MOUNT DORA BUZZ - Kindness Matters: no act of kindness is too small

DOG SHOT IN FACE GOES UP FOR ADOPTION

5/23/2019

The Lake County Animal Shelter is nursing a 3-year-old pit bull/lab mix back to health after it was struck by a bullet on Monday. The dog was discovered in the front yard of a Fruitland Park resident’s home Monday afternoon, covered in blood. The resident called Lake County Animal Enforcement, who then contacted the Lake County Animal Shelter.

The dog was transported to an emergency clinic, where he received x-rays and was placed on antibiotics and pain medication. Upon examination, veterinarians determined that the dog had suffered from a single gunshot wound that entered and exited through his face.

The dog, named “Chance” by shelter staff, was otherwise healthy and appeared to be well cared for. “We’re so happy that this dog was given a second chance at life, which is why we named him ‘Chance’,” said Lake County Shelter Director Whitney Boylston. “Chance is happy and in good spirits; his recovery has been amazing to witness.”

Chance will be available for adoption on May 26, pending he isn’t claimed by his owner. If you have any information about Chance,call 352-343-2101. For questions about adopting Chance or any other animals at the shelter, contact the Lake County Animal Shelter at 352-343-9688 or stop by at 28123 County Road 561, Tavares.

Sign up for the free Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates here. For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.

FREE MEALS HELP LOCAL KIDS THIS SUMMER

5/17/2019

During summer break, some disadvantaged children miss the breakfasts and lunches they depend on at school. To help close the childhood hunger gap, the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals at Summer BreakSpots when school is not in session.

Summer BreakSpot provides nutritious meals at no cost to children 18 and younger while school is out for the summer.

Many meal sites are located at schools, parks, libraries and churches where children receive the free meals in a safe and supervised environment. Summer BreakSpot sites offer breakfasts, lunches, snacks and/or supper at specified times. The program is federally-funded, state-administered, and run by qualified sponsors.

LAKE COUNTY SCHOOL LOCATIONS

Click on list above to enlarge and find more locations here. At most sites, no application is necessary.

Sign up for the free Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates here. For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.

"OPERATION COMMUNITY CATURDAY" AIMS TO MANAGE LAKE COUNTY'S FERAL CATS

5/15/2019

Lake County residents are encouraged to participate in Lake County Animal Shelter’s on-going program to help decrease the feral cat population countywide. Through Operation Community Caturday, the shelter has already sterilized 500 free-roaming cats since the program began last year.

Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return, or TNVR, improves the lives of cats, addresses community concerns, reduces complaints about cats, and stops the breeding cycle, according to Alley Cat Allies, a leading cat advocacy group.
The shelter sterilizes and vaccinates up to 50 community cats on the last Saturday of each month and invites residents who are feeding outdoor cats to register online for a TNVR appointment. Appointments are now open for May 25 at bit.ly/CaturdayTix.

The cost of surgery is $10 per cat, paid directly to the shelter. Appointments are limited to three cats per resident per month, and each cat must arrive at the shelter on Friday between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., or Saturday between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. All cats must be in a humane trap, be healthy, and be a minimum of four pounds. Trapping and returning the cats is the responsibility of the caregiver and not a service provided by the shelter.

Residents are required to pick up the cats after surgery on Saturday afternoon and return them to the location where the cat was trapped. Operation Community Caturday is limited to unowned, free-roaming cats, and all cats will be ear-tipped, which easily identifies them as neutered.

“TNVR is the only humane and proactive approach to reducing the outdoor cat population,” said Shelter Director Whitney Boylston.

Lake County Animal Shelter is located at 28123 County Road 561 in Tavares. Sign up for the free Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates here. For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.

LOCAL FAMILY CARES FOR OVER 300 EXOTIC ANIMALS

4/1/2019

ABOVE: Animal curator, Ken Purvee Jr., digs to retrieve eggs laid by the Sulcata tortoise eating the cactus.

Decades ago, they could never have known that their work breeding insects for scientific research would lead them down a path of exotic animal conservancy.

