Pulse Summer 2010

PULSE • SUMMER 2010 • 2

Lorri Arnold: Lorri Lynn Arnold produced the Pulse cover for Issue #16 from a

photograph provided by the Mount Dora Historical Society using Photo Shop techniques

and her own freehand skills. Originally from Minnesota, Lorri lives in Mount Dora with

her husband Calvin and their daughter Brandi. She has been working in the printing field

for over thirty years and enjoys the creativity of graphic design.

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 twenty-four acres, devoted to wildlife, in Michigan.

Ellen Green: Ellen Green lives on Lake Joanna where she’s always ready to photograph

the shorebirds, songbirds, and birds of prey who visit her lakefront. Her professional

career featured twenty-seven years teaching at Eustis Middle School. She now works

actively supporting her favorite candidates, the Golden Triangle Democratic Club, and

enjoys traveling and boating with her husband Sam.

Jennifer Cahill Harper: Jennifer Cahill Harper is a native of Mount Dora. After

many years in New York illustrating for book publishing, she now resides in Eustis, enjoys

her family and making art. This is her second contribution to Pulse.

Mari Henninger: Mari Henninger is the President of ProActLLC, a strategic

marketing and research company working with Fortune 100 companies and large

arts organizations across the country. Originally torn between English literature and

psychology, Mari chose to complete her doctorate in psychology and statistics. Working

with Pulse has allowed her to reconnect with her love of writing, use her marketing skills

to support the local community…and have a whole lot more fun in the process.

R achelle Lucas: Rachelle is an innkeeper at Tremain Street Cottages, the 1st

Certified Green Lodging in Lake County. In addition, she is a spokesperson and writer

obsessed with social media. For more information, visit www.RachelleLucas.com. Find

her on Twitter.com@TravelBlggr.

Pam Myers: Pam Myers is a local Realtor and 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. Reach her by email at pam@davelowerealty.

com and enter BIRD in the subject line.

Ella Paets: Now living in Mount Dora, Ella Paets, EdD, moved from Miami, Florida

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.

Michael Suib: Michael Suib is a published author, poet and former Miami Herald

columnist who has appeared on Warner Cable (New York) and NPR Florida. He divides

his time between Mount Dora and Woodstock, New York. While in Mount Dora, he is

active in writers groups locally and in central Florida.

Pulse Contributors:

3 • PULSE • SUMMER 2010


Issue 16 | Summer 2010

Copyright © Pulse the Magazine, Inc.

PO Box 1896 • Tavares, FL 32778

Publisher

Calvin Arnold

Managing Editor

Richard Huss

Marketing & Development

Mari Henninger

Graphic Design

Kimberly Smith

Ditto’s Digital Print Shop

Advertising Design

Lorri Arnold

Photography

Bill Casey

Marc Vaughn

Illustration

Jennifer Cahill Harper

Contributing Writers

Jeanne Flugge Pam Myers

Mari Henninger Ella Paets

Rachelle Lucas Michael Suib

Copy Editors

Susie Jaillet

Nancy Butler-Ross

Advertising Sales

Calvin Arnold

407.421.6686

Don Thibodeau

352.552.2655

table of contents

about the

Lorri Lynn Arnold originally from Minnesota lives

in Mount Dora with her husband Calvin and their

daughter, Brandi. She has been working in the

printing field for over thirty years and enjoys the

creativity of graphic designing.

cover

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 Web site. 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.

Ramblin’ with Richard 6

Change

Bird Watching with Pam 8

To list or not to list, that is the question.

Writers One Flight Up 10

And the winners are...

Brew Pub Dreams 12

Mount Dora Brewing

Mount Dora Bar-B-Que Co. 16

Where food, passion and community meet

Passion for the Arts 24

Local teens are awarded scholarships.

The Artist’s Way 28

On the road again.

View 14

Spenser

Visit 18

Honky Tonk Freeway

Consider 22

Going Green for Pets


“Pink City,” who would have thought? I was not

living in the Tri-cities when Honky Tonk Freeway

came riding through Mount Dora. Many of you

were. July 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of

this event. When the Pulse crew decided they

were going to do a piece on this historic time,

we set out first to find photos. I received nine

– 35mm slides – from a Mount Dora gentleman

and scanned them trying to figure out which

ones would fit with our story.

As I studied each photo, I found myself going

back in time – 30 years ago. I could feel the

excitement in the air and appreciate the hard work

that was involved in putting this project together.

But then it hit me. What was I doing 30 years ago?

A flood of great memories of loved ones and

great times poured into my mind. I discovered

that when I look at a picture, I put myself in it

and the scene comes to life. Try it – you will be

surprised.

Some great work went into this article.

The story is captivating and will answer some

questions and raise others like; I wonder what

happened to…?

I would like to thank Al Wittnebert at Uncle Al’s

Time Capsule, the Mount Dora Historical Society

and Stephanie Haimes at the WT Bland Library for

supplying the research materials and photos that

made the article possible. Read and enjoy.

Cordially,

Calvin Arnold, Publisher

from the

publisher

Pulse seeks nominations from our readers for people or

groups that “do good” for, or in the Tri-cities. See page 34

for our first Kudos recognition. Send your nominations to

[email protected]. Please include name(s)

and contact information as well as a short statement

describing why you are nominating the person or group.

Thank you.


“I put a dollar in one of

those change machines.

Nothing changed.”

– George Carlin.

I loved George, but that’s

a very sad observation he

made. Humorous – but sad.

So let’s try to get a handle on this “change” stuff.

My learning about change started when dad said,

“Son...” I cringed when I heard statements from him

that started with “Son.” They never led to fun, like,

“Son, let’s go to a ballgame.” They most likely were,

“Son, you’d better change your ways or…” There it

was, the eight-hundred-pound parental threat in

the room. And since dad presented change as an

option, it was only natural for me to think, “Or what?”

