heartland living magazine june-july 2013

June | July 2013

Your Community Lifestyle Magazine

2 | June�July 2013 Heartland LIVING

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Letter From

THE PUBLISHER

Welcome. Sweet summertime is here and it’s time to enjoy our local fresh citrus, watermelons, vegetables and Florida beef with our summer BBQ’s.

That being said, I would like to dedicate this issue to our Heartland’s farm-ers and ranchers. Creating this issue has brought back many memories of this city girl’s country days. I cherish past memories of learning to ride a horse in my twenties, training barrel horses, traveling the roads with my kids starting in Jr. Rodeo all the way to professional rodeo and working cows with the family.

I want to thank Brad Phares and “Moochie” for gracing our cover and sharing a typical day on the ranch. The memories of your “Granny’s Dinner Wagon” brought back the special times of my kids’ Nana showing up at the cowpens with the trunk of her Lincoln packed full of a homemade dinner, fit for a king. Brad is the per-fect example of the modern day cowboy, which is being honored in Okeechobee at “The National Day of the American Cowboy”. Maureen Burroughs of Okeechobee Main Street, along with the Okeechobee Cattlemen’s Assoc., would like to invite you to come experience this unique event.

Throughout my publication, I try to focus on individuals that give back to the community. One of our feature stories showcases Jimmy Wohl and the family owned Rafter T Ranch. He has dedicated his time and efforts to be a steward to the land. His contributions to conservation efforts are being locally and nationally recognized. My hope is that his inspirational story will encourage landowners to utilize their land in a way that helps pre-serve the land and environment for future generations.

This year the City of Sebring marked another milestone with the Sebring Police Department celebrating their centennial year with a tribute at the police station. Police Chief Thomas M. Dettman was very proud to share the past heritage of the station. I know you will enjoy reading about the past to the present, especially the history of the newly renovated station. I want to say a big thank you to the men and women who protect and serve our community.

Make sure to check out our Restaurant Review. This issue features a new restaurant in the Heartland, Flames Waterside Restaurant and Bar. We hope you visit this wonderful restaurant. It’s a great way to support local business and to enjoy a fantastic meal!

I hope all you moms had a wonderful Mother’s Day in May. I enjoyed a special day with my mom, my children and family. Now it’s time to celebrate all the dads out there. I cherish the times I get to spend with my family and I look forward to a barbecue with them to honor our dad. Happy Father’s Day!

From the staff at Heartland LIVING we would like to thank all of our readers and advertisers for your continued support of our publication. Also I would like to thank the individuals that have allowed us come into their lives and share their stories with you.

Hope you all enjoy this issue and have a wonderful summer with family & friends!

Cindy Sebring Adams



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Heartland LIVING

CONTENTS | June � July 2013

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20

FEATURESNational Day of the American CowboyBy Pamela Glinski Working Together to Preserve Florida HeartlandsBy Pamela Glinski

Sebring Police DepartmentCentennial CelebrationChristy Swift Columns

Heartland Heroes Angels in the Outfield

Woman2Woman Candace Preston

Showcasing The Arts Western Art

Healthy Heartland Keeping Cool and Eating Healthy

Fishing in the Heartland Hoofing it for Bass

The Wine Cellar Frequently Asked Wine Questions

Southern Chef Recipes by Layne Prescott

Restaurant Review Flames Waterside Restaurant

June | July 2013

Your Community Lifestyle Magazine

Heartland EventsDeSoto County Watermelon Festival

Missions on Main

Heartland Triathlon - Mother’s Day EventUS Florida National Guard -Dirty Dozen 2013

10

20

4850525456586064

18

2844

46Cover

Photo byRafael Pacheco

Brad Phares and “Moochie”

Story on page 10

62687030

38

Dining Guide Calendar of Community EventAdvertisers Index

30

Special SectionsThank You Letter from Dr. Mark Davis

Downtown Sebring - The Next 100 Years

838


Heartland Heroes Angels in the Outfield

Woman2Woman Candace Preston

Showcasing The Arts Western Art

Healthy Heartland Keeping Cool and Eating Healthy

Fishing in the Heartland Hoofing it for Bass

The Wine Cellar Frequently Asked Wine Questions

Southern Chef Recipes by Layne Prescott

Restaurant Review Flames Waterside Restaurant

CEO |PublisherCindy Sebring Adams

Creative | Art DirectorBridgette Waldau

Editorial Director

Jessica Adams

Feature Writers Pamela GlinskiChristy Swift

Contributing WritersJessica Adams

Amanda ArmentroutJon Armentrout

Dan EcholsNicole La PlacaDavid Padgitt Brad Phares

Layne PrescottCasey Wohl

Senior PhotographerRafael Pacheco

PhotographersJessica AdamsTravis Brandon Rachel Lovett

Advertising DepartmentCindy Sebring Adams

Jessica Adams

Heartland Publications & Marketing412 Rest Haven Road

Zolfo Springs, FL 33890863-781-0344

[email protected]

Become a fan on facebook.Visit us at

www.HeartlandLivingMagazine.com

HeartlandLIVING

Heartland Living Magazine is published quarterly by Heartland Publications & Marketing. Copyright 2013, all rights reserved. Reproduction of contents in print or electronic transmission in whole or in part in any language or format must be by expressed written permission of the publisher. All articles, descrip-tions and suggestions in this magazine are merely expression of opinions from contributors and advertisers and do not constitute the opinion of the publisher, editor or staff of Heartland Living Magazine, and under no circumstances con-stitutes assurances or guarantees concerning the quality of any service or product. Heartland Living Magazine specifically disclaims any liability related to these expressions and opinions. The advertiser agrees to hold harmless and indemnify the publishers from all liability. Letters from our readers are not only welcome but encouraged.

June � July 2013

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I wish to thank Cindy Sebring Adams and Heartland Living for the feature story detail-ing the amazing survival story of the abandoned Indian rhino calf named Hope, as well as spotlighting the perilous plight of rhinos worldwide. The tragic onslaught of white rhinos continues in South Africa. Nearly 300 have been poached for their horns already this year.

The magazine exposure dedicated to my “Horns of Hope” ministry has translated into numerous speaking engagements to include service organizations, churches and con-servation clubs. I have also received countless congratulatory phone calls and emails.

Hope continues to prosper under the close supervision of my techs, Kelli and Kim. Her human surrogates have provided around the clock care, as needed. The bond between Kim and Kelli and this orphan calf is truly extraordinary. Without a doubt, they are di-rectly responsible for Hope’s survival today. I am fortunate to have such dedicated and qualified employees. Kim’s daughter, Kodi is learning the trade as well.

I am blessed every day to work alongside ranchers, farmers and horse owners that care greatly about their animals, their land, their families and their country. These are people that enjoy a hard day’s work and don’t mind getting their hands dirty.

For the most part, they understand the importance of sustainable land use and work diligently to ensure that their children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy the same gratifying lifestyle that they have.

I covet everyone’s prayers as I continue to espouse the care of God’s creation to any-one that will listen. For further information, visit www.hornsofhope.com or email me at [email protected].

Remember to be good stewards of the earth out of your love for God and for that which he created and called “good.” Three helpful words to help you achieve responsible stew-ardship are Recycle, Reduce and Reuse.

.



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Sitting tall in the saddle of his 15-hand quarter horse Moochie, rancher Brad Phares with his broad smile and silverbelly hat is the perfect example of the modern day cattlemen who are being honored in Okeechobee on July 27 at “The National Day of the American Cowboy.”

The daylong commemorative event, which is sponsored by Okeechobee Main Street and the Okeechobee Cattlemen’s Association, honors a way of life characterized by honor, courage, strength of character and pride in a job well done.

By Pamela GlinskiPhotos by Rafael Pacheco

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“Cowboys through the years have set a standard and still exemplify the work ethic upon which this nation was built,” said Senator Denise Grimsley, a fifth gen-eration resident of Florida’s heartland. “The celebration in Okeechobee is a great reminder that this heritage of hard work is alive and well.”

Honoring the proud pioneer heritage that began when Ponce De Leon brought cattle to Florida in 1521 was the moti-vation behind the first three-mile cattle drive through the streets of Okeechobee in 2007. Nine area residents worked to organize the inaugural event which drew a crowd of over 3000.

The driving force behind the project was the late Pete Keogh, the director of the Agri-Civic Center at that time.

“He knew the heritage of the area and how big the cattle business was in Okeechobee, so he thought it was some-thing we should look into doing,” said Phares, who operates his family’s 1800


acre spread bordering Lake Okeechobee.

The cattle industry, essential to Florida’s economy, provides over 31,000 jobs and brings in nearly $2 billion annually.

“People think of Florida as orange groves, Disney World and the ocean. They have no idea about the cattle industry and the culture of the cowboys. The ranch rodeo demonstrates things that they do on the ranch every day of the year,” said Maureen Burroughs, president of Okeechobee Main Street.

“Currently, less than two percent of the U.S. population is involved in the pro-duction of agriculture. They don’t have the close relationship with nature or livestock that we do. This gives them a chance to experience this (way of life) firsthand and realize it is still here,” pointed out Phares.

One of the original event organizers and the designer of its promotional logo, Phares said that “National Day of the

American Cowboy” not only provides an opportunity to showcase a rare and unique lifestyle, the event is a tribute to Keogh, his now deceased friend.

“We actually have a plaque dedicated to him up at the Ag-Center. He had re-searched the national event and called a meeting to put this together,” said Burroughs, who also credits Keogh with obtaining the event venue. “He truly wanted to be a cowboy…that was his ab-solute passion.”

