FOCUS February 2015 by Focus

FREE FEBRUARY 2015 FocusLakeCounty.com

(RE)LAUNCH

INSIDE

OUT OF AFRICA

2ND STORY

ADOLESCENT ALCOHOL ABUSE

A TALL TALE: THE TACKO FALL STORY LAKE COUNTY FIGHTS BACK

MORE • FOCUS ON HOME • FOCUS FOODIE • LEADERSHIP LAKE PICS

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FOCUS ON CONTENTS February 2015 | Volume 8 Issue 1 | FocusLakeCounty.com

Got a story idea? Looking to advertise in FOCUS? Contact us for more information: Red Apples Media 734 N. 3rd St., Suite 119 Leesburg, FL 34748 Ofﬁce 352.801.7106 Email info@RedApplesMedia.com FocusLakeCounty.com Standards of accuracy: The goal of the writers at FOCUS Magazine is to provide heartwarming 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, please do not hesitate to contact the editorial department and inform us. Call 352.801.7106 or e-mail info@RedApplesMedia.com. The staff will ﬁx the error in a timely manner. FOCUS Magazine is published monthly and is available at local Lake County businesses, restaurants and venues. Advertisers warrant and represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. FOCUS Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All letters and their contents sent to FOCUS Magazine become the sole property of Red Apples Media and may be reproduced therein. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Red Apples Media. Use or duplication of material used in this publication is prohibited without approved written consent from Red Apples Media.

Publisher Marc Robertz-Schwartz Marc@RedApplesMedia.com Managing Editor Anthony Rao Anthony@RedApplesMedia.com Sales Sylvia Ducote Sylvia@RedApplesMedia.com

10 Out of Africa: A Tall Tale

The tallest athlete in the nation lives right here in Lake County, and he is still in high school! Read about Tacko Fall’s incredible journey from Africa to America and beyond.

Editor/Proofreader Stephanie Sherman Ssherman@RedApplesMedia.com Distribution Chris Montalvo

Look online at FocusLakeCounty.com for location distribution listings.

Scan the code to go to the FOCUS YouTube page

Publisher: Marc’s Remarks Impact of Black History

A middle-aged male and a female teen offer two very different perspectives about their ongoing struggle to cope with racism and the roles inﬂuential people have played in their lives.

Lake’s Legacies: Climbing the Family Tree

Clermont Fire Chief Carle Bishop’s family tree branches back to the civil war, yielding deep roots in the community.

What Makes You Mad?

Our county has lots of hot-button issues. We want to know which ones irk you. It’s your chance to submit those views to FOCUS.

FOCUS On Philanthropy:

Ever wonder what happens to teens who age out of foster care?

FOCUS On Issues: Is Lake County Overtaxed?

FOCUS On PFXA Co-Ed Softball & Lake Legislative Days

Two years ago Lake County was sixth in the State of Florida when it came to intoxicated teens, now it’s 46th. Be Free Lake and our county government are working to help adolescents steer clear of alcohol abuse.

Publisher Marc Robertz-Schwartz explains the vision for the all-new FOCUS. Tear it up!

Director of Agency Services Mandy Wettstein Mandy@RedApplesMedia.com Junior Account Executive Stephanie Payne Sjpayne@RedApplesMedia.com

14 Adolescent Alcohol Abuse: Fighting Back

A penny here, a fee there. Is Lake County being overly taxed or is this a necessity for growth? Two local leaders share their opposing views. What do softball and politics have in common? Absolutely nothing other than they’re both on page 8, but both worth a read.

FOCUS On Mind: Personality vs. Culture

How do you manage relationships with people of other cultures? Understanding your personality type may empower you to use this knowledge to your beneﬁt.

FOCUS On Home: Seeing Is Believing

The pitfalls and the positives of purchasing building materials online.

FOCUS Foodie: Red Wingin’ It

FOCUS In Focus: Leadership Lake & A Taste of the Roast

Our anonymous foodie visits Red Wing Restaurant in Groveland. Then for dessert, its owners respond to our critique.

Some of our favorite pics from a mock disaster and an evening of mockery.

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

You can download an app, such as Barcode Scanner, on most mobile phones from the App Stores on Android or Apple. Scanning the codes throughout this issue will take you deeper into the story with video content.

FOCUS On Events: Calendar

FOCUS On Better Living: Heart Health

What’s happening this month all over our county? Find out in the community calendar section.

February isn’t just a time to think about Valentine’s hearts, it’s time to be proactive about your literal heart’s health.

FOCUS On Lake County: Tapping Lake’s “IV”

Robert Chandler IV, Director of Lake County Economic Development and Tourism, shares what it’s like to be born and raised right here in Lake County and why he stays.

FocusLakeCounty.com

PUBLISHER: MARC’S REMARKS If you had told me almost six years ago when I first launched Hometown Health TV, LLC that I would be writing a publisher’s letter, I would probably have smiled and written you off as nuts. But here I am, February 2015 and Red Apples Media (the new brand of Hometown Health TV, LLC and all of its multimedia properties) is relaunching FOCUS Magazine Lake County. Core value number-one at our company; Respect The Universe. With the relaunch of FOCUS Lake County comes some obvious changes including the modified size, brighter paper, sharper print resolution, larger circulation (8000+) as well as a greater number of free distribution locations. And, while you can expect the “new” FOCUS to still have valuable community information, social photos and upcoming events, we’ve made a specific commitment that FOCUS Lake County be “a catalyst for conversation.” Through the monthly print and digital publication, our twice-monthly radio show on WLBE AM-790, FOCUS TV segments airing on Lake Sumter Television and on the web, as well as social media and event exposure, our goal is to touch, move and inspire our community… to create conversation. Our contributors have extensive backgrounds in journalism, having worked at community newspapers, magazines and television stations across the country. They too are inspired by our “focus” on thought-provoking, professionally written content. And, while you may see some of our advertisers contribute content from time to time, there will be no paid content and our FOCUS staff reserves final approval of all submissions provided by third parties.

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Our multimedia platforms – print, digital, web, radio, cable TV, etc – will make FOCUS Lake County a local pioneer in content distribution. But, more importantly, it will provide our readers, viewers, listeners and users unprecedented ways to be involved in perpetuating and contributing to our mission. We want you to be part of “the conversation.” My personal thanks to the team that got this ﬁrst issue launched, those who contributed content, and the advertisers who bought into our vision for FOCUS Lake County. A friend of mine who used to work for The Miami Herald told me a long time ago, “Whether you print a daily newspaper, a monthly magazine or even a newsletter, if your reader hasn’t torn at least one thing out of that publication to save or share, you have failed your reader.” With that in mind, we hope you rip this and future issues to shreds!

Marc Robertz-Schwartz Publisher, FOCUS Lake County

Why weren’t you in this issue? Do you have an event, a story, or information you want to get out into the community? We can’t read your mind. We need to hear from you. Email us at Anthony@RedApplesMedia.com or call 352.801.7106

What is your not-for-proﬁt status: Forward Paths is an active 501(c)(3) organization, Category: O50 - Youth Development Programs established in 2013. Mailing: PO BOX 492109 Leesburg, FL 34749

date youth who don’t have anywhere to go once they age out of foster care. We anticipate the approximate cost of the house will be $150,000. Who do you serve and how? We serve homeless, unaccompanied youth and youth aging out of foster care. We provide: • Mentoring and tutoring

Phone Number: 352-408-2307

• Support with college transition

Web: ForwardPaths.org

• Assistance in acquiring housing

Email: info@ForwardPaths.org

• Basic life skills such as budgeting, driving lessons, résumé writing and conﬂict management

Description of organization: Forward Paths’ mission is to provide a supportive community to Lake County’s most vulnerable youth as they strive to live independently as successful adults.

