Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Yes, it's true! It was at "Dark Sky Party," an annual event at our very own Bok Tower Gardens! In addition, it was an amazing day including attending mind-expanding lectures on Black Holes, the future of Space Exploration, & Life on The Space Station! Oh, and the telescopes! So much to see! I met Story Musgrave, M.D. He is 83. He is an American physician and a retired NASA astronaut. He is a public speaker and consultant to both Disney's Imagineering group and Applied Minds...
New features and patron events and more than 50 artists from around the world look to make the 49th Annual Citizens Bank & Trust Lake Wales Arts Festival Feb. 29 and March 1 the best one to date. Hosted by the Lake Wales Arts Council, the Festival will kick off with the 9th Annual Art-B-Que on The Shores of Lake Wailes, 33 N. Lakeshore Blvd., from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday February 28. The free-to-attend Arts Festival will continue on February 29 and March 1. Additions to the festiva...
Experience a holiday tradition that connects the entire family to nature and reignites the creative spirit at Holidays at Bok Tower Gardens. Nature's seasonal beauty provides the inspiration for this year's celebration. From creatures large and small, to the cheerful nod of seasonal foliage, visitors will discover a rich palette of natural beauty as the Gardens' celebrates the landscape and the history that has shaped this majestic area. Holidays at Bok Tower Gardens offers...
Jolly old St. Nick and Mrs. Claus will take time out of their busy schedule to pay a visit to Central Florida's Visitor Information Center (CFVIC) in Davenport on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring your camera to capture a photo with the bearded one during this free, pet-friendly event. In addition to meeting Mr. and Mrs. Claus, the event will include refreshments and holiday crafts for the kids, as well as a scavenger hunt throughout the center where kids can...
Central Florida's Visitor Information Center (CFVIC) will host a Fall Harvest Festival on Saturday, Nov. 2. This FREE, family-friendly event will take place from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. with games, prizes, face painting, a balloon artist and Pumpkin Patch area when guests can take photos and selfies. Costumes are welcome so the kids can continue their trick-or-treating into November. Various local vendors will be on hand, selling food, treats and gifts, including handmade...
The newly refurbished visitor center at Bok Tower Gardens, now called the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Exhibit Hall, reopens to the public Oct. 19 with dazzling new exhibits and high-tech interactive displays. Donors, board members and friends of Bok Tower attended a reception Oct. 17 where they got their first look at the $1.8 million renovation, which took about three months to complete. The gallery is named in honor of the parents of Dorothy Jenkins, a major donor from...
Bok Tower Gardens will host its annual Rootstock Plant and Garden Festival from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. Admission is free, but there is a $10 parking fee for nonmembers. (Members park free.) The $10 parking fee can be applied at the membership lounge toward purchase of a Bok Tower membership that day. Bok Tower says Rootstock is "Central Florida's largest plant and garden extravaganza." Duke Energy is the event sponsor. Rootstock draws more than 40 vendors, who wil...
The Lake Wales History Museum will honor retired Bok Tower carillonneur Milford Myhre as Pioneer of the Year during the 44th Annual Pioneer Days Festival. The celebration will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Lake Wailes Park. Myhre has been a resident of Lake Wales since 1968. He served as the carillonneur of Bok Tower Gardens for 36 years, until his retirement in 2004. During that time he played daily concerts at the tower, greeted thousands of visitors to the...
Peter William Kessler, 81, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019 at the Lifecare Center in Winter Haven. He was born June 16, 1938 in Cleveland, OH to the late Richard and Carol (Thompson) Kessler. He has been a resident of the area since 1985 coming from Indiana. Peter received his bachelor’s degree in history in 1965 from Lake Forest College in IL and was a bookkeeper with Bethlehem Steel Corporation and a Veteran in the United States Navy. He was a volunteer at Bok Tower Gardens for 8 years, a volunteer f...
Margaret D. Burns, 85, of Lake Wales, died Friday, Aug. 16, 2019 in Worcester, MA. She is survived by her children Sheila (Paul Roebuck) of Littleton, CO, Eileen Perez (Santiago) of Millbury, MA, Paul of Austin, TX, Timothy (Stacy) of Gorham, ME, Michael (Suzanne) of Long Grove, IL, her son-in-law William S. Molloy of Lakeway, TX, 12 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Also survived by her sister Susan Urschel of South Carolina and her brother John Donnelly of New York, and many nieces and nephews. Born September 4,...
Richard Anthony "Dick" Dragonetti, 91, of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at Lake Wales Medical Center. He was born December 7, 1927 in Brooklyn, NY to the late Richard and Mary Rose (Marcello) Dragonetti. He has been a resident of the area since August of 1990 coming from Miami. He was a mechanic for the City of Miami Beach where he retired as the lead mechanic for the Miami Beach Fire Department. Richard loved his car, hiking, gardening, Sunday family drives,...
Scott Blackburn said he and his wife Carrie are tired of carting their four children to other communities because Lake Wales doesn't have enough recreation and sports facilities. Blackburn expressed his frustration to Lake Wales city commissioners at a recreation workshop Tuesday, June 25. Commissioners were reviewing the latest plans for expansion of the Crystal Lake Park complex between the city library and Lake Wailes Park. "We travel to other cities because we don't have...
