Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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I am happy to be a Lake Wales resident and City Commissioner. I was born in Rochester NY, and moved to Lake Wales at the age of 12. I fell in love with Lake Wales less than a year after moving here in 1998. I started going to First Assembly of God, which is Impact now. My mentor was Pastor Shawn Rudy who took me in as his own child. I learned so much and gave a lot of my time back to my community. I never thought about becoming a city commissioner, but I knew Lake Wales needed...
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dover Kohl consultants will present their plans to the Lake Wales City Commission, serving as the Community Redevelopment Agency, at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 at the City Administration Building, 201 W. Central Ave. You can view and download the plans online at https://www.doverkohl.com/lakewales- The City of Lake Wales has hired Dover Kohl & Partners Town Planning to draft and propose a comprehensive redevelopment plan called "Lake Wales Connected." This plan...
The University of Florida has announced plans to honor attorney and Lake Wales City Commissioner Robin Gibson for a lifetime of exceptional accomplishments related to his law career and his support for education. An Evening of Excellence presented by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida was originally planned for April 17, but due to coronavirus concerns will be rescheduled once people can safely gather again. In announcing the recognition,...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools system is offering to buy the city's old high school property north of Seminole Avenue for $575,000 to turn it into a permanent site for Bok Academy North. The City Commission in its capacity as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will consider the proposal at an April 14 meeting. Due to coronavirus concerns the meeting will be held online beginning at 6 p.m. via video teleconference and live streamed on the city's website at...
Lake Wales voters Tuesday re-elected Commissioner Robin Gibson for another three-year term. Gibson took 63 percent of the vote against challenger Bob Wood. Turnout was not quite 15 percent, with only 1,420 of the city's approximately 9,770 voters making a choice. The final tally was 898 votes for Gibson and 522 for Wood. The 2019 city election drew a little over 1,800 voters. The COVID-19 virus scare made campaigning difficult and apparently kept some people away from the...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Terrye Howell has been declared re-elected for another 3-year term following the withdrawal of her opponent Greg Massey. Massey submitted a signed statement to Lake Wales City Clerk Jennifer Nanek Tuesday, March 10 indicating his decision to end his campaign. It is possible Massey would have been ruled ineligible to run since he had a felony conviction for second degree murder and hadn't had his voting rights restored. City officials were awaiting...
In addition to his wife Jean, Robin Gibson has two major loves – the Lake Wales Charter Schools system he helped create and historic downtown, which he is committed to help redevelop. It was a tough choice, but Deputy Mayor Gibson announced at the March 3 city commission meeting he will give up his job as general counsel for the charter schools to avoid an ethical conflict. His resignation takes effect March 15. Gibson said the potential sale of the city's 1919 school p...
Lake Wales city commissioners in their role as the Community Redevelopment Agency authorized the city manager to explore the possible sale of the 1919 school property to the Lake Wales Charter Schools to become the permanent home of Bok Academy North. But commissioners raised several issues they want resolved during negotiations. Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson left the room during the discussion to avoid any ethical conflict since he serves as legal counsel for the charter system....
Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields is asking city commissioners, in their role as the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, to allow the Lake Wales Charter Schools to lease the old high school property off Seminole Avenue for one dollar for one year so they can proceed with plans to locate Bok Academy North there for the 2020-21 school year. The CRA meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the city administration building, 201 W. Central Ave. The CRA agenda item asks...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools are looking to breathe new life into the old high school complex by locating Bok Academy North on the site off Seminole Avenue. Charter Schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson said his staff is working with Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields and may have a proposal for the city commission at their next meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency Feb. 18. The charter schools approached the city two years ago asking for a donation of the school...
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...
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...
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 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...
The ink on the incorporation papers barely dried before Lincoln Community Development Corporation President Sara Jones accepted her first challenge: Open up communications and help build trust between officials of the recently reopened Elks Lodge and Lake Wales police. Jones stepped in after Elks Exalted Ruler Terry Christian complained to the city commission Tuesday, Nov. 5 that he felt six police officers showing up at the lodge Saturday night was a waste of city resources...
An unofficial advisory committee working toward redevelopment of the city's northwest section is now incorporating as the Lincoln Community Development Corporation. On the heels of the City adopting a Northwest redevelopment plan, recommended by urban planners Dover Kohl and Partners, Lake Wales attorney Sara Jones is organizing the group to help ensure the plan's successful implementation. "Organization and community input are vital to the success of the redevelopment plan...
Downtowns are the heart of a town. To devote time, money, energy and dedication to a city's downtown is to embrace its essence. Therefore, it was with great enthusiasm that we at the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council asked the city and the business community to fully endorse the Lake Wales Connected plan to revitalize downtown and the Northwest. Our team from the Chamber/EDC had a large contingent in attendance on Oct. 1, when the Lake Wales Community...
The City of Lake Wales now has an ambitious plan for the redevelopment of its historic downtown and the Northwest business district. City commissioners, in their role as the Community Redevelopment Agency, started their new fiscal year Oct. 1 with the adoption of the Community Connected plan developed by Miami urban planning consultants Dover Kohl & Partners with extensive public input over the last year. "Now the work begins," said Karen Thompson, assistant CRA and Lake...
Lake Wales City Commissioners will hold their second and final public hearing Sept. 24 to adopt a $55 million budget for 2019-20, with a slightly lower property tax rate. Commissioners approved the budget at their first hearing Sept.10, with a millage rate of 6.9339, or approximately $6.93 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. This is considered the "rollback rate" that based upon anticipated growth can be expected to generate the same amount of tax revenue as this...
Urban planner Victor Dover was man of the hour Tuesday, receiving applause and high praise after presenting a draft Lake Wales Connected plan for redevelopment of the city's downtown and northwest business district. About 75 interested persons, including numerous downtown merchants and community business leaders, listened attentively as Dover described the potential to turn Lake Wales into a popular destination, returning to city founders' concept of a city in a garden, as des...
Lake Wales City officials are reviewing the 100-plus page draft "Neighborhood Plan for the Core of Lake Wales" in preparation for its official presentation Aug. 13 by urban planners from Dover, Kohl & Partners. "Lake Wales Connected is more than just a plan for improvements to a single street, district or neighborhood; it is a strategy for revitalization of Lake Wales' historic Downtown and one of its most important close-in neighborhoods. Together, the Downtown and Northwest...
During their second budget workshop July 9 Lake Wales city commissioners asked questions about staff spending priorities while acknowledging they still need much additional information before they are ready to adopt a new budget for the 2019-20 year that begins Oct. 1. City Manager Ken Fields twice tried to reinforce his position that commissioners need to just concern themselves with policy and the city's overall direction and leave spending decisions on how to get there to...
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...