“If it hadn’t been for Pete, there wouldn’t be a local celebration,” remarked Brad’s wife Sandra “Sam” Phares. She added, “That first year it was really a grass roots effort. People came from all over South Florida to see cattle being driven. The Seminole tribe brought their wagons (stage coach, paddy wagon and chuck wagon) and the Boys Ranch brought a steer that they rode. Now the Cattle-men’s Association and Okeechobee Main Street have taken it over and got-ten more businesses involved.”

“This is a major fundraiser for both or-ganizations because we put money back into the community,” explained Burroughs. She added that the Cattle-men’s Association will be using funds raised this year to restore the old Cattle-men’s Arena located on Hwy. 441N in Okeechobee. “They have some people that have offered a matching fund grant of up to $50,000 for the renovation.”

Burroughs is a staunch advocate of the area’s agricultural heritage and ex-pressed pride in the fact that the larg-est livestock market on the east coast of America exists in Okeechobee.

“Years ago, they did actually drive cattle right through town,” said Phares, as he explained the reason for the yearly reen-actment. He added that those practices changed after a fence law was enacted around 1943.

An eighth generation Floridian, Brad de-scribes himself not only as a rancher and a cowboy artist but as an ambassador for


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the ranching lifestyle. After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in animal science in 1994 and obtaining a graduate degree in law from St. Thomas University in 1997, Phares chose to return to his roots in Okeechobee County.

“It is a simpler lifestyle, one that is grounded in tradition and family values. You’re closer to your family,” said Phares, look-ing around his comfortable home filled with family photos of his 15-year-old daughter Jacqueline, and his 13-year-old son Jared.

“The kids love living out here in the country, and of course, they are FFA (Future Farmers of America) members,” added Sam.

One of the founding members of the Cowboy Artist Associa-tion of Florida (CAAF), Phares also owns Brad Phares Studios (www.bradpharesstudios.com). He has built a reputation cre-ating realistic depictions of rural life as seen through the eyes of a cattleman.

A three-year winner of “Best in Show” at the Okeechobee Main Street Top of the Lake Art Fest, his oil paintings capture the thrill of rodeos, the beauty of Florida’s wildlife and the splen-dor of our state’s palmetto flats, wetland marshes, and cypress hammocks. Phares also designed and donated the cowboy im-age used in Okeechobee’s National Day of the Cowboy logo.

“Cattle work is seasonal, so it’s not like I’m on the horse every

day by any means,” said Phares, as he described a typical day on the ranch. “One day I may be sitting at my easel; another day I could be sitting at the computer writing and then jump up from that because I’ve got a bull which has gotten in with the cows that I have to go deal with.”

Working in the sweltering summer heat alongside family and cow crews, and fond memories of his maternal grandparents, Marian and J.O. Pearce, Jr., are subjects of his online blog, “Ranch Soul.”

In “Granny’s Dinner Wagon” he writes of his anticipation of the midday meal, sweet tea and an abundance of made-from-scratch southern delicacies his grandmother would toil over all morning and then serve buffet-style from the trunk of her 1970s Mercury Grand Marquis.

His colorful words, like his paintings, offer a rare glimpse into a world many people have only seen in western movies.

“We celebrate the cowboy as a symbol of the grand history of the American West. The cowboy’s love of the land and love of the country are examples for all Americans,” stated former President George Bush in a quote that appeared on the web-site of The National Day of the Cowboy organization (www.nationaldayofthecowboy.com).

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to have the cowboy culture recognized annually nationwide on the fourth Satur-day of July.

Though several states, including Wyo-ming, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, have now passed resolutions to hold events, Okeechobee holds the distinction of be-ing the first city east of the Mississippi to commemorate the day.

This year’s one-day Saturday celebration will kick-off at 10 am with a cattle drive through the downtown ending at the Agri-Civic Center.

Burroughs said there will be demon-strations of western crafts, art displays, western authors and cowboy-related vendors, as well as a mechanical bull that is new to this year’s event. There will also be a pulled pork barbeque fun-draiser and beer sales inside the center as well as other foods. Gates will open at 10 am at the Okeechobee Agri-Civic Center, 4601 Hwy 710, with the two rodeos beginning at 1 pm and 5 pm. Admission is $10 for adults, and children under 10 are free.

(Right) Sandra “Sam” and Brad Pharesat home on their porch.

(Below) On the Phares’ ranch.Photo courtesy of Brad Phares.

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On May 11, the Desoto County Watermelon Festival took place in Veterans Park crowning the Watermelon pageant winners for 2013. In addition to the pageant, there were food vendors, arts and crafts, watermelon contests and the wacky river race. This annual event was family fun for all. For more information go to www.arcadiamainstreet.com and on facebook.

(Above) Sugar Babe 3-4 age group – Queen Naraya Wiley (left) first runner-up Haven Hickox.

(Above right) Crimson Sweet Court 8-10 age group – second runner-up Megan Markey, Queen ShaydenWard and first runner-up Sierra Bullard.

(Above) Sugar Babe 0-2 age group – Queen Sophia Garcia.

(Right) Crimson Sweet 5-7 – first runner-up Lilly Fullerton.

Pageant photos courtesy of Amie Yates and Jamie Donaldson. Event photos courtesy of Arcadia Main Street.


Left: Crimson Sweet 5-7 age group – Queen Jacklyn Gaiten.

Watermelon Princess Court – (L-R) Pageant coordinator Jenny Hickox, first runner-up Aubry Harrelson, Princess Bailey Bryant, second runner-up Brittany Baxley and Pageant coordinator Crissy Hickox.

Above: Sugar Babe 0-2 – first runner-up Penelope Collier.


Cooperation, conservation easements and good land stewardship are the focus of an ongoing effort to prevent the fragmentation of a land corridor through the heart of Florida that is crucial to the health of our state’s water-ways, wildlife and agriculture.

This corridor comprises a large portion of what is now called the Northern Ev-erglades. The area, also known as the Kissimmee Basin, encompasses all the major water tributaries to Lake Okeechobee, which in turn provides the life blood to the Florida Everglades.

On April 25, rancher Jimmy Wohl hosted a group of individuals representing landowners, government regulatory bodies, environmental scientist and non-governmental organization (NGOs), like Audubon and the Nature Conservancy at the Rafter T Ranch in Sebring to discuss programs that can benefit ranchers as well as the environment.

By Pamela GlinskiPhotos by Rafael Pacheco

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“Ten years ago it would be unheard of for this group to work in a cooperative man-ner,” said Wohl of what was once char-acterized as adversarial relationships. “However, today we see them working cooperatively to restore the fragile Ever-glades ecosystem by preserving the in-tertwined and inseparable Florida ranch-ing heritage and the lands which serve as the Everglades Headwaters.”

The Wohl family’s Rafter T Ranch over-looking the vast Arbuckle Creek marsh provided the ideal venue for the gather-ing. The 5200-acre ranch has been rec-ognized with environment stewardship awards since the 1990s.

“Jimmy Wohl and the Rafter T Ranch are models of conservation and stewardship of Florida’s land and agriculture,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “The water resource manage-ment practices they have implemented show how working ranch lands can con-tribute to our efforts to protect and re-store the environment while maintaining the rural landscapes which is so impor-tant to our economy and quality of life.”

On April 7, Wohl became the first re-cipient of the Florida Audubon Sustain-able Rancher of the Year Award. He re-sponded to the award by saying that it is “flattering and an honor, but the most exciting aspect is that it signals a growing cooperative effort among all the players here today.”

Wohl’s innovative water management project, which incorporates a system of ditches, dikes, pumps and water reten-tion ponds, helps purify water before it feeds into Arbuckle Creek and has been credited with playing a significant role in the Northern Everglades restoration.

Perched on a grassy knoll overlooking one of the ranch’s 150 acre retention ponds, the group gazed across a wet-land habitat abounding with wildlife. The air echoed with the calls of snail kites, cranes, ducks, egrets, a wood stork and an osprey taking flight as the team walked the watershed’s perimeter en-joying its aesthetic value.

“We’ve learned that Mother Nature is smart. What we need to do is work with the natural environment, not try to use technology to master it,” stressed Wohl.

“This ranch is a perfect example of a place that has very valuable habitats, important to a number of classic species that are emblematic of Florida wildlife,” said Audubon Everglades Policy Associ-ate Jane Graham (http://audubonofflori-danews.org). A South Florida native with a passion for environmental law, Graham has used her expertise to expand on the cooperative effort that has existed be-tween ranchers and Audubon for over 50 years.

“Jimmy Wohl and Rafter T Ranch are set-ting the standard for ranchland steward-

ship in the Northern Everglades,” stated Florida Audubon Executive Director Eric Draper.

There was a strong consensus that pres-ervation of large ranching landscapes is vital not only to saving Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades but to preserving unique vegetative communities and the dependent wildlife. “Ranching makes up one-third of the Northern Everglades Watershed and one-sixth of the state of Florida,” said Program Director and Assistant Research Biologist Betsey Boughton, PhD. with the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center (www.maerc.org) in Lake Placid. Wohl introduced Boughton as the envi-ronmental biologist in charge of collec-tion and evaluation of data for the (FRE-SP) project.

“Ranch land is a mosaic of many eco-communities: pastures, flat woods, wet-land and scrub. We see ranches as really important to maintaining biodiversity,” said Boughton, who did her graduate re-search on wetland management at Arch-bold Biological Station.

