Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Citizen Support Services is a group of people from our community who volunteer their time, talent, and financial assistance to support and advocate for needs that exist within Lake Wales, where existing service organizations are not well positioned to support or coordinate. Citizens of Lake Wales, in partnership with leadership from several community service organizations, aim to ensure support and equity is provided to citizens in need. During the month of December, members...
The show must go on. That's what the Lake Wales Little Theatre decided after an empty stage for nearly a year. The curtain will go up Friday, Jan. 22 for a two weekend production of The Odd Couple. Performances of the classic, fun play will be at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays through Jan. 31. The classic comedy opens as a group of the guys assemble for cards in the apartment of divorced Oscar Madison. And if the mess is any indication, it's no wonder...
Lee Alexander "Alex" Wheeler III passed away Tuesday, October 27, 2020 after unexpected complications following surgery. A third generation Lake Walean, Alex was born in Lake Wales on February 4, 1953, and was a graduate of Lake Wales High School and the University of Florida. Alex was a CPA practicing at Bunting Tripp & Ingley, where he specialized in not-for-profit tax law. Alex was an avid scuba diver who loved hiking, camping, and the outdoors in general. His underwater...
Stephen Cornelius had big plans to grow the Lake Wales High School Highlander Band, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now starting his second year as director, Cornelius is trying to remain optimistic about the band's future. Cornelius had to cancel marching band camp this summer, but he said marching is still part of the curriculum. Cornelius will be teaching only at Lake Wales High and Janie Howard Wilson Elementary this year, as his recent intern from Warner University,...
Lake Wales Charter Schools has announced an amendment to its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2020-2021 school year. All students will be served lunch and breakfast at no charge at the following sites: Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, Janie Howard Wilson Elementary, Polk Avenue Elementary and Victory Ridge Academy. In addition applications for free and reduced price lunches at...
Lake Wales Charter Schools officials have selected a contractor to do phase one and phase two work this summer in getting the new Bok North Academy campus ready for opening this fall. Whitehead Construction has been awarded the contract that includes converting the former Boys and Girls club building into classroom space, and potential renovation and updating work on the old cafeteria building at the historic 1919 Building site, which the charter system purchased from the...
The Lake Wales City Commission in its role as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) April 14 agreed to sell the old school property off Seminole Avenue to the Lake Wales Charter Schools system for $575,000. Charter system officials say they plan to invest upwards of $7 million to turn the property into the permanent site for Bok Academy North. "They are under some time pressure but they hope to open by fall," said City Manager Ken Fields. Bok Academy North is leasing...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools system is offering to buy the city's old high school property north of Seminole Avenue for $575,000 to turn it into a permanent site for Bok Academy North. The City Commission in its capacity as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will consider the proposal at an April 14 meeting. Due to coronavirus concerns the meeting will be held online beginning at 6 p.m. via video teleconference and live streamed on the city's website at...
Lake Wales voters Tuesday re-elected Commissioner Robin Gibson for another three-year term. Gibson took 63 percent of the vote against challenger Bob Wood. Turnout was not quite 15 percent, with only 1,420 of the city's approximately 9,770 voters making a choice. The final tally was 898 votes for Gibson and 522 for Wood. The 2019 city election drew a little over 1,800 voters. The COVID-19 virus scare made campaigning difficult and apparently kept some people away from the...
In addition to his wife Jean, Robin Gibson has two major loves – the Lake Wales Charter Schools system he helped create and historic downtown, which he is committed to help redevelop. It was a tough choice, but Deputy Mayor Gibson announced at the March 3 city commission meeting he will give up his job as general counsel for the charter schools to avoid an ethical conflict. His resignation takes effect March 15. Gibson said the potential sale of the city's 1919 school p...
Lake Wales city commissioners in their role as the Community Redevelopment Agency authorized the city manager to explore the possible sale of the 1919 school property to the Lake Wales Charter Schools to become the permanent home of Bok Academy North. But commissioners raised several issues they want resolved during negotiations. Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson left the room during the discussion to avoid any ethical conflict since he serves as legal counsel for the charter system....
Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields is asking city commissioners, in their role as the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, to allow the Lake Wales Charter Schools to lease the old high school property off Seminole Avenue for one dollar for one year so they can proceed with plans to locate Bok Academy North there for the 2020-21 school year. The CRA meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the city administration building, 201 W. Central Ave. The CRA agenda item asks...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools are looking to breathe new life into the old high school complex by locating Bok Academy North on the site off Seminole Avenue. Charter Schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson said his staff is working with Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields and may have a proposal for the city commission at their next meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency Feb. 18. The charter schools approached the city two years ago asking for a donation of the school...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools Foundation has kicked off it's 2019-20 giving campaign, committed to improving the educational opportunities for all students in the community, according to campaign chairman and Foundation chair James Tully. With the opening of Bok Academy North two years ago, the charter system now operates seven schools, serving a total of approximately 4,750 students. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, the system realized overall revenues of $39.5 millio...
