Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Lake Wales voters will consider seven proposed changes to the city Charter when they go to the polls for the April 6 municipal election. City commissioners approved placing all seven on the ballot. The mayor and commissioners each appointed one member of the Charter Review Committee, which had been meeting every two weeks since July 16. Members include: attorneys Sara Jones, Keith Wadsworth and Jim Weaver, and college administrator Andy Oguntola. The Committee chairperson is...
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...
Inita Martinez Lopez, 62, of Lake Wales passed away Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at her residence. She was born Nov. 13, 1958 in Ganado, TX to the late Ruben and Alice Martinez; she moved to Lake Wales from Texas in 1983. Inita was a retired housekeeper and was of the Baptist faith. She was a loving and caring lady that always enjoyed spending time with her family, mostly her grandbabies. Inita was preceded in death by her parents; brother; and sister. She is survived by her sons, Frank Valadez, Jr. (Carol) of Winter Haven,...
Rosa Lee Howell Adams Gatson, 88, of Lake Wales, died April 1, 2021 in Haines City under Cornerstone Hospice Care. She was born Dec. 24, 1932. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 10 at First Institutional Missionary Baptist Church, 205 D St., Lake Wales. Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales is handling arrangements....
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...
Voters in the Tuesday, April 6 Lake Wales municipal election may look up their polling location at PolkElections.com. "Polling locations may be different for city elections, so it's a good idea to double check before heading to the polls," said Lori Edwards, Polk County's Supervisor of Elections. The two Lake Wales locations are the Lake Ashton Clubhouse and the James P. Austin Community Center. Voters may click on "Voter Lookup" at PolkElections.com to find their polling...
EASTER I love Easter. It's my favorite holiday. May you enjoy this remembrance from Easter 2004 . . . It was my first Easter without my beloved father. I was in line at Walmart and noticed the plaid shirt of the elderly man in front of me. He also was waiting to check out. His shirt was worn paper thin and showed hand-stitched patches of repair in various areas. My Dad had loved plaid. I wanted so much to treat this stranger to a new shirt. But...how? He was ahead of me and...
Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Kris T.Y. Fitzgerald Lake Wales City Commission Seat 4 Candidate AGE: 40 OCCUPATION: Senior Administrator at The Vanguard School-Director of Residential Life/License Mental Health Counselor. Qualified Supervisor for LMHCs. YEARS LIVING IN LAKE WALES: Born and raised in Lake Wales. I only moved away for brief periods of time while in the USAF...
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...
Five years ago the Gopher Tortoise Council declared April 10 Gopher Tortoise Day. This day was proclaimed to celebrate all things gopher tortoise, giving one of Florida's most important reptiles a much deserved bask in the sunlight. April 10 is again set aside this year to celebrate and raise awareness for this native tortoise species. How can you get involved? There are plenty of easy ways to get involved in Gopher Tortoise Day! • Ask your local officials to adopt a r...
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...
The Lake Wales Public Library's Intelligent Locker System is up and running. Located outside at the library's main entrance, the locker system is connected to the library network and allows customers access to safely pick up the books, movies and audio books they've placed on hold 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The City Commission in November approved using $25,950 in library impact fees to purchase the 20-locker system. After the purchase the city still had about $290,000...
Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Daniel Williams Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate Hello my name is Daniel Williams, I'm 47 years old an a native of Lake Wales, Florida. I graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1991 and went on to attend Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. I graduated from "The Peay" in 1996 with a double major in Political Science and...
Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Dr. Ricardo Navarro Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate Age: 33 years old Occupation: • Internal Medicine Physician. • Owner and President of Navarro Medical. • Medical Director for the Hospitalist Medicine program at Advent Health Lake Wales • Consulting Physician for Vitas Healthcare Years Living in Lake Wales : Twenty-seven (27) ye...
Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Al Goldstein Lake Wales City Commission Seat 4 Incumbent OCCUPATION: Retired YEARS LIVING IN LAKE WALES: 8 COMMUNITY SERVICE: Former President of Lake Ashton Republican Club., Former Vice Chairman of Polk Republican Executive Committee EXPERIENCE SERVING ON BOARDS: Lake Wales representative to the PRWC Polk Regional Water Cooperative, Lake Wales...
Carlton “Dean” Bedsole, 67, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, March 25, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. Dean was born June 22, 1953 in Winter Haven to the late Henry and Emma Bedsole. He was truck driver for Charles G. Lawson and loved to fish and spend time with his family. Dean is survived by his sons, Jonathan Bedsole of Lake Wales, and Steven Bedsole (Donna Collins) of Lake Wales; life long companion, Sheila Bedsole; grandchild, Zoey Marcum; and many other family members. Services are pending at this time. Marion Nel...
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...
John "Don" Sims, 82, of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, March 28, 2021 at Forsythe Hospice House in Auburndale. He was born January 22, 1939 in Atlanta, GA to the late John Sims and Eunice Sims; he moved to Lake Wales from Tampa in 1972. Don was a retired human resources director at Florida's Natural Growers, Inc., and was a member of First Baptist Church of Lake Wales. He served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam era for eight years. Don was a Past President of...
Due to the overwhelming positive response to their "Drive-Thru Christmas" and since there remains concern about the spread of COVID-19, a local church in Lake Wales is presenting a "Drive-Thru Easter" during Easter weekend in 2021. This dramatic event will be presented by the membership of First Baptist Church of Lake Wales on their church grounds for two evenings, Friday April 2 and Saturday April 3 from 7-9 p.m. nightly. The event will feature four scenes from the biblical...
Mearl Clyde Choate, Jr., 76,of Indian Lake Estates passed away Friday, March 26, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. He was born January 11, 1945 in Bartow to the late Mearl and Frances Choate. Mearl was a retired truck driver and was of the Christian faith. He enjoyed spending time playing dice games, fishing, and outdoor activities. He also loved making memories with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. earl is survived by his daughters, Amy Earnest (Casey) of Madison, Mississippi, Sheila Beyer (David) of Lake Wales,...
