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As our holiday seasons come to a close, Polk County residents and visitors are treated to a spectacular natural event: the arrival of American white pelicans. These majestic birds, easily distinguishable from their coastal cousin the brown pelican, are a remarkable sight as they gracefully navigate the skies above Polk County’s many lakes. These large water birds, protected under the Migratory Bird Act, are here for a winter respite and do not breed during their stay in Florida. A SEASONAL SPECTACLE American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are migratory, visiting Florida during the winter months. They are usually found along the coast but can also been seen around Florida’s inland lakes, rivers, and wetlands. In Polk County, you’ll see them soaring in the sky, at Circle B Bar Reserve, around the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, and in lakes all around Lakeland, Lake Wales, and more. The earliest American White Pelicans often arrive by late November or mid-December, with their presence peaking January through March, locally. This timing is easy to remember, like many of our friends and family who live up north in the summer, the white pelicans can be thought of as Florida’s other snowbirds! SILENT VISITORS IN OUR MIDST One of the most notable characteristics of these winter visitors is their almost complete silence, a stark contrast to the more vocal cormorants and anhinga often seen in their company. This silent demeanor adds to the serene beauty of the lakes they inhabit. IDENTIFICATION AND RESPECTFUL OBSERVATION American white pelicans are one of our largest water birds in North America. Their bodies are thick, with short square tails, large bills, and short legs. Mostly white, they have a distinctive yellow-orange bill and black flight feathers on the underside and tips of their wings, making them easily identifiable from afar or while in flight . When in flight, you’ll often see them in a “flying V” pattern, soaring in large circles looking for suitable areas to feed. Unlike the brown pelicans we’re all familiar with, who are known for their dramatic diving feeding technique, American white pelicans employ a more cooperative hunting strategy. Together in large groups, they herd fish into shallow areas of the lake where they will take turns rowdily dipping their large bills in to scoop up some fish. This makes for an impressive display of teamwork and grace. You may notice a vertical plate or “horn” on the top of some of the pelicans’ bills. This is called a “breeding plate” and it is thought to be a visual indicator of a healthy male pelican, like how we think a larger rack of antlers signifies a better breeder in deer. While we’ll never fully understand some physical traits present during the breeding season in many species, one thing is clear: The plate is not a deformity, and the pelican is healthy; there is no need to be alarmed or to contact an animal rescue or Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission if you see one. MIGRATION AND HABITAT When American white pelicans leave Florida, they embark on a northward migration that leads them primarily to the northern Great Plains. Their summer breeding grounds are generally on isolated islands in freshwater lakes and on ephemeral islands in shallow wetlands. These pelicans typically breed in states such as North Dakota, South Dakota, Northern California, Nevada, Wyoming, Minnesota, and parts of Canada, favoring remote areas away from human disturbance. The habitat types ideal for their breeding include large, open landscapes like prairies and marshes next to lakes and rivers. If you’re planning a summer vacation in the northern Great Plains, particularly in areas like the Dakotas or Minnesota, you might be fortunate enough to see these majestic birds in their natural breeding habitat. Here, they engage in their unique life cycle amidst the vast and scenic backdrop of America’s heartland. Keep in mind though, these are shy birds and will often abandon their nests if disturbed. GRAB SOME BINOCULARS This January, take the time to visit local natural areas or waterways to see the American White Pelicans. They will start heading north in March and have often completely left us by the end of April. But remember, nature doesn’t always abide by our rules! The pelicans may leave early or stay late – so enjoy them when you see them. You can help both American white pelicans and our resident brown pelican by keeping a close eye on fishing tackle when you’re out fishing. Entanglement in fishing line and bill or pouch disfigurement from errant hooks and lures are some of the greatest threats facing pelicans and water birds of all species in Florida. Protection and restoration of area lakes and wetlands is important to both the American white pelican and our other water birds and wildlife. As I have mentioned in earlier articles, prioritizing our wetlands and lakes takes a village. When enjoying recreational activities like boating, be mindful not to disturb these graceful and shy visitors. They scare easily and you may prevent their return to an area lake if they are disturbed often. By protecting our lakes and respecting wildlife, we ensure that future generations will also enjoy the stunning spectacle of the American White Pelicans in Florida. For more information on American white pelicans consider listening to the podcast episode, “American White Pelicans, Florida’s Other Snowbird” here: https://link.chtbl.com/white_pelican And, if you enjoy the episode, share it with a friend. As a reminder, you can always find me on social media with the handle @PolkNR on Twitter/X and Instagram or you can email me with any questions at scarnevale@ufl.edu. UF/IFAS Extension is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

It’s been four years since Crave & Copper first opened their doors in downtown Auburndale. The concept was born from the Florida Brewery. Established in the 70s, the Florida Brewery is the second oldest brewery still in operation in the state. Primarily a manufacturing facility, the brewery opened its doors to the public for a time, introducing a Beer Garden and Taproom at 202 Gandy Road. The brewery became a popular hangout, and when the opportunity came up to open an eatery downtown, they partnered with restaurant industry veterans to be sure their cuisine mirrored their “crave-able” beer. Executive Chef Matt Oakley partnered with his wife, the CFO of the Florida Brewery, Stacey Oakley, and the COO of the brewery, Julie Williams, for the restaurant. Crave & Copper is situated in the former Hudson Hotel, built in the 1920s. The hotel’s rooms were upstairs, now office space, and Crave & Copper is in place of its original restaurant. Stacey Oakley explained that Auburndale was a stop along the railroad back in the day. As a significant part of the town’s history, they wanted to pay homage. “It ties into the brewery because the copper kettle that sits at the beer garden was also brought down by the railroad in the 1970s,” she said. They spent a year turning the historic building into a rustic, modern-industrial dining space. Railroad imagery and large sliding barn doors, which can be closed to partition the restaurant, fit well within their rustic vibe. Many of the hotel’s original details have been left intact but modernized – like the ceiling, painted copper to suit their color scheme, the rehabbed bar, and the exposed brick on one of the walls. Spanning an entire restaurant wall just beyond the barn doors is a mural by Central Florida-based muralist Joe Starks. According to Stacey and Julie, Starks worked off a photo of the building from the 1920s. The image peers into a scene straight from Lake Ave. in the roaring 20s, the only detail bringing it back to the present is the ‘Crave & Copper’ sign. Images of Prohibition, their brewery roots, and Auburndale’s iconic water tower also appear in the piece. Starks finished the monochromatic mural with spray paint in just one weekend, finishing it with copper accents. Stacey Oakley said the Hudson Hotel was a gathering space. They would broadcast fights on their radio outside, and people would gather around to listen. The hotel’s restaurant would host $1 Thanksgiving dinner nights for the community. “The whole basis for what they did is similar to why we wanted to do this here. It was all focused around having a community destination,” she said. “We wanted something that was going to put Auburndale on the map,” said Executive Chef Matt Oakley. In the same way that Winter Haven and Lakeland have built up their downtown with exceptional dining, shopping, and recreation – the Crave & Copper owners want to see the same thing for downtown Auburndale. Folks shouldn’t have to drive out of town for a good meal and good beer, he explained. “We spent an entire year inside this place before we opened, getting it ready,” Matt Oakley said. Crave & Copper opened in October 2019 and operated for just six weeks.  “And then the fire happened,” Stacey said. On Friday, December 13, 2019, a state trooper driving through Auburndale saw smoke billowing from the former hotel and called the fire department. The inferno, deemed an electrical fire that started in the wall, decimated their kitchen. Matt and Stacey were in Virginia to attend a concert when the fire occurred. “At 5 in the morning, we get a call saying, ‘Chef, your kitchen burned down,’” Matt said. “It didn’t really hit us until we walked into this place and saw the destruction.” The fire was so intense the metal shelving had melted. “We got so extremely lucky because the fire got cut essentially,” said Stacey. The CO2 tank for their soda machine is much larger than one would find in a typical restaurant as it feeds their brewery side. That CO2 line was severed, creating a curtain that held the fire from the dining room. Sorting through insurance was quite the process. When it was finally approved, the pandemic hit, and prices skyrocketed, causing even more trouble for the restaurateurs. “In hindsight, the fact that we were closed during COVID was somewhat a blessing,” Stacey said.  