Pulse Winter 2011

1 • PULSE • WINTER 2011

PULSE • WINTER 2011 • 2



Issue 18 | Winter 2011Copyright © Pulse the Magazine, Inc.

PO Box 1896 • Tavares, FL 32778

www.PulseTheMagazine.com

PublisherCalvin Arnold

Managing EditorRichard Huss

Marketing & DevelopmentMari Henninger

Design DirectorKimberly Smith

Ditto’s Print Shop

Advertising DesignLorri Arnold

PhotographyBill Casey

Marc Vaughn

IllustrationJennifer Cahill Harper

Contributing WritersJeanne Fluegge Pam MyersMari Henninger Ella Paets, Ed.D.Susan Green Jaillet Beth HughesJoshua Kelley

Assistant EditorsNancy Butler-Ross Susan Green Jaillet

Advertising SalesCalvin Arnold 407.421.6686

Don Thibodeau 352.552.2655

table of contents

Pulse the Magazine is published quarterly. We are advertiser–

supported and available without charge at participating businesses

in the Mount Dora, Eustis and Tavares area. Mail subscription

information is available upon request. All opinions expressed in these

pages are those of the writers. Letters to the Editor are welcome.

Please type or print clearly. Letters must carry the writer’s name and

city of residence, a signature if sent through hard mail, and at least

one type of contact information: E-mail address, phone number, or

physical address. Only the writer’s name and city will be published.

All letters sent to Pulse the Magazine may be published in print

and/or at our website. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy,

brevity, clarity, legality, and taste. Letters should be e-mailed to

[email protected] or hard mailed to Publisher at Pulse

the Magazine, PO Box 1896, Tavares, FL, 32778.

about thecover

Ramblin’ with Richard 6Poinciana Envy

Natural Florida 8Bats in the Belfry

Writers One Flight Up 10

Moment of Truth

Suzy Toronto 14

A Girlfriend Kind of Girl

Saucy Spoon 16

Keeping it Saucy

The Highwaymen 20

Keepers of a VanishingFlorida Legacy

Lake County’s Rookies 24

of the Year

Lake Cares Food Pantry 26

Wind Horse Wellness Center 30

The Stuff Dreams are Made of

Tri-City Kudos 31

The Mount Dora 34

Ghost Walk

Cover photo by Marc Vaughn. Original art by Highwaymen artist, Johnny Daniels. From the Highwaymen collection of Margie Salyer and Randy Burgener, Heron Cay B&B, Mount Dora. See feature story, page 20.


from the publisherIn issue #18, we introduce two new writers to Pulse – Beth Hughes, Keeping it Saucy, and Joshua Kelley, The Mount Dora Ghost Walk. Excellent writers who give us new and different voices.

This issue also features the Highwaymen and their special relationship with Mount Dora; WindHorse, a new Eustis hotspot with music, organic bistro, beer and wine – a true learning center making our tri-cities a better place; Tangerine resident Suzy Toronto, author of the mega marketed Wonderful Wacky Women series; And the refreshing faces of outstanding teachers working wonders in the classroom.

Check us out. Let us know what you think.

Cordially,

Calvin Arnold, Publisher

[email protected]

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2011 An Evening With Paul Revere and the Raiders March 5th 2011 at 7:30PM

At CHBS Field House 301 West 13th St. in Mount Dora, Florida 32757FREE parking at the venue

General Admission is $35.00 and group sales are available.

Tickets on sale at: Uncle Al’s Time Capsule, 140 East 4th Ave. 352.383.1958

Mount Dora Library, 1995 North Donnelly St. 352.735.7180. Or go on line to www.mountdoralibrary.com

We accept Visa, Mastercard and Paypal

1995 North Donnelly St. Mount Dora, FL. 32757Phone: 352.383.1958 Email: [email protected]

The Mount Dora Library Association in conjunction with Waterman Communities announces:


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NSORED BY:

photo by Michelle Pedone©

Poinciana Envy

Last August during the Highwaymen Art walk, my wife Mari and I sat at the inside bar at Pisces Rising in front of a painting by Mary Ann Carroll, the only female member of the Highwaymen. Mari looked at that painting and challenged me to write using Mary Ann Carroll’s depiction of a Royal Poinciana in full bloom seemingly hugged by a stately palm.

Mari’s prompt for me was: The palm tree envied the Poinciana’s flair.

The feature article in Pulse is about the Highwaymen and their special relationship with Mount Dora. I thought it appropriate to share this story.

“The palm tree envied the Poinciana’s flair.”

The trees grew up together. Both from random seeds. The palm was the result of a horrific hurricane fueled by 100-plus mph winds that hurled palm nuts hundreds of feet up the hills of the island. The Poinciana the result of the random nature of bird behavior – seeds scattered by the happenstance of bird brains.

Both took root. Fast and firm. Fed by fertile sandy loam and watered by rain and humidity – they followed the sun.

The palm, true to his nature, bent with the storms, his trunk twisting in the hurricane winds of each storm season. Forceful gales passed through his fronds, offering him the best wind resistance – no resistance.

The Poinciana, true to her nature, threw down deep roots that spread out for yards all around her. The bough of the Poinciana reached for the sun, crowning herself annually in the late Florida spring with a dense blanket of flaming red and orange flowers. The two were steadfast neighbors in spite of their contrasting styles.

Mr. Palm silently sighed and wished for the fiery flair of Miz Poinciana. Keeping her thoughts to herself, Miz Poinciana envied the simplicity and straight-line symmetry of Mr. Palm.

Finally, Mr. Palm could resist no longer. Aided by a stiff wind, he bowed toward Miz Poinciana and through his soft rustling fronds, whispered to her, “Your fired foliage. Your spring flash. Just once, I would love to drape myself with your flowers.”

Miz Poinciana blushed adding more red to her crown. She stretched precariously toward Mr. Palm. Heavy with boughs of flowers, she said, “Oh, Mr. Palm, your strength, your ability to resist the forces of the wind, I will never possess. Do not trade my temporal flair for your enduring strength.

“ You r f i r ed f o l iage. You r spr ing f lash. Ju st once, I wou ld lo ve to

drape myse l f w i t h you r f lowe rs.”


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“Flair is but a seasonal attribute for which I pay dearly. Every storm thins me out. It deeply pains me to see my branches, stems and leaves twist and bend in the wind only to fall broken to the ground.” As a sign of recognition of Mr. Palm’s strength, she lowered her crown even more.

Mr. Palm, hearing Miz Poinciana’s kind words, pulled himself upright and smiled, with his fronds blowing smoothly and gaily in the wind.

He said, “Though I have not the color of your spring bouquet, I accept your observations. I have felt your pain as I have watched you lose limbs in the storms. I love the strong winds of the hurricanes and am proud, indeed, that I can withstand the force of Mother Nature.”

In a sweeping arc, he deeply bowed toward Miz Poinciana.

