The indoor event provides an opportunity for vendors to showcase and sell handmade crafts, unique gifts, jewelry, home décor, and other specialty items while supporting a community fundraising effort.

Vendor spaces are currently available. Those interested in becoming a vendor or seeking additional information can email info@thingsnblingsfl.com.

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A millage rate is the tax rate applied to a property’s taxable value. Under the new rate, homeowners pay approximately $4.59 in taxes for every $1,000 of taxable property value.

Will Homeowners Pay Less? A lower millage rate can provide tax relief, but it does not automatically mean a lower property tax bill. If a home’s taxable value remains unchanged, a reduced millage rate typically results in lower taxes. However, when property values rise significantly—as they have in Clermont and throughout much of Florida—homeowners may still see their tax bills increase despite the lower tax rate. According to city budget documents, taxable property values in Clermont have continued to grow rapidly. As a result, the city can generate additional revenue even while reducing the tax rate.

In short, the millage-rate reduction represents genuine tax relief, but rising property values can offset some or all of those savings for individual homeowners.

The post Clermont Cuts Property Tax Rate for Second Consecutive Year, Though Some Homeowners May Still Pay More appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

At the meeting, Suver shared how she turned a tragic event into a mission to help others. After a serious hit-and-run crash, Suver showed courage and determination during her recovery process, and she is now an advocate for bicycle and pedestrian safety, as well as responsible driving.

Lake County Commissioner Sean Parks (District 2) will present Suver with a certificate to honor her dedication to making Lake County’s roads safer and inspiring others through her advocacy.

By sharing her story, Suver is raising awareness about road safety and engaging in important conversations about responsibility within our community.

“Rather than allowing adversity to define her, Gaby is using her experience to make a lasting impact on our community,” said Commissioner Parks. “She has transformed her personal hardship into a source of education and encouragement for others, reminding all of us that strength is measured not by the obstacles we face, but by how we choose to overcome them.”

The Board’s recognition honor ed Suver’s perseverance, her service to the community, and her ongoing work to make streets safer for everyone.

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Clermont Main Street took home three statewide awards and was named host of the 2027 Annual Preservation on Main Street Conference during the Secretary of State’s Dinner, held July 23 as part of this year’s conference.

The Secretary of State’s Dinner is one of the signature events of the Annual Preservation on Main Street Conference, recognizing Main Street programs from across Florida for outstanding achievement in downtown revitalization, historic preservation, and community engagement. Clermont Main Street was recognized in three separate categories this year, a rare showing that highlights the depth and reach of the organization’s work in downtown Clermont.

Thomas Paine Telling Your Story Award

Clermont Main Street received the Thomas Paine Telling Your Story Award for its website rebranding, completed in partnership with Roots Creative Co. The award recognizes excellence in communicating a Main Street program’s identity, mission, and impact to the public, and reflects a yearlong effort to give Clermont Main Street a modern, cohesive digital presence that better tells the story of downtown Clermont.

Celebrating Main Street Award

The organization also earned the Celebrating Main Street Award for its America250 Flag Walk, a community event created to honor the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The event brought residents together in downtown Clermont for a patriotic celebration that organizers say set the tone for a series of America250 programming still to come.

Four Point Patriot Award

Clermont Main Street received the Four Point Patriot Award for Clermont on Screen, a project born out of a historic structures survey conducted in partnership with Dalton Studio, LLC. That survey uncovered a lost piece of local industry: more than 50 films were shot in Clermont over the years, a chapter of the city’s history that had faded from public memory. Clermont Main Street brought that history back to life through Clermont on Screen, a dedicated website where residents and visitors can now explore the city’s film legacy. You can find the website at https://www.clermontonscreen.com.

In addition to the three awards, Clermont Main Street was announced as the host organization for the 2027 Annual Preservation on Main Street Conference, a distinction that will bring Main Street leaders, preservationists, and downtown advocates from across Florida to Clermont for the statewide gathering.

“These awards belong to our entire downtown community. Every one of them reflects work our team has poured ourselves into over the past year, from reimagining how we tell our story online to creating new ways for residents to connect with downtown Clermont. To be recognized three times in one night, and then be trusted to host our peers from across the state in 2027, is an incredible honor for this organization.” said Natalie Kahler, Executive Director of Clermont Main Street.

“On behalf of the board, I couldn’t be prouder of what this team has accomplished. These awards are a direct reflection of the vision and dedication that Natalie and her team bring to downtown Clermont every single day, and hosting the 2027 conference gives us the chance to show the rest of Florida what makes our Main Street program special,” said Patrick Bianchi, President of the Board of Directors for Clermont Main Street.

Clermont Main Street will spend the coming months preparing to welcome Main Street programs from across the state for the 2027 Annual Preservation on Main Street Conference, building on the momentum of this year’s recognition.

More information on Clermont Main Street’s programs, including the America250 Flag Walk and Clermont on Screen, is available at www.clermontdowntown.com.

About Clermont Main Street

Clermont Main Street is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit driven by Downtown Clermont business owners, local entrepreneurs, and residents who believe in the power of investing in the city’s historic core. Guided by the nationally recognized Four-Point Approach to revitalization—Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Vitality—the program works to cultivate a thriving, connected, and resilient downtown. Its efforts are made possible through a blend of public funding, grants, memberships, sponsorships, and proceeds from community events that bring Downtown Clermont to life.