After years of rescuing and caring for a cross-section of reptiles and other animals, the Purvee family of Eustis formalized Crazy Critters Conservancy in 2018, Now the non-profit cares for over 300 turtles, tortoises and other animals.

Animals are brought to the Conservancy for a variety of reasons. Owners of exotic animals may find themselves unable to continue caring for their pets. Other animals may suffer from neglect, illness or injury. Also, healthy animals of invasive species are brought to the facility to prevent euthanization.

The care is not simple. Each species of turtle, for example, requires its different husbandry. Nature-like enclosures are provided for the animals, and newly received animals are quarantined. Some birds and reptiles live for over 75 years, so the Purvees’ commitment to the animals’ lifelong care required the younger generation of the family to get onboard.

ABOVE: This iguana, an invasive species, came to Crazy Critters as an adult.

In addition to 30 species of turtles, Crazy Critters serves as a forever home for a number of geckos, skinks, monitors, dragons, and birds.   While only a few of the turtle species are endangered, 16 species of animals at the facility are considered at risk of becoming endangered due to international trade.

“A few species such as the Florida box turtle and Florida softshell turtle, are protected native species and for conservation strictly. We will always release the majority of those offspring in order to help the wild populations,” said Cherrice Purvee, president of Crazy Critters, Inc.   Over 100 offspring have been hatched at Crazy Critters.

“We feel it is important for us to protect them to ensure that the next generation will be able to have them.” said Cherrice of about why they chose turtles as the focus of their animal conservancy.   “The fact that they have been on earth for over 220 million years, yet so many are becoming extinct or near extinct, is something we can not ignore.”

ABOVE: Animals, like these African Sulcata tortoises, are kept in enclosures as close to natural settings as possible.

After selling all of their toys--boats, vintage cars, trailers---the Purvees used the proceeds to fund construction of a Crazy Plants Nursery greenhouse in 2017. To goal was to grow the exotic plants needed to feed the growing number of animals. Now the conservancy hosts plant sale fundraisers throughout the year to help fund the vet bills, daily care and enclosures the animals require. One local small business, Hometown Market in Eustis, helps by providing the facility steeply discounted produce and additional donations are always needed.

Crazy Critters Inc. does not provide tours to the public, but more information on the conservancy is available here. Sign up for the free Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates here. For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.

MOUNT DORA MARINA OWNER LAUDED BY CITY FOR ANNUAL HOLIDAY DISPLAY

2/19/2019

ABOVE: Joe Lewis (left) with part of his Mount Dora Boating Center crew.

It's been a long time coming. Finally, the City of Mount Dora is giving credit where credit is long overdue.

At tonight’s City Council meeting, Joe Lewis, owner of Mount Dora Boating Center, will be presented with a proclamation in appreciation for his annual efforts and financial sacrifice in producing the vast holiday light display along the shores of Lake Dora.

For the past 22 years, Joe and his crew of elves at Mount Dora Boating Center have created what is arguably Central Florida’s most impressive private light display (see video). The downtown marina boasts over one million lights which attract thousands of visitors every year during the holiday season.

Lewis' preparation begins in September, and the installation of all the illuminated decorations starts in October. After much anticipation by children and adults, the lights are turned on during the city's annual Light Up Mount Dora event and visited nightly throughout the holiday season.

As if their generous gift of lights to Mount Dora isn’t enough, Lewis and his wife Susan also host a Christmas charity event at the marina to collect toy donations for underprivileged children.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app. Free subscriptions to Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates are available here.

MEMORIAL FOR LOCAL CIVIL RIGHTS TRAILBLAZER SEEKS PUBLIC'S HELP

2/1/2019

The courage of Mabel Norris Reese might have been forgotten had it not been for “Devil in the Grove,” Gilbert King's Pulitzer Prize-winning book that recounted a tragedy that occurred in Lake County, Florida, in 1949.

