Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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It's likely most everyone around town is familiar with Junior's Fish Market as much for owners Mike and Lisa Montella as the fresh-off-the-boat fish and seafood and prepared meals. The market is in a high visibility location at 1341 SR 60 East, across from Racetrac. Lake Wales has its share of distinctive personalities, but when it comes to Junior's, Mike, is as personable and friendly as they get. Whether you come to Junior's to select from their ample showcases of fish,...
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dover Kohl consultants will present their plans to the Lake Wales City Commission, serving as the Community Redevelopment Agency, at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 at the City Administration Building, 201 W. Central Ave. You can view and download the plans online at https://www.doverkohl.com/lakewales- The City of Lake Wales has hired Dover Kohl & Partners Town Planning to draft and propose a comprehensive redevelopment plan called "Lake Wales Connected." This plan...
I remember my excitement a few months ago, when I received the call. A mere 16 hours from that call, I was getting to do my First (unlikely my last) paramotoring flight, the purest form of flight for a human! I was SO Excited! I had been trying to do this for two years! Several people made that day possible. It started with Evan Purdy, for planting the seed in my mind two years ago. Next was Terri Awesome Miller for facilitating and inspiring. And, best of all, Bob and Eric...
Following on the heels of Black Friday, local businesses are encouraging shoppers to participate in Small Business Saturday Nov. 30. Lake Wales Main Street Executive Director Karen Thompson said shops in historic downtown will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. "Every time you pick up a coffee at your local café, grab lunch at the mom-and-pop shop, or buy a new bag from a local store, you're making an impact in your community," Thompson wrote. "In fact, for every dollar spent at...
If you are are in the market for buying an existing business with plenty of goodwill and lots of potential look no further than Steve Seisel's Polk Furniture Store. A bargain at $16,500 Steve says the store is so well known he never has to go out and search for inventory. People call him, often "two or three time a day," says Seisel. "As far as I know I am the only consignment shop in Winter Haven." While that may or not be totally accurate it doesn't matter because in my own...
Plan for a long life and keep these vital documents up-to-date for your protection and the sake of those you love. The underlying goal of proper estate planning is to ensure the legacy you leave behind provides your family with essential information that can help guide them through a difficult and confusing time. There are a number of fundamental pieces you may want to consider when drafting your estate planning documents, including: Last Will and Testament A Last Will and...
Tilted Tiara events is hosting a Florida Highwaymen Pop-up Art Event and Sale Thursday, Nov. 21 in the Rhodesbilt Arcade in historic downtown Lake Wales. The one-day-only event, which includes a wine and cheese reception, is sponsored by Crooked Crown Antiques, Sugar Magnolia Salvage and Melange Antiques and Art Gallery. Al Black, one of the original Florida Highwaymen artists and Kelvin Hair, son of Highwayman Albert Hair, will be on hand from 2 to 8 p.m., bringing their...
To rock or not to rock. That is the question. I wish I could say I vividly recall my grandma knitting in her rocking chair as a prominent childhood memory. But I can't. Neither of my grandmothers knitted, and neither one rocked. Or did they? Chances are pretty good they actually did rock because for hundreds of years rocking chairs were considered "the most popular furniture," according to wallswithstories.com. Nearly everyone had one; nursery, glider, spring, swivel,...
To rock or not to rock. That is the question. I wish I could say I vividly recall my grandma knitting in her rocking chair as a prominent childhood memory. But I can't. Neither of my grandmothers knitted, and neither one rocked. Or did they? Chances are pretty good they actually did rock because for hundreds of years rocking chairs were considered "the most popular furniture," according to wallswithstories.com. Nearly everyone had one; nursery, glider, spring, swivel,...
"Corvette" was an old term used to describe small warships that were first used in the 1670s by the French Navy. How it ended up the name for the model destined to become the fifth longest running automobile ever produced, sandwiched between the Toyota Land Cruiser (1951) and Mercedes SL (1954), is the subject for another column. In case you wondered, the Chevrolet Suburban, still in production, which made the scene in 1933, is the oldest auto in production today. Because spor...
Florida Polytechnic University will soon have a new simulation facility on campus dedicated to the testing and verification of autonomous vehicle technology in real-time. The National Science Foundation awarded the University a $350,000 grant that enables the development of a large-scale Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) simulation facility for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). HiL is a type of real-time simulation that serves as a gateway for the development and testing of...
Lake Wales is home to attorney Flora "Tonya" Stewart where she lives with her husband, Sam, and three children ages 3, 8 and 10. But she works here, too, and operates Tonya Stewart Law, P.A. from an office located at her 1924 downtown building purchased in 2017 at 229 E. Park Ave. in Lake Wales. She also has an office in West Polk County at 1102 Florida Ave. S., Lakeland. Her phone number is 863-279-4473. Why use Stewart and her law firm? She says she is a "compassionate...
Downtowns are the heart of a town. To devote time, money, energy and dedication to a city's downtown is to embrace its essence. Therefore, it was with great enthusiasm that we at the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council asked the city and the business community to fully endorse the Lake Wales Connected plan to revitalize downtown and the Northwest. Our team from the Chamber/EDC had a large contingent in attendance on Oct. 1, when the Lake Wales Community...
