Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Greater love has no man than this, that a man would lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13. Memorial Day is a day to remember all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country. Those who serve are certainly cut from a different cloth and while I was at the Lake Wales History Museum today, I decided to go and actually read the plaque that has been there for, well, I don't actually know how long it has been there. What is says is, "BLUE STAR...
Life in Lake Wales has changed dramatically since early March 2020. Many more people are now truly struggling with making ends meet financially. More people are battling with mental and physical health challenges. Many non-retirees are inconvenienced with the new way of children "going" to school, and "going" to our job (if we are fortunate to still have employment). Many retirees are inconvenienced with getting around stores, or the new methods for getting medicine....
Priscilla Collier Taylor, age 80, passed away peacefully on June 7, 2020, at Sun Coast Hospice in Pinellas Park. Priscilla was born on January 2, 1940, in Lake Wales to Lawrence and Alnita Collier. She graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1957 and received her nursing degree from Polk Community College in 1973. She resided in Winter Haven throughout her nursing career at Polk County Alcohol and Drug Program, several doctors' offices, and as Director of Nursing at Lake...
Sports at Lake Wales High School are on the shelf for the time being as the result of a vote Tuesday, Aug. 4 by the charter system's Board of Trustees. The group unanimously voted to immediately suspend all athletic activity during a specially called board session to discuss the system's reopening plan, which originally called for following recommendation of the Florida High School Athletic Association. The meeting was electronically attended by almost 200 school officials,...
Bruce Weeks, 70, of Avon Park passed away Wednesday, July 17, 2020 at his residence. He was born Nov. 7, 1949 in Mulberry. He was a retired accountant for SunTrust Bank. He graduated from Lake Wales High School and continued his education at the University of Florida. Bruce enjoyed golfing, watching sports, and murder mysteries. Bruce was preceded in death by his father, Herbert Dwight Weeks. Survivors include his two daughters; one son; mother, Mary Edith Ellis; and companion, Karen Musser. No services are scheduled at this...
Stephen Cornelius had big plans to grow the Lake Wales High School Highlander Band, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now starting his second year as director, Cornelius is trying to remain optimistic about the band's future. Cornelius had to cancel marching band camp this summer, but he said marching is still part of the curriculum. Cornelius will be teaching only at Lake Wales High and Janie Howard Wilson Elementary this year, as his recent intern from Warner University,...
Ben Hill Griffin, III, 78, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 25, 2020, at his home in Frostproof. Ben Hill was born on March 3, 1942 in Lake Wales to Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. and L. Frances Griffin. He was a lifetime resident of Polk County. He graduated from Frostproof High School in 1960, received his Associate of Arts degree from College of Central Florida in Ocala and attended the University of Florida in Gainesville. He also served with the Florida Army National...
Mary Louise Zipprer, 103, of Lake Wales passed away on Sunday, July 12, 2020 at the Lakeland Nursing and Rehab Center. Born July 17, 1916, at Rosalie, a small settlement on the Kissimmee River, her family moved to Lake Wales in 1919. Mary saw the transformation of the wooded area in front of her home into a beautiful park and a marshland converted into a football field. Downtown, with its livery stable and other wooden buildings, gradually made many changes including the...
Zachary Kirkland was in middle school when he started his own non-profit called Silly Sock Saturdays. Now a rising senior at Lake Wales High School, Zachary continues his mission of making hospital stays more pleasant for children by providing them a gift bag with silly socks, toys, games and other items. "Being able to help those in a hard and stressful situation is the reason for creating the nonprofit and getting to hear the feedback and know that what I do invokes a smile...
Lake Wales Charter Schools has announced an amendment to its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2020-2021 school year. All students will be served lunch and breakfast at no charge at the following sites: Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, Janie Howard Wilson Elementary, Polk Avenue Elementary and Victory Ridge Academy. In addition applications for free and reduced price lunches at...
For the first time in 20 years, the City of Lake Wales is undertaking a full overhaul of its Comprehensive Plan. The consulting firm S & ME conducted an online public workshop July 8 to get input from city officials and citizens about priorities for developing the city over the next 20 years. Consulting Project Manager Chris Dougherty defined the comprehensive plan as "a document designed to guide the future actions of a city. The comprehensive plan also presents a vision for...
Rotary on the Ridge held its first "hybrid" meeting Monday, June 22 to install new President Trey Heath and offer thanks to outgoing President Herb Gillis. About 15 members gathered in person, while another 10 used the ZOOM platform to participate online. District 6890 Governor Kip Kipnis was installing officer for Heath, who officially becomes club president July 1. The club postponed its annual celebration and further recognition of Gillis and other members to July 22, in...
Lake Wales Charter Schools officials have selected a contractor to do phase one and phase two work this summer in getting the new Bok North Academy campus ready for opening this fall. Whitehead Construction has been awarded the contract that includes converting the former Boys and Girls club building into classroom space, and potential renovation and updating work on the old cafeteria building at the historic 1919 Building site, which the charter system purchased from the...
