Knights of Columbus
Lenten Fish Fry
Place: Holy Spirit Church – Parish Hall
644 S. 9th Street, Lake Wales, FL
Tickets: $9.00
When: March 17, 24, & 31
April 7 & 14
Time: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Entrée
Fried Fish
Baked Fish
Fried Shrimp
Sides
French Fries, Corn
Green Beans, Coleslaw
Hush Puppies
Included with Meal: Coffee, Sweet Tea, or Lemonade
Half portion kids meal with 2 sides: $5.00
Grilled Cheese Dinner with 2 sides: $5.00
Scholarship and other charities.
Lakeland’s Fallen Police Officers Honored with New Memorial
Dedication Ceremony Set for March 20, 2017
WHO: Lakeland Police Department, Families of Fallen Officers and the Public
WHAT: Lakeland Police Fallen Heroes Memorial Dedication
WHEN: Monday, March 20, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Lakeland Police Department, 219 North Massachusetts Avenue
WHY: Honoring Lakeland’s Fallen Officers
The Memorial is a beautiful site that honors Lakeland’s five fallen officers: Patrolman William Barnett, Patrolman Thomas Nicholson, Officer Eugene DeBerry, Officer Carl Cushman and Officer Arnulfo Crispin. The centerpiece features a life-size bronze Honor Guard sculpture atop a granite backdrop watching over the names of the fallen officers. Attached to the granite are five glass plaques, each etched with a fallen officer’s name and photo. Also featured is a large glass badge, illuminated with LED lights, to serve as a reminder of those still serving. The foundation of the site is lined with personalized engraved bricks which were sold to help fund the project.
Assistant Chief Link, who also serves on the project team, stated “This memorial will forever honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the citizens of Lakeland. It has been very humbling to see the support from our community. Without their donations, the memorial would not have been possible.”.
To ensure safety for those attending the event, the main entrance to the station will be closed beginning at 4:00 p.m. Those who need to visit the station for police business should enter on Bay Street.) The portion of Massachusetts Avenue between Cedar Street and Bay Street will be closed beginning at 6:00 p.m. Motorists will be detoured one block over to Kentucky Avenue. Detours will be clearly marked and traffic will be redirected. Parking for the event is available throughout Downtown.
For additional information, please visit www.lakelandpolicefoundation.com
Middle And High School Students Will Pitch Their Business Ideas April 5th
LAKELAND – Young entrepreneurs will get a chance to pitch their business plans to a panel of Polk business leaders in a local version of “The Shark Tank.”
On Wednesday, April 5, sixteen student entrepreneurs will take the stage, dressed as young professionals, and be ready to wow local investors.
Students in grades 6 through 12, representing 16 businesses from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Polk County (YEA! POLK), a chapter of the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, will each have five minutes to pitch their business plans to prominent local members of the business community.
Based on the appeal and merit of the students’ plans and presentations, representatives from companies such as Bank of Central Florida, McGee Auto Service & Tires, and SunTrust will determine the amount of funds to allocate to each business.
The investors will also select one business to advance to the Young Entrepreneurs Academy Saunders Scholars Competition, where they will compete with students across the United States for college scholarships.
The event is free and open to the public. Interviews with young entrepreneurs or members of the judging panel can be arranged.
Location: Bush Chapel, Southeastern University, Lakeland
Date/Time Information: Wednesday, April 5, 2017
5:30 – 6:00 pm Meet & Greet
6:00 – 8:00 pm Investor Panel Presentation
Contact Information: Rebecca Fortier (863) 688-8551 x 229 [email protected]
Photo: Students from the 2016 Investor Panel Presentation event
For Haines City’s New Police Chief, It’s a Homecoming
HAINES CITY – Gary Hester’s appointment as Haines City’s new police chief on March 8th marked a bit of a homecoming, since Hester was born and raised on Haines City’s east side.
A 1978 graduate of Haines City High School, he’s the past president of the Haines City Rotary Club, and his wife is retired from the city’s school system.
“I know the town and know the community, my family still lives in Haines City,” he said. “I have deep roots in the city.”
He begins work as the city’s top law enforcement officer May 15, and will draw a salary of $105,000.
Hester plans to settle in and get to know the department to learn its strengths and challenges are before setting any goals for improvements or changes, he says, but he already has some idea where he will focus his efforts.
“I’ve always been committed to crime prevention,” he said. “I think it’s our job to prevent crime as well as solve crimes. I’m committed to providing great community service and a great quality of life for our citizens.”
He also says he will focus on data-driven, community-based policing.
“I’ll be very engaged in the community and I’ll expect the same thing from the officers,” he said.
Hester brings more than 22 years of service at the executive leadership level to the job, and is known by many as a “transformational leader. “
He served as Chief of Staff of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office until 2010 before serving four years as Winter Haven’s police chief. Most recently he’s spent two-and-a-half years Polk County’s Deputy County Manager, overseeing public safety.
Hester received his undergraduate degree in Criminology from Saint Leo University, and earned a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama.
City Manager Richard Sloan says he’s excited to work with Hester, with whom he worked at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and praised what he calls Hester’s “proven track record” of employee development, productivity, customer service, morale and organizational effectiveness.
“He is the consummate professional leader that we need to lead our police department to the next level.” He said. “Gary and I worked together for 28 years and he will be a great addition to our executive team.”
