Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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A five-day-long undercover human trafficking operation which began on October 2, resulted in the arrest of 157 suspects involved in illegal acts related to soliciting prostitutes, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office Vice Unit. Those arrested were allegedly offering to commit prostitution or aiding and abetting prostitutes. Three other suspects were arrested for traveling to sexually batter juveniles. Detectives identified and arrested one suspect for human...
Nature is trying to make up and be nice after a few harrowing weeks of extreme events across central Florida. Autumn is arriving at last, much to the delight of Ridge-area residents fatigued from rounds of hurricane preparation, clean-up, and power outages. Forecasts for the coming week include the first solid wave of cool weather, building upon the welcome break in the heat that followed the passage of Hurricane Milton. Early-morning temperatures are expected to dip into the...
The stunning photography of renowned artist Clyde Butcher will be featured in an exhibit running through December 6 at The Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) at South Florida State College (SFSC) in Avon Park. Butcher uses a large-format camera to create high-resolution black and white images that portray the subject in exquisite detail. Frequently called Florida's Ansel Adams, Butcher, 82, resides on 14 acres of land he purchased in the heart of the Big Cypress...
Less than two years after Polk County voters approved a renewal of the county's conservation lands program knownpreserve site has as CLASAC, yet another newly-acquired site has opened to the public. The Bellini Preserve, located on the eastern shore of Lake Marion adjacent to Poinciana, is largely comprised of undeveloped scrubland, according to county officials, The seven miles of trails on the preserve lead visitors through a variety of terrain and habitats, culminating in...
Former Bok Tower Gardens carillonneur William N. De Turk Jr. passed away on Thursday, March 14 after a fall at his home in Lake Wales. The 78-year-old worked for the National Historic Landmark for 18 years, including seven years as director of Carillon Services. Only the third carillonneur since the opening dedication in 1929, De Turk succeeded Milford Myhre before resigning on Oct. 31, 2011. Myhre was the Singing Tower's second carillonneur who played the bells for 36 years...
Perhaps Benjamin Franklin said it best: "By failing to prepare, you're preparing to fail." As we approach the beginning of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season (June 1 - November 30), the Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) urges all Floridian's to heed these words of wisdom. May 5 – 11 is National Hurricane Preparedness Week, an opportunity to focus our collective efforts on the potentially lifesaving benefits of planning and preparation. The threat this year is g...
Sara Ann Morey, a beloved member of the Frostproof community and a cherished mother, daughter, and friend, passed away at her home on Friday, April 19th, 2024. She was born on December 31, 1947 to the late Richard and Gladys Riley. Sara was a remarkable woman who touched the lives of many with her kindness, compassion and love. A lifelong resident of the area, she was a proud member of the United Methodist Church of Frostproof and volunteer for the Frostproof Historical Museum...
GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Scrub mints are among the most endangered plants you've probably never heard of. More than half of the 24 species currently known to exist are considered threatened or endangered at the state or federal level, and nearly all scrub mints grow in areas that are being rapidly developed or converted to agricultural pasture. In a new study, researchers analyzed a distinct type of DNA marker, which shows there are likely more scrub mint species waiting to be...
The vision of a "Big Green Network" of environmental lands flanking Lake Wales to the east and west moved a small step closer to reality this week as Polk County's environmental lands program addressed the possibility of acquiring a large tract of land just northeast of the city. The expanse of lands totaling 1,195 acres spanning Masterpiece Road and partially surrounding the former Masterpiece Gardens tourist attraction belong to corporations or individual members of the...
We've all heard the expression, "The grass is always greener on the other side." As Spring gives way to what seems like an obsession with keeping our landscaping as green as our neighbor's, many of us take that expression literally. Since April is both National Garden Month and National Lawn Care Month, it's a great time to both celebrate the many benefits of gardening and a healthy lawn and consider a few cost-saving tips to keep our water bills in check. Just like blood to...
Kristine Marie Wanamaker (Trainham) was born on July 4, 1948, in Watertown, NY, to her late parents John and Alexandra Trainham. She peacefully passed away on March 21, 2024, at the age of 75 in Lake Wales, Florida. Kristine was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She married her beloved husband James on October 10, 1970, at Holy Family Church. Together, they shared a love for road trips, camping, and most importantly, their family. Retirement led them to Lake Wales,...
A day of free fun for the entire family is offered in Lake Wailes Park on Saturday, March 23 as the annual Olmsted Day event takes place. The event is the Lake Wales observance of Arbor Day and takes place in the shade of the historic Olmsted Oaks in the park. Entertainment, exhibits, games, musical performances, and food trucks form part of the attraction, along with vendors offering live plants and trees and a wide range of other products. Special exhibits will be offered...
Audrey Swindal, age 95, passed away February 4, 2024, at her residence in Bartow. She was born on February 9, 1928, in St. Augustine, FL. She attended FSU where she started the Women's Rifle Team. She spent her career as Environmental Educator where she became known to many as "Mother Nature" She was awarded a Lifetime Membership with LEEF League of Environmental Educators as a historian and supporter. She was a Master Flower Show Judge and member of the Bartow Garden Club for...
