FROM THE FILES | 26 years ago -- 1987
Reliving history through the pages of the South Lake Press
Ann Dupee
REMEMBER WHEN
Longtime South Lake Press publisher dies
George Hubbard Dupee Jr., publisher, editorial writer and co-owner of the South Lake Press for 19 years with his wife, Ann, died Jan. 4 at Orlando Regional Medical Center of cancer.
He was a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., and served out the remainder of World War II in the Merchant Marine. He served as navigator during the Korean War aboard a U.S. Navy ammunition ship. Following the war he joined the Wall Street Journal advertising staff in San Francisco and retired as advertising manager of the Eastern Edition, based in New York City.
The Dupees purchased the South Lake Press on Jan. 1, 1968. Clermont was just beginning talk of building a sewer system, and State Road 50 was a two-lane highway. Between Clermont and the Orange County line the Department of Transportation established a third lane "poor boy" highway, much to Dupee's chagrin.
In 1971 he ran a petition directed at the Department of Transpor-tation to have S.R. 50 four-laned from Orange County to Sumter County. He assembled 841 petitions that were presented in front of the Orlando TV stations to the Florida director of DOT.
This effort, along with the support of the Lake County legislative delegation, brought the Lake County highway situation to DOT's attention. In 1986 the next to last leg was completed between Clermont and Groveland.
There is still a stretch not completed that is west of Mascotte to the Sumter County line.
An unusual situation existed in South Lake County for some residents who live in Lake but have telephone service from Orange County. This meant they must make long distance calls from their homes to Lake County schools, doctors, local businesses, etc. Dupee looked into this and the county commissioners have submitted a request to the Florida Public Service Commis-sion that all people in South Lake County have free phone service in our area.
Dupee's latest concern was the consolidation of Clermont and Groveland high schools. He began to seriously address the issue about a year ago and found, that at this point in time, consolidation might bring a higher quality and broader scope of education to South Lake County students.
Dupee was 1970 Clermont Chamber of Commerce president, 1972 president of Lake County Goodwill, and was an active member of Green Valley Country Club.
Officials detail the state of county and city
Lake County Commissioner Claude Smoak gave a "State of the County" address to Clermont Kiwanis. In years past, Lake County produced more citrus products than the state of California. But since the winter of 1983 delivered its "Christmas present" of a killer freeze, Smoak said 140,000 acres of real estate have been made available for some other use.
Paging through a copy of a recent report from the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Smoak noted that Lake County is an exception to almost every trend cited. The volume of new jobs hasn't increased as much as expected. Only two projects have come up for environmental review versus seven in Osceola County. There are fewer preschool children in Lake County now than in 1960 despite a doubling of the population. Sixty-two percent of building permits issued are for mobile home developments.
Clermont Mayor Bob Pool delivered a "State of the City" address, citing University of Florida population statistics. Pool said the actual population within the city has only increased by 653 residents to a total of 6,114 since 1980. The major impact on the city has been from new residents living in developments around the city. The budget exceeds $2.7 million this year.
In other news:
Clermont High School graduate Joshua High was featured in the January issue of Florida Trend magazine as one of Florida's outstanding black managers. High, 36, is vice president of corporate taxes for the Ryder System, Inc. in Miami.
Asked what advice he would give other young men trying to scale the corporate ladder, High offers three tips: "You have to be good. You have to have interpersonal skills. One of the most useful bits of advice is having the long lost virtue of patience."
-- Health Nuts is starting the New Year in a new shop at 763 W. Montrose St. Appearing at a chamber of commerce ribbon cutting were Health Nuts owner and operator Curt DiCamillo and chamber of commerce directors Cecil Smart and Ron Becker.
Friday, January 11, 2013 - www.dailycommercial.com/11jan2013du