Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Wow, what a week! People are important in each community. Yes, even in Lake Wales. We honor the Pioneer every year, we elect city commissioners, and there are many other important people who don't hold city positions who affect our daily lives. Although what I am about to write about isn't directly related to the City proper, all of these helped shape me to become the person I am. I now understand the importance of bringing these outside experiences back to my town. For 10...
Wow! It's hard to believe our Lake Wales online news site is almost 1-month-old. We did a "soft launch" with little fanfare Feb. 13 so we could load the site with great content before most people even got their first look. Our online readership is growing daily and many more are accessing the highlights on our Facebook page. In the last five days our posts reached more than 2,000 people, and more than half engaged in some way. We're the "new kid on the block," but we're...
There’s simply no substitute for a hometown newspaper – except a hometown news website – and I’m thrilled to learn that we now have one! I literally grew up with the hometown newspaper – two of them, actually. Late every afternoon when I was a kid growing up in Ridge Manor, I looked forward to seeing the paperboy ride by on his bike. The pages were smaller than the big-city papers and after being rolled tight (and rubber-banded even tighter) it could be thrown a long way...
Based upon a Florida TaxWatch independent assessment, Polk State College and others in the Florida College System offer a good return on a student's investment based upon low debt and higher anticipated work-life earnings of their graduates. The Florida TaxWatch, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit taxpayer research institute and government watchdog, announced at a press conference the results of their independent assessment of the economic impacts of the Florida College...
When Lake Ashton resident Al Goldstein became the only candidate to qualify for April's District 4 City Commission election, he won automatically, leaving plenty of Lake Wales residents wondering: "Who is Al Goldstein?" In a rambling two-hour conversation, Goldstein revealed much about himself and his strong opinions about several pending issues but left plenty hidden as well. Critical of some proposals before the Commission, Goldstein offered his respect for the positions...
You'll be on the edge of your seat during the production of "The Assassin's New Friend" through March 31 at the Lake Wales Little Theatre. Written by John Kaasik, the play is directed by Lake Wales Charter Schools Human Resources Director Dr. Julio Acevedo. March 15 is opening night and the play runs three weekends with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. "This is a really good play because it has comedy, suspense, action and drama so...
Christina Cunningham of Lake Wales has been chosen as one of three Sunshine State Scholars for 2019 from the Polk County School District. The daughter of Lori and Rick Cunningham, Christina is a junior at Harrison School for the Arts. Every year, school districts across Florida select their top 11th-graders in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for the Sunshine State Scholars program. Each of the Scholars will travel to Orlando in June for a...
Carolyn "Carol" A. Neumeyer of Lake Wales passed away Tuesday, March 12 at Lake Wales Medical Center. She was born February 3, 1947 in Dennison, Ohio to the late Robert and Rebecca (Fouts) Hursey. She has been a permanent resident of Lake Wales for three years and a part-time resident for eight years coming from Dover, Ohio. She was a Homemaker and a member of the Holy Spirit Catholic Church. She attended High school in Port Washington, Ohio. Carol was a member of the...
Lake Wales High School is getting its own athletic hall of fame. The Highlander Booster Club will be inaugurating its first class on Saturday, May 4, with nominations for potential honorees due by March 15. Applications are available by visiting the group's facebook page or at www.lwboosterclub.com. "The purpose of the Highlander Hall of Fame is to celebrate the Highlander athletic program, honor the past success of Highlander athletics, inform students and community about...
Chevon Baccus, executive editor and publisher of LakeWalesNews.net spoke to the members of the GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales Thursday, March 7 about the community's new online publication. Baccus told the group that since its soft launch Feb. 13 the online news site has published more than 100 stories and nearly 500 photos. "The site is growing in popularity and readership and we're looking forward to a bright future," Baccus said. The loss of the local newspaper, The Lake...
Polk County School District officials unveiled a plan this week to offer high school students a Lake Wales option by adding grades 9-12 to the current McLaughlin Middle School. McLaughlin would increase its fine arts programs and add a high-tech academy if the proposal is approved by the School Board. Board Chairman Lynn Wilson expressed his immediate and strong opposition to the idea, but the other six Board members seemed at least open to the possibility. School Board...
A week-long observation in all seven Lake Wales Charter schools culminated with a special community event at Eagle Ridge Mall with hundreds of staff, students, families and local supporters celebrating Disabilities Awareness Week. Charter Schools participated in a variety of activities designed to help students, teachers, staff, families and the broader community understand the importance of supporting special need students – children with disabilities – and their fam...
Our Highlander boys varsity basketball are now idle after a loss Friday night March 1 to home team Lakewood Spartans in the FHSAA Regional Final in St. Pete. But the Lake Wales team and its supporters should be proud of their stellar, break out season nonetheless under the direction of Coach Don Grant, Assistant Head Coach Anthony Jones and Assistant Coaches J. R. Grant, Norman Jackson and Marcus Walker. Although falling one game short of entering the Final Four to participate...