What are you most in need of and why (money, volunteers, other)? Our dream is to purchase a Forward Paths home in Leesburg to accommo-

Inspire our readers in 20 words or less why they should embrace your organization and how: We are passionate about mentoring and empowering the vulnerable youth in our community to discover their forward path to success.

Check out our exclusive

Forward Paths is helping youth who age out of foster care, see them in action in this video.

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Impact Fees – Home Builder’s Perspective

On the Issues

Impact fees (taxes) are an assessment by the local government on new construction. It is not a “Builders” fee, it is a “Building” fee and it is paid by the consumer. At the newly approved rate, total County impact fees for roads, schools, ﬁre, parks, and libraries will range from $9,000 – $12,000 depending on the beneﬁt district in which the new construction is built. The issue the building industry as a whole has on this fee is the fairness of the target from whom they are collected and the inequality of the use of the services these impact fees are supposed to support. Local government and impact fee supporters claim that this fee is for newcomers to the area who are impacting roads and schools. However, not all newcomers buy a

new home. Some purchase a pre-existing home, avoiding the impact fees. Then take the Lake County resident who wants to downsize and wishes to build something new. They are not impacting the county any more than they were in their existing home, yet they have to pay an impact fee. The inequality is when a new road or school is built, are only newcomers allowed to drive on these roads or allowed to enroll their child in the new school? No, existing residents also beneﬁt from these new roads and schools. That is why the building industry is in favor of a broad-based funding mechanism. Agree or disagree, as a Lake County resident the tax issues are affecting you; here are two opposing views, including an explanation of impact fees vs. the penny sales tax issue.

Consider a $160,000 new home in Lake County. The impact fees are approximately 5% of this cost. They are about $55 per month of the mortgage payment. The total impact fees are 30% of someone’s annual salary of $30,000. Every increase of $5,000 in the cost of a home requires the buyer to earn $1,000 more per year in order to qualify for a mortgage. And that’s if the person making $30,000 per year can even qualify for this mortgage in the ﬁrst place.

Mike Carter, President Granger-Carter Construction, Home Builders Association of Lake-Sumter

A Penny Here, A Fee There: Is Lake County Overtaxed?

We have been paying a one-cent sales tax for school capital projects since 1987. This would just be a continuation of that tax. Because it’s a sales tax, people who don’t pay property taxes still contribute to the sales tax revenue when they make purchases. That is also true for people who don’t live in Lake County but shop here, which also supports our school district. What the Money Does? The sales tax money buys technology for all Lake County schools. It also pays to repair and buy buses and help with transportation costs. The tax money pays to replace and repair roofs and HVAC units. Without the tax, the facilities department would run out of money in its budget for repairs. The money would most likely have to come out 6

of the district’s general fund, which pays for operating expenses such as teacher salaries. Previously the penny sales tax money was spent on rebuilding and modernizing several of the county’s high schools, including Eustis and Umatilla High Schools. As the school district looks at its future needs, several schools, such as Beverly Shores Elementary School, Oak Park Middle School and Treadway Elementary may need to be modernized or rebuilt. Without the one-cent sales tax there are no capital dollars for these projects. Lake County School District is 64th out of 67 counties in state student funding in the State of Florida. In the last ﬁve years, the school district has lost more than $67

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million in capital property tax revenue because the stagnant economy has kept property values low, and the Florida Legislature has cut the maximum allowable millage for capital purposes from 2 mills to 1.5 mills. Today, we have more than $338 million in long-term capital needs. Without the one-cent sales tax we will have lost a critical revenue source. Drastic cuts in services for our students would be imminent if the voters do not approve the continuation of the tax.

Bill Mathias is a resident of Okahumpka and was elected in 2012 and again in 2014 to the Lake County School Board, District 1.

Stand Out From the Bunch

Multimedia • Video • Marketing

RedApplesMedia.com • 352.801.7106

On Athletics

Free Clinics: Four times a year, PFX Athletics hosts hitting clinics that allow local athletes the opportunity to receive quality NCAA Division 1 instruction at no cost!

Co-Ed Fastpitch and Women’s Majors: The only known successful league of its kind in the Southeastern United States, PFX Athletics’ Co-Ed Fastpitch league uniﬁed men and women from across the state to compete together in the game they love! First Co-Ed fastpitch team Adult female softball players often believe their careers are over after high school or team, The “Athletics”, on May 30, 2015 to college. PFXA would disagree! By hosting a compete in the tournament. Women’s Majors tournament in June 2015, PFXA aims to expand the competitive adult THE Spring Games: PFXA and the City softball arena. PFXA will even be hostof Clermont will host over 300 collegiate ing tryouts for their own women’s majors teams from across the nation February 21-March 29, 2015 in a series of seasonTwo-time Olympic opening games. The staff at PFX Athletics Gold Medalist has partnered with local businesses to Dot Richardson create an Event Calendar, which offers daily on her role with PFXA. activities such as paddle boarding, yoga, archery, bike rentals, ATV tours, trampoline

dodgeball, musicals, team bonding with southern style BBQ, and even golf lessons from professionals – all featured at a greatly discounted price! Between the high caliber softball and the great events being offered, there is something for everybody. Adopt A Team: Local elementary schools have adopted college teams attending THE Spring Games and will be welcoming them to Clermont with videos and fan support during games. Prior to the games, the elementary students will learn about softball through their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program. PFXA will complement this by hosting a softball camp during a physical education class. The students can attend games and cheer on their adopted teams. For more info visit PFXathletics.com.

Lake Legislative Days Alison Strange, President, PFX Athletics

The Florida legislative season is upon us. While our local delegation gears up for the 2015 legislative session, a group of involved citizens and local business leaders are preparing for their annual trek to Tallahassee in support of Lake Legislative Days.

taken nearly a year of preparation for this important annual series of events. From seeking sponsorships to traveling to different parts of Florida to meet with legislators who can help us here in Lake County, a lot of heavy lifting is done by the planning committee.

then work with Florida’s legislators to ensure that Lake County’s most vulnerable residents aren’t forgotten and the voices of Lake County’s businesses are heard.

Lake Legislative Days is one of the main initiatives managed by the Chamber Alliance of Lake County, an organization that serves as an advocacy partner for the eight chambers of commerce in Lake County. The participants of Lake Legislative Days are regular citizens and business people from around Lake County who are trying to make a difference for their neighbors.

Seven subcommittees comprise the Lake Legislative Days agenda:

With citizen involvement we can make a difference as a community and have an impact on our local legislation.

This year’s Lake Legislative Days takes place on February 17 and 18, and has

These seven subcommittees prepare targeted lists of legislative priorities, and

1. Local Government 2. Economic Development 3. Human Services 4. Transportation 5. Healthcare 6. Education K-12 7. Education Post-secondary

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For more information, visit LakeCountyChamberAlliance.com

Kelly Pisciotta, Chair of the Lake Legislative Days Planning Committee

For a more indepth look at Lake Legislative Days scan the code.

On the Mind Understanding Personality Type and Cross-Cultural Miscommunications Applying different concepts to the understanding of Personality Types will avoid misunderstandings between individuals of different cultural backgrounds. There are many theories and assessment procedures that have been used to objectively assess Personality Type. Speciﬁcally in this article, we will discuss the nature of Personality Type according to the Myers-Briggs/Jungian (MB-J) technology.

races (and/or cultural backgrounds)? It’s human nature to tend to choose simple and obvious explanations for things. Of course, there is a difference in how an individual views and relates to the world based upon their cultural and environmental background. But, particularly in the early stages of a relationship between individuals of different races or cultural backgrounds, there sometimes can be disagreements and misunderstandings in terms of obvious racial/cultural differences. Instead, by viewing the racial dynamics through the “lens” of individual Personality Type, new possibilities for settling racial/cultural differences of opinion can be known.

