Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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A famous photo, featured in psychology textbooks, shows a lineup of infant ducklings following a baby elephant around a barnyard. The phenomenon is called "imprinting" – the tendency in fowls, within hours of being hatched, to follow the first moving object and regard it as their mother. Scientists have long attempted to determine to what extent the imprinting principle can be extraplated to the experience of human beings. It is widely felt, for instance, that adolescence i...
Arlene Smith Ragland, 91 of Lake Wales, died April 2 at Solaris Healthcare Windemere in Orlando. She was born Dec. 28, 1927. Visitation is 12:30 p.m. until 2 p.m. service at New Divine Church of God by Faith, 640 Burns Ave., Lake Wales. Epps Memoria Funeral Home in Lake Wales is in charge of arrangements....
The environmental lands team at Circle B Bar Reserve is looking for volunteers to help celebrate Gopher Tortoise Day on Wednesday, April 10. The event starts from 8-11 a.m. with a gopher tortoise survey. The public can volunteer to gather data about the tortoise population by participating in a survey crew. Participants will track the tortoises by radio through the uplands, find the burrows and collect information on the numbered tortoises. Volunteers are asked to wear...
Polk County Parks & Recreation invites people to go back in time at their Good Ol' Days Folk Festival on from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday April 13 at the historic Homeland Heritage Park. Admission is free and includes live entertainment by The Rambin' Rose Trio, Lilly Jane Band and local school groups. Activities include a whip cracking contest, Kids Craft Zone, Marketplace with handcrafted goods, corn shucking contest and historic trade demonstrations. Food vendors will be on...
The City of Lake Wales has undertaken an aggressive program to spend about $500,000 per year to repair roads throughout the city. A large portion of the funding was freed up when the City Commission adopted a new stormwater fee in February. Work began March 25 on 13 city streets and Phase one should be completed within about three weeks, according to Assistant City Manager James Slaton. Slaton said within six years the city should have repaired 50 percent of its roads. The cit...
NOTE: This event has been postponed - new date not announced yet. The Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development Council is hosting a Power Breakfast with Keynote Speaker Sheriff Grady Judd at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 10. The breakfast catered by IHOP will take place at Christ's Church on the Move, 2039 SR 60 E (behind Topper's Ice Cream.) Cost is $15 per person. CenterState Bank is the presenting sponsor and Epps Memorial Funeral Home is the contributing...
Visit Central Florida is looking for some CATS – not the feline kind, but volunteers to become Certified Ambassadors of Tourism and Sports (CATS). CATS can be anyone – longtime or new resident or even snowbirds. Some are hospitality industry professionals: hotel concierges, restaurant servers, UBER drivers, local attraction employees – anyone who comes in contact with guests. CATS go through training to become experts on Polk County attractions. They are pioneers in hosting th...
A 12-stop walking tour of Lake Wales is included in a free mobile application produced by the Florida Humanities Council. The Florida Stories application can be downloaded at the Apple Store or Google Play. The Lake Wales tour includes stops at the Atlantic Coast Line Depot, the Woman's Club, Lake Wales State Bank, J.T. Rhodes Building, Rhodesbilt Arcade, Post Office, Dixie Walesbilt Hotel, Lake Wales News, Bullard Building, Scenic Theater and Lake Wales City Hall. Each stop...
Do YOU have an interest in the future of Lake Wales? In how our city grows, and the services and lifestyle we will enjoy? Then this is your moment to speak up. (See the outcome of a week of planning by clicking here) More than 100 of your fellow citizens have already shared their ideas and energies by participating in a Monday evening "charrette" at the Austin Community Center, organized by Lake Wales MainStreet and the planning firm of Dover Kohl and Partners. MainStreet...
The Rockin' on the River fundraising event April 5-6 moved to a new location this year on the shores of Lake Pierce at the Florida FFA Leadership Training Center. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday, April 5 with music by The Nathan Baldwin Band and then Darryl Worley hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. Worley will be signing autographs while BURN sets up to start their 10 p.m. performance. Saturday's festivities will start with opening ceremonies at noon with a special guest...
Four representatives of the urban design firm Dover Kohl and about a dozen interested citizens took a walking tour Wednesday morning of the northwest business district in Lake Wales. Dover Kohl planners are in Lake Wales all week obtaining citizen input on how to revitalize and connect the historic downtown and northwest section so they can design a plan for the next 20 years. Local attorney Sara Jones, chairperson of the Northwest Advisory Committee, and former city...
An "Open Design Studio" is drawing visitation and input from citizens interested in helping plan a bright future for Lake Wales. Part of the "Connecting Lake Wales" effort sponsored by the Lake Wales MainStreet program, the studio workshop is filled with planners, architects, and designers actively working on concepts that will be shared with the public in a special presentation on Friday evening, April 5. The Studio will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on...
Join Dr. Jack E. Davis at the Lake Wales Public Library for his lively long historical view of the Gulf of Mexico, drawn from his 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea. Significant beyond tragic oil spills and hurricanes, the Gulf has historically been one of the world's most bounteous marine environments, supporting human life for millennia. Davis starts from the premise that nature lies at the center of human existence, and takes his...
