Welcome, World Travelers! Journey of Water Inspired by Moana is a Charming Trek (+Food & Wine Fest Mini-Review)

Polk County

Allison

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October 24, 2023

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Welcome, World Travelers! Journey of Water Inspired by Moana is a Charming Trek (+Food & Wine Fest Mini-Review)

by James Coulter

Moana has quickly become one of the most popular Disney princesses within the past decade. Not only will she receive her own animated series on Disney Plus, but her movie will also receive a live-action remake.

For now, the Polynesian princess has finally received her own attraction at the Disney parks with Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana at Epcot Center. But does this new attraction do justice to show how far this princess will go? Or will it sink deep into the watery depths to be forgotten?

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is a unique attraction in that it isn’t a roller coaster, or a thrill ride, or even a ride at all. Rather, it’s an outdoor walk-through attraction. In other words, like the Swiss Family Treehouse at Magic Kingdom, it’sessentially an elaborate queue. (When do we get to the ride? This is the ride.)

But don’t let it’s simplicity fool you. While it may not offer high thrills like your run-of-the-mill coaster, this attraction still has enough elaborate Disney Imagineering flare to make it quite the experience for guests of all ages, but especially children.

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana has guests walk through an elaborate path of rock and tropical verdure, where plaques inform them about the water cycle and interactive features allow them to learn more about water by playing with it.

Strum your fingers through strings of water, and music plays. Wave your hands, and water sprays out from rocks. Jump on a special pad, and a geyser erupts from a spring. You can even walk through a waterfall without even getting wet.

All through the ride, guests can hear the iconic musical score from Moana. They can even meet the great goddess Te Fiti in all her green floral glory. And, of course, what ride Inspired by Moana would be complete without a meet-and-greet with the princess herself?

The ride may not be as thrilling as Cosmic Rewind or Test Track, but Journey of Water is a quaint experience that proves both fun and educational. The attraction itself takes less than five or ten minutes to walk through, so it makes for a nice little diversion between rides.

If anything, its focus on teaching guests about the water cycle certainly has the attraction better fit the overall Spirit of Epcot than most of the other rides at the park. As much as I love Cosmic Rewind—and it has quickly become my favorite ride!—if I’m being perfectly honest, it has no business being at Epcot, and it certainly had no business replacing a ride that taught about energy and climate change.

Overall, if you’re looking for something to do while traveling between The Land and Living Seas pavilions or something to pre-occupy your time while waiting for your virtual queue at Cosmic Rewind, consider giving Journey of Water a visit.

Also, as a bonus, here’s a mini-review of two menu items I sampled at this year’s Food and Wine Festival:

– Chimichurri Marinated Skirt Steak Taco with Crushed Avocado, Grilled Corn Salsa, Pickled Red Onions, Queso Fresco, and Cilantro-Lime Cream (Flavors from Fire)

As far as tacos go, this is certainly worth taco-ing about. (Ha!) Though the meat in my taco was slightly tough, everything else in it, especially the sauce, made it quite the savory treat. Certainly worth taking a bite of–or rather, taco-ing a bite of!

– Ramen with Shaved Beef, Shiitake Mushrooms, Pickled Carrots and Dakion Radish, Shaved Peppers, and a Soy Egg in Citrus-Sesame Broth (The Noodle Exchange)

Eh, I’ve had better ramen, especially at the parks. The broth was essentially just soy sauce. On a more positive note, the noodles were still good (though you can hardly mess up noodles), and the peppers added a nice spicy kick to it. Overall, if you want ramen at Epcot, visit Kasturi Grill at the Japan pavilion and buy a proper bowl. (As for me, I think I’ll stick with The Joinery at Lakeland.)

A Winter Haven Pastors, 20 Yr Old Son, Was Shot & Killed Sunday In The Parish Parking – Suspected Killer Arrested

Winter Haven

Carl Fish

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October 23, 2023

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A Winter Haven Pastors, 20 Yr Old Son, Was Shot & Killed Sunday In The Parish Parking – Suspected Killer Arrested

The body of 20-year old Roderick Wilson, Jr. was found early Sunday morning, October 22^nd, 2023, lying in the parking lot of the Pentecostal Church of God at 1261 34^th Street NW in Winter Haven. Wilson’s father is a pastor at the church, and Wilson has been living in an apartment on church property.