The post Clermont Main Street Wins Three State Awards, Named Host of 2027 Preservation on Main Street Conference appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

The Friends of the Cooper Memorial Library Summer Book Sale will be held on Friday (July 31), Saturday (August 1), and Monday (August 3), from 9 am until 3 pm in the Community Room, room 108, at Cooper Memorial Library in Clermont. 

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Sgt. Landis Delp manages the yearly event that includes a tropical-themed setting and a car show that can keep vintage vehicle enthusiasts busy for hours. This year’s event drew 50+ themed cars, trucks and jeeps of all kinds and varieties. Marcos Pizza and other area vendors provided yummy treats and giveaways for the well-attended event.

 

Sgt. Delp gives credit to the dozens of annual supporters, volunteers, city employees and sponsors that make the program a success every year.  Ace Hardware not only provides outdoor space for the event but also provides a large toy drop-off stage inside the store that includes Rudolph, a sleigh and a background beach scene complete with Florida-style Christmas palms.

 

The program served 300+ families last year, including 1,447 children that otherwise might not have had a joyful Christmas morning complete with toys.

“We don’t just provide a variety of toys for the parents to choose from. We have an application process that allows parents to indicate what their child or children would like to have, and we make every effort to make that happen for them,” says Sgt. Delp. The program also provides a bag of toys per child, when possible, versus just one favorite.

The application process will begin in October and can be found on the City of Groveland’s website at www.Groveland-FL-Gov.

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Sponsors and individual supporters who would like to help can reach Sgt. Delp at 352-429-4166 or email Landis.Delp@Groveland-FL.Gov.

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The Clermont Seventh-Day Adventist Church, in partnership with the Clermont Fire Department Education Division, is hosting CPR certification classes for the entire community at the Christian Life Center, 460 West Montrose St., Clermont .

There are two opportunities to become American Heart Association (AHA) Heartsaver CPR certified:
• August 16
• September 20

CPR is a simple yet lifesaving skill that can make the difference between life and death while waiting for emergency responders to arrive. You do not need to be a healthcare professional to save a life—you simply need the knowledge and confidence to act.

Be prepared. Be confident. Be the difference.

To pre-register and reserve your spot, send a direct message or email: Wellness.ClermontSDA@gmail.com

The post A Few Hours Can Save a Lifetime! Be A Community Heart Saver (August 16 and September 20) appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

The fireworks may be over, but the celebration is just getting started. The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA),2416 North Mills Avenue, Orlando, invites visitors to keep marking America’s Semiquincentennial – the 250th anniversary of the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence – with USA 250: 250 Years on the Road to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

While July 4 kicked off a year of national reflection, USA 250 gives Central Floridians months more to explore what 250 years of American life has looked like, through photography, painting, printmaking, collage, etching, and weaving that map the country’s landscapes, labor, movements, and ideals.

Envisioned as a road trip across the United States, USA 250 trails significant historical points of view where artists have recognized, responded to, or documented changing human experiences. The earliest painting on view hails from the late 19th-century Hudson River School and is displayed alongside works across media, extending into the contemporary era.

Each wall in the exhibition corresponds to one of five geographical regions, beginning with the Southeast and moving counterclockwise through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, the North and Northwest, and concluding with the Southwest. Visitors can take the wheel and choose their own route – from photographs of the National Parks and Depression-era landscapes to paintings of American labor and Pop Art prints commissioned for the 1976 Bicentennial.

The exhibition features works by some of the most recognized names in American art, including Fritz Scholder, Grant Wood, Ansel Adams, Thomas Moran, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Indiana, and Alfred Stieglitz, among others.

“In curating this exhibition, I wanted to share a breadth of experiences across the vast landscape that is the United States. Working with images and objects from our collection that recall the latter half of the 250 years since the American Revolution, a picture emerged of a nation that progressed through the Second Industrial Revolution and ushered in scientific, technological, social, urban, rural and environmental transformations,” said Katherine Page, associate curator at OMA. “Artists have been at the forefront of visualizing and recording those changes. As we honor the 250th anniversary of an ever-evolving country, I want visitors to dream and celebrate what the next 250 years of our future could hold.”

Also on view is an extension of the museum’s Echoes of the Ancient in Contemporary Voices exhibition: Mateo Blanco’s Arhuaco Flag (2025), a naturally dyed, handwoven cotton flag created in collaboration with the Arhuaco Indigenous people of Colombia and courtesy of the artist. The American flag represents Blanco’s journey, commemorates the nation’s 250th anniversary, and reflects on the enduring spirit of a country built on freedom, resilience, and the belief that everyone’s story matters. 

USA 250 is on view at OMA through October 4.

For more information about the Orlando Museum of Art and upcoming events, please visit www.omart.org.

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About the Orlando Museum of Art: Founded in 1924, the Orlando Museum of Art is a leading cultural institution in the Southeast, dedicated to stimulating creativity and intellectual curiosity by connecting people from all backgrounds and experiences with compelling art and new ideas.

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