Out & About . . .

Past-Mayor George Wilkins was on vacation in Ohio with his wife Kay the early part of October when he suffered a massive heart attack. Wilkins survived the horrible experience and soon after underwent quadruple by-pass heart surgery. It is uncertain when he’ll be able to return home to Lake Helen though he has been released from the hospital.

Approximately a week after Wilkins’ heart surgery though, his wife Kay had a stroke and was admitted to the same hospital.

At about the same time of Wilkens’ heart attack, Kim LaBarre’s husband Tom was in a very serious motorcycle accident in North Carolina resulting in life-threatening injuries. Tom was in a coma for several days and has since gone through operations to repair some of the damage.

Kim LaBarre reports that her husband is lucky to be alive and that he will be in a rehabilitation facility in Ormond Beach.

Kim and Tom LaBarre are the parents of a baby girl born earlier in the year. Kim is a member of the PLDRC (Planning Board).

Previous Building Inspector for Lake Helen, Mark Ganier, was called by the National Guard for active duty to participate in the war against terrorisn.

On October 6th members of the Florida Preservation Trust visited Cassadaga and Lake Helen. They had lunch at the hotel. They were then escorted around Lake Helen by Mayor Shuttleworth and given private tours of a few of the historic homes.

The members of the Florida Preservation Trust were then taken to DeLand where they enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon browsing through the shops there. Their evening then began with cocktails at the Henry DeLand Museum. This was followed by dinner at the Museum of Arts and a self-guided tour of the museum. To top the evening off, the guests then enjoyed decadent chocolate desserts and coffee as they milled about.

They locked WHO up?! Rumors have it that a local business owner was locked up for MDA on October 17th at 1:15 p.m. As they dragged her away she yelled, “Tell my husband and son I love them!”

Her bail was set at $2,000 however, she was only able to raise $155.

The warden released her in her partner’s custody after a plea bargain was finally reached. The warden enjoyed it so much that he let her go home in a limousine!