In September 2022, Crave & Copper opened for the second time. Because of the two-year difference, they were able to apply for the Community Redevelopment Grant again and utilize it for their new outdoor patio area. “We had our followers from the original opening that had been waiting in anticipation for us to get back open, and then once we did, they, of course, showed all their support. It was almost like we never left,” said the chef. Stacey agreed, adding, “Being a small town, they are so behind new things coming and love supporting it. Our regulars are amazing, and they’re spreading the word to everybody.” The menu hasn’t changed drastically since C&C’s inception. It boasts the same elevated pub fare as before. Chef Oakley wanted the food to be approachable while introducing folks to foods they might not have had in the area. “We try to source as much as we can from local purveyors,” he said. From local microgreens to fresh organic eggs, “We just want to do fresh, quality food.” “It’s really about giving our community the best possible food we can at the gastropub level for this area and being able to teach these young kids who are interested in culinary and enabling them an opportunity that they probably wouldn’t get unless they were working in Orlando or Tampa,” Oakley said of his kitchen team. “My goal as a chef is to teach and share my craft. I’m not one of those chefs that like to hold all my secrets in. I’m open with my recipes. I’ll tell anyone what they are. I want people to cook and to learn how to do it right so that we have more chefs and great food in town.” Oakley is joined by Sous Chef Nick Roberts. This family-friendly American brewpub features up to 20 craft beers on tap, live entertainment on the weekends, and weekly lunch and dinner specials that keep guests coming back. One Crave & Copper staple is their fish dip, ideally served with a frosty glass of Polar Pilsner. Made with locally caught Lane Snapper smoked in-house with pecan wood, Chef Matt says, “It’s a traditional Florida fish dip but with my twist on it.” There are no frills, it is just plain good – like, really really good. It is served with hot sauce, lemon, and copper-dusted tortilla chips. Their proprietary copper dust is made with a spice blend from a chef-owned and operated company out of Spokane, Washington. Matt Oakley wanted to highlight the quality of the spices. He created a dry rub using garlic powder, onion powder, chili lime powder, white pepper, kosher salt, and honey granules. Other guest favorites include the hearty Cobb Salad, and the Nashville Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich made with buttermilk brined chicken breast topped with house-made pickles and Nashville hot honey sauce. Crave & Copper recently rolled out their fall menu with seasonal offerings like an oven-roasted turkey sandwich with thinly sliced challah, cheddar cheese, onion jam, herb mayo, and arugula. Another autumnal addition is the beer-braised bratwurst with sauteed peppers and onions and beer-infused whole-grain mustard. Chef Matt noted that they revamped their signature garbage plate to be less messy. Tots are drizzled with copper sauce and topped with candied bacon, scallions, and TFB beer cheese sauce. In addition to crave-worthy bites, C&C has more than a few drinks to imbibe. Florida Brewery COO Julie Williams discussed their five-barrel brew system at Crave & Copper. Three fermenters turn yeast into alcohol, and one bright beer tank holds finished product ready to be kegged. “This is what we consider our research and development. The big brewery down the street, one batch is 300 barrels,” she said. “This gives us the chance to use a little more creativity on a small batch.” Crave & Copper has up to twenty rotating beers on tap. Stacey Oakley said that their beers cater to the traditional lager style and are made intentionally drinkable for Florida – whether you’re boating, fishing, or backyard barbequing. They added 863 Light, their version of an American Standard Lager, and 863 Ultra, which she described as a more “calorie-conscious American lager” to the menu. Their best-selling beer, Beach Me Up, started as a seasonal brew. The crisp grapefruit shandy earned a fixed spot on the menu due to demand. Post-fire, Crave, and Copper honored the brave firefighters with a beer of their own called Engine 421, a light American lager. Photography by Amy Sexson Crave & Copper 117 E Lake Ave, Auburndale (863) 968-2971 craveandcopper.com IG @craveandcopper FB: Crave and Copper

December is the perfect time to learn about the fascinating world of our cavity-nesting birds in Central Florida. These birds, including the enchanting Eastern screech owl, play a vital role in our ecosystem at both the local and regional scale. This holiday season, consider thinking about giving a gift to our local cavity-nesting bird species! UNDERSTANDING CAVITY-NESTING BIRDS IN FLORIDA Cavity-nesting birds, such as various owl species, woodpeckers, and small songbirds, seek out natural cavities in trees or in some cases, create their own cavities for their nesting. These birds are crucial for maintaining ecological balance, acting as natural pest controllers, and contributing to biodiversity. Florida’s cavity nesters include the downy woodpecker, wood duck, Carolina wren, and Eastern screech owl, among others. The American kestrel and the red-cockaded woodpecker are two cavity nesters in Florida which are listed as federally endangered. Woodpeckers, Carolina chickadees, and brown-headed nuthatches are examples of what’s known as “primary” cavity-nesters which means they prefer to excavate their own cavities and will not readily take to human-supplied nestboxes. If you’d like to support these species, consider leaving a snag (another word for standing dead tree) in your yard if you have one. You can keep safety in mind by cutting off the top of the tree, if necessary, and leaving at least 12-15 ft of snag standing. Most of our cavity nesting species are “secondary” cavity nesters, meaning they cannot excavate their own nesting cavity and will use an abandoned one from a primary cavity nester or, if available, will use human-supplied nestboxes. SPECIES HIGHLIGHT: THE EASTERN SCREECH OWL The Eastern Screech Owl, Florida’s smallest owl, is an efficient predator, despite its diminutive size of 6-9 inches. With a large head, ear tufts, and varying colorations of red, brown, or grey, these owls are a common sight in forested areas, city parks, and residential neighborhoods. They are generalists, meaning they have a varied diet and can survive and thrive in a variety of habitats. Data suggests that suburban Eastern screech owls may have higher survival rates than their rural counterparts due to more food availability and fewer predators. According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, their numbers have decreased annually by close to 1% for a cumulative decline of about 37% between 1966 and 2019, making them a “species in decline” in the Southeastern USA. Now, for the good news! Eastern screech owls readily adopt artificial habitat in the form of nestboxes and quickly become beloved family members of the residential areas in which they are found. These charismatic little owls keep watch from the nestbox’s opening and can be easily observed by neighbors, friends, and family. They tolerate the hustle and bustle of active families if we respect their boundaries and observe them from a distance. Never intentionally annoy or harass your local owls … or they may leave for other accommodations! THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTIFICIAL NESTING HABITATS Habitat loss and environmental changes have made it increasingly challenging for many bird species to find safe nesting areas. Providing artificial nesting sites in the form of nestboxes is a proactive step towards supporting bird populations that may struggle to find natural nesting sites. By installing a nest box, you’re not just adding a feature to your garden; you’re actively participating in the conservation of our local avian biodiversity. When it comes to nest boxes, one size does not fit all. Different bird species have distinct preferences for their nesting sites – from the size of the box to the diameter of the entrance and the height at which the box is placed. To truly cater to the needs of specific bird species you wish to attract, it’s crucial to follow detailed guidelines. A fantastic resource for species-specific nest box plans and guidelines is www.NestWatch.org. This platform offers a wealth of information to help you create the perfect nesting environment for your targeted bird species. Check out the, “All About Birdhouses” and “Right Bird, Right House” sections to find free plans for constructing the perfect nestbox for your yard! JOIN OUR NEST BOX BUILDING CLASS! Looking for an easier way to support the Eastern Screech Owl? Join us for a nestbox building workshop just after the new year, in January or February. You’ll learn a bit more about Florida’s cavity nesting species and build-your-own nestbox to take home. We’ve taken all the guesswork out of it! For class dates and information, visit PolkCountyExtension.Eventbrite.com or scan the QR code provided. These workshops are provided at no cost to the participant thanks to a generous grant from the Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Program. You can learn more about them at, chnep.org. IN SUMMARY Our cavity-nesting birds, from the silent hunters like the Eastern screech owl to the industrious woodpeckers, are integral parts of our ecosystem. By providing them with safe nesting habitats, we not only aid their conservation but also enrich our natural surroundings. Remember, your efforts in creating these artificial habitats are a step toward preserving the delicate balance of our local ecosystem. For more information on cavity-nesting birds and how to support them, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X and Instagram at @PolkNR. Happy Holidays, everyone!