Boughton explained, “Ranches provide a lot of what we call eco-system services, products that humans depend on: fresh water, carbon sequestration, food pro-duction of course, aquifer recharge and wildlife habitat.”

In 2009, it was concern over a fragile cor-ridor of unique wildlife habitat that runs through Polk, Osceola, Okeechobee and

(Left) Writer Pamela Glinski (center) conducts the round table discussion at Rafter T Ranch.

(Photo opposite page) The group who par-ticipated in the round table discussion: (L-R)Jane Graham Esq., Audubon’s Everglades Policy Associate Audubon Florida, Miami; Rebecca Perry, Land Protection Manager with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Orlan-do; Jeff Sumner, Director of Agricultural at South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), Okeechobee; Jimmy Wohl, Florida Audubon Rancher of the Year and owner of Rafter T Ranch, Sebring; Betsey Boughton, PhD, program director and assistant re-search biologist for MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center, Lake Placid, FLa. and Char-lie Pelizza, US Fish and Wildlife Service, (US-FWS).

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�

- Jimmy Wohl



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The project was dedicated in 2012 and is designated to be comprised of conser-vation easements purchased on 100,000 acres of contiguous ranchland and an-other 50,000 acres to be purchased fee simple title by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS), according to the project leader Charlie Pelizza (www.fws.gov/southeast/evergladesheadwa-ters). Pelizza, who has 32 years of experience working with the National Wildlife Ref-uge System and the US Fish and Wild-life Services, has an extensive history of building cooperation between NGOs, government agencies, outdoor sports enthusiast, and private landowners.

Known for work with the Pelican Island, Archie Carr and Lakes Wales Ridge Ref-uges in Central Florida, in 2012 Pelizza

was awarded both the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s Refuge Manager of the Year and Florida Wildlife Federa-tion’s Land Conservationist of the Year.

“The thing that really excites me today is this building of partnerships. We have this opportunity to work together, find-ing each other’s strengths to make us one cohesive unit moving forward for conservation,” said Pelizza. He added about his host, “Jimmy is sort of the poster child in the land ethic for a lot of ranchers in this landscape. It was his passion about ranching that first got our interest and brought us here today.”

“Cattle and nature don’t work against each other, they depend on one anoth-er,” said Wohl, winner of the Environ-mental Steward Award from the Cattle-men’s Association in 1995. “We are all working toward the same objective.”

Agriculture is one of Florida’s most valu-able industries, second only to tour-ism. Dairies, cattle ranchers, groves and

farmers add more than $100 billion to the state’s economy and employ over 750,000.

Yet, in today’s difficult economy and with Florida’s booming population encroach-ing on what was traditionally rural lands some large landowners are struggling to preserve farms, groves and ranches that have been a part of their family heritage for generations.

“By providing a flexible, dynamic pro-cess where you are rewarding landown-ers with a financial incentive you can change the thought paradigms (about land use),” said Wohl. Wohl is a staunch advocate of programs that pay ranchers for environment ser-vices such as (FRESP, which has now given birth to the Northern Everglades Payment for Environmental Services (NE-PES) program. However, he is also a supporter of ranchers selling conser-vation easements. He said that the net effect of a conservation easement is to

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sell future development rights and com-mit to a specified level of environmental stewardship.

“Many of these are worthwhile programs that have proven their use to the state’s public policy goals of conservation. We want to ensure protection of the old Florida we all grew up enjoying,” said Florida Senator Denise Grimsley. She added, “What we do want is to ensure options are available to family farms and landowners in a way that’s reasonable and still in the taxpayers’ interest.” Programs like the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Rural and Family Lands Pro-tection Program were created to protect natural resources by paying for conser-vation right of ways which can still be used agriculturally under Best Manage-ment Practices (BMP).

“These programs are the best example of a cooperative effort,” said Republican State Representative Cary Pigman in a phone interview. He explained that the programs allow land to remain produc-tive agriculturally while preserving our environment and providing a way to pro-tect Florida’s wildlife and waterways. Rebecca Perry, Land Protection Manager with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), has first-hand experience using conservation easements to prevent fragmentation of large ranching landscapes. Using state and military funding, she just completed a transaction to preserve 1,063 acres of Wohl’s Rafter T Ranch adjacent to the Avon Park Air Force Range.

The Readiness Environmental Protec-tion Initiative (REPI) and the Defense Infrastructure Grant (DIG) program were established to assist communities that are willing to host military bases and de-fense industries by allowing for the cre-ation of buffer zones.

The Conservancy has identified 63 piec-es of property around 10 military instal-lations as “Areas of Conservation Signifi-cance.” They see the purchase of these buffer easements as a solution benefi-cial to both landowners and nature. TNC has protected more than 360,000 acres

within the Everglades Watershed over the past 30 years (www.nature.org/flor-ida). “Our goals are to protect water resourc-es, habitat, support agriculture, enhance military readiness and work to help people maintain their ranching lifestyle,” said Perry.

“There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that we must maintain a viable and sustainable agricultural industry in con-junction with protecting resources and repairing damaged ecosystems,” noted Wohl.

“Florida agriculture literally feeds the nation,” said Jeff Sumner, the newly appointed Director of Agricultural Pro-grams at South Florida Water Manage-ment District. SFWMD supports the FRESP project and provides the funding

for NE-PES.

“It benefits the entire country if we can come up with ways for state and fed-eral agencies to partner with land own-ers,” said Sumner, a seventh generation Florida ranch family member who holds degrees in agricultural engineering and business. Sumner added, “Wohl’s proj-ect (FRESP) works in accomplishing the phosphorus and nitrogen reduction ev-eryone hoped it would.”

The health and well-being of Florida’s Heartland and its diverse eco-systems isn’t a government problem, a land-owner’s problem or the concern of just conservation groups. Every Floridian or visitor benefits from state recreational facilities, tourism dollars and the clean water provided by Florida’s vast system of wetland marshes, swamps and mean-dering waterways.

Jimmy Wohl shown with the FloridaAudubon Sustainable Rancher of theYear Award he received on April 7.

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Missions on MainThe night was filled with recognizing those who work behind the scenes, spend every spare minute being the hands and feet and giving their all to someone else. Main Street Wauchula took the time to honor the selfless people of Hardee County with an exciting event, Missions on Main, which was held May 17. Missions on Main served as the finish line for the SendMeMis-sions 5k and kept the energy up with live performance by Noah and Barbara Chapparro.

SendMeMissions is a local non-profit organization that raises money in order to serve our community both across the country and abroad. Their mission statement is to “Partner with local and global organizations to unite people to-

gether to make a difference by serving others to change lives through Christ”. The next mission trip is June 28 through July 5 with a team of 60 going to a Malnutrition Center in Guatemala. If you would like to donate to this trip, the following supplies can be dropped off at the First Christian Church of Wauchula: Band-Aids, diapers, gloves (non-latex) and baby wipes. Partner.Unite.Serve.


Jordan Evers, Cheyenne Pohland Miss Hardee County Arissa Camel. Team Patterson Welding , SMM’s largest team for the SMM 5K 2013.

SendMeMissons Board of Directors: (L-R) Ron Bromley, Jes-sica Murdock, Cynthia Cottrill, Jim Davis, Jamie Samuels, Shadow Ward and Cookie Sanders.Photos courtesy of Nancy Davis and B’s Photography.


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The Sebring Police Department has come a long way since law came to Sebring in 1913. On May 15, Police Chief Thomas M. Dettman set aside a little time to celebrate the 100-year journey.

By Christy Swift Photos by Travis Brandon

�


The PastDettman is the 10th police chief to pre-side over the department, with eight town marshals preceding those men all the way back to Aaron Withers, the “right hand man” of the city’s founder, George Sebring. Withers also served as the first fire chief, was the first man to carry the mail to Sebring from Wauchula, opened the first hotel (the Arrowhead, later named the Pennsylvania) and man-aged the first utility plant.

In the early days, the town marshal made five dollars a month. There was virtually no crime and the marshal’s main duty was to run roaming cattle and hogs out of the town limits, according to Carole Goad, archivist at the Sebring Historical Society.

In the 1920s, the town began to boom into a city. The peace was kept by a three-man police force. In 1936, Police Chief James Hancock took over the de-partment and holds the title of longest-running police chief, having served until 1958. In a letter written by Hancock’s daughter, Jeanette Twitty, she recalled his duties as follows:

“He was on call 24-hours a day, hunted the kids who stayed out too late and took them home to their parents; checked out the barking dogs and crowing roost-ers that were disturbing sleepers and even removed hungry skunks from gar-bage cans.”

Another example of Sebring’s small town policing was described by Henry Mitchell in the Historian. He wrote that in 1942, the city police station “consisted of a telephone with a loud bell on a light post. The policeman usually sat nearby in the police car. If there was no answer, the telephone operator would take a message or call the policeman’s home in emergencies.”

The PresentOf course now the Sebring Police De-partment enjoys all of the updates of the 21st century including a K-9 dog named J.R. And despite a long history, Dettman is certain beyond a doubt that the cur-rent team of 34 officers is the finest the

Police Chief Thomas M. Dettman takes time to celebrateSebring Police Department’s 100 year anniversary.


(Above) Sergeant Curtis Hart, Corporal Robert McConnell and Officer Wilma Tindell.

(Below) Investigator Michael Hirsch holding the Florida Flag.


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city has seen. With an average age of 40.9-years-old and an average of almost 14 years of experience, this group of 29 men and five women is highly trained and extremely experienced at their job. The department also includes six admin-istrative staff and two code enforcers.

