Historical Museum Reopens
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PRSRT-STD SPORTS: Postal Customer U.S. Postage South Lake tops Clermont, FL Paid 34711 Clermont, FL Leesburg, 28-24 Permit #280 SEE PAGE B4 REMEMBER WHEN | B1 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013 www.southlakepress.com 50¢ NEWSTAND TAVARES GROVELAND Historical Museum reopens Bottler asked ROXANNE BROWN | Staff Writer [email protected] to justify fter months of turmoil that ended earlier this year with A the election of a new board request to of directors, the Lake Coun- ty Historical Society is back on track and has reopened the Lake double usage County Historical Museum. It recently took about 18 vol- Staff Report unteers 140 hours each to move the museum’s collection from Niagara Bottling in has until February the first floor to the fifth floor of to justify its request to the St. Johns River the Lake County Historic Court- Water Management District to nearly dou- house on Main Street in Tavares. ble the amount of water it pumps from the “It was a Herculean job but we Floridan aquifer. did it. It was a big accomplish- District staff said additional technical in- ment for us,” Historical Society formation was needed on the company’s ap- President Rick Reed said. plication and last week sent out a Request for Earlier this year, the Historical Additional Information (RAI) letter. Society was hampered by infight- Niagara has until Feb. 7 to respond to ing that divided the group and saw both sides recognizing their the RAI or to request an extension to the own board members following SEE NIAGARA | A2 separate elections. As bicker- ing continued and the negative publicity mounted, Lake County stepped in to freeze its financial support of the Historical Society and closed the museum’s doors. In April, another election was held and the county recognized Reed as president, backed up by Vice President Sanna Henderson (a former mayor of Leesburg), Trea- PHOTO COURTESY OF NIAGARA BOTTLING surer Howard King and Secretary Niagara Bottling in Groveland uses water from the Floridan Michael Holland (a member of the Aquifer to make and then fill plastic bottles with water. Eustis City Council). Last month, the county commission agreed to restore funding in the amount of Who are our biggest $18,800 to the new board. LINDA CHARLTON / “The show of support and just SPECIAL TO THE knowing that our commission- DAILY COMMERCIAL users of water? ers acknowledge and support us Staff Report means so much,” Reed said. ABOVE: Society Presi- The museum on the fifth floor dent Rick Reed plac- Niagara is one of seven bottled water — which is open on Fridays and es a sign declaring operations permitted in the 18-county St. Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 pm, the museum open. Johns River Water Management District. and on Sundays from 12 noon to 2 LEFT: A display on Those seven bottled water companies pm — features displays that help the main floor of are allocated a combined total of 2 million tell the story of the entire county. the Historical Court- gallons a day from the Floridan aquifer, “I love being at the muse- house. less than three-tenth’s of 1 percent of the um and I love being able to take water used in the district on a daily basis, people through Lake County’s according to district officials. SEE MUSEUM | A9 SEE USERS | A2 INSIDE GROVELAND CLASSIFIED B8 Clermont, FL Permit No. 280 CROSSWORDS B2 U.S. POSTAGE PAID U.S. POSTAGE presort standard mail DEATHS A12 African Children’s Choir slated to perform REAL ESTATE C1 ROXANNE BROWN | Staff Writer We hear so many people tell “The singing was so inspi- REMEMBER WHEN B1 [email protected] us what a blessing it is to rational and beautiful, and it SPORTS B4 was awesome to interact with The African Children’s Choir, have heard them sing, but it’s the children afterwards to hear VOICES A4 under the umbrella of a non- a blessing for the children more about their testimonies,” WORD ON THE STREET A2 profit organization called “Mu- Kish said. “It was a fabulous in- sic for Life,” is traveling the too, to experience what teraction and my own children, SOUTH country, wowing crowds with they do while here, coming who were preteens at the time, LAKE their voices and inspirational from so much poverty. were very moved as well.” PRESS stories. According to representatives The group will be in Grove- Joseph Mukasa of the The African Children’s VOLUME 98, NO. 43 land to perform a free concert the concert was an experience Choir, the childrens’ perfor- 3 SECTIONS beginning at 7 p.m., today, at she’s never forgotten. mance will feature well-loved ©2008, HALIFAX Hope International Church, Kish said she is happy to children’s songs and dances Media 7432 Highway 50, Suite 109. know that