

“I never thought I’d get to do it again,” Elin says. “So I love it. We always make sure everyone has a solo performance. My husband Jack is the announcer, and he always gives their

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name and where they’re from. Lots of times, people come up and talk to them afterward because they’re from the same place.”

The group practices every Monday at Canal Street Recreation Center from 9 to 11 a.m. “If you want to join us, just show up for practice,” Elin says. “We have batons for those who just want to try it.”

Debbie Winchester of The Village of Amelia says, “I love the camaraderie of the girls. We have a good time, and the commonality of performing makes it a fun group that has a fun time. I’m ecstatic to be twirling again. Even though I hadn’t done it since I was 8 years old, it came right back to me, like riding a bicycle.”

Linda Shelling and her husband were visiting The Villages during Oktoberfest one year, and when the she saw the twirlers in the parade she said, “If I ever live in The Villages, that’s something I’d want to do.”

After they moved to The Village of Charlotte, her husband ran into a friend in Home Depot who said his wife was unhappy because she’d broken her arm and couldn’t do her twirling. Linda’s husband men-

tioned that she wanted to twirl, and it wasn’t long after that, she joined the group.

“I was a twirler in high school, and I always twirled at home. The grandchildren would giggle at me,” Linda says. “Now I do it all the time and I really enjoy doing it with Elin and the other twirlers. It makes me feel young!”

The group has competed twice in ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Twirler Mania. “We did the first one in 2014 and won first place in the Senior Division, and the next year, we won two first-place awards and one second place,” Elin says. “We went with the patriotic theme, and it was so much fun.”

PRIME TIME TWIRLERS Mondays 9-11 a.m.

Canal Street Recreation Center Thursdays 9-11:30 a.m.

Lake Miona Recreation Center For information, contact Elin Jones, 259-5864 or Email elinsptt@centurylink.net www.primetimetwirlers.com

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Breakthrough: st Century Medicine

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STORY: CHRIS GERBASI

Villagers are doubly blessed to be living in an area surrounded by local and regional medical facilities, while also living in an age of cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs.

It seems advances made in medical fields occur almost daily. Though research tends to move in a slow, methodical line, the cumulative years of scientific endeavor mean new drugs, procedures, and technology provide healing and relief in ways once talked about only in science fiction. Many of these advances particularly target the senior population, such as relief from chronic pain, cancer treatment, cataract surgery, cardiac care, orthopedics, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

A Joint Process In orthopedics, one new development is patient-specific, computer-navigated total knee replacement, says Dr. Mario John, an orthopedic surgeon at Florida Musculoskeletal Institute, with offices in The Villages and Leesburg.

The process uses images from computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to create patient-specific templates intended to align knee implants, according to medical reports provided by the institute.

In the most commonly used method to align knee implants, the surgeon aims to resect the bones in the proper orientation in all planes so the implant aligns to the mechanical axis of the leg.

The surgeon places the templates on the ends of the patient’s femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone), and adjusts the position of each template to locate the exact fit to the bone. In some models, cutting guides within the templates specify where the surgeon should cut the bones. The surgeon creates the bone cuts, places the component replacement pieces, and uses cement to hold the pieces in place.

Computer-assisted navigation was developed to improve alignments of the knee implants, and has been reported to decrease misalignments.

Other potential benefits of using

patient-specific templates include decreased operative time, shorter recovery, and less postoperative pain.

Orthopedic doctors also are using stem cells during joint replacement to aid and boost the healing process, John says. They use amniotic stem cells harvested from donated placenta.

“I’ve actually had a few joint injections of this and it’s amazing,” John adds.

A similar procedure is being performed at the San Diego Stem Cell Treatment Center, the National Healthcare Media Organization recently reported. Joint replacement surgeons there use a patient’s own fat-derived stem cells to treat arthritic joints, orthopedic injuries, or generative disorders.

Doctors obtain stem cells as a plastic surgeon would while performing liposuction, drawing 50cc of fat. Technicians process the fat down to cells, which are full of regenerative cells, some of which are stem cells. The cells can develop into various tissue types, including skin, cartilage, cardiac tissue, nerves, muscle, and bone.

Orthopedic surgeons deploy the cells where they are needed, whether it’s in the knee, hip, shoulder, or elsewhere. The stem cell procedure may delay or eliminate a patient’s need for major joint replacement surgery.

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The Heart of the Matter An Eye for Change The field of ophthalmology, including cataract surgery, also is constantly evolving, says Dr. Courtney E. Bovee, of Mid Florida Eye Center, which has an office in The Villages.

Cataract surgery treats the clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye by removing the lens and, in most cases, replacing it with an artificial lens. Modern cataract procedures

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Recent breakthroughs in cardiac care run the spectrum of treatment from new devices to new drugs. The advances include the Watchman, drug-eluting balloons and anti-cholesterol medications, says Dr. Kalpesh Solanki, head of Solanki Cardiology, with offices in The Villages and Ocala.

The Watchman is used in patients with atrial fibrillation not related to heart valve disease, and who are at increased risk for a stroke. The Watchman consists of a delivery catheter and a device permanently implanted in the left atrial appendage of the heart. The device prevents blood clots from entering the bloodstream and potentially causing a stroke, according to the FDA. Drug-eluting balloons, used in angioplasty procedures, combat in-stent restenosis, which is the recurrence of an abnormal narrowing of an artery or valve after corrective surgery.

One of the anti-cholesterol medications, Entresto, is used in patients with chronic heart failure. The drug relaxes blood vessels to improve blood flow and allow the heart to

pump blood to the body more easily.

Villagers often look to The Villages Regional Hospital, part of Central Florida Health, for state-of-the-art cardiovascular care. Recent additions to its services include electrophysiology procedures for the heart, spokesperson Andrea Sellers says.

Specialists at the hospital’s heart center perform peripheral interventions and treat heart rhythm disorders through electrophysiology procedures, such as pacemaker implantation and catheter ablation.

The center offers a complete range of cardiac diagnostic services and tests, as well as cardiac catheterization and interventional procedures. These procedures include angioplasties, percutaneous coronary intervention, which is a nonsurgical procedure used to open narrow or blocked coronary arteries, and the placement of stents, including drug-eluting stents.

As The Heart Center continues to grow, investments in new types of stents and other devices entering the marketplace are being evaluated, Sellers says.

utilize technology that mean faster procedures with increased safety, and can be done in an outpatient, sameday surgical setting.

The most advanced cataract surgery technique available today is the bladeless laser, an option for patients to increase the chance of freedom from glasses, Bovee says. The surgery, done entirely with lasers, gives surgeons increased accuracy and the ability to correct astigmatism. In addition, using the laser’s real-time 3D visualization results in a customized lens replacement procedure.

When paired with the proper lens implant, laser cataract surgery dramatically improves vision. Premium

intraocular lenses, or IOLs, have advanced significantly, offering patients a wider range of near and distance vision, correcting astigmatism, and often eliminating or reducing the need for glasses, Bovee says.

Other technological advances help patients get tailor-made results, says Dr. Mark Jank, of Ocala Eye. For example, the ORA System, a machine that measures the eye during cataract surgery, guides the surgeon to ensure the intraocular lens is perfectly selected and aligned to correct astigmatism.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery, or FLACS, is another bladeless procedure that increases the doc-

It Hurts When I do This An aging body naturally feels the effects of the loss of elasticity and the pain of degenerative conditions. However, a brand new technology, available in Lady Lake, has been shown to reduce pain, improve muscle performance, and lessen muscle fatigue.

The NovoTHOR is a whole body delivery system of Photobiomudulation (PBM) therapy…and delivery of the treatment takes just 8-15 minutes.

PBM therapy is the application of red and near-infrared light to

tissue. Regular sessions with the light work with the body’s system to repair, reduce inflammation and pain, and rejuvenate. Oxidative stress is thought to be the underlying trigger for most diseases and degenerative conditions, as well as inflammation and chronic injury.

PBM therapy reduces oxidative stress at the cellular level. There are no drugs, and the procedure is nontoxic, noninvasive, and has no side effects.

According to Valarie Gause, owner of The Rays of hope Reju-

venation Center in The Villages, PBM is just as effective in treating young people who suffer muscle strain or injury as it is for those who may be dealing with fibromyalgia or arthritis pain and fatigue.

Michael Hamblin, Ph.D., associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School says those who use PBM therapy stated, “It is not only for pain and recovery, but it has major effects helping in training.

If you use light therapy combined with a training regimen, the training is a lot more productive.”

tor’s precision. Multifocal intraocular lenses leave patients with more customized near vision, less glare, and halo in their vision.

On the horizon are intraocular lenses that more closely resemble the natural function of the younger human lens, so patients may enjoy the fullest range of vision without

glasses and perhaps avoid side effects, Jank says.

Another advance already approved in Europe and South America is the light-adjustable intraocular lens, made of a special material. Two to three weeks after implantation, when vision is stabilized, any residual refractive error

or need for glasses can be negated or minimized by selective exposure to UV light, and then locked in so no further changes occur, Jank says.

He expects Ocala Eye to offer the treatment as soon as it gains FDA approval.

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A Beautiful Mind 10

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Currently, there are just five FDA-approved drugs that treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but several new lines of drugs may soon be on the marketplace.

Standard therapy for Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, is the use of medications to “communicate” with brain cells, says Dr. Alexander Smirnoff, a Lady Lake neurologist.

While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, new drugs in development aim to modify the disease process itself by impacting one or more of the many brain changes caused by Alzheimer’s. These brain changes offer potential targets for new drugs to stop or slow the progress of the disease.

Some of the new drugs being studied are directed at immunotherapy, Smirnoff says. Immunotherapy uses antibodies to stimulate the immune system to remove pieces of a protein called amyloid beta, which accumulates in brain cells in deposits known as plaques and is thought to be a major factor driving Alzheimer’s degenerative effects.

The goal is to create antibodies to attack the plaques and eliminate them, Smirnoff says. One drug is in Stage 3 of trials, usually the last phase leading to FDA approval, and would act like a vaccination against the amyloid protein.

A second line of drugs disables the beta-secretase enzyme, or BACE, that leads to production of amyloid plaques. This possibly could slow or stop the disease. Therapy for

Alzheimer’s using BACE inhibitors is promising, he says.

Diabetes is a factor in developing Alzheimer’s disease, Smirnoff says, and another line of drugs is insulin-like hormones to improve brain function. When insulin works properly, it prevents brain cells from dying and can help brain cells grow “branches,” he says. The more branches, the stronger the brain cells.

Another drug known as Nuedexta helps alleviate agitation in Alzheimer’s patients and also is in Stage 3 trials, he says.

“As you can see, a lot of research is going on in different directions,” Smirnoff says. “When you see more going on, you feel more hopeful.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixthleading cause of death in the United States, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. However, the annual rate of new Alzheimer’s cases is declining in developed countries, Smirnoff says. Healthier diets, monitoring blood pressure, and cholesterol to help prevent strokes, exercise, and education all are possible factors for the decreased rate, he says.

As new treatments are being created, Smirnoff advises everyone to take steps to help ward off Alzheimer’s disease: eat a Mediterraneantype diet and decrease sugar intake; exercise daily and get eight hours of sleep each night; and exercise the brain by memorizing difficult items, such as a language, verses of a poem, or a list of phone numbers.

Simple, and no technology required.

Cancer and Its Treatment Two exciting developments in cancer treatment—immunotherapy and targeted therapy—are great news for the public, says Dr. Maen Hussein, a Florida Cancer Specialists physician who practices at The Villages Regional Hospital.

“We are getting better in helping cancer patients live longer and still enjoy life,” he says.

Immunotherapy uses a new class of medications that strengthens the immune system so it can fight cancer.

Malignant cells suppress the immune system, and these medications reverse the process, Hussein says.

Doctors may also use targeted therapy to personalize treatment for patients according to what they discover in the cancer cell. Through advances in genomics and molecular biology, doctors identify abnormal proteins

or growth factors that drive cancer growth and aggressiveness. Then they can design medications that block or suppress those factors, leading to the demise of the cancer, Hussein says.

“Those two fields are growing fast, which will lead to less dependence on toxic chemotherapy agents,” he says. “The new medications have a different profile of side effects that, in general, is more tolerable.”