A jovial, self-proclaimed “Type A” per-sonality, Dettman has almost 42 years in

law enforcement and is proud to lead a team of officers whom he believes the community respects and knows they can count on. Since 1998, when he accepted the post after serving 25 years with the Boynton Beach police department (in-cluding six years as chief), Dettman has promoted a culture of servant leader-ship, rather than authoritarianism in his staff.

(L-R) Officer Raymond Rossy and Officer Abiezer Cervera.

Officer Sean Bueford.

(Above) K-9 Officer John Garrison and J.R.

(Below) David Langford, Circuit Court Judge; Reverend Jose Gonzalez, St. Cath-erine Catholic Church and George Hensley, Mayor of Sebring.

“We are ordinary people with extraor-dinary responsibilities,” Dettman told the crowd during the May 15 Centennial Celebration, where the police force gath-ered with retired officers and the com-munity to recite the policeman’s prayer, honor fallen peace officers and stand in uniformed formation to renew their Oath of Honor led by Circuit Court Judge David Langford.

“I am very proud of every one of you,” Dettman told the officers, six of whom have over 21 years with the department. You’ve always done what’s right, not just “correct,” but what is right in your heart, he stated.

Dettman has much to be proud of for certain. His right-hand man, Command-

er Steve Carr is the Mr. Spock to Dett-man’s Captain Kirk. Focused and fiercely practical, Carr has 23 years with the department and was featured on A&E network’s “City Confidential” for a high profile local murder case.

In another case that garnered much local media attention, then-Corporal Tom Gil-liard threw himself into a driverless car to stop it from crashing into a house and then chased down the fleeing suspect.

Dettman recalled less dramatic mo-ments when his officers simply went the extra mile for a fellow citizen who needed help. A large, low income family had planned a family reunion at a local park, but when they went to buy more supplies and failed to leave someone be-hind to claim the spot, they came back to find another family had taken down all of their decorations and thrown them away.

“My sergeant and two police officers reached into their pockets and bought what they needed to redecorate the pa-vilion so they could have their reunion,” said Dettman.

On another occasion, a citizen ap-proached Dettman to tell him that one of his officers had done something “ex-traordinary.” A 75-year-old man’s boat had broken loose from a dock on Lake Jackson. Without hesitating, the officer rolled up his pants, waded out into the lake and pulled the boat to shore.

“We are the can-do kids,” Dettman told his team when he took over the force in 1998. “If it’s moral, if it’s ethical, if it’s legal, we can do it and that’s what we’ve done.”

The StationBesides meeting the dedicated men and women of the Sebring Police force, the May 15 event was also an opportu-nity for visitors to admire the recently renovated police station. No longer a bell and a telephone booth, the station is now housed in the historical old post office building, taken over by the police department in 1972.

(Above) Code Enforcement Officers Bobby Hicks and Joseph Romanik.

(Above) Celebration cake.

(Left) Hardee County Sheriff Arnold Lanier and Chief Thomas M. Dettman.


George Hensley, Mayor of Sebring and Chief Thomas M. Dettman.

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Unfortunately, when the building was converted from post office to police station, much of the original wood and marble was plastered over with carpet-ing and part of the lobby was partitioned off to make a secretary’s office.

In 2006, when the building was again remodeled, the decision makers, which included Dettman, chose to recapture its charm as a 1940s post office.

Luckily, pieces of the green marble that had been removed had not been dis-carded, but placed in storage. Those were dusted off and replaced, and luck-ily, just enough survived to bring the lob-by back to its prior glory, complete with a restored, seafoam green terrazzo floor.

Also discovered in storage was a bank of post office boxes which had been re-moved in 1972. In the half-million dollar renovation, the post office boxes were replaced in the lobby, the service win-dow was made functional again and a portion of the lobby that had been par-titioned off as a secretary’s office was turned into a meeting space for the pub-lic, fitted with glass windows for a more open feel and continuity with the rest of the original lobby space.

Inside, the old post office vault is still in place, though it would have been over-kill to leave the poison-gas booby trap in place that once protected it (the chemi-cal cartridge was removed long ago and the delivery mechanism deactivated). Still, the heavy door with its thick bolts has a commanding presence, even if it only guards office supplies these days.

Dettman is proud to share his depart-ment with his “bosses” the taxpayers, who are invited to come any time to the station to meet the staff and tour the building if possible.

“You empower us to come out here and do business the way you would expect us to, with a smile on our face, but firm and fair,” said Dettman.

“We really go the extra mile to provide service to our constituents,” he added.


¢(L-R) Sergeant Andrew Markham, Officer Cordero, Corporal Joseph Stump

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Advertisement June�July 2013 Heartland LIVING | 37

When Sebring turned 100 years old last year, there was a big celebration for the city’s rich and unique history. And right-fully so…100 years is something to celebrate. But as we move into the City’s next century, what are the plans for Sebring’s future? How can we make it better? And who is Downtown Sebring?

Downtown Sebring is more than just the Circle and its spokes. It’s a collection of diverse and unique people who all fell in love with the City on the Circle. And each and every one of those people has a story to tell. Many businesses and people are tak-ing things into their own hands. Making things change. Mak-ing things happen and progressively moving Downtown Sebring into the next century while still preserving the historic charm residents and visitors love.

The Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is spear-heading those efforts under the leadership of Executive Di-rector Robin Hinote and a group of visionary board members dedicated to the redevelopment and revitalization of the CRA’s 650-acre Downtown District.

Downtown Sebring is no different than many small towns that, several years ago, experienced abandonment as small business-

Downtown Sebring

Tampa Bay’s FOX 13 brought their entire morning crew to Downtown Sebring’s Circle Park for a live, four-hour show, Hometown Sebring, which showcased the Downtown eater-ies, businesses, art, culture, attractions, charm, history, fam-ilies, elected officials and things to do. Since then, we have had visitors from Sarasota, Winter Haven and other cities in the FOX 13 viewing area come check out Sebring.

Kicking off Mother’s Day weekend, Downtown Sebring’s Girls Night Out Wine Walk drew a huge crowd of locals who were pleasantly surprised with the new stores and eateries. The event sold out of its 300 “I Love Downtown Sebring” wine glasses in three hours and merchants reported to have their ‘best sales evenings ever,’ making this event one of the most successful in recent years. More Wine Walks to come!

Now that the City Pier Beach has re-opened, the CRA can move forward with one of its Redevelopment Plan objec-tives: to intensify the variety of activities and uses at Se-bring’s Lake Jackson waterfront to enhance the economic and cultural vitality of the downtown and improve the qual-ity of life for residents and visitors.

es flooded busy highways, shopping centers and strip malls hoping to ride the coat tails of big business. However, the thrill of the ‘new’ has now vanished and small businesses and restaurants are getting lost in the shuffle of big neon signs, large box stores and the same chain restaurants that you find in any American city. In fact, since 2010, Downtown Sebring has had 38 new business licenses with only 12 non-renewed licenses. A key indicator that the trend to move downtown is occurring.

That’s why many cities are experience a re-birth of their downtown as mom and pop businesses re-locate into these areas that are full of art, culture, history and ambiance that the highways and malls cannot provide. These downtowns, that provide a small-town feel, are becoming the hip and trendy places to be with fun, unique events and happenings and a social scene all their own. Plus, the Sebring CRA has several financial incentive programs to entice businesses to open or relocate into the district.

So what’s happening in Downtown Sebring? Exciting things!

By Casey Wohl

(Left) George Sebring helping Fox 13 co-anchors Russell Rhodes and Anne Dwyer.

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(Below) Fox 13 reporterAl-cides Segul and trafficanchor / reporter Jennifer Epstein withHighlands Little Theatre.

Photos by Jessica Adams


The CRA’s monthly promotional themes creatively market and promote the Downtown Sebring businesses to visitors and residents increasing awareness of the uniqueness of the Downtown busi-nesses that has resulted in positive eco-nomic growth. The “I Love Downtown Sebring” logo is branded throughout downtown, and the monthly promotion-al themes continue to bring new faces into the district.

The Sebring family is interviewed. Gini Beth Henderson and Miss Hillsborough County, Amber Jackson.

(Above) Tampa Bay’s FOX 13 vans roll into the Circle.

(Above right) Artist Linda Kegley.

(Right) Sebring High School football players and cheerleaders.

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The Wall Street Streetscape project, cur-rently in progress and funded by the CRA, continues to beautify the Historic District as the street behind the stores facing the Circle gets completely re-done with beautiful brick pavers, lending itself to become a highly used pedestrian-friendly road. �

(Above) Large Crowd attends the Fox 13 event.(Far Left) Robin Hinote, CRA Executive Director, Casey Wohl, Marketing and Rachel Lovett(Left)Sebring Police Chief Thomas Dettman and Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton

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On May 11, the Heartland Triathlon held their second annual Mother’s Day event at Highlands Hammock State Park. The race consisted of a 5K, Mommy and Me Run, Kids Fun Run, Family Challenge and Fitness Together PACK Class. The event raised money for various organiza-tions in the community such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, YMCA, High-lands Hammock State Park and Central Florida Striders. Florida Hospi-tal and Delray Plants were the sponsors of this event.

Heartland Triathlon

Mother’s Day Event

Cherie Starr and Patrick High, the heart and soul of the Heartland Triathlon for the past eight years.

Greg Harris, John Scherlacher and Heidi Crutchfield. Many kids participated in the Fun Run.