Reese's fierce pursuit of the truth began when four black suspects, known as The Groveland Four, were accused of a raping a white woman. The suspects were victims of the time -- and victims of Lake County’s callous Sheriff Willis McCall. One of the Four, Ernest Green, was killed by a posse before he could stand trial. The others, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, and Charles Greenlee, were imprisoned and brutally tortured by McCall and his deputies to coerce confessions. McCall was elected to seven consecutive terms as sheriff from 1944 to 1972,

Reese, owner and editor of the small town newspaper, the Mount Dora Topic, initially sided with McCall. But when he murdered Sammy Shepherd and wounded Walter Irvin while claiming the handcuffed prisoners had tried to escape, Reese realized she had been an unwitting accomplice in his reign of terror.

Despite threats to her life that included the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) detonating two bombs at her home, burning a cross in her lawn, poisoning her dog, and launching a rival newspaper to drive her out of business, she spent the remainder of her career dedicated to holding the corrupt sheriff, deputies, judges, and attorneys to task. She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her persistent attempts to gain justice for the Platts, a local family whose children were suspected of being "negroes" and were therefore forced out of Mount Dora's public schools.

Despite McCall's wrath, she continued to write articles in support of the two surviving Groveland Boys until they were released from prison. Concurrently, she continued to write articles and form alliances with politicians and attorneys to find justice for Jesse Daniels, a mentally disabled 19-year old who spent fourteen years in the state hospital for the insane after McCall, with the aid of local judges and attorneys, framed him for rape. Daniels was the subject of the book, “Beneath a Ruthless Sun,” also written by King.

Through the persistent efforts of their families, as well as evidence presented by authors Gilbert King and Gary Corsair and the support of politicians and private citizens seeking justice, The Groveland Four were pardoned posthumously by the State of Florida on January 11, 2019 -- 70 years after their arrests.

Two decades before his death in 1994, McCall lost his re-election bid for an eighth term after being acquitted of the murder in 1972 of Tommy J. Vickers, a mentally disabled black prisoner who died in his custody.

Reese was inducted into the Lake County Women’s Hall of Fame in late 2018. "She was a trailblazer. She devoted her life to doing what was right at such a great cost to her, and it is right she be commended,” said King, author of “Devil in the Grove.”

Now the author and others in the community have set up the Mabel Norris Reese Tribute Fund for the public's assistance to pay for the creation of a bust of Reese. The sculpture will be on public display in Mount Dora to honor the courage of a woman who couldn't be intimidated, and to remind the observer that the written word, conveyed to the public by a free press, can bring justice to unjust situations.

Anyone wishing to donate to the memorial fund can do so here. For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app. Free subscriptions to Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates are available here.

MOUNT DORA POLICE PROVIDE CHRISTMAS CHEER TO DISTRESSED FAMILY

12/19/2018

It’s an emotional story of immense loss and thoughtful generosity.
Julio Martinez evacuated from Puerto Rico with his family after Hurricane Maria in October, 2017. With his pregnant wife, Viviana, and their young daughter, he came to stay with family in Mount Dora. After settling into their own small apartment with just clothes in a suitcase and a couch salvaged from the street, a caring apartment manager contacted Mount Dora Police Department’s (MDPD) Community Resource Officer, Ivy Severance, to inquire about assistance.

What came next was an avalanche of help. Severance assisted the Martinez family in finding essentials for their apartment and settling into their new life in Mount Dora. What seemed like a relatively happy ending, however, eventually took a tragic turn. Viviana became seriously ill and was hospitalized while visiting Puerto Rico. A bacterial infection landed her in two hospitals on the island before she passed away just two weeks after her son, Angel, was born.

ABOVE: Officer Ivy Severance and Assistant Police Chief Bell with the Martinez children.

Martinez returned to Mount Dora with his newborn son, but has been struggling to raise the children, so MDPD decided to help create a special Christmas for the family.

On Wednesday the Martinez family arrived at MDPD headquarters to find an abundance of gifts picked especially for them waiting under the tree. The eyes of the shy 7-year old girl lit up after unwrapping a doll, art supplies, Barbie, and of course, a Mr. Potato Head. Her baby brother received clothes, a large toy dump truck and a police car, which will no doubt keep him busy.

