Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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"Look at me." "I did this." "He is not as good as me." "She is bad, and I deserve your attention." While phrases along these lines are most often uttered by young children (or politicians in Washington D.C.), we all struggle to some degree with jealously and envy in every sphere of our lives. Contentment is tough. Personally, I realize more and more every day, every hour even, that I need divine help, grace, and protection from erronously striving for recognition from others,...
This is the fourth installment in the Lake Wales Renaissance series. Lake Wales City Commissioner Robin Gibson serves as deputy mayor and chairman of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency. The purpose of this article and the previous article on the Longleaf Business Park is to heed the lessons learned in those projects as the City pursues community redevelopment in the future. Now the Hotel: The City in 2008 acquired title to the Grand Hotel, originally the Dixie...
Lake Wales city officials are asking commissioners to green light a study to determine the feasibility of building a sports and recreation complex that might attract tournaments and other special events. The study would be one element of an overall recreation master plan that would be funded with recreation impact fees. At their May 19 meeting commissioners will be asked to approve a contract with Clearwater-based Sports Facilities Advisory (SFA) for $42,500 plus travel...
Thomas "Tommy" Ward, 63, of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, May 3, 2020 at AdventHealth Lake Wales. He was born July 5, 1956 in Liverpool, England to the late Jerald and Eileen Ward; he moved to Lake Wales from Lakeland in 2016. Tommy worked as a delivery and set up driver for Apex Office Supplies. He enjoyed miniature war gaming, painting, photography, and playing the guitar. He was a member of Wayside Baptist Church. Tommy is survived by his brothers, Michael Ward of North...
Faith communities around Central Florida are making decisions about re-opening for services and one church in Lake Wales has decided this Sunday, May 17, is the time to re-open their Sunday Morning Worship Celebration to the public. This service, which begins at 10:30 a.m. has been live-streamed since before the pandemic and will continue to be shown on four platforms. The lead pastor at First Baptist, Dr. Scott Markley, reports the views on those platforms have been good...
Three months after a Jan. 30 city workshop to discuss body worn cameras for Lake Wales police officers Commissioner Terrye Howell asked City Manager Ken Fields for an update. She believed the commission gave clear direction that body cameras were to be included in the 2020-21 budget. Instead of offering options and the requested cost analysis, Fields emailed all commissioners a potential first-year price tag of $175,000 and advised that the project should not go forward. That...
Sunday, as I completed my shop and headed out to my black SUV with a Publix bag boy in tow behind my full cart, I walked around to the passenger side of my SUV, pulled the door open as always and a very startled lady looked me right in the eye. It was not my SUV! The lady was simply waiting for me to cross behind her SUV and leave. Two lessons here LADIES! 1. Lock your vehicle the second you get in it. Don't wait for the automatic locks to set in before you pull out. 2. Know...
It's the scope of Resolution 2019-2020-12 that matters to District One School Board Member Billy Townsend. It reads: Temporary Suspension of School Board Policies During Certain Emergencies Until the Next Meeting of the School Board of Polk County. As matters now stand, this resolution is voted upon at every school board meeting. "That's a pretty big suspension, so I think it behooves us as elected officials just to vote on it each time because it's pretty extraordinary...
Robert E. Waring, 93, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2020 at the Oxford Veteran's Home in Oxford, NY. Bob was born May 3, 1926. He was a gentle man who treasured everyone and every moment. A humble baseball loving kid who liked cars, he grew up too fast. Leaving high school to join the Marines, his 19th birthday was during a literal life and death battle against the Japanese, where he earned the Purple Heart. That experience shaped his next 75 years. When he returned to the...
Sea Eye Custom Picture Framing is a Lake Wales' best kept secret at the moment. Located within the Park Avenue Executive Suites at 244 East Park Ave., it is not well known except to a handful of friends and satisfied customers, as well as frequent patrons of the adjacent Melange Antiques and Art Gallery at 250 East Park Avenue. The two businesses have been functionally symbiotic until the Covid outbreak, which caused Melange to close until the lockdown is lifted. The unique...
While many events in the community have been canceled in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, one of Florida Polytechnic University's richest student traditions will continue in a virtual environment. The annual Capstone Design Showcase, which features the hard work of seniors challenged to solve industry problems, has shifted from a one-day event to a three-day virtual presentation. "I would love to see an in-person capstone showcase, but given the circumstances we...
Polk County Public Schools' self-funded health plan is on track to become solvent in 2020 - three years ahead of schedule. "Every PCPS employee should be very proud of what we have achieved, because we did it together," said Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. "We were facing multimillion-dollar shortfalls. The district and the unions took action together, and because we did, the health plan is healthier than it's been in a long time." The work done to stabilize the health plan...
March 20 will be a day not soon forgotten by Steve Manwell. It was the first day he and his wife opened Melanie's Seafood Company at 120 Park Avenue, becoming the inaugural local eatery to take advantage of the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency's Restaurant Incentive Program. It also so happened to be the same day Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the state's new stay-at-home guidelines. Suddenly, months of planning and renovation work at 120 Park Avenue seemed...
City leaders are starting to take at look at plans to reopen Lake Wales facilities including city hall, recreation areas, parks and the library. But before anything is opened, they have made clear that they will follow guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control in deciding on a timeline for such action. City manager Ken Fields said some facilities could start to reopen around May 18, but that for now that date is just a goal, pending additional data regarding rates...
Valeria K. Hausmann, 95, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, May 7, 2020 at her residence. She was born June 26, 1924 in Duluth, MN to the late Paul and Hope Koglin. She moved to Columbus, OH in 1959 with her husband and children. Valeria moved to Lake Wales in October of 2016 to be cared for by her daughter, Sharon. She was a homemaker and a member of East Baptist Church in Whitehall, OH. She loved helping her family and volunteered for the American Red Cross for 35 years. A recent proud moment for her was graduating from...
Polk County Rotary Clubs are participating in a Million Meal Challenge being coordinated by Rotary District 6890 through Feeding Tampa Bay. The clubs and district are working to raise $200,000 during the month of May to help people in Polk, Highlands, Hardee and Hillsborough County impacted by the COVID-19 virus. According to Feeding Tampa Bay, the demand for meals has quadrupled due to the global pandemic. Many people who never needed help before, especially seniors...
Polk County Public Schools will hold an online teacher hiring event from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, May 21. Future events are planned for 9-11 a.m. June 4 and 2-4 p.m. June 18. The online events include virtual chats that have the potential to lead to follow-up Skype interviews and job offers for teaching positions in the 2020-2021 school year. The school district says it offers one of the highest beginning teacher salaries in the state and a generous benefits package. Click...
Rene " Rod Man " Bundrage, 92, of Lake Wales, died May 12 at Bartow Regional Medical Center. He was born Dec. 14, 1927. Services are incomplete. Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales is handling arrangements....