Hussein expects to see more advances in these two therapies, as well as in diagnosis through liquid biopsies, which are noninvasive blood tests that detect tumor cells.

Treatments likely will progress rapidly, as Hussein has observed since the early 2000s. Medications have become more plentiful and more tolerable for patients and have improved survival rates. Clinical tri-

als for drugs lead to more approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration each year, he says.

“We still need to learn the best way to administer those medications, and that is why I encourage patients to always look for research trials that can help them and others in fighting cancer,” Hussein says.

Patients in The Villages are on the cutting edge. A research program of seven trials started there in January 2015 now has 34 trials.

“I think Villagers are unique in a way. They are educated and always thirsty for knowledge,” Hussein says.

“Cancer treatment is a collaborative process between the patients and their doctors, so patients need to know as much as possible about the treatment and what to expect.”

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BOARD CERTIFIED IN • Cardiovascular Disease • Electrophysiology • Echocardiology • Nuclear Cardiology • Phlebology • Vascular Interpretation

BRYAN CARTER, MPA-C

SCOTT WOJCIECHOWSKI, PA

DR. VATSAL INAMDAR DR. MARK ROTHSCHILD

ERICA HARDEN, ARNP

DR. GEORG COUTURIER

Follow your heart

We are accepting new patients into the practice.

352.674.2080 1149 Main Street, The Villages

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V

book club STORY: KATHY PORTER

A MAN CALLED OVE

A MOVING, LAUGH-OUT-LOUD STORY ABOUT A VERY UNUSUAL MAN! How does a book by a Swedish author about a judgmental, impatient curmudgeon governed by strict routine and thinks he is surrounded by idiots become an international bestseller? Fredrik Backman, in his debut novel, has taken this anti-hero, Ove, and delivered a delightfully entertaining and often hilarious book.

Ove’s beloved wife, Sonja, died and all he wants to do is join her. Enter a parade of characters, including a mangy cat, that keep him from achieving his goal time after time.

Within a few pages you find yourself very much a part of Ove’s life and, in short order, a part of the lives of those in his community.

Ove’s life is black and white. There are no gray areas as far as he is concerned and only one way to do things from the food he eats daily, to the specific tools he uses, to the only kind of car he drives, a Saab.

The discussion was led by the incomparable Betty Eich. She asked the group to define the major themes in the novel, and they quickly offered these four: identity, relationships, loss, and reasons to live.

In discussing Ove’s sense of identity, the group said though he is hypercritical and often irked, he possesses many outstanding values. They went on to mention his devotion to tradition; his persistence, often in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds; his fairness, and his complete honesty. It is this honesty, which he often delivers with total frankness, that results in more trouble than he ever anticipated. These circumstances provide the reader many comical situations.

The themes of relationships, loss, and even death play point and counterpoint throughout the book. While you may think that makes the story disheartening, that is far

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOOK CLUB

Club chairwoman Kathy Porter can be contacted at 352.259.8196 or kathymporter@comcast.net.

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Why read about a grumpy old man? Because as his life unfolds you will laugh out loud, cry with Ove, and want to call everyone you love to tell them so. Ove and his neighbors are a great combination of crazy, loving, messy humanity. Great book!

- Pat Crigler, Glenbrook

from the case. We see Ove in many different lights and are regularly led to remark, “Now I understand!” The story clearly brings home the message that there is always hope and reason to live..

A very interesting part of the discussion was the fact that so many members actually knew someone very much like Ove. The group wholeheartedly agreed this quirky and charming read should be on everyone’s list and eagerly look forward to reading the talented Backman’s newest novels.

About the Author Fredrik Backman was born in 1981. He is a columnist, blogger, and writer.

He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife Nada and their two children.

As a stay-at-home father of young children, he can’t commit to a writing routine. He says, “It’s more important to set aside time for thinking. Writing is fun, so one way or another I always find time for that.” He starts his next book before the reviews are out for the previous book and that way his writing is unaffected by good or bad reviews.

“A Man Called Ove” was published in more than 25 countries. His two new books, “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry” and “MarieBritt Was Here” are also receiving rave reviews and climbing bestseller lists around the world.

FICTION BESTSELLERS AS OF AUGUST 22

1. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

by Colson Whitehead

2. BULLSEYE

by James Patterson

3. THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10

by Ruth Ware

4. TRULY MADLY GUILTY

by Liane Moriarty

5. INSIDIOUS

by Catherine Coulter

WHAT CLUB MEMBERS THOUGHT Heartwarming story of a man’s life and his connections with others!

- Dolores Lembeck, Polo Ridge Honestly, I did not want to read this book. I found the first few chapters a challenge. But as I continued reading, I began to appreciate the different issues that resonated throughout the book—gathering strength from tragedy, the importance of friendships and community, and that death is not the end but the beginning. What an inspiration at this stage of my life!

- Gail Feind, Pennecamp There are so many words to describe the main character in this book, Ove: grumpy, sarcastic, antisocial, principled, strict, judgmental, and finally devoted to the love of his life. The book is a pleasure to read; it is a well-developed story line with characters so alive that we can feel we are living right along with them. The story is also peppered with words of sweet emotions such as, “Love is a strange thing. It takes you by

surprise. But if anyone had asked, he would have told them that he never lived before he met her. And not after either.” This book is about life, love, and death, yet told with humor and a good deal of wisdom.

- Carole La Pine, Hemingway A lovely story that grows on you as you read it. The grumpy, off-putting main character was not the kind of character I usually like. The warmth of the other people in the book bring him into focus. They show he is kind in spite of himself.

- Brenda Bobay, Hemingway This is a story about a man who lost his wife wants nothing more than to join her. Every attempt leads to failure. A hardworking, honest man whose existence is disturbed by loss and outside interference intrudes on his plans. It is funny, sad, dysfunctional, and real. A quirky book which is a must read.

- Mary Day, Duval

6. THREE SISTERS, THREE QUEENS

by Philippa Gregory

7. THE BLACK WIDOW

by Daniel Silva

8. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE

by Anthony Doerr

9. SWEET TOMORROWS

by Debbie Macomber

10. THE GIRLS

by Emma Cline

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Compassionate care for your companions

• NEW PUPPY AND KITTEN EXAMS

CENTRAL FLORIDA PET CREMATORY HAS BEEN SERVING LAKE AND MARION COUNTIES SINCE 2002. IT IS OUR GOAL TO HELP YOU SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR SPECIAL FRIEND IN THE MOST CARING AND UNDERSTANDING WAY.

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HWY 441 / EUSTIS FL 32726 WWW.VGCHEVY.COM 352.343.2400

— BOB AND MILLIE SORENSON TAVARES

“Vann offers a great experience and has for the number of years we have been involved.

We have bought four trucks from them since 2004.

Their service department is top notch.

They treat us like friends.”

“The bedroom door was closed, but he was sleeping, had the dogs in bed, and the television on. I was watching a movie and fell asleep on the couch not 20 feet away. I woke up to the gun shot. So at some point, he woke up, sat up on the edge of the bed and shot himself.”

The 48-year-old Minnesota transplant says she’s had two years to theorize why Tim committed suicide, and it goes back to the kind of man he was before being wounded while serving his country.

“He was the definition of physically fit. He was this massive, huge, overwhelmingly physical embodiment of a man,” Pam says with

SINCE 2001, MORE UNITED STATES TROOPS HAVE DIED FROM SUICIDE THAN WERE KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN. —PBS

THE FIFTH IN OUR SERIES FOCUSING ON ISSUES FACING LOCAL VETERANS

A WIDOW ASKS WHY? STORY: PAT JOCELYN

M

y husband died June 16, 2014,” Pam Hunt says in a voice that reflects both pain and weariness.

“We’re never going to know [what happened], which I think is part of the

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added frustration with losing somebody to suicide.”

According to Pam, the evening of her husband’s suicide was like any other.

“When my husband went to bed he was talking about the doctor’s ap-

.com

pointment he had the next morning,” Pam says. “He was telling me not to eat some food that was in the fridge because he wanted it for breakfast.”

Within the hour, Tim was dead.

quiet pride. “Then he broke his back, had knee injuries, and developed heart failure.”

At the time of his injuries, Tim was a noncommissioned officer (NCO) in the National Guard and a leader of men. At the top of his game physically, he was regarded as a man’s man. At the time of his death, however, Tim couldn’t help his wife carry in groceries.

His physical limitations coupled with a lack of military support, may have contributed to Tim’s mental health issues. Pam speculates other important issues

FLORIDA ANS VETER -DEPTH A IN E LOOK AT TH CHALLENGES THEY FACE

also led to his suicide.

“My husband served for 25 years, and we always felt a part of the community,” the Deltona resident says.

“It wasn’t until the day he was injured that we both felt alone.

Pam says soldiers are practically shunned after being injured. There’s a tendency to avoid them or not look them directly in the eyes.

“The more serious the injury, the more other soldiers

ans Administration (VA) that he retired for medical reasons. “Tim’s operation was in 2007 and we spent the next five years embroiled in the medical board process,” Pam says. “Tim’s official military retirement certificate reads February 13, 2013.”

Sustaining critical injuries, losing your hard-earned career, losing your sense of community are significant issues to face while recovering from serious injury. Along

television or something he was dreaming that triggered some sort of attack. I don’t think he was fully awake when he shot himself.”

Pam believes many veteran suicides could be prevented by providing earlier and better intervention. “Service members are literally having their careers ended in front of them with no say, no participation. And on top of it, they have to deal with their injuries.”

“I woke up to the [sound of a] gun shot…Tim was not the typical vet where you say, ‘yeah, there were signs or we saw this coming.’ He was exactly the opposite. He loved life.”

— PAM HUNT, WIDOW OF STAFF SGT. TIMOTHY HUNT

want to disassociate with them. They feel that could be them,” she says.

To add insult to injury, just 30 minutes after leaving the hospital following knee surgery, Tim had to sign paperwork indicating he was no longer in the U.S. Army.

“It said Tim acknowledged and understood he was no longer deployable, therefore he was no longer a soldier,” Pam explains. “They refused to let him have convalescent leave unless he signed it.”

During the 13-hour trip from Fort Knox to Minneapolis, Tim talked about his frustration and anger at being “forced to pull his own pin and end his military career.” Pam says there was no other choice.

Although the Army said Tim was no longer deployable, it was up to Tim and Pam to convince the Veter-

with constant pain, the danger of continuously taking addictive prescription drugs, and a loss of self-worth, it creates the perfect storm.

Welcome to Tim Hunt’s world at that time.

Pam is convinced her husband’s medications also contributed to his decision.

“We had an appointment

OF THE 22 VETERAN DEATHS A DAY, ONLY ABOUT FIVE ARE PATIENTS IN THE HEALTH SYSTEM. —STARS AND STRIPES

the next morning to review his meds because he knew they were dangerous,” Pam says. “My personal feeling is there was something on the

That is followed by the chaos and confusion of the VA system and fighting for what should be automatic.

Pam said these veterans struggle to get mental health services, and the care they receive is poor at best.

After Tim’s death, Pam’s personal mission became reducing the number of veteran suicides—22 every day—a number she thinks is conservative. She became a volunteer working with veterans’ issues including A Veterans Community, which provides safe and stable housing for vets.

One of her passions is the Spartan Pledge. Forged from scraps of metal that came from the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy, The Spartan Sword was hammered into shape by a veteran. As veterans touch its surface, they say, “I will

VETS MAKE UP 7 PERCENT OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION BUT ACCOUNT FOR 20 PERCENT OF SUICIDES. —DEPT. OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

not take my own life by my own hand until I talk to my battle buddy first. My mission is to find a mission to help my warfighter family.”

Villagers for Veterans a local nonprofit organization is sponsoring a Spartan Weekend May 19-21, 2017, when the sword will be in this area. They invite local veterans to take part in the Spartan Pledge. Those who can’t get to the sword will place a hand on the shoulder of a veteran touching it. Pam will be a featured speaker during the event.

“I think people who have served have a very specific and engrained code of honor, morality, and integrity. When they take an oath, when they swear to something,” Pam says, “especially to a fellow service member, it has more meaning behind it.”

