Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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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...
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...
Some Lake Wales city commissioners are not happy with the "special guest" Lake Wales City Clerk Jennifer Nanek announced would be praying at their Tuesday, Aug. 4 meeting. With the link to the commission agenda, Nanek said Sarah Ray with the Atheist Community of Polk County had volunteered to give the invocation. "Who will she be praying to?" asked Commissioner Al Goldstein, who said he plans to set his Bible on the dais and exit the room when Ray speaks. "The word invocation...
Polk County Public Schools School Board members received an initial look at parents' intentions for the 2020-21 school year during the board's work session on Tuesday, July 28. The district also asked employees about their assignment preferences for the upcoming school year. For a summary of the results so far and more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/y5kh99vl The parent survey originally was set to close on July 27. That deadline has now been extended to 11:59 p.m. on...
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...
FREE MEALS: With the start of the PCPS school year delayed to Aug. 24, Polk County Public Schools is extending its summer meals program to Thursday, Aug. 6. The meals program was originally scheduled to end July 23. Food sites will now continue distributing meals on Mondays and Thursdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. through Aug. 6. Please see polkschoolsfl.com/lunchlocations for a complete list of sites and other details. Book donation BOOK DONATIONS: The United States Marine Corps Res...
Although it would only cost about an extra $8,300 for the year, the Lake Wales City Commission in a split vote decided not to approve a potential 30 percent salary hike for themselves that would have taken effect next May. Mayor Eugene Fultz and Commissioner Al Goldstein advocated for the raises, citing the increased number of meetings and out-of-pocket expenses, but Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson and Commissioners Terrye Howell and Curtis Gibson voted against the raises, citing...
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...
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, founded January 16, 1920, began as an idea conceived by five coeds at Howard University in Washington D.C.: Arizona Cleaver Stemons, Pearl Anna Neal, Myrtle Tyler Faithful, Viola Tyler Goings and Fannie Pettie Watts. These five women, also known as our Five Pearls, dared to depart from the traditional coalitions for black women and sought to establish a new organization predicated on the precepts of Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood and...
The Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council Board of Directors went on record Friday July 24 calling for the city commission to adopt an emergency resolution to mandate face masks in the city to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. A letter signed by Chamber President Kevin Kieft and Board Chairman Andy Oguntola said face masks should be a "government led issue" and the Chamber board "voted to support and push for a mask mandate in the City of Lake Wales...
The four candidates for Polk County School Board will be participating in a public forum Monday, July 27, just three weeks before the Aug. 18 election. Brandon Alvarado from the Lake Wales Arts Council will serve as moderator of the forum, which will begin at 7 p.m. Due to concerns about rising COVID-19 numbers the forum will be online via ZOOM. Link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86574760915 and password is 604028, or people can dial-in to listen at 646-876-9923. First term...
The Communications Division is working to improve Polk County's communications process to ensure we are providing the best service to our residents. With an increasing reliance on social media and other technology, we want to make sure we are communicating effectively with you. Over the next few weeks, we will host a series of focus groups to hear directly from county residents. A local communications firm, McLeod Communications, will be facilitating the questions and leading...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, is reviving 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...
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Polk County and Lake Wales, the City of Lake Wales has partnered with Polk County government services to distribute disposable face masks to its citizens. Polk County has purchased one million disposable, multi-use masks utilizing federal CARES Act funds. "24,000 masks will be available for our citizens to safely pick up at convenient locations," stated Joe Jenkins, Lake Wales Fire Chief and Emergency Operations...
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...
Belgard®, Fresh Look Outdoor (a Belgard Authorized Contractor), and Campus Landscaping are calling on Central Florida homeowners to kick-off their inaugural Custom Backyard Giveaway, open for entries from July 3 to Aug. 1. This Kō'Brand Outdoors project will also include a Landscape & Lighting Package Design + Build by Tampa's Best of the Bay award-winner Campus Landscape, featuring a professional lighting package from Link Outdoor Lighting. Homeowners in Seminole,...
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...
Lori Edwards, Polk County Supervisor of Elections, reminds voters that there is something for everyone to vote on in the upcoming Aug. 18 election. The Statewide Primary Election ballot includes important non-partisan races. Additionally, members of the Democratic and Republican parties will have the opportunity to choose the candidates representing their party in the November General Election. Florida is a closed primary state. According to Florida law, voters wishing to...
With regard to the health environment in Polk County, the Lake Wales History Museum has cancelled the Pioneer Days Festival, originally scheduled to take place on October 24 & 25, 2020. The health and safety of our community is first and foremost, and due to the national and local concern regarding coronavirus, hosting a large scale event of this proportion is not possible this year. The Pioneer Days Festival encourages engagement with vendors, historical demonstrators, food...
A rally held at the corner of Main Street and Broadway, at the site of the Polk County History Museum, which is the former courthouse, drew only a handful of people July 9. The rally's intent was to persuade people to voluntarily wear masks. It was also to communicate to county commissioners they should make the wearing of masks in Polk County mandatory. At its most recent meeting, the BOCC instead chose to make the wearing of masks optional. "This is an ad hoc group of...
Bartow Ford President Benny Robles Jr. is saddened by many of the negative stories that have been reported about what has happened in our nation in recent months. "I fear that the bravery and sacrifice of our law enforcement heroes have been overlooked," Robles began. "Our nation has 800,000 men and women who choose that career – and I firmly believe that at least 99% of them are models of courage and integrity." Therefore, Robles Jr. decided to move up Bartow Ford's Fifth Ann...
Lake Wales Interim City Manager James Slaton has hired certified planner Mark Bennett to become the city's new Development Services director. "I'm coming home so to speak," said Bennett, who has been a Lake Wales resident since 1998. In addition to being a certified planner, Bennett is a certified redevelopment specialist with more than 20 years of public and private sector experience. For the last eight years he has served the City of Haines City as Deputy Director of...
The Lake Wales City Commission voted Tuesday to encourage people to wear masks or similar face coverings to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Commissioners stopped short of issuing a mandate, but indicated that's something they may consider in the future if voluntary compliance doesn't seem to be working. The resolution adopted during the July 7 commission meeting cites support for Center for Disease Control recommends wearing face coverings, particularly "in public...
Barbara Gay Lawrence, age 79, passed away Wednesday, July 1, 2020 in Bartow, FL. Born April 12, 1941 in Berea, OH, she was the daughter of the late William Geoffrey and Lauretta Pauline (Wells) Halley. She lived in Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, Arizona, and the Panama Canal Zone before finally settling in Florida. She enjoyed classical music, reading eclectically (but especially science fiction), and never met a bookstore or library she didn't like. She was an avid puzzler...
Gov. Ron DeSantis' recently signed budget includes a multimillion-dollar hit to Polk County Public Schools - and district administrators caution the fiscal future could be even more dire. "The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted unprecedented damage to our state's economy. We are moving forward cautiously, knowing that later this year, or next, we could face major cuts," said Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. PCPS will have to pay an additional $9 million this year in required co...