According to the CDC, in the United States, in 2020, 1,603,844 new cancer cases were reported, and 602,347 people died of cancer. For every 100,000 people, 403 new cancer cases were reported, and 144 people died of cancer. In Florida, 115,000 were diagnosed, and 132,614 have died. In Polk County, 4,489 people have been diagnosed in one year. The far-reaching hand of this terrible disease has unfortunately gripped us all either directly or through friends and family. Winter Haven couple and cancer survivors Chris and Hap Hazelwood decided to do something to provide resources and support to those going through this harrowing experience. Hap was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1996. Chris was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer in 2008. She went through chemotherapy and radiation and went into remission. “Thirteen years later, it came back,” she said. Chris underwent a mastectomy and is currently fighting Stage 4 cancer. In 2010, the Hazelwoods converted their former flower shop building into Your Polk County HUB, a co-working office space for non-profit organizations. Hap called it an incubator for not-for-profits predating similar spaces like the Lodge and Catapult. After selling the building, the mission of the HUB shifted to helping people going through cancer. “No one should ever be going through this alone,” Chris said. Her first time going through treatment, she attended support groups at Winter Haven Hospital. “It was good for the moment,” she said. “It was good. I needed that.” Though she appreciated these groups, she thought she could do something more. The mission of Your Polk County HUB is to enhance the quality of cancer survivors’ lives by providing support, resources, and healing that is whole-person-centered and provides for the mind, body, and soul. This environment will be away from the hospital and treatment centers, providing a comforting place of wellness. “The other reason it’s grown into this is Chris knows so many people in the community from all her years of volunteering,” Hap said. There isn’t a week that goes by that Chris doesn’t get a call from someone in her network who either has cancer or has a friend or family member going through it. According to the HUB, “Coping with cancer affects your mind, body, emotions, and spirit. These stressors cause headaches, body aches, confusion, frustration, guilt, and depression and [impacts] your relationships. When you receive support for these signs and symptoms, it helps your overall mental health and relationships. These interventions can be used alongside medical treatment and increase their wellness.” The HUB hosts monthly get-togethers called ROSE (Ribbons of Strength and Empowerment) Gatherings at the Lodge in Winter Haven. “It’s nothing clinical. It’s mainly for them to talk to other people, and we do fun things,” Chris said. Here, folks can join other cancer survivors in a welcoming, supportive space run by survivors with classes for relaxation, sharing, art activities, and beyond. The next ROSE Gathering will be December 12, 2023, from 6-7 pm. Hap said, “It helps people realize other people are going through the same thing and that there is support out there.” “The groups have gone very well,” Chris said. “They’re very excited about it. […] We’re progressing. We’re moving forward, and we need more people to come.” In addition to their monthly ROSE Gatherings, Your Polk County HUB offers cancer patients a HUG in a Box. “With my A-Team, we make a bunch of them for free and give them out to chemo patients that need them,” Chris said. “People don’t know what to get them. I got that question a lot.” These boxes contain helpful items for those undergoing treatment, including knitted caps, socks, lavender essential oil for calming, coloring materials, sea bands for nausea, a water bottle, ginger tea, a notebook, and a thermometer. The HUB has given them out at hospitals including BayCare, Bond Clinic, Moffitt, and Central Florida Healthcare. You can help support Your Polk County HUB’s mission to provide aid to cancer survivors by donating money or HUG in a Box supplies and by simply getting the word out. If you or someone you know would like a HUG in a Box, contact Chris Hazelwood at yourpolkcountyhub.net. Chris also chairs the board of Relay For Life of Polk County. Started by the American Cancer Society, Relay For Life of Polk County will be on March 15, 2024, at South Central Park in Winter Haven. According to the ACS, “Relay For Life is more than a walk – it’s a chance to come together in your local community to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against every cancer as we come together for every life.” At the relay, teams gather to celebrate survivors and caregivers with a walk. They’ll create a human ribbon in the Andy Thornal lot this year. Hap said, “It’s an opportunity for each not-for-profit to raise money and, just like the original HUB concept, have the comradery of coming together for an event, help support Relay, which is a great thing, but also meet a lot of other non-profits.” The Hazelwoods, holding hands, had tearful words of encouragement for those going through cancer. Chris said, “You’re not alone. Reach out, hang in there. Things are getting better. There are new drugs all the time.” Hap added, “One thing that has been so important for both of us is our faith. We know that God has a plan for us, and we know we’ve been given this challenge for a reason. So, we embrace and try to share it and help other people because it’s a tough thing to go through.” Photography by Amy Sexson Your Polk County HUB yourpolkcountyhub.net

One doesn’t have to travel to the neon sign-lit, casino-lined streets of Las Vegas to see world-class Elvis Presley tribute artists. Lake Otis in Winter Haven is home to the best there is. Dwight Icenhower is the only tribute artist in history to win five Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist awards at Graceland. Aside from that, he’s taken first place in 75 contests throughout his tenure as “The Cool Cat” from Tennessee. When it comes to impersonating Elvis, Icenhower is the King. “This all happened through my mother,” Icenhower said. “I grew up, and she’d be playing his movies and his Christmas album at Christmas time.” The kid from Pomeroy, Ohio, grew into a young man obsessed with music. “I’ve always been involved in music. Mostly, my interests were to teach music.” Now 42, Icenhower started his tribute career at 16 years old. “It was kind of a fluke how it all got started,” he said. The self-described “band geek” starred as the King of Rock and Roll in a variety show during his sophomore year of high school. “The band director knew that I was a huge Elvis fan and that I loved that genre of old-school rock and roll music,” said Icenhower. He asked him if he could sing. Icenhower wasn’t sure – he’d never tried before. His Elvis routine went on so famously that the varsity high school coach hired him to perform at his wedding. “I didn’t even know I could make money doing this,” he said. “That was my first gig, at his wedding.” He laughed thinking back on it – a kid in a pink jacket and drawn-on sideburns gyrating to Elvis backing tracks. He aspired to be a high school band director and attended college for a time before his career as a full-time tribute artist began to snowball. “I thought if I’m really going to give this a go, I’m going to have to do it now while I’m young.” It was now or never for the artist. Since then, life on the road is the only one he’s known, performing 150-200 nights a year worldwide. Audiences from the United States and Australia to Europe and Japan “Just Can’t Help Falling in Love” with Dwight Icenhower. “My most die-hard fans are here in Florida, Holland, Japan, and Ohio,” he revealed. Donning a $3K wig specially made in Canada, stage makeup, and the whole Elvis getup – Icenhower is an uncanny King of Rock and Roll. When lifelong Presley fans see him perform for the first time, “You can tell that they get lost in it,” he said. “They’re kind of reliving, I guess, their youth. You can see it on their faces when you walk out.” “It’s a long transformation, and it took me years to learn about contour makeup and all the shading,” Icenhower said. His wife, Vicky Icenhower, a mixed multi-media sculpture artist from LA, has helped him perfect the look. Well, Vicky and everyone’s favorite queens on “Ru Paul’s Drag Race.” “I’ve learned so much watching these guys do their makeup,” he said. “There are guys who naturally wake up and look like Elvis. With me, I’ve learned how to make that whole package by learning the makeup tips.” It used to take him two hours to transform into Elvis, but now he can get out the door in his blue suede shoes in about 20 minutes. “The music part of it, the singing, that all came natural.” There’s always a hint of Elvis in his voice, even when covering another artist. Icenhower, like Elvis, is a natural baritone with a four-octave range. “I lucked out with that,” he said. “I like the singing part of it. I like the big, emotional ballads.” “My Way,” “An American Trilogy,” and “It’s Now or Never” are some of his favorite songs to perform. Icenhower’s life has lined up with Presley’s in more than just his on-stage persona. He’s shared the stage with personal friends of the King including D.J. Fontana, The Jordanaires, The Sweet Inspirations, Cynthia Pepper, Julie Parrish, Charlie Hodge, Duke Bardwell, Eddie Miles, and Joe Esposito. He had the opportunity to meet Lisa Marie Presley several times before her passing earlier this year. As if he couldn’t get any more Memphis street-cred, Icenhower hung out with the first lady of rock and roll. “My wife and I were at this club on Beale Street in Memphis. We got a booth upstairs, and there was another booth right beside us. We saw another group coming in. It was Priscilla Presley, her grandson Benjamin, and the Memphis Mafia.” By the night’s end, the group was sharing stories and drinks. Many of Icenhower’s die-hard fans were original fans of Elvis, now in their seventies and eighties. The breakaway success of Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 “Elvis” biopic introduced a new generation to the King. “He put this movie out, and Elvis became number one again on all the charts,” said Icenhower. “I started seeing, at all my shows, a lot of younger people.” He continues to get multi-generational audiences “All Shook Up.” Asked how he landed on the Chain of Lakes of all the places he’s performed, Icenhower noted that he’d lived in Florida since 2005. “I’ve never known where I was going to plant my roots,” he said. “We were looking for a historic home. An old house that had charm to it.” They found that home in Winter Haven, where they’ve been for a year. Outside of keeping Elvis’s legacy alive, Icenhower loves concerts. “We go to concerts all the time. I’m a huge Elton John fan. I’ve seen him 116 times in concert.” Icenhower also does an Elton John tribute show, though the King comes more naturally. “Elvis is like breathing to me,” he said. “I love doing those [Elton John] shows because it’s a challenge.” A fan of other tribute artists, including Absolute Queen and Absolute Bowie, Icenhower produced a festival for them in Sarasota ten years running. Shake, Rattle, and Soul, which concluded earlier this year, was hosted in the 5,000-seat Robarts Arena with tributes to Rod Stewart, the Beatles, and, of course, Elvis. Don’t miss Dwight Icenhower’s December 9 performance at the Historic Ritz Theatre in Downtown Winter Haven. He’ll be crooning like Elvis at 2 pm and 7 pm. On December 7 join him for “An Evening with Elton” at the Gem Theater. You won’t want to miss “Such a Night!” Follow his social media for the upcoming Dwight Icenhower’s VIP Weekend at Nora Mayo Hall on January 5, 6, and 7. “It’s basically a cruise on land,” he said. The event will feature tribute shows, fan-generated events, and a screening of the documentary “Dwight Icenhower: A Mile in My Shoes,” followed by a Q&A with the director. FB: Dwight Icenhower IG @dwight_icenhower_eta Purchase tickets to upcoming shows at CentralFloridaTiX.com

As we bid farewell to the hurricane season and the wetter months, November brings a refreshing change to Polk County. You might have noticed the air getting a bit crisper and the skies clearer. That’s right—November marks the beginning of Florida’s dry season, a period that lasts until April. But what does this mean for our local environment, wildlife, and even our gardens? Let’s dive in! THE DRY SEASON: WHAT IS IT? In Florida, we experience two primary seasons: the wet season and the dry season. The wet season is characterized by daily afternoon thunderstorms, high humidity, and a general abundance of water. Also, hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30th… which means, we’re not out of the woods, yet! Come November, the weather takes a turn. The dry season brings lower humidity, less frequent rainfall, and cooler temperatures, especially during the night. This shift is not just a relief for us humans but also has significant impacts on our local ecology. WILDLIFE WONDERS One of the most exciting aspects of November is the change in wildlife behavior. During the dry season, you might notice that we are starting to see some of our over-wintering bird species. Later in Fall and into Winter, we start to see American White Pelicans. These dramatic water birds are almost entirely silent! We see them on area lakes and ponds, fishing in large floating flocks. These hunting pelicans are often followed around by a cacophony of fellow water birds like osprey, herons, cormorants, anhinga, and grebes. Animals like raccoons and opossums may be more visible as they prepare for the cooler months and enjoy the cooler weather. If you live in an area, or nearby an area, with a lot of Florida black bear activity – be sure to keep an eye out for them in the Fall. Bears enter a period of extreme eating (called hyperphagia, pronounced hy-per-fay-gee-ah) and may be prone to exploring loose garbage cans and overflowing birdfeeders. Be “BearWise” and follow Florida Fish and Wildlife’s best practices: myfwc.com/bears. If you would like to learn more about preventing wildlife issues, feel free to email me. I’m here to help.

