Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Editor's Note: Memorial is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13 at 1st United Methodist Church in Lake Wales, with musical prelude starting at 1:30 p.m. The grand lady in red, white and blue, Lake Wales legend Mimi Hardman died Friday, Dec.13. A driving force for historic preservation and celebrating the pioneers who built Lake Wales, Hardman left behind an extraordinary legacy. Her service as chair of the Bicentennial Commission led to the opening of the Depot Museum on July...
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...
Sixty local organizations helped promote holiday cheer by participating in the Lake Wales Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec. 14. Thousands lined Central Avenue to enjoy the band, floats, cars and other festively lit entries in the nighttime event, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Lake Wales. Walkers passed out candy, and costumed elves interacted with fascinated children. Studio 6 Academy of Dance won the President's Choice Award for best float, with its Whoville float complete...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools Foundation has kicked off it's 2019-20 giving campaign, committed to improving the educational opportunities for all students in the community, according to campaign chairman and Foundation chair James Tully. With the opening of Bok Academy North two years ago, the charter system now operates seven schools, serving a total of approximately 4,750 students. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, the system realized overall revenues of $39.5 millio...
Lake Wales NAACP Chapter President Wanda Howard died Sunday of cardiac arrest after an 18-year battle with cancer. "This is a very sad day for the City of Lake Wales. Wanda was such a bright light for our community. She will be missed in so many ways," said Mayor Eugene Fultz. Howard became NAACP Branch 5109 president in January 2017, the first female to serve in that capacity. She was named branch president of the year at the state conference in September. She joined the...
Jack went home to the Lord on November 27, 2019. He was born to Howard and Frances Ashley on January 24, 1924, in Tonica, IL. After graduation from Tonica High School, Jack served from 1944-1946 in the U.S. Army. He achieved the rank of Staff Sargent, serving in the Pacific Theater including the occupation of Japan. He became a member of the American Legion chapter in Tonica. Upon Honorable Discharge from the Army, he returned to the family farm. Jack, his brother Bob, and...
With 10 players out with the flu the week of their Regional Final against Tampa Jesuit including star quarterback, Eric Williams, the Lake Wales Highlanders gave it their best effort against all odds. In a sport where injuries cause coaches to get creative illness isn't often a factor as it was in last Friday's game. Incidentally, it just happened to be the most important game of the season. In a lopsided Class 5A High School final the formerly undefeated Highlanders finally...
And then there were eight. Of the eight teams remaining with the prospect of being crowned the FHSAA 5A State High School Football champion our own Lake Wales team is very much in the hunt. Next up at 7:30 p.m. Friday night at home are the Tampa Jesuit Tigers, 10-2, opposing the undefeated Highlanders in a 5A regional final. Lake Wales is 12-0 after running over Port Orange Atlantic, ending the Sharks season last Friday in front of a boisterous partisan, standing room only,...
As everyone was preparing to honor Veterans for Veteran's Day, the GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales was gearing up to carry on their traditions and dedication to serving the Veterans in the Community through some very special means. On Wednesday, Nov. 6 the Woman's Club House began to smell heavenly with the delicious aromas of spaghetti sauce and garlic bread. The tables were decorated in red, white, and blue and awaited the guest who were to fill them for the "Take A Vet to...
The stakes are high, but the leaders are optimistic. Unless McLaughlin Middle & Fine Art Academy raises its state grade this year the school faces the possibility of being closed, turned charter or run by a private company. Co-Principals Sharon Chipman and Debra Wright-Hudson are reaching out to the greater Lake Wales community to share their goals for improvement and to ask for help. The school on Nov. 5 hosted its first Community Assessment Team meeting of the year, sharing...
The GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales joins the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) in recognizing all Veterans past and present in recognition of Veterans Day The GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales will hold their November General Meeting at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 at 275 E Park Avenue, downtown Lake Wales, and all ladies are invited to attend. This meeting is dedicated to honoring our Veterans both fallen and living. The program will be include the Color Guard from...
The Green and Gold Foundation Nov. 2 honored retired school teacher Gladys Howell for her dedication and contributions to the Lake Wales community. Howell was surprised with a tribute at the foundation's gala, which raised funds for the B Street Community Center. Howell and her school teacher husband, Robert, moved their family to Lake Wales in 1964. She started her local career at Roosevelt High School and then taught at Polk Avenue Elementary, retiring in 1992. She earned...
What's better than hiring a good young teacher? How about finding a good, young, homegrown teacher? That's the goal of a new affiliation between the University of Central Florida and the Lake Wales Charter Schools aimed at creating a steady pipeline of local teaching talent available for hire at any of the system's seven schools. "It's a win-win situation for our students who are interested in pursing a career in education, and the charter system to have a readily available...