For more information about the Spartan Pledge, visit descendantsofsparta.com For more information about Villagers For Veterans, visit villagersforveterans.org For more information about A Veterans Community, visit aveteranscommunity.org To contact Pam Hunt, email her at Pam@aveteranscommunity.org To watch a moving testimonial about Staff Sgt Timothy Hunt’s life, visit www.youtube.com and enter: “In memory of Timothy Shawn Hunt.”

September 20 16

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Discover Affordable Gated Living in SummerCrest Located just minutes from downtown Ocala, and The Villages.

Call today:

352-350-5263 9139 S.E. 48th Court Road Ocala, Fl 34480 // www.deltonasummercrest.com

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.com

On the

scene THE TO-DO LIST LOCAL TALENT OUT & ABOUT SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT HI, SOCIETY!

78 82

84 88 92

On the scene // the to-do list

SEPTEMB 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

EVENTS SEPTEMBER 2

EUSTIS FIRST FRIDAY STREET PARTY Dancin’ in the streets!

Don’t miss the street vendors and live music on the street. Live entertainment and street performances throughout downtown Eustis. Come and enjoy the charm of the city by the water. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 127 N Grove St., Eustis. For more info, visit Eustis.org.

starting at 5 p.m. Stay later and watch a blockbuster movie on the 24-foot outdoor movie screen. This evening’s movie “Pokemon – Heroes” begins around dusk. Extra Pokemon lures will be dropped in Towne Square during the event. Remember to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

Enjoy the fun of dinner and a movie! For details, visit foodtrucknflick. leesburgpartnership. com

SEPTEMBER 10-11

CORKS FOR CANCER

SEPTEMBER 10

LEESBURG FOOD TRUCK - N - FLICK NIGHT WITH CLASSIC CAR CRUISE-IN

The gourmet food trucks assemble at Towne Square and classic cars are lined up on Main Street in downtown Leesburg.

Gourmet fare and culinary wonders offered with live music and a cash bar

Here’s some great entertainment for a great cause! The weekend of Sept. 10-11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Lakeridge Winery hosts a festival to raise money for LRMC cancer programs. Admission is a $2 donation and a portion of proceeds from wine sales also go to the programs. Enjoy the work of local artists and crafters as well as Lakeridge wine, beer, soft drinks, and variety of food available for purchase, along with complimentary winery tours and wine tastings.

SEPTEMBER 13, 27

Give Your Image A Lift The Villages ImageLift invites you to a free seminar at 1 p.m. at 8630 E. County Road 466, The Villages, to introduce you to their double-boardcertified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Rich Castellano. Meet the staff and get questions answered about ImageLift. Seating is limited, so call and make your reservation now.

Receive Dr. Castellano’s book free when you register. Go to imagelift. com/events or call 877.346.2435.

SEPTEMBER 17

TAVARES MUSCLE WALK

MDA Muscle Walk of Tavares is Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. in Wooten Park.

MDA Muscle Walk is a life-changing experience.

It unites family, friends, neighbors, and local businesses to forge powerful connections, celebrate the strength of families living with muscledebilitating diseases, and transform hope into answers. For more information, contact MDA of Central Florida at 407.562.2035.

SEPTEMBER 23

4TH ANNUAL GOLF SPLASH

Join the Leesburg Chamber of Commerce at Venetian Gardens, 201 E Dixie Ave, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., for the 4th annual Golf Splash

Tournament. This is an 18-hole tournament with a sign-up fee of $65. For tee box or sponsorship information, contact the chamber at 352-787-2131

SEPTEMBER 24

EUSTIS CLASSIC CAR CRUISE-IN

The fourth Saturday of each month, around 150 Classic Cars cruise in to historic downtown Eustis. Want to show your car? Registration is free and enters you into cash prize giveaways.

Cruise-In times are 5 to 9 pm. Enjoy downtown shops and restaurants, great music, and cool cars.

This event is sponsored by the Eustis Business Alliance in Partnership with the City of Eustis. For more information, call 352.360.3712.

BER SEPTEMBER 29

TEMPTING YOUR TASTE BUDS SEPTEMBER 24

BONE FROG CHALLENGE

Bone Frog Challenge, the only obstacle course race owned and operated

by U.S. Navy SEALs, is coming to Wildwood!

The Park at Wildwood has everything a race is looking for—incredible micro terrain, mud, water, and unbridled enthusiasm for our full 9+-mile, Sprint 4+-mile, and TIER-1 full and Sprint! “Lock up the gators…SEALs are in the water!” Join Navy SEALs for a unique, one-of-akind race! Go to www. bonefrogchallenge. com/orlando-bonefrogchallenge-2016/ and register!

SEPTEMBER 24, 25

7TH ANNUAL COLONY PLAZA CRAFT FESTIVAL

From shopping and dining, indoors and out, to live entertainment daily, Colony Plaza has the ultimate weekend adventure. Join them in The Villages for another fantastic craft festival. Shop handcrafted leather goods, paintings, photography, personalized products, glassworks, and much more! 327 Colony Blvd., The Villages, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Don’t miss the sixth annual “A Taste of Simply Sumter Food & Spirits Festival” from 5-7:30 p.m. Sept. 29. A variety of delightful eating spots will be represented at the golf-cart accessible event.

It will be at the Colony Cottage Recreation Center, 510 Colony Blvd., in The Villages. “This is our first time to have the event at a recreation center, and we’re really looking forward to that,” says Jessica Kelly, administrator for the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce.

The event is designed to promote restaurants in the Sumter County area.

Last year there were 20 participants, and they’re working to get at least 25 for this event. For more information, visit sumterchamber.org

SEPTEMBER 24

Miss Leesburg Scholarship Pageant

OCTOBER 1

LAKE COLLECTA-CON

This is a great collectables show at Lake Receptions, 4425 N. Highway 19A, Mount Dora. For only $5, you visit vendors from all over the state, with special appearances from Bond Girl, Lana Wood, and comic artist George Perez.

For more information, contact Greg at 352.406.6906

It’s the 30th year for the beloved Miss Leesburg Scholarship Pageant! Watch the talented young women in five age divisions at Leesburg High School in the auditorium. Winners represent Leesburg at special events, parades, and community activities as hometown representatives. They also spend the year heavily involved in community service. Miss Leesburg Scholarship Pageant, LHS auditorium, beginning at 2 p.m. for the little girls and 7 p.m. for Miss Leesburg.

SEPTEMBER 10

Central FL Triathlon Series & 5K

Dust off those running shoes and join us at the Waterfront Park 303 3rd St., Clermont, for a fun duathlon. This duathlon race is a 1-mile run, 10.4-mile bike, and a 5K run throughout downtown Clermont. For more information, visit www.sommersports.com

INCONCERT DATE

TIME

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Bands subject to change. Email inconcert@ akersmediagroup.com to submit an event. Submissions must be received by the ninth of the month prior to month of the event (example: Sept. 9 for Oct. issue).

ARTIST

VENUE

Jeff Whitfield Defenders Of Daisies Boggy Creek Kenny G TC & Sass Boggy Creek Kelly Jarrard Jeff Whitfield Dangerous Dave Merrill Blue Stone Circle Chicken Train Little River Band Rhapsody & Rhythm Da Boys Chicken Train Jon Cabrera Defenders of Daisies Jeff Whitfield Bobby France Scotty McCreery Blue Stone Circle Blue Stone Circle Kelly Jarrard Defenders of Daisies Jeff Whitfield Orion Donnie Lee Da Boys Orion Bobby France Defenders of Daisies Jeff Whitfield Dangerous Dave Merrill Kings County Tommy & The Guns Tommy & the Guns Jon Cabrera Defenders of Daisies

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On the scene // LOCAL TALENT This is the third in our series of articles featuring talent from local theaters.

AMBER JESSEE THE FRAU IS

IN THE HAUS STORY: DEBBI KIDDY PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

Moonlight Players Theater in Clermont is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Founded by Jan Sheldon, who is president emeritus, the theater has been a popular place ever since. Shows are sponsored by internationally known comic book artist George Perez, who performed in community theater productions in New York before moving to Florida. Future

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plans include increased seating as almost all shows are sold out now.

Amber Jessee came to the Moonlight Players at age nine when she was in the first official show, “The Sound of Music.” Her mother Kathy worked with Jan, and invited Kathy to audition.

“She said, ‘Kathy, you’d love it,’” Amber says, and Kathy did playing a nun

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while Amber was one of the Von Trapp children.

Amber’s first audition was rough. All the little girls were lined up and asked to sing.

“As it got closer and closer to me, I got more nervous.

I looked at my mom and she gave me this great big smile and I choked! I started crying, but instead of crying and running away, I just kind of took a step back

from the line until I was at the backstage area,” Amber says. “I stayed backstage for the rest of the auditions. I wouldn’t come out.”

Jan gave her a second chance, however, and she sang “Happy Birthday” on the phone, once again crying through it.

“For the next two years, I think I cried through every audition until somewhere around 14 or 15, I didn’t cry anymore. It was a turning point. I got used to it,” she says.

Amber says she finally realized she was having fun so auditions became easier.

“After a while I started making some really good friends here. I was very shy and I had some selfconfidence issues—what kid doesn’t? Honestly, the theater helped me overcome it.”

That self-confidence helped her in other life situations too. She now does public speaking and finds it easier to introduce herself when she’s in a new situation.

“I don’t think I would have that without the theater,” Amber says.

The Moonlight Players continues to be a “family affair.” Her mother directs productions, which Amber also recently began doing.

But probably best of all, she met her husband of almost 11 years, Nathan, through the Moonlight Players.

READ MORE ABOUT AMBER’S EXPERIENCES AS A MOONLIGHT PLAYER ON OUR WEBSITE AT LAKEANDSUMTERSTYLE.COM

What does The Lake Sumter Group at Morgan Stanley do?

We proactively serve a select group of families with the distribution phase of their retirement by offering rigorous, relentless discipline seeking to bring a higher level of predictability.

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With financial planning tools and discretionary portfolio management, we build plans based on our client’s risk tolerance. As portfolio managers, we manage our clients’ portfolios on a daily basis and guide their objectives, which range from developing a health care strategy to attending to estate planning needs.

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Focusing our attention on our clients’ financial details means working toward their goal of living the lifestyle they have always envisioned. Having the resources in place to enjoy the next stage of their lives is important in achieving those goals. Perhaps they want to master a new language or travel to see family.

Moving financial worry away from the front of their minds can put big concerns to rest.

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Our focus is on financial planning which includes retirement planning, retirement income planning, estate planning strategies, college education planning, custom portfolio management, long term care planning and life insurance planning.

Gregory Prevatt, CLTC, CFP® Senior Vice President Portfolio Management Director Financial Advisor gregory.prevatt@morganstanley.com

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Financial Planning Specialist Portfolio Manager Financial Advisor michael.monteith@morganstanley.com

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What makes your group passionate about what you do?

Our clients have spent their working years building a legacy. We enjoy helping them build the next phase of their lives. Having an advisor who can walk that path with them can mean the difference between living, and enjoying, their retirement.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC offers insurance products in conjunction with its licensed insurance agency affiliates. This material is intended only for clients and prospective clients of the Portfolio Management program. It has been prepared solely for informational purposes only and is not an offer to buy or sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument, or to participate in any trading strategy. The individuals mentioned as the Portfolio Management Team are Financial Advisors with Morgan Stanley participating in the Morgan Stanley Portfolio Management program. The Portfolio Management program is an investment advisory program in which the client’s Financial Advisor invests the client’s assets on a discretionary basis in a range of securities. The Portfolio Management program is described in the applicable Morgan Stanley ADV Part 2, available at www.morganstanley.com/ ADV or from your Financial Advisor. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not accept appointments nor will it act as a trustee but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and Federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the US. © 2015. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. CRC 1386730 01/16

On the scene // out+about A travel companion for points near and far

‘CONCHED’ OUT

The picture-perfect Turks and Caicos Islands in the British West Indies offer not only the world’s best beaches but also adventures, explorations, relaxation, and—of course—lots of conch cuisine.

STORY: MARY ANN DESANTIS PHOTOS: MARY ANN DESANTIS+OCEAN CLUB RESORTS

“This will be your screen-saver shot,” my guide Michael Williams announced as we trekked up a rocky path, known as the King’s Road, on North Caicos, the second largest and lushest in the string of 40-plus islands in the Bahamas archipelago known as the Turks and Caicos.

