Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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The Lake Wales NAACP Branch 5109 presented its Servant Leader Award to Bishop Roscoe Williams III. Board member Nicara Daniels announced the award at the Branch's 46th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet Saturday, June 15 at the James P. Austin Center. Williams was born in Sylvester, GA and moved to Florida at a very young age. He graduated with the class of 1974 from Lake Wales High School. He married his high school sweetheart, Annie, and they are the proud parents of four children...
Joseph Farewell started shooting as soon as he was big enough to hold a gun and he began competing about nine years ago. The 28-year-old Lake Wales native is proud to represent the United States in the World Rifle Championship in Sweden Aug. 3-10, and he's optimistic about bringing home a gold medal. The U.S. Practical Shooting Association chose Farewell for the four-shooter men's open team, which includes Scott Green of Nevada, who placed second in last year's World Shotgun...
Supporters of Silly Socks Saturdays filled Cypress Lanes on July 27 for a fun day of bowling to raise funds to help make hospital visits better for area children and teens. High school junior Zachary Kirkland thanked participants, sponsors and raffle prize donors for helping give his organization more resources to do the work he started while in middle school. Through his Silly Sock Saturdays nonprofit, Zachary delivers gift bags with socks, games and other comfort items to pa...
Passion, drive, and follow through are items we don't always see today. To find them in one person is even less likely. Now, add strong Christian values, continually advocating for the agriculture mission, and an unflappable desire to educate the next generation of agriculture student, and you have Justin Sharpless. A few months ago, the opportunity arose to sit down and discuss his history with Warner University, his love of agriculture, and his faith. His thoughts are...
American Legion Post 71 is once again looking for a new home. The post closed its Area 71 Restaurant and Bar at Eagle Ridge Mall in June after six months of operation. Past Commander Andy Anderson said the mall operation was successful until Area 71 began experiencing problems with its air conditioning and sewer system. The final blow came after a refrigerator breakdown caused the post to lose about $1,500 in food. "When the people don't come, when the mall itself is hot, it's...
Zachary Kirkland is a caring teenager committed to helping young people have a better hospital experience. Through his Silly Sock Saturdays nonprofit, Zachary delivers gift bags with socks, games and other comfort items to patients in the pediatric unit at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. A rising junior at Lake Wales High School, Zachary formed his nonprofit when he was in middle school at Bok Academy. "This helps the kids by taking their mind onto other things, not the...
Lake Wales is well-represented at the world's largest air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this week as Eric Farewell and his Aviator PPG team take to the skies to show off their paramotor flying skills. Wearing what look like large, round fans on their backs and dangling from parachute canopies, the four-person team again is sharing some of the aerobatic maneuvers that delighted audiences in May at the Sun 'n Fun Air Show in Lakeland. "It's a great honor for us to be invited back,"...
Family and Friends of Albert Hawkins Jr. gathered Saturday, July 20 to honor his memory and dedicate a pavilion in his name. Hawkins died in December 2017 at the age of 79. The pavilion is located next to the B Street Community Center in Lake Wales where Hawkins spent countless hours serving the community. Alice Sanders coordinated the tributes to "Hawk," made by representatives of various churches, the Green and Gold Foundation, his Roosevelt High School Class of 1956 classma...
The Florida Sportsmen's Conservation Association (FSCA) honored Linda Collins of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for her work managing the agency's Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP). The award, which was presented July 17 at the FWC's meeting in Stuart, recognizes Collins' commitment to public safety. Collins has worked for the FWC for 18 years. She started as an administrative assistant with the Alligator Management Program and now...
In 1914 Nellie Stewart gathered 17 Lake Wales women for a "thimble party" and while they chatted and sewed they decided to form a club. Now 105 years later, members of the GFWC Lake Wales Woman's Club gathered July 10 for a tea and luncheon where they encouraged guests to join their organization. Secretary Mary Walkup described the club's history, which included an amazing list of accomplishments. The Woman's Club over the years has spearheaded or been involved in many local...
Many doctors in their eighth decade would be golfing, traveling or just enjoying retirement. But Dr. Eusebio "Jon" Salud Jr. is spending his later years treating patients with a new procedure that he says is helping to restore their vision. According to Salud, dry macular degeneration is a leading cause of permanent blindness and for 56 years there has been no treatment available for it. He started a noninvasive, safe, simple and painless protocol about five years ago. He...
The Central Florida Media Group will host the Central Florida Family Fun Day and Health Expo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, July 19. The event will be held at the International Market World Flea and Farmers Market at 1052 US Hwy 92 W in Auburndale. The Family Fun Day and Health Expo Day is a day of fun-filled activities including games, prizes, dancing, face painting, back-to-school supplies, live entertainment, health info, and screenings. Admission to Family Fun Day is free...
