Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Lake Wales Mayor Eugene Fultz declared June 4 as Richard Deloach Recognition Day to honor him for his more than 35 years of service as a youth football coach. Vice Mayor Robin Gibson read the proclamation at the city commission meeting, where friends and family of Deloach gathered to celebrate. According to the proclamation, Deloach started with the city youth football league in 1984 and led his team to 14 league super bowls, 11 of which they won. "Richard Deloach is a...
Arthur Barnes, Jr., 78 of Lake Wales, died at Good Shepherd Hospice in Auburndale. He was born in Panama City, FL June 15, 1940. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 14 at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 343 D St. in Lake Wales. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 15 at the church. Epps Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements....
U.S. President Donald Trump will be kicking off his 2020 re-election campaign about 50 miles from Lake Wales with a rally June 18 at the 20,000-seat Amway Center in downtown Orlando. The location highlights the importance of Florida and the I-4 corridor to the president's re-election efforts. Trump lost Orlando's home Orange County in 2016, but beat Hillary Clinton 48 to 47 percent statewide to collect all 28 of Florida's electoral votes. Trump won nearly 55 percent of the...
Richard Gardner of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, June 1, 2019. He was born January 5, 1940 in New York City to the late James and Mae (Welchek) Gardner. He has been a resident of Nalcrest and Lake Wales since 2003 coming from Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He was a Letter Carrier for the United States Postal Service. Richard was a dedicated family man and at times worked 3 jobs to take care of his young family, these included such jobs as transporting muffler-less sports...
While the City of Lake Wales continues negotiations to purchase the local YMCA facility, their current partnership still allows city residents free access to the Y swimming pool. This is the third year the city has been paying $3,000 per month to give city residents access to the Y pool. City residents may use the pool from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. The Y is located at 1001 Burns Ave in...
Osubi Craig, a multi-talented higher education administrator, traditional African percussionist and arts advocate, joins the University of Florida College of the Arts as its inaugural director of a new center focused on arts, migration and entrepreneurship. (Before becoming a special assistant to the president of Virginia State University, Craig served as director of arts and cultural affairs for Polk State College in charge of the Lake Wales campus.) The new center, which wil...
Alma Louise Carl, 97, of Lake Wales passed away Friday, May 31 at Lake Wales Medical Center. She was born September 24, 1921 in Chambersburg, PA to the late Robert C. and Jennie (Moser) Funk. She has been a resident of Lake Wales since 2004 moving with her husband Mark from Pennsylvania. Alma was a homemaker and member of the First United Methodist Church in Lake Wales. Alma graduated from Chambersburg High School in 1939 where she was known by family and friends for her beaut...
Lake Wales city staff members and the proposed developers of the historic Seminole Hotel gathered for their first official meeting to outline necessary steps to move the project forward. Planning and Development Director Kathy Bangley told city commissioners Tuesday June 4 that developer Ray Brown had submitted an acceptable plan and would be granted access to the hotel starting Thursday, June 6. Bangley brought four staff members to the May 30 meeting with Brown, while...
In the wake of the recent shooting incident that killed 12 people at the Virginia Beach municipal building, Lake Wales city officials started discussing safety procedures and some building security upgrades. City Manager Ken Fields told commissioners at their June 4 meeting that he already was planning a lobby renovation, but "we are taking another look at that with an eye toward security of the building." A 15-year Virginia Beach public utilities civil engineer opened fire...
Vice Mayor Robin Gibson issued a proclamation Tuesday, June 4 designating the week of June 8-15 as LGBTQ Pride Week in Lake Wales. Lake Wales members of PFLAG were on hand to accept the proclamation. Local PFLAG leader David Jones said 60 percent of Floridians had human rights protections, but they are not in force in Polk County. He asked the city commission to consider adopting a local human rights ordinance to protect all citizens from discrimination. Commissioners did not...
Betty Louise Jakeway, 94, of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, May 18 @ 5:35am, at Winter Haven Hospital. She was born June 12, 1924 in Benton Harbor, Michigan to the late Harold and Vernetta M. (Johnson) Harter. She has been a resident of this area since 1971, moving here from Los Angeles, CA, when her husband Dr. Wade Jakeway came to work for Warner Southern College, now Warner University. She coached softball at Warner and umpired for local recreation leagues, drawing from h...
Lucille Wagner, 96, of Lake Wales passed away Monday, May 27 at Water's Edge in Lake Wales, where she was a resident for 9 years. She was born October 14, 1922 in Todd, NC to the late Julius L. and Laura (Tatum) Miller. She was a resident of Boone, NC and spent the winters in Haines City before moving and making Water's Edge her home in 2010. She was a homemaker. Lucille loved her family, all her friends and staff at Water's Edge and enjoyed cooking. Her family really...
