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Local entrepreneurs connect through website

A new website is helping Lake County entrepreneurs fi nd resources and promote their businesses. The Florida High Tech Corridor Council has created the Florida Virtual Entrepreneur Center at fl vec.com.

The site offers business owners access to a database of local and statewide resources, including help with licenses, business mentoring and coaching, networking, and venture capital.

FLVEC also promotes entrepreneurs by publishing profi le articles about them online, complete with links to their website and social media accounts. The profi les help entrepreneurs connect with each other, leading to new opportunities.

Lake County Economic Development is one of the partners in the program.

“Lake County fully understands that our existing businesses are the lifeblood of Lake County’s economy, and a thriving local economy can only be achieved if these existing businesses are allowed to prosper,” says Robert Chandler, Lake’s director of economic growth.

The Corridor Council is an economic development initiative of the universities of Central Florida, South Florida, and Florida.

Straighten up, there’s a new pastor in town

Congregational Church of Mount Dora, 650 N. Donnelly St., recently rang in a new pastor with pomp and circumstance. Rev. Gary Marshall was scheduled to be installed April 30 in front of congregants, ministers from local churches, a representative from the National Association of Congregational Churches, and a 40-member choir during a service followed by a social hour and refreshments. The reverend, 76, retired in 2012 as priest/rector at All Saints Anglican Church in Palatka, where he was involved in preaching, teaching, counseling, planning services, and administration. He formerly was the comptroller and an IT technician at Marshall Entertainment Insurance in Orlando. From 1975 through 1994, he taught and counseled young adults as a minister in the Diocese of Central Florida. Since 2014, Pastor Gary has volunteered as a computer software instructor at W.T. Bland Library in Mount Dora, and he conducts an online daily Bible study. He and his wife, Karen, reside in Mount Dora and serve in the community.

Donation powers Lake Technical College program

Lake Technical College’s new Center for Advanced Manufacturing aims to be one of the premier workforce training facilities in Central Florida.

That mission received a boost when PowerTech Generators, based in Leesburg, donated fi ve diesel engines worth more than $100,000 to the CAM and its diesel mechanic program.

Lake County Economic Development brought the business and the college together for a deal that will help PowerTech gain skilled employees, while enabling students to train on these specialized machines at little to no cost to the school.

Robert Chandler, director of Lake County’s Economic Growth Department, and Dr. Diane Culpepper, executive director of Lake Technical College, recently toured the PowerTech facility and thanked company executives for the donation.

The CAM, expected to open this fall in Eustis, will provide future workforce training in the fi elds of computerized machining, welding, and fabrication.

PowerTech is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of mobile diesel generators, including marine generators, worldwide military projects, and gas/diesel electric vehicles. PowerTech is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of mobile diesel generators.

Mom, don’t call me, I’ll call you

More and more children are enjoying the benefi t of having their own cell phone at a fairly young age. And sometimes, it’s not just the kid who thinks it’s a good idea—parents fi nd that connection to their child gives them more peace of mind. “I do feel safer now that she has her own phone,” says Ally Hosterman, of Leesburg. “She’s seldom away from me, but when she is, I know I can reach her quickly.” Does daughter Callie, who’s 11, take advantage of having a phone? “Not really. She’s very adept with it, and she actually plays games with it more than she talks on it.” About 90 percent of parents feel better knowing they can reach their child easily, and, likewise, the child can reach them easily, according to a recent survey by the Nielsen Company.

WHY ARE PARENTS GETTING THEIR KIDS WIRELESS SERVICE BEFORE THEIR CHILD TURNS 13?

I can get ahold of her/him easily

She/he can reach out to me easily

I can track her/his location

She/he has been asking for it for a while

I want to get her/him familiar with mobile technology

I have a good family/shared wireless plan to cover additional lines

Source: Nielsen 66%

65% 62% 80% 90% 90%

James Combs’

1 According to the Eustis Police Department, a 26-year-old man used a baby stroller to steal shampoo from a local grocery store. This guy apparently isn’t right in the head…and shoulders.

2

A Eustis woman is facing felony battery charges after police say she hit her boyfriend over the head with a roller skate and broke it.

Let’s be perfectly clear about something.

This wasn’t a hate crime; it was a skate crime.

3 After $5,500 worth of damage was done to her vehicle, a Clermont woman is suing Toyota, claiming that the soy-based insulation made the wires a tasty treat for rats, mice and squirrels. Toyota off icials deny these accusations, saying that all their vehicles are mouse-terpieces. 4 A branch supervisor of a Lake County library was fired after an investigation uncovered he knew about a fellow employee who created a fake account to check out books. The fake account was created to keep the library’s book collection intact.

Much like some of those books, his firing was long overdue. It’s time he underwent some serious shelf-reflection.

5 A handyman stole $32,000 from the checking account of a 77-year-old retired Navy veteran in The Villages. Apparently, the handyman was providing lawn care for the elderly man. Lawn care, eh? After being caught for this heinous crime, I think it’s safe to say he can kiss his grass goodbye.

6 A 33-year-old woman visiting her parents in The

Villages was arrested after struggling with a man over possession of a cell phone and grabbing him by his genitals. I’ve got to give her credit. She was “balls in” for this one.

Gotta get your name on!

Looking for personalized unique gifts for parents of newborn babies? Or maybe something to give a new mom or a bride and her wedding party?

Gotta Get Your Name On!, 1124 Bichara Blvd., The Villages, provides a variety of items—blankets, robes, clothing, accessories—that can be monogrammed with names, dates, and sweet messages.

“The robes are really popular with the matching slippers and makeup cases, and it makes a very nice gift for Mother’s Day, graduation, birthdays, and we have done them for bridesmaids and the whole wedding entourage,” says Karen Andrews, who has been doing monograms for 10 years. She encourages 14 days for items to be monogrammed as gifts.

Visit the library from your home

Have you ever heard of the Florida Electronic Library? It’s available on your computer, tablet, or whatever device you use to read online material. It’s very easy to access. Simply go to mylakelibrary.org, and on the home page under Databases, you’ll find Florida Electronic Library. You can look for resources or search topics, find resources for students from K-12, browse newspapers and magazines, and even search for career and job resources. It’s a wealth of information at your fingertips. Funds for this site came from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The LSTA in Florida falls under the Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Service. Check out your electronic library today.

Josh Takes On: AN ADMITTEDLY ASKEW POINT OF VIEW FROM THE MIND OF ILLUSTRATOR JOSH CLARK

Custom travel to Peru

Ricardo Soriano, a native of Peru and owner of Cozco Handcraft Gallery, 1121 Main St., The Villages, will host and escort a 10-day tour, to what he calls the “magical world of Peru,” this month and again in October in his homeland. Travelers will see Machu Picchu, also known as the Lost City of the Incas, which is noted as an impressive sight as it rises out of the mist of green-covered mountains at 7,874 feet above sea level in the semitropical region of southern Peru. Closer to home, Ricardo’s store in The Villages provides a glimpse of Peru with colorful handmade crafts, jewelry, clothing, and more. In October, Ricardo celebrates 11 years in The Villages.