As a result, I learned to negotiate the consequences

of change, or even not to change. I didn’t have to

change because dad’s consequences often didn’t

outweigh the request for change. How bad was it to

be grounded for a weekend?

It shouldn’t be a surprise that I progressed to

adulthood with the notion that change was an

enemy. A negative. Something that could be

negotiated away. I had the proof – my life seemed

to be working just fine without making major

adjustments to my behavior, lifestyle, attitude, or

approach to relationships.

With so little motivation and practice, it’s a no

brainer that it’s been hard for me to change. My

route to change takes more ocean space than the

old Queen Mary with two tugboats trying to navigate

a turn! My wife and I laugh (fortunately) when we

start negotiating with each other about change.

She’s like Muhammed Ali. Not the stinging part, but

the floating butterfly and the quick, direct bee part.

She seizes the opportunity to change, whereas I

approach change like the lumbering ocean liner.

But I recently learned that life has a way of leveling

things out. If you decide not to change on your own,

events/disasters/circumstances/life all converge,

creating compelling reasons to reconsider your

stance on change. And guess what? As an adult,

the consequences of not changing are far worse

than the parental threats of being grounded. That’s

when your “Duh Factor” kicks in – you know, when

the light bulb in your otherwise vacuous skull clicks

on and you say to yourself (usually because you’re

too embarrassed to say it out loud), “OMG, I’ve got

to ch-ch-change or…”

My “Duh Moment” occurred about a year ago

when I encountered complications, pulmonary

blood clots, after hip surgery. What was the change

life brought to me? Teams of doctors, threats of

more surgeries, and a lifetime of prescription drugs.

What a future. Now, here comes the “or” – or

change my lifestyle.

This time I did not negotiate. Gone were the Fritos

and beer; I said goodbye to beef and most other

meat; I became one with veggies, put down my TV

remote, got out of my lounge chair and reintroduced

myself to my rowing machine.

Was it easy? Hell no! Remember my motto had

been: The best change is no change. And the

change I now faced was like jamming a stick in a

hornets’ nest with nowhere to run. A change that

was sure to produce a lot of pain and complaining.

SPO

NSORED BY:


But a funny thing happened on my way to the

change forum. In three months, I was able to ditch

the pills. In six months I said goodbye to my medical

team. I felt better, was more mobile, was living

without pain for the first time in 10 years, and folks

said I looked better. Change has become my new

friend. I’m now learning to give change a chance.

Who says you can’t teach an old dawg new tricks?

So here’s my bottom line regarding change. If we’re

honest, even when asked by our loved ones or when

change is in our best interest, we fight it. But change

happens. We can either ride the wave of change

or get lost in it. Dumped. Swamped. So let’s not

get caught like George Carlin staring at the change

machine wondering why nothing’s happened. Let’s

ride the wave of change and make it happen.

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People occasionally ask me if I keep a “life list”

of all of the birds I have seen over the years. To

be honest, I haven’t been very disciplined about

recording my sightings. I have been more interested

in learning the habits and songs of individual birds

than listing the numbers of species I have seen.

There is a beautiful poem that exemplifies my

philosophy…

“To see a wren in a bush call it a wren and

go on walking is to have seen nothing.

To see a bird and stop, watch, feel, forget

yourself for a moment, to be in the bushy

shadows, maybe then feel wren—that is to

have joined in a larger moment with the

world.” –Gary Snyder

The bragging rights of claiming to have 850

species checked off on a list have never been a

priority…until now!

Eric and I have started splitting our year on two

peninsulas that extend into vast bodies of water.

Most of the year we live on the peninsula of Florida

that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic

Ocean. Every May and September we travel north

to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that stretches

out between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan,

providing a gateway into Canada. Both of these

peninsulas offer spectacular viewing of migrating

birds!

There are hundreds of species of birds found in

North America and many of them migrate down

to Central and South America for the winter. To

see them making the flight back to their breeding

grounds, we love to visit Florida’s Fort Desoto Park

of Pinellas County in March and April. There are

times when rough weather forces the birds to drop

down from the long flight across the gulf and “re-

fuel” on the food sources available in the park. It

is a great opportunity to see unusual species like

Scarlet Tanagers, Indigo Buntings and numerous

warblers passing through.

In May, we like to head up to Whitefish Point

Bird Observatory at the far eastern point of the

Upper Peninsula. It is the narrowest point to cross

Lake Superior and the preferred route for the birds

heading into Canada for their summer breeding.

It is amazing to stand on the shore and watch

hundreds of loons fly by with legs and necks

outstretched! It is also a great place to observe

large “kettles” of hawks rise along the thermals of

warm air to continue their trip north.

Because I have an opportunity to do great birding

in two distant states, I am starting a list for each

location this year. We saw 51 species in Michigan

in May. Many of these are the same species that

winter in Florida, like the Yellow-Rumped Warbler

and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. The real

I’m a Bird Watcherby Pam Myers

“To List or Not To List, that is the Question.”

Limpkin photo by Ellen Green


thrill is seeing those birds that are found only in

the northern region, such as the Gray Jay, the

Black-Backed Woodpecker and the Rose-Breasted

Grosbeak.

Now that we are back in Florida, we are the envy

of the Michigan birders as we add to our list here

the Swallow-Tailed Kite and the Limpkin, which are

found only in Florida and along the gulf coast.

Listing all of the species you identify with

certainty can become a passion. It can motivate

you to get out and seek new birds in habitats that

you don’t normally visit. There are around 10,000

species of birds on the planet. The book, Life

List, by Olivia Gentile covers the adventures of a

woman who saw and listed 8,000 of those birds

by taking hundreds of trips to seven continents.

Her passion grew to an obsession to hold the title

of the longest life list.

I don’t think I will go quite this crazy, because

for me the real pleasure comes in truly watching

the birds, learning their songs and observing their

behavior.


