Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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A zany parade featuring colorful floats, marchers and faux royalty will fill the streets of downtown Lake Wales with thousands of revelers this weekend as the traditional Lake Wales Mardi Gras observances reach their climax. The pre-Lenten festivities end at midnight on "fat Tuesday," or Mardi Gras. Private parading clubs, known as "krewes" will vie for recognition as the best in parade as they liberally douse the crowds with thousands of strands of beads and other parade...
Although most Lake Wales residents aren't even aware of it, Lake Wales is famous for thousands as the site of the largest group of landscape designs ever created by the legendary firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. So how did it come to be that the firm responsible for creating New York City's Central Park and for designing the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. played such a vital role in the planning – and now future – of Lake Wales? Our destiny as a "City in a Gar...
After expressing concerns about the lack of success achieved by the Lake Wales Housing Authority, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) changed their tune after a joint meeting with the Smith & Henzy Advisory Group, the consultants for the Housing Authority. A December discussion had led to the CRA had issuing a letter to the Authority on December 16 threatening to withhold the million dollars they had pledged toward the project, recognized as an important part of the Lake...
Six candidates have qualified for election to two open seats in the City of Lake Wales government in the April 5 municipal elections. Voters will have an opportunity to choose a new mayor and a District 4 city commissioner. Qualifying opened at noon Monday and closes at the same hour on Friday. Three candidates for mayor of Lake Wales include former Commissioner Curtis Gibson, current Commissioner Jack Hilligoss, and political newcomer Tammy James, a downtown investor and...
The Lake Wales Charter School Board of Trustees is expected to choose a new superintendent of schools Tuesday to run seven local schools and maintain the standard of excellence achieved by former Superintendent Jesse Jackson. Jackson, who built an award-winning program with the help of principals and staff members, resigned in February, leaving the trustees to find a replacement. The fraught selection process continues to generate community concern. A nationwide search for...
A small but vocal group has been a significant influence on the process of selecting a new superintendent for the Lake Wales Charter School system, a simple reading of documents reveals. (See Related Story Here) The Polk County chapter of the Ohio-based County Citizens Defending Freedom has been involved in the process at numerous points and has consistently acted to promote the selection of Andy Oguntola. Two speakers who sought to end the national search in Lake Wales in...
Former City Commissioner Al Goldstein, considered by some to be the favorite in a three-way race to regain his seat, withdrew his filing hours before the City Commission approved the final ballot form in an afternoon meeting Friday. He was one of six candidates who had qualified since noon Monday for the two seats to be decided in the April 5 election. Goldstein was frank and gracious in his comments when reached by telephone, saying that he had no hard feelings, and that he k...
In an amazing display of business acumen, a group of Webber International University students recently swept virtually every top honor in District III Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) competitions. The group of 17 Webber International University (Webber) students and their advisor, Associate Professor of Accounting Dr. Joanne Muniz, traveled to UCF/Valencia Downtown Orlando to compete in the event, which featured 30 categories. Collectively the local...
Keep Polk County Beautiful, Inc. invites you to participate in this year's Great American Cleanup Event kicking off March 1st. The Great American Cleanup is a nationwide cleanup initiative led by Keep America Beautiful. This cleanup event has taken place across the country for the past 36 years throughout the months of March, April and May annually. The first 1,500 volunteers, who pre-register will receive a FREE T-Shirt and ticket to Bok Tower Gardens (while supplies are...
No sooner has work been completed on the railroad that caused the closing of Hunt Brothers Road this week than crews will move south to begin work on the grade crossing at the Golfview Park Road at Bryan Road in Babson Park. Work there will take place on Thursday and Friday. Detour signs will be erected at SR 17 in Babson Park, requiring traffic to bypass the shortcut leading to the east side of Lake Wales. Crews working for Florida Midland Railroad Company, Inc. will require...
Four of the six expected candidates wasted no time in filing their paperwork for city elections after the qualifying period opened at noon Monday. They will each be a candidate for one of two open seats in Lake Wales government. Both the mayor and a city commission position will be on the April 5 ballot. Tammy James, a candidate for mayor, was first to arrive at the office of City Clerk Jennifer Nanek. Her two opponents, Jack Hilligoss and Curtis Gibson, arrived during the...
Editor's Note: We would like to share photos of you with your big catch! f you have tips or photos you care to share, please email them directly to [email protected]. Here's what's happening this week on area lakes" On Walk-in-the-Water, speck fisherman are limiting out drifting minnows offshore. Bass fishing is slow, but a local tournament took only `2 pounds to win, with a big fish of 5.68 pounds. The Lake Hatchineha "Hour Glass" area is loaded with boats drifting...
An April 30 event at Lake Wailes Park is more than a local celebration, it's part of a much broader celebration of a famous father-son duo who changed the face of North America. April 26, 2022, marks 200 years since the birth of American landscape architect and social reformer Frederick Law Olmsted, who championed the idea of public parks in the United States. Lake Wales Heritage is among more than 120 organizations nationwide have banded together as "Olmsted 200: Parks for...
