Todd Belknap
Executive Director of the
Veterans helping Veterans USA
Greetings! This is the maiden column designed to highlight Veterans’ events and activities taking place in Marion County, as well as to raise awareness of issues that concern the Veteran community at large. On behalf of the 46,000 Veterans calling Marion County home, I extend our deepest gratitude to TomL Publishing (Ocala DownTown) news for this opportunity.
The month of June brings a Summer break from organizational meetings and gatherings for many, while others continue to host activities. One such instance is the 5th Annual Marion County PTSD Awareness Day Walk. All are welcome to take part in this Community Event at Tuscawilla Park on Saturday, June 27 at 8 am for a 2.2 mile walk to help raise awareness about PTSD and the local resources available to help remedy/enhance the quality of life for anyone struggling with PTSD.
PTSD t-shirts are on sale to help fund 3 local non-profit resources – Veterans Helping Veterans USA, Marion County Fire Rescue Peer Support and Marion County Sheriff’s Office Peer Support. Shirts are available at www.mission1776.org/ptsd-shirts. Every penny from your purchase stays here in Marion County to help effectively address PTSD. We hope you join us June 27!
See you next month!
Sue Fullerton’s journey into the world of travel is rooted not only in a love of exploration, but in a deep understanding of what truly matters—time, connection, and the memories we create along the way. Since becoming a travel advisor in 2008, Sue has dedicated herself to helping others experience the world in meaningful, memorable ways, all while based in sunny Florida with her husband of 48 years.
Together, Sue and her husband have built a strong and loving blended family that now spans four children, twelve grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren—with another eagerly anticipated addition on the way. Family plays a central role in Sue’s life, and it’s this appreciation for togetherness that shapes how she approaches travel planning. She understands firsthand how powerful shared experiences can be, whether it’s a multi-generational cruise, a milestone celebration, or a long-awaited getaway.
Originally raised in California, Sue later made her way to New Jersey, where she met the love of her life. Their journey together has been filled with growth, change, and the kind of life experiences that give Sue a unique ability to connect with her clients on a personal level. She doesn’t just plan trips—she listens, she understands, and she designs travel experiences that reflect each client’s story, priorities, and dreams. Continue reading
At this week’s Town Commission meeting, Mayor Ed Freeman presented the National Arbor Day proclamation to Parks and Recreation Director Mike Burske, recognizing the vital role trees play in keeping our community healthy, beautiful and thriving.
Trees provide cleaner air, cooler temperatures, wildlife habitat, erosion protection and lasting beauty throughout Lady Lake. They also enhance property values and contribute to the character that makes our town so special.
Residents are encouraged to support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands — and to plant trees that will benefit generations to come.
Together, we can continue growing a greener, healthier Lady Lake!
By Brigette Smith
Executive Director of the Republican Party Marion County
DID YOU KNOW: Sewage effluent is being dumped into our Aquifer.
According to the CDC, Marion county is leading in cancer sicknesses and it is getting worse. Boiling water won’t help remove carcinogens, according to health officials. Best way to say it is, we have a sewage problem in central Florida, and it’s not coming from farmer’s agriculture, nor homes with septic systems.
Few people know that the University of Florida and Gainesville utilities inject vast quantities of sewage effluent every day and we are all living with this awful situation. According to their own data, the University of Florida and Gainesville Utilities are injecting 16 million gallons of sewage effluent every single day straight into the Florida aquifer – right under where people live and drink and especially suffer downstream. No one currently employed at the sewage treatment plants invented this method of dumping sewage effluent. It’s been going on and increasing for many decades. Some wastewater goes in the Alachua sinkhole into the drinking water aquifer, some goes into Kanapaha injection pipes to the drinking water aquifer, This must stop.
That’s not “recharge!” That’s chronic low-level exposure to sewage carcinogens daily for thousands of families in Ocala, Silver Springs, Lake Weir, Rainbow Springs, the Villages and Marion county now leads the nation in cancer rates for people under 50 according to the CDC and NIH. Continue reading
The Lady Lake Police Department arrested a man March 29 after he fled from officers following a traffic stop attempt.
