Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • A22

22A Tuesday, October 18, 2022 Tampa Bay Times BOURQUE, Robert A. 80, of Lecanto, died Oc- tober 10, 2022. Crema- tion with Care. Chas E. Davis HERON, Thomas "Gunny" 82, of Floral City, died October 12, 2022.

Mass is Monday at 11 am, at Our Lady of Fatima Chas. E. Davis PURCELL, Robert D. 82, of Hernando, died October 12, 2022. Serv- ices in Cincinnati.

Cre- mation with care Chas. E. Davis CAZARES, Hector Hugo 36, Plant City, FL, entered into eternal rest on Oct. 12, 2022. Condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

FRITZ, Carolyn Joy 77, of Tampa, Florida died Wednesday, Octo- ber 12, 2022. Florida Mortuary MOODY, Sandra 68, passed away Octo- ber 11, 2022. She is loved and will be deeply missed. TURRELL, Peter F. 79, of Odessa, died Oc- tober 3, 2022.

Survived by wife Joanne; children Stephanie, and Doug; loving family. Dobies Tarpon Springs BECKMAN, Morton Myles 78, of New Port Richey, died October 6, 2022. Survived by family and friends. Coastal Cremations NPR BOUCHER, Stella Eleanor 96, of New Port Richey, died October 8, 2022. Survived by family and friends.

Coastal Cremations NPR DEGOUFF, E. Diana 78, New Port Richey, died Oct. 4, 2022. Worked at Walmart in Tarpon Springs. Survived by loving family.

Service at later date. Vinson GRAHAM, Sylvia Diane 80, of Dade City, died October 14, 2022. Full obit can be viewed at: www.hodgesfuneralhome.com GRANDINETTI, Frank 75, of Trinity, died Octo- ber 13, 2022. Loving fa- ther, husband, friend, mentor. Past President of A.S.H.R.A.E.

GUNN, Robert Kenneth 74, of New Port Ri- chey, died October 8, 2022. Survived by Fami- ly and Friends. Coastal Cremations HOLLIDAY, Amy L. 52, of New Port Richey, died September 28, 2022. She is deeply missed by all her family and friends.

International Cremation MCMANAMON, Celinda A. "Cindy" passed Oct. 12, 2022. She was born in Detroit on Sept. 12, 1946, and raised in Royal Oak, MI, by her parents, Russell and Alice Whipple.

She graduated from Kimbel HS. She received her associate degree from Ferris State College, and became a Stewardess with American Airlines. She fell in love with, and married, John McManamon 53 years ago, and was a fantastic wife and mother. Her business career included a licensed stockbroker, and an cccupational specialist with the Sarasota School System. She was a nationally- ranked racquetball player, a member of Countryside Country Club, and an active member of the Ladies Golf Association, having served two terms as Presi- dent.

Her real passion was traveling the world and playing golf in Ireland. She enjoyed life, was quick to smile and laugh, and will be missed by all who knew her. She was predeceased by her son, Coley McManamon. She is survived by her husband; and many family members in Florida and Michigan. A fu- neral mass will be held in Sarasota at Incarnation Catholic Church, and her ashes will be joined with her in their memorial garden.

Donations can be made to Moffit Cancer Center or HPH Hospice. Morgan Funeral Home LEAK, John 87, of New Port Richey, died Oct. 13, 2022. Sur- vived by children, Greg, Lisa, Tim; four grands; two great-grands; Ethel Mae. LORIG, Glenn A.

91, of Zephyrhills, died October 12, 2022. He is survived by his sons, Brian and Kyle. Whitfield Funeral Home MARCUM, Eugene "Gene" 60, of Holiday, died Oc- tober 13, 2022. Survi- vors wife Jayne; a step- son; grands; two broth- ers. Dobies PAYTON, Margaret "Lynn" 57, of Holiday, died October 7, 2022.

Survivors son, Jared Coatney; seven brother, Gary. SPRATLING, Pamela 55, of Hudson, died Oc- tober 10, 2022. Sur- vived by daughter, Tay- lor; Layla; pa- rents, Carolyn, Peter; two sisters. STROTT, Frank Jr. 86, of Zephyrhills, died October 9, 2022.