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While searching through a fitness magazine for a new and challenging venue for the fourth running of “The Dirty Dozen – FUN MUD RUN,” Lisa Celentano, founder of Dirty Dozen, stumbled upon the National Guard as one of the sponsors of anoth-er worldwide obstacle mud run. Knowing Highlands County had its own National Guard facility and wanting a more military themed venue, an idea was formed and then a call was made to Sgt. James Metz in Avon Park, Fla. The hope of utilizing the newly renovated Armory for the Memorial Day Dirty Dozen was put into motion.

Dirty Dozen’s mission is to raise money for military and first responder organi-zations through a challenging, but exciting obstacle course run designed for the entire family. The event has raised close to $10,000 for local and national organiza-tions. For information on next year’s event, please visit www.ddozen.com or email Lisa Celentano at [email protected]

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When it comes to baseball in Central Fla, it is a big deal. Major League Base-ball teams spend a couple months each spring preparing for their upcoming major league season. After the Major Leaguers make their trips to their re-spective Major League homes, the Mi-nor League players stay in Florida to con-tinue their dreams hoping that one day they will make the trip from Florida to Major League Baseball one day.

There are many different organizations for our youth, ages 4-18. Some of these organizations for athletes looking for fun which include Dixie Youth/Boys Baseball, Cal Ripken Baseball and Little League. There are also travel leagues such as USSSA for the player who want to play baseball year round. Then there is one league that you never hear about unless you are involved in it, this is the Miracle League for Highlands County.

The Miracle League for Highlands Coun-ty is not your typical baseball league. This league “provides opportunities for individuals with cognitive and/or physi-

cal challenges to play Miracle League Baseball and participate in other recre-ational opportunities with a fun environ-ment for the players to learn how to de-velop skills to play the game of baseball as independently as possible,” explained John Varady who is a board member of the league. The league is a non-compet-itive league and has players that range in age from 3-70. The typical recreational league has volunteers that are “coach-es,” the Miracle League has Angels in the Outfield.

Angels in the Outfield assist the play-ers with whatever they may need while learning the game of baseball. It may range from helping them move into po-sition to field a baseball or assisting with hitting a potential home run. These vol-unteers are the people that make this league possible. There have been play-ers that when they started off that could only hit off of a tee, now they are hitting baseballs that are pitched to them.

When first joining the league, some players had to have assistance from the

Miracle League for Highlands County

Angels to field baseballs, now some are able to do that and more on their own. The Angels also known as Buddies come out to help from many different places.

The Buddies are very important to the players in the Miracle League. John Varady explained that “a lot of our bud-dies came out to help as part of a school group, church group and other service organizations.” It seems they have as much fun as the players do. John said that “a lot of the buddies when they first start don’t know a lot about working along side people with special needs, but when they are done they have learned

Angels in the Outfield


By Jon Armentrout

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a lot about the players and their self as well.” Many times great friendships are formed between the players and the An-gels in the Outfield as well. Board mem-bers of the league get phone calls all the time from the volunteers trying to get in-formation about the upcoming seasons so that they can help.

What makes this league great is that the players are treated the same as any-one else playing the wonderful game of baseball. When they are playing games, they get to hear their names announced over a loud speaker just as any other kid or adult would. The Miracle League has its own field located in Lake Placid at the Lake June Baseball Complex.

The Miracle League for Highlands County has a very promising future. The league was started in 2007 with about 50 play-ers and volunteers. Today the league has grown to over 100 players and Angels in the Outfield as well. They are looking forward to the 2013 season to see how the league will continue to grow.

If you want to know more about the Mir-acle League for Highlands County, visit them on the web at www.ml4hc.com or on Facebook. You can also contact John Varady at 863-840-0482.

By Jon Armentrout

�

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were forced to pay someone to travel from another county or are required to drive to the Polk County courthouse or else-where for services.”

Preston continues to find joy in serving as a board member for a local ministry called Lydia’s House. This home serves as a transitional home for women coming from many different situations, such as women who are coming out of prisons or jails, from the streets, rehabilitation centers, women from abusive situations and unwed and expecting mothers. Lydia’s House serves as a new beginning for women that want to put their past and bad decisions behind them and are ready to change their lives.

While her practice and professional associations keep her quite busy, Candace still manages to find the time to partici-pate in many church and civic groups. She has been a Sun-day School teacher at First Baptist of Wauchula, served as president of the Wauchula Women’s Club, youth chairperson of the Hardee County Rotary Club, a member of the Hardee County Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Wauch-ula. She currently serves as a board member for the Early

Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland and the Founda-tion Board for South Florida State College. When asked

how she manages to keep up with such a busy sched-ule, Preston replies “My regular participation in local Jazzercise classes gives me the strength and energy to

be involved in these activities.” It doesn’t take long to see that Candace is proud to give back to a com-munity that has been home and heart to her for

so long.

Woman2WomanBy Amanda Armentrout

Candace Preston When Candace Preston opened her law offices in Wau-chula in 2006, she looked forward to serving the community that has been home to her family for six generations. She is proud to say that she has lived in Hardee County all but five years of her life. While she enjoyed living in other Florida counties, this area always felt like home. “I enjoy living near family and friends. During the few years I lived away, I would recognize that each time I visited how relaxed and peaceful I felt here.” She also loves what makes her community unique. “This is a strong Christian community that supports each oth-er through difficulties. This community is also special because of the unique personalities, ethnicities and cultures.”

While Candace’s resume is long and accomplished, at her core, all she really wants to do is help others. “I am blessed to be able to work with people in order to help solve their legal problems in the areas of family and criminal law, especially with dependency cases and working with families.” She be-lieves that being compassionate and understanding is of vital importance in serving the best interests of her clients. Preston is also very generous with her time. As President of the Hardee County Bar Association, she volunteers her time (as do many other Bar members) often on Saturdays, to participate in free legal clinics. She also has volunteered as an Attorney Ad Litem for children in the dependency system and has participated in the Justice Teaching Program in the local schools.

Just last year, Preston participated in specialized training to become a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Media-tor. She is looking forward to using what she has trained in to benefit her local community. “There were no mediators in Hardee County and those wishing to participate in mediation

A Lawyer Who Volunteers for Her Community

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Candace Preston with her daughter, Sylvia.

The Hardee County Bar Members pictured (L to R) Cliff Ables, Candace Preston, John Burton, Steven Southwell (Vice-President), and Alexandra Srsic, Pro Bono Coordinator in Lakeland with Florida Rural Legal Services.


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rtsBy Brad Phares

(Below): Seminole Dugouts by Brad Phares, Okeechobee, FL.

estern Art with its depictions of sweeping land-scapes, Native Americans, cowboys and ranch life, has been a popular genre for many years now. With images that capture the essence of the American spirit, highlight her rugged beauty, and reignite nos-talgic memories for nearly everyone, it should come as no surprise that the subject matter has garnered admirers and collectors throughout the United States and beyond. However, many people are often sur-prised to learn that the Deep South and Florida are in fact the birthplace of cattle ranching in America. Likewise, they are equally surprised to learn about a unique group, the Cowboy Artists Association of Florida (CAAF), whose members are both ranchers and artists striving to capture this cultural treasure on canvas.

In 1990, Jim Fitch, founder and curator of the Muse-um of Florida Art and Culture, began contacting sev-eral different artists and suggested that they should meet to discuss forming a collective group or associ-ation to better market the Florida cowboy art that all of them were painting independently. Prior to this time, most of these rancher-artists had never met each other and were unaware that they all shared common interests and talents. After some initial phone calls and introductions, a handful of these artists including Sean Sexton, Eldon Lux, Hobby Campbell, Linda Ballentine Brown, Regina Stahl Bris-key and Brad Phares all met with Mr. Fitch to lay the groundwork for CAAF. Although requirements and rules for admission into the group were intentionally kept less stringent and less formal, one prerequisite was established as predominant to maintain the in-tegrity of the group’s goals: prospective members must currently or within past years have had person-al experience working in the cattle business.

As a testament to this fact, CAAF members stay so busy with tending to their ranching and cattle obli-gations, they often struggle to find enough time to devote towards their paintings. However, the mem-bers come together each year for various exhibi-

Brighton Cowboys No.2 by Brad Phares, Okeechobee, FL.

Job Well Done by Brad Phares, Okeechobee, FL.

Still Life by Sean Sexton, Vero Beach, FL.

Images of paintings may be cropped, showing only partial details of the painting.

W



tions including the Florida Cattlemen’s Association Annual Convention and Tradeshow held in Marco Island, FL and the Florida Cowboy Heritage Fes-tival in Kissimmee, FL. Additionally, CAAF members came together several years ago for a special exhibition at the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko, Nevada that coincided with the 26th National Cowboy Poetry Gather-ing focused on the states of Florida and Louisiana.

Florida’s cattle industry found its origins with the first cattle coming to Florida in 1521 with Spanish explorers. Cattle have remained here since that time so they have basically been in Florida for nearly 500 years – lon-ger than anywhere else in North America. Through their physical work on the ranches to their captivating images on canvas, the members of CAAF continue to preserve and promote this vital component of Florida’s cul-tural heritage.

Brad Phares’ work can be viewed at www.BradPharesStudios.com. You can also email [email protected] for samples of his art and other contact in-formation.

(Above): Brad Phares, artist and writer, on the front porch of his home on the family ranch in Okeechobee.

(Left) Detail of a western painting by Sean Sexton.

¢

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Healthy HeartlandBy Nicole La Placa

Keeping Cool and Eating Healthy in the Summertime

Eat cooler foods. Cooler foods include hummus, raw vegetables, sal-ads, and fruit. I suggest making your own hummus. It is a very simple and much less expensive alternative than store bought hummus. Raw vegetables are another way to stay cool. Carrots, celery, broccoli, beets and cauliflower are excellent ‘cool’ foods and taste delicious with homemade hummus.

