DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- He was the countywide face of politics for 20-plus years, his last eight as the first-ever elected county chair, before he stepped off the dais for good in 2012.
So, it is only fitting that Frank Bruno has been chosen as the very first inductee of the Class of 2015 HeadlineSurfer.com Hall of Fame. When all is said and done, there will be 100 entrants in the inaugural class.
Most of the inductees are individuals, though more than several inductees are comprised of groups of indivuals, or as entities such as a company or a longstanging tourism event or special cause.
Bruno's recognition includes a profile story with quotes from political allies and adversaries, an extensive timeline of key events in his life, some 250 photos and two dozen or so videos.
This Headline Surfer® Hall of Fame coincides with the award-wining 24/7 internet newspaper's seventh anniversary, which is Tuesday. By then, one or two more inductions will be published. That is the plan at this time, barring major breaking news or some other unforseen circumstance. And several more each succeeding week until profiles on 100 Hall of Famers in all have been posted.
The finalists were chosen soley by this publisher who reached out to numerous individuals for feedback and reporting s well.
In addition to Bruno, whose induction will be published later in the evening of Easter Sunday, here are others on tap for the the next couple of weeks.
• Bob Walker, business agent for Teamsters 385 of Orlando, who represents quite a few law enforcement agencies, includng, but not limited to the rank-and-file deputis and sergeants in the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, asn municipal police departments in Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Ponce Inlet, DeLand, Longwood, Maitland and Winter Park. Walker was an acting chief in the since-disbanded OaK Hill police force and he's a retired homicide detective with Daytona Beach PD.
• Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson, quintessential lawman & epitome of class, was recognized in the internet newspaper's fifth anniversary for his leadership.