Christopher "Stewart" Vince, 33, of Lake Wales passed away on Wednesday June 17, 2020 at Bay Pines Healthcare Facility. He entered this world on November 2, 1986. He attended Lake Wales High School and went on to receive his bachelor's degree in business management from Keiser University. Christopher served in the Army during Operation Enduring Freedom as a combat engineer. His time in Afghanistan was not easy, while serving he was awarded the Purple Heart along with many...
Patricia Ann Van Norman was born March 16, 1931, in Three Rivers, MI; and she went home to glory to rest in our Lord on June 16, 2020. Patricia was the youngest of three children born to William and Verna Cook. Shortly after she graduated from high school, the family moved to Winter Park, Florida in 1955. She met a young service man who lived across the street from their Winter Park home named Gordon Van Norman. After a 3-month courtship, the couple married on June 3, 1956....
Pastors, church leaders and other concerned people plan to assemble near the gazebo at Lake Wailes Lake at 7 a.m. Tuesday, June 9 to pray for the city, state and nation. Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson presented the idea to Pastor Walter Nelson of IMPACT Church, who immediately started spreading the word. Rather than choose specific people to offer prayers, Nelson sent out an email, providing a corporate prayer for all assembled to use. He suggested bringing the...
Sharon Price Dawson Dube, 69, of Frostproof passed away Thursday, May 28, 2020 at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. She was born December 19, 1950 in Valdosta, GA to the late Aaron and Pauline Dawson; she moved to Frostproof in 2012 from Orlando. She was a retired business manager. Sharon graduated from Frostproof High School with the class of 1969. She was a retired staff sergeant of the U.S. Air Force, earning numerous ribbons and commendations, including Commendation Medal...
About 125 peaceful protesters gathered Sunday afternoon at the Lake Wales Police Department, but unlike groups around the country their issue was not the killing of a black man by a white Minneapolis police officer. Instead, they were calling for racial justice at the local level and demanding the firing of a Lake Wales police detective, who ironically was named 2019 Officer of the Year. The Poor and Minority Justice Association, a Winter Haven-based civil rights group,...
Lake Wales City Commissioners at their May 19 meeting approved hiring a Clearwater consultant to determine the feasibility of building a sports and recreation complex that might attract tournaments and other special events. The city will pay Sports Facilities Advisory (SFA) $42,500 plus travel expenses for the study, which would be one element of an overall recreation master plan funded by recreation impact fees. Rather than do its own request for proposals the City...
Robert E. Waring, 93, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2020 at the Oxford Veteran's Home in Oxford, NY. Bob was born May 3, 1926. He was a gentle man who treasured everyone and every moment. A humble baseball loving kid who liked cars, he grew up too fast. Leaving high school to join the Marines, his 19th birthday was during a literal life and death battle against the Japanese, where he earned the Purple Heart. That experience shaped his next 75 years. When he returned to the...
For those of us who've called Lake Wales home, for many decades. For those of us who've had moms, dads, grandparents who've made the Lake Wales Public Library a part of their family's routine since the 1960s, Mrs. Frances Prescott would have been part of your happy place in a pre-internet world. From the bottom of our hearts, we are so sad. Fran was an amazing public servant. She was the library staff member who knew what a child needed. There were no....Accelerated Readers, n...
Billy L. Smith, 84, of Lake Wales passed away peacefully at Advent Health Orlando on Saturday, April 18, 2020. The COVID-19 virus took him from us very quickly. Bill was born in March 20,1936 to Thomas and Ruby Bunch Smith of Carrollton, IL. His beloved sister, Ethel Mae (Babe) was born two years later, and although times were tough during the Depression, Billy and Babe had a wonderful childhood. Just when Bill started high school, the family moved to Cheyenne, WY where they h...
Frances B. Prescott, age 97, passed away peacefully at Palm Garden in Gainesville, FL on April 26, 2020. Frances was born in Detroit, MI and graduated from Holly High School. In August 1943, Frances traveled by train to Santa Fe, NM and married her high school sweetheart, U.S. Army Cpl. Jesse A. Prescott, who was stationed at Los Alamos. In October 1944, Frances traveled by troop train with her infant son back to Michigan, where she lived with family until Jesse's return from...
Edward Earl Pilkington, 81, passed away and joined the Lord on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. Edward was born on June 18, 1938 and raised in Miami, where he graduated from Jackson High School and started his career as an architect. He opened his own architectural firm, Edward Pilkington, A.I.A., Architect, P.A. in 1973 in Miami, before moving to Lake Wales in 1982. He continued...
Since September Raymond had been living in his car. The music education major at Polk State College said he had two blankets for cold nights, but if he didn't remember to tape his car's door gaps on rainy nights the water poured in and woke him. Raymond stayed committed to his studies despite spending most nights in a WalMart parking lot. Two weeks ago he left the ranks of the homeless and moved into the new Lenfestey Scholarship House at the Manse on Avenue Q in Winter...