Mike Hora from Spring Hill says of the Tri-Five ('55, '56, '57) Tbird two-seaters, "Greatest car ever, at least that's what I've specialized in over the last 20 some odd years," Mike relates. "I've made lots of money and enjoyed working on them, too." He adds, "In fact I'm in Punta Gorda looking at a 1955 [Thunderbird] right now." John Durning from Longwood has lovingly named his '57 Tbird, Roscoe. "I've had this car since '68. Mechanically sound, stripped to bare metal and...
A new exhibit by noted local landscape artist Tom Freeman, his friends and students, opened Friday, Oct. 11 at the Melange Antiques & Art Gallery, 250 E. Park Ave. in historic downtown Lake Wales. The exhibit will run through Nov. 15. Other artists exhibiting include Marcia Pennington, Jayne Crews, Diane Lescard, Willa Campbell, Carmen Gonzales and Char Rivera. Freeman is 94 years old and has been painting Florida landscapes most of his life. He has shared his gift and...
When Harry Met Henry... Well, not exactly. Because if in 1978 Harry J. Shay had actually met THE Henry Ford things may have turned out differently for Harry and his Model A & Model T Motor Car Reproduction Corp. (later changed to Shay Motors Corp.), and his better idea of teaming up with Ford to purchase Pinto powertrain and chassis, and more importantly, the use of thousands of dealerships to sell his anniversary Model A roadsters. In the early 70s he began building a prototy...
Stop in and be a part of Michele's fun crafting community at the new Krafty Kitten. The shop offers over 10,000 rubber stamps along with dies and the latest in cutting equipment. All their fabulous tools are available to use so let your inner artist shine! The Krafty Kitten invites Lake Wales Chamber members and guests to their Grand Opening event from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23. Ribbon cutting is at 5:30 p.m. Please RSVP by calling 813-546-2200. If you want to craft but are...
On a recent trip to Sebring I already knew that the city that hosts the world famous "Twelve Hours of Sebring" races each Spring would be the perfect hunting ground for classic and exotic cars. What brought me to Highlands County was a 1938 Chevrolet Master Deluxe belonging to Nestor Peralta, who had decided to part with his longtime ride that in the good times tooled around New York state with his father at the helm and family in tow. The coupe had been in a fire and...
Welcome everyone to Florida Pickers (FP)! This is my first submission to appear in this publication as a weekly column. What is FP? Well, let's just say up to now it has been a hobby of mine that not only fulfills my desire to not only find cool stuff, often in the form of classic vehicles, but also to visit places around The Sunshine State and meet interesting people with stories to tell. Although we are a Lake Wales publication my goal is to travel around in my 2003 Mazda...
The annual SUN 'n FUN Fly-In has been an iconic mainstay in Lakeland, FL for over four decades, and in that time, millions have attended the annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts. The event is hallmarked by the arrival of thousands of aircraft to the Lakeland Linder International Airport, and the showcase of aerospace-related exhibits, flight demonstrations, military displays, forums and workshops and seminars. It is recognized as the second largest event of its kind in...
Leadership Lake Wales Class 24 kicked off its 10-month program Wednesday, Sept. 18 with a class retreat at Bok Tower. The program is coordinated by the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and EDC through its nonprofit Lake Wales Area Foundation. Class 24 has 20 members, representing various businesses, nonprofits and government agencies in the area. Alumni from some of the previous 23 groups came to meet the new class, reflect on their participation and offer suggestions on...
Many people think wills and estate planning are only for seniors! Not true! Every student who just graduated from Lake Wales High in 2019 needs to think about estate planning. In my 30 years' experience as an attorney, when it comes to estate planning, there are many excuses people use in order to convince themselves that an estate plan is not quite necessary at whatever point in their lives currently. These excuses usually are avoidance tactics -- avoidance tactics that are...
If you've been keeping an eye on economic trends lately, you may have noticed that Florida has been shining bright on the national and international stage. Our state's profile has skyrocketed thanks to a growing number of companies that are confirming the state's potential and strategic advantage in the aviation and aerospace industries. And Lake Wales is no exception to this success. International flight simulator manufacturer ALSIM recently announced its intentions to open...
Polk State Corporate College recently achieved international ISO 9001 certification that recognizes the quality of its programming and efficiency in providing services to its customers, including students and employers who partner with the College for workforce training. This puts Polk State Corporate College in a category with ISO 9001 certified organizations including SpaceX, Samsung Telecommunications, Intel, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Shell Global, and ExxonMobil. Polk State...
When the company was having difficulty finding qualified electricians, their maintenance managers decided to work together to find a solution. Six years later, one of those solutions has been implemented locally and is helping one local teen prepare for his first full-time job at Nucor Steel Florida Inc. in Frostproof, about 20 miles south of Lake Wales. Tommy Massey, maintenance manager at Nucor Steel Florida, said the pool of talent for industrial electricians who could work...