Personality Type often is not so obvious to others and often not so obvious to ourselves, but it plays an important role in how we communicate, make decisions and in general, interact with the world. Now, how can understanding Personality Types be beneﬁcial in potentially avoiding misunderstanding between individuals of different

MB-J Personality Type assesses the carrying out of the social-emotional and the communication across four dimensions broken down into eight preferences: 1. Where are you energized, (E)xtroversion, by being bold or (I)ntroversion, by being timid? 2. How do you tend to process information, (S)ensing, or i(N)tuition? 3. How do you form decisions, (T)hinking or (F)eeling? 4. How do you tend to organize your world, (J)udging or (P)erceiving? These eight preferences compose 16 possible Personality Types (e.g., ESTJ, INFP). Personality Type stems from the unconscious mind and inﬂuences all of our daily behaviors and how we communicate and relate to people. Investigating, understanding and applying principles of Personality Type provides a potentially fruitful avenue for better appreciating cultural diversity, and for gaining knowledge of all of our relationships in general. Take an unofﬁcial inventory of your individual Personality Type at HumanMetrics.com. Bob Blanchette is a private practice psychologist in Lake County. humcollab.b@comcast.net

While you’re at the EXPO, be sure you catch these two great events:

2015 LAKE-SUMTER

& REMODELING EXPO Over 50 Booths of New Home Building and Remodeling Experts, Manufacturers, and the Latest Technology and Products

Saturday, March 7, 2015, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm Leesburg National Guard Armory 400 W Meadow Street - Leesburg ~ One block north of City Hall Hosted by Ro-Mac Lumber & Supply with our Sponsors and Media Partners

LUMBER&SUPPLY RomacLumber.com

Buy Where The Builders Buy!

Put Your Foot Down Against Hunger

After you’ve visited the Expo, come outside to Fountain Lake Park, to take a lap around the lake and make a donation to help feed the hungry in Lake County. With every $5 donation, you’ll be helping to feed 3 hungry people 3 meals a day for 3 full days! That’s 27 meals you are providing with just a $5 donation! You can register early by going to LakeCares.org, call them at 352.383.0100, or you can sign up at the event.

“Gator Great” Shane Matthews

“Gator Great” Shane Matthews will be at the EXPO from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm to chat and sign your photos, sweatshirts, footballs and other Gator memorabilia. Come on out to the 2015 Lake-Sumter New Home & Remodeling Expo and talk current and past University of Florida Gator football with the former quarterback. For more information about the EXPO, contact Rebecca Ballash at 352.314.3190. FocusLakeCounty.com

BY KEITH CHARTRAND PHOTOS BY BRIAN WHICHER

Anyone that watches the Liberty Christian Prep boys varsity basketball team can tell you the exact height of Elhadji Sereigne Tacko Diop Fall, the Lions starting center from Senegal. Tacko is 7-foot6, one of the tallest people in the world. Even though many have seen him, the world doesn’t exactly know who Tacko Fall really is and how his journey out of Africa turned him into much more than a basketball player. Tacko grew up in the concrete maze of Dakar: busy streets, tall buildings and cramped homes. The westernmost city in all of Africa has close to 2.5 million people. In the neighborhood of Grand Yoff, Tacko lived with his grandmom, aunts and uncles along with his mom, Marianne Sene. “Tacko was an average boy (as a youngster) who was quiet” said Sene via a translator. “He wasn’t shy; he just kept to himself.” Sene, along with one of Tacko’s uncles, owned a clothing store 45 minutes from their home. Ownership of a business didn’t put them in the lap of luxury though; the family struggled. On a summer day during Tacko’s childhood, Sene took Tacko to what we Americans call a youth camp. 10

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camp for high school students. Flyingstar Academy specialized in developing basketball and soccer players with hopes of connecting them to collegiate and professional opportunities.

“I was about 6 or 7 years old at the time,” said Tacko. “My mom knew people that worked there. That was the ﬁrst time I saw a basketball court.” One thing that wasn’t average about Tacko at that time was his height. Tacko was tall; taller than anyone else his age. When he turned 11 years old he started to grow in a completely different way. “I used to struggle with school when I was younger,” said Tacko. “When I got to the sixth grade (things) changed a lot. I think it was because of the people I started hanging out with.” Tacko wasn’t running with the wrong crowd; he was just around friends that weren’t in the upper echelon of Senegalese education. Sene placed Tacko in a different school that had high academic standards. “We studied a lot,” said Tacko. “In my country, you actually compete for good grades. There is ﬁrst place, second place, third place.” October 19, 2012. The biggest day in Tacko’s life. That was the day he left Dakar and arrived in the United States. “It was really tough,” Sene said of the decision to send her son away. “We have always been together and then one day I just had to let him go.” Under the discipline of his mom and his teachers, Tacko turned into a model student, was extremely intelligent and a boy of good character. “I was glad to see that change in him,” Sene said. “He came out for the better.” After his initial introduction to basketball, one of Tacko’s friends took him over to a basketball court near his home.

“Everybody plays soccer (in Africa),” said Tacko. “I did too but I never took it seriously. That was the same thing with basketball. I liked it and I wanted to try it.” Unlike soccer matches, NBA basketball games were tape delayed from earlier in the week and were shown just on Sundays in Senegal. “I had heard about Shaquille O’Neal,” said Tacko. “My mom watched him play. I remember him though from the movies. We both watched one of his movies; the one where he is a genie (Kazaam).” Tacko grew to know and pay more attention to NBA players like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant after he got the attention of Ibrahima N’Diaye on the outdoor basketball courts in Dakar. N’Diaye ran an after school athletic training

“I talked to my mom about it,” said Tacko. “When they came up to me, I didn’t really take it seriously. I didn’t have an objection to try something (new). The academy was a 15 minute walk from my house. After school I would go for two hours.” As he continued to grow in height and learn the basics of basketball from N’Diaye, the life-changing opportunity of coming to the United States presented itself. Ange Badji, a junior forward for the LCP Lions, stands a foot shorter than Tacko and weighs about 100 pounds less. A bond between the two goes much deeper than just teammates. Ange’s athleticism caught many eyes and he also wound up at an after school camp in Senegal for football and basketball. Ange was on the same ﬂight to America as Tacko and both committed to attend the same high school in Houston. When Jamie’s House Charter School closed several months after they arrived, Ange and Tacko were joined at the hip trying to ﬁnd a school that would take them in. They looked for a place to call home in Ohio, Tennessee and Georgia.

Scan the code to see this high-ﬂying basketball phenom come to life in the LSTV Proﬁles video. FocusLakeCounty.com

By the Numbers

Height: 7’6” Weight: 295 lbs. Shoe Size: 22 Wingspan: 8’6” “He really showed up there,” said Wettstein. “He played up to the competition and once that happened the (college) scholarship offers really started coming.”

