HRT for Women in Minneola, FL

A major new development in Minneola is one step closer to commencement after the City Council approved concept plans at a recent meeting.

The Hills of Minneola, a Sun Terra Communities project that has been in the works since 2018, is going to be a massive development on the corner of Citrus Grove Road and Hancock Road.

Members of the Minneola City Council gave the green light to the concept plans that include a town center with restaurants, office space, retail stores, a convenience store with gas pumps and a community open space for events.

Minneola Mayor Pat Kelley said that the highly anticipated development is designed to significantly improve the lives of residents and the stakeholders of greater South Lake County.

“The Hills of Minneola lifestyle center will create jobs, expand the local economy, and enhance the overall quality of life for the community,” said Kelley.

“By bringing together a diverse mix of small to medium sized businesses, we will help broaden the economic base of the area, making it more resilient and less vulnerable to economic downturns which ultimately help protect property values and keep taxes low.”

The concept plans also allow for approximately 2,200 residential units to be built with 800 active adult units. Some of the builders under contract to build the homes include Meritage Homes and Starlight Homes.

Sun Terra Communities will now approach retailers, businesses and organizations who may want to invest in the new town center project.

Mayor Kelley said: “At the heart of our vision is the idea of creating a walkable community that makes it easy for residents to access the goods and services they need. With a gas station, hotel, restaurants and spaces for small businesses to thrive, the Hills of Lake Minneola lifestyle center will provide a one-stop shopping experience that will make life simpler and more enjoyable for everyone.

“We believe this center has the potential to become a destination for both locals and tourists alike. With its attractive design, open gathering spaces and diverse range of offerings, the Hills of Minneola will be a great place for people to relax, socialize and enjoy the many benefits of living in a vibrant community.”

For more information, visit www.sunterracommunities.com

There's now another Del Webb 55+ community to explore in the Orlando area.

In 2023 Del Webb Minneola joined Del Webb Oasis and Del Webb Sunbridge in the new Orlando area Del Webb community lineup.

Here's the latest overview video from the developer:

Location

What's unique about Del Webb Minneola is owed to its location. You've likely never heard of Minneola, but it has some of the highest hills in Central Florida, which will give Del Webb Minneola a pretty unique feel compared to its mostly flat sister communities.

The actual site of the community features 130 feet of elevation change which creates some stunning views, especially from the 2-story clubhouse in the hills. It is believed that you'll be able to see as far as downtown Orlando which is about 25 miles away.

Another interesting thing about the location is that it is nearly equidistant from downtown Orlando and the southern stretches of the World's Largest Retirement Community, The Villages.

Residents of The Villages are anxiously awaiting the opening of the new Costco being built in Clermont, which will be the closest Costco to The Villages but about a 35-minute drive for them.

But it'll only be about a 10-minute drive for Del Webb Minneola residents! $1.50 hot dog and soda combos anyone?

Amenities

Amenities at Del Webb Minneola will be on par with what you've seen in any of the newer Del Webb communities. I mentioned the 2-story clubhouse above which will be about 17,000 square feet.

Features are said to include:

Homes at Del Webb Minneola

Del Webb is building single-family homes from their Scenic, Distinctive, and Echelon series at Del Webb Minneola.

For the most part, Del Webb builds pretty much the same floorplans in each new community across the state, so if you've checked out other Del Webb communities in Florida, you'll likely recognize most of the floorplans offered here.

It does not appear that they plan to offer any attached villas at Del Webb Minneola, but things can change.

Prices start right around $400k…$399,900 to be exact at the time of this update.

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LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – The school community in Lake County is getting ready to say farewell to one of their most beloved educators.

Known as “Mama Hawk”, Linda Shepherd-Miller is retiring at the end of the school year — leaving behind a legacy of compassion and dedication to students and staff at Minneola High School.

“We decided Mama Hawk Way because it has a double entendre to it. There’s Mama Hawk Way as the road, but then there’s the ‘Mama Hawk way,’ which is always be respectful and treat people the way that you want to be treated,” Mayor Pat Kelley of Minneola said. “From hiring all the teachers, coming up with a curriculum, to as far as the creed, the crest, the colors… everything about this school she was involved in, and this school is Mama Hawk.”

As a token of appreciation, the city of Minneola is honoring Shepherd’s 37 years of service to students by renaming a portion of Fosgate road at the intersection where the high school sits.

“It’s gonna bring another of pride for the green and gold to have that up there for all students to come,” Cindy Page, assistant principal of Lake Minneola High school, said. “Mama Hawk is… she’s just amazing. She will give until she can give no more.”

“Mama Hawk” has been the school principal since its inception in 2011. According to the school principal, it was during that first school year that her nickname was given by students.

“The first semester that the school was open, I unfortunately wasn’t here at that time, but I’ve heard the story. One of the kids just said that they were gonna call her Mama Hawk, and at first, she really didn’t want that title, you know,” Page said. “Then the kids were very persistent, and since then, she’s kind of embraced that title, and every day she says to the kids, at least twice a day, ‘Remember, Mama Hawk loves you.’ And she truly means it for every one of the students.”

Shepherd-Miller’s upcoming retirement will be bittersweet for Page.

“It’s been an amazing journey to work for Ms. Shepherd. Mama Hawk has imparted upon me as a professional the way that I should treat individuals,” Page said. “That last day is gonna be really difficult. There’s been tears throughout the year. We’ve known that the retirement is happening this year,” Page said.

