FOCUS Lakeland 06-10

LOCAL STORIES • DINING • REAL ESTATE • ENTERTAINMENT • BUSINESS

NOVEMBER 2010 VOLUME 6 ISSUE 10

LAKELAND EDITION

Ŷ Ŷ ŶŮ

BRAD COPLEY

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FOCUS Magazine lakeland november 2010

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taBle oF contentS

november 2010 volume 6 issue 10

Publisher Mike Floyd

FAMILY OF COMMUNITY MAGAZINES LOCAL STORIES • DINING • REAL ESTATE • ENTERTAINMENT • BUSINESS

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Plant City, FL 33563 Phone 813.707.8783 Fax 813.764.0990

Office Manager dede Floyd

NOVEMBER 2010

Copy Editor lynne Warren Cheryl Johnston

Ŝ Ŝ ŜŎ

BRAD COPLEY

ONTHECOVER

Sales Sophia Hyde Sheryl Vitelli Holly Farmer Brent Simmons linda Simmons

brad copley

photo courtesy of the polk county sheriff’s office

Production anthony Sassano Tony Cartagena FOCUSTV Brandon Hyde kelleigh klein

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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

TALK OF THE TOWN MOUNT DORA CRAFT FESTIVAL HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL

FOCUS

Plant City Lakeland Brandon Winter Haven Lake County South Tampa

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FOCUSTV

16 MYFOCUSTV.COM Local Community Stories

22 OWN YOUR OWN FOCUS MAGAZINE

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If you are interested in owning your own Focus Magazine call Mike Floyd at 813-707-8783 ext. 26

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lOCal

Lakeland and the surrounding areas are such great communities where the people who reside there seem to understand what is important in life - it is all about community. Find out about some things and local people that continue to make Lakeland an amazing place to live.

FeaTURe

The annual Red White and the Blues 2010 fundraiser to benefit the Polk Museum was a hit for sure. Music, open bars, great food and great raffle prizes - there was something to enhance the cultural event for everyone in attendance.

SPOTligHT

Meet Brad Copley, State Attorney for Polk County, who handles challenging cases and special projects, which sometimes involves crimes against children. He describes the challenging volume of the work as “never boring.�

Photographers Suzanne gallagher Billy Friend lori Blaser Tony Cartagena Staff Writers Brian West John Ross Cheryl Johnston Brent Simmons kristi linbaugh Contributors al Ruechel Bruce Rodwell gil gott Jo-an lusk nate davis natalie Sweet Felix haynes derek Maul STANDARDS OF ACCURACY The goal of the writers at FOCUS Magazine is to provide heart-war ming stories that are accurate from the start. Being human, however, we sometimes make mistakes.

Please forgive us.

So if you notice anything that is incorrect, then please do not hesitate to contact the editorial department and infor m it about the fact error. To do so, call (813) 707-8783 or e-mail editorial@floydpublications.com. The staff will fix the error in a timely manner.

Readers who wish to respond to an article – not correct facts – can do so by writing a letter to the editor. If you need any other type of assistance, then please view the directory for the appropriate department.

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Twenty speciality sandwiches, unique salads, and homemade soups await lunchtime diners at The Purple Onion Deli & Grill, on Monday through Saturday, 10:30am - 3:00pm. Bread and kaiser rolls from Buffalo make this restaurant a winner.

The staff at FOCUS Magazine is committed to serving their consumers and customers to the fullest of abilities. You’re paying attention to our words. Let us pay attention to yours.

FOCUS Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Plant City businesses, restaurants and many local venues.

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

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letter from the publisher

AND NOW

I

A MESSAGE FROM OUR

ART

DEPARTMENT

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was watching TV the other night and an eBay commercial came on, but not what you would usually expect.

They showed several home videos of little kids having complete meltdowns of excitement on Christmas morning.

They were asking people to go online and upload their Christmas outbursts. We’ve all witnessed those moments when Santa brings the little one exactly what he/she asked for and they proceed to use all of their energy to express their excitement.

I’ve seen the screaming, dancing, jumping, but my favorite has got to be when my son was around four. He got the toy he really wanted from Santa and just fell to the floor flailing his arms and legs as if he was having a temper tantrum but he was just so excited he didn’t know what else to do.

Looking back on my childhood I can remember several occasions where I begged Santa for the things on my wish list and later opened them on Christmas morning. At the time, it seemed like nothing else mattered. That is, until you grow up. At some point that excitement and rush of ripping apart the paper to see what is underneath begins fading.

What fades even more is how we express our excitement. You begin to mentally define gifts as thoughtful, expensive, or other terms that don’t matter at age four.

