Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The annual Orange Blossom Revue brought praise from hundreds of attendees from across the nation, many of whom spent the weekend in area hotels or camped in temporary campsites adjacent to festival grounds on the shores of Lake Wailes. The annual charity fundraiser features popular touring bands, many of which draw their own fans to the two day event. This year's show was the 11th in the series, and the event has grown during that time from its origins as a Rotary barbeque...
World-renown master cellist and conductor Diego Carneiro will perform two live concerts in a special one-day appearance in Lake Wales on Sunday, December 15. Carneiro has performed for audiences around the world, including at the London Promenade and the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC. Carneiro has won multiple international prizes and awards including the the Leonardo Smith Duo Competition, Solti Prize, the Barbirolli Award, the Tillett Trust, the Myra Hess Trust, 'Solo...
One of central Florida's biggest annual music events happens this weekend when the annual Orange Blossom Revue opens in Lake Wailes Park. The festival will feature eight top touring bands who are expected to draw large crowds from across the nation to the annual lake-side performances. Headlined by JJ Grey and Mofro, the charity fundraiser also offers performances by The War and Treaty, Robert Earl Keen, Steep Canyon Rangers, Sam Grisman Project, Emily Nenni, Wyatt Ellis, and...
Lake Wales will soon become the first community in Polk County to raise a "peace pole" in recognition of the International Day of Peace on September 21. The public is invited to a ceremony that will take place in the city's Memorial Garden in front of city hall on that Saturday morning, beginning at 10 a.m. The City of Lake Wales is joining local Rotary clubs in Polk, Hillsborough, Hardee and Highlands Counties in the international project, funding ten of the art-covered...
Family Elder Law owner and attorney Jason Penrod has filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court acknowledging the misuse of client living trust funds and requesting the disciplinary revocation of his law license. The petition, filed by Penrod's attorney Richard Allen Greenberg, states that Penrod admits his violation of the strict rules governing attorney practices, and pledges to "reimburse the Client Security Fund (CSF) for any and all funds CSF has paid or may pay out...
In a move that left the community stunned, the well-known law firm of Family Elder Law halted operations more than a week ago, notifying employees through a text message that they were closing. Founded in 2013 by Lake Wales attorney Jason Penrod, the firm had grown to include three central Florida offices and some two dozen employees who were left wondering about the circumstances, which remain unknown. Penrod remains the sole officer of Family Elder Law P.A. In a statement...
The local favorite Orange Blossom Revue is poised to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a jam-packed musical lineup of bands featuring JJ Grey & Mofro, The War and Treaty, Robert Earl Keen, Steep Canyon Rangers and more December 6-7, 2024 in Lake Wales, FL. Held annually amidst the bounty of Spanish moss, palmetto trees, and citrus groves that define the central Florida landscape, the boutique music and arts festival has steadily become a cultural cornerstone that reflects th...
Eleven local non-profit organizations benefitted from grants distributed recently by the Lake Wales Mardi Gras Committee. Several dozen representatives and community members gathered at the Lake Wales Arts Center for the annual check presentation. The Lake Wales Mardi Gras Committee and Lake Wales Mardi Gras President Joshua Curchy presented a total of $20,000 from proceeds raised in the 2024 Mardi Gras event. The Mardi Gras celebration, now planning for its 41st year, draws t...
Three challengers seeking two seat on the Lake Wales City Commission held the stage at a Monday evening candidates forum after both incumbents failed to show up for the 90-minute event. The election is four weeks away, slated for Tuesday, April 2. Carol Gillespie, seeking seat 4 on the five-person commission, along with Brandon Alvarado and Crystal Higbee, both seeking seat 2, shared their ideas and responded to questions from the audience at the forum sponsored by the...
The final ballot is set for the April 2 City Commission election is set, and all registered voters within the city limits of Lake Wales will have an opportunity to choose two two guide the city through the current wave of growth. Area residents outside the city limits are ineligible. Incumbent commissioner Daniel Williams will face two challengers in Brandon Alvarado and Crystal Higbee in the race for Seat 2 on the commission. Williams was elected in 2001, representing...
"Toys on Parade" will dazzle children and adults alike this weekend in Lake Wales as the annual Christmas night parade steps off. The parade happens this Saturday at 6:00 and thousands are expected to line First Street and Central Avenue along the roughly one-mile route. The display of creative and colorfully-lighted floats and bands, along with dancers, musicians, and other examples of holiday cheer is following a new route this year due to ongoing construction on Park...
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...