the choir will once from their homeland, in ad- Group Erika Kish, who heard the again be stopping in Groveland dition to traditional Spirituals All rights reserved group years ago during a pre- as part of its tour spanning the and Gospel favorites in English. www. southlakepress.com vious visit to the church, said East Coast this year. SEE PERFORM | A11 A2 SOUTH LAKE PRESS Wednesday, October 23, 2013 What South Lake residents are saying about ... Area Briefs CLERMONT Wordon the COSTUMES Sawgrass Bay Elementary Street If you could be anything for Halloween, awarded $2,5000 grant what would it be? Sawgrass Bay Elementary School has been awarded a Walmart Local Facility Giving Program grant in the amount of $2,500. The school, in recognizing its man- date to foster learning and to pre- pare students to have the appropriate 21st century skills applied for and was awarded funding to further its technol- ogy program, allowing the school to purchase additional devices. In the coming months the school will launch its “Bring Your Own Technology” initiative. Chewbacca, so I can Abraham Lincoln, but I’d be Marie Antoinette I would be a goril- CLERMONT match my dog. from the movie ’Abraham because of the elaborate la wearing a tuxedo. I CHARLIE DUFRESNE Lincoln Vampire Hunter’ medieval dresses, corsets, have always wanted to Kings Ridge Royal CLERMONT It’s inspiring. the white curly big hair dress up as that. I mean, Showcase set for Nov. 9 ADAM VAN and the pink lipstick. what’s funnier than that? “My Three Sons” will entertain CLERMONT DAPHNE VAN I would also like to answer guests with an old-fashioned bar- CLERMONT the door to the kids who bershop harmony at the Kings Ridge are trick-or-treating, hand Royal Showcase at 7 p.m., Nov. 9, in them candy in my gorilla the Ballroom. Tickets are $25. suit and see their faces. Kings Ridge is at 1900 Kings Ridge BOB HULLEY Blvd., Clermont. CLERMONT For information and tickets, call 352-242-9653. the company, said it’s not renewal and modifica- responded by saying they NIAGARA out of the ordinary for the tion request include: wanted proof the wa- CLERMONT FROM PAGE A1 district to want more de- ■ Withdrawing 63 per- ter would actually come tails on requests to pump cent (576,000 gpd) from from the lower aquifer South Lake Art League response time frame, dis- more water. the lower Floridan aqui- and that area lakes would to host art festival trict officials said. When “RAIs are part of the fer and 37 percent not be impacted. The Downtown Clermont Art Fest the application is con- process that we respect,” (334,000 gpd) from the Niagara’s existing per- on Nov. 2-3 is currently booking en- sidered complete, district he said Thursday. upper Floridan aquifer. mit authorizes them to tertainment for the festival. ■ staff will determine if the Niagara is permitted Reducing Niagara’s use water to manufacture Interested jazz and blues musicians under a permit that the upper Floridan aquifer plastic water bottles and requested allocation of should call Mary Prescott, coordina- district approved in Sep- withdrawal from 484,000 to purify groundwater water meets the permit- tor, at 352-406-0904. Limited perfor- tember 2009 to withdraw gpd to the 334,000 gpd. for bottled drinking wa- mance slots are available. ting criteria. The district’s up to 484,000 gallons per In its application ma- ter using a reverse osmo- governing board would For information, call Prescott at day (gpd) from the up- terials, Niagara indicates sis process at its facility 352-406-0904. then make the final de- per Floridan aquifer. That that by taking less water northwest of Groveland. cision on whether to is- permit expires in Decem- from the upper Floridan That facility has been op- WINDERMERE sue or deny a permit at a ber 2013. Niagara wants aquifer, impacts to the erating since 2008 and public meeting. to increase that amount surficial and upper Flori- serves customers in the Church to host annual Joe Kilsheimer, a public to 910,000 gpd. dan aquifers would be re- southern and mid-Atlan- pumpkin patch event relations consultant for Details about Niagara’s duced. District officials tic states. Windermere Union Church pre- school, 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Road allowed to pump up to shows, including: Course in Clermont – up just north of Windermere, will host USERS 2,887 million gallons per ■ Jon’s Nursery in Eustis to 262 million gallons per their annual pumpkin patch from FROM PAGE A1 year. Clermont is fol- – up to 350 million gallons year for irrigation. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 31, or as lowed by The Village Cen- per year for 200 acres of a ■ Silver Lakes/Western long as they have a supply of pump- Niagara currently ter Community Develop- containerized nursery.