Research and geneology historian Preston Petermeier will present "The Who, What, Where and Why: A Look at City Directories" from 12:15 to 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at the Polk County History Center at 100 E. Main St. in Bartow. The presentation is part of the Center's Out of the Archives Lecture Series. The Center's collection of local city directories, found in its Historical and Genealogical Library, dates back to the 19th century. Petermeier will show participants how these...
Rotary on the Ridge honored Lake Wales resident Drew Truitt as the club's 2018-19 Rotarian of the Year. The award was presented Monday, July 1 at the club's annual celebration and installation banquet. In presenting the award, 2017-18 Rotarian of the Year Sandra Wolf said he rarely misses a meeting and shows up for every service opportunity and all the fun club events. "Our Rotarian of the Year serves as an ambassador for our club and has sponsored several new members," Wolf s...
The Rotary on the Ridge president's gavel Monday, July 1 passed from one Gillis to another Gillis as five other family members were recognized with Service Above Self Awards. Rotary is definitely a family affair for 2018-19 President Megan Gillis and husband Herb, who took over club leadership for 2019-20. Shortly after Megan was installed as president last June her parents, Sheri and Marshall Hartley, joined the club. Megan and Herb were charter members of Rotary on the...
Concerned that too many patients got their wounds healed but ended up coming back for more treatments, the Lake Wales Wound Care Center has added another therapy to its list of options. Dr. Fred Howard on Tuesday, July 2 did the center's first treatment that used a laser to burn off vessels in leg veins. The treatment is designed to get blood flowing properly to reduce swelling that can cause wounds to fester and create painful sores. "They come, they get wound care, they get...
At age 32, Dr Carolyn Pass had the scare of her life. The hard-working physician was hospitalized with congestive heart failure and found herself wondering if she would live to see her three children grow up. After a lengthy recuperation period she got back into practicing medicine but with a greater appreciation for life and helping her patients focus on their own good health. Now 20 years after her own health scare Pass says she tells her patients: "You matter. You have to t...
The GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales will be hosting a New Member Tea and Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 10. This is the first ever event of this kind for the club and it is open to any woman who is a resident of Greater Lake Wales who desires to be a part of an organization rich in history that has been a force for community good over the last 105 years. The GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales provides financial, in-kind, and hands on support for local, national,...
After a brief absence from Polk County, Danny Kushmer, returns as executive director for the Lakes Education Action Drive (LE/AD) beginning July 1. Danny replaces Tabitha Biehl who was recently promoted to Land and Natural Areas Manager with Polk County Parks & Natural Resources. Danny spent nearly 10 years as the governmental affairs manager for the Southwest Florida Water Management District with offices in Bartow. During this time, he served on the communications team for...
Lake Wales business leaders gathered at Shoppes on the Ridge Thursday, June 27 for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of a new office of the Heart of Florida Physician Group. The primary caregiver at the office will be Lisa Peto, a family nurse practitioner. Peto provides in-office assessments, diagnosis and treatments of acute and chronic illnesses in patients of all ages, from infant through adult. Services include prevention and management of diabetes, COPD, high...
The Wound Healing Center at Lake Wales Medical Center is holding an open house from 12:30-1 p.m. to share details of a brand new treatment for people with vein issues. Light refreshments will be served prior to the first patient to be treated with the new procedure starting at 1 p.m. The center says the new service line is an important step in fulfilling its mission to service all wound care related patients. The Wound Healing Center is located at 451 S. 11th Street. People...
The Lake Wales Mardi Gras committee is celebrating its best year ever, with the expanded event resulting in $8,000 in donations for community projects. Committee Vice President Denny Wittman said the 2019 Mardi Gras drew an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 parade watchers. The festival, which was moved to Lake Wailes Park, attracted between 1,500 and 2,000 attendees Friday night and an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 on Saturday. "Moving the Festival to the Lake was a huge success with all...
Alice Absolutely is a self-taught artist positioning her work at the cusp of Abstract Emotionalism. She was born in Winter Haven and works now as Lake Wales Public Library's very own teen specialist (although you'd know her better as Amanda McCallister in that role). She is displaying artwork pieces through June 28 in the Lake Wales Public Library's Local Artist Gallery from her collection, "Flying High at the End of My Rope." This collection is a visual circus of emotional...
The Lake Wales NAACP Branch 5109 recognized Eddye Jean Rivers with its Community Leader Award. NAACP Board Member Nicara Daniels presented the award at the branch's 46th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet June 15 at the James P. Austin Community Center. Rivers was born in Lake Wales, he daughter of the late Edward and Belle Sumlin. She is one of seven children. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in the Class of 1956 and married David Rivers. They have one son, David Rivers Jr....
Florida Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson fired up members of the Lake Wales NAACP Saturday June 15 with a rousing call to be bold, to vote and to make sure others vote. The Jacksonville Democrat was keynote speaker for Branch 5109's 46th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet. Gibson has been in the Florida Legislature since 2002, the first eight years as a Representative, and the last eight as a Senator. Since it was Father's Day weekend, Gibson brought her dad, Ernest Gibson, to...