After paying his way through medical school working in the shipyard and serving as a flight surgeon on the Yorktown during World War II, Dr. Benjamin J. Bond envisioned a “one-stop” medical clinic in Winter Haven. He selected pediatrician Dr. Rita Marotti, OB/GYN, Dr. T.C. Karamidas, and primary care physician Dr. William Steele to help him realize this vision. They opened Bond Clinic in the New Coker Building on June 1, 1949. By 1954, the clinic had expanded to six physicians and opened a new facility across from Winter Haven Hospital on First Street. They later outgrew this location and moved to their current main campus on Central Avenue in 1978. Today, Bond Clinic is a professional association comprising over 100 providers encompassing 28 specialties. Dr. Panagiotis Iakovidis, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, joined the clinic in 1996 and became the president and CEO of Bond Clinic in 2009. The first challenge Dr. Iakovidis faced in 2009 was the operations of the clinic. Once they were able to streamline and develop efficiencies within the operational part of the clinic, they looked to where healthcare was going in the future with the technology that existed at that time. “At that point, it was pretty clear to us that value-based care would be the best option for healthcare, not just for Bond Clinic but our society. And that’s what we embraced,” Dr. Iakovidis said. “We spent a significant amount of time learning about it, searching for partners, and developing a program and a plan that would be implemented over the following five to 10 years.” Discussing the legacy Bond Clinic has forged throughout its 75 years in operation, the CEO said, “I think the legacy of the Bond Clinic that has been established has been quality care and commitment to the community.” He noted that their physicians are leaders in the local healthcare community who bring with them new ideas learned through their training and residencies. “We took initiatives where physicians of the Bond Clinic started unique programs that helped Winter Haven Hospital.” A testament to this legacy was Bond Clinic’s acceptance of the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce’s Large Business of the Year award several years ago. More recently, the Winter Haven City Commission proclaimed September 2023 ‘Bond Clinic Month’ in celebration of its 75th anniversary. “This is a huge honor for us, for this organization that has been here for 75 years,” said Dr. Iakovidis. “I think that’s a reflection on this change that we’ve made as a quality organization, but now we’re focused on a significantly higher level to what we were doing before.” Asked how they’ve celebrated this milestone anniversary, Dr. Iakovidis remarked, “At Bond Clinic, we celebrate every day that we’re in the Bond Clinic. It’s an honor and responsibility for us to be part of this organization, and we’re looking forward to the future, but at the same time, we enjoy the precious time we spend within the organization and all the challenges that healthcare has today.” Dr. Iakovidis’ most impactful memory over his tenure with the clinic has been their ability to adjust to value-based care. “I think the team put forth a tremendous effort and continues to do so to accomplish the goals. The best competition that we’ve created is ourselves,” he said. “Those three things (quality, access, and affordable care) we want to be the legacy of the Bond Clinic that not only is part of the past but becomes a future goal as we elevate the care that we deliver.” Proud to be a part of the Winter Haven and its surrounding areas, Bond Clinic dedicates time and resources throughout the community. They regularly participate in community events and health fairs, partner with area colleges/trade schools to offer clinical training for students, and support many local sports clubs and organizations through donations and sponsorships. “That’s why this organization exists,” said Dr. Iakovidis. “It’s not only the healthcare delivery that we are proud of. The majority of our doctors live in Winter Haven. Our goal is to have our physicians and members of this medical community be part of the community.” Bond Clinic Marketing Director Ashley Scanlan agreed, adding, “This is our home. What can we do to make this the best it can be?” Dr. Iakovidis reflected on the organization’s roots and its founding physicians. “I think they would be very proud. They were individuals that had a unique view. Winter Haven was very different then. They had different backgrounds. From what we heard and saw, the care that they delivered was at the highest level at the time. I think they also took great pride in what they did.” Not only proud but perhaps they would even be surprised at the level that Bond Clinic has raised. “I think we are representing them well, and we hope that the next generation of doctors that join the Bond Clinic and become the leaders in this community will also do the same.” Scanlan noted, “The family members of those physicians are still around, and some of them are still patients here. To be able to hear those stories is incredible. It started with [four] physicians, and now we have over 100 providers covering 28 specialties. Dr. Bond’s idea was to have healthcare for the whole family, and I think we have more than accomplished that.” A look through photos in the lobby at the main campus gives a glimpse into how important this history is to Dr. Iakovidis. Given these pictures by family members of the founding doctors, it was at his direction to put them in the lobby for all to see. A look at provider photos outside the boardroom wall on the second floor is a testament to the clinic’s lasting relationship with its providers. “We want physicians that will stay here for their whole career,” said Dr. Iakovidis. “That’s what we take pride in, that doctors come here and stay for the rest of their lives.” A photo that may one day join that wall alongside his father is Dr. Triantafilos Iakovidis, the CEO’s son (the first father and son team at the clinic). Aside from quality healthcare, steadfast community engagement, and provider retention, Bond Clinic has focused on expanding its reach. “Until 2014, Bond Clinic had never had a successful clinic outside of Winter Haven,” said the CEO. A part of their future success relied on creating satellite clinics – extensions of Bond – throughout the community. They’ve been successful in this endeavor with primary care physicians and specialists in Davenport, an orthopedic building with physical therapy in front of LEGOLAND, and their Lakeland office. “We’re very thankful that with the support of this community and many partners we’re able to continue our efforts every day and in the future,” Dr. Iakovidis said. “Our doctors have helped create the healthcare experience in our neighborhood now,” said Ashley Scanlan. From cardiology to OB/GYN, Bond Clinic has paved the way for community healthcare. “Our doctors were part of bringing that and ensuring our community had the best.” The clinic’s future looks to continue partnerships with similar-minded entities, according to Dr. Iakovidis. This will ensure they continue to meet their goals and differentiate them from other healthcare organizations. “Quality, access, and affordable care to our community at large are the three pillars for our success, but at the same time, the three pillars that will connect us even closer to our community.” Bond Clinic, P.A. 500 E Central Ave, Winter Haven (Main Campus) (863) 293-1191 IG @bondclinic_fl FB: Bond Clinic, PA Bondclinic.com

If you’ve enjoyed a fresh bagel at your local coffee shop, there’s a good chance it’s from this Lakeland deli. Off Old Road 37 is a little slice of the Big Apple – a deli and bodega featuring freshly baked bread, meals made with family recipes, and a whole lot of passion. “Uncle Nick” DeBellis was born and raised in the Bronx. He started working in the food industry at 14 and owned his deli, Mountain Top, in New York for 25 years. “He was so famous in such a small town,” said his great-nephew, Sam DeBellis. “He never cut down on the value of his products. He always gave the best service, the best products that he possibly could.” According to DeBellis, Uncle Nick would wake at 4 a.m. each morning and head to work at the deli. He was admired for his work ethic, uncompromising quality, and customer service. Ever the family man, Uncle Nick passed these methods for longevity and success down through generations. Along with Mountain Top, the family owned an eatery called DeBellis Brothers with Sam’s father, Ken, his brothers, and grandfather. “We’ve been in the deli business pretty much our whole lives,” DeBellis said. Originally from the Bronx, the family sold their deli and moved to Florida from upstate New York 12 years ago. The DeBellis’s brought their 30 years of food service experience to the Sunshine State along with a New York feel. “Uncle Nick” DeBellis passed away 11 years ago, but his legacy lives on through his family and namesake Lakeland deli. In October 2015, Sam partnered with his father, Ken, and opened Uncle Nick’s Italian Deli & Bagels off Shepherd Road. Who better to pay homage to than the man, the myth, the legend? “He was a humongous mentor to my father,” DeBellis said of Uncle Nick. “Just was an amazing person. […] He pretty much started it all.” “We’re a New York Italian deli,” DeBellis said. Almost everything in the deli is made from scratch, including fresh daily bagels, sub rolls, New York Kaiser rolls, and mozzarella. “We have 25 varieties of bagels made fresh every day. There’s never a single bagel in our store that’s used the next day,” he said. They supplement their house-made offerings with imported Italian goods and New York favorites like Junior’s Cheesecake and Kimbo Coffee. In addition to a fully operating bakery serving fresh bread, cookies, and ‘mozz,’ Uncle Nick’s offers a variety of Boar’s Head deli meat cheaper than you’d find at the supermarket. And, if you don’t feel like cooking dinner, grab a take-and-bake entrée from the case. Uncle Nick’s has three full-time employees making meals to fill the case with dishes like antipasti salad, and chicken, or meatball parmesan. Almost everything on the menu is homemade, but Sam’s favorite is the meatball parm. “Everything on the meatball parm is made from scratch. We make all our own meatballs, the fresh mozz is made in-house, and the sauce is made in-house,” he said. The recipes have all been passed down through the family, from his great-grandmother to Uncle Nick. And don’t skip out on breakfast and a hot cup of Kimbo coffee. “If you come in the morning, you’re not going to have a better breakfast sandwich anywhere