Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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In preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Lake Wales Mayor Gene Fultz declared a state of emergency for the city starting at noon Thursday, Aug. 29 and lasting up to seven days. This declaration followed a similar one by Gov. Ron DeSantis covering the entire state of Florida. The order gives City Manager Ken Fields authority to enact emergency management procedures for the city. The city's Emergency Operations Center is expected to open in the main fire department around noon on...
Vincent Harris struggled in high school and took 10 years to earn his bachelor's degree. His own experience makes him even more committed to helping adult students with disabilities find meaningful employment after their nine-month internships at Lake Wales Medical Center. As the Project SEARCH instructor, Harris shared his passion at a gathering Aug. 28 to kick off the program for students with disabilities, ages 18-22. The five students – four from Lake Wales High School a...
Patricia Harvey is creating a Haven for Success, an after-school program that helps children reach their greatest potential. Harvey's new program will serve 20-25 elementary age children three hours a day beginning Aug. 19 at the B Street Community Center at 230 B Street in Lake Wales. "I want these children to know and understand life is what you make it," Harvey said. "Life is not standing on the street corner. Life is not walking around with your pants below your behind....
The prospective developers of the historic Seminole Hotel shared conceptual site plans with Lake Wales city officials Tuesday, Aug. 13. South Florida architect Rick Gonzalez produced the drawings in partnership with local developer Ray Brown. Gonzalez has more than 30 years' experience restoring historic buildings and serves as vice chair of the Florida Historical Commission. City Development Services Director Kathy Bangley said she was pleased with the conceptual plans and lo...
Lake Wales City Commissioners got their first look Tuesday at a proposed balanced budget for 2019-20 that includes a slight reduction in the property tax rate. Finance Director Dorothy Abbott told commissioners that the city is in good financial shape and staff feels comfortable recommending a millage rate of 6.9339, or approximately $6.93 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. This is considered the "rollback rate" that based upon anticipated growth can be expected to...
Urban planner Victor Dover was man of the hour Tuesday, receiving applause and high praise after presenting a draft Lake Wales Connected plan for redevelopment of the city's downtown and northwest business district. About 75 interested persons, including numerous downtown merchants and community business leaders, listened attentively as Dover described the potential to turn Lake Wales into a popular destination, returning to city founders' concept of a city in a garden, as des...
Lake Wales City officials are reviewing the 100-plus page draft "Neighborhood Plan for the Core of Lake Wales" in preparation for its official presentation Aug. 13 by urban planners from Dover, Kohl & Partners. "Lake Wales Connected is more than just a plan for improvements to a single street, district or neighborhood; it is a strategy for revitalization of Lake Wales' historic Downtown and one of its most important close-in neighborhoods. Together, the Downtown and Northwest...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson blasted City Manager Ken Fields Tuesday for questioning his intelligence, embarrassing, humiliating and disrespecting him. "I'm here to tell you, we don't work for you, you work for us," Gibson told Fields during commissioner's remarks at the end of the Aug. 6 commission meeting. Gibson returned from a recent National League of Cities Conference in Jackson, Mississippi, eager to share information with his colleagues about a National...
Lake Wales pioneer and historic preservationist Mimi Hardman may soon have a city building named in her honor. The Lake Wales History Museum will be seeking donors to help restore and rehabilitate the historic 1916 Seaboard Airline Freight Depot, and repurpose the interior of the building as the new permanent Mimi Hardman Collections & Research Center. Items in the city collection date back to 1852, when the original government survey of Lake Wales was completed. A project of...
Overcoming significant challenges of language and poverty, the Lake Wales Charter Schools maintained or improved their 2019 school grades released July 11 by the Florida Department of Education. "We are very, very proud of their improvement and success, of the work that's being done," said charter schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson. "What we have done over the years is try to build a system for success. . . create a structure. Personalities come and go, but we're building a...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson may be bucking for a new nickname: Robin Hood. It wasn't exactly robbing the rich to give to the poor, but at the July 16 commission meeting Gibson did propose giving the higher paid city staff members smaller raises this year in order to give more to the city's lower paid workers. Commissioner Terrye Howell immediately supported the idea, but other commissioners said they would withhold judgment and wait for further analysis and a...
ALSIM, one of the world's premier manufacturers of flight simulators, has announced plans to locate a new North American assembly and support facility at the Lake Wales Commerce and Technology Park. The company announced it will be hiring multiple staff for the Lake Wales location, which beginning in September will house technicians and items like spare parts. "Lake Wales is extremely proud to be part of the growing aerospace industry in Polk County," said City Manager Ken Fie...
UPDATE: The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department arrested a 52-year-old Tampa man Tuesday, July 31, on grand theft charges related to the honey heist July 14. Muhammad Abdallah Hmeid was released the next day on a $1,000 bond. He will face charges in Polk County. Lotta Kay and Alden Struthers want to believe that people are basically honest. That's why they continue the long-standing tradition of letting visitors to Struthers Honey on SR 60 East of Lake Wales pay for...
