Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Lake Wales city commissioners at their March 16 meeting are expected to authorize legal action that could lead to the city taking back the historic Dixie Walesbilt Hotel. Also called the Grand Hotel, the 10-story structure built in 1926 remains empty and only partially restored since it was turned over to developer Ray Brown more than 10 years ago. The city spent about $7,000 for attorney Kevin Ashley with the Peterson Myers Law Firm to research whether the city has grounds...
When the Lake Wales City Commission on Feb. 16 approved a pilot program to purchase eight police worn body cameras, Mayor Eugene Fultz predicted that eventually every officer would wear one. Now less than three months later commissioners may be moving forward with full implementation. City Manager James Slaton is recommending the purchase of 24 additional body cameras for a total of 32, which would make them available to all officers who regularly interact with the public....
Lake Wales area pastors invite the public to gather at noon Thursday, May 6 for the annual National Day of Prayer observance. The event will take place outside in the breezeway of the city administration building at 201 W. Central Ave. This year's theme is "Lord, Pour Out Your Love, Life, and Liberty." It is based on the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 3:17, which says "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." The featured speaker offering a brief devotional will be Col....
Sandy Dent never gave up hope, and after more than nine months her missing chihuahua, Valdez, is finally home. Dent regularly checked lost pet sites and posted photos on social media, hoping someone would recognize Valdez, who ran off last July 4 after being frightened by fireworks. As it turns out, Valdez has been well cared for by three different women and even added three pounds to his former 9-pound frame. "I said I would not give up, and I didn't," Dent said. "This is...
The Ranch Taproom and Coffeehouse in downtown Lake Wales officially opened April 16 with enthusiastic crowds and rave social media reviews. Owners Jessica Garrett and her mother, Cathy Becton Garrett, were pleased with the successful opening. "Opening weekend was incredible and the support we received from the city, Mainstreet and the community was greatly appreciated," Garrett said. "Being Lake Wales natives we are excited to be a part of downtown. We look forward to being a...
Dr. Debra Wright-Hudson is on a mission. The acting principal of McLaughlin Middle School & Fine Arts Academy is reaching out to the Lake Wales community to share the good news about her students' success. Like the school's phoenix mascot, McLaughlin has spent the last two years rising from the ashes of an F-rating from the state. Wright-Hudson said she expects the school to soon achieve at least a C rating, and possibly be in reach of a B, while striving for an A grade....
City commissioners at their April 20 meeting consented to Mayor Eugene Fultz's appointment of Marcus Kirby to the Lake Wales Charter School Trustees. Kirby is transitional housing coordinator for the Lake Wales Care Center and a part-time associate pastor of High Point Church. He served in the U.S. Navy for six years and has lived in Lake Wales for 15 years. Commissioner Terrye Howell challenged Fultz's contention that he didn't need to seek input from commissioners or offer t...
Despite a recent change to the City Charter requiring more input from city commissioners on appointments, Mayor Eugene Fultz did not involve them and is bringing forth only one name for an opening on the Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of Trustees. In an exchange at the end of an April 14 commission workshop, Fultz told commissioners the charter trustee position was “my spot” and he alone had the authority to choose. Commissioners could then vote to accept or reject his app...
Still stinging from his April 6 defeat by just 32 votes, Lake Wales City Commissioner Al Goldstein came out swinging the next morning – citing racism as a primary factor in his loss and suggesting the city is "on the cusp of destruction." Goldstein said he is not convinced his successful opponent, Kris Fitzgerald, will be a good commissioner and said she won on the coattails of Daniel Williams, who defeated Ricardo Navarro for Seat 2 by 15 votes. Goldstein said in two years h...
Lake Wales voters April 6 approved by wide margins, ranging from 82 to 92 percent, all seven proposed changes to the City Charter. City commissioners appointed a Charter Review Committee, which studied the issues, got public input and recommended seven changes to city's governing document. AMENDMENT 1 - MISSION STATEMENT: More than 88 percent of the voters approved adding the following mission statement to the city charter, by a vote of 1,662 to 218: The mission of the City...
Editor's Note: More analysis of the city election will be included in future stories. In the closest races in recent history, Daniel Williams and Kris Fitzgerald won election to the Lake Wales City Commission Tuesday, April 6. Fitzgerald beat incumbent Al Goldstein by 32 votes, and Williams bested Ricardo Navarro by just 15 votes. Williams was one vote ahead of Navarro when the in-person vote tallies came in, but pulled further ahead when vote by mail ballots were added....
In person voters in the April 6 Lake Wales municipal election trickled in with only 139 casting ballots during the first few hours. A total of 9,790 Lake Wales citizens are eligible to vote in 2021. That's only a net increase of about 20 registered voters more than were eligible for the April 2020 election. As of the end of the day Monday, April 5 a total of 1,174 Lake Wales voters had cast ballots early or by mail. That's on par with the early and absentee votes in the April...
