MAY EDITION: News & events for Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis

Paratroopers to drop from the skies over Lake Dora
Once again a vintage aircraft will make multiple passes over Lake Dora as former military jumpers descend into the water on May 10. The best vantage points are by boats anchored on the lake and along the shoreline in Wooton Park in downtown Tavares. Learn more

Mount Dora Corn Festival returns in May
Just look for the oversized ear of corn in downtown Mount Dora later this month and you'll know the entrance to the Mount Dora Corn Festival is near. The one-day event celebrates the local crop of sweet corn with live music, corn-themed food, and plenty of family-friendly activities. Read more

Dip into Rock Springs Run while it's still off season.
Before schools are out for summer is the perfect time to head to Rock Springs and Kelley Park for a scenic day enjoying Florida's nature. From hiking, tubing, picnics and swimming, the two nearby parks offer the perfect escape. Read more

A mission to help local kids takes root
The compassionate ambitions of one local woman, Angela Scullion, and her team of volunteers have made a positive difference in our community by helping to close the hunger gap for local school children. The Care Closet is a small food pantry dedicated to feeding hungry Lake County children. You can learn more about the non-profit's efforts and how you can help local kids in need here.

The origin of Mount Dora's Boathouse Row
Lake County's off-season is often a slow time for local news, so it's a good time to dust off Mount Dora Buzz's history archives to share the past about the area, like the origin of the city's waterfront Boathouse Row. You can learn how the eclectic row of homes came to be here.

Local landmark undergoes a refresh
The festive wall of Mount Dora's landmark Van Gogh house recently received some TLC from creative students of Alee Academy in Eustis. The colorful mural was in need of some touch up due to the harsh Florida elements.

Scroll down for more local Buzz, featured events and most recent Best of Mount Dora winners.

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New business to open in former One Flight Up space​
The owners of the new Something Different Cafe are working hard to open their second downtown Mount Dora restaurant. The new eatery, Stairway2Donnelly, will open in the former space of One Flight Up Cafe after a complete renovation. The new cafe will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serve sandwiches, salads, appetizers, soups, flatbreads, plus specialty coffee drinks, beer and wine.

Local Mexican restaurant under new ownership
One of downtown Eustis' popular restaurants just changed hands. La Perla Tapacita temporarily closed during the transition of ownership, but is expected to reopen soon. We wish the former owners the very best and the new owners felicidades.

Former furniture store transitions to thrift shop in Eustis
The free-standing building that previously was home to Badcock Furniture, is now the location of a thrift store. Orphan's Rock Thrift Store relocated from its Mount Dora spot on Old U.S. Highway 441 to its new digs at 400 N. Grove Street in downtown Eustis. The thrift store's mission is to help fund orphanages across the globe and help support foster children.

Scent Bar finds new home in downtown Mount Dora
Crafted Scent Bar, a cozy place to create custom candles, is relocating from Eustis to downtown Mount Dora into a space next to Yada Yada Pottery. The Fifth Avenue storefront will offer DIY candle-making experiences after creating your own unique scent.  The Eustis location will still be open until the Mount Dora location opens which is anticipated for late June.  Stay tuned!

Scroll down for more local Buzz, events and most recent Best of Mount Dora winners.

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Mount Dora adopts long-term plan to address growth and water capacity
The City of Mount Dora will reach its capacity to provide wastewater (sewer) treatment once already-approved developments are built out over the next several years. Last month Mount Dora City Council adopted a 20-year plan to add capacity and deal with rigorous EPA requirements for removing chemicals, including nitrogen and phosphorus. Grants and low-interest loans will be a priority to achieve this capital-intensive plan. There will be more updates and discussions on this topic over the upcoming months and years.

Scroll down for this month's featured events, the most recent Best of Mount Dora winners, or find more local government news here.

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New Area Development in the Pipeline
The approval process for new developments depends on the type of project proposed. Check out the current list of local commercial and residential development projects here. As projects advance through the multi-step approval process, watch Mount Dora Buzz's website for more in-depth articles on some of the newsworthy developments.

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