A little while later, the native islander proudly proclaimed another potential screen saver picture as we stood on a cliff overlooking the turquoise blue waters surrounding Dragon Cay on Middle Caicos. Nearby, a memorial with praying hands facing upward completed the Zen moment where the waters shimmered over a tranquil horizon.

world. Coupled with this year’s Travel & Leisure’s Readers’ Choice award for the Caribbean’s top resort, Ocean Club Resorts was indeed paradise where the white sand was lined with pink umbrellas and lounge chairs. Ocean Club has two properties—Ocean Club and Ocean Club West—and guests can use restaurants, beach amenities, and swimming pools at either location.

Providenciales, called Provo by most locals, is the most inhabited island in the Turks and Caicos and home to the international airport. The road to Grace Bay, the area most populated with vacation resorts, gives visitors time to get accustomed to driving on the left side of

RELAX BY THE POOL AT OCEAN CLUB RESORTS

Indeed, almost every scene in the Turks and Caicos was a potential screen saver for my computer. I had seen others’ photos of these sparkling emerald-like waters and always wondered if they were a product of some Photoshop work. These islands, however, were perfect without any computer enhancements.

Even before my off-the-beaten path excursions to North and Middle Caicos, I found beautiful scenes right outside my door at Ocean Club Resorts. Located on the main island of Providenciales, Ocean Club Resorts is situated on Grace Bay, the 2016 Trip Advisor Travelers’ Choice for the No. 1 beach in the

the road, a nod to the British influence.

Diving, snorkeling, kayaking, kiteboarding, sailing, and horseback riding are among the most popular activities for tourists, and several companies offer charter fishing trips for anglers. Provo is also home to the Provo Golf Club, a challenging 18-hole course that looks like an oasis surrounded by natural flora and fauna.

Recreational activities can keep visitors busy for their entire vacation, but I recommend making time to explore the heart of the islands and learn about the uniqueness of this Caribbean paradise.

One of my first stops included a visit to the world’s only conch farm. Estab-

lished in 1984 as a research facility to develop techniques to produce conchs commercially, the Caicos Conch Farm is open to visitors, who can even hold the gastropod mollusks (sea snails) that are known for their beautiful shells.

“The Caribbean Queen Conchs have been seriously overfished and are now endangered,” says Danver Fortune, a guide at the facility for 13 years. “The survival rate at the farm is 95 percent, and we’re able to harvest about a quarter of a million pounds annually.”

Conch is on almost every menu in the Turks and Caicos, but the most wellknown place to try the local specialty is Da Conch Shack, an outdoor café on

LEARN ABOUT CONCH WITH DANVER FORTUNE AT THE CAICOS CONCH FARM

the beach side of Blue Hills Road. Our picnic table was loaded with conch fritters, cracked conch, conch chowder, fish, and shrimp—all caught locally.

The requisite conch shells are sold in souvenir stands on the property, but I waded just off shore and found my own—albeit smelly—shell that restaurant proprietors tossed back into the ocean after cleaning out the meat.

Locals also recommend the Thursday Night Fish Fry, a cultural explosion in Bight Park, that was organized by former Mount Dora resident Dave Fennimore, who works with the Turks and Caicos Tourism Board. The family friendly event draws 3,000 people

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weekly and features local food vendors, handcrafted items, bands, folkloric storytelling, and skits. The finale happens about 9:30 p.m. when “Henry the Conch” parades through the crowd, dancing with locals and tourists.

“The Fish Fry brings everybody together—locals, expats, and tourists all come out to enjoy it,” says Dave, who attended Florida Central Academy in 1976-77 near Sorrento. “We wanted to retain more of a local feel and let the vendors feel the guests were coming to them versus them going to the tourist area around Grace Bay. The Fish Fry doesn’t feel touristy or hokey to guests because the locals stop by after work.”

FORMER MOUNT DORA RESIDENT DAVE FENNIMORE WORKS WITH THE TURKS AND CAICOS TOURISM BOARD.

Although the villas at Ocean Club Resorts have full kitchens, I found the Grace Bay restaurants hard to ignore.

Two favorites—The Vix in Regents Village and Opus next door to Ocean Club—specialize in steaks and seafood and offer extensive wine lists.

After eating so much of the local cuisine, I was glad to have a day hiking and exploring the North and Middle Caicos Islands with Big Blue Unlimited, an eco-friendly adventure company that offers excursions to the other islands. The well-informed guides offered impromptu lessons in botany—pointing out plants that were medicinal as well as those that were poisonous—on our hike to Wade’s Green Plantation on North Caicos. Wade Stubbs, a Floridian

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DA CONCH SHACK, AN OUTDOOR CAFÉ ON THE BEACH SIDE OF BLUE HILLS ROAD.

loyalist, who lost his North American property after the Revolutionary War, once owned the former cotton plantation. He was rewarded with 800 acres in the islands for his loyalty to the British crown. Today the land is maintained by the Turks and Caicos National Trust as a heritage site in a rare and threatened habitat.

Middle Caicos is also home to the Conch Bar Caves, a 15-mile underground labyrinth that is open for exploration. Even if you are an experienced spelunker, it’s best to have a local guide for this adventure because the caves are dark, intricate, and filled with bats.

Exploring the Turks and Caicos must include a water adventure; sunset cruises are always spectacular, especially if they include snorkeling above a centuries-old shipwreck.

The passengers aboard the Atabeyra schooner were treated to a glimpse of an old galleon just offshore from Water Cay. We dropped anchor again near Pine Cay so snorkelers could pick up a few sand dollars.

When it was time to head back to Ocean Club Resorts, a pink umbrella and lounge chair were waiting for me.

I was ready to conk out in the sun and rejuvenate in time for another… you guessed it… conch fritter dinner.

WADE’S GREEN PLANTATION ON NORTH CAICOS.

TRIP

TIP ALTHOUGH THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS are a British Crown Colony, the U.S. dollar is the currency used. Visitors are required to have a valid passport, and must have a return or ongoing ticket upon arrival.

IF YOU GO: OceanClubResorts.com TurksAndCaicosTourism.com VisitTCI.com TCNationalTrust.org/ Wades-Green-Plantation ABOUT THE WRITER Mary Ann DeSantis has written features for Style publications since 2006. She was recognized with a first place Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism Award for Travel Writing in 2012 and a second place Travel Writing Award in 2015.

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On the scene // social spotlight Where you want to be

An Evening of Great Spirits Delectable dishes from local chefs spiced with a dash of music and a sprinkle of comedy from a celebrity chef!

STORY: LEIGH NEELY

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Leesburg is a thriving community, with a vibrant downtown, and it has seen significant growth in industry and new businesses. The Leesburg Chamber of Commerce is going to spotlight those businesses in an entertaining— and delicious—way.

The chamber, in partnership with Style, will host a Cooking with Vodka Dinner Concert Oct. 2 at the Arlington Ridge Golf Club in the Fairfax Banquet Hall. The person behind the idea and a major contributor to planning and preparation is David van de Velde, the founder of Ketel One Vodka, which he brought from Holland to the United States.

“When I met Dave, and he brought this idea to us, I knew it was unique.

Nothing like this has been done before,” says Sandi Moore, executive director of the Leesburg Chamber of Commerce.

“Dave has a generous heart and a love of charity. He wants to do things that benefit the schools in Leesburg, which will also benefit the businesses.”

Some of the events Dave has talked with Leesburg High School administration and teachers about are a Christmas concert with Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and possibly adding new sports to the school’s programs.

“Dave sees a need and works to help meet that,” Sandi says. “We need more people like that. What he does can inspire other people like him to continue to make a difference in their community even after they’ve retired.”

Celebrity Chef Jon Ashton is master of ceremonies for the evening. Known for his great humor and talent with food, he will be working with local chefs on each course. When Style caught up with Jon, he was preparing a hot potato salad with brats at his home in Martha’s Vineyard.

“We’re going to have as much fun as possible,” Jon says. “I’ll keep things moving by sharing stories about traveling and cooking tips throughout the evening. This year I spent six weeks in Southeast Asia learning about their cooking, and my goal is to share with people and encourage people with tips and tricks I’ve learned on the road.”

The popular chef loves to include vodka in some of his favorite recipes. “If you make your pie crust with vodka, it will be flakier because alcohol evaporates faster than water. I use vodka in the marinade for bluefish, and delicious desserts with vodkas and blueberries. I use the flavored vodkas more in desserts.”

Local chefs preparing courses include Chef Jessica Flinn of Gourmet Today Catering, who will prepare an appetizer. Chef Victor Donahey from Vic’s Embers Catering is making the fresh salad. Chef Mike Hallermeier of Arlington Ridge Grille, Chef John Bell of the Leesburg High School Culinary Program, and Chefs Edie Demshar and Pim Elliott from Honey Baked Ham, will prepare four main course dishes and the meal will end with dessert— American Napoleon—prepared by Chef John Bell.

“I just want to bring out the best in them for entertaining,” Jon says.

“Kind of like Johnny Carson used to do with his roasts. If they don’t enjoy the evening, they can write to Martha Stewart, and she’ll give them their money back.”

Three Tenors and One Soprano, Chris Horn, Keith Workowski, Mark Antonio de Villiers, and Janette Zilioli will perform well-known Italian songs throughout the evening.

Each table will have an array of take-home gifts for diners. Guests will receive either a “Cooking with Vodka” chef’s hat or a chef’s apron, a doublewall acrylic wine glass for outdoor use and a stemless wine glass, a regular wine glass, a foam finger, and more!

The winners of the recipe contest

and the judges will have a unique awards presentation.

And Jon promises, “I’m going to take them to a little place called Happyville!

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On the scene // Hi, society!

IT’S A SOUTHERN THANG! LARRY & KAREN HINELINE, JAN WIDEMAN, AND CHAZZ JOHNSON

MICHAEL AND BARBARA HURLEY

PHOTOS: DONDI COTÉ

People from all over the surrounding area gathered at the Mote Morris House for the 20th annual Spring Fish Fry. While listening to the live band, MT Pawketts, diners enjoyed fresh fried fish, steamed oysters, corn on the cob, collard greens, navy beans, cornbread, hush puppies (thanks, Tom Grizzard) along with southern sweet tea, soft drinks, or cold beer or wine. Mmmmmmmm, good!

JEANIE FORTUNATO-NEIL, JOANNE BATES, MARIA STEFANOVIC, AND MICHELLE FRAZIER

LISA GANDARILLAS WAYDA CORDERO SANDI BLAKE AND MARK LACKEY

STEVE AND GINA DAVIS

PAUL AND MARLENE KIMBALL

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On the scene // Hi, society!

ANDREAS

BEEPING EGGS

New Vision for Independence and Walt Disney Resorts joined together to host Lake County’s first audible Easter egg hunt for children under 13 at Hickory Pointe Recreation Complex in Tavares. In addition to finding beeping eggs hidden in the playground area, the young clients of New Vision for Independence, and Lighthouse Central Florida met the Easter Bunny, posed for photos, and created colorful arts and crafts.

MR. AND MRS. WHITEWOLFE WITH SARA, BRANDON, MASON LUSTIS

ALLY MARAROLA

PHOTOS: NICOLE HAMEL

BENJAMIN BUCK

DINO, MOSES, AND ISAISH JEUDYS SARA AND MASON LUSTIS

KATELYN AND THE EASTER BUNNY (LYNN CRANDALL)

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MARSHA LANAHAN, THE EASTER BUNNY (LYNN CRANDALL), SHELLY GERIG, AND MICHELLE MILLER

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On the scene // Hi, society!

DANIELLA NEVELLS AND DEB MCCOY

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NO TWO WEIGHS ABOUT IT

Lifestyle Solutions MedSpa recently hosted their Spring Splash Event, an evening of demonstrations and free consultations for their customers. The team of skilled physicians and lifestyle coaches has developed a comprehensive program to help customers meet goals and live a healthier life that includes weight loss and aesthetic enhancement services.