Visita- tion 3-4 pm, Service 4 pm Monday, October 17, at Whitfield Funeral Home VERH, Timothy S. 56, of New Port Richey, died October 12, 2022. Survived by wife Tam- my; three children; be- loved family and friends. Dobies WILLIAMSON, Heath Michael 53, of Holi- day, FL, passed Oct. 10, 2022.

ChurchServ- ice will be held at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, Oct. 20, 10:30 am in Safety Harbor, FL. Burial to follow at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park. WINDEBANK, Norma 87, Hudson passed away Sept. 21, 2022.

Sur- vived by children Louise and Kevin; sister Ann. WOODHAM, James 81, of Dade Zeph- yrhills passed away at home Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Pam; sister, Loucretia; and daughters, Angie, and Stacy. Funeral serv- ices will be held on Sat- urday, October 22, 2022, at Hodges Funeral Home, 301 from 11 am to 1 pm.

Arrangements are under the care of Hodges Family Funeral Home 301 Chapel, Dade City. Hodges Family Funeral Home WRIGHT, Wayne L. 79, of Dade City, died October 13, 2022. He is survived by his loving family and friends. Ar- rangements with: Michels Lundquist Remembering Barack Obama led the U.S.

intelligence agency, now is at the center of a far- right Christian nationalist movement that has a grow- ing influence in the Repub- lican Party. In speeches across the U.S., he urges his supporters to get involved in local politics as a way to change the country from the bottom up. action equals national Flynn says at nearly every stop. In Sarasota County, Flynn and his allies have creat- ed a kind of laboratory for his approach, energizing local conservative activists through social media and public appearances, and gatherings at a venue called The Hollow that has become a meeting place for the far right. He questions Amer- ican democratic institu- tions, repeats lies about the 2020 election, attacks the news media and embraces conspiracy theories about COVID-19.

One of the groups welcomed into the fold is the violent extremist group the Proud Boys. The political marriage between a man who once sat at the right hand of President Donald Trump and local extremists in Sarasota Coun- ty starts in some ways on Jan. 6, 2021, and with their failed attempts to thwart the democratic process and keep Trump in power. It was insurrection day and Flynn, American flag hat atop his head, sat in the VIP section of the rally as Trump urged his supporters to march on the U.S. Capi- tol and stop Congress from confirming that he had lost the election.

Less than 2 miles away, James Hoel, decked out in tactical gear, a walkie-talkie on his chest, advanced past the Capitol barricades with fellow members of the Proud Boys, at the vanguard of the deadly riot. no evidence the two men knew each other on that day. But in the 21 months since fight to stay in office came to an end, their paths and inter- ests have crossed again and again. The Associated Press and the PBS series reported last month that movement envisions Christianity as the basis of American life and institu- tions; where the right to bear arms is paramount; where abortion is illegal; where concepts such as sys- temic racism and gay or transgender rights have no place in the schools; and where people who disagree are called or per- verts and are excluded from American civic life. Flynn has drawn together election deniers, mask and vaccine opponents, insurrec- tionists and leaders in state and local Republican par- ties who are continuing the attack on American democ- racy and institutions that came to a head on Jan.

6. After the failed insurrec- tion, Flynn moved to Sara- sota County and set out to build a political community of like-minded people. He found an operating base of sorts at The Hollow in rural Venice. a 10-acre site at times a playland, wedding venue, organizing space and weap- ons training ground. The owner, Vic- tor Mellor is a former Marine who posted on Face- book that he knocked on front of the Cap- itol on Jan.

6. Mellor told that he was proud he was there that day and once suggested on social media that he would have a reunion at the Flynn first visited the site in May 2021, and the next day, Mellor posted on Face- book that there was a going and pledged our resources to the Flynns in this Since then, The Hollow has turned into a center of activity for Sara- sota far right. Last fall, The Hollow drew thousands to events with Flynn in attendance where doctors distributed mask and vaccine waivers for schoolchildren. The site hosts political groups and candidates, offers free play- dates with water slides, zip lines and a bouncy house has advertised classes on food storage and wound and trau- ma care, and provides access to a neighboring, unpermit- ted gun range to ex-military and law enforcement. The gun range has hosted groups as large as 40 and has offered free shooting lessons to chil- dren as young as 6.