City Nearing Deal To Lease Nora Mayo Hall From The State
WINTER HAVEN – Interim City Manager T. Michael Stavres says the city is on the verge of acquiring Nora Mayo Hall for civic events, and it will likely be ready for rentals by groups by this fall.
Stavres, speaking at a city commission meeting Monday said the city is reviewing a draft lease agreement for the building, which lies just to the east of city hall annex on Third Street and Ave. E, Northwest.
The facility is owned by the state Dept. of Agriculture and managed by the Dept. of Transportation. Stavres praised the state for how well the state has maintained the long-abandoned building.
“You could rent it today, “he said. “They’ve done a great job of maintaining that facility. It’s still a very viable and desirable facility.”
Nearly a half dozen community groups have approached Stravres with interest in renting rooms in the building in recent days, he said.
City staff members toured the building recently and found the building in “rentable” shape, he said, with only painting of walls and upgrading some lighting required. He suggested to commissioners that the city also upgrade the facility for better access for the disabled, even though the building was constructed before the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, and is therefore exempt from mandatory Federal upgrades.
The building’s Event Hall could be ready for use by this Fall, if negotiations with the state are successful, he said.
He told the Daily Ridge that the provisional lease for the building, which is now being negotiated, calls for a $300 per year payment with a term of 50 years.
Acquiring use of the facility, also known as the Florida Citrus Building, has long been a priority for city commissioners, even when the price was far higher.
In March, 2015, commissioners passed a resolution to make an offer on the building, for upwards of one million dollars. That followed a March, 2014 resolution to seek to purchase the property from the Agriculture Department when it sought to sell the property.
FL House, Senate Bills Would Remove Criminal Penalties For Personal Pot Use
Two state legislators want Floridians to be able to smoke marijuana without going to jail.
Sen. Senator Jeff Clemens (D- Lake Worth) and Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D – Orlando) introduced bills earlier this month that would make having one ounce of cannabis for personal use into a civil offence, carrying a fine of $100 or community service for adults over the age of 18. Those under 18 would face a drug awareness program, along with a $100 fine, or both.
The bills would make possession of cannabis a non-criminal offense that would not be part of a criminal record, effectively “decriminalizing” the possession and use of marijuana, but not its sale or cultivation.
Stating that the penalties for possessing cannabis are “often disproportionate to the severity of the offense,” the bill’s language would prohibit law enforcement from arresting and charging citizens for possessing cannabis or pipes and other equipment related to its use.
Possession under the bill’s language would also no longer be considered a probation or parole violation.
Theatre Winter Haven Wins Awards For Its Performance of “The Amish Project”
Theatre Winter Haven has taken several awards at the Southeastern Theatre Conference Community Theatre Festival and was singled out as “Best Play” for its performance of “The Amish Project.”
Conceived in the wake of the 2006 school shootings in the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, Jessica Dickey’s fictional exploration of a real-life tragedy examines the world of Amish culture and how it comes to grips with the true limits of compassion and forgiveness.
At the three-day annual event, held in Lexington, Kentucky, the theater company also took six “Outstanding Achievement” awards and will go on to represent the Southeastern United States at the national festival in Rochester, Minnesota in June.
Awards included: Outstanding Achievement in Directing: Katrina Ploof, Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition: Philip King, Outstanding Achievement in Set Design, Outstanding Achievement in Lighting, Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble, Outstanding Achievement in acting: Cerriah Delgado, Best Actress: Sara Catherine
Theatre Winter Haven is raising money for its trip to Nationals on its website, www.theatrewinterhaven.com.
Lake Wales, Florida – On Sunday, March 12, 2017 a LWPD Officer and his supervisor responded to Highway 60 and 13th Street in reference to a traffic crash. Upon arrival officer’s made contact with Hector Casallas and Fabrice Altidor. When interviewing Altidor, officers reportedly detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage. Through the officer’s investigation it was determined that both vehicles were traveling West on S.R. 60. Casallas was driving a White Dodge pickup truck. Altidor was driving a black Toyota Camry. Altidor was reportedly driving in the right hand lane and crossed over into the left hand causing the driver side front fender to collide with the passenger front tire and rim causing the tire to deflate and damaging the rim. During the traffic crash investigation Altidor was observed having difficulty walking, had slurred speech, and difficulty comprehending normal instructions (providing his driver’s license and registration). Altidor attempted to give an officer a bank receipt in place of his vehicle registration according to reports.
After completing the traffic crash investigation the officer advised Altidor he was beginning a DUI investigation. Altidor allegedly admitted to having, “two drinks.” Altidor refused to submit to field sobriety tests. Based on the officer’s observations during the traffic crash investigation Altidor was placed under arrest for Driving Under the Influence. Altidor was later transported to booking for observation and administration of a breath test. Altidor refused to provide a breath sample. Altidor was issued three citations; one for careless driving, One for refusal to sign criminal citation requiring court appearance, and D.U.I. Altidor was booked into the Polk County Jail.
FREE Water Ski Show
Saturday March 18th
Pre-show at 5:00pm
Mainshow at 6:00pm
Martin Luther King Jr Park
199 Lake Silver Dr NE
Concessions available, Bring lawn chair for seating. Fun for the whole family!
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