The next day a young man carrying all sorts of paraphernalia stalked up the hillside toward the two friends. He dropped his bags to the ground and circled, intently observing the palm and the Poinciana – as if to establish their value.

Not being ones to speak to strangers, the trees remained silent, reserved in their postures and actually somewhat fearful. It wasn’t every day a human came their way.

The interloper walked, stopped and looked. Walked and looked, circling the duo several times. Finally he opened one of his bags and set up an odd contraption – placing it in a spot where he could see them both. He pulled out brushes and paints and propped a canvas on his makeshift easel. With a smile, he said to Mr. and Miz P, “Hold that pose … I think you’re going to like this picture.”

They relaxed, shook out their own beauty, and smiled into the sun as his brushes danced over the canvas.

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Natural FloridaNatural FloridaSPONSORED BY:

Bats in the BelfryNow that the relentless heat of summer is gone, a favorite spot to relax after work is our open deck overlooking Lake Nettie. Mosquitoes drive us in at dusk just as the birds quiet down to roost. If we can stick it out for a bit, we trade our bird watching for bat watching. In sync with the arrival of pesky insects, bats begin flying through our sight line in a seemingly aimless, slow, wobbling pattern. In truth, they are navigating with precision to locate their insect prey with sonar, or echolocation.

As they close in on their prey, the bats produce sound pulses more rapidly, their large ears detecting the echo from flying insects until they home in and catch their meal. If their timing doesn’t align the insect with the bat’s mouth, the bat will swoop the insect into its wing, then its mouth. These efficient techniques enable a single bat to catch 600 insects per hour, or about 3,000 in a night.

Insect eating bat species consume close to their body weight every day. In order to prevent undesirable weight gain and remain aerodynamic, these flying mammals are designed to catch a moth, digest the nutritious body and pass the wings and legs as feces in 20 minutes flat!

Bats spend the daytime hanging upside down by their hind legs in roost sites in tree cavities, caves, and crevices in rocks. They can also be found clinging to

the underside of dead palm fronds and in clumps of Spanish moss. As their natural habitats disappear, bat colonies can be found under bridges, in attics, and under eaves of buildings. In Florida, roosting colonies may contain several hundred to one-thousand bats. The size of a colony and feeding patterns vary with each species.

There are 1,100 species of bats. They make up 25 percent of the world’s mammal species and are the only true flying mammals. The smallest is the Bumblebee Bat, about the size of the tip of your pinkie finger. In contrast, the Flying Fox bats found in Australia have wingspans of 6 feet.

All nine species found in Central Florida are insectivorous. The most common, the four-inch long Big Brown Bat, has glossy brown fur and broad black wings. If you are out after sunset, you will see them in city parks and around lakes flying slow and straight as

story by Pam Myersillustration by Jennifer Cahill Harper

Florida Brown Bat


they hunt for beetles, moths and other night flying insects. This is the one you’re most likely to find in an attic or an eave. You may also spot the Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat. This common species is smaller, with narrow black wings and a short tail membrane. They are rapid flyers with an erratic pattern. Their voracious appetite for insect pests such as moths, winged ants, mosquitoes and beetles makes them the number one bat of economic importance. Without bats there would be more insect destruction of our forests, more pesticides required to grow our crops, and more trips through the neighborhood for the truck that disperses the thick cloud of Malathion for mosquito control.

There are four additional species of bats in tropical South Florida that feed on nectar, pollen, and fruit. As we sleep, these important creatures are keeping insect populations down and pollinating tropical fruit crops such as bananas and mangoes. As if all of this isn’t enough to value bats for, their guano is rich in nutrients for the soil. I know some avid gardeners

who pay dearly for bat guano to supplement their vegetable gardens.

Many people have grown up believing that bats are rodents with wings and will pass on rabies if you come in contact with them. In truth, they do not become silent carriers, but will become sick and die if they contract the disease. Contrary to other common beliefs, they are not blind and they do not attack humans or get tangled in our hair. These myths have created an unfounded fear of these amazing mammals. They do so much good and deserve our gratitude. Find ways to encourage bats to roost in your neighborhood. Investigate erecting a bat house in an

open area near a lake or marsh where insects are abundant. You will reap the benefits on many levels.

For more information: the Florida Bat Conservancy at www.floridabats.org or the Lubee Bat Conservancy at www.batconservancy.org.

For bat houses, check www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/spring/BatHouse.html

“Insect eating bat species

consume close to their body weight

every day.”


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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Writers One Flight Up announces its next Flights of Fantasy; Thursday, February 10, 2011, at the Mount Dora Brewing Company. The theme is “Love Is In the Air.” Prose and poetry welcome. Limited seating available. Go to www.writersoneflightup.com for entry and ticket details.

Pulse the Magazine announces the Brian Arnold Memorial Scholarship Contest. $500 cash award for the winning entry. Essay topics, entry guidelines and details found at www.pulsethemagazine.com and www.writersoneflightup.com.

Bill Donnelly, a member of Writers One Flight Up, never met a sentence fragment he didn’t like. His bio reads like a fragment. Forty years in college teaching and writing. Hollywood as a screen writer and teacher. China teaching English to Chinese students. At times lived on a houseboat, in a log cabin and various ethnic hoods. Claims to be retired now in Mount Dora while living in a house full of Jamaican in-laws. Recently tackled the hood of a Jeep on his bicycle and lived to write another day – with most of his synapses intact.

Here’s Bill with a glimpse into his day on a Jamaican beach!

Moment of TruthI rigged a writer’s hut on the edge of the Great Morass behind our house on the Jamaican beach. A little black goat kid put his trotters delicately on the sill of the open door and daylong watched me through trapezoidal pupils, delicate, shy. The makeshift zinc and bamboo coldwater-only shower stall against the back of the hut opened out on a vastness of morass, its

islets marked by giant palms, green against the black of distant mountains. An occasional marijuana flight, an overloaded Cessna, say, with its ID numbers discreetly duct taped, sometimes added a note of drama as I showered, surging directly at me from the Morass bush as it struggled to climb higher than our roof on its way north. I could see the white-faced pilot in profile praying through gritted teeth. That close.

I ended my showers by dipping a saucepan from a fifty gallon water drum next to the stall for a relaxing sun-warmed rinse. One day as I emerged, my brother-in-law’s Brahman bull, dragging its rope,

ambled toward me from the morass cassavas to get a drink. I know bulls. When they drink from a container,

their farewell is always to lower their head, hook the edge with a horn, and tip it over.

So, all manorial indignity, I interposed angrily between bull and barrel. The bull lowered his massive head,

William H. Donnelly AKA “Wild Bill” Donnelly


Sheila Mortimer

[email protected]

407-616-7063

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snorted, and pawed the dirt. As he charged, I grabbed a blue beach towel hanging over the side of the stall, and to my astonishment, gracefully swirled on my naked right heel, my arm extended a little higher than horizontal, my left fist pressed jauntily against my dripping pelvis, and executed a perfect veronica. Ole! The bull trundled through the towel and on into the yard detonating an astonished explosion of immense purple-ringed feathered eyes as he plunged through my brother-in-law’s pride of peacocks, the only witness to my impromptu feat.

