Counting 'em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of the 2021's Top 100 biggest news stories of Central Florida along the tourism-driven stretch of Interstate 4 (Orlando Attractions and east to I-95 & the World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona). Each recap segment is posted with its own headline, culminating with the unveiling of No. 1 on New Year's Day or shortly thereafter. Then Headline Surfer will post a Top 10 forecast story of the good, the bad & the ugly on the horizon in "2022: The Year That Lies Ahead."
Photos for Headline Surfer / 'Little Dom Kurek is shown above in the New Smyrna Beach Christmas Parade and in this collage of pics, including one with his grandma, Dawn Winn of Edgewater, a huge Donald Trump fan.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- The 2021 New Smyrna Beach Christmas Parade was a first for a precocious little boy affectionately known as "The Dominator" and "Little Dom."
And why not? After all, this 2-year-old's real name is Dominick Kurek. And this wide-eyed Edgewater toddler commands the spotlight.
Who can resist those big eyes and that cute little face - like that of an angel - a mischievous one at that. After all, he is a toddler.
"People;e saw him on the Willie Wonka float," mom Tia McDonald said. "He loved it!"
McDonald continued, "It’s fun seeing how much he loves Christmas this year!
Tia McDonald was featured in a 6-page pictorial/bio in Playboy magazine in 2017 and also in Maxim magazine. Her son, Dom Kurek, is shown next to a suntan display at a store in New Smyrna featuring his mom as a suntan model.
The 2-year-old blond tike had more than his share of admirers during the New Smyrna Beach Parade and later on Facebook in an array of pics of the holiday parade.
"LOL, love the hair, noted Mary Walker. "Dom sure is having a good time."
Walker was particularly fascinated by Little Dom's big green wig.
"He stole it from his girlfriend because she didn’t want to wear it and he refused to take it off," Tia McDonald explained.
Ah, the terrible twos!
The Dominator loves firetrucks, petting zoos, and even former President Donald Trump.
Well, he's too young to appreciate Trump and the Big Lie (depending on one's politics, of course).
Actually, it's his grandmother, Dawn Winn, who is a big Trump fan.
With mom and dad often traveling, the little one gets to spend a lot of time with his grandmother, a role she relishes.
Little Dom"'s parents are both models who have traveled the globe. Mom, Tia McDonald, has appeared in Playboy - semi-clothed, of course. Dad, Dominick Kurek, has appeared as a runway model for men's clothing and accessories. So it's not difficult to see that Little Dom has the good looks genetics if there is such as thing.
Little Dom's parents are both fashion models who have traveled the globe. Mom, Tia McDonald, has appeared in Playboy - semi-clothed, of course. And in an MTV music video, and in a book fown Under (Australia). Dad, Dominick Kurek, has appeared as a runway model for men's clothing and fashion accessories. So it's not difficult to see that Little Dom has the good looks - the genetics - so to speak.
Dominick Kurek proposed to Tia McDonald at the end of 2018, but they have yet to settle on a date for the big W - as in Wedding Day.
Besides their hectic professional careers, McDonald said the COVID-19 pandemic has been another obstacle, but added she and Kurek are hopeful they can plan for their big day possibly sometime later this year - fingers crossed.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.