“Since they both have been in the states, the one thing stable that they have had in their lives is each other,” said Mandy Wettstein, whose family opened their Central Florida home to both Tacko and Ange as their host family. “They are like brothers. The other is the only one that can fully understand what they have gone through.” Donning the all-white LCP home uniform, Tacko’s fluorescent pink and light blue sneakers stand out as much as he does. On this night in early January, the Lions are playing their first game after the Christmas break. Tacko, who runs extremely well for his size, seems a little sluggish. It is certainly understandable. Tacko had over 64 points and grabbed 57 rebounds during a three game stretch in three days at the 43rd annual HSOT Holiday Invitational in Raleigh. Tacko’s 57 rebounds tied the tournament record held by former 7-foot-6 NBA big man Shawn Bradley. When Tacko first arrived in the states he was not considered a top college prospect. Playing AAU basketball and dedicating himself to getting better made a huge difference. His coming out party was at the NBA Top 100 Players Camp at the University of Virginia. 12

Enduring all the complexities of adjusting to a completely different culture has been difficult for Tacko. His maturation into a young man has made it possible. “He is an old soul,” Wettstein said. “He has been through (a lot). That kid that I first saw in the gym back in September? That kid didn’t have the confidence that he has now. He understands his place. It is all about basketball now but people are drawn to him because he is such a good person. When you get to know him, he is amazing, he understands the impact he can have.” Tacko’s impact will be felt both on and off the basketball court.

Tacko’s high academic standards didn’t suffer at all as he developed his basketball skills. His 4.0 GPA at LCP made him that much more attractive to college coaches. Tacko chose to attend UCF over Purdue, Wake Forest and Georgetown predominately because of the school’s engineering program. Tacko knows that computer science and information technology is what he is most interested in. Books before basketball was a pleasant surprise to Knights head coach Donnie Jones. “I was really impressed by the kind of person he was,” said Jones during an exclusive interview with Lake Sumter Television’s (LSTV) Profiles. “Tacko has some incredible, high character qualities about him that we were very impressed with. The most important thing to him is school. He first talked about the engineering program, life after basketball and how he can be developed as a young man. The first thing most kids want to talk about is basketball.” In many ways, Tacko is a normal high school senior. He likes watching movies and playing video games. He has taken to American cuisine, absolutely loving pizza. Hamburger and chicken are his favorite toppings. He is reminded of where he came from and the journey to get here though when he makes that long distance phone call to his Mom. They speak every day.

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Scan the code to see the exclusive FOCUS interview with UCF Basketball Coach Donnie Jones about his new recruit.

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Adolescent

Alcohol Abuse Who’s Behind the Decline?

BY DEBI MACINTYRE

The Truth About Lake County Youth Our Lake County youth are awesome! In today’s world of constant need and gratiﬁcation, it is wonderful to have proof that our children are making great decisions! Measurable outcomes from the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) give us an accurate picture of substance abuse in Lake County every two years. And the 2014 results are really outstanding when you consider where we have come from. The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) is a collaborative effort between the Florida departments of Health, Education, Children and Families, and Juvenile Justice. This survey is the basis for many of the policy and programming decisions made in Florida and its counties. The FYSAS is based on the “Communities That Care” survey, assessing risk and protective factors for substance abuse, in addition to substance abuse prevalence. This survey is proving valuable in showing how educating Lake County youth and their families is gaining incredible results in reducing substance abuse. For example, for underage drinking, in 2006 Lake County was ranked 6th out of all the 67 Florida counties and in 2014 we are now ranked 46th!

nificant costs to society. Problems caused range from alcohol related consequences such as criminal activity/delinquency, antisocial behavior, academic difficulties, risky sexual behavior, health problems, unintentional injuries and traffic crashes. The survey was first administered to Florida’s middle and high school students during the 1999-2000 school year, and is repeated every spring. It measures statistics on how many youth have reported using various drugs, alcohol and tobacco annually, as well as percentages of Lake County and Florida statewide youth who reported early alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use, perceived risk of harm, personal disapproval, and parental and peer disapproval. The sampling strategy involved schools selected to generate statistically representative state-level and

Alcohol Related Statistics Underage drinking has been a persistent public health problem that generates sig14

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Scan to see the LSTV Proﬁles video about the critical role Be Free Lake plays in safeguarding our county’s kids.

county-level estimates. Students were sampled in all 67 Florida counties. In Lake County, the sample size was 1,233 across grades 6 through 12, with 556 Middle School students and 677 High School students. The margin of error is less than one percentage point for Middle School and High School prevalence rates. The survey is specific in its breakdown of the harmful substances used by kids: alcohol, marijuana, hashish, over the counter drugs, inhalants, cigarettes, prescription pain relievers, prescription depressants, LSD, PCP, Mushrooms, prescription amphetamines, methamphetamines, cocaine or crack, club drugs, heroin and steroids. The 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed a significant rise in youth marijuana use. Many drug policy experts, including those at the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) believe this rise is a direct result of marijuana legalization efforts. However, Lake County statistics are showing a decline of past 30 day marijuana use from 14.6% in 2012 to 13% in 2014. The survey shows that youth alcohol use has declined substantially in the past decade. From 2000 – 2014 measuring past 30 day use shows a decrease of 13% among Middle School students and a decrease of 19.8% among High School students. Binge drinking has decreased by 6.9% among Middle School students and a decrease of 10.8% among High School students. The long-term decline

in cigarette smoking continues to decrease as well. Past 30 day use indicates a decrease of 6.6% among Middle School students and a decrease of 11.1% among High School students. Community Snapshot Every year, the FYSAS gives planners a snapshot of trends and patterns in drug use, attitudes, and behaviors in Florida’s school-age children. The most signiﬁcant information comes from the identiﬁcation of the risk and protective factors affecting our Lake County youth. This information is crucial for organizations choosing the correct evidence-based programs, practices, and policies that will have the most impact and greatest potential for community change by limiting access to substances, changing the culture within which decisions about substance use are made, while shifting the consequences associated with youth substance abuse. Within the four domains (Community, Family, School, and Peer/Individual), risk factors are those conditions or factors that increase the likelihood of a young person becoming involved in drug use,

delinquency, school dropout and/or violence. Protective factors are exactly the opposite – the conditions or factors that decrease the likelihood of a young person becoming involved in drug use, etc. These risk and protective factors have shown to be more important in understanding these behaviors than ethnicity, income or family structure.

In 2006 underage drinking in Lake County was ranked 6th out of all the 67 Florida counties and in 2014 we are now ranked 46th There is a substantial amount of research showing that an adolescent’s exposure to a greater number of risk factors is associated with more drug use and delinquency. The 2014 FYSAS showed that “Transitions and Mobility” and “Lack of Commitment to School” are the highest risk factors for both Lake County middle and high school students. “Transitions and Mobility” measures how often the student has changed home or schools in the past year and since kindergarten. This is thought to

occur because, by making the transition to a new environment, students no longer have the bonds they had in their old environment. Consequently they are less likely to develop the bonds that protect them from involvement in problem behaviors. Communities with high rates of mobility appear to have increased drug and crime problems. Be Free Lake, a community coalition focused on substance abuse prevention, promotes evidence-based practices and conducts environmental strategies as a means of promoting healthy lifestyles in Lake County. Programs and campaigns such as Friday Night Done Right and Know the Law are examples of programs conducted to change community norms.

Be Free Lake is also the author of the annual needs assessment and report of Lake County, the Quality of Life: A Snapshot of Lake County, and the author of the Lake County Community Resource Guide. For more information about how you can be involved, feel free to contact Debi MacIntyre at Debi@BeFreeLake.org.

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YOUR

DREAM JOE ZILER, PRESIDENT KEVCO BUILDERS

HOME

BUILDER

LOOK FOR KEVCO’S ‘DREAM HOME,’ CUSTOM HOME ENTRIES AND REMODEL DURING THE 2015 PARADE OF HOMES, FEBRUARY 28- MARCH 8

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The whole experience in working with Joe and the Kevco team was great. There is a difference between a house and a home and Joe definitely built us our dream home. We sit at the island just about every night and have dinner – we love where we’re at,

we love what Kevco built.