I scampered with more alacrity than dignity back into the stall, swabbing myself with a damp washcloth and peering over the wall until the bull moseyed back into the

morass with the towel over one horn, an orchid in his mouth and a white egret flying recon.

Hemingway, into death in the afternoon, gave facing El Toro mystical significance, and Mailer, too, took it up at one point, as proof of his manhood. But I didn’t get anything out of it like them—peevish, buck naked, astonished, and all wet. Devoid of the Manhood, the mystique of death in the afternoon. The clean, understated prose style.

True, a few days later one of the overloaded marijuana planes clipped the solar water heater atop my brother-in-law’s concrete block house and came down on the beach. The pilot sprawled out of the door and, hearing the cries of beach folk down a ways, ran forward, most of him, pretty much shoulders down, intact. His head some sort of frappe via the vortex of propeller. So here it is, adventure, horror, meaningless sun. The adventurer, the outlaw. By the time the police arrived, all the marijuana had vanished except for a handful from the floor.

The Cessna sat on the beach, its wheels confiscated while the police waited for someone to claim it until Hurricane Andrew took it into the deeps. For awhile I could see it at an odd angle on the sand bottom through my snorkeling mask. Then the sands shifted, covered it, and bright tropical fish flashed where it had been. My wife knows the names of every species and when, swimming with me, she sees one, she cries out its name to me. “Grunt. Dat one good wif dasheen an’ lemon.”

“Ole! The bull trundled through the towel ... detonating an astonished explosion of immense purple-ringed feathered eyes as he plunged through my brother-in-law’s pride of peacocks ...”


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Inquire About Our Monthly In Store Events and Sign Up

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Free Gift Wrap

Em'z on 5th200 West 5th Avenue, Mount Dora

735-4451 • Open 7 Days

Informal Modeling at Cecile's

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Wine Tasting fi rst & third Saturday every month 6-8pm

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Wine Tasting

Every 1st & 3rd Saturday, 6-8 PM

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FINE WINES • DOMESTIC & IMPORTED BEERS

NEVER A CORKAGE WITH PURCHASE

Beer Tasting Every 2nd Saturday, 6-8 PM

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Specializing in antiquarian,

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808 N. DONNELLY STREETMOUNT DORA, FLORIDA

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“ . . . . m a k e i t a m e r r y o c c a s i o n ”

YOU CAN’T BUY LOVE.It’s possible, though to get it’s attention.


Suzy TorontoSuzy Torontostory by Jeanne Fluegge

photography by Marc Vaughn

Her girlfriends never guessed their triumphs and tragedies would become inspirational models for Suzy Toronto’s Wonderful Wacky Women. These women considered themselves ordinary; but Suzy says, “It is their unrecognized feats of quiet, female heroism that I write about.”

The faceless women Suzy draws look like idealized versions of the flesh and blood woman I met in her Tangerine studio/home. They share the same large bare feet, full skirts and scooped necked tops, untamed hair and upbeat messages. Like a huge colorful army traveling on hyper femininity, boundless energy and catchy phrases, Suzy’s gaggle of women speak out on greeting cards, matted prints, figurines, mouse pads, and refrigerator magnets. They tell about sacred girlfriend to girlfriend relationships, tossing out negative baggage and surviving adversity.

Throughout our interview, I couldn’t shake the feeling

that I was talking to the Suzy Toronto brand and not

to Suzy Toronto, the woman. Phrases such as “defeat

is not an option,” “age is nothing but a state of mind,”

and “wish hope dream . . . then make it happen”

peppered her sentences like songs from The Sound

of Music.

To the thousands of women who buy Suzy’s tee

shirts, prints and note cards, it doesn’t matter – Suzy

Toronto is the product. Her energetic drawings and

heartening words communicate attitudes her fans

admire and want others to notice in them. They send

Suzy’s “She Who” poems to their friends, daughters,

mother-in-laws and sisters to express the sentiments

about relationships they feel strongly about but are

unable to say on their own.

A Girlfriend Kind of Girl

Suzy Toronto surrounds herself with Plan B and all of her Wonderful Wacky Women.


At art and craft shows, customers give Suzy ten minute hugs and often sob with gratitude. She told me at least half a dozen women decided to live rather than commit suicide after reading her words, and estranged sisters, mothers and daughters tell of being reunited after sharing her cards. “It takes so little to empower someone,” Suzy said. “It just takes the words, ‘I believe in you.’”

Her artwork and writing are very personal and based on how Suzy feels about life. “My art is about girls. It’s fun and a way for women to show their support for one

another.” Her merchandise comes gift wrapped in “can do” philosophy, tied up with humor, and stamped with a free spirited name. But it was Al Toronto who took his wife’s ideas, packaged them, and sold them to the public. “Suzy’s product is the conceptual essence of relationships. She’s selling emotion that is commercially viable,” Al said during my interview with Suzy.

In their nine years of business, Al has marketed Wonderful Wacky Women products nationally and licensed Suzy’s designs for products made and sold in other countries. Suzy said she had to let go of control for the business to grow. All of the in-house designs are produced in Mount Dora by a small staff of women and one lone man. Labeling and packaging tasks are done by stay-at-home moms who do the work at their kitchen tables while their children nap. It’s easy in-home work. The mostly paper products take up little space and can be ready for printing and shipping as orders come in.

When I asked Suzy why she believes her work has the power to change lives she said, “Women think if I can do it, they can do it. When Plan A fails, I go to Plan B. You either grow and learn or wallow in self-pity.”

Plan B began for Suzy when she rejected her doctor’s verdict that she would never have a child. She dried her tears and didn’t give up until she was the mother of an adopted baby son. Still she dreamed of having a home filled with children. Plan B “The Sequel” followed when, thirty days after they met, she married Al Toronto, a widower with four children. She gave up her career as a hairdresser to Donny Osmond, moved to Al’s small Idaho town, and became a stay-at-home mom for five children.

For fifteen years she stayed home and raised the children. Girlfriends to talk to and cry with turned out to be more important to her survival than sleep. Most nights she and her girlfriends glued one another back together with conversation, laughter, and fudge sauce floating in a well of mint chocolate chip ice cream. The life Suzy lived and how she felt about it grew into The Sisterhood of Wonderful Wacky Women.

Perhaps when a woman hangs a Beach Babes print on her wall or she wears a “Gathering of the Goddesses” tee shirt, she thinks of herself as one of Suzy’s wonderful wild wacky women. Suzy would tell her, “Life is all about discovering yourself. It’s a roller-coaster so enjoy the ride.”

For more information on all Suzy Toronto designs and product lines, go to www.suzytoronto.com.

Her merchandise comes gift wrapped in “can do” philosophy, tied up with humor, and stamped with a free spirited name.