around.” Uncle Nick’s is lauded for their fresh deli sandwiches, along with bagels and breakfast, soups, salads, and entrees. The ‘Vincenzo’ aka the Italian, is piled high with Boar’s Head ham, genoa salami, pepperoni, mortadella, mild provolone, and fresh mozz on a fresh ciabatta roll topped with lettuce, tomato, red peppers, and Italian dressing. We tried this big beauty during our visit. The portion was so generous we had to share it. There’s no comparison to a regular sammy when your base is fresh bread – it might be the perfect sandwich. Uncle Nick’s is a family-owned and operated deli with Sam, his parents, his wife, and several cousins all working to bring that New York feel to the Swan City. His 77-year-old grandfather recently retired from Uncle Nick’s, too. Trying to gain footing in an area with ample ‘New York Style’ restaurants, the first three years of business was tough. “You see it so much that it’s just a burnt-out saying,” DeBellis said. Then, like magic, in year four, business took off. “Lakeland has been amazing to us,” he said. “It’s been a blessing for the last eight years, for sure. Love being here.” Aside from fresh deli delights, what sets Uncle Nick’s apart? “The number one thing is probably our customer service,” he said. “You walk in, and we just give you that home feel. A lot of our customers become family. When you come to work, you expect your regulars every day.” “We have so many people who view us as their daily tradition,” he said. “It makes us so happy.” Uncle Nick’s had four locations at one time: three in Lakeland and one in Bradenton. Now, they’re focused on their Old Road 37 Lakeland locale. “We want to make this as legendary as we possibly can. We want it to be a destination location,” DeBellis said. “We want to be here forever, for sure.” Uncle Nick’s also offers flexible catering and wholesales to many businesses around the city. He and his wife have a seven-year-old and another on the way, with DeBellis remarking, “I want to make it here for them. [I want my kids] to be able to grow up here and run this place the way we run it now.” “We’re good at what we do, but we can always be better, and I think that’s what we focus on every day is giving the best quality products, the best service we can to every customer that comes through the door,” DeBellis said. “We love it here. We want to take care of the people. We want to take care of the community – that’s all we really care about.” Photography by Amy Sexson Uncle Nick’s Italian Deli & Bagels 6955 Old Rd 37, Lakeland (863) 333-4917 FB: Uncle Nicks’s Italian Deli Bagels and Catering Lakeland IG @unclenicksitaliandeli unclenicksitaliandeli.com

Drew Wales has a photo circa 1970s of him and his brother Justin selling peanuts for five cents a bag. Before 1985, five-cent peanuts were all the sustenance one could get visiting The Barn. And let’s be honest, shopping can work up quite the appetite. “People were coming from all over, and Dad figured they needed a place to eat,” Drew said. So, Tom and Jan opened the Back Porch Restaurant with a picnic lunch theme, harkening to the ranch’s Lazy W roots. The perfect accompaniment to all of the shopping offered at the Barn and gift shops, folks travel to Lake Alfred just for lunch at the Back Porch. The Back Porch offers indoor seating with tables painted by Jan, each with a different flower – birds-foot trefoil, saffron crocus, juniper, honeysuckle. Outside is a spacious tree-shaded deck overlooking a small pond with plenty of seating. They offer two separate indoor dining spaces for private events like bridal and baby showers. Most people opt for their picnic-style lunch with soup, salad, a sandwich, and dessert. Sandwiches include classics like ham and Swiss, chicken salad, breast of turkey, and even a vegan garden burger. In addition to the house salad and side salad of the day, a guest favorite is the porch swing salad where diners can choose their style and ingredients and select a soup and dessert. Opt for the Back Porch lemonade or frozen peach bellini to cool off during the summer months or enjoy wine and beer on tap. They have local Grove Roots Brewing Co. beer and Wine Stream on tap as well as wines imported from Italy. We sat at the honeysuckle table and enjoyed a chicken salad croissant with refreshing spiced raspberry tea, followed by ‘The Back Porch Favorite’ made with strawberries, custard, cake, and whipped cream. We filled out the menu with our table number and checked the boxes of each item we wanted. It arrived in adorably packed picnic baskets with each item neatly tucked in. The picnic baskets add an extra touch to an already exceptional dining experience. The meal was filling but light, and the atmosphere was eclectic and joyful. Everything felt fresh with generous portions that weren’t too much. “It’s the mom-and-pop part that we like the best, and I think our customers appreciate that too,” said Adrianna Wales. Drew added, “We have great customers – it’s a happy place.” Photography by Amy Sexson The Back Porch Restaurant 115 Co Rd 557A, Lake Alfred (863) 956-2227

I: Chekhov’s Cave Painting In early 2019, a team of scientists announced they had made an incredible discovery. After shimmying up a fig tree on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in search of an entrance to a remote cave system, a member of their research group had stumbled upon a previously unknown prehistoric pictograph. By analyzing the calcite “popcorn” that had built up over millennia on the surface of the paint (a method of chronometric dating based on the slow decay of uranium into thorium, as well as some other scientific shit I don’t fully understand involving isotope levels), they were able to determine that the pictograph was nearly 44,000 years old. To put that into perspective, whoever this ancient artist was, who scrambled up that rock face with a coconut husk or horn or skull-bowl full of primitive paint and tagged that wall like some Fred Flintstone Banksy, did so forty thousand years before the Great Pyramid at Giza was built. Though not the earliest pictograph ever uncovered, the find at Sulawesi is certainly no slouch. When ranked strictly on a timeline, it slots comfortably into the top three. Age, however—as so many vibrant, older folks are fond of saying—is just a number; and the “when” of this particular painting, (impressive though it may be), is not what makes it so special. It is, of course, the “what” of the thing. On its face, the pictograph depicts a simple hunting scene. It is only upon closer inspection that it becomes clear the human characters have been rendered with exaggerated, animal-like features. Long snouts. Beaks. Horns and tails. Anthropologists refer to these types of artistic figures that appear in early human cave art all over the world, as “therianthropes.” A fancy word for Animal-People. Hybrids or shapeshifters. In the painting, the hunters wield spears and face off against a menagerie of beasts that—although recognizable as native fauna—have been portrayed as outsized, disproportionate monsters. Kaiju-sized dwarf buffalo. King Kong warthogs. Taken together—the therianthropic flourishes of the hunters, the gigantic creatures—these artistic liberties suggest the pictograph may in fact be an expression of prehistoric folklore. Something more akin to mythology, or a fantasy narrative, than to a simple act of rote record-keeping. Put simply, the Liang Bulu’Sipong 4 pictograph may very well be the oldest known example of recorded storytelling in human history. Right around now you might start to wonder where the hell I’m going with all of this (admittedly pretty cool) cave painting history blather. That’s fair. Perhaps you’ve even backtracked to check you haven’t missed something. Or skimmed ahead, searching out keywords to confirm you’re reading the right article. Wasn’t this supposed to be about a local filmmaker? Something about that grumpy-looking bearded guy at the local brewery making some kind of monster movie? Don’t worry, you’re in the right place. I’m just having a bit of fun with storytelling structure. Employing a common entertainment trope known as “the cold open,” in which a movie or TV show begins suddenly, often in an unexpected setting, with unfamiliar characters, in media res. Essentially, the audience is dropped into the middle of an ongoing drama, devoid of context, and expected to trust that the storyteller will make it all make sense later. Believe it or not, I do actually intend to try to draw a line across a vast chasm of time, and connect a moment in ancient human prehistory directly to my own personal pre-high school adolescence. Because forty-four thousand years after that story went up on that cave wall in Indonesia, in the Summer of 1993, my life changed forever. Now, whether or not I manage to connect those two moments in a remotely convincing (or at the very least, compelling) way without running this whole thing off a cliff into a sea of pretension is still very much up in the air. Fifty-fifty, I’d say. For one, because how any one reader responds to any piece of writing is an inherently subjective experience. Also, quite simply, I haven’t written it yet. So, you’re just going to have to trust me. To help in that regard, you should know that I am also utilizing another, quite famous, storytelling trope in this opening. More of a “rule,” really, and one I have always endeavored to follow. Known as “Chekhov’s Gun” it is a narrative principle, established by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, which states that if, in the beginning of a story, a gun is mentioned, or seen hanging on a wall, by the third act, it had better be fired. Otherwise, it shouldn’t be there. The Sulawesi cave painting is Chekhov’s Gun. II: The Couch, and the Door. I saw a couch in front of a door. That’s how we got here. How all of this started. The script I wrote. The movie it became. On up to this very article, even. This is, of course, a wild oversimplification. The main thrust of the screenplay—concerning long term relationships and the inevitable resentment that festers when one person shoulders the lion’s share of the sacrifice necessary to maintain it—had been percolating in the dark parts of my head and heart for years before I ever had “the vision.” Similarly, my singling out those three specific milestones—screenplay, movie, this article—intentionally glosses over the countless, arguably more important bits that came between them. All the hard parts. The really tough stuff. It ignores the struggle. The best, most rewarding experiences. The blood in the veins. The meat on the bones. The shit that really sticks in your teeth. Moments that, were I writing a different article, would