Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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I watched Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon movie, recently released on Netflix. While Snyder doesn't always get it right, I like looking at whatever he does. He is known for the Man of Steel and other DC superhero movies. Rebel Moon part 1 delivers a visually stunning sci-fi spectacle with great characters and wonderful special effects. Sofia Boutella shines as Kora, a warrior haunted by her past who seeks to become the unlikely savior of a peaceful moon farming colony. Ed Skrein is e...
This is not the best Disney movie ever. Not even close. Frozen it is not. However I enjoyed it very much. This movie seems to be a tribute to 100 years of Disney. One of the characters is 100 years old. The movie is filled with nods to other popular Disney movies. While "Wish" might not be an instant Disney classic, it offers a charming exploration of the power of wishes, both granted and ungranted. I especially loved how the film emphasized that the journey toward your...
"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...
In a program offered annually at the nearby public lands, Lake Wales area residents are able to cut their own tree, but they have to use a hand-saw to do the work. No power tools are allowed in the forest. A tree-cutting permit costs only $10, a great deal when fresh trees cut in other states and brought to Florida cost far more. Available trees are 10 feet to 15 feet tall, but may be trimmed back to the desired size after leaving the forest. Trees will be harvested along...
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...
Although it's only early November, hundreds of people from Lake Wales and far beyond are preparing for the area's biggest festival of 2024. The 40th annual Lake Wales Mardi Gras celebration will reach a climax on the busy weekend of February 10 when more than a dozen parade "krewes" will step off in colorful costumes and festooned floats to present the annual parade, the traditional high-point of weeks of celebration. "Mardi Gras" is French for "fat Tuesday," the day before...
Director Ridley Scott's latest epic, "Napoleon," is a captivating portrayal of the rise and fall of the French Emperor. I have been looking forward to this Napoleon movie for a while. This is a massive project for any director to take on and I was looking forward to seeing what Ridley Scott does with it. This movie is long at 2 and 1/2 hours. We are promised a much longer version on Apple+ sometime later (which I will of course watch). With its grand scale, sweeping vistas,...
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...
There's still time for you to be one of our 26 winners who get a free "all-the-works" pizza just by sharing a news story on your social media feed. Yep, you can earn the large pizza of your choice from Pizzano's of Lake Wales just by sharing the important stories we publish about our community. Pick an impactful story from our sections about Schools, Fun, Ridge Life, Business, it's all up to you! Just know that you could very well be enjoying one of our delicious prizes. Two...
"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is a captivating and suspenseful prequel to the beloved dystopian trilogy. I read the book several years back and very much enjoyed it. Set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute, the movie follows the ambitious and cunning Coriolanus Snow, a young man from a prominent but poor family in the opulent Capitol. When he is selected as a mentor for District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird, a defiant and talented musi...
Aspiring performers between the ages of 9 and 17 have a new opportunity to advance their vocal skills and enhance the talents they bring to future performances. A new partnership between Lake Wales Little Theatre and the Lake Wales Arts Council offers students a chance to learn basic vocal techniques, breath control, range extension, and emotive expression with seasoned vocal coaches. The program offers a dynamic method that focuses on empowering participants to build and...
The Ultra Ultras, a running club, is offering area walkers and runners a good excuse to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving feast without overwhelming guilt. An Ultra Ultras Turkey Trot 5K will offer families plenty of exercise and a fun outing Thanksgiving morning while also supporting the important local charity, Lake Wales Care Center. "Scott Hoover and his running club, Ultra Ultras are donating a portion of the registration fee," said Jolee Beamer of the Care Center, "and...
"What Happens Later," stands out as a refreshing and poignant exploration of second chances and rekindled love amidst the backdrop of mature relationships. This romantic comedy stars Meg Ryan and is also directed by Meg Ryan. This is her second directorial effort. The film revolves around Willa (Ryan) and Bill (David Duchovny), two former college sweethearts who unexpectedly reunite after decades of separation, finding themselves snowed in at a regional airport overnight....
Lake Wales Little Theatre has another entertaining offering on the boards in November, as the company offers the tender classic, "On Golden Pond," which opens Friday, November 3 for a three-weekend run. A talented cast, under the direction of Jamie Clark, turn the script into an enjoyable night out. During a visit to their rustic cabin on Golden Pond, the cantankerous retired professor Norman Thayer Jr. and his long-suffering wife Ethel expose the inner workings of their tende...
