Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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When the company was having difficulty finding qualified electricians, their maintenance managers decided to work together to find a solution. Six years later, one of those solutions has been implemented locally and is helping one local teen prepare for his first full-time job at Nucor Steel Florida Inc. in Frostproof, about 20 miles south of Lake Wales. Tommy Massey, maintenance manager at Nucor Steel Florida, said the pool of talent for industrial electricians who could work...
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". Such people included Nellie and her husband, Nile E. Stewart. In October 1912, after a long and difficult, sometimes dangerous trip through swamp, overcoming their fears of possible snakes and alligators, they travelled...
Garland Elizabeth Myers, 99, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, August 29, 2019 at Brookdale of Winter Haven. She was born October 26, 1919 in Dixon, IL to the late Ira and Mary G. (Krug) Utz. She has been a resident of the area since 2013. She was a retired executive secretary in the construction industry. Garland enjoyed her work and was a Sunday School Teacher for Jr. High School aged kids with 3 generations of students. She also enjoyed traveling and organizing get togethers. She was a longtime member of the Prince of...
Vincent Harris struggled in high school and took 10 years to earn his bachelor's degree. His own experience makes him even more committed to helping adult students with disabilities find meaningful employment after their nine-month internships at Lake Wales Medical Center. As the Project SEARCH instructor, Harris shared his passion at a gathering Aug. 28 to kick off the program for students with disabilities, ages 18-22. The five students – four from Lake Wales High School a...
Lake Wales Breakfast Rotary Club's plans to plant 200 southern live oaks around Lake Wailes lake hit a snag recently when homeowners along Lakeshore Boulevard South complained that the trees eventually would block their view of the lake. Club member Dick Howell on Aug. 21 updated the city commission about the project, noting the 50 trees planted in the spring of 2018 on the north side of the lake were "thriving nicely." After the second 50 trees were planted in May of 2019...
Michael Sargent is the only member of his family to graduate from college, so he knows a four-year degree is not the only way to build a successful career. He's literally bustling with energy and enthusiasm as he prepares to share engineering principles and high paying career options with students at Lake Wales High School. Sargent will be creating the school's new Applied Engineering Technology Academy, and he's clearly up to the challenge. He was recognized in July by...
The Lake Wales NAACP Youth Council is holding a breakfast Saturday, Aug. 31 for current and prospective members. NAACP Branch President Wanda Howard said the Lake Wales Youth Council is one of the oldest in the state, and possibly the nation, formed at Roosevelt High School in 1943. Howard said a functioning council needs at least 25 members, but it is open to all interested young people: "The NAACP is very diverse. We include people of all races." The Youth Council members...
Arnold Melvin Stebbins, 88, of Lake Wales passed on to his eternal home Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019 at Lake Wales Medical Center. He was born June 19, 1931 in Whitesville, NY. He had been a resident of Saddlebag Lake Resort in Lake Wales since the early 1990s after moving from Kenosha, WI. Arnold graduated from Whitesville Central School in New York and had a career in newspapers spanning 40 plus years in numerous locations in New York before settling in Kenosha, WI. He was...
Hazel Tarbell Crofoot of Bradenton passed away on August 3, 2019. Born in Kenmore, NY on April 3, 1931, she was the youngest child of Gordon Homer and Hazel Meyer Tarbell. She was pre-deceased by her husband Frederick Ralph Crofoot ("Fritz") in 2000. After attending Kenmore High School, Hazel graduated from the University of Michigan where she was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority. On June 13, 1953, she married Fritz in Tonawanda, NY and over the years lived in Michigan, Il...
In an abundance of caution Thursday morning Lake Wales High School restricted students to their classrooms after hearing of a lockdown at the Davenport School of the Arts. "Everything on campus for us is fine. Kids are safe. They're in their classrooms," said counselor Kaleigh McCoy. She said the school was not put on lockdown, but students were required to be escorted if they needed to leave their classrooms. A precautionary decision was made by the school resource officer...
Frank H. Haskin, MSGT U.S Army (Ret.), passed away on August 10, 2019 due to complications of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was born April 27, 1949 in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany. His parents were William L, and Doris (Radloff) Haskin of Babson Park. He graduated Class of 1968 from Lake Wales High School. He enlisted in the United States Army September 20, 1968, and his first duty station was in Dong Tam, Vietnam, where he was part of the 9th combat MPs. During his...
Two new primary care providers have joined the Heart of Florida Physician Group and will be practicing together in Lake Wales. Rodolfo S. Fernandez, M.D., an internal medicine physician and Amber Y. Shepard, M.D., a family medicine physician will be seeing patients at their office located at 1255 SR 60 E., Suite 500 in Lake Wales. "We are very excited to welcome these two physicians to our group,'' said Sabrina Robinson, director for the physician group. "Dr. Fernandez had...