For many adults, that rush doesn’t come when receiving, but rather giving. As an adult, who really looks forward to writing out a wish list for the in-laws who keep persisting you make one? It always feels like such a dreadful task that I usually avoid doing it at all. However, as parents, it’s exciting to write out that list for the kids. You start imagining how your daughter will react when she gets her new dollhouse or kitchen set, or how your son will respond to his new remote controlled flying airplane. It’s a thrill to plan, and then such a fulfilling experience to watch them tear through the presents that morning with pure joy on their faces.

This holiday season, remember the joy is in the giving. Find a local charity to get involved with, or an angel program to adopt a family for Christmas. In the smallest ways we can give back to our local community and put that exuberant joy on the faces of many children in Polk County.

Mike Floyd Publisher

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local Âť focus

taKe aiMplayinG atpaintball BreaSt for a cure cancer t Written by: John ross

he World Cup of Paintball inspired a creative charity event hosted at Fantasy of Flight in Lakeland on the weekend of October 23rd. The fundraiser benefitted the local Susan G. Komen Foundation, as well as Cassidy Cancer Center at Winter Haven Hospital. Guests donated $10 each to shoot pink paintballs onto oversized canvases. After the canvases were splattered sufficiently, local artist Tony Trotti added his unique vision adding lines and shapes

and recognizable images to each one, transforming the folk art into fine art which increased the value before it was auctioned off.

The event took place aside the 2010 PSP (Paintball Sports Promotion) World Cup, an internationally renowned paintball compeition that brought in approximately 10,000 attendees and was played over the 250 acres of Fantasy of Flight.

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Local » Focus

Kathleen High School’s CFAA Prepare for Live Talk With StudentsSpace Station Astronauts L Written By: Cheryl Johnston

ori Bradner knows as well as any teacher that the best learning happens when students can be totally engaged in the topic. The same is true for the teacher.

A summer camp experience at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center inspired Braden so much that she applied on behalf of her school, Central Florida Aerospace Academy at Kathleen High, to communicate with astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Preparations are underway now for the only school in Florida and one of five in the country to have the privilege of a downlink between ISS astronauts and CFAA students on December 1, 2010, during Expedition 25.26. A downlink is a signal satellite transmission from the ISS to a receiving station on earth.

The students will communicate with astronauts in space from the FAA Production Studios located at the Sun’n Fun complex of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport on Medulla Road. The media is invited to this event. Exact time will be confirmed and announced closer to the December 1 date. The ISS crew will perform curriculum-based activities in space to demonstrate principles of science, engineering, math, flight and geography.

They will answer CFAA students’ questions in real-time.

CFAA, a career academy of Kathleen High, is also located at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport and provides training, instruction and programs to prepare students in avionics and aerospace technology, engineering, piloting, computer-assisted design, avionics electronics and other avionics disciplines.

The ISS, which originated in 1998, involves more than 15 nations. Between April 2009 and October 2010, more than 400 scientists will be involved in 165 investigations in

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such areas as human research, technology development, physical sciences, biological science, Earth observation and education.

For more information, the public can visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/ main/index.

CFAA students are currently participating in learning activities related to the December 1 event. They are studying an ISS floor plan and viewing ISS multi-media programming to learn about and understand the operation, mission and daily activities on board the microgravity space platform. CFAA students will also attend the Space Shuttle Launch at Kennedy Space Center on November 1 and watch from a VIP vantage point granted through a special security clearance. The school has worked for a year prior to the November 1 launch to receive the clearance and will watch the launch with NASA guides explaining the launch process.

The public will be able to view the interaction between the ISS astronauts and CFAA students. The event will be broadcast live on the both the Polk School District and Polk County Commission cable television channels. PCSBtv, the school district channel, is Bright House channel 614, Comcast channel 7 and Verizon FiOS channel 45. PGTV, the county commission channel, is Bright House channel 622, Comcast channel 5 and Verizon FiOS channel 20. The event will also be streamed live on three websites: http://www.nasa.gov/ ntv and www.faaproductionstudios.com and www.faasafety.gov.

To ask questions about the event, readers may contact Lori Bradner, Central Florida Aerospace Academy at Kathleen High via phone (863) 647-4761 or e-mail to lori. bradner@polk-fl.net. Questions can also be directed to Becky Kamas, NASA Teaching From Space Office, (281) 244-7608 or via e-mail to annamarie.r.kamas@nasa.gov.

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featureÂť red White & blues 2010

the polk museum of art - red White & blues 2010 Jazz in the Voodoo Lounge Written by: John ross

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Feature» red white & blues 2010

P

olk museum definitely knows how to party. For $75 it sure felt like the place was a bit too much fun for a fundraiser. But then again, there must be some reason the donation-funded museum is still going strong after 44 years.