A series of free downtown street concerts will enliven evenings downtown over the coming months, thanks to an alliance between the Lake Wales main Street, Lake Wales Arts Council, and the City of Lake Wales. The shows kick-off with the Outta Hand Band on Friday, November 10. "Lake Wales Live" will offer residents good reason to visit the downtown area, and perhaps get a sneak peek at the ongoing transformation of the area as the Lake Wales Connected plan proceeds, according to...
Martin Scorsese's new film, Killers of the Flower Moon, is a sprawling epic about the serial murder of Osage Nation members in 1920s Oklahoma. The film is based on the best-selling book of the same name by David Grann, and it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone. I read this book back in 2019. I thought it was an excellent book and I thought then that it should be a movie. The film's acting is top-notch, with all three leads delivering excellent...
Strange Way of Life is a 31-minute 2023 Spanish Western drama written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar starring Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke. It's a gay cowboy movie that I have been looking forward to all summer. The film follows Silva (Pascal), a gunslinger who rides into town to visit his old friend, now Sheriff Jake (Hawke) after 25 years. Silva is in love with Jake. However, there is more to this reunion. Almodóvar explores the complex relationship between the two men w...
Zachary Levi is back as Shazam, a teenager, who can turn into an adult superhero, and his band of foster siblings who are trying to save the world from angry Greek gods. There's a lot of silliness in this as kids are trying to be grown ups in this superhero adventure. I laughed a lot at this. Some jokes are cheesy though. Helen Mirren, the Queen herself, and Lucy Liu are the villians in this. They play Daughters of Atlas trying to reclaim the world for themselves somehow. Ther...
Winners of the first week of a 13-week contest sponsored by Lake Wales News.net and Pizzano's Pizza and Grinderz have been have announced, and tasty awards await, ideal for that football gathering, birthday party, or other get-together. Susan Coyne and Samantha Bourke were chosen as winners of a large pizza of their choice, enough to feed a family of four. The winners gained entry simply by sharing a story from LakeWalesNews.net on their social media. To be sure that we don't...
We love contests, and we love prizes, so we're giving two lucky families free dinners from Pizzano's! Best of all, we're doing it EVERY WEEK! Win the large pizza of your choice, including the works if you like, just by sharing the important stories we publish about our community. Pick something from our sections about Schools, Fun, Ridge Life, Business, it's all up to you! Just know that you could very well be enjoying one of our delicious prizes. Two winners will be randomly...
Among the most popular options for a quick restaurant-supplied meal in the Lake Wales area is pizza. With multiple outlets available, including several national chains, we decided to conduct a taste-test survey of local choices. Among those we have tried, one stood out. Pizzano's is a locally-owned pizzeria that turns out consistent pies that meet all the several measurement points we set out. Consistency was one of the most important, and the quality of the several pies we...
Kenneth Branagh's latest Hercule Poirot film, A Haunting in Venice, is a haunted house movie but isn't that scary. It is a surprisingly enjoyable and suspenseful mystery. While it may not be the most original or groundbreaking film of the year, it's well-made, well-acted, beautifully shot and fun. The film is set in the atmospheric city of Venice, where Poirot is invited to investigate a series of mysterious deaths at a séance. The cast is full of talented actors, including Br...
A special performance by the well-known touring band Big Al and the Heavyweights is happening this Friday night, September 22, at The Spot in Lake Wales. Led by "Big Al" Lauro, the band was originally formed with Warren Haynes of Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule, along with pianist Rick Gergen, formerly of Sweethearts of the Rodeo. It now features Louisiana Music Hall of Fame pianist and vocalist Wayne Lohr, along with guitarist and vocalist extraordinaire Marcel Anton and...
The history of human transportation gets a rousing send-up in the humorous "Are We There Yet" which will be on stage at Lake Wales Little Theater this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Director Alicia Bush and Kara Wiseman, with the assistance of Musical Director Mindy Kessler have combined the clever songs of playwright Stephen Murray to marshall the tremendous force of dozens of young performers into an entertaining show. Whether you are a parent or grandparent, or just wish you...
I finally got to see Blue Beetle over the weekend. This is a superhero character I had never heard of. Blue Beetle is a fun and enjoyable superhero film that brings a fresh perspective to the genre. Xolo Maridueña delivers a charming and charismatic performance as Jaime Reyes, a young man who stumbles upon an alien scarab that grants him extraordinary powers. Together with his family and friends, he must learn to control his newfound abilities and use them to protect his...