By Sharon Dwyer

From the penthouse

windows, the lights

of the city below

sparkled like stars on a

crisp clear night. Kam

Yuen barely glanced

at the magical scene

below as she crossed

the room touching

priceless artwork. She

placed the champagne

filled crystal flute

on the table and studied a tiny, dark green jade

monkey shot through with veins of pale green and

white. When she first saw it in her grandfather’s

office, she knew one day it would be hers, as

would everything else he owned. The years of

kowtowing to the miserable old man had rewarded

her handsomely.

She looked over the pieces once more, then

reluctantly moved away from her treasures and

crossed the room. She stood before a large

painting. Her hand reached to the lower portion of

the frame and applied slight pressure behind the

corner. A wall panel opened to reveal the hidden

office.

By John WhiteWhat little waves

there were lapped

against the body,

rocking it a few inches

higher up the beach.

Moonlight reflected

off the stringy hair, but

it was still difficult to

tell whether she was

a blonde or a light-

haired brunette. Wet

hair always seemed darker.

Sheriff Bode Keller waited patiently for the

technician to finish her photo session. The

evidence tech took her job seriously, ordering this

part or that part of the body lifted or pushed aside

as the bright flash lit up the otherwise dark beach.

“Deputy Ennis?” Keller nudged the tech’s

shoulder with his stub. She turned and flinched at

his touch. Sometimes he did it on purpose to get

a reaction. He knew from her expression that the

touch of his amputated right arm grossed her out

more than her bloated model.

“Yes, sir—I’m sorry, sir. What is it?”

She still looked flustered.

photos by Bill Casey

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telephone in the distance.

Fishing ice cubes from the water, she gave the

feline her sternest look. “Dammit Frank, I should

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Most guys are happy to have a few cold beers on hand to share with a friend; some even stock beer by the case in an old refrigerator next to their dart board or pool table. But one Mount Dora man has created the ultimate guy dream, converting his furniture refinishing shop into a brewpub called the Rocking Rabbit Brewery.

Thirty years ago Jeff Herbst followed his heart when he started his refinishing business with a bicycle, $800 in cash, and his Uncle Virgil’s tools. With his second business, Jeff is still following his heart, but he now lives in a comfortable house instead of camping out with the rats in a shop without a bathroom or kitchen. His giant sized brewing equipment cost a heck of a lot more than the old woodworking tools did, and he’s convinced that learning how to use the “tools of his new trade” is every bit as tricky. “I’ve always liked to figure things out as I go along,” Jeff says with a grin on his face. It’s clear that taming the machines is part of his fun.

Inside the rustic brewery, reminders of his woodworking days are everywhere. Rough sawn wood covers most surfaces with a manly patina, sprouting saws, drill braces, and planers from the ceiling like tools gone wild. “This is all my stuff you see in here. People know it’s real. It’s not something someone can just go out and buy.” Behind every black and white photograph and faded tin sign lurks a story Jeff tells with a bit of historic reverence spiced with salty anecdotes.

A large eared rabbit the size of a carousel horse, sculpted by Jeff in his woodworking days, rocks to and fro underneath copper cauldrons hissing steam from boiling water laced with organic wheat mash. After the brew cools down, it slides though tubes snaking across the dance floor, past the bar, around the corner

into one of four stainless steel tanks to begin a three week fermentation process. The pub shuts down Tuesday through Thursday to accommodate the journey from brew kettle to fermentation tanks. There is enough capacity, with the brewing equipment on hand, to harvest three different batches of crafted beer a week. For now, though, not having enough tanks to store the finished beer limits the production to one batch a week.

Would a beer by another name taste as good? Perhaps, but naming is taken very seriously at Rocking

Rabbit Brewery and much discussion goes into the final choices. Three small

glass cylinders filled with different gem tone

l i q u i d s

were placed on the wooden bar for me to sample. The pungent blond ale, strong and insistent, lived up to the slightly risqué B words bantered about for its name. Jeff’s wife, Peggy convinced him that crude wasn’t necessarily a good thing when naming a beer. They settled on Beauclair Blond Ale.

Jeff’s son, Zach likes the name Red Rake Ale for the Irish red ale infused with orange blossom honey. He thinks the name is more fitting than Jack Rabbit Jug or Rocking Rabbit Red (the final choice) because, while making his first batch, his dad lost the end of the enormous hops rake in the mash where it stayed until the brewing finished.

My favorite name is “First Shot” at Pistolville Porter. It’s the perfect name for a dark beer that hints of ancient campfires and can grow hair on your chest. The story goes that Pistolville was a 1920s rough and tumble shantytown not too far up the road from where the brewery sits. If you check out the men in the old picture behind the bar on the right side, you’ll see what I mean.

by Jeanne Flugge



Feeding beer drinkers good food has always been part of the mix for savvy pub owners and the brewpub is no exception. Rocking Rabbit Brewery offers savory eclectic bar food provided by its next door neighbor, Saucy Spoon Catering. Yet…it’s the music that draws the late night Friday and Saturday crowds to hang out at the local brewpub.

The beat of a drum bounces off the pub’s twin copper pillars; a guitar rift weaves a net of sound around the listeners while they drink blond and red ale from glass mugs and sip red and white wine from thin stemmed glasses. Members of the resident band called the Brewery Boys like to think of themselves as the “Studs of Suds.” Layers of jazz, rock, and familiar standards spanning several generations make their music richer and more sophisticated than the name

implies. On opening night the band had so much fun playing, they called Jeff the next morning to thank him. Local singers often join the band for a special song or two whenever Jeff can tear himself away from the microphone.

“When I’m on stage I love looking out at the people with their eyes closed as they sing along to the music,” he says with a boyish look on his face. It’s plain to see Jeff’s mission is to make the brewery a happy place. But then, what else would you expect from a man who follows his heart? “All of this is me,” he says with a wave of his hand from one wall to the other, from ceiling to floor. “I love to make people smile.” And so he does.