The Lake Wales High School varsity basketball team won the District 10 championship Saturday, Feb. 16 with a 46-44 win over Sarasota Booker that went down to the last four seconds. They now move on to the first Class 6A state championship playoff game against Tampa Robinson at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21 in their home gym, 1 Highlander Way. Coached by Don Grant, the Highlanders went 20-7 for the season, 6-2 in the district. According to MAXPREPS, Tampa Robinson was 13-11 for the...
Tom Freeman turned 93 years old on October 19, 2018. Who is Tom Freeman? Well, he's kind of a legend around here - a Lake Wales treasure. He's somewhat of a renaissance man: an artist, poet, farmer, educator, businessman, war hero, golfer, historian, fisherman, storyteller, wildlife expert and activist. His life is an inspiration to many, and his art is a fabulous and important legacy. As are many, I am honored to know Mr. Freeman, and I am grateful for the privilege of...
What has 64 excited fourth and fifth grade girls, 16 special counselor and lots of fun packed into a weekend at Lake Aurora Christian Camp? Lake Wales Breakfast Rotary Club's Girls' Camp. The club fundraises each year with its Share the Wealth Calendar sale, corporate sponsorships and grants from Florida's Natural Growers Foundation and Rotary's Camp Florida to help us sponsor this camp. This past weekend, Feb. 15-17, was the 8th annual Girls' Camp. Girls were selected by...
In only their second season and under the steady hand of Coach Stacey Butcher the Lake Wales High School Boys Varsity Lacrosse team crossed a milestone under the Legion Field lights and a full moon by beating a similarly matched but seasoned Lakeland Christian in their season opener Tuesday, Feb. 19. Final score: 9-8 in double sudden death overtime. For those fortunate fans who braved a roller coaster ride of emotions over 54 unyielding minutes of nonstop action the seesaw...
The Lake Wales High School 4x800 meter track relay team set a new Polk County record at the George Jenkins Invitational tournament Feb. 16. Their time of 8:04.29 bested the school record by 3 seconds and is now the 2nd fastest in the state and nation. Relay team members in their running order were Stephen Ward, 12th grade; Ladarius Tellis, 10th grade; Joesem Torres, 10th grade; and Anderson Denton, 11th grade. They won the race by 19 seconds. Denton also finished first in the...
BOOK REVIEW: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness (1991) by Jon Kabat-Zinn I am sure that not everyone interested in a "mindfulness" practice is ill or in pain or stressed out, but certainly a large number of Americans appear to be. If you are well, the 8-week program in the book can still help you. This is a secular program and different from Centering Prayer or Christian meditations. From a December 2017 article by...
Principal Donna Dunson may or may not have shed a few tears when she was interviewing Lillian Anderson a while back. But what is clear is Dunson was convinced Anderson needed to teach at Lake Wales High School, and that she was going to do whatever it took to get her there. Seven years later, Anderson has been named Teacher of the Year for the Lake Wales Charter System, honored recently along with teachers and support staff from each of its seven schools during the system's...
Lake Wales will have at least one new city commissioner in May. Al Goldstein of Lake Ashton became the only candidate for Seat 4 when incumbent Tonya Stewart failed to qualify for re-election. "Wow. I am elated and surprised to have this new journey over and so soon. I am looking forward with enthusiasm and vigor to work for all citizens of Lake Wales and to keep this City moving forward successfully," Goldstein said. The City election is set for April 2, and there will be...
Three Lake Wales Charter schools were among 21 schools in Polk County recognized recently as Five Star School award winners by the Florida Department of Education. Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary School, Hillcrest Elementary School and Polk Avenue Elementary School were among about 700 schools statewide to receive the honor for the 2017-18 school year. The Five Star School award honors schools for exemplary community involvement and their commitment to incorporating...
Chevon and Mike Baccus recently celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary. They were married Feb. 12, 1983, at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Melbourne, FL. Mike is a retired elementary school teacher and Chevon serves as executive editor and publisher of LakeWalesNews.net, an online news site published by the Baccus Center for Engaged Communications and Leadership. Chevon was born in Ohio and moved to Lake Wales at the age of 5. She is a 1973 graduate of Lake Wales...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson recently received a Patriot's Award from the Employer Support of Guard and Reserve Florida Committee. Gibson serves as head wrestling coach for Bartow High School and as a classroom assistant for the Polk County School Board at Chain of Lakes Elementary School. Gibson was nominated by George Sabillion for supporting his service in the U.S. Army Reserve. "The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through...
Lake Wales NAACP Branch #5109 is hosting its first annual "Unsung Heroes and SHeroes of Black History" event at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22 at the James P. Austin Community Center, 315 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. John Kimbrough, Jr. will be guest speaker. The event is free but a public offering will be accepted. Public offering will be accepted! Kimbrough was born in Polk County on February 18, 1995, the son of John Kimbrough Jr. and Darlene Kimbrough. From a young age he knew...