Visitors enter through a bunkerlike, windowless hallway, painted black and filled with quotes, many of which push the idea that violent revolution is part of the history and possibly its future. dis- arm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave reads one. A Thomas Jefferson line reads: tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and In a meeting space inside, a banner promises attempt of violence towards our children will be met with overwhelming deadly On another wall hangs a signed by Flynn, that reads in part: Your truth be my shield and Against the fiery darts the lies of the The bunker then opens onto an expansive outdoor space decorated with Amer- ican flags and bunting and landscaped with palm trees, pathways and pergolas. One winding path connects to an adjacent property that includes the gun range. Mel- lor said he added a 10-foot cross at suggestion.

Reporters for AP and visited the out- skirts of The Hollow in Feb- ruary. Later, Mellor invited a crew inside for a tightly controlled visit and sat down for an inter- view. Mellor said he was not a right-wing extremist and expressed concern The Hol- low would be portrayed as militia He added: it is absolutely the opposite spectrum of Flynn has been visiting The Hollow regularly for over a year, and supporting it financially. After Hurri- cane Ian swamped the site with several feet of water, Flynn and Mellor visited it together by boat, Mellor told AP. He shared a photo of the two of them, surrounded by floodwaters, folding an American flag.

It was at The Hollow where Flynn was seen mix- ing with Proud Boys, includ- ing Hoel. Photos and video posted on Facebook and a public Telegram chat show Flynn at The Hollow with men wearing the Proud signature yellow-and-black shirts or other gear with the logo. Sarasota lawyer Ron Filipkowski, who tracks far-right figures online, cir- culated a photo posted on Facebook in September 2021 that showed a man wearing a Proud Boys hat, yellow shirt and bandanna stand- ing with Mellor and Flynn. The Proud Boys played an important role in the insur- rection. One of its members, Jeremy Bertino, pleaded guilty this month to sedi- tious conspiracy for his role in the attack.

Samantha Kutner, an extremism researcher who is an expert on the Proud Boys and runs the consul- tancy Glitterpill LLC, said grievance is a driving fac- tor in the group: They paint themselves as victims of a progressive society that wants to emasculate them. Ma ny Pr attended the deadly the rally in Charlot- tesville, Virginia, in 2017. been designated a terrorist organization by the governments of Canada and New Zealand and labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non- profit legal advocacy group. Hoel and other Sara- sota Proud Boys have taken presence and words as a rallying cry, echoing them in public Telegram chat groups they use to organize political activities. They have often shared mes- sages from Flynn as a way to encourage each other to get involved in local politics.

In October 2021, Flynn was the featured guest for a family event at The Hollow, with General Messages from a pub- lic chat on Telegram show Proud Boys and their wives organized to volunteer. On Oct. 19, Proud Boy Nick Radovich suggested a person whose username is could vol- unteer for the event. can try and take Halloween off to help. Is there a job list and time MilkshakePB replied.

A Proud Boy who goes by the nickname Milk- shake has been charged and pleaded not guilty for his alleged actions on Jan. 6. in seeing Gen- eral Flynn and (state GOP Rep. Anthony) Sabatini at the Hollow at no cost? Can you help volunteer for 3 hours at the Halloween wife, Melissa, wrote Oct. 23, one of several posts she made about the event.

The event promised a and trick-or- treating for kids, but it also included political speech- es by a number of far-right activists, including Flynn and Kimberly Fletcher of Moms for America, one of the groups that organized the rallies in Washington on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, 2021. Organizers said 1,000 people came. A video shows that during the event, Flynn got a standing ovation before tell- ing the crowd that Republi- cans need to improve their election tactics.

can tell you exactly how the Democratic Party does precinct training and then who they put in Flynn said. know exactly where to put people, where to put the He suggested those in the audience should register to be precinct volunteers and poll watchers. Later that night, Nick Radovich posted a video in a public Telegram chat say- ing he had met Flynn, and the general had congratulat- ed him for being part of a group that protested outside the school board chairper- house, calling for her to come outdoors for a of Local media had reported on Proud involvement in the protest. Two weeks later, Hoel posted a photo he took with Flynn at The Hollow: Hoel wears a Proud Boys shirt, and next to him, Flynn holds up for the camera a Proud Boys emblem. Mellor told that some Proud Boys had volunteered at The Hollow before he knew they were members of the extremist group.