Mount Dora Brewing, 405 South Highland Street, Mount Dora www.mountdorabrewing.com

illustration by Jennifer Cahill Harper

photo by Marc Vaughn

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Spenser

A close friend of mine passed away recently. I

met him late in life even though he resided in every

library and bookstore I drove by. You might have

known him, too. His name was Spenser; that’s it, just

Spenser. He was Everyman, Superman. The perfect

blend: confident, brutal, moral and violent. A one-

woman man often tempted and teased but never,

well, almost never, led down the primrose path of

carnal delights. Spenser never walked away from

a problem, never let a friend down, never broke a

promise and never lied to himself. The man could

be as tough as nails or soft as a chamois. I had

never read Spenser novels, having been turned off

by the 1980s television show, Spenser for Hire that

starred Robert Urich, but was reintroduced to the

detective by a mutual Mount Dora friend several

years ago.

Spenser was birthed in the cranial gray matter

of novelist Robert B. Parker and kicked out of the

nest in 1973 between the covers of The GodWulf

Manuscript, the first of 37 Spenser stories. Since

then most other fictional detectives have been

playing catch-up.

Spenser began his literary life as a wisecracking,

talkative guy, prone to quoting Shakespeare “…the

course of true love…”; Lewis Carroll “Curiouser and

curiouser…” and Wallace Stevens’s “... death is the

mother of beauty…” (He used this quote 7 times in

various novels.) He became less chatty with age,

trimming much of his dialogue to shorter phrases

including the very unliterary “Yikes!”

Spenser’s confidence came from his father and

uncles who raised him to be self-sufficient. They

taught him how to beat the stitches out of a boxing

bag (and most bad guys too), how to handle a

hammer and nails, and to respect firearms, women

and a glass of good beer. They also taught him

how to sew, enjoy fine champagne and, God bless

them, cook like a gourmet.

Here’s a sampling of some of Spenser’s favorite

dishes he prepared when he wasn’t saving a damsel

in a dungeon or displaying his love for his one and

only, psychiatrist Susan Silverman:

German sausage with green apple rings dipped in flour, fried and served with coarse rye bread and wild strawberry jam

Spaghetti and steamed broccoli topped with spiced pistachio oil

Hot pumpkin soup, with cold asparagus and green herb mayonnaise atop a bed of red lettuce

Pheasant with raspberry vinaigrette, and a saffron pilaf with white and wild rice and sprinkled with pignolis

Sour Cherry Cobbler topped with Vermont cheddar cheese

Stir-fried bell peppers and mushrooms tossed with olive oil and raspberry vinaigrette, served on top of spinach fettuccini with walnuts

Spenser’s cookbook was always planned but

never written and the dishes that hint of a recipe

will stay a mystery, just as Spenser’s first name

always eluded his readers.

viewby Michael Suib


In an April 2000 interview with www.TheBookReporter.com, Robert B. Parker said, “I plan to keep writing until I die.”

Parker, and Spenser, did just that. They both died

on January 18, 2010, from a heart attack while at

home working on a manuscript. Beautiful.

“… death is the mother of beauty...”

From “Sunday” by Wallace Stevens

Editor’s Note: The Re:view in this issue is more

of an “author good-bye” than a book review. You

may know the man we’re saying good-bye to

through his major characters: Spenser, Jesse

Stone, Sunny Randall and Virgil Cole. Or maybe his

movies and television series: Jesse Stone portrayed

by Tom Selleck, the recent feature length western,

Appaloosa with Ed Harris as Virgil Cole, or the

Spenser TV series starring Robert Urich earlier and

Joe Montagena later. Robert B. Parker was a prolific

writer who used simple conversation between his

characters to describe scenes, establish rapport,

or setup action. Sparsity of words … action thriller

mysteries … tough folks tackling sensitive situations

… all Parker and all gone.


If you’ve ever watched TLC’s new reality show, “BBQ

Pitmasters,” you know competitive barbequing isn’t just

a bunch of “rednecks” throwing meat on the grill. This

high stakes competition, which has been compared

to all-star poker tournaments and championship car

races, requires a unique set of skills that include the

culinary techniques of a chef, the unwavering focus of

a Zen master and the intense passion of a professional

athlete. While Mount Dora’s nationally ranked Mount

Dora Bar-B-Que Company has all three, it also has a

passion for Mount Dora.

Mount Dora Bar-B-Que is the brain child of long-

time Mount Dora resident, builder/contractor and

former city council member, Larry Baker. Together with

his teammates and fellow Mount Dora residents Merry

Hadden, local Montessori school head and teacher

and Debi Harbin, a well- known Orlando-based food

photographer, Mount Dora Bar-B-Que has put Mount

Dora on the competitive barbequing map. The team,

which is ranked #5 nationally, is also a two-time Florida

State Champion (2008, 2009), Georgia state champion

(2009) and the winner of numerous major competitions.

In 2009, Mount Dora Bar-B-Que competed in 21

competitions throughout the South and in Kansas City,

one of the nation’s two barbeque capitals. (Memphis

is the other.) As the team travels to each event, they

not only showcase their skills, but serve as

ambassadors for Mount Dora. As Disney

Executive Chef, Bob Getchell, a new team

member from Eustis noted, “Larry could

have named the company anything, but

he named it after Mount Dora because

Larry’s all about community.”

A love of food and competition come naturally

to Larry. To this day his family has “blood and guts”

pie contests and chili cook-offs. But Larry has taken

his interest in food to a higher level, training at the

prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park,

New York. While his first love was French cooking,

Larry argues that barbeque is the only true American

cuisine. He believes that the task of any great chef is to

“Take the best ingredients you can and enhance them,

but a green bean should still be a green bean – just the

best one you’ve ever eaten.”

