Author Archives

Gary Corsair

Akers Media Group's Executive Editor Gary Corsair began writing professionally while attending high school in Greentown, Indiana. He's spent most of the past 46 years in writing, reporting, editing and producing roles for newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio. He's served as publisher and editor of three newspapers, TV news director, and executive producer of two documentaries about The Groveland Four. Gary’s earned more than 65 awards for journalism excellence and is the author of Legal Lynching: The Sad Saga of the Groveland Four and 'Cats With 12 Lives, the story of the 1964 State Champion Wildwood Wildcats. He and Gwen, his wife of 41 years, moved to Florida from Indiana 28 years ago. He can be reached at: gary@akersmediagroup.com

Your body keeps score

Traumatic experiences may be making you physically ill. The word “trauma” conjures up images of gruesome car accidents, speeding ambulances, medevac flights, and emergency rooms. Stat. Code blue. The golden hour. That’s physical trauma. More common, though less obvious, is…

Meet a Villager: Don Whitfield

The guy who made more money than Oprah, Bill Gates, and Ross Perot. Photo: Anthony Rao Vital Stats 79 years young. Married to wife Polly for 59 years and counting. 34 years working for the government. Moved to The Villages…

Support troops

Villagers for Veterans give all for all who served. All gave some, some gave all. Some are prisoners of war in damaged bodies and altered minds. Many of the imprisoned are MIA – missing in action. Off society’s radar. They…

Sensei of swim

Failure’s not an option when Don Sheppard helps seniors drown their fears. After 26 years working for the U.S. Defense Department, Don Sheppard the retiree is taking the offensive. His battleground: the swimming pool. The enemies: fear of water and…

Meet a Villager: Hail, Nero

You know him, you love him, you live with him. The Villages paid a pretty penny to bring two-time Grammy Award winning pianist/composer Peter Nero to The Sharon five years ago, but the booking more than paid for itself. Peter,…

The loneliest man

The short life and untimely death of a NASA whistleblower. Neil Armstrong would never have declared “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” on July 20, 1969 if fellow astronaut Roger Chaffee hadn’t shouted, “We’ve got a…

Final Thought: Not so close encounter

Call me crazy, but I saw…well, something. Illustrations: Megan Mericle The luminous round object appeared to be massive, at least as long as a football field, as it hovered in one spot, pulsating red and blue lights outlining the bottom…

To air is human

The Villages Balloon Festival offers much more than colorful aircrafts. Photos: Nicole Hamel The star performers at The Villages’ next big event will be full of hot air. More than a dozen magnificent, radiantly colorful aircrafts will be the featured…

In the Kitchen: Cooking Classics

Legendary chef Josh Oakley gets rowdy in the kitchen, says you can too. Photos: Nicole Hamel Josh Oakley’s tenure as Lake County’s top chef was like a butane cooking torch caramelizing sugar atop crème brûlée – blue-flame hot, bubbling with…