— DONNA & MICHAEL NASSICK

Scan the code to view a video featuring the Nassick’s and Benner’s stories

This was our first time building a custom home.

always committed to doing the right thing every time. Joe was

He’s an excellent man, not just as a professional but as a person. We’ve probably referred Kevco Builders five or six times since we moved in and Joe’s the only one we’ll recommend. — JILL & MICHAEL BENNER

KEVCO BUILDERS Innovation

352-742-3398 CBC 1259012

Integrity

KevcoBuilders.com

Excellence

2104 South Bay Street, Eustis, FL 32726

The Impact of Black History One is a community ﬁxture, while the other is a young up-and-comer. Both have more in common than meets the eye. Dr. Isaac Deas and Amari Garner deal with racism in their lives; here’s what they have to say about the people whose inﬂuence makes coping possible. Garner’s article is a reprint of the essay for which she was awarded a scholarship.

He Says...

How I Was Influenced There were many men who influenced me in my lifetime but none more than my dad, Isaac Sr., my friend Wren Brighton and lastly Martin Luther King, Jr. My dad always told me that I could be anything I wanted to be, to get an education, never look down on another man and do not play the race card. Dad informed me that an education would place me on equal footing with any man. I followed my dad’s advice and earned a BA and a doctorate degree in education. I worked hard in school and paired with a good work ethic, I became the first African-American supervisor in the Fairfield County Juvenile Division. How I Survived Along the way I experienced a downfall through drug addiction. My good friend Wren who was a multimillionaire could have written me off as a loser. He refused to leave until I admitted my addiction. When I finally admitted my problem and my desire to get help, Wren took me to a rehab facility. If it were not for Wren, and a praying mother, I might be dead or incarcerated to this day. Wren believed in me when all others lost hope. He remained my friend until he passed several years ago. As a young man I was fascinated by people who were verbally stimulating and could evoke emotions by the words they spoke. None were as poignant as Martin Luther King, Jr. I would listen to his speeches for hours wishing that I had the ability to move people with words. Not only was I impressed and influenced by his speech-making but also his sense of fairness for all mankind. I was influ18

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enced by his sense of decency and fervor for the world to be a better place for “all” mankind.

David Brinkley stated: A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him. How I Was Blessed My life is a constant fulfillment of my goal to encourage and pour support into others experiencing problems in their lives because I am blessed due to the influence of these three men. My father’s encouragement and a life welllived; Wren’s dedication to another human regardless of his personal wealth; and the great legacy left by Dr. King.

The inﬂuence of these men has given me a greater

Along the way I experienced a downfall through drug addiction. My good friend...could have written me off as a loser.

understanding of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If.” If you can walk with Kings, Princes and Potentates and not lose touch with the common man … then yours is the world and everything in it. Reverend Isaac B. Deas II is the Inter-Faith Chaplain for Cornerstone Hospice & a Psychotherapist for Deas Consulting, LLC. He is also an Adjunct Professor at LSSC and an Assistant Pastor for the Tri-County Worship Center of Summerﬁeld.

She Says...

How Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Contributed to My Life Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for our world to be integrated, all races being able to use the same restroom, the same fountain, and walk the same halls at school. He was bombarded multiple times by belligerent and ignorant people due to them wanting to disregard the fact that Dr. King was ﬁghting for the greatest revolution of all time. Coming from a mixed heritage of African-Americans, Caucasians, and Native Americans my extended and intermediate family struggled to survive through the harsh times of segregation. As a high school student, my grandmother, who is Caucasian, was taunted daily because she was involved with my grandfather who was African-American and Native American. She was simply dating someone she was personally attracted to; but to society she was being rebellious and it was an abomination. Through the many challenges of racism my grandmother and grandfather eventually

I am able to use the same restroom...drink out of the same fountain with my Caucasian peers, and walk the same halls... with every race got married and seven children were conceived. They raised the bar and stayed true to what they believed in, constantly being ridiculed along the way. My mother, aunts, and uncles were called Oreos and many other derogatory names, as well as my grandmother being called a “nigg** lover” almost every day of her life. Even though Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not able to cease racism when my grandparents were together, he certainly paved the way for years to come. His speeches spread across the world like wildﬁre and had a meaning that could not be turned away; regardless of race. People knew Dr. King had a dream and a great one at that. He has contributed to my life personally and to everyone around me by showing that it is okay to love another of a different color, light brown, dark brown, pale or tan, life is about more than the color of your skin and segregation.

New Owners. New Attitude. New Opportunities. Contact us now for more information about multimedia advertising with us. Email us at Sylvia@RedApplesMedia.com

Call 352.801.7106

I am able to use the same restroom with my Caucasian peers, drink out of the same fountain with my Caucasian peers, and walk the same halls at Leesburg High School with every race there is. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. allowed the world to realize and take heed that all races can unite and surely not only the whites and blacks. This was the greatest contribution of them all and for that I am grateful. Amari Garner is a Leesburg High School senior and was recently honored by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Committee, Inc. of The Villages for her essay. She is receiving a college scholarship from the organization.

Corlis Garner (grandma) on left; Amari Garner (in the middle; Lakisha Garner (mom) Emani Garner (sister at bottom)

KEVCO BUILDERS Innovation

Integrity

Excellence

Be sure to listen February 5th at 1:30pm to my790AM for featured guest, Joe Ziler of Kevco Builders. Then watch the program all month long on LSTV. Comcast 13 • Brighthouse 199 • Florida Cable 4 FocusLakeCounty.com

Online sales in the United States are estimated to be just short of $300 billion in 2014, with forecasted growth for the next three years hovering around the nine percent mark. It seems everyone is buying everything online. However, one line of products, home building materials, have not made an all-inclusive leap into the world of online purchasing. While there are a small number of speciﬁc building components being sold online, as a general rule, most building products are still sold to customers the old fashioned way—face-to-face. Not an Online Business There are several reasons why most home building products don’t thrive online, but the number one reason is most consumers cannot visualize the proper size or true color of these products on a computer screen. Take for example, a group of people asked to show with their hands how big a 22-inch by 30inch box is. Most of them would be off as much as six inches in either direction. Color shades and their appearance under different lighting conditions is something a consumer simply cannot accurately duplicate online. Just ask ﬁve people to pick out a pale blue paint and see the variety. Size and color matter when building or remodeling a home, and most savvy consumers understand that seeing

is believing when trying to make the right product choice. One issue that occurs with all online shopping is the manufacturers’ use of marketing schemes to enhance a product’s image online. An ugly ceramic tile surrounded by a $20,000 sofa looks good, just as an inexpensive kitchen cabinet looks rich when viewed next to a tall supermodel. The same ceramic tile and cabinetry will look a lot different when an actual sample is placed on the floor and it becomes the central focus. How to Gather Information Using online tools for gathering information about home building products is beneficial, but a homeowner’s final selection should be left for the local showroom. Whether it is a remodel or brand

new home, the happiest customers are those who see, touch, and inspect the products being installed in their project. The vast majority of people who delegate their product selections to a computer screen are disappointed, because it will always look different in person. So remember, when selecting products and materials for your next home project— seeing is believing. Don Magruder is the CEO of Ro-Mac Lumber & Supply, Inc.