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story by Beth Hughesphotography by Steve Williams

Keeping It Saucy I like sauce. Any sauce. Spaghetti sauce. Tarragon cream sauce. Gravy. Caramel sauce. Steak sauce. It always greatly upset my ex-husband when I would put A-1 on an expertly cooked rib-eye he’d just slaved over. No, it didn’t need steak sauce. But I LIKE A-1. No, I take that back. I LOVE sauce. Pass me the ladle. Smother anything with sauce and it tastes better. “Would you like some sauce with that?” Yes, please!

Beth Lee loves sauce, too. So much so that she created a business around it. Beth is the owner/creative genius behind Saucy Spoon Catering and Saucy’s Uptown Bistro in Mount Dora. “Sauces are my specialty,” she says. She created her signature sauce one day when she needed something to put on a burrito – because of its addictive qualities, it’s affectionately known as “crack cocaine” sauce. A tangy blend of fresh herbs and sour cream, it tastes great on everything, not just burritos.

Growing up, Beth’s biggest culinary influence was her grandmother and her specialty, chicken with egg noodles. Largely self-taught, Beth’s family has been

her primary inspiration. According to Beth, cooking for

those you love makes the food taste better. “You can’t

cook when you’re mad. The food never tastes good.”

Just after marrying husband Danny, Beth decided she

needed to learn to cook. And like the movie Julie and

Julia, she read a French basics cookbook front to back

trying every recipe in it. That’s how she learned the

method for creating the classic “mother sauces.”*

Beth also credits Marcella Hazan, the fresh food Italian guru, for inspiring her. “I like her because it’s all about the best way to showcase what’s freshest right now. Hazan’s constantly smoking and drinking Jack Daniels when she’s in the kitchen.” Marcella, like Beth, is also self-taught and didn’t begin her career in food until after she married. In addition to the Italian influence of Marcella Hazan, Beth

Beth Lee, owner and creative force behind Saucy Spoon Catering and Saucy’s Uptown Bistro.


also incorporates Asian flavor profiles.

Beth honed her cooking skills while Danny served in the Air Force and they were bringing up their young family. Beth loved to entertain friends at home and once they tasted her food, she was asked to cater various social events. Approximately nine years ago, the Lees settled in Mount Dora where Beth began her grassroots catering business centering on her passion for feeding people she loves. Because she wants diners to feel like they are “eating at home,” side dishes at the Bistro are served family style.

Quickly the demand for the Saucy Spoon became too great for Beth to manage on her own. She became familiar with Ben Yancey’s talent in the kitchen while dining at a favorite local restaurant. The two have similar tastes in flavor profiles and discovered when working in the kitchen together, they complemented each other beautifully.

A third generation Florida native, Ben lives in the Yancey “family compound” within a stone’s throw of his father and grandfather. From the age of seven, Ben lived in Washington, D. C. until a few years ago when he returned to Florida for knee surgery – and never left. When he was seventeen Ben quit his job at a hardware store, walked around the corner to a Cajun restaurant and asked for a job. Thus began his accidental career slinging hash. To enhance his natural culinary skills, Ben studied at Johnson & Wales in Norfolk, VA earning his AAS degree in Culinary Arts.

Growing up, Ben remembers picking Kentucky pole beans with his grandmother on the family farm. This early influence inspired him to get out of the kitchen and start his own organic farm growing heirloom tomatoes and fresh herbs. Another of Ben’s dreams is to take his eclectic food tastes on the road following major festivals, fairs and events in his Food Truck Kitchen.

Together, Beth and Ben create fabulous dishes in the Saucy Bistro. If you’re lucky, you can sample some of their tasty offerings at a local gala or private catered event – or hire them for your own party. The Bistro’s dining room serves Sunday Brunch, tapas, or “small

plates,” on Fridays, and Fine Dining nights are Saturdays and Mondays. The menus change to reflect their whims and showcase the freshest ingredients available. Brunch offerings might include Triple Berry Crème Brulee’ French toast or Beef Tenderloin Eggs Benedict with Tarragon Buerre Blanc. Fine dining choices may be Low Country Shrimp ‘n’ Grits, Asian Tuna Tartar, Salmon en Papillote, Beth’s winning entry for the Taste of Mount Dora, or Ben’s Specialty Beef ‘n’ Bleu.

Whatever you choose, it will certainly be delicious. And most

likely, there will be sauce!

*Mother sauces are “foundation sauces” from which chefs build multiple variations.

Saucy Spoon and Saucy Bistro are located at 427 South Highland Street, Mount Dora Florida 32757. Phone: 352.383.1050. Website: www.saucyspoon.com, Email: [email protected].

“She created her signature sauce

one day when she needed something to put on a burrito – because of its addictive qualities, it’s affectionately known as ‘crack cocaine’ sauce.”


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320 Dora Drawdy WayMount Dora,FL 32757

(352) 385-90002 Entrances from Donnelly St. & Dora Drawdy Way

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1100 N. Unser Street, Mount Dora | (352) 383-4616 | www.icehousetheatre.comThe IceHouse Theatre

by Robert Harling

All the ladies who are “anybody”

come to have their hair done at

Truvy’s Beauty Spot.

by Michael Heitzman, Ilene Reid and David Holcenberg

Three Bingo-obsessed friends Vern,

Honey and Patsy, risk hurricane

warnings for the weekly game!

JAN 21 - FEB 13, 2011 EXTRA SHOW: Sat, Feb 12 @ 2 pm

MAR 18 - APR 10, 2011 EXTRA SHOW: Sat, Apr 9 @ 2 pm

THE LITTLE MERMAIDBased on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen,

Adapted by Kathryn Schultz MillerAges 5-9 | Tuition: $100

Rehearsals Tues. & Thurs. 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm7 weeks: Feb. 7 – Mar. 27, 2011

Shows: Mar. 26th, 2 pm | Mar. 27th, 7 pm

ANIMAL FARM“All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others...” George Orwell’s dark tale of animal nature.

Ages 12-18 | Tuition: $150Rehearsals Mon. & Thurs. 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

6 weeks: Jan. 10 – Feb. 20, 2011Shows: Feb. 19th, 7 pm | Feb. 20th, 2 pm

$20 Adults, $18 Seniors 62 + (Thurs & Sun), $16 Groups (15 or more), Students $15, $12, $10Performances: Thursdays 7:30 pm, Fridays & Saturdays 8:00 pm, Sundays 2:00 pm

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For most of my life I thought Florida was little more than an endless stretch of narrow beach bordered and defined by looming high-rise condos – more pavement than plants. But my opinion changed once I discovered the less developed parts of Central and South-Central Florida. Though even these relatively untouched areas are rapidly disappearing as orange groves are burned to create yet another shopping center, the Highwaymen, a group of native artists, are preserving the legacy of natural Florida as they paint vanishing landscapes that now exist more in memory than in reality.

