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published: Friday, May 22, 2009
Remember When
By Ann Dupee
Last week we remembered the refurbishing of Jaycee Beach at Lake Minneola. Florida Rock Industries of Astatula donated 700 tons of sand. Dale DeWitt, owner of DeWitt Excavating of Winter Garden, greatly reduced the hauling costs of 13 dump trucks dumping 40 loads of lovely white sand from $35 a truckload to $15.
Further in the front page story, a little history of Jaycee Beach was quoted from the book, "Clermont, Gem of the Hills" by Miriam W. Johnson and Rosemary Y. Young, which included information gleaned from old issues of the South Lake Press.
It had been generally agreed in 1950 that Clermont should develop and maintain a public dock and beach. The lakefront on Lake Minneola from 4th to 2nd Streets was the chosen site. Leading promoter was Fred Wolfe with the usual backing of this newspaper.
The Jaycees (Clermont Junior Chamber of Commerce) took on the project, agreeing to raise the necessary funds and to do as much labor as possible themselves. Norris N. Jones was president.
Surveying was done and a plan drawn up, that included a dock 259 feet long and 10 feet wide, a boat ramp, beach house and restaurant space, dressing rooms and toilets, a small adjoining outdoor dance floor and parking space for 150 cars.
About 50 Jaycees worked on the beach for almost a year. One weekend grass and weeds were cleaned the full length of the 1,000-foot beach. Workers were Curtis Reid, Fred Hayes, George Nagel, Newel Harper, Albia Sheldon and Don McCaffrey.
On July 4, 1950, 30 men built the dock. Among them were H.L. Clay, Jr., Travis Cork, Ray Coon, Fred Hayes, Norris Jones, Charles Lane, John Lynn, Paul Meyerhoff, Axel Olivenbaum, Otis Sickler, Reg Saunders, Jon Middleton, Morgan Norris and Fred Wolfe. Fritz Addison, Talmadge Todd, Harold and Gene Farmer, Don Mattioda, Tom Brantley and Bert Orr, although not members of the Jaycees, also helped.
Later the Jaycees worked weekends building a Beach House. During the weekdays they "button-holed" the rest of the townspeople soliciting funds. Before the project was entirely completed, George Nagel put an announcement in the paper - "Those who are waiting to inspect the beach before sending in their donations are invited to do so."
Webb Dredging Company was hired to pump sand out of the lake onto the beach. They pumped 2,416 cubic yards in 20 days. An additional 400 yards was hauled in by truck. Myron Pierce loaned 300 feet of pipe during the pumping operation. Vic Oswalt's Grove Service and Supply drove pilings for the dock.
The beach was dedicated September 10, 1950. The ceremony had been planned for Labor Day but was delayed because of a severe storm. In recent years the beach complex became a city-owned and maintained project.
* * *
-- The morning Coffee Club at Burger King will never be the same. One of its most faithful members, Fred H. Adkinson, 78, of CR 561A, Minneola, died May 4.
Adkinson was a member of the Lake County School Board for four, full four-year terms (1952-68), plus being appointed by Gov. Reubin Askew twice to fill vacated terms of now Senator Richard Langley and retired teacher Dru Rambo.
In 1961 the School Board authorized the establishment of Lake/Sumter Community College. Fred supported the college in many ways including site selection in Leesburg, personnel and programs. LSCC was under the School Board's jurisdiction until the State Legislature passed a law in 1968 to place the community colleges under their own governing boards.
He was also an Associate Trustee for many years for the private Howey Academy, located in Howey-in-the-Hills.
Fred served 18 years on the Florida Citrus Mutual Board of Directors. He was President of the Citrus and Industrial Council for two years and a member of the Governor's Task Force for migrant labor.
He came to Florida in 1925 and was a member of the first class to graduate from Orlando High School in 1928. He brought the Coffee Club a picture taken at the 60th class reunion.
In 1933 the Adkinson family moved to the north side of Lake Minneola where it had purchased the old boom-time golf and country club, The Palisades. The grove was sold in 1977 and plans are currently underway (1989) to develop the area into a new 18-hole golf and country cub, to be called The Palisades.
Some other regulars of the Coffee Club were Jimmy Hunt, Don Meeker, Harold Roberts and Ann Dupee.