The Lake Wales History Museum is planning a larger than ever 44th Annual Pioneer Days Festival Oct. 26-27 in Lake Wailes Park. Admission and parking are free for the heritage celebration that will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, retired Bok Tower carillonneur Milford Myhre will be recognized as Pioneer of the Year. See story at https://www.lakewalesnews.net/story/2019/10/02/news/retired-bok-carillonneur-milford-myhre-named-pione...
Thirty-eight days into AdventHealth's takeover of Lake Wales Medical Center, new Chief Executive Officer Brian Adams shared about the company's mission, vision and values at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Lake Wales. Before assuming the Polk County position Sept. 1 as CEO of both AdventHealth Lake Wales and AdventHeart Heart of Florida in Davenport, Adams was CEO of AdventHealth Tampa. He has worked for AdventHealth, formerly called Florida Hospital, for 19 years. Adams said...
Lake Wales NAACP President Wanda Howard was recognized at a recent state NAACP conference as Branch President of the Year. Howard became Branch 5109 president in January 2017, the first female to serve in that capacity. She joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1986, right out of college, and is now a Life Member. She previously served as Youth Council Advisor with emphasis on the ACT-SO and Back-2-School/Stay-in-School programs. "I was...
The Lake Wales NAACP Branch #5109 will host its first meeting Oct. 14 to organize for the national 2020 Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition to be held July 23-26 in Boston. ACT-SO is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students. The kickoff will be at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at the James P. Austin Community Center, 315 Dr....
Twelve area high school juniors kicked off their Youth Leadership Lake Wales year with an opening retreat Sept. 28 at Lake Aurora Christian Camp. This program of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council enables high school juniors to develop leadership skills, while increasing awareness of their community. The students attend a Parent/Student Opening Retreat, five Program Days - one per month, each with a different focus - and a Graduation...
Lance Grady Wilson, 48, of Lake Wales passed away Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019 at his residence. He was born September 10, 1971 in Lake Wales. He has been a lifelong resident of the area. He was a banker for CenterState Bank for many years and a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Lake Wales. He received his bachelor’s degree from Warner Southern College. Lance was an avid sports fan, he played football and baseball at Lake Wales High School, he played baseball for Hillsborough Community College and Warner Southern C...
More than 65 volunteers gathered Saturday, Sept. 28 to help renovate a church parsonage to provide a home for homeless students attending Polk State College. A majority of the volunteers were from seven Polk County Rotary Clubs including Rotary on the Ridge, a regional service club that meets in Lake Wales. The home at 122 Ave Q N.W. in Winter Haven is being leased to the nonprofit Heart 4 Winter Haven by the Living Word of Faith Assembly. Polk State College will identify...
Terry Schulze grew up in a "blue home" where he watched his father head out daily to protect and serve the community. Becoming a police officer was a natural choice for the 19-year-old, whose father Troy is the Lake Wales Police Department's deputy chief, now approaching 25 years on the job. Terry entered the profession with open eyes, having served nearly three years as a volunteer patrol cadet before completing 770 hours of training at the police academy at Polk State...
Estefany Arenas was born in Mexico and came to Lake Wales at the age of eight. Her family worked in agriculture and had very limited means, and "Things didn't come easy. It was very hard." "College wasn't really on my radar until I went to Lake Wales High School," said Arenas, noting her International Baccalaureate diploma in 2015 helped her attend Stetson University in DeLand on a fully paid scholarship. "I was incredibly inspired by my IB teachers who helped me all the...
The Lake Wales Arts Council will open a new exhibit Friday, Sept. 20 featuring the "Keep Florida Wild" nature photography of Adam Bass. The opening will include a reception from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Michael Crews Gallery of the Lake Wales Arts Center, 1099 SR 60 East. Admission is free to the public. The event will include food and an open bar. In describing the exhibit, Bass wrote: "I am a Florida native, born in Winter Haven. I have always loved wild Florida - the Real...
"See something or hear something, say something." That's the advice Polk Sheriff Grady Judd gave Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce members at a breakfast Thursday, Sept. 12 as the most effective way to avoid an active shooter situation. Judd said prevention is key because a "nut" with a gun can do tremendous damage within the first two to five minutes, before most law officers can even arrive on scene at a crisis situation. Judd also advocated having more trained "good guys" carr...
If you've been keeping an eye on economic trends lately, you may have noticed that Florida has been shining bright on the national and international stage. Our state's profile has skyrocketed thanks to a growing number of companies that are confirming the state's potential and strategic advantage in the aviation and aerospace industries. And Lake Wales is no exception to this success. International flight simulator manufacturer ALSIM recently announced its intentions to open...