The Highwaymen, so named for their practice of selling their paintings door-to-door via the highways

of eastern Florida, are 26 black landscape artists who began painting in the Fort Pierce, FL area during the ‘50s and ‘60s. At that time, Fort Pierce was a grove town, much like the Tri-Cities, with a large black community. Mount Dora resident, Jack O’Connor, who grew up in Fort Pierce, says Fort Pierce was so segregated that even though blacks made up almost half of the population, he only knew one African American by the time he was 18.

Fort Pierce offered few opportunities for blacks. Most worked in the groves or tomato packing houses for dollars a day. But that began to change when A.E. Backus, a famous Florida landscape artist, started

The HighwaymenThe HighwaymenKeepers of a Vanishing Florida Legacy

Paintings by Johnny Daniels, from the Heron Cay Collection.

by Mari Henningerphotography by Marc Vaughn



taking young black artists under his wing in the 1950s. Backus’s kindness was unheard of during that racially charged period in Fort Pierce’s history. Florida’s post-Civil War Jim Crow laws were in full force, limiting where blacks could live, what beaches they could use, where they could sit in movie theaters, and relegating them to the back door of most retail establishments. But “Beanie,” as Backus was known by friends in Fort Pierce, went his own way. His home was open to anyone, black or white, rich or poor, who was interested in painting, jazz or good conversation.

Jack O’Connor remembers hanging out in Beanie’s kitchen with a group of friends almost every weekend when he was in high school. He says Beanie was truly a unique individual who liked to hear what young people had to say, frequently trying to guide them as they made their way into the world. While visiting, Jack often saw a group of young black artists painting in Backus’s studio. He learned much later that these fellow beneficiaries of Beanie’s largesse had gained fame as the legendary Highwaymen artists.

Harold Newton was the first of the many black artists Backus influenced and supported. Following Backus’s advice, the young artist began painting Florida landscapes rather than the religious scenes he’d been painting on black velvet. Newton, a talented artist, observed Backus’s style, followed his advice and soon

began producing gallery-worthy paintings. But since no gallery would represent a black man, Newton took to the streets, successfully peddling his paintings door-to-door. Newton’s success set a precedent that encouraged the Highwaymen who followed him.

Alfred Hair built on Newton’s foundation, igniting the Highwaymen movement through his charisma, generosity and entrepreneurial brilliance. Although he was extremely talented and formally trained through lessons with Backus, Hair knew a black man’s art could never command high prices. Following Newton’s lead, he began creating and selling $25 landscapes painted on inexpensive Upson board and framed with cheap wood molding. Though successful compared to his friends, he had higher aspirations: first buying a Cadillac, then becoming a millionaire.

Realizing his income was limited by the number of paintings he could produce, Hair developed rapid painting techniques that allowed him to turn out 30 to 40 paintings a day. Always generous, he shared his methods with his friends, first with James Gibson, Roy McLendon, and Livingston Roberts, then later with an ever expanding group of acquaintances who sought access to his approach.

Once his friends had mastered the craft, Hair inspired them through friendly competition, creating a


community which is largely responsible for painting and selling as many as 200,000 Highwaymen paintings during the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. But while the Highwaymen were both artists and salesmen, their first priority was painting their way out of poverty.

In addition to local people and businesses, Florida tourists were a prime market for Highwaymen paintings. Tourists had always purchased postcards, but there were no postcards of the backcountry vistas that were opened to them with the completion of the Miami to Fort Pierce leg of Florida’s turnpike in 1957. The Highwaymen paintings filled that void. Visitors learned that Florida was more than beaches and palm trees. They were enchanted by the freshwater marshes with hammocks of trees, prairies of saw palmetto and pine and broad rivers winding through the countryside, all of which could now be viewed from the window of a car. The Highwaymen’s paintings captured the untouched beauty that called to visitors as they crept through the more than 100 turnpike stoplights between Miami and Fort Pierce.

Sadly, the heart of the Highwaymen movement was lost when Hair died in a barroom shooting in 1970 at the age of 29. Though most of the Highwaymen continued painting, interest in their work dwindled as highways were replaced by Interstates, cheap painting supplies like Upson board disappeared and tastes changed. Only a few were able to support themselves by painting alone. Most, like Mary Ann Carroll, who started painting houses as well as landscapes, found other ways to support themselves and their families.

As interest in Highwaymen paintings waned, many were given to thrift shops, relegated to the attic or simply thrown out with the trash. Jack O’Connor tells of rescuing a Sam Newton painting from a Fort Pierce beach motel scheduled for demolition. He’d never heard of the artist or the Highwaymen, but liked the painting because it reminded him of Fort Pierce. The owner sold it to him for $40. He’s since learned it’s valued at more than $2,000.

The fortunes of the Highwaymen began to improve in 1995 when James Fitch, a Florida art historian and collector, published an article about them in the Winter/Spring issue of Antiques and Art Around Florida. When

he was piecing together their history he began seeing them as a group rather than as individuals. Their practice of traveling the highways of eastern Florida in search of buyers led him to christen the group with the name “Highwaymen.”

But it was not until 2001 when Gary Monroe, a Florida photographer and author, published a book about their art and lives* that interest in the Highwaymen gained the momentum that ultimately led to the 2004 induction of 26 of the artists, 25 men and one woman, into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. The associated publicity renewed interest in the Highwaymen’s art, spawning a large group of Highwaymen hunters and collectors. Margie Salyer and Randy Burgener, innkeepers at the Heron Cay Bed and Breakfast in Mount Dora, were two of the artists’ earliest collectors.

Margie began collecting Highwaymen paintings in the mid-‘90s. Inspired by childhood memories of seeing the Highwaymen selling paintings from the trunks of their cars, she began collecting their paintings, and eventually Randy began to share her enthusiasm. They now own more than 80 Highwaymen paintings which they display throughout Heron Cay.

At Margie and Randy’s suggestion, a group of Mount Dora innkeepers sponsored the first Mount Dora Highwaymen art show in August 2006. By that time, most of the

Highwaymen were painting again. Since they had sold their earlier work as it was painted, few benefited from the escalation in value of their original paintings. Most were still painting to help support themselves. While Mary Ann Carroll originally painted to support her seven children, by 2006 she painted to support her grandchildren as well. Fortunately, though most Highwaymen now paint on canvas and no longer sell paintings for $25, their new work is still relatively affordable.

The next Mount Dora Highwaymen Art Show will be held January 8-9 in the Donnelly Park Building in downtown Mount Dora. Twelve out of the 18 living Highwaymen will be in attendance, selling as well as exhibiting their paintings. In addition to the exhibit, the show offers visitors a unique opportunity to talk with the artists and hear each one’s take on the living history they now represent.

A special bond has formed

between the Highwaymen and Mount Dora.


Randy Burgener, who organizes the twice yearly Highwaymen Art Shows in August and January, says that over the years a special bond has formed between the Highwaymen and Mount Dora. The Mount Dora show not only displays and sells their work, it celebrates who the artists are as people, and their unique contribution to Florida art and history.

