Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 69
An unusual "annexation agreement" covering 932-acres of citrus groves owned by Sarasota-based Gardinier Florida Citrus and PCGP, LLC will be considered by the City Commission this week, yet another major block of land that is being brought under the control of city planners. The lands in question lie east of Scenic Highway and north of Masterpiece Road at Starr Lake. Most of the property is not being targeted for quick annexation or development, but will eventually be brought...
Although most Lake Wales residents aren't even aware of it, Lake Wales is famous for thousands as the site of the largest group of landscape designs ever created by the legendary firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. So how did it come to be that the firm responsible for creating New York City's Central Park and for designing the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. played such a vital role in the planning – and now future – of Lake Wales? Our destiny as a "City in a Gar...
An April 30 event at Lake Wailes Park is more than a local celebration, it's part of a much broader celebration of a famous father-son duo who changed the face of North America. April 26, 2022, marks 200 years since the birth of American landscape architect and social reformer Frederick Law Olmsted, who championed the idea of public parks in the United States. Lake Wales Heritage is among more than 120 organizations nationwide have banded together as "Olmsted 200: Parks for...
Orie Lee Hostetler, age 82, of Winter Haven, Florida died on February 1, 2022. Orie was born in Orrville, OH. He was the youngest child of Ammon J. and Lena (Weigley) Hostetler. Orie is survived by his wife, Helen (Hartsough) Hostetler and their children: Pamela Burns, Beverly Hatten, Adelia (Michael) Lucatorto, and Daniel (Dawn) Hostetler. His family includes nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings, and...
Lake Wales is slated to get its first-ever townhome project this year as the Lake Wales City Commission gave its approval to the preliminary plat for Hunt Club Grove North, a 600-unit subdivision to be built on 130 acres on the southeast side of the city. The entire project is expected to be developed in a single phase, according to City of Lake Wales Development Services staff. All the units will be within easy walking distance of three major shopping centers, a factor that...
More than 20 acres of forest along the west side of Timberlane Road will become a single-family home subdivision over the objections of many neighbors after the Polk County Commission approved the plan this week. The Polk Planning Commission had unanimously approved the proposal last month. The 45-home plat will include 10-foot setbacks after many voiced opposition to the five-foot setbacks which Sloan Engineering Group had proposed. Minimum lot sizes in the development will...
Franklin O. “Frank” Blachly of River Ranch passed away Thursday, December 2, 2021 at Advent Health Lake Wales. He was born April 18, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York to the late Frank and Marian Blachly; he has been a winter resident of the area for 30 years and came here full time this year from Dix Hills, New York. Frank was a retired contractor and was a member of the River Ranch Chapel. He served in the Korean war with the United States Army. He enjoyed the outdoors and helping...
Citing private property rights and the current broad wave of development interest around Lake Wales, the City Commission is faced with a tough balancing act: allowing rapid growth while seeking to protect the city's "small town feel." That desire has been voiced by at least three commissioners in recent meetings, none more vocal in their sentiments than Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson, who has delayed discussion in agenda 'workshop' meetings to repeat his opposition to "urban...
One of the most significant figures in the long history of Florida's citrus industry, Frank M. Hunt II, passed away Saturday, November 27 at his residence in Lake Wales. He was 93, Born in Lake Wales to a pioneering family in 1928, Hunt progressed through Lake Wales schools before leaving to attend Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. In 1950 he graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville with a BS Degree in Business Administration, which he immediately...
Frank M. Hunt, II of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, November 27, 2021 at his residence. He was born April 2, 1928 in Lake Wales to the late Deeley A. and Louise E. Hunt; he was a fifth generation Floridian. Frank attended elementary school and secondary school in Lake Wales and attended Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. He graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville with a BS Degree in Business Administration in 1950. Frank was the President of the...
Bok Academy South students turned out in force Saturday morning to add their contribution to a city-wide effort to recreate a historic landscape plan for Lake Wales. Led by educator Nicole Sealey, students and a few parents helped to clear grass and re-bank "wells" around each of thirty young trees planted last month along Fourth Street. Many of the young trees showed fresh growth, and a few were surprising project leaders by showing signs of going into bloom. The plantings...
The multiple proposals for future residential development in the Lake Wales area has many concerned for the future of the city and the potential loss of its "small town" feel. After hearing from numerous citizens about their worries for the future, Commissioner and Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson has felt the need to speak about the issue. "Folks have been telling me they are concerned about the town being overwhelmed by the coming urbanization," Gibson said in a written statement....
Mary Louise (Lou) Dailey, 83, passed away on Oct 18, 2021, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. The family will hold a memorial service on Sunday, Oct. 24, at 2 PM EST at Whidden-McLean Funeral Home on 650 East Main St., Bartow, FL, with the burial immediately following at Wildwood Cemetery in Bartow. Mary was born Sept. 20, 1938, in Fairmont, WV, to her late parents Hinton Noble and Edna Violet (Merrifield) Peirce. The youngest of eight children, she grew up in a busy...