Serving The Villages & Lake County

352.414.6556 Se Habla Español AireMasters1.com

CALL FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE

Honesty Above All Else 20

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Lake’s Legacies Climbing the Bishop Family Tree

The movement to position South Lake County as a center for health and wellness is a campaign more than 130 years in the making. Clermont Fire Chief Carle Bishop has the collateral to prove it. A descendant of the region’s ﬁrst settlers, Bishop has the marketing brochure his great grandfather Captain Montgomery Cooper received. The promise of a community that fostered health and prosperity persuaded Captain Cooper to uproot his wife, Alice, and three children from Iowa in 1885. Their move came just one year after Clermont was founded. “The brochure, which is about 100 pages, touts the healthiness of the area as a way to bring people here and build the Clermont community,” says Bishop. “It’s fascinating to see the city revitalizing itself through somewhat similar forms of economic development today. Health and wellness is something everyone can embrace.” According to Bishop, Captain Cooper, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War, chartered a boxcar and brought farm animals and equipment. The family settled on the northeast side of Lake Minnehaha and planted acres of tomatoes. The region became known as Coopersville and the family’s contribution helped propel Clermont to become the state’s top tomato producer by the 1890’s. Other Descendants Meanwhile, Bishop’s other great grandparents were helping to build the community’s future along the eastern shores of Lake Minneola. In 1884, Fernando Bishop and family traveled from Michigan to Wildwood by train bringing equipment to build a sawmill. A hired team of 20 mules hauled the equipment along dirt roads to its ﬁnal destina-

tion near the location of the historic Straker house, now known as the Lake Minneola Inn. Years later, Cooper’s daughter Helen and Bishop’s son Elmer were married. Their son, Clarence, was Carle Bishop’s father.

member of the then all volunteer Clermont Fire Department. He ultimately became Assistant Fire Chief and served with son Carle who joined the department in 1971.

The Coopers’ contribution to Clermont extended beyond agriculture. They helped lay the groundwork for education and literacy in the area. The matriarchs, Alice and Helen, were actively involved in developing a library for the community. In 1938, Alice Cooper donated land that became the site of the Cooper Memorial Library.

Family Tragedy When Clarence Bishop was killed in a tractor accident in 1974, Carle was named Assistant Fire Chief and was ultimately tapped to lead the department in 1990. Carle Bishop remains at the helm and has overseen many department developments including the transformation from volunteer to paid positions.

Clarence Bishop, the pioneers’ grandson, meanwhile helped lead Clermont’s public safety infrastructure, a passion his son Carle would share.

Bishop is especially proud that his entire family, which includes his wife Wendy, four children, and 14 grandchildren, live in the area, as well as his 92 year-old mother Doris and sister Claire.

A painter by trade, Clarence Bishop was a

“It has been fascinating to see the city grow. It’s a wonderful place to live and to watch my children and grandchildren grow up,” says Bishop. Nanci Schwartz is president of The CommConnection, Inc., and helps people, businesses and non-proﬁt organizations share their positive stories through a variety of multi-media forums.

On a recent drive to the Clermont area, I decided to drive off the beaten path for lunch and experience Red Wing Restaurant. It is located on State Rd 33 in Groveland in a rather unassuming wooden cabin with a small barnyard next door and has been a popular dining experience since 1948. Upon entering, I was immediately greeted by a friendly server who quickly seated me in a booth in the main bar area, took my beverage order and directed me to the ‘specials of the day’ board. The interior was quite comfortable, clean and mirrored the exterior with wood paneled walls. The mounted game & birds on the walls were exactly what I would expect and there are two dining rooms on either side of the bar area. The restaurant was mainly ﬁlled with locals who knew everyone’s name.

Candid Descriptions My server was very candid in describing the items both on the menu and specials board that I inquired about. I started with the appetizer special of fried artichokes. It came out quickly, and was a sizable portion that could easily be shared by two people. Their menu includes some hard-to-ﬁnd selections of game; Elk Chops, Venison Steak, Rabbit Sausage, Alligator Tail (they did have a sign outside for ‘all you can eat quail’) and there are also many ﬁsh selections. Having heard that they have great Angus burgers, I couldn’t resist ordering one, especially because they’re only served at lunchtime. It was eight ounces, perfectly cooked to order, with substantial cheese and served on a large fresh bun. I never had to ask for any condiments as she brought them all to the table. A real plus is that you have a choice of ‘soup of the day’, fries or salad with any burger or sandwich. I

Anonymous: My career has taken me to many corners of the world and often involves food and its presentation. I’ve learned from the great family cooks of my past and cooking classes with some of my favorites: Daniel Boulud, Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay as well as with many wellknown regional Chefs. I travel to many of the national Food & Wine Festivals and have formal certiﬁcation.

Anonymous Foodie

Are you ready for real critiques of your favorite Lake County restaurants? FOCUS is sending an anonymous foodie to review them and then giving the local owner a chance to answer the good and not-as-positive experiences we’ve had in the restaurant. Enjoy and bon appétit.

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opted for the soup which was cream of tomato. It was a good-sized portion, very creamy and had a little spice which was unexpected but I found quite good. There was a nice selection of desserts which again my server described in detail, but knowing they make their own cobblers I just had to order the apple. It came out hot in a small crock topped with vanilla ice cream. The pastry was quite sweet, very tasty and the apples were not mushy, the sign of a great fruit cobbler. There’s no doubt that Red Wing Restaurant is a great ﬁnd. Don’t let the exterior or location fool you. If you’re looking for real home-cooking or for some delectable game dishes, “Fooderella” deﬁnitely recommends Red Wing Restaurant.

Response: Chop off the Old Block It’s always nice to get a great review. We consider it a very accurate depiction of our portion size, quality and presentation. We’re celebrating our ten year anniversary and pride ourselves on our professionally cooked meals to order and our ever-evolving menu. Catering to everyone’s needs from vegetarians, vegans, glutten-free and other dietary needs.

At one time or another we have served just about every game item you can imagine elk (pictured on left), buffalo, duck, ostrich, caribou and quail to mention a few. Readily available are the more plain items such as chicken, pork, pasta, steak, potatoes and specialty salads. The farm has rescued everything from a llama, zebu cattle, to ducks and chickens.

Red Wing Restaurant is situated on 10 acres in the Green Swamp area of Lake County. Part of the property is dedicated to a wild life preserve, part to a small animal rescue and the rest to the restaurant. You’ll never know what you will ﬁnd on the farm or in the restaurant.

Once used as a meeting place for local citrus growers, we now have people from all over Central Florida following the path to Red Wing’s rustic downhome atmosphere and delicious food.

Red Wing Restaurant RedWingRestaurant.com

LUXURY & ELEGANCE

with ocean views from every window.

Picture yourself surrounded by open ocean, romance, adventure, and elegance.

Indulge in fine dining, high teas, and traditional on-island lobster bakes for a perfect Maine island Lighthouse experience.

Each suite pampers guests with separate si ing and sleeping chambers, king sized beds, and luxury private bath.

Photos by Darren Setlow

Resident Inn Keepers, Mark Zinkiewicz and Heather Graham

Surround yourself with sweeping panoramic views of Maine’s Atlantic Coastline and bask in contemporary luxury and design. The custom millwork, beautiful moldings, coffered ceilings and marble bathrooms are the ultimate in cra smanship. The Cuckolds is a unique experience, receiving each guest in contemporary luxury through layers of bespoke cra smanship and design. All honoring the sense of place and Cuckolds history. Your island adventure begins with an ocean cruise to this rocky island. The sounds of the ocean waves lull you to sleep each night.