At a dinner honoring the Highwaymen during the last Mount Dora Highwaymen Art Show in August, I chatted with James Gibson, one of the five original Highwaymen. His work hangs in the White House and the Florida Governor’s Mansion and is collected by a number of celebrities including Steven Spielberg who used one of his paintings in his 2002 movie Catch Me if You Can. Despite his many accomplishments, James Gibson is a charming and soft-spoken man. He told me that most of the landscapes he paints now exist only in memory. So as he and his fellow Highwaymen paint, they are not only sharing their memories of Florida’s vanishing natural beauty, they are creating a legacy for generations to come.

The Highwaymen, Florida’s African American Landscape Painters, 2001.

Based on a painting by Harold Newton, from the

Heron Cay Collection


An eighty-acre farm and a herd of beef cattle plus charts and textbooks are Casey Ferguson’s instructional tools. Ferguson is the 2010-2011 Lake County Rookie Teacher of the Year and teaches Agriscience at Gray Middle School in Groveland. His students and other local high school students jointly maintain the farm and manage the cattle.

“Agriscience,” Ferguson explained to me, “is the study of agriculture incorporating principles of science, including horticulture, biology, food science and animal husbandry.”

Lorrie Chappell, Lake County’s Rookie Teacher for the year 2009-2010, fills her third grade classroom at Round Hill Elementary with brightly colored, often hand-made bulletin boards and other teaching materials. They remind some students of their classroom jobs, challenge others to learn new vocabulary words, encourage beginners to properly form cursive letters and offer a variety of activities to all the rest.

Lorrie Chappel remembers well the ceremony when she was chosen as Lake County Rookie Teacher for the year 2009-2010.

“I remember the girl sitting beside me. They called her up and shared things about her and then about me and then about the guy (the three finalists). They said they were going to announce the winner and then they went on this long spiel

and we were sitting there just shaking. I thought it was the girl sitting beside me. And when they announced it, I froze. I couldn’t move. And I saw my husband and my family running up there. It was very emotional.”

Chappell (rhymes with apple) hardly drew a breath before rushing on, “When I teach, I teach for the kids. I don’t think about the outside world. I am just looking at these kids as family. You look at all these kids and they’re looking to you for guidance. You are all that they have between success and failure here in the classroom. In the outside world they have their parents. When I close the door it’s me and them. And if I don’t put forth 100 percent, then I have failed them.”

Ferguson knows why he works so hard. “It’s all about the students,” he says. “They have to use technology. They have to use the scientific method in research. Their greatest strength is their ability to accept the differences in others and their ability to do things in technology that I struggle with.”

Ferguson’s fire for the classroom is revealed in the language in his application for Rookie Teacher of the Year. “Every day when the bell rings I look into thirty-two sets of eyes. These are the eyes of the next generation of doctors, architects and teachers. My goal is to inspire each of these students to find the gift they possess and to pursue the high standards of excellence needed to live their dreams.”

His advice for other rookie teachers is to plan ahead – way ahead. “Never sweat the small stuff. Respect your students and expect them to respect you.”

Lake County’s Rookies of the YearLake County’s Rookies of the Yearby Ella Paets, Ed.D.

photography by Bill Casey

Casey Ferguson, Agriscience, 2010-2011, Gray Middle School, Groveland, Florida.

Lorrie Chappell, 3rd Grade, 2009-2010, Round Hill Elementary,

Mount Dora, Florida.


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Chappel, who began her career as a teacher’s assistant, advises rookie teachers to try not to get yourself frustrated because there is a lot to learn. Take it one day at a time and realize that you’re going to learn so much more from your students if you are going to take them as individuals.

She gets discouraged when she teaches a lesson and they “just don’t get it.” She thinks about what she has done, and tries to find another way to help them.

Chappell wants her students to read so she draws people into her class to read and kindle the youngsters’ interest in literature. She has lots of tricks in her bag of lessons. One of them is when she dons a costume to wear to school. “I know I dress crazy. I know I do. But it gets their interest. And when I teach – they know it is going to be fun.”

What is there about each of these young educators that demonstrates why they were chosen as the best? Chappell, our third grade teacher and Ferguson, our Agriscience teacher, used virtually the same words, “It’s for the children.”

It’s a clear message: We teach for the children.

And we’re glad they do!

Teachers with no more than three full years of teaching experience can qualify for the rookie award, which is sponsored by the Educational Foundation of Lake County.

“…Every day when the bell rings I look into thirty-two sets of eyes. These are the eyes of the next generation…”


What a great name for a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting poverty and dealing with hunger in Lake County. The implication in the name, Lake Cares, is total commitment to solving hunger-related problems in Lake County, by Lake County residents, for Lake County residents.

Who Cares? We Care – Lake Cares!

And, when you explore the inner workings of the Lake Cares, Inc. Food Pantry, you’ll quickly understand that it’s much more complicated and complex than handing out discarded canned goods at holiday time to traditional “down-and-outers.”

One of the first things I learned about Lake Cares is that the profiles of the people who turn to Lake Cares for support are changing. In these economic times, new to many of us, Lake Cares’ volunteers and leaders are finding a different set of people who must now use the food bank for support. The new faces in the crowd are solid middle-class families hit hard by construction job losses and business downturns in our region. People who never thought they would be homeless or need a hand up to help them get re-started.

Leadership is a key ingredient of an organization so dependent on volunteer labor for carrying out its mission. Though facing a temporary setback with the loss of key leaders like Executive Director, Cathy Sleaford, the Lake Cares Board moved quickly, filling the position from inside with the appointment of Irene O’Malley, previously the volunteer head of Client Services. Irene has been with Lake Cares since they moved into their current facility in 2009. Her energy is palpable and she vows to steer this Lake County volunteer organization through a period of unprecedented growth.

The food pantry business is one business where growth is both a good and a bad sign. Statistics reveal that currently one-sixth of the U.S. population is dependent on some form of poverty relief – that’s almost 17 percent of our population. As the country wallows through this slow recovery, especially with the depressed housing and construction markets, areas like Lake County are hard hit – and services needed to support families are equally hard hit.

Lake Cares information supports that statistic. According to O’Malley, their assistance has grown to 100 families per week. With children, that’s close to 400 people weekly – most of whom come from Mount Dora, Tavares, Eustis and the contiguous communities. Fifty-five percent of Lake Cares’ clients report that they have to choose between paying for food or paying for utilities each month. In Lake County, it’s estimated that approximately 700 children are homeless.

Another hallmark of a successful organization like Lake Cares is the protection of the confidentiality of its users – the people who need the hand up. In my meetings it was clear that volunteers working with clients were fully trained with regard to handling confidential information. Part of the training of volunteers places a special

emphasis on confidentiality. Employees and volunteers are required to sign a Confidentiality Statement. It’s all a part of the Lake Cares mission statement – to offer the assistance needed without denigrating or demeaning the people who need it.