just dads and husbands and their kids come out here, OK? You know, part of the he said, adding that the Proud Boys are another organization that just like any organization is welcomed It is not clear whether Flynn has a formal relation- ship with The Hollow, and he and Mellor declined to comment on the subject. Mellor said in a written statement that one of nonprofits, Future had recently donat- ed $25,000 to purchase an observation dome for a 14.5-inch telescope for The new science and nature program. Flynn has also been soliciting money for The Hollow through a crowdfunding campaign for The America Project, a group he started last year and that AP and previously reported has been spending millions on efforts to advance its agenda, including by undermining trust in elections. Some Sarasota residents told AP and that Proud Boys have tried to intimidate people at school board meetings labeling those who supported masks or sympathized with gay children as Angela Wynn said she was harassed by a group of Proud Boys when she attended a rights rally with her 10-year-old. She believes outspo- ken presence in Sarasota has given members of the group confidence and validation.

back in the day they would have tried to hide who they Wynn said. now just so emboldened and they have this sense of At one protest, children were photographed hoisting Proud Boys flags. Carol Lerner, a pub- lic education activist and retiree in Sarasota County who is opposed to politics, has visited The Hollow twice and tracked the Proud Boys activities in Sarasota and at The Hollow. She says Flynn, with the help of Mellor and the Proud Boys, is building an infrastructure to further the attack on American democ- racy that came to a head on Jan. 6 and using The Hollow to build a community and teach children anti-demo- cratic values.

pretty. nice. It fills a need. Then you look at what their worldview is, what fighting for. scary.

quite Lerner said. kind of like a socialization of insurrec- The campaigns Flynn has said in pub- lic speeches that he and his supporters have 250 school boards across the country to people who agree with his views. He declined to provide a list of the com- munities he was referring to. But certain that he counts Sarasota County as one of his success stories. Flynn, Mellor and the Proud Boys supported can- didates in Sarasota who they believed would stand against mask and vaccine mandates, ban books they see as objec- tionable and stop any talk of sexual orientation.

a a i i a records show that Mellor, his business and The Hol- low together donated more than half the money raised by a political action com- mittee that backed those candidates. The PAC paid for a mobile billboard call- ing one Jewish school board candidate a liar and drawing condem- nation from people who noted the history as an antisemitic slur. The America Project kicked in $5,000 to the PAC in the days after the uproar. As the school board cam- paign raged, Flynn and his supporters branched out beyond schools. eral Flynn is submitting his application to the Repub- lican Executive committee on Nick Radovich wrote July 9 on Telegram.

need to control the Republican party, my wife will bring you an applica- tion to join so we can take over the republican party and get rid of the RINOS. Send me date and time where she can meet In the following weeks, dozens of people submitted paperwork to join the exec- utive committee of the Sara- sota County Republican Party, including Flynn, sev- eral Flynn family members, Hoel and his wife. The Her- ald-Tribune newspaper was first to report appli- cation to the committee. On Sept. 8, Hoel and Flynn were sworn in to the executive committee.

Flynn signed up to be a poll watcher. A Sarasota Republican Party spokesperson, Rod Thomson, would not com- ment on whether the party endorses the views Flynn espouses. He said the party was just following its rules when it approved Flynn and Hoel to the 270-member executive committee. Kutner and others who study extremism see a mutually beneficial rela- tionship between Flynn and Proud Boys, likening it to when then-President Donald Trump called for the Proud Boys to back and stand ahead of the 2020 election. Flynn is working to consolidate vari- ous factions within the GOP, while the Proud Boys are trying to gain visibility and legitimacy while deflect- ing from their actions and involvement during Jan.

6, Kutner said. are trying to engage in local she said, where the fight is producers Richard Rowley and Paul Abowd and AP news researcher Randy Herschaft contributed to this report. FLYNN continued from 1A.