Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Incumbent Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson easily turned back a challenge from Danielle Pride Gibson for his District 5 seat on the Lake Wales City Commission Tuesday. Michelle Threatt was defeated by Keith Thompson in a relatively close contest for the District 3 seat, which is being vacated by long-time Commissioner Terrye Howell. Thompson garnered 904 votes, or 53.27% of the tally, while Michelle Threatt collected 793, or 47.73% of the 1,698 ballots cast in the District 3 race....
A packed house greeted a team of planners, traffic engineers and developers Monday afternoon to hear presentations that may help shape the future of Lake Wales. Experts shared the keys to creating a superior community to begin the process of Lake Wales Envisioned. The months-long effort to deal with an anticipated wave of growth was initiated by the City of Lake Wales with the support of a host of co-sponsors. Interested citizens filled the theatre at Bok Tower Gardens for...
Noted Economist Joe Minicozzi will introduce a variety of economic opportunities that are becoming available to residents, property and business owners, and city governments as a result of an approaching wave of growth in the area. Minicozzi, a partner of the Urban3 planning firm, will share the "Dollars and Sense" of good planning as a part of the ongoing Lake Wales Envisioned planning effort. Minicozzi is well-known for his economic insights into the drivers of property...
It was a very unhappy group of Lake Wales City Commissioners who spent more than 45 minutes discussing their generally dismal evaluations of City Attorney Chuck Galloway Wednesday. At their regular workshop meeting the commission discussed the notes they had turned in as part of an annual performance review. Galloway received a total of eight "unsatisfactory" scores from four commissioners who completed their evaluations. Commissioner Daniel Williams had not yet submitted his,...
A fifty-one acre site has been approved for a potential shopping center construction by the Lake Wales City Commission at their Tuesday night meeting, but there are no immediate plans in place to develop the site. A 9.37 acre parcel that had been outside the city limits was annexed Tuesday on first reading and added to the site, most of which had been annexed earlier. The annexation was requested last year by property owners 360 Lake Wales LLC. The group purchased the two...
Lake Wales voters will get a final opportunity to hear the position of four candidates seeking terms on the city commission in the April 4 election. The Lake Wales History Museum will host the forum on Tuesday, March 28, beginning at 5:30 PM. Seat 5 candidates, including incumbent Robin Gibson and challenger Danielle Pride Gibson will be joined by Seat 3 candidates Michelle Threatt and Keith Thompson, who are competing for a three-year term on the seat being vacated by Terrye...
Crews from Gomez Construction will be barricading a block of West Park Avenue between First Street and Wetmore Street on Monday, March 6 to begin the $11.5 million transformation of that street and, eventually, the adjoining eastern blocks and the adjacent MarketPlace. The project is the first major undertaking of the ambitious $20 million project defined by the Lake Wales Connected plan, which was developed with wide public input. The finished product will feature a brick-pav...
An upbeat assessment of activities during the past year and a positive look toward the future was offered by Lake Wales Mayor Jack Hilligoss at the annual "State of the City" luncheon sponsored by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce Friday. The event drew some seventy area residents to the Performing Arts Center at The Vanguard School. In a speach running about 25 minutes Hilligoss cited the implementation of a "180" utility city area, which "establishes the footprint" of...
City action may at last be pending against a long-derelict eyesore property that confront thousands of travelers each day passing by on Scenic Highway. The former "Five Points" Shell station at the intersection of Scenic, Fourth Street and Polk Avenue has been abandoned for nearly two decades and has been through a number of ownership changes, including two different tax deed sales in 2015 and 2021. The property has been repeatedly battered by hurricanes, and was damaged in...
Juanice Lawson, age 94, passed away March 16, 2023, at Advent Health Lake Wales. She was born on November 4, 1928, in Clearwater, FL. She was a Secretary for the City of Bartow. She was a former member of the Lions Club and Bridge Club. She enjoyed square dancing, sewing, and stitching. She is survived by a loving family that includes her daughter Deborah Broadrick, grandchildren Jason Hillman, Jodi Pueschel, Deena Hillman, Slade Par and Lane Par, seven great grandchildren,...
Saturday, March 25th is the last day registered voters who reside in Lake Wales can submit a request to receive a ballot by mail for the April 4th Municipal Elections. Four candidates are seeking election to new three-year terms on the city commission in the voting. New requests for mail ballots can be made online at PolkElections.gov or by calling the Elections Office at (863) 534-5888. Voted ballots may be returned by mail or dropped off to the Supervisor of Elections, but...
That old tire that always breeds mosquitos, that old sofa with the springs coming out, all the nagging trash that refuses to fit in your trash can should be gone forever this Saturday, April 25. The City of Lake Wales will use their trash contractor to collect the old debris during a city-wide cleanup day. The annual Curbside Cleanup is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 25. Patience is requested as workers from Republic Services collect waste and debris left behind...
