Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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When I was a teenager I received three moving violations that resulted in my operator's license being suspended. While my license were suspended I was pulled over, because the car I was driving did not have a front license plate, which is required in the state of Ohio. This infraction resulted in a court appearance. For the next several weeks leading up to the court appearance my only thought was, I do not want to go to jail. I hired a lawyer and expressed to him those exact...
How should we spend our limited time and energy? Which opportunities (no matter how small) do we need to pursue with our whole heart, and which opportunities (no matter how big) should we respectfully decline? When is a thing "right" to seek after, given the unique positions, talents, and gifts God has bestowed on us in this specific point of our lives? When we are tired, frustrated, confused, angry, and wondering if a thing should be pursued, here some passages worth...
This is 2020. This is early November in the United States of America. No original collection of words created by me, here and now, can create any more value for our collective benefit. I am grateful for the ability to read and the ability to remember His words. May we all (author chief among us) ponder these words in the days ahead: Ephesians 4:25-32 – Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another...
Over the course of my life, I have heard many people say something along the lines of "time flies." The older I get, the faster time does seem to "fly by." For the sake of my young readers, I am not speaking literally. Why does that seem to be true? In pondering the idea of the perceived speed of 'time', I remember two of the responses people gave me to an implied rhetorical question: "We acquire more responsibilities, the older we get," and "We realize how much time we have...
Today, my grandmother turns 92 years old. Since 1928, she has certainly experienced many changes throughout her life in the United States. I am thankful to God for still having this woman in my life. She continues to pray for and encourage me regardless of the present temporary circumstances I am facing, or that she is facing. The Word holds true amidst world wars, great depressions, global pandemics, political turmoil, natural disasters, seismic technological changes, the...
One of the most encouraging things about the Christian life is the knowledge that we serve a God who welcomes, encourages, and answers our prayers. Because of the work of Jesus Christ, God's Son, believers can come before the presence of God in prayer. Our prayers should contain praise, thanksgiving, petitions, and supplications. When we as believers approach God the Father in prayer, we do so in the name of Jesus Christ who satisfied the Law of God, and is now seated beside...
We all want the Norman Rockwell Christmas with the perfect family gathering of laughter and well-behaved children. We want our homes to look like something out of a magazine. We want to create precious memories with our children that will last a lifetime. These are all good desires, but bad idols. In the blink of an eye, an honorable desire gets out of hand when we put it above the people who come into our lives. Life happens, and in our quest for perfection, we forget that...
The Lake Wales Public Library will conduct the annual Holiday Food for Fines program through Dec. 31. Food for Fines is an annual fine amnesty program that provides library patrons the opportunity to "pay" overdue fines with a donation of food to the Lake Wales Care Center's Food Pantry. Overdue materials may be returned with at least five non-perishable food items, or outstanding fines owed may be "paid" with the same donation. The library will accept returned library...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Al Goldstein has been appointed to serve on the "new and improved" Florida League of Cities' 2020-2021 Advocacy Committee. In appointing Goldstein, FLC President Tony Ortiz said advocacy is one of the primary missions of the Florida League of Cities. "This committee will be responsible for fulfilling the responsibilities outlined in the Advocacy Mission Statement and for developing ideas and activities that strengthen our influence with state...
Rather than allow the COVID-19 pandemic to eliminate its annual Christmas celebration, the First Baptist Church of Lake Wales is offering "Drive-Thru" Christmas Dec. 12 and 13. Each evening from 6-8 p.m. vehicles will be directed to pass from one scene to the next along a marked route. The event will feature musical elements and visual depictions of the biblical Christmas story. The final stop will include carolers, a snow fall and distribution of child-focused gift bags from...
The Polk County Democratic Executive Committee organizational meeting & election was held Monday, Dec. 7 via the ZOOM online platform and also live on Facebook. Elected to serve as the 2020-2022 Board Officers include: Catherine Price, Chair; Veysel Dokur, 1st Vice-Chair; Jiwa Farrell, 2nd Vice-Chair, Polly Burkhart, Secretary; Norman Wilderson, Sergeant-At-Arms and Cindy Ransbottom, Treasurer. Also elected to serve from 2020-2024 were Karen Welzel, State Committeewoman, and...
Holiday shoppers looking for a locally grown or handmade gift will revel in the news that the Lake Wales Farmer's Market is once again re-open in the city's historic downtown district. The market returned with almost 40 vendors on Nov. 14, and is expected to host upwards of 50 or more vendors on Saturday, December 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market operates on the second and fourth Saturday each month, and will be open Dec. 26 as well. Market manager Lynn Greenfield said the...
An active swimmer since age 5, Mary Leigh Hardman dreams of some day competing in the Olympics. The Lake Wales High School freshman moved closer to her goal last weekend by winning Florida state swimming championships in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events. "This is my first ever high school win. I'm very excited," said Mary Leigh, noting "I just knew I was going to do my best." Mary Leigh is following in the footsteps – or swimming strokes - of her mother, Molly Magill H...