On Friday, October 22nd, people came from near and far to have a good time at Red White and the Blues 2010. “I love booze, and this woman is wonderful,” said Bob Young, patron of the event, enjoying himself as much as everyone else. “It’s always a good cause [at the museum]” he said. “I’m also here for the food.”

“This woman,” to which Mr. Young was referring is Ruthie Foster, renowned Blues musician who led the charge in the entertainment with a live performance in the Voodoo Lounge. Her album, “The Truth According to Ruthie Foster” was Grammy-nominated in 2009. Her presence drew in a large portion of the visitors who filled the museum on Friday.

Visitors Brock and Mary Ellen Self came for additional reasons. “We came to enjoy the wine and to enjoy the museum. We’re wine people, but we come anyway to support the arts and the museum. We love to give to the causes,” said Mr. Self.

Open bars were situated throughout, serving top shelf spirits. They had pretty

much everything. It was definitely nice to have more than one bar as it kept the lines sizes minimal and promoted more socializing and less waiting for a drink.

In addition to the liquor bars, a wine tasting was in full progress from early in the evening. On admission, patrons were given a wine glass and were invited to taste (and buy by the bottle, if they wished) wines served at a long table by associates of the Red Door Wine Market. Three white wines were served: Star Tree “Nouveau Blanc”, Orange River, ’10, Train Wreck Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, ’09, and Edna Valley “Paragon” Chardonnay, San Luis Obispo, ’08. Three reds were along for the ride as well: Star Tree Cabernet, Orange River, ’09, Edna Valley “Paragon” Syrah, San Luis, ’07, and Argus Pinot Noir, Carneros, ’09.

The fun didn’t stop flowing there, though.

Outside, a wonderful beer tasting event with service by Bernie Little Distributing allowed everyone to sample specialty beers such as Magic Hat. Clearly there wasn’t enough free alcohol at this event - they could have had added pools of grain vodka for patrons to put floaties on and swim around in, if they were serious. Jokes aside, if the fun had stopped there, it still would have been a great time for everyone. This event had more than an abundance of creative things

to do.

Texas Cattle Company catered food, including their famous Blue Chips appetizer served in unlimited amounts. The astonishingly delicious mixture of thick cut potato chips and blue cheese crumbles with “Blue sauce” ranked as a favorite alongside other tasty hors d’oeuvres. Ross Vecchio of Ross Vecchio Attorneys at Law, a Central Florida firm that represents insurance carriers, enjoyed the blended flavors and said, “The food is great!”

Brad Freeman, a skilled saxophone player, donated his services to keep the company entertained before the main event. “I like the atmosphere a lot,” he said of the party.

The raffles for the event were creative, to say the least. For $25 people received a chance to win the Witch Doctor Package.

This included personal butler service for four people for the night of the event at the only reserved table right in front of the stage.

For several different $10 raffles, people had a chance to win the Ultimate Sports Package - four tickets to the Bucs vs.

Falcons game on December 5th, with transportation to and from the stadium.

Another raffle included the Fairfield Getaway, a two-night stay at Fairfield St. Augustine and a two-night stay at Jacksonville Beach, along with a high-end

bottle of wine. Others included a weekend beach getaway for two and a special day at the museum for a party of up to 15 children and a free art class and family membership.

Outside on the patio, a local artist played “Wonderall” on the guitar to the backdrop of a waterfall running down red brick. Ed Krauss of www.oneononedoubles.com, a website devoted to revamping the game of tennis with new rules as its played to rock and blues music, enjoyed a drink with his wife Andrea.

Patrons also stood in line to have their fortunes read by a Tarot card reader.

Speaking with the people in line, they were noticeably nervous and excited at the same time.

Polk City Museum offers eight art galleries and a sculpture garden, aimed at attracting a wide variety of visitors. Their rotating exhibition schedule offers a diverse array of visual options, from African or Asian art to contemporary art by national or regional artists. The staff is friendly and passionate (earplugs were even being offered to those sensitive to loud music at the event).

To join in the fun at other upcoming events hosted by the museum, visit www. polkmuseumofart.org.

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All In a day’s Job State attorney worKS to Keep the county a great place to live

photos courtesy of: Courtesy oF the Polk County sherIFF’s oFFICe

the Polk County state Attorney’s office has a large responsibility for Polk County prosecuting the crimes committed in the county. they average 9,000 felony cases, 9,000 juvenile cases and 20,000 misdemeanor cases each year. the state Attorney’s office has a team of attorneys handling these cases, all with varying experiences. I recently had an opportunity to spend time with state Attorney, Brad Copley Focus: Tell me where you grew up.