In April, the school renamed the academic wing to Linda K. Shepherd in her honor. An educator who the class of 2023 made sure to remind her of just how loved she is by pranking her with 2,023 3X5 pictures throughout the school, including her office.

“They’ve been spread across campus. Their last day was May 12, and so when we came in that morning, we were bombarded by Mama Hawk’s face, which was amazing,” Page recalled. “And then throughout the day, the kids started collecting them and coming up and getting autographs from her.”

The Mama Hawk Way sign recently placed is a temporary sign. The city of Minneola hopes to have the permanent sign placed by the start of the new school year.

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MINNEOLA, Fla. - Lake Minneola High School sophomore Adam Gottesman got into baseball the way a lot of kids start in the game.

"My grandpa, he grew up in Manhattan," said Gottesman. "Something that we always bonded about now is baseball and the Yankees, and all those guys. We always talk about'em. That's, that's really why I love Baseball. Just being able to bond with it."

But Adam's road to the JV team has been a lot tougher than most other kids. He has Complex Four Mitochondrial Disease, where his cells don't get enough energy, and it gets harder and harder for him to grow. It's a terminal illness, with no known treatment or cure. Most people with the disease don't live past their adolescence.

"We've also as a family been very consistent about not talking about the future," said Adam's mother Jill Kelley. "We just take it day by day."

Kelley was Adam's speech pathologist and around Adam's 4th birthday, Kelley took Adam in, so that he wouldn't end up in foster care.

The family eventually moved from upstate New York to Central Florida because Adam wasn't able to tolerate the winters.

Once he got to Lake Minneola, Adam tried out for the Hawks Baseball team.

"I did know I had to keep him," said Hawks Head Baseball Coach Kerry Whetro. "I knew he had to stay. I knew he had to be a part of what we were doing. I wanted to make sure that he was able to be successful in a game he loves."

So Adam started practice in the fall. Going through drills and running and workouts. And at the end of each game, he'd get an at-bat.

"There's nothing too big for him," said Lake Minneola JV Baseball Head Coach Rodney Zinn. "Everything we've asked him to do, he's exceeded it. What he lacks in baseball skill, he makes up for in heart. And I feel like if we could put his heart into a lot of kids, we'd have the perfect team."

"It's so positive. I mean he's just full of drive," said Lake Minneola Senior Keegan Zinn. "He's got drive that some kids will never find."

The key characteristic that's made Adam successful both in life and on the baseball field is belief. Belief in both himself and belief in the team.

"I mean when I'm playing to me, it feels like I'm unstoppable," said Gottesman. "And I know like my weaknesses and I know what I can and cannot do. Sometimes I over-push it, you know I push myself. And that's something that I've always prided myself on. Pushing myself forward."

Finding his place on this team has meant the world to Adam.

"Baseball has. And I think the kids have. And that's kind of really what I wanted everyone to know. It's that in the world that we see now, and it seems to be so negative, we have some great kids out here. Who are so supportive and so inclusive and never let him feel like he's any different than they are," said Kelley.

And as much as baseball has helped Adam, Adam has also helped his team.

"He has gotten this team to believe in themselves," said Whetro. "To believe in what they want, and it's obtainable. With me, fear doubt, and non-belief are no longer an option. Because after watching this young man and what he believes and how he succeeds in life, I'm a believer."

Andy Sheeter created a popular brewery in Winter Garden nearly a decade ago, and he now is embarking on a new venture that will add a Crooked Can destination brewery in Lake County.

The Lake County craft brewery, which does not yet have a name, will sit on three acres and feature a 40,000-square-foot facility with a much larger production area plus a tap room, beer garden, flex lawn space, food hall similar to the Plant Street Market and headquarters space.

The Lake County Crooked Can will operate in a high-visibility area, Sheeter said.

“We’re right off the (Florida’s) Turnpike, so when visitors from out-of-town come in … the signage is right there, so they’ll see the sign,” he said. “Those going to the theme parks and resorts already know our brand because it’s sold there.”

In 2014, Sheeter founded the Crooked Can Brewing Company, an 11,000-square-foot craft brewery that anchors the Plant Street Market in downtown Winter Garden. It has been so successful that it is at capacity for production and patron space, he said.

There are no plans to close or move the Winter Garden location, Sheeter said. This will serve as a second Central Florida location. A third brewery is located near Columbus, Ohio.

“This is going to be what we call a destination brewery, and I think one thing that’s important to know is this is a complement to the brewery in Winter Garden,” Sheeter said. “The brewery itself will have a much bigger production area because we’re out of capacity. It’s going to have a tap room. It will be set up better for corporate events."

The outdoor beer garden will sit on one acre and serve as an extension to the indoor area. The one-acre flex space will be available for concerts, receptions and other outdoor gatherings.

“We would envision us doing a lot more special events in this particular spot,” Sheeter said. “This will give us the flexibility if a business wanted to come in and do a corporate (program). It’s a great area for kids to run around and have fun when it’s not being used."

This space also allows the brewery to hold larger community events such as Oktoberfest or the Celtic Festival without having to get permission from the city to close off adjacent streets.

Sheeter acknowledges he won’t initially fill the entire 40,000 square feet.

“We won’t be able to utilize all the space up front, but five years from now we want to be able to utilize it,” he said.

The brewery will be part of the Hills of Minneola development going in near the new turnpike exit at Hancock Road. Skorman Development is in charge of the project.

Work on the Lake County brewery likely will begin in 2024, Sheeter said. He currently is going through the necessary steps for permitting and architectural drawings.