SHARON SQUIRES AND REBECCA MARTIN

PHOTOS: RON VANDEVANDER

CAROL GRIMM AND MINAKO NAKAMURA

PAM SLOAN WITH MARTY AND JO ANN TACKOVICH

BARBARA FENSTERMACHER, LINDA ZABORSZKI, AND SANDI SMITH

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STRUTTING IN STYLE

CAROLINE TART, KING JAKE, MARY BOWMAN, AND QUEEN LILLY

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The 2016 Strut Your Mutt dog fashion show fundraiser at the Eustis Community Center was a huge success, bringing in $13,408.21. Event organizers say the Eustis Police Department K-9 unit received $1,000 for needed supplies, and the remaining $12,408.21 was given to the Humane Society of Lake County to improve existing buildings, install new dog playground area, a new kitty cottage, expand onsite medical capabilities, and buy animal food and beds.

ROBYN SALUCK, DR. MAEN HUSSEIN, AND MICHELLE VIVEIROS

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Entertainment BY Denny Buckler

SATURDAY Sept 10th • 5:00pm

eats QUICK BITES IN THE KITCHEN SALUTE FORK ON THE ROAD DINING GUIDE

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EATS // QUICK BITES Bits and Bites of Food in the News

CORKS FOR CALLING CANCER GREEN TOMATO LOVERS Lakeridge Winery and Vineyards in Clermont will feature its popular wine and variety of foods 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 10, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sept. 11 for its Corks for Cancer fundraiser.

A $2 donation will benefit Leesburg Regional Hospital’s cancer program.

Miz Kathi’s Cotillion Southern Café in Wildwood is offering a Friday appetizer special of fried green tomatoes for half price, according to manager Brittany Vincent, daughter-in-law of Kathi Vincent, the restaurant’s namesake.

“It’s the newest thing we are offering right now, and it will become permanent,” Brittany says, noting hand-cut, breaded, and deep-fried green tomatoes are the restaurant’s most popular appetizer.

Recipes used at Miz Kathi’s Cotillion have been handed down through generations of her family,

and Kathi’s favorite meal is the Train Wreck, which features homemade cheese grits covered with homemade baked beans and pulled pork, topped with cheese and baked until bubbly.

The southern-style meatloaf served at supper is Brittany’s favorite dish, and she notes lunchtime diners often crave the Cotillion Chicken Salad that is made with craisins, scallions, celery, toasted pecans and Miz Kathi’s seasonings.

The café is located 101 N. Main St., Wildwood.

HOT DOGS AND CREAM-FILLED DOUGHNUTS HAVE THEIR DAY

Old Friends in a New Place!

National Hot Dog Day is Sept. 10, so it’s a good excuse as any to eat this American favorite.

Those craving doughnuts also are in luck because National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day is Sept. 14, while Sept. 21 is National Pecan Cookie Day, and Sept. 22 marks National Ice Cream Day, according to Foodimentary.com.

When You Were Hungry

For those who miss the popular Greek restaurant Athens NY, they’re ba-a-ack!

In addition to their new location, they’ve got a new name— Athena NY Diner. It was formerly Texas Stockyards on U.S. Highway 27/441 in Lady Lake. They’re serving their beloved dishes that include American, Greek, and BBQ specials.

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Members and volunteers recently gathered at New Life Christian Church (NLCC) to put together meals for SoZo Kids, an organization that helps disadvantaged children who live in the Ocala National Forest. The meals consisted of rice, soy protein, dehydrated vegetables, and vitamin powder.

Each meal costs approximately 25 cents and can feed a family of six. “It was so amazing to see 300+ people working together,” says Fred Clinard, a church member who helped. “I couldn’t believe how organized it was and how quickly the time went by.” The group had an assembly line approach, with each person wearing a hairnet and gloves. “In 70 minutes, we made 30,000 meals,” adds his wife Connie. “It was a good experience.” The food was supplied and coordinated by Barry Bressler of Kids Against Hunger—their mission is to reduce the numbers of hungry children in America, but they also ship meals around the world. The goal of NLCC was to pack at least 60,000 meals, and the total for the two days ended up being 64,000.

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Lake Idamere-Tavares, FL State Road 19 and C.R. 448, Tavares, FL 32778 AT GATE: $15 adult • $10 child Follow the weekly saga of Lord Edward facebook.com/ladyofthelakesrenfaire EDUCATION DAY: November 4 • 9:30a.m. - 3:00p.m. $5 at gate for students • 352.326.1265 SENIOR DAY (OVER 62): November 6 - $8 at gate VETERANS DAY: November 11 - FREE WITH MILITARY ID GROUP SALES FOR 15 OR MORE: cullen-battc@lake.k12.fl.us

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Proceeds benefit:

EATS // in the kitchen Out of the frying pan and onto the page

WILD About Gourmet Meats

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It’s a nice country restaurant where you can enjoy country fried steak or elk chops with a blackberry amaretto sauce.

STORY: LEIGH NEELY PHOTOS: FRED LOPEZ

In the kitchen of Red Wing Restaurant in Groveland, they fix a mean breakfast with biscuits and home fries. If you come back for dinner, however, you might want to order the Hunter’s Platter, which includes quail, fried venison, a wild boar chop, and buffalo sausage. And there’s no need to bring your hunting gun and dog.

Red Wing Restaurant is one of those places that always surprises people with its varied menu, but it has been around since 1948 when the original owners built it as a restaurant with their house included. Local grove owners had their pickers have lunch there, and they paid a monthly tab.

The orange groves kept the restaurant in business for many years.

These days Patrick Borsey owns it, only the fourth owner in the restaurant’s history, and he is proud to continue the traditions and menu items that have been around for decades.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” Pat says with a smile. “But we’re actually in the middle of everything. It’s 40 minutes to Downtown Disney, 40 minutes to The Villages, and 45 minutes to Tampa, and we have regular diners from all those places.”

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EATS // in the kitchen Out of the frying pan and onto the page

The restaurant has a rustic hunting lodge atmosphere with paneled walls and hunting trophies—deer, elk, wild turkey, bear, and a big boar’s head above the fireplace—along with restroom doors that make you think you’re going to an outhouse. However, when you sit down for your meal, be prepared to have your taste buds stand up and sing.

Their famous Angus hamburgers

CHEF MICHAEL’S TIPS FOR COOKING WILD GAME: Wild game like elk, deer, and buffalo is much leaner than beef so it’s less cooking time.

Prepare it fresh; the process of going bad for wild meat is much quicker.

Buy prime meat so there’s no need to mask flavor with a sauce; leave it pink.

Never overcook wild game; it will lose its juiciness and flavor.

Always prepare duck over medium heat so it doesn’t become chewy.

are served at lunch only, and there’s no limit as to how you can have that burger. The Cowboy Burger has barbeque sauce and onion rings on it while the Knubby Burger comes with American cheese, bacon, and a remoulade sauce, which is also on the Cajun Burger, which has Cajun spices and pepper jack cheese.

“We like to call our menu ‘redneck gourmet,’” Pat says. “We’ve got something to please everyone.”

Though many people wonder if the chef gets his meat from local hunters, that’s not the case. “All our meat is FDA inspected,” Pat says. “Everything is raised on a preserve and once a year they decide what they’re going to use for breeders, what they’re going to sell, and what they’re going to slaughter. For the most part, it’s all naturally

raised, free range.”

Red Wing Restaurant was named No. 1 among “9 ‘Hole in the Wall’ Restaurants in Florida” from OnlyinYourState.com in June.

Chef Michael Wahl is very happy to be back on the East Coast. The intrepid chef received his education at the Culinary Institute of America and has worked all around the country. Before coming to Groveland, he was teaching at the California Culinary Academy.

Why Groveland? “I was raised in a little town like this, and I was ready to come back to the East Coast,” Michael says.

His wife Courtney also works at the restaurant.

Michael butchers the meat himself, and his meat is always prepared fresh. “You have to buy prime chops so there’s no need to mask the flavors with a sauce,” Michael says. “And don’t overcook wild meat. That’s when it loses its tender, juicy flavor.”

The quail comes from the famous Manchester Farms in South Carolina. The birds are already marinated and ready to cook. “We make sure everything we cook is in season,” Michael says. “We feature items that are currently available in seafood and meat too. We have fresh calamari, and nothing we have is close to a chain restaurant meal.”

Michael also has a background in nutrition so the restaurant offers vegetarian and gluten-free meals.

“We like to call our menu ‘redneck gourmet.’

We’ve got something to please everyone.”

Reading the menu provides ample entertainment. If you’re not in the mood for Redneck Surf ‘n Turf (fried catfish and country fried steak), maybe you’d like Grilled Duck Breast and Quail in a balsamic fig reduction.

Or you might try Bourbon Chicken Breast or Maple Pecan Pork Chops.

Beware: when it says, “Fresh road kill, within one mile in either direction, at market price,” this is a joke that carried over from the restaurant’s original menu.

“We know it’s not the restaurant for everybody,” Pat says. “But we get groups from as far away as Weeki Wachee and The Villages that come here once a month. Since we’re at the in-between spot between here and Tampa, a lot of people plan a stop here when they make a trip to the West Coast.”

Don’t forget dessert when you dine at Red Wing Restaurant. Their famous cobbler recipe came from the original owners thanks to Pat’s skilled negotiations with the owners’ daughter. They have cherry, apple, peach, blueberry, and strawberry, which are served warm with vanilla ice cream on top.

These recipes are two of Chef Michael’s favorites to give your fish and meat that boost that makes it a gourmet entrée.

RASPBERRYHABANERO SAUCE

BLACKBERRY AMARETTO SAUCE

We use this on our blackened fish dishes. This sweet and spicy sauce balances the salty full flavor of blackening spices, and it’s excellent on mahi mahi, salmon, tuna, and snapper.

This is a great sauce for game meats, the sweetness of Amaretto combined with the tart blackberries compliments meats such as elk, venison, duck and quail.

Ingredients: 2 pints fresh raspberries 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 fresh habanero pepper 2 tablespoons sugar

Ingredients: 1 quart fresh blackberries 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon amaretto 2 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ cup water

Directions: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine raspberries, vinegar, sugar, and habanero, split lengthwise with seeds removed. Simmer, stirring often, until jam breaks down, then starts to re-thicken, and season with salt and pepper. If you want to be fancy and serve in a squeeze bottle, remove the habanero first.

Directions: Place the blackberries, sugar, and amaretto into a saucepan, and place over medium heat.

Slowly bring to a simmer, and cook until the blackberries have softened, about 10 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, and stir into the simmering berries. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce has thickened and reached your desired consistency, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper as needed.

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EATS // saluté A Worldly Look at Wine & Spirits

A RUM PRIMER If you think rum is only for mixing with Coca-Cola or for making sweet boat drinks, you may be surprised that rum experts hold their rums to the same rigorous standards as professional wine tasters.

STORY: MARY ANN DESANTIS PHOTOS: MARY ANN DESANTIS+ TONY DESANTIS+STEVE BENNETT

STEVE BENNETT ENJOYING LIFE IN THE CARIBBEAN

T

erroir makes a big difference in wine types and styles. A French varietal is going to taste much different from one produced in California.

And so it is with rum—each Caribbean island has its own unique flavor and style when it comes to this liquor often associated with pirates, the slave trade, and, of course, Tiki bars. Today, however, rum is appealing more often to sophisticated palates and becoming a drink of choice to be sipped and savored without cocktail mixes or sodas.

Swirl, sniff, and sip…wine aficionados know this is the protocol when tasting a wine, but I was surprised to see this same routine being practiced among rum drinkers on a recent trip to the Caribbean. A discussion with Steve Bennett, co-founder and editor of Uncommon Caribbean and a judge at numerous rum festivals, led to an impromptu tasting of several Caribbean rums, including a 30-year-old Cruzan® from St. Croix.

“Cruzan® has a special place in my heart, because I grew up in St. Croix,” says Steve. “It was a real homegrown product in the 70s and 80s. They used rain water casks and sugar cane then, but now most of the water is from Florida and they bring in molasses from other places. You can taste the difference.”

Indeed, the older Cruzan® was smooth and balanced. Served “neat” with no mixers added, the subtle tastes of vanilla and oak were enjoyable. And just like comparing cellar-aged wine with a newer vintage, the younger Cruzan® exhibited a little more alcohol taste—not bad, just different.

Steve, who has judged at the threeday Miami Rum Festival and at last year’s Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival in Barbados, says his criteria for selecting a winning rum includes appearance, aroma, and taste. His overall impression is determined whether he just likes a particular rum or if he loves it.

