7 minute read
Jeepin With Judd” & Tales of a Rock Star Sheriff
Allow me to tell you a li le bit about our Sheriff here in Poincians, FL. Here in Polk County, Florida, we are very blessed to have a Sheriff who has a “tell it how it is” a tude. Sheriff Grady Judd is a bit of a rock star here. He holds nothing back when it comes to fi gh ng crime.
One of the most famous moments was in 2006, a er a traffi c stop resulted in a deputy and his K-9 dog being shot and killed, deputies shot and killed the suspect, shooting him 68 times. When asked by a reporter about the number of shots, Judd responded, «That›s all the bullets we had, or we would have shot him more More recently, a er the riots during the pandemic and speaking on a possible threat that residents had seen referenced on social media that suggests riot ac vity may start trickling into residen al neighborhoods, he was asked if he any messages for the rioters, Judd said, “I would tell them, if you value your life, you probably shouldn’t do that in Polk County,” Judd said. “Because the people of Polk County like guns, they have guns, I encourage them to own guns, and they’re going to be inside their homes tonight with their guns loaded. And if you try to break into their homes tonight and try to steal, to set fi res, I’m highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns.” (Source: h ps://www.wfl a.com/news/polk-county/sheriff -judd-extends-polk-curfew-another-day-saysunlawful-rio ng-will-get-you-locked-up/)
Now don’t get me wrong. Our County here in Florida is not infested with criminals. But he just wanted to send a message and let his residents know, the Polk County Sherriff ’s Offi ce has the back of every one of those residents. Nice to know.
Now, let’s get to the cool stuff that the Sheriff does for the community besides protect it!
A er nearly a year being trapped indoors due to the COVID-19 crisis, many folks were yearning to go outside and venture into the great outdoors. They were able do just that, as well as support their local law enforcement, with the Jeepin’ with Judd event that was hosted from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28 at Clear Springs Ranch, located at Ledley Ware Rd, Bartow, FL.
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Jeepin With Judd is a three-day family Jeep festival that offers obstacle and trail rides. It is also a fundraiser for Polk Sheriff’s Charities. The cost was $60.00 if you registered online, or $80.00 at the gate. Spectators attended free.
This is from their Facebook Page, “Rev up your Jeep vehicle and drive on down to Clear Springs Ranch in Bartow for three whole days of off -roading. Test your vehicle to its limits with nearly a dozen off -road trails and obstacle courses or watch the excitement from a safe distance from the lookout.” It con nues, “From stock trails to moderate and advanced trails, The Orlando Jeep Club has designed many trails and obstacle courses to give your vehicle a run for its money and kick up dirt with high-octane off -roading fun. Li le ones too young to drive can also join in the fun with the Power Wheels loca on, with several toy cars that will allow children the opportunity to take control of their own vehicles and ride along their own tracks. When they are done riding or watching Jeep vehicles, a endees can peruse the many booths for Jeep related merchandise and grab a bite to eat from one of the many food trucks. All proceeds from the event will go towards Polk Sheriff ’s Chari es, Inc.
“We will fi lter back into the community helping individuals with scholarships for college and for law enforcement memorial purposes, to help those families that may, unfortunately, experience an in-the-line-of-duty
death for law enforcement,” said Alicia Manautou, Public Informa on Offi cer.
Alicia has been volunteering with Jeepin’ With Judd since it fi rst started. She appreciates how the event off ers residents and guests a fun me outdoors and raises funds for the PCSO and its charity organiza on, thus helping the local community in more ways than one.
In light of these uncertain mes, she assures everyone that the event is completely outdoors with no indoor loca ons. Moreover, with people driving their vehicles or watching from afar, the event off ers people enough space to safely distance themselves.
To also ensure the safety and health of par cipants, other precau ons will be put into place. Drive-through touchless check-in will allow a endees to register for the event without having to leave the safety and comfort of their vehicle.
Par cipants can download an app, 4×4 Unity, to their mobile device and use it to scan a QR code to receive informa on about the event.
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Continued from Page 11 The bad news is that the event has sold out, so there are no more Jeep event entry ckets. However, the good news is that the event is s ll open for spectators, so anyone wan ng to come by to watch the vehicles and peruse the vendor and food truck area.
There was the opportunity to purchase “Cheep Jeep” ckets where they will be raffl ing off a 2005 2-door Jeep Wrangler U lity Sport previously owned by Sheriff Judd, thanks to Kelley Buick GMC who donated the Jeep to Polk Sheriff ’s Chari es. Raffl e ckets were purchased on their website and you didn’t have to be present to win.
“Spectators are always free,” Alicia said. “So, if anyone is interested in coming and checking this out and
seeing what all the hubbub is about, spectators are always welcome. There is a great vantage point over the obstacle course to see the Jeeps climb the rocks and travel the trails created for them.”
Local DCJR Dealer Gets Involved!
Since we moved here to Poinciana in June of 2020, I hooked up with a local dealer, Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram of Winter Haven, whose Parts Manager Stephen Choiniere was a former employee of mine when I was working back in Rhode Island. His dad, Lionel was my Service Manager at Tasca CDJR too! I visited Stephen while ge ng some maintenance on my car recently and he’s the one that turned me on to Jeepin’ With Judd.
As a ma er of fact, the family of dealerships owned by Dealer Principal Mike Mahalak, that Stephen works for, were involved as Sherriff Level Sponsors for the event that was held in February. Winter Haven CDJR, Posner Park CDJR, and Lake Wales DCJR, which are all know by their website, h ps:// www.low-payment-kings.com par cipated by selling parts and more! The dealership had a tent for the event and brought 6 vehicles to the show. Some Jeeps were to show and sell and some Jeeps were par cipa ng in the Rally. I understand that one of their stores was successful in selling a couple of Jeeps at the event! Continued on Page 13
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Displayed were Mopar accessories and cool trinkets available through Mopar. Stephen was armed with Mopar Jeep wheels, knobby res, Mopar hats and shirts, a Jeep Crate and more. Because this event draws from ci es and towns from all over the state, Stephen tells us that business was great. Always good to hear about someone moving Mopar accessories!
When you’ve owned and operated a dealership for as long as they have, you get the chance to build a strong rela onship with your community. As proof of their close es to local residents, the dealership’s loca ons have previously partnered with 97 Country WPCV and St. Jude’s Hospital to help fi ght childhood cancer. To contribute to the 97 Country St. Jude Radiothon, their dealership donated the funds collected from test drives and oil changes and put them toward St. Jude’s eff orts to fi nd a pediatric cancer cure. As a result of their team’s goal to serve the community, they were able to provide this renowned hospital with thousands of dollars in dona-
ons. They consider this achievement as a testament to the many ways in which they put our community fi rst.
Pictured here are Parts Manager Stephen Choiniere and Execu ve Assistant Sharon Caruthers.
Being involved in Jeepin’ With Judd is just another way this dealership can give back to the community!