Library cards are still a thing. And now, every single student in the Lake Wales Charter Schools and Polk County School system has one. The Polk County Library Cooperative has partnered with Lake Wales Charter Schools and the Polk County School System to provide free access to public library materials and online resources. Tina Peak, Director of the Lake Wales Library, said the new program is beneficial on many fronts. "This is a wonderful partnership. We often see students...
Lake Wales Moose Lodge 2391 officials were thrilled with the success of their Aug. 25 fundraiser to benefit 12-year-old Ambrey Batson, who is battling a rare form of bone cancer. The Lodge set a goal of $5,000 for the event and ended up raising more than double that amount. The benefit drew about 200 people and served about 130 of the pulled pork dinners. Other funds were raised through an auction, raffles and 50-50 drawing. Lodge Past Governor and event Volunteer Joe Settle...
Lake Wales Moose Lodge 2391 will be hosting a fundraiser Sunday, Aug. 25 to benefit 12-year-old Ambrey Batson, who is battling a rare form of bone cancer. Ambrey is a 7th grader at Bok Academy North, where her mother Shelley is an assistant principal. The benefit will start at 2 p.m. with activities, auction, raffle, 50-50 drawing and more. A dinner with pulled pork, baked beans and cole slaw starts at 5 p.m. for a requested $10 donation. The Moose Lodge is located at 3601 SR...
Lake Wales will soon have another member of the Wright family heading up a local school. Debra Wright-Hudson has been tapped to serve as principal of McLaughlin Middle School and Fine Arts Academy in Lake Wales effective June 17. Wright-Hudson's father, Dr. Clint Wright was the first superintendent of Lake Wales Charter Schools from 2004 until his death in 2007. Her mother, also named Debra, served as the area's representative on the Polk County School Board. Her sister,...
Overcoming significant challenges of language and poverty, the Lake Wales Charter Schools maintained or improved their 2019 school grades released July 11 by the Florida Department of Education. "We are very, very proud of their improvement and success, of the work that's being done," said charter schools Superintendent Jesse Jackson. "What we have done over the years is try to build a system for success. . . create a structure. Personalities come and go, but we're building a...
New Bok North Academy Principal Donna Drisdom learned at an early age, from two teachers at Mulberry High School, a philosophy that continues to serve her well even today. "It's looking at the smaller things to understand the larger things is how they would put it," meaning, look deeper than the surface to find the root cause, Drisdom said of the influential instructors, Carolyn Williams and Kathy Langford. "I just kind of took that with me." Drisdom was named to her Lake...
Stephen Cornelius recognizes that the proud tradition of the Lake Wales Marching Highlanders is still embedded deeply in the community. He understands what he faces as the new band director for Lake Wales High School, and says he's ready for the challenge. Reflecting on his new position, Cornelius wrote: "It was Theodore Roosevelt that said 'far better it is to dare mighty things...even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy...
The Polk County School Board Tuesday May 14 approved enrollment increases for Victory Ridge Academy and Bok Academy North for the 2019-20 school year and to hold the capacity at 1,650 for Lake Wales High School. Bok Academy North got approval to increase enrollment from 200 to 400, so they can roll up their 6th graders and serve grades six and seven for the next school year. Bok North presented a plan to house 200 seventh grade students at First Presbyterian Church in addition to 200 sixth graders at First Baptist Church,...
Lake Wales Charter Schools System Superintendent Dr. Jesse L. Jackson has announced the appointment of Donna Drisdom as the new Principal of Edward W. Bok Academy North. For the past two years Drisdom has served as principal of McLaughlin Middle School Fine Arts Academy in Lake Wales. "I cannot imagine a better outcome for Edward W. Bok Academy North.," Dr. Jackson noted. "I am very much looking forward to having Mrs. Drisdom on board as the principal." Drisdom received her...
Downtown revitalization may have a domino effect and breathe new life into the old Lake Wales 1919 school building. City Manager Ken Fields told city commissioners April 16 that during the budget process this year he wants to talk about what to do with the city's red brick two-story structure that housed Lake Wales students for decades. Fields said city officials were waiting to see the recommendations of urban planners Dover Kohl, expected in June, which he believes could...
Bok Academy students recently put a new twist on an old idea. The Lake Wales Charter school's "Renaissance Knight" didn't look back at history but instead provided parents and friends a chance to hear and see the talents and skills of hundreds of middle school students who sang, played and even showed off their television production skills. Beginner and advanced orchestras from both Bok North and South performed on the outdoor stage at Bok South, along with school choirs and...