be milestones in and of themselves. It is, in fact, another example of the profound power of storytelling: Its ability to collapse time. To turn entire epochs into ellipses. Those bits of white space between the script, the movie, and this article, essentially add up more than a quarter of my entire life. But in the interest of brevity (something I’ve never been particularly interested in, and as a result, have rarely managed to achieve) I have no choice, for now, but to leave those moments in the ellipses… And get back to that damned couch in front of that door. To be clear, it wasn’t a dream. I didn’t sit bolt-upright in bed, break out in a cold sweat, and reach for a notebook on the nightstand. I never considered it a premonition or prophecy of any kind because, well, that would be crazy. And I only previously made reference to it as a capital-V vision with my tongue planted firmly in the meat of my cheek. It was just an image. A flash across my mind’s eye that lasted all of an instant. Come from nowhere. Apropos of nothing. Like a bug smacking a windshield. There wasn’t even anything particularly interesting about either the couch or the door outside of their unusual proximity to one another. There was no corpse on the couch. No family sat on it, all dressed up in period clothes, like Dust Bowl-era farmers in their Sunday best; only with black eyes and their mouths sewn shut. There was no enormous Saint Bernard sprawled across the cushions, either. Slobbery, slick red muzzle. Gnawing on a long bone… With a foot on the end of it. It was just a couch. It was every couch ever made. All distilled down into one. The couch from every classic sitcom. The one the title family all piles onto in the opening credits. All shouldered together, smiling and being silly. The door was equally unremarkable. There were no bullet holes. No misspelled Beatles song title scrawled across it in blood. It wasn’t at the end of a long hallway, locked from the outside, with a peephole in the middle, looking in. Nor did it open on a rickety staircase that disappeared into a basement… where something, somewhere down in the dark, was growling softly. It was just a door. Wood. Painted, off-white, maybe. Maybe not, I’m not sure. But there was one other curious detail that stood out about it at the time: It was a front door. The main artery through which family and friends, food, overdue homecomings, big hugs, and sometimes bad news and even bad guys, flow directly into the heart of a home. And that couch, the one shoved up against it–it should be noted–was on the inside of the house. All but wedged into a narrow foyer. Its plush, curving arms scraping the walls on either side. I was, of course, immediately aware this was an unusual place to find a couch, not least because it flew in the face of nearly every, unassailable tenet of Feng-shui. I simply had to know more. Who would do such a thing? Why would they do it? Certainly, it wasn’t to stop someone getting out. Moving the couch to get out the door would be annoying, no doubt; and it would surely slow any attempted escape. But it was, at most, a minor inconvenience. Perhaps then, I surmised, it had been dragged out into the mud room and shoved up against the door in an attempt to keep someone out. Maybe even something. That had to be it. It was the only thing that made sense: I was looking at a rudimentary, hastily constructed barricade. I still had no idea who had put it there, but I had just managed to hook my fingertips on the edge of the “why.” Which, of course, turned out to be merely the flaky skin on the outside of an onion; and my peeling it away had managed only to reveal layer after layer of countless new questions. Not least of which was: If the couch was in front of the door to keep something out… What the hell was trying to get in? I sat down at my computer, opened my screenwriting software, and wrote the following: INT. HOUSE - MORNING HANK wakes up on the couch. He is in his early thirties but is carrying a few more years under his eyes, and in the wiry beard on his neck and jowls. He swings his feet to the floor and yawns and cracks the knuckles of his toes on the hardwood. Two things suddenly make this otherwise pedestrian moment quite surreal: The first, is when he pulls an enormous double-barrel shotgun from the cushions behind him and lays it casually across his lap. The second, is when it becomes apparent that the couch... IS BARRICADED AGAINST THE FRONT DOOR. Hank yawns. He scratches his greasy head. He claws the crust from the corners of his eyes. Then he stands with the shotgun and stretches and groans and lumbers out of frame. For a moment we linger on that bizarre image: A couch, in front of a door. Boom! Mystery solved. I had figured it out! The person who had built the strange couch-barricade was… A guy named Hank, apparently. Who–not coincidentally (on the off-chance I managed to finish whatever this was and get it made)–happened to look quite a bit like me. Though I still had no idea who this man really was, where he was, what he did for a living, or what he was trying to keep out of his house, I had made a bit of progress. That opening scene amounted to almost one single page of a screenplay. And this, dear reader, is but a glimpse into the maddening, inefficient, nightmare that is–and has always been–my writing process. Try as I might, to plot out my stories with Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, or make “mind-maps” or beat sheets, or lay three acts out on Syd Field’s Screenplay Paradigm, or in Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, I have never once managed to actually do it. Everything I have ever finished has been the result of a flash of inspiration, followed by weeks, months, and often years of blindly groping in the dark for breadcrumbs and lifelines. This article is no exception. It is part of the reason I resisted committing to it for so long. It is also why I have amassed no fewer than nine individual documents comprising an equal number of false starts over two months attempting to write it. And it is why I am still bushwhacking through word thickets on the eve of a deadline while my wife works my shift at the bar, to give me every last minute to maybe find my way out of the writing woods. Speaking of the woods… III: The Terrible Wilderness of the Middle. When I first saw the A.A. Stivender House, there was a moment—however brief—in which I thought I had actually manifested the damned thing. That I might literally have written it into existence. Willed the house into the world through sheer force of imagination. The power of a pen on paper. I could almost see it happening. Set back from the road as it was, hidden in a hug of oak trees behind curtains of Spanish moss, literally building itself, a board at a time. Not all at once, but over months and years. Each time I wrote a sentence referencing Hank’s home it would grumble awake in the woods and grow a little more. A little bit bigger. From the foundation to the wide wraparound porch, on up to the tall brick chimney jutting from the roof like a castle spire. Its crown choked by an enormous osprey nest. A beautiful green bloom of infection threatening to spread over the whole of the place that called to mind “The Lonely Death of Jordy Verill,” from George Romero’s Creepshow. In reality, of course, none of that happened. The enchanting, imposing, Italianate-style home that would become a major character in my third feature film was already standing a full hundred years before I was even born. Built in 1881, by a dentist from Alabama in what would become the city of Leesburg, Florida, (but at the time was a small citrus-industry outpost known as Eldorado,) it was absolutely perfect. So perfect, in fact, it had already been featured in a major motion picture years earlier. Away We Go was a sweet, rambling dramedy starring Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski, as a couple on the verge of parenthood who travel the country visiting friends and family, looking for the perfect place to put down roots. In the end, they decide on the childhood home of Rudolph’s character. Enter, the A.A. Stivender House. This connection was no coincidence of course. The house had been suggested to us by our friend, Juan Ortiz, who is a talented filmmaker in his own right. (Seriously, if you’re curious what I look like in a knit panda mask eating a severed thumb, check out his film Fingers). Anyway, years earlier, Juan had been hired to sit at the Stivender property to ensure no one vandalized the Away We Go set overnight. During these security details, he would often call Christian Stella, my co-director and lifelong filmmaking partner, just to have someone to talk to in order to distract him from the spooky sounds and pitch-black darkness of the location. It is no wonder he insisted we consider the place for our monster movie. Which, by the way, we were finally, officially, actually making. And it had only been six years since I first saw that couch in front of that door. In that time the script had gone through countless rewrites. Some, a product of my own restless tinkering; but a fair amount that were insisted upon by a rogue’s gallery of producers (with mostly good intentions) who mostly, eventually, just quietly vanished. My personal life had changed dramatically in that time, and I had begun to question, if we ever managed to get the movie made, whether I would still be able to relate to the themes and emotions that had inspired me to write it in the first place. By the last of those endless drafts, one character had been cut down to nearly nothing, two characters had been collapsed into one, (come to think of it, two monsters had been collapsed into one) and nearly thirty pages had been excised completely. Somehow though, I mostly still recognized it as the story I originally wrote. The biggest change to the script however, wouldn’t be implemented until that final rewrite. During a conference call with investors and producers, I got the sense that interest might be flagging a little when the subject of where we envisioned shooting the film was raised. From the very first draft, I had always imagined the story taking place in New England. I was living in Connecticut when the story was written, and we had shot our previous two features in the upstate town of Kent, near the border of southwestern Massachusetts. At that time, there had been quite a few recent indie, artsy, horror movies set in the moody, foggy forests and meadows of old-world America, and for some reason, without running it by my partners, I blurted out something along the lines of: “I’ve always wanted to make a movie in the middle of Florida. In