Try different salads. Green leafy salads that contain kale, cabbage, and beet greens are a great way to get essential minerals such as Calcium. Take advan-tage of these nutritionally dense, amazing vegetables and experiment with some easy, delicious salads! You can add lean meats such as turkey and chicken for added protein. If you are a vegetarian, add cooked beans.

Steam your vegetables. Steamers are an affordable and conve-nient item for your kitchen. Follow the directions that are provided with your steamer. For example you can steam various greens such as collards, spinach, or Swiss chard. Toss these greens in a bowl with fresh tomatoes, yellow bell pepper slices, olive oil and sea salt. Then add a side dish of hummus and raw vegetables. For dessert, you can make a simple fruit salad with berries, grapes and melons.

Protein and fruit smoothies. Smoothies are a great way to get your protein, vitamins and minerals without a hot stove or messy dishes. Try plant based proteins such as hemp, chia and ground pumpkin seeds in your smooth-ies. Fruits such as bananas, berries and melons provide antioxidants that help combat stress within our body. These types of smoothies also help prevent premature aging of our skin.

Living in South Florida in the summertime can be quite a challenge. During this season we are dealing with high temperatures and stifling humidity. The last thing many of us feel like doing is cooking in a hot kitchen.

In addition to eating healthy in the summertime, it is extremely important to stay hy-drated. Proper hydration will help combat the feeling of lethargy many of us feel. Some helpful tips to maintain your healthy lifestyle and eating habits are:

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for a few minutes until the consistency is smooth and creamy. After the hummus is made, place in the refrigerator and allow it to cool before eating. Tastes best when served chilled.

Fruit Smoothie1 cup spinach1 oranges, peeled½ cup strawberries

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for a few minutes until liquid. Add more or less almond milk depending on consistency preference.

½ teaspoon salt3 tablespoons olive oil or tahini1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup blueberries1 cup unsweetened almond milk¼ cup hemp protein powder

Hummus1 can low sodium chick peas1/8 teaspoon ground pepper1/8 teaspoon cumin1/3 cup water

Recipes



By Nicole La Placa

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There are plenty of good places to go fishing on foot in the heartland. You don’t really need a thirty thousand dollar bass boat with all the bells and whistles to catch some bass and have a great time. Bass fishing from the bank can be a very rewarding and fun experience. It does take little prep-aration, some specialized equipment, and some common sense however. A good comfortable, waterproof pair of boots is highly recommended, and while shorts can be a lot cooler, I recommend jeans for protection from the sun, thorns, bees, and some protection from snakes. A hat and a good pair of polarized sunglasses are a must. And while I’m on the subject of snakes, Florida does have several poisonous species which can all be found near water. That’s where the common sense comes in. Educate yourselfon how to identify these critters and if you see them (and you will) give them their space. Any time you’re walking near the water, you need to be vigilant. Keep an eye out for the snakes and the alligators.

As far as equipment goes, a good sharp knife, a pair of needle nose pliers, a camera, your cell phone, and a small zip-lock bag with some extra hooks, some bullet weights, and a selec-tion of Rage Tail soft baits, all of which can be worn on your belt will do nicely. Now grab your fishing pole and you’re ready to go.

Louie and I liken bass fishing from shore to hunting. You must be stealthy. Fish have very good eyesight and are very often attacked by predators from the bank, such as Herons and other birds. They are very sensitive to movement along the shore and scare easily. Also a lot of people think that as a bank fisherman you need to cast your lure as far out into the body of water that you’re fishing as possible, while the guy in the boat comes along and is casting his lure as close to the bank as possible. There is a method to that madness. That’s

Fishing in theHeartlandBy Dan Echols

actually where the majority of the bass’s prey hides. So re-member as you make your way along the shore, always fish a few feet off the bank thirty or forty feet ahead of you if pos-sible as bass often sit very near the bank waiting to ambush their prey. Also don’t forget to make a cast behind you ever so often. As you walk along, you will scare minnows away from the shore. A lot of times the bass will home in on these.

You can do a little homework and scope out some good placesaround the heartland to get started with some bank fishing. Check out Google Earth. You can pretty much tell the bodies of water that you can access. Once you get started you’ll see just how much fun it can be. Not only do you get to get out-side, experience some nature, and get some exercise, but it doesn’t cost an arm and leg to do it. Most people associate bank fishing with catching little bass, bluegill and catfish, but this recent catch by Louie from the bank at one of our favor-ite spots here in the heartland by far proves that’s definitely not the case.

Tight lines and good luck! Oh yeah, and don’t forget your sunscreen and your fishing license. You can view many more of Louie’s bank catches at https://www.facebook.com/Fish-ingTheHighlands.¢

Hoofing it for Bass in the Heartland


By Dan Echols loridauelF

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Here are some questions I frequently get asked at Wine Tast-ings and whenever discussing wine with people.

One What does the year on the bottle label mean? It is the year that the grapes were grown. It is not the year that the wine was made or the year it was released. Almost all table quality wines are of a single vintage. Some wines are multi-vintage wines, like some Sherry’s and some Cham-pagne’s. Also, some top end wines are multi-vintage but that is rare. Vintage is also the year on the bottle and the year the grapes were grown.Two At what temperature should you serve wines? As a general rule most red wines should be served 60-65 de-grees and white wines should be served 45 to 50 degrees. This may seem too warm for some people but white wines show their flavors better when a bit warmer than refrigerator temperature. As a general rule which is easier than using a thermometer I like to use the rule of 20. Put red wines from room temperature in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before drinking. Take white wines out of the refrigerator for 20 min-utes before drinking.Three What are “legs” and what do they tell you? Legs are the streams of wine that run down the side of the glass after swirling your wine. Although there are many things that can affect the legs, the general rule is that thin, fast running legs indicate a higher alcohol. And, thick, slow legs indicate sweeter or higher sugar content. It is rarely, if ever, an indication of the quality of the wine. The cleanliness of the glass can also greatly affect the legs of the wine on the side of the glass.Four Why do some wines give me a headache? The amount you drink and the % of alcohol can cause headaches. This is often associated with a “hangover”. However, if you don’t drink much then it could be several other causes. Some people have sensitivity to the sulfur in wines. If this is the case, white wines should bother you more than red wines. Many white wines have more sulfites because they need to have more sulfites due to the lack of tannins. If your head-ache happens more in red wines then it could be histamines. You should notice this more if you need to take anti-hista-mines for other allergies.

By David Padgitt, Branch Manager for PRP Wine

Five How do you make a rose’? Red wine is red be-cause the skins from the red or black grapes are left in the wine during pressing and fermentation. To get a pink or rose’ wine the red or black skins are removed just when the juice is light red or pink. Although “White Zinfandel” is pink like a rose they are often sweeter because sugar is added to appeal to more drinkers. Most Rose’s are going to be much drier than White Zinfandels. Six What does “corked” mean? It means that the wine has been affected by TCA. TCA is a chemical produced when a mold has affected the oak tree bark used to make the cork. It can be detected as a musty or wet dog smell. This is the reason many producers have switched to screw caps or syn-thetic corks.Seven How many harvests of grapes do you get a year? Almost all vineyards, except a few in the tropics, pro-duce one growth of grapes per year. For the most part, the harvests start in September in the Northern Hemisphere and in March in the Southern Hemisphere.Eight How many pounds of grapes does it take to pro-duce a bottle of wine? On average, 2.3 pounds of grapes will produce 1 bottle of wine.Nine If a label says “hints of black pepper” does that mean black pepper has been added to make the flavor of the wines? No, true wines do not add anything to make the fla-vor that is in the bottle. It is the natural flavor of the grapes and fermentation that produces the flavors.Ten Should you always

decant red wines? No, actually only about 1% of wines are pro-duced to be aged and get the great flavors. Most wines are produced to be drunk “now”. Some older wines can benefit from decanting. Some wines with a lot of sediment may be decanted just to separate the sediment, which should not be drunk.

Frequently Asked Wine Questions

¢

For any other questions contact David at: [email protected]



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Southern Recipes by Layne Prescott

Pasta Salad1 Box (16 oz) Pasta (Twists or Bowtie work best)

1 small sweet onion, coarsely diced ½-cup Olives (Green)1 Med. Bell Pepper (diced)½-cup sliced Kalamata Olives1/2 cup Banana Peppers1 pkg. Sliced Pepperoni (Mini)

8 oz. Feta Cheese1 cup cubed ham¼-cup Parmesan Cheese½ cup Greek Peppers1 container “Pearl” size mozzarella1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts (optional)

1 cup “Grape” TomatoesBoil Pasta according to package directions for al dente. While pasta is still warm, drizzle olive oil and

small amount of Italian dressing over pasta and stir.In large bowl combine all ingredients. Stir to mix ingredients throughout pasta. Add dry ingredients,

Italian dressing and vinegar. Mix all ingredients to taste.

Seasoning/dressing:Dry Italian Dressing packetDry Ranch Dip packet Bottled Italian Dressing Salt

Red Wine Vinegar Pepper Basil Leaves (dried) Garlic PowderOregano leavesPinch Dried Pepper Flakes

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

(or 2-3 Bone-in Chicken Breasts w/skin)

4 Chicken thighs

1 small bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 small bag (Pictsweet/Steam’ables) Spring Vegetables

½ bag frozen pearl onions

1 large can Cream of Chicken Soup

Easy Chicken Pot Pie½ cup sour cream

½-1 cup Heavy Cream

Salt, Pepper & Garlic Powder to taste

Poultry Seasoning

Crust: 1 box frozen Puff Pastry (2 sheets)

Note: Allow Puff Pastry to thaw so that it

can be rolled out to fit casserole dish.