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the future livability of Lake Wales begins Monday at Bok Tower Gardens as a high-powered team of planners bring their national reputations. talents, and insights to bear on the city. The project, designated "Lake Wales Envisioned," will consider the future of a large area around the city and include topics ranging from parks, recreation, and conservation to future sites for commercial, residential, and industrial uses. Transportation...
Four city commission candidates facing an April 4 election shared a stage at the Lake Wales Womans Club Auditorium Tuesday evening to compare their positions on a variety of topics raised by audience questions. Few major differences were apparent on subjects ranging from public transportation to electric car chargers. The candidates responded to five questions submitted in advance by the two organizations, followed by others submitted by the audience. Surprisingly, none of the...
Lake Wales weightlifters won the Olympics-style county title while placing second to Lakeland in the traditional competition. In the Olympic competition, Lake Wales won with 53 points, while Lakeland was second with 48. Ridge Community (30 points), Lake Gibson (27) and Haines City (28) trailed. Individual lifters who played major roles in the team victory for the Highlanders included Sean Major (219) Trent Grotjan (199), Noah Wise (unlimited), Harrison Thrift (129), and...
A host of proposed housing developments that could more than double the population of Lake Wales have created worries that the once-quiet community will be overrun by sprawling growth. In response, citizens are being encouraged to join in a process to help prevent bad outcomes. A March 20 afternoon "symposium" at Bok Tower Gardens will be a key part of a months-long project called "Lake Wales Envisioned." "Olmsted's City 10, 25, and 50 years" is a tagline for the process, and...
A recent private meeting, held out of the reach of Florida's "Sunshine Law," allowed city commissioners and their legal counsel to discuss the ongoing mediation in their lawsuit seeking title to the Walesbilt Hotel. The Florida law permits such meetings only in the case of such matters which would otherwise reveal the city's negotiating position. The long-festering issue of needed restoration of the eleven-story structure, which dominates views of the city, came to a head just...
A policy change allowing increased public input reverses a controversial decision by the Lake Wales City Commission to that sharply limited public input. The modification to a standing policy regarding public comment was approved by the City Commission Tuesday. The policy will continue to limit speakers to five minutes, and all comments to a 45-minute period, unless the commission majority to extends the period for an additional 15 minutes, the maximum allowed. The earlier...
The Lake Wales City Commission will consider relinquishing authority on major zoning changes to a city planning staff person who will serve as the final decision-maker. That choice may determine who controls decisions related to a proposal for a nearly 100-acre industrial facility on the city's south side. The issue is particularly timely because of the pending rezoning from "light industrial" to "heavy industrial" of the site, which adjoins both Highland Park and Highland Par...
The expected reinstatement of suspended City Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald was raised again by Commissioner Terrye Howell, who questioned the lack of action from Governor Ron DeSantis at the most recent meeting of the commission. DeSantis suspended Fitzgerald in June of 2021 after she was charged with two felonies. Fitzgerald was acquitted by a jury trial in October. Florida statutes call for the governor to end her suspension "forthwith" upon her exoneration of the charges....
The historic beauty of Lake Wales and efforts to re-create it are the focus of a special event planned for Lake Wailes Park. Area businesses, artists, and crafters are being invited to participate in Olmsted Day in the Park, an annual event celebrating Lake Wales' parks and streetscapes. Sponsors and vendors are welcome to join in the community-wide effort. The April 29 event, hosted by Lake Wales Heritage with the participation of the City of Lake Wales, features music, food...
Residents in Lake Wales who are not already registered to vote, but wish to participate in the April 4th Municipal Elections must register to vote on or before Monday, March 6th. Registration forms may be completed online at PolkElections.gov. Forms are also available at Lake Wales Public Library on Cypress Gardens Lane downtown, and The Lake Wales City Administration building on Central Avenue. Voter registration forms are also available for pick up at many convenient...
A forum to hear from four candidates for the Lake Wales City Commission is planned for mid-March to allow voters to learn about the goals and platforms prior to the April 4 election. Two seats on the five-person commission are at stake in the vote. The American Association of University Women Lake Wales Branch will join with the GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales in sponsoring the forum on March 13th. The candidates for the two seats include Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson, who will...
The public is being invited to learn and comment on a new trail segment being proposed to continue expanding the bicycle and pedestrian links around Lake Wales. The segment would connect the Lake Wailes Trail with the Rails-to-Trails track. A trail design concept created by city consultant Hale Innovation of Maitland envisions the new trail linking the existing at three points while looping around Kiwanis Park. A Federal Recreational Trails Program grant application to help...
Cyclists and pedestrians are one step closer to being able to travel safely from downtown Lakeland to downtown Bartow. The Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) today accepted funding for construction of a 2.4-mile extension of the Fort Fraser Trail, which currently runs parallel to U.S Highway 98 for eight miles along an abandoned rail line, from State Road 540 to State Rd. 60. The extension will go from U.S. Highway 98 at Winter Lake Rd. to Lake Highlands Rd. at G...