the part of Florida most people don’t see. The part that feels like the south. No beaches or theme parks. I’m talking about sweet tea and Spanish moss. Snakes and gators and swamps and old orange groves and good old boys in big trucks.” A month later, we were knocking on doors in Leesburg, trying to find the owner of the house I thought I might have written into the world. IV: Making a Monster Much ink (and even more audio) has been spilt on the making of After Midnight. And why not? Filming a movie is the fun part. Running around town scouring flea markets and thrift stores and filling a box truck with enough furniture and knick knacks and bric-a-brac to turn a hundred year old home with no electricity or running water into something that looked warm and loved and lived-in. Catching a half dozen beautiful yellow rat snakes that seemed to be furiously mating and occasionally dropping from the rafters onto the porch. Working with some of my favorite creative people in the world. Trying not to crack up laughing next to Henry Zebrowski, one of the funniest comedians alive, every single time he was on camera; and at one point having to be gently told by producers during the editing process: “You know you can’t leave every single one of his ad-libs in the final movie, right?” Getting permission to sing, on screen, the entirety of a song that was a touchstone anthem of the early nineties. And of course, having the unbelievable opportunity to have one of my special effects heroes make a full-body, practical monster suit inspired by words I wrote, and then getting to actually physically fight that monster. It was a dream. Every single day. Of which I believe there were exactly eighteen. That’s it. Eighteen days. Less than three weeks. Then it was off to a dark room to edit and color correct and sound design and sound mix and add temp score and argue and wait for the real score and phone calls and phone calls and notes and notes and notes and notes and flying to Los Angeles to make monster roars and snarls and growls and oh by the way, I wasn’t working while all this was happening so pretty soon it was back to the day job! Which brings me to another reason I politely declined the offer to write this piece, and screen our film, in the past: I don’t particularly like telling people I’m a filmmaker. More often than not, I would rather most people not know I make movies. I am well aware what a difficult circle that is to square, given the three thousand bloviating words I’ve dedicated to talking about precisely that subject up to this point. And in the spirit of transparency—to peel back the curtain a bit—this particular section has proven such a difficult and delicate one to write, I have in fact skipped it, written the ending, and come back to it now to tackle it last. There is just simply no easy way to say you would rather the public at large be unaware of your ambitions, without sounding either ashamed of said ambitions, or otherwise ungrateful of the job that keeps your lights on and supports your pursuit of those goals. And yet I am neither ashamed nor ungrateful of either. On the contrary, were my moviemaking endeavors ever considered to be even the faintest of freckles on the vast body of cinematic history (somewhere on the back of the thigh probably) it would be one of the proudest achievements of my life. Similarly—though it may be harder to believe—I consider my day job slinging beers at Grove Roots Brewing, to be one of the most rewarding “obligations” I’ve ever had the privilege of lucking into. Had I not weaseled my way into such a warm, supportive place, there is little to no chance my wife and I would still be in this town, let alone the state. It may be a cliche to say your coworkers are your family; but if they all end up members of your wedding party, and their children are your flower girl and ring-bearer, or when they’ve given you six months off to make a movie, and so many customers ask after you that they name a beer “Where’s Jeremy?”, the sentiment rings a bit more true. Nevertheless, regardless how I feel about my involvement in either my day job or my dream job, they are rarely symbiotic. Consider the following, fairly common scenarios: INT. BREWERY - NIGHT Jeremy is behind the bar. A customer approaches. JEREMY How we doin today? CUSTOMER Good, good. JEREMY Can I help you find something? CUSTOMER Don,t you make movies? JEREMY Uhh, well... Kinda, yeah- CUSTOMER Cuz I make videos too. I got this new drone, and I,m trying to make a bunch of promo stuff... Jeremy sighs. DISSOLVE TO: INT. BREWERY - AFTERNOON Jeremy hunches over the sinks behind the bar, washing dishes. A customer approaches. CUSTOMER Hey you make movies right? JEREMY I’ve made a couple, yeah. CUSTOMER What are they called? JEREMY Well there's a few, but the ones I wrote and directed myself- CUSTOMER Cuz I got one of those Fire Sticks, so I can watch pretty much any movie for free. Jeremy sighs. INT. BREWERY - NIGHT CUSTOMER I heard you make movies. JEREMY On occasion. CUSTOMER You gotta cast me in the next one. INT. BREWERY - EVENING CUSTOMER Are you the guy that makes the movies? JEREMY Uhh, I mean. Probably, yeah. CUSTOMER Well there,s no paper towels in the men,s room. Obviously, these interactions are the exception, not the rule. And for the most part the people I have met in this town have been supportive and generous, to an almost sickening degree. In fact, when it was announced After Midnight would have its international premiere at a festival in Switzerland, the regulars at the brewery were the ones who bought nearly a thousand dollars worth of t-shirts I’d designed to try and raise money to make the trip. Most of them never even picked up the shirts. They just wanted to help. The reality is, I have gone bowling with [name redacted] and competed in a Moon Pie eating competition with [name redacted]. I have snuck out of a live performance in Montreal to get burgers with [name redacted] and done a live, drunken reading of the Road House screenplay for charity with [name redacted]. I have stood for an hour, signing autographs in a foreign country after a sold-out screening of my film, and been all over the world and won countless audience and acting awards. I did a People magazine photo shoot at the Tribeca Film Festival where my last movie had its world premiere, and if all of that sounds a bit pompous that’s because it is supposed to. Because I often find it very difficult to explain these things to people when they think it is “cute” that I make “videos.” And I rarely feel like a filmmaker, when I’m sweeping up glass or cleaning up spills. So, why have I agreed to write this at all? Well, first and foremost, because twenty-five years ago, in my hometown of Kissimmee, Florida, someone thought it worthy to organize a film festival. Because of that person, that event, and that communal space, my friends and I felt inspired to make our first feature film. We also met numerous other aspiring filmmakers we never would have known were making the same kinds of silly movies in the same stupid town. One of those people, twenty years later, would ask me to put on a panda mask and eat a man’s thumb, and later lead us to that hundred-year-old house I might have manifested. So if writing this article, or screening our film, somehow facilitates an interaction between a few shy kids who feel like they’re alone in wanting to make weird movies in this big, weird, state, well, then every unsolicited audition I’m forced to endure, or drone reel video I’m forced to watch on someone’s phone while I’m working will be worth it. Now, about that cave painting… V: Chekhov’s Cave Painting 2: The Paintening. I was twelve years old in the summer of 1993; so the particulars of the night itself escape me. But considering it was the middle of June in the middle of Florida, it’s probably safe to assume it was pretty damn sticky outside. And for my money, humanity has yet to dream up a more perfect sanctuary from the heat than the cool, dark of a movie theater. Which is where I found myself that evening. I have to assume some of the more film-savvy readers, by this point, have long figured out what it was I saw that night, so I won’t beat around the bush any longer… It was Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg’s classic sci-fi adventure may seem like little more than big budget, high-brow Hollywood camp to some people; but I imagine those people weren’t twelve when they first saw it. I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a child. My grandmother is fond of recounting being told by my first-grade teacher that I corrected her spelling of Diplodocus. And here they were, larger than life, flesh and blood, as real as anything I’d ever seen. Jurassic Park is not my favorite film of all time, but it will always have a piece of my heart, and it changed the trajectory of my life because I became so infatuated with the film (mind you, this was before the internet) that I gobbled up every bit of media I could find about it in an effort to stay connected to the feeling I had from watching it. Magazines. Newspapers. TV news shows like 60 Minutes and late night talk show interviews with the cast. As a result, I became, for the first time, keenly aware of the making of a movie, irrespective of the experience of simply seeing it. I was twelve years old in the summer of 1993; so the particulars of the night itself escape me. But considering it was the middle of June in the middle of Florida, it’s probably safe to assume it was pretty damn sticky outside. And for my money, humanity has yet to dream up a more perfect sanctuary from the heat than the cool, dark of a movie theater. Which is where I found myself that evening. I have to assume some of the more film-savvy readers, by this point, have long figured out what it was I saw that night, so I won’t beat around the bush any longer… It was Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg’s classic sci-fi adventure may seem like little more than big budget, high-brow Hollywood camp to some people; but I imagine those people weren’t twelve when they first saw it. I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a child. My grandmother is fond of recounting being told by my first-grade teacher that I corrected her spelling of Diplodocus. And here they were, larger than life, flesh and blood, as real as anything I’d ever seen. Jurassic Park is not my favorite film of all time, but it will always have a piece of my heart, and it changed the trajectory of my life because I became so infatuated with the film (mind you, this was before the internet) that I gobbled up every bit of media I could find about it in an effort to stay connected to the feeling I had from watching it. Magazines. Newspapers. TV news shows like 60 Minutes and late night talk show interviews with the cast. As a result, I became, for the first time, keenly aware of the making of a movie, irrespective of the experience of simply seeing it. PLEASE JOIN US FOR A PRIVATE SCREENING OF  AFTER MIDNIGHT WHILE WE RAISE FUNDS FOR THE HISTORIC RITZ THEATRE. Q & A WITH DIRECTORS JEREMY GARDNER AND CHRISTIAN STELLA TO FOLLOW. OCTOBER 26, 7 PM VERY LIMITED SEATING, PLEASE RESERVE YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE. CENTRALFLORIDATIX.COM