Seat 2 on the Lake Wales City Commission will have a new occupant after the April 6 municipal election – either Ricardo Navarro or Daniel Williams. Incumbent Commissioner Curtis Gibson is not seeking re-election, but is instead considering a run for Lake Wales mayor in 2022. Navarro, 33, is an internal medicine physician, owner and president of Navarro Medical. He also is a consulting physician for Vitas Healthcare and medical director for the hospitalist medicine program a...
In the April 6 municipal election political newcomer Kris Fitzgerald faces off with incumbent Al Goldstein to represent Seat 4 on the Lake Wales City Commission. One of the few similarities between the two candidates is they both served in the military – Fitzgerald in the U.S. Air Force and Goldstein in the U.S. Marines. They are very different in age, race, work status and political affiliation. Despite the position being nonpartisan, both accepted and then returned c...
Editor's Note: We are republishing a past story, remembering the Passion Play during Easter Week. Easter Week always brings fond memories of the three months each winter that the Lake Wales community came together to participate as "extras" to help dramatically depict the last seven days of Jesus Christ on Earth. I don't remember exactly how many years I participated in the Black Hills Passion Play winter productions – so many Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and a...
A team of law enforcement experts from the Center for Public Safety Management will conduct a full analysis of the Lake Wales Police Department to recommend improvements. The city will pay $45,550 to the center, which is affiliated with the International City/County Manager Association. City Manager James Slaton said the top-to-bottom assessment will result in an action list of improvements. According to the agreement for a comprehensive analysis of law enforcement services...
Lake Wales City Commissioners have adopted a new incentive program to encourage redevelopment or restoration of distressed properties. Commissioners earlier this month approved a memorandum of understanding that can be used as a framework for future redevelopment agreements. The program would allow redevelopers access to funds they provided to purchase publicly owned properties or to pay off code enforcement liens. Instead of the city keeping or spending the funds, the...
Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez released an investigative report Friday, March 26 that concluded there was no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by two officers during a Feb. 5 arrest. The complaint involved a traffic stop of 37-year-old Christopher Cordero that escalated into charges of resisting arrest without violence, threat of death or serious bodily injury of a law enforcement officer and assault on a law enforcement officer. Cordero accused Officers Colt Black and...
Opening March 12 for a three-weekend run at Lake Wales Little Theatre, Exit Laughing, a popular and laugh-out-loud funny play by Paul Elliott, tells the story of four Southern ladies whose weekly highlight for 30 years is gathering to play cards. When Mary dies, ditzy Millie "borrows" her ashes from the local funeral home for one last game of bridge at Connie's home. Prior to her death Mary arranged for some surprises to arrive – including a college student moonlighting as a...
Lake Wales City Commissioners March 16 agreed to notify the owners of the historic Walesbilt Hotel that they are in breach of their development contract – the first step in the city potentially trying to regain ownership of the property. Developer Ray Brown, the principal of Dixie-Walesbilt LLC, tried to convince commissioners that he had met the two major milestones put in place more than 10 years ago. But only Commissioner Curtis Gibson voted to hold off on the notice, s...
Editor's Note: Check out questionnaires submitted by the four candidates in our People section. Videos of a candidate forum can be viewed at The https://www.facebook.com/247504432355875/videos/3578357928879748 or on You Tube at https://youtu.be/CU5pQcxhnLw Four candidates have qualified to run for two Lake Wales City Commission seats in the April 16 municipal election. Dr. Ricardo Navarro and pastor Daniel Williams are seeking election to Seat 2, which is being vacated by...
Because of her parents' race, being born at Lake Wales Hospital in 1966 wasn't an option for Dr. Carolyn Pass. Now she's the local hospital's chief of staff. The family practice physician with Optum Care rose through the leadership ranks of Advent Health Lake Wales, formerly Lake Wales Hospital, where she has been on staff for the last 20 years. Pass was one of nine Central Florida community leaders, four from Polk County, honored Feb. 18 by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, who read...
Bok Tower Gardens carillonneur Geert D'hollander says the music of The King's Singers has inspired him since he was a child. That's why he is especially thrilled that the famed a cappella group awarded his original choral composition their top New Music Prize for 2021. "Winning this competition is an incredible honor as a musician and one of their biggest fans," said D'hollander, a Belgium-American who became Bok carillonneur in 2012. "To me, it's like standing in front of...
Two Babson Park men have filed suit against the Crooked Lake Park Sewerage Company, claiming they suffered severe life and limb threatening infections after being exposed to raw sewage spilled into the lake last summer. On behalf of W. Trent Farrar and K. Douglas Morrison, attorney Kent Lilly filed the lawsuit March 3 asking for unspecified damages of at least $100,000. The suit claims the sewerage company unlawfully discharged an estimated 95,000 gallons of raw sewage into...
Sporting a pair of black roller skates over his shoulder, outgoing Lake Wales Charter Schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson thanked dozens of well-wishers, saying he was ready to "skate off into the sunset." The outdoor reception at Lake Wales High School Feb. 24 marked the end of his 13-year leadership stint here, but he promised to continue supporting the local charter schools, possibly returning to help with staff development through a new job he's beginning in a few weeks...
