Happy last week of May!
Every week, we’re learning more and more about how our sleepy little section of Florida is achieving national recognition.
This past week, U.S. News & World Report published its “2026-2027 Best Places to Live rankings,” evaluating 250 cities across the country.
More than 20 Florida cities appear on the list; some favorites like St. Petersburg and the towns along 30A are not on the list, surprisingly.
But two towns in Lake and Sumter, along with other Central Florida municipalities, made the list.
Groveland’s new sports complex a ‘game-changer’
Lake Commissioner Sean Parks called the new South Lake Regional Park an example of Lake County’s focus on families and said it marked a big improvement from the low-frills field he played on growing up.
Parents and coaches were largely enthusiastic about the facilities.
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‘Art Heist’ fundraiser at The Tropic: Celebrate the Leesburg Arts Center’s move into its new permanent home at the Historic Tropic Theater by attending The Great Tropic Art Heist on May 30 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. with an interactive murder mystery fundraiser. The collaboration with the Melon Patch Players invites guests to explore a curated exhibit and enjoy cocktails before a “crime” occurs, tasking the audience with interrogating suspects and finding a missing masterpiece. 122 W. Main St., Leesburg. Tickets are $50. Purchase at melonpatchplayers.org.
Senatorial candidate rolls into The Villages: What we know about U.S. Senate candidate Vindman and his visit to The Villages
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Re: A look back at a family memory that shows the greatness of positive community action by Louise Chen
While searching through my records for anything related to Deep Woods Ranch Airport, I came across this photo. That’s my father holding a case of Coca-Cola, and my grandmother and aunt are there as well. My brother-in-law, a retired farm agent, filled me in on the story behind this mysterious picture.
In the early 1950s, the city of Binghamton, New York, was fed up with repeated flooding and convinced enough legislators that the best solution was to build a large dam — one that would flood numerous farms in the Unadilla Valley, extending up into my home county of Chenango.
Unwilling to let anyone lose their farm, local farmers — both those directly affected and those who weren’t — banded together to find alternatives. Those alternatives still work to this day. They held hot dog roasts and other community gatherings to build solidarity and keep everyone united in the effort.
It was an amazing feat that these farmers and rural people did because they were going against state and federal legislators. But they did it.
The way our Lake County community has come together to address threats to our conservation lands, including Deep Woods Ranch Airport, echoes those mid-1950s Great Brooks days.
I was just a baby back then, but I am so proud of what my family and community accomplished. And I’m equally proud of what my Lake County community is doing now, some 70 years later.
Share your thoughts with us at news@dailycommercial.com
Bye for now,
JG
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: From Unadilla to Umatilla
Reporting by Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial / Daily Commercial
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