UPCOMING SHOWS Feb11 Feb Feb66 Feb Feb77 Feb Feb11 11 Feb Feb12 12 Feb Feb13 13 Feb Feb14 14 Feb Feb15 15 Feb Feb18 18 Feb Feb 21 Feb 21 Feb 22 Feb 22 Feb26 26 Feb Feb27 27 Feb

Come and stay... Reservations: 855.212.5252 www.InnAtCuckoldsLighthouse.com

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MountDora DoraVillage VillageMarket Market 10-1 Mount 10-1 TheGrille GrilleatatRiverview Riverview 7-10 The 7-10 Downthe theHatch Hatch 1-5 Down 1-5 ALSLanding Landing 5-9 ALS 5-9 FlaglerTavern Tavern 5-8 Flagler 5-8 Merrill'sMarket Market 7-11 Merrill's 7-11 ALSSand SandBar Barwith withLarry LarryZZ 1-5 ALS 1-5 Downthe theHatch Hatch 1-5 Down 1-5 RubySt. St.Grill Grillwith withJeff JeffWhitfield Whitfield 7:30-11:30 7:30-11:30 Ruby PJ's SeaShack 5-9 PJ's SeaShack 5-9 ALSSand SandBar Barwith withJeff JeffWhitfield Whitfield 1-5 ALS 1-5 Flagler Tavern 5-8 Flagler Tavern 5-8 Clancy’sCantina Cantina 7-10 Clancy’s 7-10

Follow on on FB FB –Mark –Mark Zinkiewicz Zinkiewicz Follow

IN FOCUS LEADERSHIP LAKE

PHOTOS BY BONNIE WHICHER

The facts in a breaking news story can be moving targets which is what members of the 2015 Leadership Lake County Class discovered during December’s “Media

Day.” With the help of local journalists from The Daily Commercial, The Orlando Sentinel, and Lake Sumter Television (LSTV), they covered a mock assault case which involved a local man assaulting his neighbor on suspicion he carried the Ebola virus.

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The news articles, photos and videos the class produced from the fabricated crime scene appeared on The Daily Commercial’s and LSTV’s websites. The Leadership Lake class is made up of professionals from various Lake County private, non-proﬁt and public sector organizations. Check LeadershipLake.com for more information.

Bonnie FocusLakeCounty.com

For those who don’t know Carmen Cullen-Batt, you and your wallet should consider yourselves lucky, according to those who showed up to roast her as part of a fundraiser for the Leesburg Center for the Arts (LeesburgCenter4Arts.com). Cullen, the third to be roasted in this annual fundraising series, oversees the Educational Foundation of Lake County and has been a fundraising force in our community. With J. Scott Berry acting as ringmaster for the event, roasters included Tom Grizzard, Joyce Huey, Chuck Johnson, Commissioner Tim Sullivan, Michael Dempsey, Mandy Wettstein, Marc Robertz-Schwartz and Sandi Moore. Consistent throughout

their speeches – Carmen gets what Carmen wants – particularly when it comes to getting you to volunteer your time, sponsor an event or make a donation. And, as Wettstein pointed out, at the risk of winding up with a horse head in your bed if you don’t comply (complete with the presentation of a costume horse head to Cullen). Roasters had to dig deep and perhaps fabricate a smidge because if you do know Carmen, you know she is one of the hardest working people in Lake County. She has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Lake and Sumter County

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students so that they can enjoy educational opportunities they might not otherwise experience. Be advised; if Carmen calls, best you answer. For more information about the Educational Foundation, upcoming events, including the No Duck Left Behind on March 7 in Wooton Park, and how you can contact Carmen before she contacts you (always best to be on the offensive with Carmen), visit EdFoundationLake.com.

What Makes You Mad?

Have Your Voice Heard Throughout the month of February, you can weigh-in like never before. Tell us what makes you mad, why, and if you have a solution. There are several ways for you to vent: • Send us an email or fax of up to 100 words • Create a video clip of up to 45-seconds

It’s time to sound off! We all have it. That thing that just sets us off. Sometimes we can control the emotion and other times it sends us into an irrational spin of passionate expression. What’s your trigger? What gets your blood boiling? What topic of conversation elevates you onto your soapbox? In our March Madness issue of FOCUS, we’ll be taking a multimedia look at what makes us mad in Lake County. From local government bureaucracy to ignorant ideologies. Rude children to senior drivers. Maybe you’re tweaked by how technology has taken over our lives, or the neighbor who has no regard for those around him. The list is potentially endless but we suspect there are some common themes and we want you to tell us what those are, please.

• Design a meme (doesn’t it just drive you batty when people don’t know what a meme is?) How to Submit All submissions – sent via fax to 866.330.1493 or email to Info@ RedApplesMedia.com – must include your full name (no anonymous submissions), an email or phone contact (not for publication, but in case we need to clarify something, or help you seek professional assistance) and, must be appropriate language for public consumption. By sending your submission to FOCUS you are permitting us to publish, post or otherwise share the content you provide. Be sure to check out the March Madness issue of FOCUS Magazine, FOCUS Radio and FOCUS TV to see what makes Lake County mad. Or don’t. You would be ignoring our March issue just to irk us, right?

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On Events FEB 14 Red-hot Valentine’s Day party at the Clermont Arts & Recreation Center, 3700 S. Highway 27, Clermont. Check ClermontFL.gov/events for details or call 352-394-3500. FEB 28 Grand opening of the Clermont Boathouse at Waterfront Park. Check ClermontFL.gov/events for details or call 352-394-3500.

FEB 7 & 8, 10am-5pm 40th Annual Mount Dora Art Festival Downtown Mount Dora, Saturday & Sunday, MountDoraCenterfortheArts.org FEB 13, 6-8pm 2nd Friday Art Stroll through downtown Mt. Dora Look for balloons at participating businesses, WhatToDoinMountDora.com FEB 13 2nd Friday Movie in the Park Free at dusk in Donnelly Park, Mount Dora WhatToDoinMountDora.com FEB 14, 10am-3pm 2nd Annual A Lure for Love Pet Expo Free in Elizabeth Evans Park, Mount Dora, Swift Paws Lure Course for Dogs, vendors and much more... PawsForMountDora.com 28

FEB 19-22 18th Annual Mount Dora Music Festival Mount Dora Community Building MountDoraEvents.com

FEB 13-14, 9am-5pm 2015 Crappie Masters - Florida State Championships Weigh-in at Wooton Park CrappieMasters.net

FEB 19 Yappy Hour Pet-Friendly Shopping & Wine PigletsPantry.com

FEB 22, 7:30am Florida Hospital Waterman Mission Team 5K, Starts in Wooton Park 407-357-2043

FEB 28, 4pm & 7pm Squawk! The Best Bird Show “The most intelligent animal act I’ve ever seen. They’re incredible!”- Piers Morgan, America’s Got Talent MountDoraLIVE.com FEB 28, 7pm The Rat Pack - Together Again A return to the glory days of the Copacabana, MountDoraLIVE.com

FEB 1, 10am-4pm Lady Lake Chamber of Commerce presents Art in the Park Veterans Park log cabin, Lady Lake FEB 6, 9am-3pm Annual Craft Show Holiday Travel Resort, Leesburg

FEB 21, 6:30-10:30am Rotary Club of Leesburg (Sunrise) is proud to present our 27th Annual Blood Screening event at the Leesburg Community Building, 109 E. Dixie Ave, Leesburg, FL. Registration forms and additional information are available online at LeesburgSunriseRotary.org.

FEB 7, 9am-5pm African-American Heritage Festival Free in Wooton Park, Gospel choirs, arts, crafts, dancers, historical and cultural education, Tavares.org

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FEB 28, 9am-5pm Gun Show Lake County Expo Center/Fairgrounds, Eustis FEB 28, 7:30-11am Quarterly Bird & Butterﬂy Survey Lake May Reserve, Eustis

FEB 28-MAR 8 Check LakeSumterHBA.com for more information on the event and locations.