Hundreds in Lake Wales were left stunned and saddened recently by the sudden passing of Drew Truitt, a community volunteer described by one friend as a "social instigator." Truitt, 67, had celebrated his birthday only days earlier at a meeting of Rotary on the Ridge, which was one of several avenues for his enthusiasm and willingness to help. Truitt had been named Rotarian of the Year in 2018-19 largely due to his contagious enthusiasm for volunteer projects and his...
The deadline for entering a float in the Lake Wales Christmas night parade is fast approaching, according to members of the sponsoring Rotary on the Ridge. Those interested in being a part of the event have until November 30 to send in their entry forms. The theme of this year's procession is "Toys on Parade," and numerous entries are expected to feature toys, some on a gigantic scale. The parade will follow a modified route through the city this year after lining up at Polk...
Communities along the entire length of the Ridge Scenic Highway will share in one of the area's most popular annual events this Saturday. The 39-Mile Yard Sale has played an important role in promoting tourism in the Central Florida communities along the Ridge Scenic Highway since 2007. Expected to draw thousands of people, it is known for being an outstanding opportunity to find great deals and interesting treasures, or just as an enjoyable family outing. Shoppers come from a...
Bill Redmon has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Pioneer of the Year for the annual Pioneer Days festival, which will take place at Lake Wailes Park on October 29 and 29. Redmon's extraordinary dedication to his community and his outstanding achievements make him a true pioneer in every sense and led to his selection by the board of the Lake Wales History Museum, sponsors of the long-standing and popular festival. Only 50-year residents of the Lake Wales...
Several dozen Rotarians, area business people, and many of their customers attended a "Ridge Taking Care of Business" networking opportunity Thursday evening at Native Imagery in Lake Wales. Guests were treated to live music by singer and guitarist Mickenzie Peisher, along with a variety of beverages and a very tasty buffet provided by Wales Point Restaurant. The event was organized by members of Rotary on the Ridge, a 44-member group that meets for after-hours connections on...
Representatives of thirteen area charitable organizations were smiling Thursday evening as they assembled to receive grant awards resulting from the efforts of the Lake Wales Mardi Gras. The event, hosted at Wales Pointe Restaurant, saw the awarding of a total of $26,000 to the groups. The $26,000 raised and donated by the Lake Wales Mardi Gras Committee represents funds raised in donations by sponsors, vendor fees, and sales during the event. The annual charitable donations...
A vision for the long-term future of the Lake Wales region that shifts away from the contemporary development style toward "traditional neighborhoods" was the subject of discussion at the Lake Wales Breakfast Rotary Thursday morning. "Most towns are already 100 years old when they decide what they want to be when they grow up," city planner Victor Dover told more than two dozens in attendance, explaining that Lake Wales has a huge head start due to the efforts of the city's...
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...
Disabilities affect a surprisingly-large percentage of the American population, and too often those physical limitations bring along an unnecessary set of social limitations. The limited ability to enjoy the water, a Florida tradition, is one that can have a solution. A fully and intentionally inclusive water adventure area for those with disabilities, planned for construction at Lake Aurora just east of Lake Wales, is a vision shared by several non-profit groups. Two local...
Thomas C. Seitz, Jr. departed this life in the faith and fear of the lord on March 3, 2023. He is survived by Anna, his beloved wife of 44 years; his brothers: Chris, Mark, and Peter; his children: Sarah, Katherine, and Thomas; and his seven grandchildren: Anna, John Thomas, Henry, Benjamin, Francisca, Christopher, and Sophia. Tom was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in 1978, serving congregations in West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, and Florida, retiring in 2017...
There's still time to register for those wishing to compete in the annual Polk Senior Games, but that window is closing fast!. The games are an annual two-week series of 33 Olympic-style sports and games for men and women 50 years of age and over. The 30th Polk Senior Games begin on Saturday February 25th and end on Saturday March 11. Registration began January 1 and ends February 10. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in each event and age division. The Games...
Robert Wayne (Bob) Peppel passed away peacefully at home at age 81 in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday, November 5, 2022. He was born December 21,1940 in Steubenville, Ohio. He lived a long and joyous life, and was well loved by everyone he knew. He was always quick to lend a hand and loved serving others. Bob graduated from Gainesville High School in Gainesville, FL, the University of Florida and was a proud Veteran US Naval Officer. He was a long time resident of Tucker,...
A pair of forums offering voters a chance to hear from seven school board candidates has been moved to an online event due to the recent upsurge of Coved cases in Polk County. The event had been scheduled for the James Austin Center in Lake Wales with a capacity of 100 guests. The event will now take place via Zoom, with a link to be posted for interested guests. The August primary election will be the final chance to vote in some local races, including those for new school...