Betty J. Martin, 89, of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, August 4, 2019 at her residence. She was born August 12, 1929 in Lake Wales to the late P. L. Tate and Lucile Jones Tate, and has been a lifelong resident of the area. As a graduate of Lake Wales High School Betty was honored as salutatorian. She also graduated with honors from Polk Community College, and attended Florida State University, Tallahassee, and Florida Southern College, Lakeland. In 1950 Betty married Joe T....
Overcoming significant challenges of language and poverty, the Lake Wales Charter Schools maintained or improved their 2019 school grades released July 11 by the Florida Department of Education. "We are very, very proud of their improvement and success, of the work that's being done," said charter schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson. "What we have done over the years is try to build a system for success. . . create a structure. Personalities come and go, but we're building a...
Passion, drive, and follow through are items we don't always see today. To find them in one person is even less likely. Now, add strong Christian values, continually advocating for the agriculture mission, and an unflappable desire to educate the next generation of agriculture student, and you have Justin Sharpless. A few months ago, the opportunity arose to sit down and discuss his history with Warner University, his love of agriculture, and his faith. His thoughts are...
When Lake Wales commissioners were asked to envision what would produce a huge city success story by the year 2040, they enthusiastically detailed a bright future. Commissioners and senior staff came up with some big vision headlines for a "Miracle on the Ridge": "Lake Wales Annexes its Way to Prosperity and Success." "Lake Wales Restores Big Lake Wailes as Recreational Paradise." "Grand Hotel Open with Rotating Restaurant on Top." "Lake Wales Becomes Second Largest City in...
Zachary Kirkland is a caring teenager committed to helping young people have a better hospital experience. Through his Silly Sock Saturdays nonprofit, Zachary delivers gift bags with socks, games and other comfort items to patients in the pediatric unit at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. A rising junior at Lake Wales High School, Zachary formed his nonprofit when he was in middle school at Bok Academy. "This helps the kids by taking their mind onto other things, not the...
Joann Martin McKenna, 91, entered Eternal Life on Thursday, July 25 at Winter Haven Hospital surrounded by her loved ones. She was born on March 14, 1928 in Lake Wales. Joann graduated from Lake Wales High School, Marquette University (BA) and the University of South Florida (MA) and received a honorary PhD from Webber International University. Over the course of her career at Webber International University, formerly Webber College, she held 7 different titles including...
Jonathan White says his baseball career was cut short because he put his career in the hands of others his entire life. He accepted that coaches told him he wasn't a starting player because he wasn't good enough. He was a standout player in local leagues, regularly featured in the Sports section of the local newspaper. At age 10, he was invited to play in Cooperstown, NY with the best baseball players in the world. Despite two years sitting the bench in high school his senior...
Family and Friends of Albert Hawkins Jr. gathered Saturday, July 20 to honor his memory and dedicate a pavilion in his name. Hawkins died in December 2017 at the age of 79. The pavilion is located next to the B Street Community Center in Lake Wales where Hawkins spent countless hours serving the community. Alice Sanders coordinated the tributes to "Hawk," made by representatives of various churches, the Green and Gold Foundation, his Roosevelt High School Class of 1956 classma...
Darrell M. Stevens, 69, of Lake Wales, passed away Monday, July 15, 2019. Born April 10, 1950 in Presque Isle, Maine to the late Philip O. and Susan E. (Ellis) Stevens, he lived for many years with his grandparents, Raymond and Louise Stevens of Portage Lake, Maine. He graduated from Caribou High School and worked in sales. He has been a resident of the area for 18 years coming from Sherman Mills, Maine. Darrell's hobbies were hunting, fishing, woodworking and telling tall...
David H. Bohannon, 71, a lifetime resident of Lake Wales, passed away Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at his residence surrounded by his family. He was born October 16, 1947 in Lake City, Florida to the late WA (Archie) and Emma (Page) Bohannon. David retired from Lykes Brothers in 2015 after 32 years of employment. He was a 1965 graduate of Lake Wales High School and he attended Orlando Barber College in the 70's and worked for Gary Bear Barber Shop after graduating. He joined the...
When you have a middle school science classroom full of about 30 incoming sixth graders, most people would not expect much productivity. However, I recently saw these soon-to-be Edward W. Bok Academy students fully immerse themselves in the project brought to them by Keith Young, a scientist from Illinois. Mr. Young works with an organization called EcoTek, which is focused on bringing real-world issues to students interested in science. He taught the students not only about...
In 1914 Nellie Stewart gathered 17 Lake Wales women for a "thimble party" and while they chatted and sewed they decided to form a club. Now 105 years later, members of the GFWC Lake Wales Woman's Club gathered July 10 for a tea and luncheon where they encouraged guests to join their organization. Secretary Mary Walkup described the club's history, which included an amazing list of accomplishments. The Woman's Club over the years has spearheaded or been involved in many local...
At age 32, Dr Carolyn Pass had the scare of her life. The hard-working physician was hospitalized with congestive heart failure and found herself wondering if she would live to see her three children grow up. After a lengthy recuperation period she got back into practicing medicine but with a greater appreciation for life and helping her patients focus on their own good health. Now 20 years after her own health scare Pass says she tells her patients: "You matter. You have to t...
