MABEL NORRIS REESE

Mabel Norris Reese exposed truth about Groveland FourPublished: January 14, 2020, 9:40 amIt was a case that made headlines and one that highlighted reporter Mabel Norris Reese.

It was a case that made headlines and one that highlighted reporter Mabel Norris Reese. She was the owner, editor, reporter for the Mount Dora Topic newspaper in the 1940s up until around 1960,” said Gary McKechnie, founder of the Mabel Norris Reese Fund in Mount Dora. McKechnie, in collaboration with artist Jim McNalis, recently unveiled a clay sculpture to honor the life of the journalist. “She was taking her leads from the sheriff, sheriff Willis McCall and she’s believing everything he’s telling her,” McKechnie said. For donations and to learn more about the story of Mabel Norris Reese, click here.

With donations and support from the Lake County community, Fort Lauderdale artist Jim McNalis sculpted a bust of Mabel Norris Reese, a hero of her day. MOUNT DORA A terra-cotta clay bust of Mabel Norris Reese the 1950s journalist who became known for exposing the misdeeds of Lake Countys notoriously racist Sheriff Willis McCall was unveiled Sunday afternoon. Mount Dora resident Gary McKechnie, who got the ball rolling on the "Remember Mabel" campaign, talked about his plight organizing the effort. Until more money is raised for a bronze mold to be made from the clay bust of Reese, it will be displayed indoors throughout Mount Dora. Meanwhile, Mount Dora council members have vowed to find a suitable outdoor spot for the bronze statue once finished.

MOUNT DORA Sunday in Mount Dora will be all about remembering and paying tribute to the life and courage of Mabel Norris Reese a journalist who stood up to the notorious Sheriff Willis McCall in the 1950s. When Reese began to challenge the brutal authority of thenLake County Sheriff Willis McCall, she became a target of his wrath. Using every resource to intimidate Reese, McCall even launched a rival newspaper and warned advertisers not to buy space in Reeses Mount Dora Topic. Until then, he said the statue will be rotated between different indoor spots, such as the Mount Dora Library, the Lake County Courthouse and more. McKechnie also plans on approaching Mount Dora officials about creating a plaque to be mounted alongside the statue that would include a phone number people could call for recorded information about Reese, her accomplishments and more.

MOUNT DORA Efforts to honor the memory and legend of Mabel Norris Reese, an ardent civil rights activist, journalist, editor and owner of the Mount Dora Topic newspaper from 1947-1960, are underway in the form of a sculpture in her likeness. The Mount Dora City Council, when approached last year, voted to support the effort and vowed to help find a fitting place for the bust. Reese moved to Daytona Beach, where she continued her work until she died in 1995 at the age of 80. But McKechnie thinks it is also fitting to have a tribute to her in Mount Dora, where she ran her newspaper years ago. Erickson said wherever that might be, it will be an honor because Reeses legacy will continue on in the sculpture.