Stephen Cornelius recognizes that the proud tradition of the Lake Wales Marching Highlanders is still embedded deeply in the community. He understands what he faces as the new band director for Lake Wales High School, and says he's ready for the challenge. Reflecting on his new position, Cornelius wrote: "It was Theodore Roosevelt that said 'far better it is to dare mighty things...even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy...
City lakes will soon have a cleaner, and perhaps healthier, appearance, thanks to an ambitious weed-harvesting effort that began on Thursday. The work is being performed by a contractor working under an agreement approved by the City Commission in April. Clearing started on Lake Weader, also known as Lake Weaver, where the city operates a large fountain. The lake borders US 27 and Central Avenue in Lake Wales. Shifts in wind direction have recently been moving a large mat of...
About one-third of the City of Lake Wales staff recently participated in a two-day training program to help them become "servant leaders." Texas consulting firm SGR conducted the training "A Radical Strategy for Creating an Authentic Servant Leadership Culture" for the city's supervisory personnel and those likely to become supervisors. The 65 trainees chose Lake Wales Fire Department Lieutenant Paul Byrd to share their workshop experience with city commissioners. After...
Lucille Wagner of Lake Wales passed away Monday, May 27, 2019 at Water’s Edge in Lake Wales, where she was a resident for 9 years. She was born October 14, 1922 in Todd, NC to the late Julius L. and Laura (Tatum) Miller. She has been a resident of the area for 9 years coming from Haines City. She was a homemaker. Lucille loved her family, all her friends and staff at Water’s Edge and enjoyed cooking. Her family really appreciated the care she received at Water’s Edge and through Good Shepherd Hospice. She is preceded in de...
One hundred thousand tons of coal ash being hauled from Puerto Rico to a Central Florida landfill have resulted in a raging controversy that affects Lake Wales, as a candidate tied to the project seeks to represent the city in the Florida House. The coal-ash controversy led to more than an hour of agitated public comments at a recent County Commission meeting in Osceola County. At that meeting Commissioner Fred Hawkins Jr. found himself the target of much of the ire. Hawkins,...
To continue focusing on its mission and to promote brand awareness the Lake Wales Museum and Cultural Center has been renamed the Lake Wales History Museum. The Lake Wales City Commission Tuesday, May 21 approved the name change, recommended by Museum Director Jennifer D'Hollander. "As an established resource in the Lake Wales community, the museum has included many different activities over the years. Today, the museum looks to the future as a focused, vibrant center focused...
Developer Ray Brown took his frustration with city staff directly to the Lake Wales City Commission Tuesday May 21 and left the meeting with a commitment to at least discuss how to move forward his plans to restore the historic Seminole Hotel. After some "he said, she said" banter that left commissioners expressing their own frustrations, City Planning and Development Director Kathy Bangley assured the commission "we will do everything to accommodate their team." Vice Mayor Ro...
As the Class of 2019 at Lake Wales High School counts down to graduation May 24, school officials are still celebrating the stellar accomplishments of the Class of 2018. Despite a nearly 71 percent poverty rate - students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch - Lake Wales High School graduated more than 92 percent of its seniors in 2018 – the third highest rate of all high schools in Polk County. The State of Florida defines graduation rate as the percentage of s...
Lake Wales City Commissioners Tuesday, May 14 kicked off budget talks for the 2019-20 year by sharing their priorities and opinions with city staff. There was clear consensus that the report from urban planners Dover Kohl, expected in mid-June, will drive spending decisions, particularly use of Community Redevelopment Agency trust funds. Vice Mayor Robin Gibson, who chairs the CRA, said he expects Park Avenue in historic downtown to be the top priority and to set the standard...
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...
City Manager Ken Fields was named Public Servant of the Year at the May 9 Annual Awards Gala of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council. The award was presented by last year's winner, Kathy Bangley, the city's director of planning and development. She said when she won the award she didn't realize she'd be presenting the next one to her boss. She cited his 30 plus years' experience in government and the private sector. "To be a public servant...
Longtime local attorney Jim Weaver was named Citizen of the Year Thursday, May 9 by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council. Weaver was surrounded by his wife Kay and other family members after being surprised with the award at the end of the annual awards gala held at the Lake Ashton Country Club. In presenting the award, last year's Citizen of the Year Linda Kimbrough cited not only Weaver's extensive community service and leadership but...
The Lake Wales City Commission changed slightly Tuesday, May 7 with the installation of new City Commissioner Al Goldstein. Goldstein was elected without opposition for a two-year term after Commissioner Tonya Stewart failed to qualify when her collection of signatures fell short. With wife Shirley at his side, Goldstein was installed by state Rep. Melony Bell, who also swore in Mayor Eugene Fultz, who won re-election in April and will serve three more years. Several family...
