THE HIT LIST

CHUG A CHAGA

Mushroom lovers will be happy to know that there is a whole month dedicated to the tasty little fungi. According to NationalDayCalendar.com, September is National Mushroom Month, so you may try stu ng one for dinner or chopping a few up for a stir-fry.

Or you could celebrate by drinking a mushroom. Why not try a Chagachino from One Utopia, a super foods drink bar located in The Downtown Exchange Clemont?

Never chugged a Chagachino? It’s made with oat milk, monk fruit, cinnamon, vanilla, cacao and Chaga, a type of mushroom that grows on birch trees and that One Utopia’s Owner Tina Aldrich says contains a higher natural source of antioxidants than 3 pounds of blueberries or 30 pounds of carrots. When ordering a Chagachino, you can ask for it hot or cold, or with a shot of espresso.

“When we tell people what’s in our Chagachino, they think, ‘What, I’m drinking a mushroom? Oh no,’ but when they try it, they usually can’t believe it. We turn it into something that really tastes delicious, that’s sugar free and that is very good for you,” says Aldrich.

If you’re not into mushrooms, or you’re allergic to them, One Utopia serves many other drinks. And everything on the menu is plant-based, keto, vegan, organic, paleo friendly and gluten free.

ONE UTOPIA

639 8th St, Clermont, FL // 407.575.7616 oneutopia.com

HONEY HONEY

Dandelions aren’t just a weed to get rid of in your garden! They also have dual uses, culinary and medicinal. Dandelions are 100% edible, and in the culinary world, they have many uses because they are so full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Greens can be eaten raw in a salad, or cooked in a soup. Dandelion greens are high in vitamins C, A and K, and have small amounts of vitamin E, folates and other B vitamins. They’re also a good source of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Stems are often used in teas.

You can also use dandelion heads to make vegan honey! With water, dandelion heads and lemon, simmer for 15 minutes and leave overnight. In the morning, strain the liquid with a strainer or cloth, add an amount of sugar equal to the amount of liquid and bring the new mixture to a boil for 15 minutes. Just make sure if you’re consuming raw or cooked dandelions your owers have been grown in safe soil and have been washed thoroughly.

Medicinally, not only do dandelions contain antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are important to the human body, but consuming dandelions can control blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, promote a healthy liver, aid in weight loss and help with digestion and a strong immune system.

Outside of the body, dandelion leaf and ower extracts have been shown to help with skin damaged by the sun, as well as reducing in ammation and even preventing acne in some cases.

TREAT ME NICE… TREAT ME GOOD

September is “Be Kind to Writers and Editors Month.” We know, it sounds bizarre, but Texas-based Lone Star Publishing actually established the event in 1984. For some, displaying kindness to a writer or editor seems incomprehensible. Many think journalists twist facts to promote their hidden agendas, need to take a remedial writing class, or are the lowest scum on earth.

At Akers Media Group, we value honesty and integrity. We diligently fact check and thoroughly proofread each sentence, oftentimes pulling out the AP Stylebook or dictionary when something is in doubt. And our only “agenda” is to produce the most informative, eye-pleasing magazines we possibly can.

And yet, we’ll be the rst to admit we make errors. If you notice a mistake in any of our publications, we want you to bring it to our attention. Just try to be kind when doing so.

At least for this month.

Photo of Miss Leesburg 2019 winners ( Left to right: Teen Miss Mercedes Perry, Tiny Miss Alexis Blasky, Miss Leesburg Kamryn Reynolds, Little Miss Harper Rickey, Junior Miss Callie Braun) provided by missleesburg.com, photo of Chagachino drink taken by Anthony Rao.

ISN’T SHE LOVELY

The 34th annual Miss Leesburg Scholarship Pageant will be held on Saturday, September 26, at the Leesburg High School auditorium. Invitation for entry is extended to all local girls living or attending school in Leesburg, Yalaha, Fruitland Park, Lady Lake or The Villages. All girls ages 4-19 are welcome to enter, and there will be ve age divisions.

The Miss Leesburg Scholarship Program is a nonpro t educational youth organization, originally created by Mrs. Linda Watts, whose mission is to make a positive di erence in the lives of young ladies of Leesburg, primarily through a professionally supported volunteer program. The program’s goal is to assist girls in the community in achieving their highest potential “as they grow to become con dent and caring individuals who show a commitment to volunteer work, leadership and standards of excellence,” says the Miss Leesburg website.