“I always approach judging as what appeals to me,” he explains. “There is no guidebook, but I start with the ap-

pearance. White rums should be clear with no particles floating while dark rums should have an amber, reddish color and not look flat or dull.”

Aroma—again like in wine tasting— should be pleasant. If your nose burns or your immediate reaction is to recoil, the rum may be too harsh. If the rich scent overwhelms your senses, you can first sniff your clean wrist or hand (without perfume or sunscreen), and then return your nose to the rum.

Steve says when tasting rum he looks for subtle nuances and a balance between the rum flavor and everything else.

“In judging, it’s all blind when they set out rums in front of you,” he says.

“We all have our favorites—it’s hard to identify them when you taste several.

You really don’t know what you know.

You discover something new when you taste side-by-side.”

Tasting rums from several Caribbean islands side-by-side certainly shows the differences. An 8-year-old Bambarra Reserve from the Turks and Caicos in the British West Indies exhibited a sweetness I didn’t pick up in a 7-yearold dark Cuban rum from Havana Club, which tasted similar to brandy.

When Steve talks to newbie rum drinkers, like me, he describes a category he calls “Sipping 101,” which are brands that allow “entré” into the rum world.

“Bambarra Reserve is a great one to start with, but you can’t get it in the U.S.,” he says. “Mount Gay from Barbados, which is exported to the U.S., is a good bridge for bourbon drinkers. Jamaica’s Appleton is also good and affordable.”

As editor of a Caribbean-focused website and publication, Bennett

is well-versed in the history of rum brands. He tells the legend of Barrilito, a locally sourced rum from Puerto Rico. Supposedly the owners put aside a special cask, called the Freedom Barrel, in the depths of the distillery. When Puerto Rico gains its independence, the barrel will be taken to the town square and tapped.

He also knows about the bush rum in Dominica, in the Lesser Antilles.

He says the unspoiled island looks pretty much the same as it did in Columbus’ day, and bush rum made in stills throughout the island is the drink of the people.

“All the rum shops have their own brands, which use herbs, spices, even insects,” he says with a laugh. “There is no place where you can have a wilder rum experience.”

His absolute top recommendation for rum—along with many other experts— is from the French island of Martinique, which he describes as “the ultimate rum destination” with its 10 distilleries making 15 different types of rum.

“Martinique is the top,” Bennett says.

“They even have La Route des Rhums, just like the Route du Vin in France.

You can live the same experience with rum you had in France with wine.”

ABOUT THE WRITER Mary Ann DeSantis is a 2016 fellow of the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, Napa Valley.

An award-winning journalist, she has written for Lake & Sumter Style since 2006.

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EATS // fork on THE Road Tasty insights and observations

JAPANESE STEAK HOUSE & SUSHI BAR Dinner and a show is always a good time!

STORY: LEIGH NEELY PHOTOS: FRED LOPEZ

I freely admit that VKI Japanese Steakhouse in Lake Sumter Landing is one of my favorite places to eat.

Normally we go out with children and grandchildren, which means we have a private table, but this time, it was just my husband and me and we were seated with other guests at the table. We introduced ourselves and learned the couple who lived in The Villages and their daughter’s family were from Tennessee, our home state.

This set the tone for a perfect evening.

The selections on the hibachi menu include steak or filet mignon, chicken, shrimp, scallops, lobster tail, and red snapper. I don’t think you can make a bad selection. I had the filet and scallops while my husband enjoyed the filet and shrimp. These meals include fried rice and grilled vegetables.

It’s always a treat to watch these talented chefs work, from the masterful way they handle their utensils to the clever exchanges they have with guests.

Our chef wasn’t quite as accurate with

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his vegetables tossing as we’ve come to expect. Not a one of us was able to catch the zucchini in our mouth.

We had great conversation, cleaned our plates, and enjoyed our time at the restaurant. Good entertainment, good company, and great food—you can’t miss!

VKI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE

1004 Old Mill Run at Lake Sumter Landing The Villages 352.259.9887 www.vkirestaurant.com

TILLIE’S TAVERN AND GRILL STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL PHOTOS: FRED LOPEZ

Right in the heart of Eustis is Tillie’s Tavern and Grill, the kind of fun, casual hot spot that wows diners with eyeappealing, fresh tasting foods—one of those delightful dining experiences that left me and two friends eager to return with relatives and houseguests.

That’s a good sign.

We collectively gasped, “Oh wow!” when our appetizers arrived—a beautiful mound of house-cut onion rings and fried green tomatoes—both hand-dipped in batter and served golden brown.

The appetizers were a delicious start as we kept reaching for more while we pondered a menu filled with so many items we longed to sample, ranging from BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos, a variety of flatbreads, sandwiches, fish, wraps, burgers and salads.

I was swayed by a nearby diners’ order of Fish & Chips, and of course my friends had to sample the mild, flaky white fish served lightly battered with

mild tartar sauce, tasty fries, and crisp coleslaw with a light, tangy dressing.

They were just as impressed as me.

My friends shared Cash’s Chicken Salad, one of the menu item marked “TF” for being one of Tillie’s favorites, which came on a bed of fresh shredded iceberg lettuce with a generous portion of chicken salad in the middle and wonderful accoutrements surrounding it. They loved the sweetness of the candied pecans, dried cranberries, and mandarin oranges and found it to be the perfect complement to the delicious chicken, along with the honey mustard dressing that pulled it all together.

Each of us felt Tillie’s deserved the pristine rating of 5 forks, which also equates to six thumbs up.

TILLIE’S TAVERN & GRILL 31 E. Magnolia Ave., Eustis 352.602.7929 www.tilliestavernandgrill.com

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EATS // fork on THE Road Tasty insights and observations

CONTINENTAL COUNTRY CLUB RESTAURANT STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL PHOTOS: FRED LOPEZ

Continental Country Club Restaurant in Wildwood is noted for whipping up tasty homemade foods, and my party of three couldn’t resist checking it out for a weekday lunch.

We were seated in the lounge, overlooking a picturesque view of the golf course and oak trees with Spanish moss swaying in a gentle breeze. Our server did a great job making recommendations, and sharing weekly specials.

My Continental Club wrap sandwich of crispy bacon, ham, turkey, American cheese, tomato, and lettuce was served with a cup of chili, and both were delicious. I loved how the chili had chuncks of tomatoes, meat, and beans with a little spicy kick.

My friend Leigh never misses a chance to order fish, and the Fried Pollack was highly recommended. It was a larger sandwich than she expected, so she requested a “to-go” box to take half it of home for her husband to enjoy. Her meal was served with sweet potato fries and maple mayo that she found tasty, and she was right. The touch of maple provides a nice flavor.

Our friend Michelle enjoyed the Classic Reuben of hot corned beef,

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4 FORKS

(OUT OF POSSIBLE 5) CONTINENTAL COUNTRY CLUB RESTAURANT

sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and 1,000 Island dressing on marble rye bread, along with a cup of the day’s special of spicy sausage chowder.

As much as we enjoyed our lunch, we were eager to finish it off with a sweet, homemade dessert. However, we learned desserts are not cost-effective during the week, but are reserved for the popular all-you-can-eat Sunday Breakfast Buffet from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., in Continental’s beautifully refurbished dining room for $9.95 (excluding beverages).

The breakfast buffet just may be ideal for visiting family members, and our server says Taco Tuesdays, Italian Night on Wednesdays, and the Friday Night Fish Fry featuring all-you-can-eat Tilapia, and other seafood specials, are popular, too.

50 Continental Blvd., off of State Road 44 East Wildwood 352.748.0050 for dining room; 352.748.9238 for lounge www.continentalcountryclub.com/restaurant

FORK REPORT: Casual dining. $$// Seated immediately (lunch hour)//Wait for meal: 15 minutes OUT-OF-THE-ORDINARY STARTERS ($4-$9): Basket of sweet potato fries with Maple Mayo, house chips, fried mushrooms, soft pretzel, soups, and a variety of salads with house-made dressings.

ENTREES: ($6-$15): Continental platters, quesadillas, pizza, and special events of Taco Tuesdays (all day), Wednesday Italian Night, Friday Night Fish Fry, and Sunday Breakfast Buffet HOW FORK ON THE ROAD WORKS

Our reviewers are objective and unbiased. This is not a paid feature. Our reviewer makes one unannounced visit and we pay for our meals.

SALE! August 26th through September 27th

EATS // dining guide Destinations of good taste

dining Charley’s Grilled Subs 421 N West St. 352.568.1186 $

Calabria Ristorante 13900 County Road 455 407.656.5144 $$

Chuck’s Odd Cuples Café 117 W Belt Ave 352.568.0408 $

Cheeser’s Palace 707 W. Montrose St. 352.404.9431 $

Coyote Rojo 2082 W. CR 48 352.569.0302 $$ Critic’s Choice 8032 CR 476B, 352.568.0008 $ Hong Kong Restaurants 2229 W CR 48 (352) 568-888 $$ Howie’s Family Restaurant 840 N. Main St. 352.793.8582 $ Market Street Gardens 311 N. Market St. 352.568.0100 $$ Mia Plaza Pizzeria 6092 CR 609 352.793.4418 $

Astatula Race Car Diner 25641 Monroe St. 352.253.6940 $

Astor Sparky’s Place 24646 State Road 40 352.759.3551 $$ Sterling Restaurant & Lounge 23525 State Road 40 352.759.3833 $$

Bushnell Angelotti’s Pizza 920 N Main St. 352.569.0446 $ Beef O’Bradys 2586 W. CR 48 352.568.7000 $

IN YOUR CITY

Sonny’s Bar-B-Q 2684 W. CR 48 352.569.0200 $ TJ’s Family Restaurant 412 W. Belt Ave 352.793.8877 $$ Waffle House 2571 W CR 48 352.793.5656 $ Waller’s Restaurant 138 Bushnell Plaza 352.793.2592 $ Whistle Stop Café 311 N. Market St. 352.568.7667 $$

Clermont Akina Sushi Bar & Asian Fusion Bistro 4300 S. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.243.8988 $$$

Flippers Pizzeria 2523 S. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.242.2214 $$ G’s NY Pizza 12346 Roper Blvd.

352.243.8900 $$$ Green Garden 1790 E. Hwy. 50 352.243.2077 $$ Legends Grille & Tavern 1700 Legendary Blvd.

352.242.1910 $$$ Lyn’s Ice Cream & Sandwich Shoppe 824 W. Montrose St. 352.536.9935 $ Napolis Pizzeria 556 S. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.243.7500 $$ Robata Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar 1500 Oakley Seaver Dr. 352.404.9688 $$ Rusty Fox 649 12th St. 352.394.3333 $$ Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club Restaurant 2601 Diamond Club Dr. 352.243.0411 $$ Spiro’s Pizza 1203 W. Hwy. 50 352.394.5538 $$ Sugar Mama’s Bake Shoppe 648 Eighth St. 352.241.9738 $$ Troy’s Cuban & Deli 1200 Oakley Seaver Dr. 352.241.4295 $$

$: $5 – $14 $$: $15 – $24 $$$: $25 – $40 $$$$: $40+

Eustis 1884 Restaurant & Bar 12 East Magnolia Ave. 1.800.856.1884 $$ Barnwood BBQ 50 W. Orange Ave. 352.630.4903 $$ Beach Bums 12 S. Bay St. 352.308.8504 $ Dam Smoker Barbeque 36721 County Road 19A 352.357.6555 $$ Double Take Pizza 403 N. Grove St. 352.343.0990 $$ El Korita Mexican Restaurant 256 W. Ardice Ave. 352.483.0355 $ Jeannie’s Place 209 E. Gottsche Ave. 352.357.0027 $ Kiku Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar 15211 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.483.8288 $$$ King’s Taste Bar-B-Que 503 Palmetto St. 352.589.0404 $$ La Mandarina Mexican Restaurant 1401 Orange Ave. 352.357.2487 $$ Maria’s Latin Dinner 1 N. Eustis St. 352.357.5555 $ NightOwl Caribbean Restaurant 929 S. Bay St. 352.589.0256 $ Stavro’s & Sons of Eustis 2100 W. County Road 44 352.589.9100 $$

Taki’s Pizza House 2824 S. Bay St. 352.357.0022 $$ Thai Sushi America 925 N. Bay St. 352.357.1949 $$ The Crazy Gator 402 N. Bay St. 352.589.5885 $$ The Great Pizza Company 23 E. Magnolia Ave. 352.357.7377 $$ The Oyster Troff 936 N. Bay St. 352.357.9939 $$$ Tony’s Pizza & Subs 2760 E. Orange Ave. 352.589.9001 $$

Kid’s Menu

Lady Lake Harbor Hills Country Club 6538 Lake Griffin Rd. 352.753.7000 $$$ Mom & Dad’s Italian Restaurant 504 S. U.S. Hwy. 441/27 352.753.2722 $$ Texas Stockyard BBQ 360 S. U.S. Hwy. 441 352.750.5229 $$

Leesburg Bloom’s Baking House and Restaurant 610 W. Main St. 352.787.1004 $$

Fruitland Park

Cousin Vinnie’s Family Sports Restaurant 10700 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.253.2442 $

Fruitland Park Café 3180 US Hwy. 441/27 352.435.4575 $

Cedar River Seafood 8609 S. U.S. Hwy. 441 352.728.3377 $$

Legends Cafe 2468 U.S. Hwy. 441/27 Fruitland Park 352.728.0006 $$

Gator Bay Bar & Grill 10320 County Road 44 352.365.2177 $$

Groveland Red Wing Restaurant 12500 S. State Road 33 352.429.2997 $$$

Howey-inthe-Hills JB Boondocks Bar & Grill 704 S. Lakeshore Blvd.

