C M Y K PRSRT-STD COMBINE READY: Friend Postal Customer U.S. Postage Clermont, FL Paid says Danny Trevathan 34711 Clermont, FL can play in the NFL. Permit #280 SEE PAGE B4 REMEMBER WHEN | B1 Serving Clermont, Minneola, Groveland, Mascotte, Montverde FRIDAY, FEBRUARYOUTH 24, 2012 LAKE RESS50¢ NEWSSTAND S www.southlakepress.com P GROVELAND City offers healthcare cards to residents ROXANNE BROWN | Staff Writer locals, saving them an average of the council for consideration. member but it does give us [email protected] The best form of governing is finding about 23 percent off the retail answers to potential problems and Radzik said he and Wilson access to many programs and price of prescription medica- learned of the program’s exis- benefits we couldn’t get other- Groveland has launched a pro- providing relief to real needs — before tions. Groveland is the first city the fact. tence at last year’s NLC annual wise.” gram to provide its more than Radzik said the city is also in Lake County to take advan- OURVIEW | A4 conference. 8,500 residents some relief from tage of the program. “It is of no cost to the city, it’s a looking into other programs the high cost of prescription “I’m excited that the city is able reputable program through offered by the NLC that may be medications. to reach out to people who need something the city has been Caremark and it was a result of available to residents as well. The National League of Cities- some help,” Mayor Mike Radzik looking into since August, after our being a member of the The NLC Prescription Dis- sponsored program makes avail- said. he and former Councilwoman National League of Cities,” count Card can be used by all able free discount cards to all Radzik said the program is Evelyn Wilson brought it before Radzik said. “Not every city is a SEE GROVELAND | A2 GROVELAND | STABLE RELATIONSHIP The many faces of HOMELESSNESS Without a place to call their own, many are struggling just to survive CHRIS GERBASI | Staff Writer Assistance Act has helped [email protected] the district, including a School-age children team of 12 social workers, can fit the definition of facilitate services for “homeless’’ in a variety of homeless students. ways. They may be living The district has re- in motels or cars, or at ceived $320,000 the past campgrounds or grand- three years, said Jan ma’s house. Tobias, director of stu- The Lake County School dent services. District is providing serv- McCall said the num- ices to a significant num- ber of students that are ber of them: about 2,500 characterized as home- students on any given less is disturbing, but predictable. day. “If you look at the fore- PHOTOS BY KERI RASMUSSEN / DAILY COMMERCIAL The majority of those closure numbers in Lake students have roofs over County, it doesn’t seem their heads, but are shar- so far-fetched,’’ she said. ing other people’s homes. McCall said some stu- Riding into her future “They’re living with dents are living in cars somebody else because and perhaps tents but manda Bacon, above, gives her horse, Sammy, they no longer have a those numbers are diffi- some personal attention as she prepped the home of their own, or cult to determine. horse for a ride at Saddlewood Stables in they can’t find a home of “Some are in RV parks, Groveland. Horse ownership isn’t just about their own because of A quite a few are in motels,’’ riding, however. Bacon’s daily chores include cleaning the financial hardship,’’ said she said. “I’ve heard that pens and stables. After working two years at a horse Kristin McCall, district in the south end of the rescue, Bacon opened her stables with the focus of liaison for the homeless. county, there may be teaching children about horses and riding. “It’s definitely The district figure typi- some in tents, but par- a passion,” she said. “You always learn something; you’re cally hovers around 2,400 ents are not wanting that never an expert.” Bacon wants to keep her operation to 2,600, or about 6 per- to be known. small and manageable. She’s hosting an open house cent of the 41,000 student “If we find out a stu- Saturday, providing entertainment and an opportunity for population. dent is living in a car, we children and adults to learn more. For information, call A three-year state grant do the best we can to get 352-217-1616 or visit www.saddlewoodstables.com. that supports the Mc- Kinney-Vento Homeless SEE HOMELESS | A2 INSIDE CLERMONT CLASSIFIED B8 CROSSWORDS B2 Richardson leaves director’s chair at training center DEATHS A12 REAL ESTATE C1 ROXANNE BROWN | Staff Writer “As many of you know, we’ve experi- owns and operates the complex, said REMEMBER WHEN B1 [email protected] enced positive growth at the (National coaches and teams from around the SPORTS B4 Training) Center, particularly in our country are using the 120-acre facili- Dr. Dot Richardson, a two-time ties and training there to become VOICES A4 team sports training programs,” South Olympic gold medalist in softball and Lake Hospital Chief Executive Officer more competitive. WORD ON THE STREET A2 eight-year medical director and cur- John Moore wrote in an email notify- Spokesperson Kim Couch said the rent director of Clermont’s National ing the South Lake Leadership Team of staff is excited because the new role SOUTH LAKE PRESS Training Center, will no longer hold the new changes. “To their credit, Dr. will allow Richardson to truly focus on the director’s post. growing the NTC’s athletic programs. VOLUME 97, NO.8 | 3 SECTIONS Dot Richardson and the NTC staff have Richardson, 50, has been reassigned developed and expanded these pro- “With this change, she (Richardson) ©2008, HarborPoint Media. to a new role created just for her — grams particularly over the past two will be able to focus more on the vision and future growth, which she’s All rights reserved. leading the sports training programs years and that focus is paying off.” www.southlakepress.com at the complex. Moore, the head of the hospital that SEE RICHARDSON | A2 DR. DOT RICHARDSON C M Y K A2 SOUTH LAKE PRESS Friday, February 24, 2012 What South Lake residents are saying about the... South Lake Briefs CLERMONT Wordon the RECENT WILDFIRES Women’s expo needs Street Did the smoke affect you in any way? vendors for March event The Clermont Woman’s Club is taking applications for vendors for the 10th annual South Lake Woman’s Expo, which will be held March 24 at Wesley Center at the United Metho- dist Church, 950 7th St., north of S.R. 50 in Clermont. The club is offering a bonus for all vendors signing up to participate – a business card ad to be published in the March 16 edition of the South Lake Press. For information, send an email to Basha Schlazer at [email protected]. Yes, the smoke in the No, I live way down We’ve been visiting We have been visiting I live about a mile Admission to the expo, which starts air has affected my on 27 at King’s Ridge, this past week and and golfing here in from there but I’ve at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m., is free. eyes and my breath- so it has not affected staying at a hotel. the area for the past been away the whole ing, especially on me very much at all. When the fire started, week and, yes, weekend. We returned Those attending can purchase Monday while we DON COMERFORD we though the neigh- absolutely; it’s affected Monday and when everything from fashions (men’s and were at the park. CLERMONT bor in the next room my breathing and my husband, who is a women’s) to health and nutrition MARILYN WILSON was smoking a lot but allergies for sure. school bus driver, saw products, to jewelry, travel and health BRAMPTON ONTARIO, it was the smoke from RUTH SAWDON all the smoke, he care products. CANADA the fire coming in ARNPRIOR ONTARIO, was wondering if on from outside. The CANADA Tuesday he’d have any CLERMONT smoke bothers me but problems getting the East Ridge FFA hosts it really hasn’t affected kids to school but he dinner, cake sale Friday my health or driving. didn’t. We smell it but MARSHA CUASCUT it hasn’t been too bad. East Ridge High School FFA will WAYNESBORO, PENN. CAROL HANSON host its ninth annual dinner and cake CLERMONT sale at 6 p.m., Friday, in the cafeteria. A donation of $10 per person will cover the cost of a lasagna dinner ballfields built in 2008 in partner- TAVARES catered by Spiros Restaurant. RICHARDSON ship with Lake-Sumter Community High school graduations dates set CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 College and Lake County govern- The event is held each year to raise ment. funds for students who are attending Special to the Daily Commercial in 2012-13. doing already, but without having Currently, world renowned track educational workshops, state and The graduation times to handle the day-to-day opera- star and hurdler Damu Cherry is national leadership conferences and Two of South Lake’s and locations are as fol- tions of the facility,” Couch said. training at the NTC under coach career development events. high schools will be host- lows: “She’ll be able to continue bringing Dennis Mitchell for the upcoming Tickets are available by contacting ing graduation cere- ࡯ East Ridge High more teams in, coordinate games Olympic games, along with track FFA Advisor, Jessie Reagan at 352-242- monies this school year School, 3 p.m., June 1, at and do what she does best.” and field star Tyson Gay, training 2080, ext.