Focus: Tell me more about water skiing.

Copley: I grew up in Miami. I graduated from a high school down there, with some effort.

Copley: I developed a love for water skiing.

It was somewhat expensive. I was living on my own once I turned about 19, and supporting myself. Then I figured out that I liked to water ski a lot, so I came up here to Cypress Gardens. I did a tryout for a show in February of 1971 and then went to work for them. I worked for them for a long time; longer than you might expect. I worked for them full-time for about 11 years. During that time, I went to Florida Southern College. I got a degree in accounting. I went to school part-time while I was skiing fulltime. I decided that I wanted to go to law school in Tallahassee, at Florida State. But I wanted to keep skiing, which was hard to do. I’d go to class Monday through Thursday and I’d leave Tallahassee on Thursday night to drive back here to ski on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It was a nice break from college life. I kept working for Cypress Gardens through Law school, and I graduated three years later. Thank goodness. I came back

Focus: How was life in south Florida?

Copley: Good. I started water skiing and I began working for Publix the day after I turned 16. My mother helped me get that job. I wasn’t bold enough to talk to the manager and say, “I’d like to bag groceries for you.” I worked there until about 1970. I was there for about 4 years. I started off as a bag boy and then worked as a stockman. I liked that job. It made a lot of sense. People have to eat. I know I’m probably being too flippant, but people have to eat. You put groceries on the shelf and people come in and buy them. If I had stayed with Publix, I’d probably be a pretty wealthy man right now.

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shops. Polk County is a wonderful place.

Years ago, we used to have nude dancing establishments, x-rated bookstores, lingerie shops, drug paraphernalia shops. Over the years we’ve prosecuted them so they’re all gone. We still stay on top of that. We still get a few people with bad business judgment that think they can make a profit with those types of businesses in our county.

Copley: There are certain cases that don’t take a lot of time and you can see the progression that is likely to occur and they end up in a plea agreement, which a lot of our cases do. Or it may end up in a trial.

Those cases take a lot of time

Focus: What do you find most interesting about the work that you’re doing?

Copley: I have a wide variety of cases that I handle, so I deal with a lot of child pornography and they’re typically computer based. Since I know almost nothing about computers, I have to rely on experts that I put on the stand to testify during a trial.

That area changes every week with the changes in technology. One of my first child pornography cases in the county was during the 1980s. The technology since then has exploded since that time, so it’s a challenge just to understand what the experts are telling me, and that’s difficult at times. We try to stay up with the criminals as far as technology goes. I’ve had cases with serious physical injuries. I have a case now where a person was run over on a bicycle.

Fortunately, he lived, but he has some very serious injuries. The least enjoyable area of my job is when I’m called upon to prosecute police officers. Fortunately it doesn’t happen very often, but there are bad apples in every barrel; plumbers, judges, lawyers. The good Police officers don’t want those bad apples among them. It’s a difficult situation, and hard, to see those people go to the dark side. Over the years I’ve had an occasion to prosecute lots of police officers, but it’s a necessary part of the job or the system wouldn’t work. My job here is not quite so clear cut. Sometimes, human beings don’t make a lot of sense.

Copley: It’s never boring. You have a chance to see a wide range of human behavior. I say sometimes that everyone should be a prosecutor for a couple of years to open their eyes to the very good things that people do to the bad things that people do.

Sometimes in my job, you see so much of the bad things that you can get jaded. But you can’t overlook those good Samaritans or those people who’ve overcome great emotional hardships. It makes you believe in the goodness of human behavior, but you certainly have your eyes open to the dark sides of human behavior.

Focus: What’s most challenging for you in this role?

here, and after graduation, this was my first job. I started here in 1984 and this is the only place I’ve worked as an attorney. Now I’m getting older and my hair is thinning out. Towards my later years, I worked for Cypress Gardens all the way up to 1999. In my later years I did the clown act. I’m a hard worker and I used to leave here and make the 4 o’clock show during the week. Of course the traffic was much less than it is today. I can make it to Cypress Gardens from here, following the speed limit, because I’m a prosecutor, and make the 4’oclock show.

Then they had some changes in ownership and I drifted away.

Focus: What got you interested in law?

Copley: I guess the purpose of college, a liberal arts school is to give you a taste of everything that you might not otherwise be exposed to. I don’t have any attorneys in my family or anything like that. But I have my accounting degree and I had to take a Tax law course as part of my accounting degree.

In reading the tax law textbooks, there were a lot of references to case law, and I found out I enjoyed reading opinions on as dry a subject as federal tax. When I went to law

school, my favorite courses were tax courses.