The Martinez family is just one of the families MDPD has helped this holiday season. During their recent Shop with a Cop event, officers took thirty pre-selected children on a $100 shopping spree at Target.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Free subscriptions to the monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.

LOCAL CHURCH OPENS COLD-WEATHER SHELTER TONIGHT

12/11/2018

With temperatures expected to drop into the high 30's overnight, a Eustis church is opening its doors to those vulnerable to the cold weather.

LifePointe Church, located at 3551 E. Orange Avenue in Eustis will be providing shelter tonight (November 11) from 5:30 p.m. to Thursday, December 12 at 7 a.m.
Trinity Assembly of God, 200 Urick St., Fruitland Park will also be open during the same hours as LifePointe.

The Lake County Office of Emergency Management is assisting churches by providing sheltering supplies and the Lake County Community Services Department is providing food for families who will be staying overnight. Lake County Transit will offer assistance to those needing transport to shelters between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Citizens requesting transportation should call 352-742-2612.

During extreme cold-weather events, the Florida Division of Emergency Management reminds residents of the importance of the five P’s:

•    Protect People: Remember to dress in layers and wear a hat and gloves. Try to stay out of the wind and to stay dry.
•    Protect Pets: If cold weather is in the forecast, be sure to bring outdoor pets inside or give them a warm shelter to stay in.
•    Protect Plants: Cover cold-sensitive plants to protect them from the dangerous temperatures.
•    Protect Pipes: Cover pipes and allow outdoor faucets to slowly drip to prevent them from freezing and breaking.
•    Practice Fire Safety: Use safe heating sources indoors. Do not use fuel-burning devices such as grills; they release carbon monoxide, which is a deadly gas. Make sure to use space heaters according to their instructions and be attentive to open flames.

Non-profit and faith-based organizations who wish to offer sheltering assistance in the future should contact Lake County Emergency Management at 352-343-9420.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Free subscriptions to the monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.

LOCAL KIDS 'SHOP WITH A COP' TODAY

12/7/2018

ABOVE: Officer Mike Garcia takes a student shopping during a previous "Shop with A Cop."

Every year a group of lucky local kids get a free Christmas shopping spree. This year is no different. Mount Dora Police Department (MDPD) and Target of Mount Dora will host the annual "Shop with a Cop" event on December 8.

Officers will accompany 30 pre-selected students from three Mount Dora schools to the local Target for a one-on-one shopping experience with a MDPD officer. Each child receives a $100 gift card they can use to buy the toys, clothing or shoes of their choice. The students and their families will also receive a large Christmas basket of food donated by Lake Cares Food Pantry.

"Shop with a Cop" is a program funded by the generosity of Target, Mount Dora citizens and businesses.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Free subscriptions to the monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.

LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER TO MAKE SPECIAL DELIVERIES ON CHRISTMAS EVE

12/6/2018

Pets top the wish list for many animal lovers this holiday season. This year families can surprise loved ones with a gift that keeps on giving: a shelter cat or dog delivered by a jolly elf on Christmas Eve!.

The Lake County Animal Shelter is hosting “Operation Santa Paws” on December 17 through 21 to anyone that pays the adoption fee and schedules their pet's arrival. There is no extra charge for this special delivery, but space is limited due to time constraints.

The shelter is also offering “pawtificates,” gift certificates allowing the recipient to adopt either one dog or two cats. They are available for purchase for $10 for two cats or $20 dollars for a dog at the shelter, and include the price of the adoption, vaccinations, microchip and spay or neuter.

“Our hope through these promotions, is to find forever homes for our homeless pets this holiday season. We always have a variety of wonderful animals waiting to meet their new family,” said Shelter Director Whitney Boylston.

Pets are a lifelong commitment, so families are reminded to consider their lifestyle and choose responsibly.

The shelter is located at 28123 County Road 561 in Tavares.
For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Free subscriptions to the monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.