By Akers Editorial
The Hit List
1.
Go to the source: Here’s another entry in the farm-to-table craze: Root & Branch Bistro & Bar, 1200 Oakley Seaver Drive, Unit 102, Clermont. On their website, the owners promise to offer fresh, classic bistro fare that is locally sourced: produce and meats from farms within a 200-mile radius, and fish caught in local waters. See rootandbranchbistroandbar.com.
2.
You are there: TV producer and writer Charlie Grinker explores the turbulent 1930s—the Great Depression, the march toward World War II, the golden era of film, the advent of television—in a presentation from 2-4pm Thursday, Dec. 13, at Black Box Theater, Clermont Performing Arts Center, 3700 S. Highway 27. Visit clermontpac.com for tickets.
3.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show: This month is a great time to take a break from holiday shopping and see some light-hearted shows being offered by local community theater groups.
Melon Patch Theatre in Leesburg is showcasing “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) through Dec. 16; Sonnentag Theatre in Mount Dora is featuring “Mary Poppins” until Dec. 15; Bay Street Players in Eustis and Moonlight Players Theatre in Clermont are both showing “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Show,” through Dec. 16; and Tavares Theater Inc. is featuring “She Loves Me, The Musical” through Dec. 16.
4.
Get to church: For fanatics, running is like a religion. So what better way to start a Sunday morning than with a good run? The seventh annual Mount Dora Half Marathon and 5K event is scheduled for 7am Sunday, Dec. 16, starting at Elizabeth Evans Park, 100 N. Donnelly St. For registration information, go to mountdorahalfmarathon.com.
5.
Storing those decorations: Wish you could enter and exit your attic safely to store Christmas items? Villager Ron Brunner’s locally owned company, Majic Stairs, offers motorized, retractable, aluminum-constructed stairs with protective handrails that are popular in The Villages. Instead of a pull-down cord, the stairs go up and down with the push of a button and they retract flush with the ceiling. Call 352.255.1390 to learn more or visit majicstairsinc.com.
6.
Children are the future: W.T. Bland Library will receive a $52,000 donation from Friends of the Library for improvements to the Children’s Library, Mount Dora City Council documents show. Cathy Lunday, library services director, and Arliss Turner, president of Friends of the Library, addressed the City Council. The city’s library is the second-highest attended children’s library with the second-highest circulation rate in Lake County.
7.
Bird is the word: Birding enthusiasts will converge on the Florida Scrub-Jay Trail for the annual Clermont Christmas Bird Count, which will be held Jan. 5, 2019. Participants will be divided into teams and head out to their assigned territories to document what types of birds they locate. Email john.thornton@gmail.com.
8.
Being principal is fun! Principal Nicole Wade and assistant principal Grace “Sissy” Ashley obviously enjoy their jobs and being with children. The two women introduce themselves on the school’s website, sumter.k12.fl.us, with this delightful picture. Hmmm…it might be fun to go to the principal’s office at Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School!
9.
Just cruisin’ along: Mount Dora-based Premier Boat Tours will offer a daily one-hour Christmas cruise through Dec. 24. The cruise, which begins at 5pm, takes guests along the shore of Lake Beauclair and then back to Lake Dora to see the Christmas light display at the Mount Dora Marina. Call 352.434.8040.
10.
The breakfast club: They’re certainly not serving detention (think “The Breakfast Club” movie), but it’s a great chance for seniors to mingle with like-minded locals, and enjoy a game or maybe a class. The Senior Breakfast Club meets in the Garden Room at the Eustis Recreation Department, 2214 Bates Ave. For information, call 352.357.8510.