Wade C. Scaggs, 72, of Lake Wales passed away Friday, Aug. 3, 2021 at the AdventHealth Lake Wales. He was born September 16, 1948 in Lake Wales to the late Frank and Sarah Jane Scaggs; he started his professional career in Tallahassee in 1968, then continued his work in Tampa and later Newberry before returning to Lake Wales in 1988. He was a retired investigator for the State of Florida States Attorney’s office and in the U.S. Navy Reserves and U.S. Army Reserves, 600th MP Battalion, 4th ARCOM. He was a member of the Church...
Ollie Mae Baker, 86, of Lake Wales passed away Monday, April 12, 2021 at Winter Haven Hospital. She was born January 30, 1935 in Lincoln, AL and has been a resident of Polk County for 63 years. Ollie was a retired depalletizer for Procter and Gamble and was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. She enjoyed traveling, sewing, watching the Lawrence Welk show, and being the boss of her house. Ollie was preceded in death by her husband, Trueman “Bill” Baker in 2008; daughter, Karen Davis in 2018; father, Leona...
Editor's Note: We are republishing a past story, remembering the Passion Play during Easter Week. Easter Week always brings fond memories of the three months each winter that the Lake Wales community came together to participate as "extras" to help dramatically depict the last seven days of Jesus Christ on Earth. I don't remember exactly how many years I participated in the Black Hills Passion Play winter productions – so many Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and a...
The Lake of the Hills Community Club is hosting its annual Ice Cream and Dessert Social from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, March 27. The event will be held at the club at 47 E. Starr Ave. The theme is a 50s Style Rock and Roll Cruise in. The social will include strawberry Belgium waffle sundaes, homemade desserts and root beer floats, along with a 50-50 drawing and silent auction. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children 8 and under. For more information, contact Kathy at...
Sarah "Sally" Strife Cashel, 89, died peacefully at home on March 8, 2021. She was dearly loved by her husband of 62 years and her large family. She was born on July 11, 1931 in New York, NY, the daughter of the late Dr. Cyril Frederick Strife and Edith Murphy Strife of Hartsdale, NY. She attended Sacred Heart Convent in Albany, NY, and graduated from Sacred Heart Convent in Greenwich, CT. She received her BA degree from Rosemont College, Philadelphia, PA. She also completed...
William G. "Bill" Lanoue, 67, of Lake Wales passed away Friday, Jan. 15, 2021 at Advent Health in Kissimmee. He was born July 11, 1953 in New London, CT to the late William and Florence Lanoue; he moved to Oldsmar, FL in his youth. He participated in scouting, was active in little league baseball, was an altar boy at church, enjoyed camping, fishing, and building model cars. In later years he enjoyed traveling and practicing flight simulation. He was a Tampa Bay Rays and New...
Trump or Biden? Mask or no mask? Open school or eLearning? Open the economy, or public safety? Work or family? Push through and get it done, or pull back and reflect? Make a splash, or keep a low profile? Prove your point, or stay out of it? Conspiracy theories, or Occam's razor? Grace and mercy, or truth? Ephesians 5:19-21, or Ephesians 5:22-24? Cut the grass, or clean the garage? Has the pandemic and less physical interaction with people caused you to think that everything...
John Leeks " Lurch", 69 of Lake Wales, died Sept. 11, 2020 at the Lakeland Hills Nursing Center in Lakeland, Florida. He was born Jan. 9, 1950. Services are incomplete. Epps Memorial Funeral Home in Lake Wales is handling arrangements....
Virginia E. McGrath (nee Moorehead), of Mansfield, OH, passed away on Aug. 9, 2020 at her winter home in Lake Wales after a long illness. She was 86. Ginny was born Jan. 22, 1934 in Cleveland, OH, and attended Kent State University in Kent, OH where she met her husband Donald. Ginny majored in elementary education and minored in art at Kent State. She taught special needs children for nearly 40 years. Ginny immensely enjoyed baseball, faithfully serving as scorekeeper for each...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
Norma Fern Winn, 86, of Olive Branch, IL and Lake Wales, FL went to her heavenly home on Sunday June 21, 2020 at Forsythe Hospice House in Auburndale, FL. She was born on July 19, 1933 in Woodriver, IL to John Nelson Isom and Dorothy Irey Isom. She married Orman E Winn, Jr on April 2, 1955 in Corninth, MS. She worked as a key punch operator for United Airlines in Chicago for a time then was a busy homemaker and mother to many over the years. She loved her cats and spent many...
William C. “Bill” Evans, 83, of Lake Wales passed away Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at the Winter Haven Hospital. He was born December 12, 1936 in Detroit, MI, to the late Charles and Marie Evans. He has been a resident of Lake Wales for 12 years, moving here from Mesa, AZ. Bill was a retired quality control engineer for General Dynamics in Michigan. He was a volunteer at Bok Tower Gardens, and was a Citizens Assistance Patrol for the Polk County Sheriff Office. He enjoyed hiking, traveling, reading, and wood working. Bill is sur...