352.324.3600 $$ Mission Inn Resort & Club’s El Conquistador 10400 County Rd. 48 352.324.3101 $$$$ Mission Inn Resort & Club’s Nickers 10400 County Rd. 48 352.324.3101 $$$$

Habaneros 3 Mexican Restaurant 10601 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.315.1777 $$ HP Grill 1403 S. 14th St. 352.314.0006 $ Kountry Kitchen 1008 W. Dixie Ave. 352.323.0852 $ Lilly’s Super Subs 2339 County Road 473 352.343.4663 $ Magnolia’s Oyster Bar 201 W. Magnolia St. 352.323.0093 $$ Naples Italian Restaurant 1107 W. North Blvd.

352.323.1616 $$

Beer, Wine or Cocktails

Osaka 1401 Citrus Blvd.

352.728.0788 $$ San Juan Mexican Restaurant 1341 S. 14th St. 352.787.7575 $$ Stavros Pizza 755 N. 14th St. 352.326.4202 $$ Takis Pizza Restaurant 1205 N. 14th St. 352.787.2344 $$ The Florida Porch Café 706 W. Main St. 352.365.1717 $$ The Latin Cafe 400 N. 14th St. 352.365.0089 $$ Two Old Hags Wine Shoppe 410 W Main St 352.435.9107 $$ Vic’s Catering 352.728.8989 $$$$

Mascotte Rainbow Restaurant 704 E. Myers Blvd.

352.429.2093 $$

Minneola Jack’s Barbecue 100 S. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.394.2673 $ Lil Anthony’s Pizza 205 N. U.S. Hwy. 27 352.394.1516 $$ Tiki Bar & Grill 508 S. Main Ave. 352.394.2232 $$

Mount Dora Anthony’s Pizza 17195 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.357.6668 $

CONTINUED

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E YEARS OF S TY

UN TO LAKE CO

RVICE MUNITIES

ING COM & SURROUND

Tried and true care.

Center for Advanced Joint Replacement Surgery LADY LAKE Summit Medical Park, 765 Highway 466 // 352.753.9105 LEESBURG 701 Medical Plaza Dr. // 352.326.8115 tricountyortho.com SPECIALTIES INCLUDE: Total Joint Replacement // Arthritis Evaluation // Non-Surgical Back Evaluation // Osteoporosis Evaluation // Physical Therapy Diagnostic Radiology // Sports Medicine // Shoulder Surgery // Foot & Ankle Surgery // Trauma & Fracture Management // Arthroscopic Surgery

Compassionate Specialized Care by Board Certified Fellowship-Trained Surgeons J. Mandume Kerina, MD

Isaac L. Mitchell, MD

Claudia L. Thomas, MD

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Advanced Joint Replacement Surgery

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Board Certified. Fellowship-Trained.

Cartilage Rejuvenation, Shoulder Surgery, and Sports Medicine.

Board Certified. Fellowship-Trained.

Advanced Total Joint Replacement Surgery, Chairman of Surgery at CFHA.

EATS // dining guide Destinations of good taste

dining Beauclaire Restaurant at Lakeside Inn 100 N. Alexander St. 352.383.4101 $$$

Operation Deep Freeze Custard 140A West 5 Avenue 352.735.8269 $

Blackbear Smokehouse 18750 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.383.2327 $$

Palm Tree Grille 351 N. Donnelly St. 352.735.1936 $$

Bocce Pizzeria 925 E. First Ave. 352.385.0067 $

Pisces Rising 239 W. Fourth Ave. 352.385.2669 $$$

Cecile’s French Corner 237 W. Fourth Ave. 352.383.7100 $$

PizzAmore’ 722 E. 5th Ave. 352.383.0092 $

Cody’s on 4th Cafe 111 E. 4th Ave. 352.735.8426 $

Saucy Spoon Catering & Bistro 427 S. Highland St. 352.383.1050 $$$

Copacabana Cuban Cafe 320 Dora Drawdy Way 352.385.9000 $$

Sidelines Sport Eatery 315 N. Highland St. 352.735.7433 $

Cupcake Delights 122 E. 4th Ave. 352.383.2200 $

Sugarboo’s Bar-B-Que 1305 N. Grandview St. 352.735.7675 $

Highland Street Café 185 S. Highland St. 352.383.1446 $

The Frog and Monkey Pub 411 N. Donnelly St. 352.383.1936 $$

Incredible Edible Cakes 4295 W. Old Hwy. 441, Suite 2 352.223.3581 $ Ivory’s Take Out 1325 N. Grandview St. 352.735.6797 $ Jeremiah’s 500 N. Highland St. 352.383.7444 $ Lisa’s Kitchen 3201 N. Hwy. 19A 352.383.9338 $$ Mount Dora Pizza & Subs 2718 W. Old U.S. Hwy. 441 352.383.5303 $ One Flight Up - Coffee, Dessert & Wine Bar 440 N. Donnelly St., Suite 100 352.758.9818 $

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IN YOUR CITY

Whales 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 Del Franco Pizza Place 31436 County Rd. 437 352.383.8882 $ Gi Gi’s 25444 State Road 46 352.735.4000 $$ Lisa’s Country Cafe 23911 State Road 46 352.735.3380 $

Summerfield Francesco’s Italian Ristorante and Stone Fire Pizza 16770 South U.S. Hwy. 441 352.693.2008 $$

Tavares

The Garden Gate Tea Room 142 E. Fourth Ave. 352.735.2158 $$

Angelo’s Italian Restaurant 2270 Vindale Rd. 352.343.2757 $$

The Goblin Market 331-B Donnely St. 352.735.0059 $$$

Buzzard Beach Grill 12423 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.253.5267 $$

The Health Basket of Mount Dora 18834 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.735.1166 $$

Casa Mia Cafe 505 W Main St 352.742.9940 $

$: $5 – $14 $$: $15 – $24 $$$: $25 – $40 $$$$: $40+

O’Keefe’s Irish Pub and Restaurant 115 S Rockingham Ave. 352.343.2157 $$

Chengs Chinese and Sushi Restaurant 4050 Wedgewood Ln. 352.391.9678 $$

Ruby Street Grille 221 E. Ruby St. 352.742.7829 $$

Buddy’s BBQ 1210 N. Main St. 352.330.0338 $$

China Gourmet III 343 Colony Blvd 352.750.4965 $

Palmer Legends Country Club 1635 Palmer Way 352.391.9939 $$

China Jade 420 W. CR 44 352.330.5913 $

Sinbad’s of Lake County 1050 W. Burleigh Blvd.

352.343.6669 $$

City Fire Brownwood Paddock Square 352.561.2078 $$

RedSauce 1000 Canal St. 352.750.2930 $$

Sunrise Grill 462 E. Burleigh Blvd.

352.343.7744 $

Olive Garden 3680 Wedgewood Ln. 352.259.0304 $$

Ricciardi’s Italian Table 3660 Kiessel Rd. 352.391.9938 $$

The Hideaway 11912 Lane Park Rd. 352.343.3585 $$

Evans Prairie Country Club 1825 Evans Prairie Trail 352.750.2225 $$

Sakura 265 Colony Blvd 352.205.7393 $$

Zac’s Pressed for Time Cafe 110 S. New Hampshire Ave. 352.253.4663 $

Umatilla Old Crow Real Pit Bar-B-Q 41100 State Road 19 352.669.3922 $ The Mason Jar 37534 State Rd. 19 352.589.2535 $$

The Villages Bob Evans 2199 Parr Dr. 352.259.1224 $ Bonefish Grill 3580 Wedgewood Ln. 352.674.9292 $$

Fiesta Grande Mexican Grill 297 Colony Blvd 352.751.0400 $$ Glenview Champions Country Club 3194 Glenview Rd 352.753.0077 $$ Hemingway’s at Havana 2484 Odell Circle 352.753.1475 $$$ Las Tapas Brownwood Paddock Square 352.399.5516 $$ The Legacy Restaurant at the Nancy Lopez Country Club 17135 Buena Vista Blvd.

352.753.1475 $$$

Bonifay Country Club 1033 Pinellas Place 352.205.7455 $$

The Lighthouse Point Bar and Grille 925 Lakeshore Dr. 352.753.7800 $$

Village Coffee Pot 425 Donnelly St. 352.383.3334 $

Lake Dora Sushi & Sake 227 E. Main St. 352.343.6313 $$

Cane Garden Country Club 1726 Bailey Trail 352.750.0627 $$

Mezza Luna Italian Restaurant and Bar 320 Colony Blvd.

352.753.3824 $$

Wasabi Buffet 16700 U.S. Hwy. 441 352.383.7016 $$

Mary’s Kountry Kitchen 15945 County Road 448 352.343.6823 $

Carrabba’s 650 U.S. Hwy. 441 N 352.430.1304 $$

NYPD Pizzeria 4046 Wedgwood Ln 352.750.1994 $$

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Beer, Wine or Cocktails

Outback Steakhouse 710 N. Hwy 441 352.430.2590 $$

Hurricane Dockside Grill 3351 W. Burleigh Blvd.

352.508.5137 $$

The Windsor Rose English Tea Room 142 W. Fourth Ave. 352.735.2551 $$

Kid’s Menu

Scooples 2718 Brownwood Blvd 352.750.6263 $ Square One Burgers & Bar 2542 Burnsed Blvd.

352.689.2191 $$ Takis Greek and Italian Restaurant 13761 U.S. Hwy. 441 N. 352.430.3630 $$ TooJay’s 1129 Canal St. 352.430.0410 $ Toscani’s Deli and Pizzeria 8760 SE Mulberry Ln. 352.693.2237 $$ VKI Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar 1004 Old Mill Run 352.259.9887 $$

Wildwood Aztec’s Mexican Restaurant 348 Shopping Center Dr. 352.748.2250 $ Beef O’ Bradys 840 S. Main St. 352.689.0048 $

Cotillion Southern Café 101 N. Main St. 352.748.1223 $$ Dickey’s Barbeque Pit 1220 S. Main St. 352.748.4288 $$ Mel’s Island Café 901 Industrial Dr. 352.748.4105 $$ O’Shucks!

Oyster Bar and Grill 1016 S Main St. 352.399.2200 $$ Polly’s Pantry 819 S. Main St. 352.330.4002 $$ Rita’s Oyster Bar 346 Shopping Center Dr. 352.399.2987 $$ T Weston’s Smokehouse 1210 N. Main St. 352.748.9378 $$ Traditions Café 3107 Hwy. 44 352.748.1077 $$ Woody’s Bar-B-Q 1220 S. Main St. 352.748.1109 $$

Yalaha Yalaha Bakery 8210 County Road 48 352.324.3366 $$

3RD ANNUAL

PINKOUT 5K Run/Walk

Join Florida Hospital Waterman for the 3rd Annual Pink Out 5k Run/ Walk. Proceeds help promote breast cancer awareness, diagnosis and treatment including mammograms for women in need.

rst Our Fi nset g Su n i n e v E alk!