Go to FocusLakeCounty.com to ﬁnd more events information.

Living. Learning. Local.

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On Better Living February is National Heart month. The heart is a miraculous pumping machine. It works when we’re sleeping or awake and it kicks into another gear when we exercise. We just always believe it is going to do its job. However when it doesn’t, we are shocked that it didn’t do what it was supposed to do. We don’t realize till it is too late that in most cases we have contributed to the problems with our heart and vascular system. We eat fat-laden foods, we don’t exercise, we don’t control our stress, we eat too much salt, we smoke, drink excessive alcohol, and we are overweight. Have you

I was born and raised in Lake County, went to college and promised I’d never come back. I felt like Lake County had nothing to offer. No jobs, no excitement, no future for a young man looking to ﬁnd his place in the world. When you’ve got your whole life ahead of you and seemingly unlimited opportunities and paths to make something of yourself, Lake County is quickly eliminated from your list of destinations. I wasn’t alone in my thinking then, and I certainly would not be alone with that perception if I were graduating today. Why Lake County is Special Despite my thinking as an all-knowing, 17 year old high school graduate, here I am at 36 raising my own family in Lake County. Five years ago, when faced with the decision of where to raise our children, my wife, also a Lake County native, and I decided it could be no other place than Lake County. So, we willingly and excitedly moved our family to Lake County, and we have not regretted the decision for one minute.

Happy & Healthy Heart

heard enough to know it is our responsibility to take care of our best and most efﬁcient friend in our body?

Regretfully, most clients I see as a nutritionist start to take care of their heart when something happens, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, the need to lose weight, or have had bypass surgery or stents. People end up at their doctor because of poor choices. Doctors direct them to lifestyle changes, which sometimes include – taking medication, seeing a nutritionist, consistent exercise or joining a gym. Get in the rhythm of heart-helping and heart-saving.

communities in Central Florida. I did not understand this when I was 17, and I certainly don’t expect 1722 year olds to understand that today. But for Lake County to grow, for Lake County to rebound from one of the most devastating economic downturns in history, we are going to have to ﬁnd a way to keep Lake County’s best and brightest at home. Appreciating Lake County While a valiant effort could be made to convince Lake County’s youth that “one day you will come to appreciate Lake County and will want to move back and raise your own kids here,” I’m fairly conﬁdent it would be met with limited success. At the end of the day,

Lake County is a special place. Small towns, the outdoors, good people, this is what Lake County means to us, this is what we want our kids to grow up with and this is what makes Lake County one of the most special 30

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Robert L. Chandler IV Director Lake County Board of County Commissioners Economic Development and Tourism

There is a saying I live by, “Life is full of choices, make the best ones.” Many problems we have are reversible, they just take commitment, education and attitude of care. Don’t forget that every beat of your heart, approximately 86k to 144k beats per day, should be appreciated not abused. Happy Heart Month. I love mine and try to take care of it daily. Don’t end up with a broken or damaged heart, it’s your friend!

Jeff Wittman Lic. Nutritionist

young adults are looking for opportunities to become successful and accomplish their dreams. They are looking for excitement and vibrancy. Until Lake County can create those opportunities at home, we will continue to experience talent leakage. The good news is Lake County is primed to begin providing these opportunities. Florida is experiencing an economic resurgence, and Central Florida, specifically, is leading the state in job growth. In Lake County, unemployment is at a low 6.5% for the year, job growth is increasing at a pace of over 4% a year and Lake County businesses are beginning to invest and hire again. Our post-secondary education and workforce training institutions are doubling down on programs to enable high school graduates to be educated and get a job in the county, and Economic Development is placing significant resources behind the fostering and recruiting of high-wage jobs. In next month’s feature, I will dig deeper into the specific economic indicators suggesting that 2015 could be a great year for Lake County, and why I am confident that our ability to retain our graduates will be substantially greater in the very near future. Happy 2015 to everyone!

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2015 LAKE-SUMTER

It’s All at the EXPO

New home and remodeling experts, manufacturers, and the latest technology and products. You’ll be able to pick the brain of the expert who can help you with your speciﬁc ﬁeld, as well as look, touch, and use various building products and tools, before you decide.

& REMODELING EXPO Saturday, March 7, 2015, 8 am - 3 pm Leesburg National Guard Armory

400 W Meadow Street - Leesburg, FL 34748 One block north of City Hall, next to Fountain Lake Entry is FREE for the family and there will be special events, seminars, live music from the LHS Swing Band, a remote with My790am WLBE, and door prizes throughout the day!

Meet Shane Matthews

“Gator Great” Shane Matthews will be at the EXPO from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm to chat and sign your photos, sweatshirts, footballs and other Gator memorabilia. Come on out to the 2015 Lake-Sumter New Home & Remodeling EXPO and talk current and past Gator football with the former quarterback.

Put Your Foot Down To End Hunger

Take a lap around the lake and make a donation to help feed the hungry in Lake County. With every $5 donation, you’ll be feeding 3 hungry people 3 meals a day for 3 days! Register early at LakeCares.org, call them at 352.383.0100, or you can sign up at the event.

The Barefoot Gardener Seminars

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Just Perfect Plants Gingerich Construction Co. Dunstan Plumbing BlueLinx Corporation Trim It, Inc. Metrie Ro-Mac Custom Doors The Empire Company Huttig Building Products RJ Rooﬁng, Inc. Great Lakes Carpet & Tile Mike Hensley Construction, Inc. Therma Pros Insulation Xcel Construction, Inc.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • Great Southern Wood Preserving • • Ro-Mac Design Center Waterman Construction Corp. • • Dibarco Building Corporation Quality Assurance Painting, Inc. • • Mott Concrete, Inc. • Habitat for Humanity Lake-Sumter PrimeSource Building Products • BESCO Electric Supply Company • and Lighting Center • Ro-Mac Window Company • Custom Window Systems •

MI Windows & Doors YKK AP America, Inc. PGT Industries Munn’s Sales & Service, Inc. Dr. Energy Saver Central FL American Family Homes, Inc. Weyerhaeuser Company Ro-Mac Truss Company Simpson Strong-Tie Co., Inc. Citizens First Bank T. Scott Rooﬁng 7 D Wholesale Mission Inn Resort RE/MAX Premier Realty Ro-Mac Garage Doors Clopay Linear Corp. Bone Dry Rooﬁng, LLC Fairwinds Credit Union Hegstrom Homes Ro-Mac Lumber & Supply, Inc. ClarkDietrich Building Systems Dixie Plywood & Lumber Logan Lumber Company U.S. Lumber Woodford Plywood

------------------------------------------------The 2015 EXPO is hosted by

LUMBER&SUPPLY RomacLumber.com

Buy Where The Builders Buy! -------------------------------------- Our Sponsors and Media Partners

Jonathan “Barefoot Gardener” Squires, owner of the nursery Just Perfect Plants in Leesburg, will be giving live seminars on Florida-Friendly Landscaping and The Incredible Edible Garden at 10am and noon. If you’ve got a green thumb, you can’t miss these seminars.

$1,000 Cash Giveaway!

Come for the entertainment and knowledge. Leave with the money and prizes! Over 50 Door Prizes will be given away throughout the day, along with a drawing for The $1,000 Big Cash Prize Giveaway. Be sure you sign up during the EXPO.

For more information

on the Lake-Sumter New Home & Remodeling EXPO, contact Rebecca Ballash at 352.787.4545 ext-325 or go to RomacLumber.com