Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 951 - 975 of 1184
Lansing "Lance" Poole, 75, passed away Saturday, Jan. 19, 2020 at his residence. He was born December 7, 1944 in Miami to the late Henry W. and Frances (Jordan) Poole. He has been a resident of the area since 1993 coming from Miami. He was a retired Lieutenant for the City of Miami Fire Rescue for 24 years. Lance was a veteran in the U.S. Air Force serving in Vietnam. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club, a dedicated family man, an active member in his Church and the men's...
Charles Ray Miller, 89, of Winter Haven passed away Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020 at his residence. He was born August 07, 1930 in Lake Wales to the late Charlie and Era Mozelle (Campbell) Miller and he has been a lifelong resident of this area. He was a retired owner/operator of M&N Fruit Harvesting. Charles served in the U.S. Navy. He was an active member of the Landmark Baptist Church in Haines City. He was an avid Nascar fan. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Lucille Miller; daughter, Susan Eldridge and husband Glenn of...
For the second time this month the city's plans to purchase the Lake Wales Family YMCA hit a roadblock that pushed the whole deal further down the road. Commissioners at their Jan. 20 meeting approved the purchase of the property for $565,000, but that sale will only go forward if both sides can agree to the lease and operating agreement with the YMCA of West Central Florida. In December they agreed to borrow $900,000 for the purchase, related costs and renovations. It's...
The Lake Wales City Commission Tuesday, Jan. 14 approved $150,000 in incentives to help a taproom locate downtown and a café open on Lincoln Avenue. Since the two commitments would deplete their $200,000 incentive fund budget for 2019-20 commissioners agreed to make another $300,000 in Community Redevelopment Agency funds available for future food-related businesses seeking support. Lake Wales Main Street Director Karen Thompson said the two projects would serve as catalysts t...
The City of Lake Wales Recreation Department will host Lake Wales Live starting at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17. The entertainment will be Back Porch Revival Folk Music. The free event is held in the park in front of the Lake Wales Public Library at 290 Cypress Gardens Lane. Food will be available for purchase from food trucks. Rotary on the Ridge will offer beer and wine for donations to support community service projects. For more information, contact Recreation Coordinator...
Lake Wales Main Street Director Karen Thompson is so excited about the possibility of a tap room breathing life into downtown Lake Wales that she's asking city commissioners to allocate $100,000 in incentives for a proposed "specialty tavern" that would feature a self-serve, high-tech "beer wall" with 40 taps. That's half of what the city budgeted for incentives for the entire 2019-2020 year. Operating as the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, the commission will consider...
Facing vocal opposition to eliminating the citizen Code Enforcement Board, Lake Wales city commissioners expressed support for a hybrid system where they would keep the board but also hire a magistrate to handle more complex quasi-judicial issues. City commissioners Terrye Howell and Curtis Gibson at their Jan. 7 meeting opposed the staff recommendation to eliminate both the Code Enforcement Board and Board of Appeals, saying they wanted to encourage more citizen involvement...
City Commissioner Curtis Gibson was in elementary school when Chuck Galloway became the Lake Wales city attorney 26 years ago. Gibson says it's time to at least consider whether the city might be better served by a new attorney. During the commissioner comment time at the end of the Jan. 7 meeting Gibson made a motion to put out a request for proposals for legal services, and Commissioner Terrye Howell seconded the motion. Gibson said he would encourage Galloway to submit his...
A variety of activities are planned Jan. 16-20 in Lake Wales to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Committee is inviting participation in the following: 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 at James P Austin Community Center, 315 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. A pot luck dinner is being sponsored by Unity in the Community entitled "Dessert First". Please come out and get to know your community neighbors. For more...
Auditions for the March Lake Wales Little Theatre production of Super Freaks will be Jan. 13 and 14. Director Lesta Woods is looking to cast three men and three women in this fun play about quirky inmates at a mental health facilty who imagine they are crime-fighting superheroes. A copy of the script is available for review at the Lake Wales Public Library. Auditions start at 6:30 p.m. both day at the theatre at 411 N. 3rd St. in Lake Wales. In the play, Lois Lancaster is a...
Kevin Sunderland says he was pleasantly surprised to be named City of Lake Wales 2019 Employee of the Year. As manager of information technology he does much of his work behind the scenes and behind his computer screen. In announcing his selection city Library Director Tina Peak pointed out that Sunderland's job effects the work of all city employees every day. "I enjoy trying to help everybody out," said Sunderland, who was hired six years ago as network administrator and rec...
Lake Wales' longtime historian, visionary, beloved wife, and mother, Mimi (Mary Leigh Reid) Hardman, died at age 85 on Dec. 13 following an extended illness. A driving force for historic preservation and celebrating the pioneers who built Lake Wales, Hardman left behind an extraordinary legacy. In her adopted hometown and beyond, Mimi will be remembered as the founder and director of the Depot Museum, host of the annual Pioneer Days festival, red outfits and patriotic...
Lake Wales Assistant City Manager Kathy Bangley is asking city commissioners to eliminate the citizen-staffed Code Enforcement Board and Board of Appeals and turn their duties over to a special magistrate. The change would require two public hearings to change city ordinances related to the boards. The first public hearing will be at the Jan. 7 commission meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in the city municipal building. The current ordinance calls for a Code Enforcement Board...