I had some wonderful professors at Florida State. During summers, when I was off from school, I worked for an attorney doing legal research. He was a criminal defense attorney and that was my first exposure to the dark sides of criminal law. I worked two summers with him and then got an internship with the State Attorneys office and I found out that I really liked it, even though I wasn’t filling out any tax forms.

Copley: Part of it is simply keeping up with the volume that we deal with. As you can see from the top of my desk, I’m not hurting for work to do. That’s a part of the challenge.

And in every case you handle, you want to have good judgment. I may have a very serious sexual battery case where I have to deal with the victims and make sure their rights are protected and their desires are taken into account. Each case in a way is a challenge and obviously some cases are easier than others. It’s a challenge to do the best job you can with every file you get.

Focus: With all the different types of cases you deal with, have you learned that there’s an average amount of time associated with particular types of cases?

Focus: Can you talk about the unique types of cases you’ve dealt with?

Copley has a lot of experience with the crimes in Polk County, and most of it isn’t the types of things that would have any of us ready to run home and share the news. But its necessary work and we’re fortunate to have Copley working for us. Thanks for all you do.

Focus: What kind of progression have you made over your career?

Copley: I’ve dealt with a lot of different types of cases. Now I’m involved with something called special projects. It means I do a little bit of everything, although over the last ten years there’s been a heavy emphasis on crimes against children, child pornography, and those types of crimes. Over the years it developed to where I guess I oversee vice enforcement for the county, but that’s exclusive of drugs because drugs are such a huge area. I used to do drugs; not taking them but prosecuting them. I still keep a few cases like that. Vice means I get involved in things like gambling, pornography, hemp FOCUS Magazine lakeland november 2010

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extra » al reuchel What’s not to like about them.When you get a chance to sit next to them or chase them around on a bus tour or met their families you begin to understand they are just like us. They have dreams and aspirations and they want what’s best for all of us. People are essentially good and I tend to see that goodness sometimes to my own detriment.

So we disagree. That’s not the end of the world.

But these folks who you may chose to call politicians our outsiders all put themselves at tremendous risk. No, nobody is going to shot them, or at least you pray their lives are not in danger. But getting out there and opening up your soul and your passion to public scrutiny carries the risk you may be hurt emotionally or even financially. Yep! It takes money to run campaigns and plenty of dog catchers and mosquito control and fire districts candidates dug deep into their own pockets to fund their campaigns. We are not all Rick Scotts or Jeff Greens.

What you didn’t see was all the meetings and the debates and rallies were only a handful of people showed up. You didn’t hear them talking late into the night with their own campaign folks, neighbors likes you and me, folks in churches and synagogues, shaking hands at grocery stores, passing out their own fliers, licking the envelopes, and doing those stupid TV interviews that last all of 30 seconds with barely 15 of that making air.

People that run for office and lose are just as important to the fabric of what makes America as the ones who get all the glory.

Without the losers we wouldn’t have the exchange of ideas we need to keep this country great. I worry when elected officials aren’t challenged with someone with a different view point. Being forced to explain why you believe something is the best way to measure the value of your thoughts.

The election is over…

Now What?

I Written By: Al Reuchel

t’s 3:30 AM. The 2010 midterm election is winding down. My brain is on overload with results, more questions to ask our TV analysts, more screens to read, more interpretation about what this all means.

Simple! We have survived another election cycle. The process that separates us from the rest of the world has succeeded again. Of

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course, not all our favorites won. California dumb founds us by electing Jerry Brown for a third term as Governor. Wasn’t he basically a hippy left-winger when he was first elected? I heard him on Fox a couple of weeks ago and he almost sounded like a fiscal conservative. Then they turned down legalizing marijuana and voted to prevent governments from raising any taxes without voter approval.

In our own state Rick Scott surprised me by becoming Governor. It has nothing to do with qualifications or his past or his direction in the future or Alex Sink, it just surprised me.

And here’s the tough part for me personally.

I really liked all of these candidates. Sink, Rubio, Crist, Meek, Dan Gelber, Bondi.

And for the folks who hold their noses or refuse to vote because they say they don’t like the choices I have some words of advice.

If you don’t like it, run yourself. Your ideas do us non good if you aren’t willing to take part in the process. There are enough people standing on the sidelines thumbing their noses to fill a hundred Tampa Stadiums.

Well, go ahead and fill the stadium where you can’t hurt anyone except yourself.

Scream into the darkness and see if the darkness answers back.

For the rest of you who did vote---God Bless you. God Bless Florida… and God Bless America!

extra » derek maul created and the Creator would take place.