Lake Wales Main Street is inviting people to come downtown Saturday, Nov. 28 for music, shopping and dancing after dark. The "Shop Small and Rock and Roll" event will be from 6 to 10 p.m. The evening will culminate Shop Small Saturday, when people are encouraged to support local merchants. Stores will be offering huge discounts and free giveaways, and the event will include live music by 99 in the Shade, craft beer and other fun....
Pre-bidding began Nov. 14 for a furniture auction to benefit the historic Stuart House renovation. The auction includes vintage and outdated furniture pieces that local artists and creative people have transformed into works of art. Some items became available for pre-bidding online starting on Saturday, Nov. 14, with more to come on the day of the in-person event. Vintage Stuart House plant urns also are available for sale online. The bidding concludes at an in-person event...
Fortunately for Angela Lopez, her 6-year-old daughter Esperanza knew to call 9-1-1 in an emergency. On Oct. 21 Lopez fell at her Frostproof home and couldn't get up or call for help. When Esperanza couldn't find anyone to help, she retrieved her mother's phone and called 9-1-1. Polk County Fire Rescue personnel on Nov. 18 honored the Spook Hill Elementary first-grader, designating her a "9-1-1 hero." Fire Rescue public educator Rosa LaLonde used the special recognition event...
Over a decade since his last year as the Warriors' Head Tennis Coach, Trey Heath has been announced by Director of Athletics Brad Niethammer as Webber International University's Interim Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach for the upcoming 2021 season. Heath previously coached both the Warriors' men's and women's tennis programs during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. His 2007 men's team finished the year ranked No. 14 in the NAIA national rankings after advancing to the second...
The Lake Wales Public Library, with the assistance of lakewalesnews.net, has revived a tradition that existed in our local weekly newspaper for many years, the publication of a sampling of new books available at our library. The list will be updated weekly. The Lake Wales Public Library continues to offer safe door-side pickup of materials during our current hours of operation. Call the library to request that holds are placed on items for pickup at the Lake Wales Public...
The Lake Wales History Museum is hosting an online presentation as part of its Florida Speaker Series: Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition by Bob Stone. The session explores and celebrates the history of culture of the nation's oldest cattle ranching state. Few realize that cattle first came to the U.S. through Florida, introduced by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1521. The presentation at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 lets attendees see and hear all the aspects of Florida c...
The Lake Wales Arts Council will host the opening reception and awards ceremony for the Chip Thullbery Fine Arts Invitational from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13. This is the 2nd annual juried fine arts gallery competition for the Lake Wales Arts Council and it showcases more than 40 talented artists from across Central Florida. The exhibit features more than 60 pieces of work judged by Susan Altman, a practicing artist, educator, professor, and assistant chairperson in the Visual,...
Well into the 20th century, bank accounts, credit cards, and household finances were legally left to the control of men. Women's lack of financial freedom was one of General Federation of Women's Club's founder, Jane Cunningham Croly, foundational rallying cries for women across the country. GFWC Clubhouses have come to play a significant role in the preservation of America's historic buildings. Many clubs are situated within historic buildings or were constructed or...
The GFWC Woman's Club of Lake Wales' 35th Annual Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser is set for Nov. 12. "Curb-side" pick-up of boxed dinners will be offered in lieu of a "sit-down" dinner and will take place between 4 and 6 p.m. There is a pre-paid delivery service included in the price of the ticket if one individual orders 10 meals or more at one location or 10 individuals or more from one location order a meal. The cost of the dinner will be $10, which will include pasta with...
The world's current youth population (people aged 15-20) is around 1.8 billion. Most of this population has the potential to be great leaders, while only a small percentage of this population is encouraged to or provided the resources to learn and practice leadership. This stage of being a youth is when young people are still uncertain about what they like and what they don't. Their opinions are not firmly in place, revisited and revised due to their peers' influence and...
Ed Palmer officially became the Lake Wales Police Department's community liaison officer on Sept. 14. But if you ask James "Perly" Sermons, it's been Palmer's calling for a lifetime – Sermons' lifetime. The two first met when Palmer served as the School Resource Officer at Hillcrest Elementary when Perly was a student there. As luck might have it – others might call in Divine guidance – Palmer followed Sermons as an SRO when the youngster went to Roosevelt Academy and to La...
The Boy Scouts of America's regional Greater Tampa Bay Area Council will honor local sheriff's offices with Participating Citizenship Awards in a series of virtual events from Oct. 26-28. The local Council previously honored Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd with the 2008 Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award for service to young people. The Badge of Honor Virtual Event "recognizes the selfless service of local heroes" in the nine departments serving the Council's...