Some of the many volunteer programs the girls participate in throughout the year are Share Your Christmas Food Drive, annual Jacket Drive, Leesburg Christmas Stroll, the Downtown Partnership Boo Bash event, School supply drive for needy children, Diaper Drive for the Pregnancy Care Center and local daycares, Leesburg Center for the Arts activities, Relay for Life, American Cancer Society, Head Start projects and volunteering at Brookdale Senior Living and many other projects.

Winners will represent Leesburg at special events, parades and community activities throughout the year. The pageant is also pleased to announce that scholarships will be awarded. The scholarship committee works throughout the year to raise money with fundraisers, donations, and ad sales for the pageant program book. Since 1997, the Miss Leesburg Scholarship has awarded $165,000 to young women of Leesburg. All funds raised are used solely for scholarships, which are paid directly to the student’s college of choice.

Miss Leesburg will receive a $5,000 cash scholarship, made payable to the college. The rst runner-up receives a $2,000 scholarship and second runner-up receives $1,000. The four younger age group winners receive $500 cash. The students are also recognized by the Mayor, the City of Leesburg, Leesburg Chamber of Commerce, Leesburg Partnership, the Fire Department and Police Chief Rob Hicks.

The application deadline is September 20, and applications can be found at missleesburg.com, or you can call 352.326.4217 for additional information.

BOTTOMS UP!

Beer lovers, Sept. 28 is your day! It’s National Drink a Beer Day, according to Foodimentary.com, just in case you need an excuse to enjoy your favorite brew.

Those interested in savoring a selection of some ne German beers may want to check out Yalaha Bakery, which is also known for its beer garden and award-winning German bakery lled with ne European pastries, breads, tortes, tarts and tasty pretzels.

YALAHA BAKERY

8210 County Road 48, Yalaha FL // 352.324.3366 yalahabakery.com

BOAT SAFELY

As Lake County residents take to local waterways, the U.S. Coast Guard encourages people to act responsibly in following safety procedures while boating.

“Florida is the biggest boating state that there is, and obviously we have great recreation,” says Robert Musco, vice otilla commander and public a airs specialist of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Lake County. He encourages boaters to participate in an in-depth boating safety course.

In the “About Boating Safely” classes to be o ered 8:30am to 5:30pm Sept. 26 and also on Oct. 24, at Mid Florida Lakes Community Building, 188 Forest Drive, Leesburg, participants will learn the rules of the water and earn a Florida boater ID card. The class is required for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1988 who intends to operate a vessel of 10 horsepower or more.

To learn more about the class, contact instructor Dan McFadden at dan2brig@comcast.net or call 609.774.8677. The course costs $40. For additional information on other boating courses, visit cgaux.org.

A CLASS ACT

Twenty-seven years ago this month, Lake County lost one of its most beloved citizens. Max Wettstein, a science teacher and assistant football coach at Tavares High School, died in an ultralight plane crash near his home in Leesburg on Sept. 6, 1993.

Max played professional football with the Denver Broncos in 1966 and spent several seasons in the Continental Football League with the Orlando Panthers. He later coached football at Leesburg, Wildwood and Tavares High Schools. He was equally pro cient as a science teacher, earning an honor from NASA for creating a Mercury space capsule to help his students learn about astronaut John Glenn’s famous 1962 mission.

STICKING TO THEIR GUNS

As of July 31, Lake County ranks 13th among Florida’s 67 counties in the number of people who have concealed weapons permits, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Licensing. In Lake County, 50,422 people have a concealed permit, compared to 9,754 in Sumter County.

REMEMBER TO NEVER FORGET

Sept. 11 marks the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed and injured thousands of people when hijacked planes crashed into the twin towers, the Pentagon and a eld in Pennsylvania.

On this day, people remember lives lost and the unity that ensued across America.

Clermont Police Chief Charles Broadway, a detective with the New York City Police Department at that time, says he received a call on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 he will never forget. The desk o cer told him to report back to work because a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center.

Chief Broadway rushed in to assist with search and recovery e orts that lasted for weeks and months.

Chief Broadway says 9/11 should never be forgotten.

“Since I’ve been here, we have had a ceremony every single year in honor of 9/11,” Chief Broadway says. “But this year with the uncertainty of possibly not being able to host a ceremony due to COVID-19, I encourage everyone to remember those who died on that day, but also, to remember the rst responders who died years later after being exposed to the toxins at Ground Zero and to pray for those who are still sick today.”