Experiencing God, then, is a crucial element of that it means to live in the natural world. God is not otherworldly, God is “metaworldly”....

created this world, and “GodGodlabeled the work “good. ” What I mean is that we do the work of creation a disservice when we relegate God to the status of outsider. And we do disservice to the intention of God’s creative work when we conduct our lives in a manner that excludes the divine. A life lived in communion with God is – therefore - the most natural thing in the world; especially when we consider that we are created both in the image of God and for relationship with God.

My new word “Meta-Natural” Written By: derek maul

There is a lot that I love about the community of faith where I worship. One of the most outstanding characteristics is the caring, permission-giving atmosphere, where intellectual honestly is valued and discussion is never closed off by the fear that our faith may not be robust enough or big enough to handle tough questions.

Consequently conversation in small groups, Bible-studies, and Sunday-school classes often leaves me mulling important ideas over - in my mind and heart - for days. Recently, for example, we discussed chapter ten from my book, “The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian”. The chapter in question was, “A Collision of Worlds.”

We talked at length about experiences that have served to blur the distinct lines we like to draw between concepts such as time and

eternity, natural and supernatural, spiritual and mundane, heaven and earth, the natural and the miraculous...

It was this last couplet that commanded most of our attention. Traditionally, religion has ascribed the moniker “miracle” to anything not readily explainable in human terms.

It’s a definition that isnt necessarily fluid; things drop off the miracle list the moment they can be categorized scientifically. The problem with this way of thinking is the understandable - logical conclusion that all we have to do is look long enough and hard enough and we can explain away God with regard to absolutely everything.

That is not even close to being a satisfactory way of thinking, because the fundamental assumption is exclusionary to the point of being preemptive.

An alternative view: Instead, we talked about the miraculous way in which God works in and through God’s people to make possible things that have been always been intended for this amazing and wonderful world, from the dawn of creation. Rather than supernatural, then, what we call miracles are more accurately metanatural.

By “metanatural” – and I believe I have invented a new word - I mean more comprehensive; beyond what we can easily see as natural; transcending natural; at a higher state of development....

“What we’re talking about here is a kind of dissonance. It’s the conflict between realities.

We live in this temporal world, yet we are eternal in our nature. We inhabit bodies that are fragile and seriously flawed, yet we are also children of the Great King, and we are invited to live kingdom lives of victory and great purpose… In the book of Ecclesiastes, The Teacher put it this way: ‘God has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end’ (Ecclesiastes 3: 11). Eternity in a sense is the here and now; at least that’s where time without end begins.

The pilgrim must learn to tell time in both realities. God’s time is at once both beautiful and challenging. But it is not a distinction designed to grate; rather, it is a perspective to be honed.” - The Unmaking of a Part-time Christian, p. 115 Good fodder for thought. Grace and peace, always - DEREK

Meta-worldy: God created this world, and God labeled the work “good.” This world was designed as the place where relationship between the FOCUS Magazine lakeland november 2010

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extra » Auto Review

Mommy Like, Daddy Like T

hese days, more and more families are growing. 2.3 children is no longer the norm for America. In fact, several of our closest friends have 3 or more children, and are even considering more. As families grow, transportation needs change. And there aren’t a lot of choices on the market that can comfortably accommodate families that reach 5 or more. But Toyota has one – the Sienna. Yes, it’s a mini-van. Yes, there’s a stigma that frightens even the most casual moms; “I don’t want to drive a mini-van!” So I’m here to tell you that you need to throw those thoughts out the window, and do give the Sienna a chance.

The 2011 Sienna continues to leave a positive lasting impression. For 2011, the Sienna

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received a facelift with a change in the hood design. Otherwise, the exterior is basically the same. Color choices include South Pacific, Salsa Red, Sandy Beach, Blizzard and Predawn. Ever wonder who the person is that decides what a color will be called, or what that process must be like?

Unlike other vehicles on the road that are capable of carrying 8, the gas mileage for the Sienna is a respectable 19 city and 24 hwy.

That’s pretty good considering the abilities of this people carrier. The Sienna is available in 3 different power trains; a 187 hp FWD 4-cylinder, a 266 hp FWD V6 or an AWD V6. They’re all good, and most drivers would be happy with any choice, but the AWD V6 really delivers if you’re driving in different road conditions like rain, sleet and snow.

2011 Toyota Sienna Delivers submitted By: Brian West

Otherwise, this option may not be worth the additional costs.