Place chicken in pot and cover with water. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and 1 cube chicken bouillon.

Bring to boil and cook until well done. Remove chicken from pot (reserving broth in pot), place in bowl and

allow to cool enough to handle. (Note: the best flavor is obtained when bone-in, skin-on chicken is used).

When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove from bone and discard skin-cut chicken into bite size pieces.

Place frozen vegetables (mixed, spring and pearl onions) into chicken stock in pot and cook until vegetables

are no longer frozen (approx. 5 minutes). Using large spoon, remove vegetables from stock and place with

prepared chicken. Add cream of chicken soup, sour cream and heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper, garlic

powder and poultry seasoning.

Prepare crust: Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with butter flavor spray generously. Place one sheet thawed puff pastry

in bottom casserole and with fingers, gently spread in bottom of dish and up sides slightly. Pour chicken pot

pie filling into casserole and spread evenly. Before putting second thawed sheet puff pastry on top, use roll-

ing pin to roll out to size of casserole dish. Place on top of chicken mixture and press edges with fork to make

sure pastry stays in place. Spray top of puff pastry crust with butter cooking spray. Place casserole on foil lined

cookie sheet (to help if bubbling over) in preheated 350 degree oven and bake approximately 30 minutes or

until top crust is golden brown and chicken pot pie is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to rest approxi-

mately 10 minutes.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Pasta Salad



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Red White and Blue Cake

Red White And Blue CakeMakes 2 cakes

1 Box Red Velvet Cake Mix1 Box White Cake Mix (use egg whites to keep cake white)1 Box White Cake Mix using: 2 t. Wilton-Royal Blue Paste Coloring

Make 3 cakes in 9” pans using and fol-lowing cake box instructions for red vel-vet cake mix, white cake mix, and 2nd white cake mix adding Royal blue paste coloring for the blue cake (using water, oil and eggs for each cake according to directions.)

Remove cakes from oven and place on cooling racks and cool completely..

Frosting:1 stick of butter (softened)1-8 oz pkg. cream cheese (softened)½ container FLUFF32 oz. bag Confectioner’s SugarClear vanilla

Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add Fluff and beat until incorporated and fluffy. Carefully and slowly add confectioner’s sugar until entire bag has been added. Add vanilla.

Start with Red (Velvet) cake as the bottom and frost top of cake layer. Add white cake layer and frost top. Add blue cake layer and frost top and sides of cake.

For dramatic presentation, use sparklers on top. Store cake in cake box in refrigerator. But can be left out for several hours.


Cang Tong Sushi + Hibachi + Chinese RestaurantEnjoy dining in a casual comfortable atmosphere at our new location with a new menu. Hibachi Chefs prepare your meal the way you want it, right at your table. Try our unique variety of sushi rolls including everyone’s favorite roll the OMG, it consists of spicy salmon and avocado topped with avocado and sweet delicious mango. We also have a wide variety of Chinese specialties. Come visit us for a fun experience and a melt in your mouth taste.

Take-out or Delivery and Catering | Menu Highlights: Daily Sushi Roll specials, Hibachi Filet Mignon and Lobster, Sesame Chicken, Lo Mein, Fried Cheesecake.Hours: Sun. - Thurs. 11:30 am – 9:30 pm, Fri. and Sat. 11:30 am –10:30 pm, Monday - closed

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Cowpoke’s Watering HoleCowpoke’s Watering Hole serves the highest quality tender and juicy steaks along with a large selection of seafood and scrumptious appetizers. Friday and Saturday night feature live banks inside and Karaoke in the Tiki Bar. The full service bar fea-tures happy hour daily from 11am – 7pm. Locally owned, the Hole provides an en-joyable atmosphere for any occasions.

Menu Highlights: Oysters, Escargot, Ribeye, Filet, New York Strip, Lobster Tail and Pasta. | Hours: Mon. –Thurs. 11 am- 10 pm; Fri. and Sat. 11 am - 2 am, Sun. Noon – 8 pm. Live Music Fri. and Sat. from 9:30 pm – 1:30 am | Live Music Under the Tiki Sunday from 3 pm – 6 pm

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See ad on page 16

Eighteen EastEighteen East is a restaurant and bar in the heart of downtown Avon Park, serving the area’s best steaks. We offer a large selection of American food with creative new menu items added regularly. The historic brick décor gives a pub-type atmosphere where local artists perform throughout the week. Eighteen East is a favorite with locals and a guaranteed enjoyable experience.

Appetizers: Pan Seared Ahi-Tuna; Hog Wings; Grilled Chicken Nachos | Entrees: Eigh-teen East Signature Burger; Prime Rib Rueben; Filet; Giant Shrimp Ravioli. Hours: Mon. thru Fri. 3pm - 11pm. Call for Live Entertainment Schedule.

18 East Main Street | Avon Park | 863.453.1818 | Downtown Avon Parkwww.beststeakaround.com

See ad on page 59

d in ing GUIDE


Papa John’s Pizza At Papa John’s we strive to create great dining experiences through authentic, supe-rior-quality products, legendary customer service and exceptional community ser-vice. We pride ourselves in providing a menu that’s prepared with only the finest in-gredients from fresh vegetables to our never frozen, hand-tossed original dough and superior-quality tomato sauce. We are committed to exceeding your expectations.

Family Style Restaurant | Take -Out| Food Delivery Service

Hours: Open 7 Days 11 am - 11 pm | Carry out 11am - 9:40pm

Locally Owned, GeoDev Pizza, Inc. by George A. Hall and Devon P. Donaldson935 Sebring Sq. | Sebring | 863-386-1177| www.papajohns.com

See ad on page 45

Flames Waterside Restaurant & BarIf you are looking for a great affordable meal and a casual dining experience in the Heartland, Flames Waterside is the place to go. Locally owned and operated, they offer a large variety of American, Greek and Italian favorites. The restaurant has been newly renovated which features a large dining area and a full-service bar with flat screen televisions. Check out Flames Waterside on Facebook for daily lunch and dinner specials.

Menu Highlights: Cuban Sandwich, OMG Burger, Chicken Parmigiana, Stuffed Grou-per, NY Strip Steak and Full Service Bar | Hours: Tues. - Thurs. 11am – 10pm | Fri. and Sat. 11am – 11pm | Sunday 11 am – 3 pm.

2451 US 27 South | Avon Park | 863-453-3440www.facebook.com/flameswatersiderestaurant

Restaurant Review on page 64

d in ing GUIDE Heartland area’s finest restaurants

Island View Lakefront Restaurant & PubIsland View Lakefront Restaurant offers a unique dining experience like no other in Highlands County. We offer a variety of great American food from fried greentomatoes, ribs, and a variety of sandwiches to our Friday Night Prime Rib dinners. Our Sunset Dining menu includes dinner and house beer, wine or soda starting at $10.00.

Hours: Tues. – Sat. 11am – 8pm | Sun. – Mon. 11am – 6pm | Sunset Dining: Tues. – Thurs. 3 pm-6 pm | Friday & Saturday 3 pm-8 pm

Call 863-382-1191 for reservations.

5223 Sun N Lake Blvd| Sebring | 863-382-1191| www.IslandViewRestaurant.com


this location provide a great, inviting at-mosphere.

Flames offers an expansive menu with a variety of American, Greek and Italian favorites which includes salads, sand-wiches, burgers, pasta, steaks, seafood and homemade desserts. Each meal is of generous portion and is served with two sides and a delicious tossed salad. They have daily lunch and dinner spe-cials as well as $5 lunch specials for SFSC students.

During our visit, we sampled the Buffalo Chicken Tacos, Fisherman’s Broil and The OMG Burger. The Buffalo Chicken Tacos were three large tacos with perfectly spicy buffalo chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese and topped with a creamy blue cheese sauce. I would definitely recom-mend having their margarita with this appetizer. Next we sampled the Fisher-man’s Broil which consisted of broiled

If you’re looking for a casual dining expe-rience, terrific food and reasonable pric-es, Flames Waterside is just the place for you. Conveniently located on US Hwy 27 just south of South Florida State Col-lege in Avon Park, the addition of Flames to the Heartland dining scene has been well received in the community.

Flames is locally owned and operated by Mike Ioannidis and family, who are accomplished veterans to the restau-rant industry. This newly renovated restaurant now boasts an eclectic Hol-lywood style which encompasses a spa-cious dining room, full service bar and flat screen televisions. They also offer a large private room for banquets and special events. The improvements to

Heartland Living

By Jessica Adams

Flames Waterside Restaurant and Bar

¢

To view their daily specials, visit their Facebook page at Flames Waterside Restaurant & Bar. They also offer take-out for the family on the go.

fish, shrimp, scallops, baked crab cake served with vegetable medley and yel-low rice. It is a great combination of sea-food favorites cooked to perfection. The OMG burger is a showstopper. This 1lb. burger is topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle, grilled onions, peppers and mush-rooms, 12 pieces of bacon, provolone and cheddar cheese stacked between a grilled pita bread and served with cole-slaw and french fries. This burger defi-nitely belongs on an episode of Man vs. Food. My favorite dish is the Stuffed Grouper. It is broiled grouper stuffed with homemade crab stuffing that is to die for! And don’t forget to leave room for one of their amazing homemade des-serts.

