For most people who do not call our state home, when they hear “Florida” they think vacation. In fact, many have suggested half in jest that instead of the Sunshine State our nickname should be the Tourist State. One of the reasons our state can have no state personal income tax or state property tax is because of the tens of millions of tourists who visit our beaches and theme parks. However, many would be surprised to learn that Florida’s first commercial tourist attraction was not at an oceanside community or near the big mouse, but here. In Ocala.
Silver Springs was Florida’s first commercial tourist attraction. Glass-bottom boats have wowed guests since 1878. Look at the sentence again. Visitors to the Springs have been riding on glass bottom boats for 146 years! Tourists began arriving by the thousands via steamboat and railroad to tour the must-see Springs. By 1962, more than 1.5 million guests a year visited Silver Springs and ranked as Florida’s most visited destination.
The arrival of Walt Disney World in 1971 began a period of rapid decline at Silver Springs. Blame the mouse, blame poor ownership, blame changing interests. Regardless of why, the park drew fewer and fewer tourists and was converted to a state park in 2013. From an economic perspective, tourism has not been a major driver in the local economy since the early 70’s. However, that is changing. Continue reading
From the Desk of Senator Dennis Baxley—-
Good morning, friends-The Primary elections are over. The General election is just around the corner, including the Presidential election and six Constitutional Amendments. Make sure you have read and understand about the amendments. They include Partisan Election of Members of District School Boards; The Right to Fish and Hunt; Adult Personal Use of Marijuana; Limit Government Interference with Abortion; Annual Adjustments to the Value of Certain Homestead Exemptions; and Repeal of Public Campaign Financing Requirement.
For more information you can reach out to your Supervisor of Elections office.
Initial mailout of Vote-by-Mail Ballots for the November 2024 General Election for Military and Overseas Voters is September 20, 2024, Initial Mailout of Vote-by-Mail Ballots for the 2024 November General Election is September 27, 2024. Vote-By-Mail Ballot Mailouts and Counter Pickups continue for the November 2024 General Election September 30-October 4, 2024.
Early Voting dates and times for the General Election are October 21st – November 2nd, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The General Election is on November 5th, voting is from 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM.
GET OUT THE VOTE!!!
Onward & Upward
Over 50 businesses attend the Lady Lake Chamber refferal luncheon. The luncheon is designed for chamber members and guest to sit at different tables. When you come in you draw a number and that is the table you sit at. At the beginning of the meeting for 30 minutes, 11:30, til 12 noon everyone mingle and meets everyone in the room. Then we sit at the table order our meal and get to know the business people at our table. There is a drawing for door prizes. Everyone has a chance to meet a lot of business people. The Lady Lake Chamber does a great job organizing the luncheon every month the third Thursday of every month. If you want to take part call the Chamber 352-753-6029.
The Art of Aging opening reception Friday, August 2nd. Marion Cultural Alliance and Marion Senior Services. This is the 9th Annual event. Be sure to check it out at Brick City Center for the Arts 23 SW Broadway Street, Ocala, FL 34471
The pictures were taken by CK Johnson
LADY LAKE – As part of ongoing efforts to ensure the highest standards of road safety and quality, the Town of Lady Lake has contracted with Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoat-ing, Inc. for road resurfacing work. The milling and paving work is scheduled to begin on Sept. 16 and is expected to continue through Sept. 25. During this period, work will be car-ried out between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Residents are asked to ensure that no vehicles, boats, trailers, or debris are left in the road-way during the hours of operation to allow paving to proceed efficiently, safely and on time. There will be limited access to these roadways during working hours, with full access avail-able during non-working hours. Affected residents will be notified directly.
A full list of the roads affected by this project is on the Town’ website at www.ladylakefl.gov/167/Town-Projects.
The Town of Lady Lake is proud that its proactive road improvement initiatives have again yielded impressive results, with the town’s roads rated as “excellent,” with a score of 83 out of 100. This rating reflects the town’s commitment to maintaining and enhancing infrastruc-ture to benefit both residents and visitors.
The Town appreciates the community’s cooperation during this time. For more information or immediate assistance during the project, residents may contact Gordon Young at (954) 591-3971.
LADY LAKE – Over the weekend, the Lady Lake Police Department was dispatched to The Village of Silver Lake for a series of car burglaries. A total of 12 incidents were reported, with 10 investigated by LLPD and two investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, due to jurisdiction.
The burglaries, which happened overnight on Aug. 10-11, occurred on Silver Oak Avenue, Tarson Boulevard, Ann Avenue, Mark Drive, and Jennifer Drive.
All vehicles involved had been left unlocked and were rummaged through, with primarily loose change stolen. One vehicle was stolen; however, LLPD has since recovered it.
