Road Closure -week of Sept 16, 2013

Please note 

Road Closure - Caroline St. & Disston Ave. week of September 16

This intersection will be closed to through traffic while the City works on utility upgrades in the downtown area. Please proceed with caution in this neighborhood and follow directional signs

Click HERE for more info on utility upgrades in Tavares, FL and see a map of the traffic detour plan.

Everyone Loves a Parade!

EVERYONE has a parade memory. Whether it was a sister or brother in the marching band, an uncle driving an old shined up hot rod  in the Rotary section or a line of badly dressed clowns carrying a banner and throwing out candy for their local organization, we have all been there.
 Parades are a part of Americana and give small towns a time to come together and celebrate their community. Its a time to show off your pride , parade down the street with your group and tell the world whats important to you.
Parades are also a great way to support your community festivities and create memories for your friends and family...and you!
If YOU want to be a part of the Tavares, FL 4th of July Parade, here's your chance. Its FREE!

Posted by the City of Tavares:

Participants NEEDED for 4th of July Parade - Register now

"It's a Grand Old Flag" is the theme of Tavares' Independence Day celebration and you are cordially invited to participate in the parade.
 NO ENTRY FEES!
Parade will begin on Main Street & Ruby Street at 5pm. All floats and participants will be judged and awards presented in the following categories:
Most Patriotic, Most Creative, Best Youth, Best Float and Judges Award
Applications must be submitted to the City of Tavares no later than June 24th.
Click HERE for the Application

For more info call 352.742.6319 or email dblais@tavares.org

Time captured through Art

 Ah, Florida..
Growing up in upstate New York, I always dreamed of coming to Florida.
 Old books like "The Yearling" by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings about living in the tranquility of palm tree woods and the promise of thick hot summer nights engulfed me. It was my mission to live and fish in peace for the rest of my life in eternally warm weather on the edge of a peaceful lake.
 Finally the day came when we arrived in Orlando.
Shock is just the tip of the iceberg. Not only was this Florida filled with Disney and Disney wannabe tourist traps, traffic jams and angry sounding foreigners, The whole surrounding area was ticky tacky suburban homes that all looked the same.
I eventually found Tavares and Mount Dora, Florida and Lake Dora on the Harris Chain of Lakes. The lakes are connected by the Dora Canal, a stretch of pristine Cypress canopy dotted with wild alligators and blue heron that will take you back in time. You can see the canal yourself on a narrated boat tour with Premier Boats. See a little preview below:

If you miss the boat, make sure you check out the Art exhibit at Tavares Art in the Square starting March 11, 2013.
Acclaimed Florida Artist Catherine Haynes Stockwell will be featured through April 10.
 Mrs. Stockwell was born in Deland, FL in 1893 and was a 1917 graduate of Stetson University. She moved to Eustis in 1937 with her family and lived there until her death in 1983. See real old Florida and particularly this area as it was seen through her eyes before tourist attractions and shopping malls. Her paintings preserve Central Florida’s landmarks of that period such as Trout Lake before the trailer park and the landing on Lake Eustis before civilization changed the shoreline. Her daughter estimates she must have completed at least 5,000 paintings in her lifetime.

There will be a reception featuring her artwork Monday, March 11, 2013, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm at Tavares City Hall, 201 E. Main Street. Admission is free.

Bob Grenier, author of “The Gallant Captain Melton Haynes,”and Tavares city councilman will introduce the artist’s daughters MayLo and Kathleen.  Captain Harry will provide live entertainment.  Light refreshments will be provided.
This exhibit kicks off  Viva Libros!, the 2013 BookFest presented by the Lake County Library System. For a full event schedule visit www.MyLakeLibrary.org.
For more information on Tavares Art in the Square exhibit, contact Tamara Rogers, Tavares Community Services, 352.742.6338.

African-American Heritage Festival Feb 1 & 2, 2013

Posted by the city of Tavares, Florida

African-American Heritage Festival - February 1 & 2

African-American Heritage Festival
February 1 & 2 in Tavares
The African-American Heritage Festival will take place in Tavares on February 1 & 2. This celebration of African-American culture will include three major events.
On Friday, February 1, in the Tavares High School Gymnasium, there will be a free cultural event. The Community Choir will perform at 6 pm and a dance performance will begin at 7 pm. The Center for Contemporary Dance presents Moore Dance Project in “Reflections,” a series of new contemporary dance works set to the soulful sounds of the Motown era. Under the artistic direction of award-winning choreographer Dario J. Moore, the Moore Dance Project is the area’s first and only African-American professional dance ensemble. Using classic music from Motown legends like Marvin Gay, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and many more, the company will present world-premier dance works featuring seasoned dancers who command the stage with grace, artistry and depth. Refreshments will be served by the African-American Heritage Committee.
On Saturday, February 2, there will be a parade down Main Street, in downtown Tavares, which will begin at 10:00 am. Following the parade there will be an African-American Festival from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm in Wooton Park, located on Ruby Street. Entertainment includes singing, dancing, gospel choirs and steppers, promising an afternoon of toe-tapping fun. There will also be arts and crafts, food vendors, as well as historical and cultural educational exhibits. Admission is free.
The Moore Dance Project produces artistically-engaging dance works that celebrate and examine new perspectives in the African-American experience. Founded in Washington, DC in 2001, the Project has been operating out of The Center for Contemporary Dance in Winter Park, FL since 2006. Since arriving in Central Florida, Moore Dance Project has presented more than 35 new dance works, including those commissioned by the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, Rollins College, the Tupperware Company, Black Enterprise Magazine and the Pepsi-Cola Company.
The Center for Contemporary Dance is an award-winning education, incubation and production center for the dance arts. Over the past eleven years, the organization has supported emerging and seasoned artists in the creation and presentation of more than 250 new dance works, including those by Moore Dance Project. Responsible for the emergence of no less than eleven professional contemporary dance companies, the organization has received recognition and awards from United Arts of Central Florida, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Florida Alliance for Arts Education. To learn more, visit www.TheCenterForDance.org.
For questions regarding the dance performance contact Tavares Community Services, 352.742.6338.
For questions on the African-American Festival contact Pastor Mike Watkins, 352.406.9608 or Sheila Short 352.552.0325.