When you meet Larry, he seems laid-back, but

the intense focus reflected in his eyes gives away his

competitive spirit. Or as he puts it, his passion. When

he has a passion for something, he strives for a level

of perfection that he sometimes meets, and sometimes

doesn’t. But more often than not, he succeeds through

his unique talents, ingenuity, and unrelenting pursuit of

mastery, whatever the passion might be.

A case in point is competitive pistol shooting, which

became Larry’s passion in 2002. By 2004, he was

Florida’s Pistol Shooting state champion. When asked

how he achieved his goal so quickly, he said that he

shot 18,000 rounds in the months before the state

competition. But it probably also has something to

do with his unique ability to focus which, along with

talent and practice, separates the champions from the

. . . Where Food, Passionand Community Meet

ph

oto

: D

eb

i H

arb

inMerry Hadden, Larry Baker and Debi Harbin

by Mari Henninger


“also rans.” He says pistol shooting is Zen-like. “You

become the bullet and the bullet’s only destiny is to

hit the center of the target.” He finds the intensity of

competition relaxing. And the bottom line is, “It’s fun.”

Larry doesn’t consider himself unique. He says

Mount Dora is filled with folks who pursue their

passions. But what separates it from other places is

people’s willingness to use their passions to support

the community. As he says, “Everyone takes their turn.”

The last time I ran into the Mount Dora Bar-B-Que

Company, the team was at the Taste in Mount Dora.

They’d all gotten up at 2:30 that morning to begin

preparing free samples of their barbeque. (They

weren’t competing because they’re not a restaurant.)

Debi Harbin, one of the team members, said, “Larry

did this all for free. He knew people in the community

had heard about us and since they can’t buy our food

anywhere, he thought this was a good opportunity to

let everyone try it. Larry’s truly a kind and community-

minded person!”

Which pretty much summarizes what The Mount

Dora Bar-B-Que Company is all about: It’s where food,

passion and community meet.

Visit the Mount Dora Bar-B-Que web site at

www.mountdorabbq.com.

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 $8.99

OPEN 7 DAYS

www.palmtreegrille.com


visit Honky Tonk Freeway:When Mount Dora “Went Hollywood”

by Mari Henninger

If you'd driven into downtown Mount Dora

in July of 1980, you might have thought you'd

entered an alien universe. Everything was painted

pink. And not just any pink, but Pepto-Bismol

pink. No, the natives hadn't gone crazy, they'd just

gone temporarily “Hollywood” during the filming

of the big budget, Tinseltown movie, Honky Tonk

Freeway.

Honky Tonk Freeway, directed by John

Schlesinger of Midnight Cowboy and Marathon

Man fame, is based on a complicated plot with

two distinct story lines: A small town's antics

(think of an elephant on water-skis) designed to

attract tourists, and the adventures of a set of

wacky characters on road trips gone awry. Mount

Dora starred in the first, playing the role of Ticlaw,

a fictional Florida town desperate to get its own

freeway exit. Led by William Devane as Ticlaw's

mayor, the town tried increasingly zany marketing

tactics, including painting the town pink, to attract

business.

It was pretty heady stuff for a sleepy little town

like Mount Dora to be chosen as the location for

a major motion picture. People living here then

described downtown Mount Dora as a place

that was so dead, "You could shoot a cannon

down Donnelly Street and not hit anyone." Then,

suddenly the town was filled with new "movie

people" and daily sightings of Bubbles the Elephant

learning how to water-ski on Lake Dora.

And there was the enticing possibility of playing

a small part in the movie. While the casting


director knew he needed a small army of extras

for crowd scenes, he was overwhelmed by the

response to his first casting call. Thousands of

local people and Hollywood hopefuls from across

the state answered the call, waiting for hours in

a line that snaked its way around the perimeter

of the Ice House Theatre's parking lot. The line

was four-deep, traffic was backed up to Highland

Street, police were brought in to help manage

the mayhem, and the local newspaper declared,

"Movie mania sets in."

But the actual filming of the movie didn't match

locals' Hollywood fantasies. Due to delays in

shooting other parts of the movie, the Mount Dora

portion was filmed during the summer of 1980

rather than during the cooler spring, as originally

planned. Schlesinger, a Brit used to cooler

climates, was challenged by the heat, but true to

his reputation as the ultimate perfectionist, re-

shot scene after scene until they met his exacting

standards. While William Devane waited in the air-

conditioned barbershop between takes, the extras

waited patiently, wilting in the sweltering heat.

Though a few residents feared that Mount Dora

would never be the same again, and would be

forever overrun by "...weirdoes, hippies and rip-

off artists,” for the most part Honky Tonk Freeway

appears to have been a love fest between the town

and the movie people. Most felt the actors and

production staff were polite and thoughtful.

Sam Sadler, whose family hosted William

Devane during the filming in Mount Dora, says

Devane was a regular guy with no pretensions.

Sadler’s dad, Buck, bonded with Devane during

his stay and they remained lifelong friends. During

his promotion of Honky Tonk Freeway on ABC's

Good Morning America, Devane credited Buck

Sadler as his inspiration for his character, Kirby T.

Calo, Ticlaw's mayor.

And the movie brought a much needed infusion

of cash to Mount Dora. Merchants on Donnelly

Street between 4th and 5th were paid $100 a

day to allow shooting in front of their shops, two

thousand extras were paid $35 dollars a day to

play a part in movie history, and the film brought

in additional business to local establishments, as

visitors came from miles around to witness the

shooting of "a real live Hollywood movie."

Many say the filming of Honky Tonk Freeway

helped put Mount Dora back on the radar. Not that

everyone wanted the town on the radar. Former

Mayor Jeff Ray once said he wished "…the town

could build a wall and lock the gates."

Before Honky Tonk Freeway, people described

the town as "a little worn" or a "bit bedraggled."

Many of the Mount Dora shop owners were

hobbyist merchants, retirees who closed their

shops on a whim, particularly during the summer

months. The downtown area was filled with empty

storefronts. Many of the merchants offering basic

services had moved to the outskirts of town or

had been forced out of business by the more

abundant parking, greater selection and lower

prices of Kmart and supermarkets in the Golden

Triangle Shopping Center on old Highway 441.