Lake Cares is not a handout organization. It’s a hand up organization. Part of the Lake Cares mission is to help people help

themselves. It is the goal of Lake Cares that people seeking assistance are dependent on Lake Cares for as short a period of time as possible – to provide the person the tools to help himself.

People coming to Lake Cares are helped in a variety of ways. As I was told, “It’s more than just handing out food.” Clients are assisted with the paperwork required by the state of Florida for food stamps under SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Networking using the contacts provided by the volunteer staff, agencies and other helping organizations is also part of the Lake Cares services. And Lake Cares is one of the few pantries that supplies diapers, baby care products, personal hygiene products and toilet paper to clients. Self-help seminars are also offered through Lake Cares.

It’s a fact that volunteers are the heart and soul of Lake Cares. Volunteers range in age from 18 to over 80 years old. Some of the volunteers come from the client side

by Richard Hussillustration by Jennifer Cahill Harper

It’s about a hand up,

not a handout.


of Lake Cares. Some travel from Volusia County, Howey-in-the-Hills and Leesburg. Lake Cares has earned an outstanding reputation among food pantries in central Florida for its highly trained and qualified group of Caring Volunteers. Just another “good fit” with the name – Lake Cares.

Who cares? We do – and so does Lake Cares.

For more information about how you, your organization, or company can assist Lake Cares, Inc. Food Pantry, go to www.lakecares.org.

Lake Cares is located at 2001 W. Old Highway 441, Suite 1, Mount Dora, Florida 32757. Phone 352.383.0100.


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In the heart of beautiful downtown Mount Dora,the Palm Tree Grille invites you for casual fi ne dining

in a warm, friendly atmosphere.

351 N. Donnelly Street • Downtown Mount Dora

352-735-1936FAX 352-735-0715

Friday Night Fish Fry $8.99Daily Luncheon & Dinner Specials

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(352) 357-570052) 357-5700) 357 5700


Al Chiodi once placed an ad inviting people to share their dreams with him. No one answered. Undaunted, Al continued to pursue his own dream, and now the WindHorse Wellness Center in Eustis is Al’s mission.

His first vision came when he was standing under a WindHorse prayer flag in the Himalayas. Wind Horse in the Buddhist tradition symbolizes well-being and good fortune. Al says he now prefers the Native American meaning about elevating the human spirit to new heights.

For more than ten years, Al and his wife, Gayle, have been developing their dream of creating an educational complex around “green” and health-related businesses: a dream of a modern-day Chautauqua, an expansive concept that would give people a venue for communicating ideas. This dream had circled Al’s heart since he first stood under the Tibetan Wind Horse flag.

In 2000, Al and Gayle were able to purchase the property located in the Triangle Plaza in Eustis, at the State Road 19 and Highway 441 overpass, which in past lives had been a series of auto dealerships. The purchase of the outdated, dilapidated property coincided with the Chiodis’ discovery of their talents as commercial building re-developers. Today, they are creating a community for people who have their own dreams to share. WindHorse is just that kind of place, an oasis of energy, healthy living, and a marketplace for exchanging ideas.

Christina Smith, marketing director for WindHorse says, “Al Chiodi is the most compassionate, supportive human I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with.”

The heart of WindHorse is le Bistro de Vie! operated by Kali Telana, owner of the Om Bookstore, also a central part of the Wind Horse community complex. Le Bistro offers a café lunch with various salads and jasmine

WindHorse Wellness CenterWindHorse Wellness CenterThe Stuff Dreams are Made of

by Susan Green Jaillet


Second year Language Arts teacher, Monica Brewer, Eustis Middle School, was selected by faculty as their 2010 “Rookie Teacher of the Year.” Monica brought fresh intelligence, creativity and pizzazz to her eighth grade English students – which was no easy task.

According to Monica, “You need to capture the imagi-nation and attention of middle school students im-mediately or you’ll lose them for the semester.” Playing recordings by rap artist Dessa Darling, Monica introduced her English stu-dents to such concepts as alliteration in poetry and used the rapper’s words to assist her students in line-by-line analysis of other poetry pieces such as T.S. Eliot’s Waste Land.

“I want students to think about literature as a way to understand the social, eco-nomic, political and cultural issues of society.” She ac-complished that by asking them to read such novels as A Step from Heaven, by An Na, a Korean-American writer for young readers. Monica used Na’s best sell-ing novel to illustrate the social, cultural and domes-tic issues involved in a young immigrant’s life.

Kudos to Monica Brewer. Our kids need teachers with fresh ideas.

photography by Bill Casey

rice-and-bean combos, served with herbal teas or organic wine and beer.

The outdoor patio of WindHorse epitomizes Al’s vision of “going green.” Hydroponic growing towers provide varieties of lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers and other veggies grown in the innovative containers. “Shipping” of these greens and veggies to le Bistro is mere minutes and a few feet in distance, creating the superbly fresh flavors of their salads.

The hydroponic towers contain no soil; the abundant healthy plants are fertilized via heated, circulating filtered water. Beyond the technology, the containers provide soothing sounds of trickling water, much like a brook or stream, and combine with the beauty of the prolific plants to create a tranquil atmosphere. This energy is the backdrop for a variety of informative classes, alternative therapies, music, art and exchange of ideas. Paintings by Pulse’s own Pam Myers are on display in the center.

Al and Gayle both rely heavily on the Native American philosophy and tradition of “minimizing your footprint on the land you occupy.” To fuel this part of their dream, WindHorse includes two solar-powered electric charging stations funded by a federal development grant received by the City of Eustis. In the nearly full parking lot, you will find the Chiodi’s GEM (Global Electric Motorcar) leading the way for the new crop of energy efficient and alternative fueled cars.

A yet unrealized part of the WindHorse dream is a community garden on the two acres of empty land behind the building. The land will be divided into ten-by-ten plots made available to individuals working with the knowledgeable WindHorse staff teaching them about sustainable organic gardening. This idea, based on the World War II Victory Garden concept, is now re-emerging across the country.

Al says, “Today, Wall Street is sucking us dry, Washington is sucking us dry. Yet we all talk about the same things: How to raise our families, feed them good food, exchange ideas openly and freely.” He now has a place to do just this, the skills needed to pull it off, and the dream of making it work. Not just for himself, but others, too. “There is so much talent in this area. If you’re looking for a place to follow your dream, call me.”

And he means it.

*Christine Quintasket (1886-1936), writing under the name Mourning Dove, was the first American Indian woman to write a novel. Salish is the name of her tribe.

WindHorse Wellness Center is located at 353 Plaza Drive, Eustis, FL 32757. Phone 352.516.4309 For information on classes, opportunities and additional detailed information go to the following Websites: www.windhorseworld.com, www.om-bookstore.com and www.mytowergarden.com.