Jean Scott of Lake Wales passed away Sunday, March 31 at her residence. She was born May 8, 1930 in Dania, FL to the late Richard Edgar and Etta Clarke (Barnhill) Hansen. She has been a resident of the area since 1941 coming from Fort Lauderdale. She was the Superintendent of the Highland Park Golf Course. Jean was the President of the VFW Auxiliary for two terms, Voice for the city of Lake Wales, and a Lake Wales City Commissioner. She held the key to the City and was Citizen...
It's blueberry season, and blueberries are good for your health. Crown Jewel Farms U-Pick season opened April 1 for blueberries. We are fortunate to be able to get certified organic produce this good in our back yard. Their address is 106 Egg Farm Road in Lake Wales. Their phone number is 863-528-2402. Their website is https://crownjewelorganic.com/ Right now they also have cabbage, cucumbers, and kale. Egg Farm Road is on the west side of Scenic Highway between Mountain Lake...
You might say that Samantha Havens is the Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary School Teacher of the Year because she hits all the right notes. Now in her ninth year at the Lake Wales Charter System, the school's music teacher earned a bachelor's in music education from Warner University in 2010, where she was inspired by Dr. Steven Darr. "Dr. Darr taught me that if you want something to be spectacular, then you need to put in the time and effort," Havens noted. "He is...
Lake Wales voters re-elected both incumbents Tuesday and approved a charter change that extended commissioner terms from two years to three. City Commissioner Curtis Gibson coasted to victory with more than 63 percent of the vote, beating political newcomer James Tucker by 1,110 votes to 637. Mayor Eugene Fultz had a closer race winning 55 percent of the vote to claim his third term over challenger Bob Wood, with a final vote of 995 to 818. Nearly 59 percent of the voters...
According to the most recent statistics from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, more than 43 million people have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months.1 These people may be spouses, partners, adult children, parents, other relatives, friends or even neighbors. And, many of these people may not even realize that they have taken on a new role as a caregiver. Caregiving often starts with small tasks-taking your dad to a doctor's appointment...
Fans of Italian travel, or those who just dream about it, are invited to share lunch and enjoy an hour of fellowship Saturday, April 6 at l'Incontro Italian Restaurant in Lake Wales. "All About Italy" is the name of a "Meetup" group that draws Italophiles from as far away as Orlando, Sebring, and Clermont. The delightful art, architecture, history, and natural beauty of Italy have long made it one of the world's most desirable travel destinations. A stronger dollar has made th...
The third annual Virginia Lassiter Leadership Luncheon will be held at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, April 6 at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd Parish Hall, 221 South Fourth Street, Lake Wales. The luncheon will be followed by A Conversation with Leaders of the Lake Wales Arts community: Robin Gibson, Jayne Crews-Linton and Marilyn Newell. Founded in 1972 by a small group of citizens, the Lake Wales Arts Council has led Lake Wales' reputation as community rich in arts and cu...
Lake Wales City voters have their final opportunity to vote for the mayor and one city commissioner from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. Voters also are being asked to change the City Charter to increase the mayor's and commissioners' terms from two years to three. Incumbent Mayor Eugene Fultz is being challenged by Bob Wood, who ran unsuccessfully for a city commission seat in 2016. Political newcomer James Tucker is challenging incumbent Commissioner Curtis Gibson for...
If you enjoy visiting old cemeteries, the Polk County History Center invites you to join them Saturday, April 6 for their last cemetery tour until November. The walking tour of historic Oak Hill Cemetery, where pioneer families and war veterans are interred, starts at the History Center with a short walk of about one mile, which includes historic landmarks along the route to the cemetery. The Polk County History Center is located in the old courthouse at 100 E. Main St. in...
Do you have an interest in photography or would you just like your cell phone pictures to capture more than a blurry image? The Lake Wales Public Library's Lifelong Learning Series will present Digital Photography: Take Better Pictures with Anything. The class begins at 10 a.m. in the Library's Schoenoff Meeting Room, Saturday, April 13. The class concludes at 3 p.m. Instructor and professional photographer, Beatrice, will lead students through adjusting camera or cell phone...
On the shores of Lake Wailes, runners are invited to "Run Like You CARE" on Saturday, April 6. This race is put on by Lake Wales Care Center to benefit Meals on Wheels, one of the many service programs offered. CenterState Bank is the sponsor. Registration starts at 7 a.m. Race starts are staggered with the 10K beginning at 8 a.m., the 5K at 8:30 a.m. and the Kid's Fun Run at 9 a.m. Lake Wales Care Center is a faith-based community service organization which demonstrates...
Lake Wales High School Future Farmers of America will hold their first annual Fishing for Farmers Bass Tournament on Saturday, April 13. The event goes from safe light until 2 p.m. starting from Camp Mack Guy Harvey River Resort at 14900 Camp Mack Road in Lake Wales. The $80 entry fee includes "big bass," and there is also an $6 ramp fee. The "big bass" payout is $250. Other cash prizes are $700 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third place. The tournament...