Mary Neil Hardman Whitmire Chandley, 88, passed peacefully in her sleep on June 9, 2019 at 4 a.m. She was a lifelong resident of Lake Wales, born on January 5, 1931 to Cleo and Neil Hardman, both pioneer residents of Lake Wales. Throughout her life, Mary Neil was always very active in school, church, community service, youth organizations, music and other local projects. She graduated with honors from Lake Wales High School in 1948 and attended Piedmont College in Demorest,...
A "City in a Garden" with landscaped streets, a redeveloped Grove Manor featuring a mix of housing types, and a new "town square" were among the ideas presented to Lake Wales citizens Friday evening to cap a week of intensive study by the planning firm of Dover Kohl. Most of the 100 in attendance were excited by the possibilities. The week-long effort, sponsored by Lake Wales Mainstreet and funded by local businesses, included gathering ideas and suggestions from the public,...
Clinton Gilbert Morrison, 98, of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, May 19 at Water's Edge in Lake Wales. He was born October 8, 1920, in Great Neck, Long Island, New York, to the late Charles E. and Marie D. (White) Morrison. He was a World War II U.S. Navy veteran, having served as a Pharmacist Mate, First Class, (Corpsman), attached to the Marine Corp in the Pacific Theater. He spent his career in the medical supply field and was the owner of Hazleton Medical Supply in Hazleton...
Rick Gonzalez is passionate about restoring historic buildings and he loves Lake Wales. The South Florida architect finally got his first look last week inside the Seminole Hotel and now he's ready to not only create a detailed restoration plan but also to become a financial partner with developer Ray Brown. "I've been doing this work for 30 years and I've seen all types of conditions for historic buildings. This building is just like many others - there's nothing...
Bok Tower Gardens is offering free admission to moms on Mother's Day, Sunday May 12. The Gardens suggest treating mom to a special meal in the Blue Palmetto Café, which is offering a special smoked salmon salad and mimosas for purchase. Moms also can spin the prize wheel at The Shop for a chance to win extra discounts or a free plant. In collaboration with Bloom Box Floral, the Gardens will be selling special floral arrangements for $25 starting at 9 a.m. while they...
Bok Tower Gardens has finished third in a USA Today reader's choice poll of Best Botanical Gardens in the nation conducted by USA Today and 10best.com. Bok Tower's famed Mountain Lake Sanctuary, actually older than the tower itself, was designed by the Olmsted landscape design firm. The term "landscape architecture" was coined by firm founder Frederick Law Olmsted, who was renowned for his designs of such landmark parks as New York's Central Park, the grounds of the US...
Bok Tower Gardens is currently ranked third in a USA Today reader's choice poll of Best Botanical Gardens in the nation. The voting is ongoing, and the poll allows readers to vote for their favorite garden once a day. The poll leaderboard may be found at 10Best.com. In the final days of the contest, the leaderboard is not visible, so the winner will be a surprise. Bok Tower's famed Mountain Lake Sanctuary, actually older than the tower itself, was designed by the Olmsted...
The 93rd annual sunrise service at Bok Tower In Lake Wales is a tradition for many people and families. The sun created the horizon at exactly 6:59 and the brisk spring breeze gave all who attended one more reason to pull out the sweaters, boots and pashminas before the mercury rises and humidity sets in. The birds singing joined in to the chorus of the Lake Wales Chorale and orchestra. Carillon music filled the air. The crowd sang "In Christ Alone," and the sounds of...
Lake Wales Chorale Musical Director Vince Treadway bid a fond farewell after receiving a standing ovation from the packed audience on Sunday, April 7 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Lake Wales. Students from the Warner University Chorus and Chorale members were accompanied on piano by Dr. Jonathan Reed, Warner University assistant professor of music, and on organ by Lee Cobb, who serves as organist and choirmaster at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Ft. Myers. Treadway, who...
Bok Tower Gardens is the place to be Saturday, March 30, as they host five special events. Sounds and Yoga for Energy Balancing will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Reiki Master and Sound Healer Kristen Tenpenny will take participants on an exploration of the layers of energy inside you. Her program helps people learn to measure energy and its direction with a pendulum, how to remove blockages and get your energy flowing. Cost is $35 for Bok members and $42 for non-members. Tickets...
Bok Tower Gardens is hosting another and 80s-themed Bok After Dark event Friday evening, March 8. Experience live music on the Terrace from 5-7pm followed by a 7:30 pm carillon concert with Geert D'hollander. D'hollander will present a "Tubular" concert featuring "gnarly" hits from 80's artists Modern English, U2, Toto, Wham, Journey, a-ha, Culture Club and more. The event is free with general admission or membership. The Blue Palmetto Cafe will offer a dinner of Boursin...
Traveling by car in Central Florida in 1929 wasn't easy. In the late 1920s, many Florida roads were clay. Yet, thousands of cars full of curious people headed to Lake Wales to see the President of the United States and to see Edward Bok's Bird Sanctuary. On Feb. 1, 1929, President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the Mountain Lake Sanctuary and Singing Tower, now known as Bok Tower Gardens. It was a very rare occasion to see the President in those days. To have the opportunity to...
