Leesburg's Brad Dunn is known around the world for his nickname and his strength
Brad Dunn loads a round sphere in the back of his Cooper mini; passerbys might look at the bulky object as though it were Styrofoam the way Dunn lifts it.
“I had no idea this festival was this big,” exclaims one woman, an obvious newcomer to one of the most recognized art festivals in Florida.
And why not? Unbeknownst to the woman, the festival draws an estimated 300,000 art enthusiasts and festival attendees throughout the course of the weekend in February each year.
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Leesburg’s Brad Dunn is known around the world for his nickname and his strength
Story by Michael Harris
Brad Dunn loads a round sphere in the back of his Cooper mini; passerbys might look at the bulky object as though it were Styrofoam the way Dunn lifts it.
It hits the deck of his hatchback with a thud. The car sinks a few inches downward as it takes on the concrete stone.
“Aw, it’s just 205 pounds,” he says to the car.
The mass of 205 pounds with no handle to latch on to may be impossible to some, but in Brad Dunn’s world it’s the weight of a tennis ball.
Not even the Cooper can handle the weight.
“It rolls around back there and it put a dent inside of it.”
Brad is a behemoth in size, strength and heart. As an American Strongman Corporation competitor, Brad is one of the strongest men in the world and competes everywhere from Orlando to Finland. Read Full Entry
When Diana Bowles decided to go on a recon mission to competing banks as part of a marketing assignment for Bank of America in 1974, she didn’t figure to be at the epicenter of a bank robbery.
Working at a bank for most of her life and currently the Vice President at Citizen’s First Bank in Leesburg, Diana, like any bank employee, knows that a bank robbery is a distinct and very real possibility. Read Full Entry
Awakened by a frantic friend in post-haste mode, Aaron Jackson’s mind was hazy and cloudy, yet, there was urgency to get out of his Le Plaza hotel room on Wednesday morning.
When he exited his room, he described his surroundings as if he were in a bowl of “Jell-o.” He waves his hand in front of his face as if he were caught in a dream sequence one would see on a television show or in a movie. Read Full Entry
Connie B. Kelley: Achieving Happiness Through Painting
Written by Blair Townley; Photos by Anthony Rao
The inspiration to paint can come at any time in a person’s life, something artist Connie B. Kelley can attest to experiencing 20 years ago. She began building her painting repertoire at 45 and has continued exploring her talent for the past two decades. Read Full Entry
I’m still on my personal mission to find where young, working professionals in Lake County go to meet and mingle during the week and on weekends.
Recently I’ve seen and heard about the local favorite in Eustis, Olivia’s Coffeehouse, and thought I would give it try to see who I might find there.
I attended their Friday night “Open Jam Night,” arriving about a half hour after the “jam” kicked off at 7 p.m. Pictures on Olivia’s web site of previous jam nights seemed to show a decent crowd of people of all ages having fun and enjoying the music. Read Full Entry
Congratulations to Lindsey Cipris of Leesburg who was crowned the 2010 Cover Girl winner at the Best of the Best celebration in December. Congratulations also to the amazing runner-ups; Kimberlee Davan, Sierra Ford, Chelsea Smith and Maria Sorbera.
Winner Lindsey Cipris is a born and raised native of Leesburg and sees that the 2010 Cover Girl should also be someone who characterizes Lake County. “I think [the cover girl] is someone who represents Lake County with great leadership qualities and is interesting as every cover girl has always had an interesting story,” she says Lindsey plans to become a dental hygienist and hopes to attend Valencia Community College’s dental hygiene degree program after finishing classes at Lake-Sumter Community College this spring. Outside of class, she is also the smiling face that greets you at the Northgate Animal Clinic in Leesburg where she works as the receptionist. Read Full Entry
With both hands shooting up in the air and then clasping the top of her head, Lindsey Cipris displayed her surprise and excitement over being named LAKE Magazine’s 2010 Cover Girl winner.
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Are you a nine to fiver during the week & a bike-riding road warrior on weekends? We want you to send pictures of your day & bike wardrobes to be possibly featured in our April issue. Click here to submit your entry
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