Officers were alerted around 4:34 p.m. to a license plate reader hit on a white Chevrolet Suburban traveling on U.S. Highway 27/441. A records check showed the vehicle’s owner, Bradley Seymour, 51 had active warrants in Lake County.
An officer located the vehicle a short time later and attempted a traffic stop. The driver did not stop and continued driving through multiple streets in Lady Lake, at times operating the vehicle in a reckless manner. During the incident, the vehicle left the roadway and entered private property, coming close to a bystander, before continuing through a hotel parking lot and back onto U.S. Highway 27/441.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies deployed tire deflation devices, which the vehicle struck. Officers saw a tire fly off the car and smelled burnt rubber as it slowed to a stop near 625 First Ave., where the driver got out and ran. Officers apprehended him near a fence line. Continue reading
LADY LAKE – The Town of Lady Lake is bringing back one of its most exciting family events with a new twist. The third annual Survivor challenge returns on Saturday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Snooky Park, 120 W. Lady Lake Blvd., now welcoming both mother-son and father-daughter teams to compete.
This expanded edition invites even more families to take part in a day of action-packed fun inspired by the hit television show Survivor. Teams will test their skills through a series of engaging, age-appropriate challenges designed to encourage teamwork, friendly competition, and lasting memories.
“After such a strong turnout and positive feedback from last year, we’re excited to grow this event and welcome even more families,” said Amy Alicea, Events Coordinator for the Town of Lady Lake. “By adding father-daughter teams, we’re creating more opportunities for families to connect, compete and enjoy a fun day together in our parks.”
Participants will outwit, outplay, and outlast through a variety of games, with challenges also organized by age group to ensure everyone can join in the fun. Mothers and sons and fathers and daughters will face off against similar teams and not compete against each other.
Each ticket includes picnic-style food and the opportunity to win prizes throughout the event. Call 352-205-2826
Space is limited to ensure the best possible experience, and early registration is encouraged.
By Matt McKoprmic
There’s something about downtown that makes networking feel a little more natural.
Maybe it’s the walkability. Maybe it’s the familiar faces. Or maybe it’s just that when you spend enough time here, conversations don’t feel like “networking” at all, they just feel like part of your day.
You run into someone grabbing coffee. You stop and catch up outside a storefront. One quick introduction turns into a longer conversation, and before you know it, you’ve made a connection you didn’t plan on, but you’re glad you did.
That’s the kind of environment downtown Ocala creates.
It’s not forced. It’s not overly structured. It just happens.
And those moments matter more than people realize.
Because while big events and formal meetings have their place, there’s something powerful about the everyday interaction, the unplanned conversations that build familiarity, trust, and over time, real relationships.
Downtown gives us that space.
It brings together business owners, professionals, creatives, and community leaders in a way that feels accessible. You don’t have to go far. You don’t have to overthink it. You just have to show up. Continue reading
Do the Democrats really hate the American people? I don’t think so, but they are being made out to be fools by the communist party! Bernie Sanders to be more exact! Him, the squad which he created and some very wealthy people are influencing young ambitious college students / politicians and out of the country effluence that Democratic Communism is the way to go. Here is what will happen…They tax the rich, the rich move away to Florida or Texas. Florida become wealthier and the poor get poorer. NY has to pay their own taxes. The Democrats that remember what they stood for just a few years ago are saying please go back to the middle! They need to take it back to the middle, is it to late, the only thing they can do is go independent or change to a different thinking! I don’t think that is going to happen. They have allowed the Communist to take over their party.Killing someone is not the answer. It will not change the actions of the Republican Party!
Buuuut the Republicans have the vote but people like Ran Paul can’t agree with anything, because they want to control or run the country, so they obstruct putting something in the way of progress. I don’t care if you don’t like the way Trump talks he is your president elected by the people you represent! The only way America can be great and stay great is UNITED & Stay UNITED!
Hotel Eastport held Lady Lake Area Chamber After Hours
Last Month we had missed a picture of the Best Booth at the Cheese Festival.
We missed a picture of the best Booth it was the IDW “The Big Cheese Best Booth”