Young people, so few they were rapidly becoming

an endangered species, spent their entertainment

dollars elsewhere.

Of the million dollars estimated to have been

spent by the filmmakers while on location in Mount

Dora, a third was actually spent in Apopka where

there were restaurants and hotels. If you wanted

to have dinner and drinks in Mount Dora, your only

choice was the Lamp Post on 5th and Donnelly.

The final night of the filming, locals flocked to

the Lamp Post, hoping to meet William Devane.

Women, dressed to kill, anxiously awaited his

arrival. He, along with actors still dressed in full

highway patrolman regalia, showed up later in the

evening. Devane, dressed down in a white t-shirt

and jeans, charmed the entire group, promising to

return to celebrate the release of the movie.

When the movie was released a year later,

hundred's of hours of film had been cut to 107

minutes, leaving the performances of many

townspeople on the cutting room floor. While the

producers, Don Boyd and Howard Koch, returned

as promised to celebrate the film's world premier,

William Devane had to cancel at

the last moment due to illness.

After a year's anticipation, the

audience’s reaction after attending

the screening in Leesburg was

subdued. Few found their faces

continued on page 20


in Schlesinger's obituary of July 2003, "His later

film career was mostly disappointing. The decline

set in with Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), a messy

attempt at zany comedy - and a spectacular flop

- which ensured that it was four years before he

made another film."

But for many, it remains a magical time. The

mention of Honky Tonk Freeway to long-time

Mount Dora residents evokes nostalgic smiles,

giggles and often the recounting of fond memories

of the time when Mount Dora "went Hollywood."

Local officials said the film played a role in Mount

Dora's renaissance. As the town was returned

to its prior non-pink existence, its appearance

began to move from shabby to chic. Serious

retailers replaced the hobbyists, and developers

invested in the renovation of historic downtown

buildings. Few current residents understand how

far downtown Mount Dora has come since 1980.

But in some ways the town faces similar

challenges today. Empty storefronts line the

streets, as legions of chain stores continue to

open on Highway 441. But today we can make

wiser choices, spending a little extra time and

money to shop, drink and eat in downtown

Mount Dora. Because, while all of the movie

people are gone and Honky Tonk Freeway

is just a faint memory, Mount Dora is still a

magical place.

in the highly edited film; many were left puzzled

by the movie they'd helped make. As Al Liveright,

then editor of the local newspaper, The Mount

Dora Topic, mused, "The town spent a whole year

focused on the movie and then there was nothing."

While the movie opened to mixed reviews

among critics, its British director’s satire of

American life failed to strike a chord with most

moviegoers. Many found it depressing. It was

so memorably depressing that the New Yorker

magazine ran a cartoon in October 1981 with a

caption saying, "While we were in Westchester –

on a whim, mind you – Harold and I turned in to

a drive-in movie and saw Honky Tonk Freeway. It

ruined our August."

The film had been fraught with problems, from

a disjointed script to its title –- and marketing that

implied it was just "…another car crash comedy

romp." This was compounded by the producers'

decision to sell the video rights before Universal

Pictures agreed to release the film. Angered by

this, Universal minimized their marketing support

and limited the number of theaters in which the

film was shown. Withdrawn from theaters just a

week after its release, the movie disappeared.

Honky Tonk Freeway is now remembered as

one of the greatest commercial flops of all time,

costing $24 million to produce while grossing only

$2 million domestically. The London Times noted Director John Schlesinger on location in Mount Dora.


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considerby Rachelle Lucas

photo by Bill Casey

With all of the fun pet stuff evolving and

increasingly gaining pup-ularity around town –

doggie parks, PAWS for Mount Dora, and Yappy

Hour – we thought it would be a great time for

“The Green Scene” to look into some eco-friendly

and all natural solutions for your pets.

Thankfully, we have several options in the Tri-

cities for organic and natural food and pet supplies:

Hobscot on 5th Avenue, Piglet’s Pantry on Donnelly

& 4th, and the new Green K9 on Main Street

in Tavares. All three are owned and staffed by

knowledgeable and helpful pet lovers.

So, if you’re looking to green up your pet’s life,

here are three topics to consider:

#1 – Food & SnacksDid you know that most processed snacks are

equivalent to giving your dog a candy bar? Recently

I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Ernie, veterinarian

and author of the book, Chow Hounds. In his book

he explodes the myth that our pets are just a little

more “fluffy” and “snuggly” with those few extra

added pounds.

When we met, he had a table set up with several

common single-serving dog snacks resting on top

of serving platters, hiding the content information.

They looked harmless enough. You’ve seen them

– the bone shaped beef, chicken or bacon flavored

treats. Some proclaimed to offer excellent dental

benefits for your dog. When he uncovered the

contents, they revealed an alarming truth: the

human caloric equivalent to the innocent looking

snacks resting on top of the covers. Some plates

had as many calories as a whole packet of cookies

and one showed eight Hershey chocolate bars…

visually indicating the amount of calories (and junk)

we’re feeding our pets in this one single snack. And

how many times have you given your dog more

than one treat a day? Alarming, isn’t it?

I read his book and it deals more with pet

obesity than organic foods, but there seems to be

a connection between your pet’s health and eating

organically. Dr. Ernie’s suggestion is to reward your

dog with healthy treats that include organic baby

carrots and chopped apples. Now that’s a healthy

snack even I would eat!

#2 – ToyMost of us pet owners think of our dogs and cats

like extended family and spoil them with toys as if

they were our children. The fact is, toys are actually

not frivolous at all, but are important for your pet

as they provide exercise, entertainment and mental

stimulation.

Thankfully, playthings made from recycled

materials and organic textiles are becoming more

readily available and easy to find. But one thing I

didn’t expect to learn was that my dog’s favorite

tennis ball is actually harmful!