Bartow Ford has been giving away a truck during the fall for as long as Bartow Ford President Benny Robles Jr. can remember. He noticed that when it came time for the giveaway, only a few finalists and family members would show up. “I always felt like, especially back in the day, when you hear about a dealership giving away a vehicle, you kind of write it off as a hoax or a gimmick to get people in the door. And we really are giving away an F150,” he said. “I wanted to come up with an idea where a lot of people would be there from the community, but I wanted it to be fun for the community. There’s no radio spot or TV commercial I can do that’s going to make someone buy a vehicle that day, but if I can have a wonderful time with the community and they have a wonderful time at the dealership, and in the meantime, we raise a lot of money for local charities – that should stay pretty top of mind,” Robles said. “We feel like the community is really what makes Bartow Ford special, whether it’s the employees that we have or the customers that we have – we feel like they’re part of our family. To be able to get together, have a great time, listen to some country music, and give away an F150 sounded like a good idea.” Last year, the dealership launched Bartow Ford’s Concert on the Lot Series. They’re revving up again for a premier county music concert featuring multi-platinum GRAMMY nominee and CMA and ACM award winner Lee Brice. Joining Brice on the Bartow Ford stage is good friend and country music vocal powerhouse Randy Houser. “We are so excited to bring this entertainment experience to Polk County at a ticket price that makes it affordable for more people in our community,” Robles said. “We promise it will be a night to remember.” Bartow Ford is partnering with 97 Country and The Dallas Bull for the November 11 event, which will be held at the dealership. Doors will open at 5 pm, and music begins at 6:30 pm. A variety of food and beverage vendors will be on hand. In addition to the night’s entertainment, one lucky concert attendee will win a Ford F150. Contest details will be available on BartowFord.com as the event gets closer. Bartow Ford is committed to charitable work with organizations like the Achievement Academy and VISTE, and this event will be no different. Tickets, which can be purchased at BartowFord.com, are $31. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Humane Society of Polk County and the Wounded Warrior Project. According to woundedwarriorproject.org, “The WWP mission is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors who incurred a physical or mental injury, illnesses, or wound, co-incident to [their] military service on or after September 11, 2001.” As the concert falls on Veteran’s Day, Robles said, “I also want to take care of the veterans because we appreciate all the sacrifices they’ve made.” Robles said he looks forward to interacting with the community at the event. “I feel like that’s what makes it special, that connection.” LEE BRICE When Lee Brice isn’t selling out arenas, writing and recording songs, or building new brands like American Born whiskey, you’ll find the family man with his wife Sara, two young boys, and baby daughter. Meanwhile, with more than 14 million in RIAA-certified sales and streams, and nearing three billion spins on Pandora, Brice continues to enjoy massive success at country radio, digital streaming services, and on the road. Lee is also a GRAMMY nominee, a CMA nominee, and a double ACM award winner, and he’s taken six radio singles to Number One: “A Woman Like You,” “Hard To Love,” “I Drive Your Truck,” “I Don’t Dance,” “Drinking Class,” and “Rumor.” Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, and others have recorded his songs, and he’s performed on numerous TV shows, including NBC’s Today, ABC’s The Bachelor, NBC’s The Voice and FOX’s Miss USA 2018. Lee’s “Rumor” is the current single from his fourth studio album, Lee Brice, released November 3, 2017, on Curb Records. The RIAA Certified Platinum single is Lee’s sixth number-one hit, appearing in the top spot on the Billboard, Mediabase Country Radio, and SiriusXM’s “The Highway” Top 30 charts. It has also surpassed 280 million on-demand audio & video streams in the US, with over 300 million worldwide. For more information, go to LeeBrice.com. RANDY HOUSER With an inimitable voice, The New York Times describes as “wholly different, thicker and more throbbing, a caldron bubbling over,” Randy Houser racked up three consecutive No. 1 hits and more than four million in singles sales to date with his Stoney Creek Records album How Country Feels. He topped the charts with the title track, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” and “Goodnight Kiss” (also his first No. 1 as a songwriter) and earned critical acclaim for his powerful delivery of the Top 5 smash and CMA Song of the Year-nominated “Like A Cowboy.” Houser added a fourth No. 1 to his catalog with “We Went” from his 2016 album, Fired Up. Houser’s sixth studio album, Note To Self, is available now via Magnolia Music Group and features ten tracks, all co-written by the Mississippi native. Currently in the top 30 and climbing at Country radio, lead single and title track “Note To Self” marked his “powerful return” following 2019’s critically-acclaimed album Magnolia, with MusicRow boasting the Mississippi-native, remains one of country music’s very finest vocalists.” With multiple sold-out shows in 2022, including an at-capacity stop at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Houser wrapped his coheadlining tour with longtime friend Jamey Johnson and is currently on the road with Cody Johnson. Along with preparing new music and a relentless touring schedule, Houser landed onscreen roles in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and more, as well as the inspiring The Hill starring Dennis Quaid. For more information, go to RandyHouser.com.

If you’re craving something, chances are it’s on the menu at Cravin’ Haven. This rotating menu food truck boasts “food with no borders” and an inviting patio dining space. What started as ‘just something to do’ became the Best Food Truck in Winter Haven in only a year. Winter Haven resident Phillip Brooks worked in construction for 25 years. A year and a half post-retirement, Brooks was getting restless. Ex-wife Mandy Brooks encouraged Phillip that if he was going back to work, it should be something he wanted to do. He decided to open a food truck. “I’ve done a little competitive cooking,” Brooks said. “I’ve just always loved to do it. I didn’t realize it was such a big job until we got this place here.” After a year of preparation, Cravin’ Haven opened off Dundee Road on September 23, 2022. Just a few days later, Hurricane Ian barreled through the state. To say it was a rough opening would be an understatement. But, a year later, Cravin’ Haven has built a loyal following and was voted Best Food Truck in the 2023 Best of Haven readers’ choice awards. THE FOOD “I knew that I wanted to be able to serve what I want to,” Brooks said. “I always knew I’d be serving some sort of barbecue.” But Cravin’ Haven isn’t a barbecue joint by any means. This Dundee Road dining destination offers “food with no borders.” Patrons might get a barbecue brisket sandwich one day and a banh mi another. Brooks has chosen not to limit his offerings to one culinary genre. Their rotating menu includes fan favorites like brisket, pork, or ahi tuna tacos, as well as their famous smash burger. “The most fun part is I just love cooking and coming up with new menus,” Brooks said. Cravin’ Haven’s tacos come served in upright stands, so they don’t slide all over the place – an appreciated touch. Though each delicious in its own right, the ahi tuna tacos stole the show. Two tacos are filled with succulent seared ahi tuna and topped with micro greens, avocado, fresco cheese, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and finished with house wasabi lime aioli. Second only to the tuna tacos was the gourmet smash burger made with a homemade ¼ pound burger piled with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion, served with fries and coleslaw. Their fresh, all-natural jumbo chicken wings are also climbing the ranks for a top spot on the menu, available in garlic parmesan, barbecue, or Buffalo (mild, medium, or hot). Don’t skip out on the authentic Cuban sandwich pressed with house-smoked pork, ham, pickles, Swiss cheese, and mustard on Cuban bread. Though one might be tempted to take their food and escape to the air conditioning from the oppressive Florida heat, Cravin’ Haven’s screened-in patio is a shaded spot to lounge for lunchtime. A breeze wafts teasing aromas from the food truck into a screened-in patio with ample seating and string lights. THE TEAM “When I opened it, I opened it for me, so I’d have something to do. I never thought for a second that it would take off like this,” Brooks said. Some of his biggest supporters have been ex-wife and friend Mandy Brooks and her mother, Brenda Mitchell. Brooks said of Mandy, “She’s been a massive help from day one.” Brooks now has four employees and a traveling food trailer in addition to the stationary food truck. Daughter Katie is on the team, along with prep cook Renee, and Ryan, who works in the traveling trailer. “The biggest surprise is how we’ve been accepted,” Brooks said. “It grew really fast around me.” Katie, who formerly worked in a food truck at LEGOLAND, discussed the best part about working at Cravin’ Haven. “Just working with family is good and getting to know all our customers,” she said. She noted the food truck’s success: “It’s amazing. […] I’m so honored.” A year in, Brooks has his sights on a brick-and-mortar with no set plans just yet. “I think that’s anyone’s dream to see their food truck go to a brick and mortar. Just waiting on that one investor,” he said. “I like this, what I’m doing. But a brick-and-mortar would be the payoff. It would mean I made it.” Photography by Amy Sexson Cravin’ Haven 3223 Dundee Rd., Winter Haven 863-604-9423 cravinhavenfl.com FB: Cravin’ Haven IG @cravinhavenfl