On the interior, things get interesting really quick. First, accessibility is great with an option for remote access through both sliding side doors. Imagine how great this is when you’re approaching with your hands full, or carrying small children. Next, the Sienna comes with captain-style chairs in the middle row. When choosing vehicles with three rows; whether or not to get a bench seat or captain’s chairs in the middle row has always been a struggle. Toyota solved this for us. They’ve developed a stowable center seat that fits between the captain’s chairs. It installs quickly and stows away in the back cargo area by folding into the side wall. Even better, when the seat is in place between the

captain’s chairs, you’d never know it didn’t come from the factory installed that way.

Brilliant!

Another great accessory is the sliding center console. Because the second row can adjust forward and back, the center console can also adjust forward and back so things stay in reach. I just really appreciate it when a manufacturer engineers the things that can make the difference. Sienna delivers on all points. It’s easy to drive, doesn’t lack in power, and provides all the comfort needed, even for long trips. If you’re interested in a Toyota Sienna, visit our friends at Lakeland Toyota and tell them you read about the Sienna in Focus Magazine.

Business profile» andy thornal Andy Thornal 336 Magnolia Avenue SW Winter Haven, FL 33881 863-299-9999 www.andythornal.com For the folks at Andy Thornal Company living a life they love and doing something they love is not optional. They know that life is not a dress rehearsal and their philosophy is to get the most out of it. I believe it is the practice of this philosophy that have people coming back to visit and like me I’m sure they find it an adventure discovering what is new.

What’s New - If you haven’t been in for a while you’ll find the store completely remodeled. The new look offers a fresh, open feeling and is focused on creating the experience of adventure.

Andy Thornal Company Y ou can’t go into this store and not realize that this is one unique store.

In fact, it is well known to folks from literally around the world. It is unique because of three things, the store’s history, the store’s merchandise, but most importantly and less reported on is the philosophy of the owners.

The history of Andy Thornal Company has been greatly reported on, and for this report we will only briefly cover it. The store began in 1945 as a 700 square-foot retail outlet for Army/Navy surplus material in the same location the store occupies today, under the water tower in downtown Winter Haven. It has grown to over 14,000 squarefeet of retail space, and the products they carry have changed and grown to meet the desires of their customers and to fulfill their commitment to offering quality and value.

Today, the store has an eclectic blend of merchandise, from hand-crafted knifes, outdoor clothes, fly-fishing supplies to estate jewelry and collectable Rolex watches. What do these apparently unrelated product lines have in common? Most of them you can’t find anywhere else. Secondly, they are high quality, functional, comfortable, and stylish products. Lastly, they fit into a category

of products, I will call, the better things in life, because that is what the Andy Thornal customer is looking for and expects.

Also new, developed by Ken Hart, Andy Thornal Company has become the largest retailer of custom and hand made knives and they carry over 60 lines featuring Randall Made Knives.

Written By: Brent Simmons

If you haven’t visited in a while, or you’ve never been – stop by and visit Andy Thornal Company and make it an adventure.

Important to this report is the fact that Andy Thornal, who took over the operation from his father in 1961, hired a 15 year old to help in the store. That young man was Scott Hart, currently president of the company.

Later Ken Hart, Scott’s brother, and Allen Wyatt joined the team and now the three work together operating this diverse store.

The mentoring and development of these three young men was as much philosophy of life as learning the business. The personalities of these three, the philosophy of Andy Thornal, and a determination to make it fun guide the products they carry as well as the way they do business.

“I remember one of my first days at work Andy came to me and said, “You don’t get a dress rehearsal for life, this is it, and we are going to have fun!” and boy have we,” Scott told me. That is the difference and you know it when you walk in, you may not know what it is, but these folks are having fun. They love what they do, and they make sure that what they offer are products they love, too.

This comes through so clear when you began talking to anyone of the nearly 20 employees, some now 4th generation.

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entertainment » dining review cheesiest Cuban I’ve had. It was melted all over the meat and coming out the sides of the sandwich. In addition, the mayo/ mustard mixture is better than average, and the meat was fresh and full of taste.

Other specialty sandwiches include Pastrami and Swiss, Grilled Cheese, and a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich among the 20 selections. All are served with a kosher pickle spear which was perhaps the crunchiest, coldest, and most flavorful I’ve had.

What sets the Purple Onion apart from other sandwich shops, besides the quality of the sandwiches and the huge menu?

“Our homemade soups and lower prices set us apart,” said Mrs. Fisher. The prices on the menu didn’t lie - the above sandwiches were $6.29 and $5.99. For those prices, I’d say the Purple Onion is a great routine stop.

the purple onion deli & Grill 316 N.Kentucky Ave. Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 688-5590 Mon. – Sat. 10:30 am – 3:00 pm Pressed Cuban Sandwich and the Balsamic Grilled Chicken Sandwich Photo by Tony Cartagena

The Purple Onion Deli & Grill F written By: John Ross

OCUS Magazine stopped by this month to visit to the Purple Onion Deli & Grill and met Mrs. Michelle Fisher. She and husband Richard moved from Buffalo, New York six years ago and purchased the Purple Onion Deli & Grill.