A study linked on www.dogwise.com revealed

that the coating on tennis balls that gives them their

endurance to take a pounding on the court during

a game is very abrasive to a dog’s tooth enamel.

For an occasional game of fetch, it’s probably not

an issue. But knowing that it is chemically treated ,

would you want to take this chance?

When shopping for toys look for durable, non-

toxic materials and toys made with organic and

natural dyes. At The Green K9, owners Paul and

Marni Lewis are pleased to offer a full array of doggie

Going Green for Pets

Paul and Marni

Lewis, owners

of The Green K9

with Layla, their

rescue Italian

greyhound.


toys and beds that are all eco-friendly; organic,

cotton, plant materials or re-cycled materials.

#3 – Bugs & BathsFleas and ticks are the one area where pet owners

may assume that chemicals are a necessary evil.

But the The Humane Society www.humanesociety.

org had some pretty scary facts and links to studies

about the effects of some flea control treatments.

A study by the NRDC (National Recourse Defense

Council) found “residue levels produced by some

flea collars are so high – up to 1,000 times higher

than the EPA's acceptable levels – that they pose

a risk of cancer and damage to the neurological

systems of children.”

The NRDC has put together a resourceful list on

their site called Green Paws, which is an informative

flea and tick products directory. You can find it at

www.nrdc.org.

One natural way to combat fleas before they get

onto your pet and into your home is by treating

your yard. There is a great all natural lawn and

garden spray recipe from www.naturespet.com

that includes some of their Critter Oil (Pennyroyal,

Eucalyptus, Cedar wood, Sage and other essential

oils) that you can spray on your lawn and landscaping

to help solve a summer flea problem before it starts.

Another way to help with bugs is to make your

pets less tasty to them. At Hobscot, I found a great

supplement to give my dog that includes garlic

and brewer’s yeast. Hobscot also recommended

products containing Neem for flea and tick

prevention.

Bathing is another solution for preventing fleas

and ticks, but the frequency of bathing depends

on your breed’s coat and lifestyle. Over bathing

can cause dry skin, so between baths, consider

a freshening spray with Neem. Beware of added

fragrances, colors and dyes and look for ingredients

that include some or all of the following: Pro Vitamin

B5 which helps to thicken your dog’s coat; Vitamin

E and oatmeal which are great for their skin; and

tea tree oil, eucalyptus and Neem that are excellent

bug repellents.

These are just some of the ways you can go

green with your pets and have safe and all-natural

summer with your “best friends!”


Sixteen exuberant teens arrived for lunch,

armed with talent and eager to share it with an

adoring audience delighted to experience it.

Each high school student had demonstrated

his/her ability in either the performing or visual

arts, and in one case a young man had won a

scholarship for both.

The Women’s Committee for Fine Arts

of Mount Dora awarded each winning

teen a portion of the $16,500 that

the organization raised for the 2010

scholarship awards. The money comes

almost totally from ticket sales to

the Christmas Tour of Homes, an

annual event held the first weekend

in December featuring wonderful

Mount Dora homes. Since the

inception of the scholarship program

in 1987, the women have raised over

$185,000 in scholarship funds for

talented students who attend

Mount Dora High School,

Tavares High School, Eustis

High School, Umatilla High

School or Christian Home

and Bible High School.

Each year students compete for

scholarships showcasing their ability in either

the visual or performing arts. This year 60

teens painted, photographed, sang, danced,

played musical instruments and formed three

dimensional art hoping for a share of the cash.

Choosing winners was difficult for Visual Arts

jury chairperson Nan Reinking who, along

with two additional jury members, viewed 33

pieces of artwork before picking nine winners

and acknowledging the talents of all the

applicants. The three judges of performing

arts chose eight winners from 27 applicants.

Among this year’s winners was Caroline

Martins of Tavares High School whose

portraits in graphite and dry pastel greatly

impressed the judges. Her close-

up, detailed and realistic art was a

pleasure to view. Caroline also won

money in 2009, using it to visit all the

art museums in Washington D.C. and to

take a figure drawing course. What she

learned in that seminar so impressed her

that she changed her entire approach

to drawing.

In the fall, Caroline enters the

University of Central Florida as a

Bright Futures Scholar majoring

in photography. Due to State

funding cuts, new Bright Futures

recipients will not receive sufficient

funds to cover all their college

expenses. Caroline plans to

use her Fine Arts funding to

defray the costs of textbooks

and art supplies.

Another repeat winner, JoAnna

Schmidt, a graduating senior from

Christian Home and Bible School,

demonstrated her skill in ballet. She used

her winnings last summer to spend six

weeks studying with the Bolshoi Ballet

Academy in New York. The Bolshoi

Academy picks talented dance students

for the program, and Joanna expects to

be chosen again this summer. Her new

funding will help pay for the 2010 program.

JoAnna is inspired by all art forms, but

favors ballet. “Ballet is so amazing. You

can express all your emotions without

opening your mouth.” This delightful

young woman advises others to pursue

their passions “with all your heart.” She

by Ella Paets, EdD

JoAnna Schmidt photo by Bill Casey

Local Teens Awarded Scholarships


began dancing at age 4, started taking lessons at

age 7 and sees no end to her dancing. She chose

to attend Butler University this fall because of their

outstanding dance program.

During her luncheon performance, Joanna’s

classical training was quickly recognized. With light

movements she captured the music of the lovely

song from Les Miserables, “On My Own,” enhanced

by her own creative choreography.

Forrest Etter, a 12th grader from Mount Dora

High School, is a winner in both the performing and

visual arts. Last year he won for his ability to play the

piano. This year, once again, his piano skills were

apparent, as was his ability in three dimensional art,

his second area of expertise.