Lake Wales has once again been featured in a major publication citing the pioneering planning work contained in Lake Wales Envisioned. That document, funded by the city of Lake Wales, is a comprehensive road map to a future that promises less impact from growth and a more habitable city. An article that in the online magazine Public Square says that "Lake Wales, Florida, has adopted a plan that puts active mobility at the heart of day-to-day life." Entitled "Planning a City...
The realization of a "Big Green Network" of environmental lands that will forever form limits to the potential urbanization of the Lake Wales area drew a step closer this week. Lifelong Lake Wales resident and member of a pioneer family, Edwin Friedlander has offered his 749-acre ranch property for acquisition through the Polk Forever program, approved by voters in 2022. The property was assessed by a "technical advisory team" before being approved by the Conservation Lands...
Music fans from around the country are expected to gather in Lake Wales Friday and Saturday, December 1 and 2 as a local non-profit hosts the "Orange Blossom Revue." The annual "celebration of music, community, and nature" is returning the city for a ninth year and is expected to draw crowds of music-lovers to the shores of Lake Wailes. The two-day event features a lineup of top musical acts in a wide range of genres ranging from "R&B to country to folk to jazz," according to...
Next week, the Florida Legislature is holding a special session to address a number of topics ahead of the regularly scheduled 2024 session that begins in January. We are concerned with provisions in SB 2-C/ HB 1-C "Disaster Relief" that would prevent local governments from amending comprehensive plans or land development regulations, precluding local leaders from enacting policy changes to make their communities more resilient and safer from storm damage in the future. SB...
Editor's Note: This guest Commentary, offered by two distinguished scholars of the works of the father and son who shared the honored name of Frederick Law Olmsted, is the first of a series of guest editorials that will address the effort known as Lake Wales Envisioned. A century ago, Lake Wales was in the news: The most famous landscape architect in America, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., was transforming one of Florida's highest points into Bok Tower Gardens, today a National...
In a major step toward addressing the challenge presented by an enormous wave of growth, the Lake Wales city commission voted to adopt a resolution in support of the Lake Wales Envisioned plan. Facing development proposals that would readily triple the population of the city, the board had agreed to fund the planning study in January, leading to months of effort by planners, residents, and city staff. The project included numerous public meetings, open workshops, webinars,...
Arthur Henry Stafford III, 84, of Babson Park, FL passed away peacefully on September 13,, 2023. Art was born to Arthur Henry Stafford Jr and Charlotte Sarah Clark Stafford in Polk County, FL on December 2, 1938. Growing up he stayed active playing sports and enjoyed spending time outdoors. He attended community college in Polk County and started his career in agriculture as a manager on a sugar cane farm in southern Florida. This led Art to become a fruit inspector with the...
The significant way that features such as sidewalks, bicycle tracks, trees, parks, and public squares affect the overall health of the general public will be discussed by a panel of experts in a lunchtime forum certain to have relevance to Lake Wales. A number of proposals under development as part of the Lake Wales Envisioned plan cite exactly those impacts. The free webinar will take place on Monday, September 18, from noon to 1:00 pm. It's being hosted by the 1000 Friends...
A team of researchers from Florida is making a significant contribution to the survival of a number of bird species endangered by deforstation in their Andean home. Birds native to the tropical Andes, many of which cannot be found anywhere else, are threatened by increasing agricultural development in the region. A new study details how the resulting habitat loss affects specific species and lays out possible ways to protect birds from human-driven disturbance. The...
An annual "celebration of music, community, and nature" is returning to Lake Wales for a ninth year and is expected to draw crowds of music-lovers to town for the early December festival. The Orange Blossom Revue is a two-day event featuring a lineup of top musical acts in a wide range of genres ranging from "R&B to country to folk to jazz," according to festival organizer Rusty Ingley. Ingley and Reid Hardman have been running the concert since its inception. "it was an...
Darlene Waters Hollinsed, 69, of Lake Wales, Florida passed Friday, April 28, 2023 at her residence. She was born November 13, 1953 in Winter Haven, Florida to the late Jule E. Waters and Hazel (Stokes) Waters and was a lifelong resident of Polk County. Darlene was a bank teller and loved nature, hummingbirds, and fishing. She was preceded in death by her first husband Ricky Thompson, and her son Glenn Thompson. ,Survivors include her husband, Philip Hollinsed; sister Martha...
The historic beauty of Lake Wales and efforts to re-create it are the focus of a special event planned for Lake Wailes Park. Area businesses, artists, and crafters are being invited to participate in Olmsted Day in the Park, an annual event celebrating Lake Wales' parks and streetscapes. Sponsors and vendors are welcome to join in the community-wide effort. The April 29 event, hosted by Lake Wales Heritage with the participation of the City of Lake Wales, features music, food...