Wilson’s killer was arrested later that afternoon and identified as 22-year old Taquion “Quan” Cotton. He lives a couple of streets over from the church.

At about 1:47 am Sunday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was notified by a passerby about a body at the church.

PCSO deputies quickly arrived and found Wilson with multiple gunshot wounds, and deceased.

PCSO Homicide Investigations and Crime Scene Investigations both responded and began collecting evidence and conducting interviews.

Security video from a building in the area captured the murder.

“Detectives are still trying to determine Taquion Cotton’s motivation to commit this murder. At this time, there is no indication the two men knew each other prior to tonight. Despite the murderer being locked-up, there is still work to be done. Please keep Roderick Wilson’s family in your thoughts and prayers.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.

Sunday afternoon, while PCSO detectives were in the area searching for the suspect, they spotted Cotton in the roadway, not far from the crime scene. Cotton fled to a nearby residence after seeing a woman entering her home. Cotton battered the woman and put her in a chokehold while trying to get into her home.

Cotton’s mother, who lives in the area, ran to the woman’s aid, and tried to assist deputies with apprehending her son. Cotton then began biting his mother, so deputies were forced to use a Taser on Cotton to protect the two women and get him secured.

Once in custody, Cotton yelled at his mother, demanding that she not press charges against him for biting her.

Cotton’s firearm has not yet been recovered.

Taquion Cotton was charged with: 1^st Degree Murder (FC), Burglary with Battery (F1), Kidnapping (F1), Battery-Domestic with Prior Conviction (F3), Harassing in a Felony Proceeding (F3), Resisting with Violence (F3), Tampering with Physical Evidence (F3), Discharging a Firearm in a Residential Area (M1), and Resisting without Violence (M1).

Cotton’s prior criminal history includes 11 felonies and 6 misdemeanors consisting of: attempted murder, aggravated battery on a pregnant victim, burglaries, thefts, batteries, drug and weapons violations, and resisting.

If anyone has additional information regarding the murder, the firearm, and/or relationship of the two men, you are urged to call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200 or to remain anonymous, call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.

Welcome, World Travelers! Once Upon A Studio is a Great Short 100 Years in the Making!

Polk County

Allison

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October 23, 2023

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Welcome, World Travelers! Once Upon A Studio is a Great Short 100 Years in the Making!

by James Coulter

Originally, I was going to review Elemental. The movie had been on streaming for a month now, so it seemed about time to review it. Unfortunately, after watching it, I didn’t feel like I had much to say about it that wasn’t different from my initial pre-conception of, “this feels like Zootopia only with elements.”

So, it says something when a 9-minute animated short is the best thing Disney (including Marvel) has (thus far) released this year.

Disney Once Upon a Studio – image from IMDB

Sometimes, it feels uncanny that movie studios like Disney and Warner Bros. are now more than a century old. For the past 100 years, Disney has remained the gold standard of animation. And to commemorate their milestone, they released a special animated short celebrating their 100-year legacy.

“Once Upon a Studio” is a nine-minute short that premiered earlier this week on Sun. Oct. 15 on ABC. The short is currently available for streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu, and it will be played as an opening short for Wish, which premieres in theaters on Nov. 24.

The story itself is simple. On the evening of the 100th anniversary of Disney Animation Studios, after the building closes for the evening, Mickey and Minnie Mouse come to life and gather the other animated characters from all of Disney’s animated movies for a group picture to celebrate the occasion. Shenanigans ensue–especially when Goofy is tasked with operating the camera!

And when I say every character from all of Disney’s animated movies, I mean all of them. This short features a total of 500 characters, all from Disney’s 100-year filmography, from movies and shorts past and present, the most recent character being Princess Asha from Wish.

I won’t spoil any of the characters who appear in this short (and, really, trying to name all 500 of them would take too long anyway!). But trust me when I say that watching the entire short, especially the group shot at the very end, feels a lot like playing “Where’s Waldo” with different Disney characters. If you have a favorite character from a favorite movie, chances are they make an appearance in this short.