Forrest began taking piano lessons at age six and has continued for twelve years. He is now taking Advanced Placement art in three dimensions. His teacher required him to produce one three

dimensional piece every week of the semester,

keeping him very busy. Forrest used his 2009

funds to pay for piano lessons and purchase

music equipment including mikes and computer

software, something today’s modern musicians

need. Etter played the Prelude in G Minor, Op 23 No. 5 by Rachmaninoff, adding his own dramatic edge to the piece.

Etter practices an hour a day to prepare for competition performances. Like JoAnna, he advises others to “follow your creative passion where it goes. That really pays off.” His interest in art was kindled when he worked as a volunteer assistant in a summer program at the Mount Dora Center for the Arts. For the 2010 competition, Etter also submitted some innovative three dimensional art for judging and displayed it at the luncheon. As an artist, he finds the process of creating art calming, watching the piece evolve into something unique and beautiful.

Sixteen young people striving to achieve their goals brightened the day for an audience composed of encouraging strangers, members of the Women’s Committee of Fine Arts of Mount Dora and supportive family members, all eager to join the Women’s Committee in their efforts to make a difference. Today was a milestone in the creative path each teen will take.

To see a complete list of the 16 Scholarship Winners and

more information, go to www.pulsethemagazine.com.

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Art is about the artists who create it. This probably sounds obvious, but was easy to forget when surrounded by exquisite art, beautifully displayed at this year’s Mount Dora Arts Festival. Pulse went behind the scenes to discover what it’s like to be an artist exhibiting at one of Florida’s top juried arts festivals.

We took a stroll down the streets of downtown Mount Dora the Friday evening before the arts festival. Our first impression was a dauntingly long line of vans filled with artists waiting patiently and not so patiently to set up - in the rain. Once at their sites, we discovered that art involves a lot of heavy lifting. Many, often petite, artists were dragging massive bags filled with the innards of their booths. As one rain drenched artist told us, “This is the life of an artist, not what you’ll see tomorrow.”

We chatted with a number of artists over the next two days of the festival, “under cover,” of course, to discover what motivated them to create their art and brave the challenges of the art festival circuit. We discovered a common theme - their art is a way of sharing a piece of themselves – a piece of what they value most – a piece of their hearts.

Beth Carver, a well-known, classically trained portrait artist from Melbourne, FL, told us about an epiphany she experienced while meditating on

the beach toward the end of her father’s struggle

with cancer. She became aware of a large,

older woman playing in the surf like a child. Her

exuberant joy lifted Beth’s spirits, inspiring her to

focus her painting on the precious, simple joys

of living. Many of her subjects are large, older

women enjoying life at the beach. Beth celebrates

their strength and the beauty of their bodies and

spirits as they lose themselves in play. Her mission

is to inspire the same joy in everyone who views

her art. She says, “The purpose of art and artists

is to take from life and give it back, through their

talents, to as many people as they can.”

Tom Barnes, an artist from Virginia, was also inspired by older women. He developed his love of art during childhood visits with “The Twins,” who were two of Savannah’s Grand Dames. In addition to inspiring his interest in art, “The Twins” inspired Tom’s “long neck ladies” paintings which have become his signature works. Unlike Beth, he is self-trained, coming to art after retiring from a corporate career. Through experimentation and “breaking the rules,” he’s developed a unique

by Mari Henninger

photo by Bill Casey

continued on page 31

Beth Carver and her painting titled, “Symphony in Lavender with Polka Dots.”


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March 1, 2010


technique that creates vibrant, intense watercolors that radiate rich, luscious colors. Whether he’s painting the “long neck ladies” or florals and landscapes, he says, “When people buy my art, they buy a little of me.” His most coveted response to his work is, “This stuff makes me happy!”

Nolan Prohaska, a young glass artist from Minnesota, was inspired by yet another older woman -- Mother Nature. While studying for a degree in horticulture, he enrolled in an art class, hoping to hone his skills as a landscape architect. The class was an introduction to art glass and he’s been blowing glass since. His work blends his love of nature with the unpredictable, organic character of glass. As he fashions his exotic glass flowers, he says he likes to think he’s “sharing a piece of himself” that harkens back to his first love - Mother Nature.

Three different artists from three different areas, working in three different media, sharing one common goal - putting the heart in art.

These are not the best of times for many of the artists we talked with at the Mount Dora Arts Festival. While that’s true for most of us, artists are the canaries of our times. The health of the arts community is a gauge of the health of the community as a whole. And while artists live to share their work, it takes some sharing from the rest of us to keep them alive and healthy. Give it a try. If it’s at all possible, even if it’s a stretch, buy some art. Help save the canaries, and we’ll all breathe a little easier.

The annual Mount Dora Arts Festival is held on the first weekend in February.

For more information visit www.mountdoracenterforthearts.org

For more information about the artists interviewed: Beth Ann Carver – www.bethcarverart.com Tom Barnes – www.tombarnesfineart.com Nolan Prohaska – [email protected]


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12 Volt Bolt: An Update

In fall 2008, Pulse reported on a group of Lake County high schoolers – 12 Volt Bolt – highly skilled math/science oriented students who fill their time designing, assembling, driving, and performing timed competitive tasks with robots. The 2010 Florida FIRST Regional Competition held at UCF Arena March 11-13 attracted several thousand spectators and high school teams from 11 states and Puerto Rico. Two days, 53 teams and nine qualifying rounds later, 12 Volt Bolt, along with an alliance with teams from Merritt Island and Tarpon Springs, bolted from 23rd place to the semi-finals where they squared off against four other alliance's including the favorites comprised of high scoring Riviera Beach, Cocoa and Tampa. 12 Volt buzzed through the semi-finals and earned the Silver Medal for the 2010 competition. They also took home the Judges' Award for having the smallest robot in the field with the functionality of a full-sized bot.

Lake County high school students interested in joining 12 Volt Bolt should contact [email protected]. For more about 12 Volt Bolt, visit www.12voltbolt.com. For information about FIRST, contact www.usfirst.org.

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Pulse Summer 2010