My visit here was an enjoyable experi-ence as usual; this is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in the Heartland. The Ioannidis’ will make you feel right at home during your visit. Whether it is for

a large dinner party or date night, stop by and check out the newest restaurant in the Heartland, I can promise you it won’t be your last visit to Flames. For more informa-tion, please visit their ad in the din-ing guide.


By Jessica Adams

Visit www.DowntownSebring.orgFor more information on events and merchant specials visit:

Historic DowntownSebring

Dog Daze of Summer

Thursdays in June - June 6, 13, 20 & 27Puppy Paper Plate MaskChildren’s Museum of the Highlands5-8 PM | $3/personwww.ChildrensMuseumHighlands.com. June 14 Canine & Wine Walk Historic Downtown Sebring from 5-9 PM.www.DestinationDowntownSebring.org.

June 15 Downtown CommunityGarage Sale & Farmers MarketDowntown Sebring from 7AM-1PM.www.DestinationDowntownSebring.org.

June 21 Paint-A-Pup Arty Party at The Lazy Painter233 N. Ridgewood Drive, 6:00 PM. $35/person | To register, call (863) 449-0822.

June 24 Art Uncorked presents “Art Unleashed” Paint Your PetHighlands Art League (1985 Lakeview Drive), 6:00 PM $45/person. To register, call (863) 385-5312 or visit www.HighlandsArtLeague.org.

Events & Happenings

The following Downtown Sebring merchants are offeringspecial discounts and promotions during the month of June.

Archer’s Art104 N. Ridgewood Drive

Capt. Ron’s Mercantile 101 Circle Park Drive

Dogtown USA112 N. Ridgewood Drive

The Lazy Painterat The Flower Box

233 N. Ridgewood Drive

ScostaSupply & Interiors

510 Maple Avenue

Summer Shopping

356 W. Center Ave - Sebring, FL 33870“We Perform For You”

HighlandLittleTheatre.org863-382-2525

July 4th - FREEPatriotic Revue

Every hour from 11am to 3pm

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

July 17th – 28th

Downtown Sebring

Archer’s Art

All Originals No Copiesor Prints

A�ordableArtwork

Custom OrdersAccepted

Tammy ArcherArtist

104 N. Ridgewood Dr.Sebring, FL 33870

[email protected]

www.archersart.weebly.com


Summer ShoppingAll RoadsLead To

The Circle

863-658-1681101 Cirle Park Dr

Downtown Sebring

The big guys have lotsof items... I have that one

unique special gift!

• Sebring Post cards• Magazines• Novelties• Gifts• Team Logo Items• Nautical Home Decor

Sebring and Florida Souvenirs.

Capt. Ron’s Mercantile• American made Greeting Cards 99¢

www.capt-rons-online.com

First Class Fashions for Women & Menplus Home Decor

659 S. Commerce Ave. - Downtown [email protected]

863-314-9099 Consignmentby Appointment

Formal & Bridal Wear AvailableFormal & Bridal Wear Available

Twin Oaks Tea Room

863-386-1955Located in Downtown Sebring

246 N. Commerce Ave - Sebring, FL 33870 2 Story Blue Historical Building, right o� the circle

Lunch ServedTuesday - Friday 11:00 am - 2:30 pm

“Fine Dining” Saturday5:30 am - 8:30 pm -By reservations only

Take out and Delivery available.Let us host your next special event - large parties welcome.

All food prepared in house fresh daily.Email: [email protected]

863-402-0083 or 863-381-6467

Hours:Mon. - Fri. 10:00 - 5:30

Saturday 9:00 - 3:00

NAIL TRIMMINGSaturday 9:00 - 3:00

Appointments or Walk-In’s Welcomed

A Boutiqueand

Unique Giftsfor 2 & 4

Legged Friends.

112 N. Ridgewood Drive - Sebring

Leashes - Collars - Outfits - BedsDog Art and Décor

Spa Products - Nail Trimming 4 Star Line of FROMM and

Nutri-Source Dog Food

863-385-4544

227 N. Ridgewood Dr. - Sebring

Monday - Friday 12-7 Saturday 10-3

Entire Stock Reduction20% - 40% OFF

Located Next ToHappy Owl


Heartland C A L E N D A R OF

June 8

June10 thru

August 2June14

June15

June16

June 21

June 20

June 28

June 29

Family Fun Day at the History CenterPolk Historical Museum | Bartow

Discovery Camp @ Children’s Museum Children’s Museum of Highlands County Downtown Sebring

Canine and Wine Walk5:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Downtown Sebring

USAT Florida Regional Championship Race7:30 am | Sebring Pier

Heartland Triathlon 7:00 am | Sebring Pier

Main Street Friday Fest and Tow JamMain Street | Bartow

27th Annual Sugar FestivalCity Park | Clewiston

Sixth Annual Youth Field DayRange Cattle Research and Education Center8:30 am - 1:00 pm | Ona, Florida

Second Annual Chobee Idol7:00 pm | Okeechobee KOA | Okeechobee

July 4

July 4

July 4

July 4

July 12-14

July 19

July 27

July 27

July 26-28


C A L E N D A R OF Community Events 2 0 1 3June| July

Workin’ Cow Horse Ranch Rodeo & Old Timers RopingTo Benefit Tidewell Hospice | Turner Center | Arcadia

Independence Day Celebration6:00 pm | Fireworks at 9:15 pm | Turner Center | Arcadia

4th of July Mass Celebration2:00pm – 10:45 pm | Mosaic Park | Bartow

Independence Day Celebrationby the Okeechobee Fraternal Order of Police4:00 pm | Fireworks at dusk Okee-tantie on Lake Okeechobee | 78 West | Okeechobee

Florida Airboat Assc. Annual Unity WeekendLake Okeechobee | Okeechobee

Wine, Shop & Dine5:30 pm | Downtown Wauchula

National Day of the American Cowboy10:00 am|Cattle Drive | Downtown ending at the Agri-Civic Center11:00 am | Western celebrations | Agri-Civic Center1:00 pm and 5:00 pm | Ranch Rodeos

17th Annual Caladium Festival Car and Bike Show7:00 am – 2:00 pm | DeVane Park | Uptown Lake Placid

23rd Annual Caladium FestivalStuart Park | Lake Placid

Details May Be Subject to Change.

Want to announce your Community Event? Email us at [email protected].

July 4

July 4

July 4

July 4

July 12-14

July 19

July 27

July 27

July 26-28



Amanda ArmentroutAmber Louise Boutique American DrillingArcher’s Art

Blinds ASAP Bowling Green Small EngineBridgette’s Studio-Arté Vino Budget Bi-Rite Insurance

Cang Tong Restaurant Captain Ron MerchantileCharlotte’s WebCornerstone HospiceCowpoke’s Watering HoleCSA Design GroupCut n’ Up Salon

Dogtown USADomers, Inc.

Eighteen EastEverglades Pediatric Dentistry

Farm Credit of FloridaFlorida Fence Post Florida Fuel of HardeeFlorida Hospital HeartlandFlorida Hospital Health Partners

Food for Thought

Frames and Images

Galleria 301GB’s Formal WearGerald & Associates

Heacock InsuranceHeartland National BankHeartland PharmacyHighlands Little TheatreHighlands Master JewelerHighlands Medical GroupHighlands Regional Medical

John Palmer Electric

Kathy’s Consignment

Lake Placid ChamberLaye’s Tire ServiceLeAttique

Main Street WauchulaMark Palmer Electric Miller’s Central AirMiss Cindy’s GardenMobility Express

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ex Molly’s Treats & Bakery

Papa Johns PizzaPaul’s PlantscapePink Pineapple Catering

Rafael Pacheco PhotographyResidence InnRoden + Fields DermatologistsSebring DowntownStill Chic Boutique

Twin Oaks Tea Room The Bulb BinThe Daisy Girl ShopTravis Brandon Photography

USA Mobile Drug Testing

Women’s Health

DINING GUIDECang Tong RestaurantCowpoke’s Watering HoleEighteen EastFlames Waterside RestaurantIsland View RestaurantPapa Johns

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HeartlandLIVING

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in the Heartland!

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20,000 copies published per issue, circulated toHomes & Businesses in all seven counties in the Heartland,

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please call 863-781-0344 or email [email protected].


Robert Midence, M.D.Internal Medicine

3700 Emergency Lane - Sebring, FL 33870863-386-4302

Kwabena Pobi, M.D.Urology

2373 US Hwy 27 South - Sebring, FL 33870863-382-2576

Jessica Narvaez-Lugo, M.D.Gastroenterology & Hepatology

3750 Emergency Lane - #4 - Sebring, FL 33870863-385-1045

M. Braimah Saaka, M.D.Vascular Surgery


Donald Ware, D.O.Family Practice


Tahir S. Chaudhri, M.D.Orthopedic Surgery

3427 S. Highlands Avenue - Sebring, FL 33870863-314-9308

L. Francisco Espaillat, M.D.General Surgery & Comprehensive

Breast Surgeon3327 Medical Hill Road - Sebring, FL 33870

863-382-6108

Kevin Robinson, M.D.Otolaryngology

3435 S. Highlands Avenue - Sebring, FL 33870863-402-1970

Euclides Marmolejos-Baez, M.D.Internal Medicine

3700 Emergency Lane - Sebring, FL 33870863-386-4302

www.HighlandsMedicalGroup.com

“For the care your family needs... when they need it most.”

Like us on

All providers accept most insurances for services. Accepting New Patients.

heartland living magazine june-july 2013

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