Save the World! with electric cars

I've seen the little pumps around town but never thought much about them. They're the Electric vehicle charge stations for those eco friendly vegan bunny hugger vehicle owners, right?

 Does anyone actually use them? I was certain they would fall away to the side quickly like those electric generating devices. You know the ones people were supposedly running out to install on their homes so they could charge back the electric companies for unused electric. 
I figured people would start using them to lock their bikes to at the very most.

But then I was forwarded this email to Bill Neron of Tavares economic development. Maybe I'm wrong?

From: Christopher G
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2012 11:47 AM
To: Bill Neron
Subject: Had a great day in Tavares

Dear Mr. Neron, I just had such a wonderful day in Tavares yesterday, I felt compelled to send a thank you note.  You see, I drove from Oviedo to Tavares to take a ride on the Cannonball Express with my family.  In addition, we planned a picnic and playing in Wooton park.  Before leaving I had a decision to make.  Do I take the family in the minivan, or use my new Chevy Volt.  I checked my ChargePoint app and found that you have installed several EV charging stations in that immediate area.  So, we piled in the Volt.  I was very surprised to find the charging station located in a great spot, and even more importantly, that it was free.  I have owned this car for little more than a month, but have yet to find a public charging station in a usable location.  To get back to the point, we had a great day!  We love the park and the restaurants in that area.  And now we also thank the city of Tavares for putting in EV charging stations as well as making it free.  It allowed my family to make the round trip at a cost of about $2.  I hope to make the trip back again soon. Sincerely, Chris G Well there it is. Now I'm starting to think about it. $2 round trip to Oviedo? Every time I fill my gas tank it costs me $50. Even worse, every time I start my car, I emit CO2.  Co2 is supposed to accelerate global warming, nox (nitrogen oxides) which causes acid rain, promotes further global warming, causes smog (which can lead to respiratory problems), and destroys ozone, which protect us from uv radiation. Residue from the gas is even suspected to cause cancer! OK, so maybe I might look into one of these Electric Vehicles. It seems like the RIGHT thing to do for fellow man and the environment.  Tavares, FL has four EV stations already and it looks like I won't be the only one out here willing to save the world.........but I'm not going vegan! FACTS: There are four locations for the units: Prop Shop at the Seaplane Base Train Platform on Main Street Tavares City Hall Parking Lot Main Street in front of County Property Appraiser's Office (Near Parking Garage) You must have a ChargePoint Account and a chargepass card before you have access to the charging stations.  Buy your charge card at the Tavares Prop Shop, in Wooton Park, for $5.00. Sign up is free and there is no additional cost for each time you charge your vehicle. For assistance with sign up you must call the 24 hour service at 1-888-758-4389

Help Freedom Fly

 Round and Round we go, where we'll stop...I know!
Its the brand new Roundabout located at the intersection of Main St. and Sinclair Ave. in downtown Tavares, Florida and it can take you to the many restaurants in the downtown waterfront entertainment district, the parking garage, the courthouse or back where you came from.
On August 13, 2012, construction began on the roundabout as part of the downtown revitalization plan and once completed is expected to improve traffic flow and beautify one of the main entrances into the City of Tavares.
 Construction is expected to be completed sometime in December 2012.
Donations are being sought to help erect a 60ft flagpole with a 12ft x 18ft American flag in the center.
 Donations of $100 or more will get their name inscribed on a monument next to the flag. Be a part of history and help the Freedom Flag Fly.

Donations are tax deductible For more info call 352.742.6264

One man's Trash....is ART through Oct 18

Ever sit with someone and look at the same thing but see something totally different?

 When we were kids we played this game called Thinkblot. It was a game where you pulled a card with a black splotch on a white back ground. A dice is rolled and when a subject like "Animal" or "Food" came up, you had to write down as many things you could "see" in the style of a Rorschach test. 

 To have someone point out a giraffe eating a carrot from the top of a tree seems silly. It WAS silly and yet it was also eye opening. To see something suddenly that you didn't see just moments earlier can be inspiring. After all these years, I can still look at a coffee stain on a piece of paper and see images of landscapes and animals playing.

Now comes the art of Richard Reep to Tavares, FL with his exhibit to show YOU what HE sees in everyday items around us.

The Phenomenology of Reinvention

Reuse and recycling is front and center in the art of Richard Reep, whose collection “The Phenomenology of Reinvention” is currently on display at Tavares City Hall, 201 E. Main Street, Tavares.

Reep has harvested a wide variety of materials and recombined them into stunning, thoughtful tributes to life. He gives homage to the original creators of the resources such as lumbermen, ironmongers, carpenters and writers, but his compositions, while containing hints of the original works, bring forth new meanings.

Reep says, “… these projects exploit some of the overlooked meaning of which our life-world is capable. Neither virtual, nor artificed, nor particularly finished, they represent a moment in time where discarded wood, books, and pieces of equipment are reinvented, and serve a new purposed, while still retaining their original form.”

The artwork of Richard Reep will be on display through October 18, 2012. To contact the artist - rtreep@gmail.com or 407.408.4953.