Tri-City Kudos“Every thing on

the earth has

a purpose,

every disease an

herb to cure it,

and every person

a mission.” – Mourning Dove*


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The Mount Dora Ghost WalkThe Mount Dora Ghost Walkby Joshua Kelley

So I figured it out. Standing in a five by seven cell the sneaky suspicion slithers through my mind. Maybe I’m not on a ghost tour – maybe the ghosts are on a human tour. I let the suspicion coil itself into a little ball of fact as the obviously hard evidence shakes its rattle.

Ghosts have no Internet, no whiskey bars, no fast foods, not even Justin Beiber – yet. So what on earth occupies their time? Yes … human tours, of course.

But, quite clearly the ghosts have contacted various representatives of the paranormal activity movement to pique our interest in their hereafter. The SyFy and Discovery cable channels got the memo. Ghost

Channel TV must have received the full memorandum since the entirety of their content is ghost related.

So here I am in a holding cell in what was once the Mount Dora Police station and is now the Mount Dora Historical Museum, realizing that I am the entertainment for the dearly departed. Wonderful. Maybe those acting classes in college will pay off after all.

On the first and third weekends of each month folks are led through the dark and dangerous back alleys of Old Mount Dora with nothing but lanterns and ghost detecting devices. I wonder if the ghosts have human detecting devices on their tour. On All Hallows Eve, I managed to squeeze myself into the

last tour of the night.

As our guide greets us and invites the group to look around the museum I ponder this paranormal obsession that transcends our collective infatuation with Casper and floats into flirting with Patrick Swayze’s character in the movie Ghost. We are fascinated with the afterlife, probably because it’s one of the last remaining things we haven’t dissected, analyzed and categorized. We want to commune with the spirits. We want to light candles and ask the great and powerful Ouija if The Exorcist was real or fiction. We want to hear from our ancestors when we should play the lottery.

In countless towns around the globe the stories are compiled from old myths and events shrouded in mystery, and the storytellers weave their tapestry of words. We love a good ghost story so sweetly and passionately, one of the world’s largest religions has a spirit as a lead performer, sharing top billing with only two others.

We come tonight to hear these stories because most of us have felt the presence of someone or something we cannot explain. Or we come to mock these stories and scoff at the paranormal. We come to share in a quiet camaraderie between believers, the silent affirmation that there is


more to us than these frail bodies, these bio-mechanical animatrons that carry our spirits through this four dimensional world we’ve chosen to experience.

We also come because the Federation of Ghosts, or FOG as they often go by, has subconsciously beckoned each of us to show up for their human tour. Indeed, the FOG has managed to invade our psyche with a passive persistence, a gentle but constant prodding urging us to look for more. And we do.

Men like Andrew Mullen heard the eerie “Ooooooooo” as the FOG rolled in, and Andrew started the first ghost/human tour in Lake County. Whispered to him in the middle of dark nights were the stories of Old Mount Dora and the tragedies that befell our earliest of townsfolk; with raised brows, our eyes checked over each shoulder nervously before a story of unbelievable accounts of the occult began.

Thirteen to sixteen such stories were amassed, the locations scouted, the routes plotted and the lanterns

filled. From an unassuming building on Royellou Street our journey begins, winding its way through the town. The guides are selfless men who have heard the call of the expired and volunteer their time to ensure each and every ghost of Mount Dora gets its fix for fleshy interaction.

Who knows what may happen. The FOG may decide to communicate with you, eerily and slowly creaking open a door. Or, brush cool air against your face making the hair on your neck stand at attention. A book on the shelf may suddenly, inexplicably crash to the ground. Admittedly these can be explained away. I’m sure gravity is an overlooked culprit in many hauntings. But maybe, just maybe, something spooktacular will happen and affirm your sneaky suspicions of the paranormal.

Or it won’t. You may see nothing, feel nothing, sense nothing and the entire experience is nothing but a let down.

But remember this, weary traveler, there is great power in silence, and although you may feel nothing has been gained, nothing learned, no great communion achieved, you may have served your purpose for the evening – you may have entertained the FOG.

For walk details and information, go to www.mountdoraghostwalk.com. Address: 450 Royellou, Mount Dora, Florida 32757. Phone: 352.308.9734.

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Jeanne Fluegge : Jeanne Fluegge loves to write and participates, when time permits, in the writing groups in Mount Dora. Primarily a fiction writer, she has turned to magazine articles as one of her creative outlets. Since retiring from teaching, portraying historical characters has kept her involved in education. She splits her time between Mount Dora and Michigan where she summers on twenty-four acres devoted to wildlife.

Jennifer Cahill Harper : Jennifer Cahill Harper is a native of Mount Dora. After many years in New York illustrating for Random House, she moved to China with her family and taught art at an international school. Jenny now lives in Eustis dividing her time between family, making art, and volunteering at her daughters’ school. She is a regular contributor to Pulse and can be reached at [email protected].

Mari Henninger : Mari Henninger is the President of ProActLLC, a strategic marketing and research company working with Fortune 100 companies and large arts organizations. Originally torn between English literature and psychology, Mari chose to complete her doctorate in psychology and statistics. Working with Pulse allows her to reconnect with her love of writing, use her marketing skills to support the local community, and have a lot of fun in the process.

Beth Hughes : A self-proclaimed foodie, Beth combines her passion for great food with her love for writing. She is actively involved in the local horse community with her retired Quarter Horse, Wellington, and enjoys walking trails with her dog, Buster. Claiming Lake County as her home since 2000, Beth works as a Mount Dora realtor during her day job. “Keeping it Saucy” is her first article for Pulse.

Susan Green Jaillet : After serving her time in public education, Susie embarks on a new career as a writer and assistant editor for Pulse. Susie is also a member of Writers One Flight Up, a local Mount Dora creative writing group. She promises to let it “all hang out” as she explores being green and what it means to make a difference when and where we can.

Joshua Kelley : Often referred to as a time traveling cosmic vending machine dispensing knowledge, sarcasm and wit to the masses, Joshua Kelley is a pseudo hippie born in New England, transplanted to Florida where his super powers could be more useful. Although people have theorized he may be the reincarnation of John Lennon, Josh has declined to comment on such matters. This is his virgin voyage with Pulse.

Pam Myers : Pam Myers, a local realtor, lives on Lake Nettie in Eustis with her husband Eric and black lab Jessy. They retreat to their wilderness log cabin in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan in the spring and fall. You can reach her by email at [email protected] and enter BIRD in the subject line.

Ella Paets : Now living in Mount Dora, Ella Paets, Ed.D. moved from Miami, FL where she received her doctorate in Education from the University of Miami. She taught at the elementary and college levels, was a school administrator, and for one semester drove a school bus to the school where she taught reading to students with severe reading disabilities. Ella is currently working on a short non-fiction piece of her life – “Is It Still Fun if I Throw Up Afterward?”

Just a Reminder You can go to www.PulseTheMagazine.com and connect with websites of our advertisers and supporters,

see back issues of Pulse, read selected articles and items, and view additional photos.www.PulseTheMagazine.com – Visit now.

Pulse ContributorsPulse Contributors


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Documents

Pulse Winter 2011