Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 1201 - 1225 of 1256
Wow! It's hard to believe our Lake Wales online news site is almost 1-month-old. We did a "soft launch" with little fanfare Feb. 13 so we could load the site with great content before most people even got their first look. Our online readership is growing daily and many more are accessing the highlights on our Facebook page. In the last five days our posts reached more than 2,000 people, and more than half engaged in some way. We're the "new kid on the block," but we're...
The City of Lake Wales is negotiating with the Lake Wales YMCA to buy its property and building for $636,000. City staff estimates an additional $250,000 will be needed for repairs and renovation of the building. The YMCA, located at 1001 Burns Ave., would continue to manage and operate the child care program, camps, aquatics, youth and sports activities, exercise and wellness programs. Under the proposal currently being negotiated, the property would be leased back from the...
Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards wants college students to know they have until March 29 to apply for one of three $1,200 scholarships to be awarded by the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections in 2019. Applicants must be: - Registered to vote in the State of Florida - A Citizen of the United States - Enrolled as a full-time student in a senior college or university in Florida - Majoring in Political Science/Public or Business Administration or...
Lake Wales residents should have an estate plan, but estate plans can be difficult for the uninitiated to draw up. There are so many mistakes that people often make in the realm of estate planning. Sometimes these are due to lack of information, other times they are due to the abundance of bad information available on a Google search, social media or by word of mouth. This article will review a few of the mistakes that I have seen in my three decades of practicing law that...
Lake Ashton Veterans Association will be holding a breakfast to raise funds for Homeless Veterans in East Polk County from 8-11 a.m. Saturday, March 23 at the health and fitness center, 6052 Pebble Beach Blvd, Winter Haven. Tickets are $10 each for the meal of pancakes, sausage, biscuits and gravy....
Based upon a Florida TaxWatch independent assessment, Polk State College and others in the Florida College System offer a good return on a student's investment based upon low debt and higher anticipated work-life earnings of their graduates. The Florida TaxWatch, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit taxpayer research institute and government watchdog, announced at a press conference the results of their independent assessment of the economic impacts of the Florida College...
The Polk County Public Schools surplus book warehouse is a treasure trove filled with hidden gems of knowledge. Every week, people dig through thousands of old textbooks and library books that would otherwise be destined for recycling. Instead, the books find new life as they make their way into the hands of other young learners. Best of all? They're free. "It's like a box of Cracker Jack," said Michael Boire, gesturing to the hundreds of boxes stacked throughout the warehouse...
Parents of students throughout Florida have enrollment options available to them for the 2019-2020 school year through a process called "controlled open enrollment." Polk County parents will be able to seek transfers by applying online between April 1 and April 26. The Florida legislature passed a statute that allows students to request a transfer to another school besides their zoned school, including transfers to public schools in surrounding counties. Parents seeking...
Rotary on the Ridge inducted Destini Lewis as a new member March 18. Lewis is Realtor ® and founder of her own company, Unique Destiny. She was sponsored by the club's newest member, Jonathan White, who supports her in marketing her real estate business, Homeexpo. Rotary on the Ridge is family friendly, and members have enjoyed getting to know White, Lewis and their 3-month-old Lily and 9-year-old Charles-Anthony. The family lives in Bartow. The county's only after hours...
When Lake Ashton resident Al Goldstein became the only candidate to qualify for April's District 4 City Commission election, he won automatically, leaving plenty of Lake Wales residents wondering: "Who is Al Goldstein?" In a rambling two-hour conversation, Goldstein revealed much about himself and his strong opinions about several pending issues but left plenty hidden as well. Critical of some proposals before the Commission, Goldstein offered his respect for the positions...
To honor the French language and culture during the internationally recognized La Francophonie month of March, the Polk Museum of Art is hosting a free-of-charge La Francophonie Celebration on Saturday, March 23, from noon to 4 p.m. This French-focused education program sanctioned by the Organisation international de la Francophonie in Paris coincides with the closing of the Museum's three-month long Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist exhibition. Throughout the afternoon...
April Love Belligan, 61, of Venice, Florida, died March 13 in her sleep at the Venice Regional Bayfront Health Hospital. She was born on March 1, 1958 in Lake Wales to the late Norma (Wooten) and Remus Perry Love Jr. She was the youngest daughter of six children. She is survived by her husband Richard Belligan of Nokomis, FL, who she married Oct. 14, 2005. April grew up in Polk County. She had various talents and interests. She enjoyed working in several management positions such as office manager of Swango Animal Hospital....