An act of kindness by a Lake Wales police officer didn't go unnoticed by a little girl whose family recently was involved in a car crash. The child named Abby took the time to create a special thank-you card and to visit the police department to thank Officer Edgar Claros in person. At the July 16 city commission meeting Lake Wales Mayor Eugene Fultz read a commendation letter from Police Chief Chris Velasquez, which detailed the recent incident. "What stands out is the...
Joseph Farewell started shooting as soon as he was big enough to hold a gun and he began competing about nine years ago. The 28-year-old Lake Wales native is proud to represent the United States in the World Rifle Championship in Sweden Aug. 3-10, and he's optimistic about bringing home a gold medal. The U.S. Practical Shooting Association chose Farewell for the four-shooter men's open team, which includes Scott Green of Nevada, who placed second in last year's World Shotgun...
When Lake Wales commissioners were asked to envision what would produce a huge city success story by the year 2040, they enthusiastically detailed a bright future. Commissioners and senior staff came up with some big vision headlines for a "Miracle on the Ridge": "Lake Wales Annexes its Way to Prosperity and Success." "Lake Wales Restores Big Lake Wailes as Recreational Paradise." "Grand Hotel Open with Rotating Restaurant on Top." "Lake Wales Becomes Second Largest City in...
American Legion Post 71 is once again looking for a new home. The post closed its Area 71 Restaurant and Bar at Eagle Ridge Mall in June after six months of operation. Past Commander Andy Anderson said the mall operation was successful until Area 71 began experiencing problems with its air conditioning and sewer system. The final blow came after a refrigerator breakdown caused the post to lose about $1,500 in food. "When the people don't come, when the mall itself is hot, it's...
Lake Wales is well-represented at the world's largest air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this week as Eric Farewell and his Aviator PPG team take to the skies to show off their paramotor flying skills. Wearing what look like large, round fans on their backs and dangling from parachute canopies, the four-person team again is sharing some of the aerobatic maneuvers that delighted audiences in May at the Sun 'n Fun Air Show in Lakeland. "It's a great honor for us to be invited back,"...
Jonathan White says his baseball career was cut short because he put his career in the hands of others his entire life. He accepted that coaches told him he wasn't a starting player because he wasn't good enough. He was a standout player in local leagues, regularly featured in the Sports section of the local newspaper. At age 10, he was invited to play in Cooperstown, NY with the best baseball players in the world. Despite two years sitting the bench in high school his senior...
Family and Friends of Albert Hawkins Jr. gathered Saturday, July 20 to honor his memory and dedicate a pavilion in his name. Hawkins died in December 2017 at the age of 79. The pavilion is located next to the B Street Community Center in Lake Wales where Hawkins spent countless hours serving the community. Alice Sanders coordinated the tributes to "Hawk," made by representatives of various churches, the Green and Gold Foundation, his Roosevelt High School Class of 1956 classma...
In 1914 Nellie Stewart gathered 17 Lake Wales women for a "thimble party" and while they chatted and sewed they decided to form a club. Now 105 years later, members of the GFWC Lake Wales Woman's Club gathered July 10 for a tea and luncheon where they encouraged guests to join their organization. Secretary Mary Walkup described the club's history, which included an amazing list of accomplishments. The Woman's Club over the years has spearheaded or been involved in many local...
Many doctors in their eighth decade would be golfing, traveling or just enjoying retirement. But Dr. Eusebio "Jon" Salud Jr. is spending his later years treating patients with a new procedure that he says is helping to restore their vision. According to Salud, dry macular degeneration is a leading cause of permanent blindness and for 56 years there has been no treatment available for it. He started a noninvasive, safe, simple and painless protocol about five years ago. He...
Concerned that too many patients got their wounds healed but ended up coming back for more treatments, the Lake Wales Wound Care Center has added another therapy to its list of options. Dr. Fred Howard on Tuesday, July 2 did the center's first treatment that used a laser to burn off vessels in leg veins. The treatment is designed to get blood flowing properly to reduce swelling that can cause wounds to fester and create painful sores. "They come, they get wound care, they get...
At age 32, Dr Carolyn Pass had the scare of her life. The hard-working physician was hospitalized with congestive heart failure and found herself wondering if she would live to see her three children grow up. After a lengthy recuperation period she got back into practicing medicine but with a greater appreciation for life and helping her patients focus on their own good health. Now 20 years after her own health scare Pass says she tells her patients: "You matter. You have to t...
During their second budget workshop July 9 Lake Wales city commissioners asked questions about staff spending priorities while acknowledging they still need much additional information before they are ready to adopt a new budget for the 2019-20 year that begins Oct. 1. City Manager Ken Fields twice tried to reinforce his position that commissioners need to just concern themselves with policy and the city's overall direction and leave spending decisions on how to get there to...