Residents are reminded that vehicles with unlocked doors are easy targets for criminals. To prevent future incidents, the Lady Lake Police Department urges residents to take the following precautions:
- Lock Your Vehicles: Always lock your car doors when the vehicle is unoccupied.
- Remove Valuables: Do not leave keys or valuables in your vehicles.
- Be Aware: Turn on exterior lights and set your security alarms.
- Residents are encouraged to adopt the “9 p.m. Routine,” a nightly practice of securing their homes and vehicles. By doing this, residents can significantly reduce the risk of becoming victims of crimes of opportunity.
The Lady Lake Police Department relies on the vigilance and cooperation of the community to keep the area safe. If you observe any suspicious activity, please contact the Lady Lake Police Department immediately. Your awareness and prompt reporting can make a difference in protecting your neighborhood.
On the evening of Aug. 12, four subjects committed a Grand Theft at the Sam’s Club, located at 755 N U.S. Highway 27/441 in Lady Lake. The four unidentified subjects stole over $1,000 in liquor from the store and assaulted the store employee in the process.
The suspects left in a black Mercedes-Benz, Florida tag# L5RTU, traveling south. The vehicle is registered to a transient white male in the Orlando area. Similar incidents involving the vehicle and suspects of similar description have occurred at other locations in Florida, most recently in Palm Beach Gardens, and are believed to be related.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Lady Lake Police Detective Jim Dunagan at (352) 751-1565 or via email at jdunagan@ladylake.org
Elisha Pappacoda
Virtual tour of library expansion: Lady Lake Library Expansion (youtube.com)
Lady Lake – The Lady Lake Library is proud to announce it has been awarded a $1 million Lake County Library Impact Fee grant to support its ambitious expansion project. This allocation will contribute to the Children’s Library portion of the project, with the Town of Lady Lake funding the remaining cost that includes an expansion of the Information Technology Department and addition of the Growth Management annex.
The project aims to enhance the library’s offerings by enlarging the youth library area from 4,560 sq. ft. to 7,697 sq. ft., a 69% increase. It includes an expanded lobby, an additional public elevator, and a landing area for the new second floor Children’s Library, adding more than 3,000 sq. ft. to the public spaces.
“This expansion is crucial for meeting the growing needs of our community,” said Library Director Aly Herman. “We have quickly outgrown our current youth library, and this project will allow us to significantly enhance the library’s collection and programs, benefiting all our patron’s
The county’s impact fee grant is justified by the library’s extensive reach and the expected Town population growth. The Lady Lake Library, part of the Lake County Library System, serves over 16,000 registered cardholders and welcomes approximately 14,500 visitors each month. With the town anticipating a dozen new development projects with an estimated population increase of 8,500 people within the next four years, the expansion is timely.
“The Lady Lake Library is a vital resource for our community,” Town Manager Bill Lawrenc Continue reading
SARASOTA, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis announced “Activate Hope,” an expansion of Hope Florida to serve Floridians recovering from the impacts of disasters. Serving as the emergency response arm for the Hope Florida initiative, Activate Hope pulls together the private sector, nonprofits, and government resources to help Floridians get back on their feet following disaster. Activate Hope helps connect Floridians with outside resources to provide food, household goods, home repairs, and more.
“The state of Florida leads the nation in storm preparation and disaster response,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “The launch of Activate Hope through Hope Florida and the Florida Division of Emergency Management will enable us to strengthen our recovery efforts and rebuild stronger communities by utilizing the existing Hope Florida network to help those impacted by disasters find the help they need.”
“With today’s launch of Activate Hope, we can now bring Hope Florida directly to a community in exceptional need—like those dealing with the impacts of a storm,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “This new Hope Florida expansion will ensure that in the future, Floridians impacted by storms or other emergency situations can readily connect with Hope Navigators and receive the help, services, and supplies they need. On the flip side, Hope Florida can rally communities and empower them to help their fellow Floridians in need, especially during a disaster.” Continue reading
Dear Neighbor,
Where did the time go? Just like that, August is nearly over and the House will reconvene on September 9.It’s been an incredibly productive district work period and I’m thrilled to keep the momentum going into the fall.
This week marked the three-year anniversary of the deaths of 13 American heroes at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan. After the Biden-Harris administration hastily removed troops from Afghanistan with no withdrawal plan, we lost 13 service members in a deadly attack that could have been prevented. As we remembered them this week, we keep their family members and friends in our thoughts as they embark upon another year without their loved ones.
Back in Florida, our community remembered the life of USPS Carrier Pam Rock. Pam Rock served as a postal worker in Putnam County and was tragically killed in 2022 after being attacked by dogs while on her mail route in Interlachen. Together with Representative Aaron Bean and Senators Rubio and Scott, we passed legislation to rename the Melrose Post Office after Pam. Take a look at photos from the ceremony earlier this week below. Continue reading