They’ve since added a ton of items to the menu. With 20 specialty sandwiches, offered alongside several salads, subs, and fried appetizers, this is a perfect winner for those looking for a comfortable, delicious place to enjoy their lunch break in downtown Lakeland. The atmosphere inside is vibrant and spacious enough to bring your work with you if you need.

It would require many trips back to get a full feel for what the Purple Onion has to offer, but we sat down and enjoyed a few of their most popular items. First, we tried the new Balsamic Grilled Chicken Sandwich, served on a large kaiser roll with goat

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cheese, sun dried tomatoes and a warm balsamic glaze. I’ll start with the kaiser roll: “We bring the bread in from Buffalo,” said Mrs. Fisher. “Anywhere in Buffalo you go, they have kaiser rolls, so that’s why we have them here.” I’ve had kaiser rolls before, but perhaps I got some non-Buffalo version, because this was delicious. It has just a thin outer layer of crispiness on the outside and then a warm doughy center on the inside. It came out hot. You grab this sandwich and it leaves fingerprints. The chicken had as much juice in it as chicken could and was warm and seasoned. The sun dried tomatoes and balsamic glaze set the sandwich off, and I knew then we had found a winner.

We also tried the restaurant’s Cuban sandwich. The menu describes, “Premium ham, roast pork, genoa salami, swiss cheese, dill chips and mustard/mayo mix on cuban bread and pressed.” This is perhaps the

entertainment » event calendar

laKeland

calendar of events

if you have an upcoming event and would like us to add it to our calendar of events please email the information to: editorial@floydpublications.com

thurSday, dec 9

Saturday, dec 11

» Theatrical Dance Showcase 7:30pm Southeastern University

» Chonda Pierce 8:00pm The Lakeland Center

Monday, nov 15 » Florida Expressions Art Exhibit 9:00am Bok Tower Gardens » Toys for Tots Drive 10:00am Fantasy of Flight

thurSday, nov 18 » Water Art Classes 12:00pm Bok Tower Gardens » Gems & Jewels Artist Marketplace 10:00am 800 E. Palmetto St. » Holiday Luncheon 11:00am 800 E. Palmetto St. » Open House Webster University 5:30pm 1479 Town Center Drive Suite 202

Saturday, nov 20 » Ride for the Red 8:00am Polk County » Margarita Ball 8:00pm Lake Mirror Complex

Friday, nov 26 » Fantasy of Flight’s 15th Year Anniversary Celebration 10:00am Fantasy of Flight

tueSday, nov 30 » Holiday Walkabout 2010 6:00pm Downtown Lakeland

Hey ! s Senior

FREE

Join Us .... Dec. 15, 2010 Presented by...

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thurSday, dec 2 » Watercolor Art Classes 12:00pm Bok Tower Gardens » Business and Breakfast 7:30am 3340 S Florida Avenue » 30th Annual Lakeland Christmas Parade 7:00pm Downtown Lakeland

Saturday, dec 4 » Camp Fire USA “Tailgatin’ 2 Go” 12:00pm 2600 Buckingham Ave » Pinewood in Watercolor 9:00am-5:00pm Bok Tower Gardens

» Don Felder: An Evening at the Hotel California 8:00pm The Lakeland Center

ry At the Strawberds Festival Groun

Plant City

9 am – 2 pm

$1000’s in Prizes 2202 W. Reynolds St. & Giveaways!

Plant City, FL Senior Dancing • Live Music Friendly Sports Center Free Health Screenings Play & Win! BINGO • Games and Lots More!

Meet Santa!

l Spercaiance by: a e r p p A

Free Coffee & Goodies “Senior Friendly” Exhibitors

» Snowfest 7:30pm-9:30pm Lake Mirror Park » Christmas Concert 7:30pm 1000 Longfellow Blvd.

FREE PARKING

Denise Looney Richie Merritt

IOR SEN DLY EN FRI NCH LU

Eddy Rivers

Live Entertainment: Jamboree & Fun with “D.J. With a Twist” Denise Looney, Fritzy “The One Man Circus”... juggling, unicycle, comedy-variety show, Eddy Rivers “The Brooklyn Cowboy,” Country Music, Square Dancing & More.

Fritzy

Sponsored by...

UNITED ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

Call: 813-653-1988 for more information FOCUS Magazine lakeland november 2010

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