W / n u R

Thursday, October 13 Wooton Park Tavares, FL 32778 Registration & packet pick-up: Wednesday, Oct 13 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Day of: 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Race start: 6:00 p.m.

Awards ceremony: 7:15 p.m.

ENTRY FEES:

Youth 17 and under: $20 Adults 18 and over: $25 Day of Race (check/cash only): $30

Sign-up by visiting FHWaterman.com.

For details, call (352) 253-3685.

EATS // dining guide Destinations of good taste

1884 RESTAURANT AND BAR

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: 11A.M.–12A.M. // LUNCH, DINNER, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT 12 EAST MAGNOLIA AVENUE, EUSTIS // 1.800.856.1884 // WWW.1884RESTAURANTANDBAR.COM Located in the historic Ferran’s building in downtown Eustis, 1884 Restaurant and Bar is a must for all to discover. The restaurant, which is open from 11am to Midnight 7 days a week, has everything from Boar’s Head wraps and pressed sandwiches at lunch to hand-cut filets and the signature double-bone, two-inch thick pork chop at dinner. Sushi Bar 7 days a week, lunch and dinner! With more than 10,000 square feet, 1884 can accommodate an intimate dinner for two to a private event in one of the 3 semi private rooms. Diners can also enjoy the full-service bar while ordering custom craft cocktails and eight rotating beers on tap. “Wine Down Wednesday” features $4 house wines. By using the most local and fresh ingredients, the chefs and bartenders will amaze you with their talent. Dinner and daily specials begining at 5 pm with happy hour from 4:30 - 6:30. No doubt, there’s something for everyone at 1884. This restaurant has won in 6 categories for the 2016 Lake and Sumter Style’s Hot list: Best Server - Shelly Jaggers, Best Bartender - Chelsea Harkness, Best Cocktail, Best Dessert, Best Karaoke, and Best Girls Night Out. They were also named as Open Table’s Restaurant of the Month.

Call 1.800.856.1884 to reserve your table or book your party now. Join the email list at www.1884restaurantandbar.com to be the first to know of all specials, entertainers and events.

COUSIN VINNIE’S FAMILY SPORTS RESTAURANT OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK: 11A.M.–9P.M. // FOOD, SPIRITS, MUSIC, SPORTS 10700 U.S. HWY. 441, LEESBURG // 352.253.2442 // WWW.CVINNIES.COM

Cousin Vinnie’s is located on U.S. Hwy. 441 across from Home Depot. 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 into Vinnie’s you will immediately notice why they are famous for outstanding comfort food and service! They also have been voted BEST WINGS in Lake County every year since opening in 2009. Additional menu items offered are killer ½ lb. burgers, personal pan pizzas, amazing ribeye cheese steaks, healthy wheat wraps, fresh homemade salads, chicken strips that totally melt in your mouth, 16 awesome appetizers and their signature deep fried Ice Cream and Snickers Bars! Every Monday is “Texas Hold’em” from 6–10p.m. Tuesday night is “Family Night” from 4–8p.m. when kids 12-and-under eat free. Wednesday night is “Trivia Night” when the fun starts at 6:30p.m. with prizes given to the top 3 teams. There is no better place on the weekends to see who hoists the trophy or takes home the checkered flag. Cousin Vinnie’s also offers, free Wi-Fi, great music and an enthusiastic staff, ready to exceed your expectations. Vinnie’s has been open eight years, if you have never been there… it is absolutely time for you to check it out!

THE GOBLIN MARKET RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 331-B DONNELLY STREET (REAR ALLEY), MOUNT DORA 352.735.0059 // WWW.GOBLINMARKETRESTAURANT.COM

Nestled on a back alley in downtown Mount Dora, the Goblin Market Restaurant has been charming locals and tourists alike since 1996. The restaurant, housed in a renovated warehouse, features three intimate, book-lined dining rooms and a full-service lounge furnished in soothing, muted tones with tasteful modern art. The private, tree-shaded courtyard and garden patio are open year-round for al fresco dining. Low lighting and “new age” music add the finishing touches to the restaurant’s casual elegance. Owners Vince and Janis Guzinski embrace a simple philosophy of offering the highest-quality products, served in a unique and romantic atmosphere by a personable and attentive staff.

The Goblin Market’s wine list and menu represent a refreshing mix of ideas from its culinary team. The diversified origins and background of each member ensure exciting menu offerings and nightly selections.

HOURS OF OPERATION: LUNCH: TUESDAY–SATURDAY 11A.M.–3:00P.M. DINNER: TUESDAY–THURSDAY 5–9P.M., FRIDAY–SATURDAY 5–10P.M., SUNDAY 11A.M.–3:30P.M.

JOIN US FOR OUR NEW “LIGHTER FARE” DINNER MENU, GOURMET SOUPS, SALADS, AND SANDWICHES. TUESDAY– THURSDAY FROM 3–9P.M. (REGULAR DINNER MENU ALSO AVAILABLE).

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PREFERRED REALTY MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC P R E F E R R E D R E A LT Y M A N A G E M E N T G R O U P I S A P R I VAT E LY O W N E D R E A L E S TAT E F I R M T H AT I N V E S T S A N D D E V E L O P S A VA R I E T Y O F C O M M E R C I A L , P R O F E S S I O N A L , A N D R E TA I L P R O P E R T I E S L O C AT E D I N A N D A R O U N D T H E V I L L A G E S , F L O R I D A . W I T H O V E R 1 8 0 , 0 0 0 S Q F T O F M I X E D U S E S PA C E , W E P R O V I D E A F U L L - S E R V I C E R E A L E S TAT E E X P E R I E N C E F R O M S A L E S , R E N TA L S , A N D N E W D E V E L O P M E N T S .

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EATS // dining guide Destinations of good taste

MOM & DADS

304 U.S. HWY. 441, LADY LAKE // 352.753.2722 This little place in the heart of Lady Lake is a local favorite. All the food at Mom & Dad’s is authentic and homemade, from the famous sauce to pastas to the incredible desserts. Made from scratch in-house ravioli and lasagna. Many diners automatically order Spaghetti al la Bruzzi, which is the house specialty. This baked spaghetti has a meat sauce, mushrooms, and three cheeses. Add to that the homemade bread Papa prepares every day, and you’ve got a memorable meal. You can’t stop with the entrée, however. Mama’s homemade cakes are amazing! Moist and delicious German Chocolate, creamy, luxurious Red Velvet, Cannoli, and who doesn’t love Spumoni. If you’re looking for a great Italian dinner that will remind you of home and all the goodness of eating there, try Mom & Dad’s.

Mom & Dad’s also offers a full gluten free menu featuring pizza, lasagna, ravioli, and desserts all made in-house from scratch.

HOURS OF OPERATION: TUESDAY - SATURDAY 4 P.M. – 9 P.M. CLOSED SUNDAY AND MONDAY

SUBWAY

WWW.SUBWAY.COM Custom-made, fresh sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads made right before your eyes. The “healthy” alternative to fast food.

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 HOURS OF OPERATION: MONDAY–SATURDAY SUNDAY

10A.M.–10P.M. 10A.M.–9P.M.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR RESTAURANT IN OUR DINING SECTION? CALL US AT 352.787.4112

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CHART A COURSE FOR

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Discover a world of name-brand designer fashion and sports frames, sunwear, prescription and specialty lenses, contact lenses and accessories, plus friendly, experienced opticians ready to help you navigate through a bounty of styles so fresh and exciting, you’ll never have to fish for compliments.

All priced to let you go overboard without getting soaked. Only at Precision Optics – at all Lake Eye locations.

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October 21st 2016

Howey-In-The-Hills

6:30 PM to 10:00 PM

Presenting Sponsor

The Ziler Family & Kevco Builders Grab your fedora, throw on your sultry swag and get ready to heat things up in Support of LifeStream’s “Havana Nights” Annual Gala The Old Havana style evening will feature Silent Auctions, Cuban inspired cuisine, Cigar Roller, Cuban Coffee Bar and Latin Entertainment All proceeds benefit LifeStream’s Children & Family Services Tickets: $100/Person ~ Table Sponsor (8) $1,000 For more information, call 352.315.7527

KEVCOBUILDERS Innovation. Integrity. Excellence.

Bank of America ~ Beacon College ~ Brown & Brown ~ CenturyLink ~ Converged Services ~ Genoa Great Lakes Carpet & Tile ~ J. Smith Lanier & Co. ~ Langley Health Services ~ NAMI ~ Reunion Bank Sihle Insurance Group ~ SNS Recovery ~ South Lake Hospital ~ The Vann Agency ~ Tiralosi Financial Services ERA Grizzard Real Estate ~ McLin Burnsed ~ VALIC Financial Advisors ~ Well Florida Council The Conger-Miranda Financial Consulting Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

1585 Santa Barbara Blvd., Suite B, The Villages, FL 32159 tricountypodiatry.net // 352.259.1919 ®

MEDICAL & SURGICAL TREATMENT OF: • Bunions and Hammertoes • Corns • Morton’s Neuromas • Ingrown Nails and Warts • Heel and Arch Pain • Thick, Painful Toenails • Foot Injuries • Diabetic & Geriatric Foot Care • Sports Medicine • Orthotics • Diabetic Shoes • Numbness/Tingling of Feet

FOOTC A R E F OR PE OPL E OF A L L AG E S W I T H AC T I V E LIFEST Y LES.

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SCAN HERE with your smart phone to learn more about Tri-County Podiatry

Final thought // Theresa Campbell

A ROLE MODEL AT 90 YEARS OLD

L

ake County Elections Supervisor Emogene Stegall, 90, is my role model, a shining example of a strong working woman at the top of her game.

She could have retired decades ago, but this greatgrandmother delights in getting up weekday mornings to go to work at her office a short two blocks from her Tavares home.

“I love my life working, and I love helping people,” she recently told me. “I like to have a reason to get up and get going.”

I totally understand her passion. Emogene was blessed with good genes and a positive spirit. She tries to get eight hours sleep, and eat a healthy diet—physical and mental health boosts.

“I don’t know how you’re supposed to feel when you’re 90, but I don’t feel any different from years ago when I was 50 or 60,” she says.

When her husband Edwin died in 2010, Emogene found work her best therapy.

“It was my lifesaver to get up and go and know I had to carry on,” she says. “You can sit down and moan and groan, or you can get up and be useful and make the most of it.”

She was a long-distance operator for Florida Telephone for several years

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before working for Supervisor Katherine L. Baker.

When her boss retired 14 years later, Emogene ran for the top job and has held the position ever since.

Her 58 years in the elections office, and 44 years as elections chief come to an end Jan. 2, when Emogene retires, and a new supervisor is sworn in. (She bowed out from running for re-election at the request of her family.)

I’m saddened to see the Emogene Stegall era end,

and will always admire her accomplishments: With 212,725 registered voters, she and her staff were committed to providing honest, fair, transparent elections.

“I have never been involved in a court of law nor had an election contested,” she says.

Also, she never fired an employee, and no one in her office ever left for another job. I wonder how many employers in the U.S. can make that claim?

EMOGENE STEGALL

.com

In reflecting on this month’s Labor Day holiday, Emogene shares her philosophy: “We are all working to earn a living, so treat your employees like you would like to be treated,” she says.

“It’s important to understand and be a good listener. I’ve always tried to be quicker to praise than to criticize. Be calm, don’t get upset, and if you’re going to confront someone, you do not do that when you’re angry or upset.

And I would not have an audience, it’s something that you take care of in private, because people have feelings, and people make mistakes.

We all make mistakes.”

She also has been conscientious as a good steward of taxpayers’ dollars, keeping her budget down, and being frugal.

“If something can be repaired, we’re not going to replace it,” Emogene says. “And that’s what I do at home.”

She plans to be active in retirement volunteering with children through her church, and it’s sweet that she’s still committed to serving others.

Thank you, Emogene, for all you have done for Lake County and for being a friend. You have touched more lives than you’ll ever know.

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After moving to The Villages, I wanted to enjoy the active lifestyle offered there. Thankfully, I chose the vein center because of its up-to-date technology and success with noninvasive treatments. P.A. Tom Tran and his assistants thoroughly explained the procedure to me. They assured that my leg would not throb or hurt anymore after a few visits.

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