Warner University officially became part of the Citrus Label Tour of Polk County on March 1. What started a few short years ago as an initiative to identify buildings, land, and families with significance to the citrus industry in Polk County has grown to well over 15 locations. Warner University is honored to house two of the label displays which were generously donated by the represented families, the Maxcys and the Keens. The signs were conveniently placed around our Ed &...
Christina Cunningham of Lake Wales has been chosen as one of three Sunshine State Scholars for 2019 from the Polk County School District. The daughter of Lori and Rick Cunningham, Christina is a junior at Harrison School for the Arts. Every year, school districts across Florida select their top 11th-graders in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for the Sunshine State Scholars program. Each of the Scholars will travel to Orlando in June for a...
Polk County Public Schools began accepting applications March 4 for its Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK) and Head Start programs. Each of the programs is designed to address students' developmental and educational needs. Eligibility requirements vary. Available programs include: • Voluntary Pre-kindergarten, or VPK, a free statewide program for all 4-year-old children. Children must be 4 on or before Sept. 1 of the 2019-2020 school year to participate. VPK is offered at 23 s...
Polk County Public Schools began accepting applications for its Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK) and Head Start programs March 4. Each of the programs is designed to address students’ developmental and educational needs. Eligibility requirements vary. Available programs include: • Voluntary Pre-kindergarten, or VPK, a free statewide program for all 4-year-old children. Children must be 4 on or before Sept. 1 of the 2019-2020 school year to participate. VPK is offered at 23 sites throughout the county. All 4-year-olds must sub...
The Polk County Democratic Executive Committee is hosting a Town Hall on Monday, March 18, to discuss education bills making their way through the Florida Legislature. Open to the public, the town hall is from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Bartow public library, 2150 S. Broadway, Bartow. County residents are invited to understand details of legislation that Florida politicians may be voting on during the 2019 legislative session. From arming teachers to the growing shift of tax dollars...
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...
People wanting to become volunteers in the Polk County Public Schools can now complete volunteer applications online at polkschoolsfl.com/getinvolved With the introduction of this new system, the school district will no longer accept paper volunteer applications from the general public. For security purposes, the new volunteer system will screen applicants with a national criminal background check as well as a Florida Department of Law Enforcement background check. Approved...
Polk County Manager Jim Freeman will speak about current county and state legislative issues at the next meeting of the Tiger Bay Club of Polk County. The meeting starts at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 20 at the Bartow Civic Center, 2250 S. Floral Ave. in Bartow. The buffet lines opens at 11:45 a.m. and the meeting begins promptly at noon. The charge is $15 for Tiger Bay members and $25 for nonmembers. Reservations are due by March 19 by emailing reservation@tigerbaypolk.com...
If we at the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council were to survey people who travel through and around greater Lake Wales, I think we would be hard pressed to find even a fraction of them pleased with driving conditions here. If we were to narrow down the survey to a discussion only about U.S. Highway 27, the area's major north-south route, the fraction of pleased motorists likely would be even smaller. The issue here really isn't about road...
Have you been practicing your target shooting for "Bustin' Clays with Sheriff Grady Judd?" The 11th annual clay shooting event is just around the corner on March 16, so now is the time to register. Polk Sheriff's Charities, Inc. is holding the event again at Tenoroc Sporting Clays in Lakeland. Sign-in starts at 7 a.m. and the event begins at 8 a.m. Last year over 500 people attended Bustin' Clays and over 360 shooters were signed up. Sponsorship opportunities are still...
Polk County School District officials unveiled a plan this week to offer high school students a Lake Wales option by adding grades 9-12 to the current McLaughlin Middle School. McLaughlin would increase its fine arts programs and add a high-tech academy if the proposal is approved by the School Board. Board Chairman Lynn Wilson expressed his immediate and strong opposition to the idea, but the other six Board members seemed at least open to the possibility. School Board...
A week-long observation in all seven Lake Wales Charter schools culminated with a special community event at Eagle Ridge Mall with hundreds of staff, students, families and local supporters celebrating Disabilities Awareness Week. Charter Schools participated in a variety of activities designed to help students, teachers, staff, families and the broader community understand the importance of supporting special need students – children with disabilities – and their fam...
Bok Academy North teacher Margaret Thomas has a daily tradition with her sixth grade students. Every day, she likes to greet them with a question, something that simultaneously can entertain and educate her youngsters at the same time. It's part of the reason she has been named as the school's first-ever Teacher of the Year. Bok North opened its doors this past August. "It is the highlight of my day," she said of her routine, which sets the tone for entering a classroom that...