A Wawa convenience retail store manager who completes 25 years can retire a multimillionaire because of the company's lucrative profit-sharing program, according to George Wood, who will become the company's chairman of the board next June. Wood will take over from his brother Dick, who is also his next door neighbor in the exclusive gated community of Mountain Lake, just outside the Lake Wales city limits. The brothers are the third generation to own homes in Mountain Lake,...
Betty Hill only jumped once herself, but she brought thousands of skydivers to Lake Wales in the more than two decades she operated the Florida Skydiving Center. Friends, family and aviation sports enthusiasts began mourning her death Dec. 16 after a valiant 19-year battle with cancer. Hill was the brains behind the business and tirelessly promoted skydiving for more than 40 years. Instead of going to college, she and first husband George Kabeller opened their first skydiving...
Mildred Bailey “Millie” Gravel, 71, of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019 at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Mildred was born April 2, 1948 in Haysi, VA to the late Basil and Altia (Owens) Bailey. She has been a resident of the area since 2004 coming from Moneta, VA. Millie was a retired postal clerk and was of the Christian faith. She is preceded in death by her 2 brothers Jake and Monroe. She is survived by her husband of 31 years David Gravel, daughter Heather Haas (Mike) of Madison, WI, stepdaughter Chr...
In 1912, the early settlers of what is now Lake Wales, were hearty, adventuresome people, real Pioneers, descendants of their ancestors who traveled via oxen-driven covered wagons and were true to their code of "Ten Tandra Via Est" meaning "The way remains to be tried." They came to Lake Wales by way of long, difficult and sometimes dangerous trips through swamps, overcoming their fears of possible snakes and alligators, travelling through Winter Haven, then Haines City,...
Greg Massey invested in a house in August and made plans to renovate it and rent it out. Unwilling to give him the extra time he requested to submit restoration plans, the City of Lake Wales had it demolished. The demolition took place on Tuesday, Dec. 17 – the same day City Manager Ken Fields knew Massey planned to address the city commission to seek their help. The demolition permit, issued Dec. 3, was good through Jan. 17. At the commission meeting Massey detailed the t...
In partnership with the Florida League of Cities, Lake Wales Mayor Eugene Fultz will be hosting a town hall meeting Wednesday, Jan. 8. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the city municipal administration building at 201 W. Central Ave. Scott Dudley, legislative director of the Florida League of Cities and executive director of the Florida League of Mayors will speak about issues likely to be considered by the Florida Legislature, which will convene Jan. 14. Some topics include...
Juanita O. Durso (Mrs Carl F. Durso) died Dec. 7, 2019. She was born Sept. 23, 1920. A sixth generation Kansan of Scottish descent, Juanita Orrick an original "Designing Woman" was owner of Nita Durso Interiors with customers in the Alameda Plaza and Kansas City area. Attending Kansas City Business College and Chicago Arts Institute, she was a Mid West Tennis Champion, and musically talented as a pianist and trumpeter performing with the Wyandotte High School Band and on local...
A City of Lake Wales incentive program to draw new restaurants to downtown has reeled in its first big catch. Melanie's Seafood Co. is scheduled to open in January at 120 Park Ave., thanks in part to $50,000 in grant funds from the city's Community Redevelopment Agency. The 35-seat eatery will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the site of the former Pedro's Downtown Deli, and will be owned and operated by Steve and Melanie Manwell, a couple who spent 17 years in a partnership at...
Jeri Ann Nicolas, 37, of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019 at AdventHealth in Orlando. She was born December 29, 1981 in Haines City to the late Abner L. and Donita (Mahoney) Hayes. She was a homemaker. Jeri was a caring and wonderful mom, children always loved her and would go to her. Jeri's family was her life and she loved them dearly. She is survived by her husband of 18 years Rafael Hernandez, daughters Kellee Yolanda Nicolas and Diana Elizabeth Nicolas,...
The City of Lake Wales Recreation Department will host Lake Wales Live starting at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. The Jonathan Kaufman Trio will perform a night of jazzy holiday favorites. The free event is held in the park in front of the Lake Wales Public Library at 290 Cypress Gardens Lane. Food will be available for purchase from food trucks. Rotary on the Ridge will offer beer and wine for donations to support community service projects. For more information, contact Recreation...
The sale of the Lake Wales Family YMCA to the City is one step closer to reality. Commissioners approved a loan proposal from CenterState Bank totaling $900,000 at their regular meeting of Dec. 3, and will vote on a final sales contract at a future meeting. The total sales price is $565,000, according to Deputy City Manager James Slaton. The additional funds will go largely towards rehabilitation work at the YMCA. CenterState was one of six bidders on the loan. CenterState...
Lake Wales City Commissioners and the mayor may be getting a pay raise, but it will be April 2021 at the earliest. Commissioners at their Dec. 2 meeting asked City Manager Ken Fields to look into the possibility of a significant boost in pay. The current annual rate is about $4,817 for commissioners and $7,226, who by charter gets 50 percent more, plus he receives a $300 per month car allowance. They also are eligible for city health insurance and the get whatever cost of...