Again, when I say every character makes an appearance, I really do mean it. Along with its more popular animated movies, this short also features Disney characters from underrated movies like Bolt and Meet the Robinsons, as well as from classic shorts, animated segments of live-action films, and even from shows at the Disney Parks. (Again, no spoilers, but there’s a character from a short-lived Disney Hollywood Studios attraction whose appearance proved to be quite a pleasant surprise. Disney fans who know will know!)

Perhaps the best aspect of the film is seeing the different characters, both two and three-dimensional, come to life. The animators really did their best to emulate the animation styles of each character so they look and feel like they appear in their respective movies. They even use archival sound clips so many of them sound exactly as they do in their original films. The most notable example is the Genie from Aladdin, who is voiced with un-used audio recording from the late Robin Williams.

And, of course, the best part is seeing all these different characters with different animation styles interact with each other. There are moments where two and three-dimensional characters interact with each other, and–to the animator’s credit—they really do look and feel like they share the same environment. And seeing them interact with each other is a treat. There are plenty of moments that will make you say, “Of course,that character would react that way to that other character” and “Of course, those two characters would get along great!”

Potential spoiler, but there’s a moment where Mickey reminisces about the good old days with Walt Disney. That moment is underscored with a musical rendition of “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins. That musical score was performed for the short by the original composer himself, Richard Sherman. Yes, even at 94 years old, he was able to play the piano in Walt’s old office for this particular short. Yes, it is as amazing as it sounds.

Overall, yes, this is an animated short from a large multinational corporation celebrating its century-old virtual monopoly on the animation industry (as well as its current virtual monopoly in the entertainment industry with its past mergers) through a self-congratulatory showcase of its intellectual properties in a style-over-substance animated short that’s essentially serving member berries to the audience. It’s a corporate product. But, dang it, if it isn’t a tasty corporate product.

If you grew up watching Disney movies, watching this short will make you feel like a child all over again. Happy 100th birthday, Disney! Here’s to another 100 years!

Almost A Year Later Lakeland Police Still Trying To Find 17 Yr Olds Killer – $10,000 Reward

Lakeland

Carl Fish

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October 21, 2023

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Almost A Year Later Lakeland Police Still Trying To Find 17 Yr Olds Killer – $10,000 Reward

LAKELAND, FL (October 20, 2023) – This past weekend marked the one-year anniversary of 17-year-old Tye Ketchum. The family has given permission to release Tye’s name and photo in hopes that it will generate someone to come forward with information related to this case.

On Saturday, October 15, 2022, at approximately 10:17 p.m., uniform patrol officers responded to the Park at Palazzo Apartments, located at 3685 Victoria Manor Drive, in reference to a male with critical injuries. On scene, officers located a 17-year-old male victim inside an apartment with a gunshot wound. Officers immediately began securing the location and rendering aid until emergency medical responders from the Lakeland Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue arrived. The victim was transported to Lakeland Regional Health, where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.

In March of this year, Heartland Crime Stoppers Florida announced a reward increase of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case. Although detectives continue to follow up on forensic evidence and leads related to this case, they are once again seeking any tips available from the public.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Heartland Crime Stoppers Florida. Tipsters will always remain anonymous when sending a tip through Crime Stoppers and could be eligible for a cash reward if the information leads to an arrest.

Submitting a tip is easy:

Call 1-800-226 TIPS (8477)
From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
Or visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,”
Or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.

—-————— Original Release ———

LAKELAND, FL (October 17, 2022) – On Saturday, October 15, 2022, at approximately 10:17 p.m., uniform patrol officers responded to the Park at Palazzo Apartments, located at 3685 Victoria Manor Drive, in reference to a male with critical injuries. On scene, officers located a 17-year-old male victim inside an apartment with a gunshot wound. Officers immediately began securing the location and rendering aid until emergency medical responders from Lakeland Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue arrived. The victim was transported to Lakeland Regional Health, where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.

Detectives responded to the scene and began processing evidence and interviewing potential witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Zach Condo at 863.834.8958or [email protected].

Or if you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers Florida:

Call 1-800-226 TIPS (8477)
From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
Or visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,”
Or download the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.

Tipsters will always remain anonymous when sending a tip through Crime Stoppers and could be eligible for a cash reward if the information leads to an arrest.

The name of the victim is being withheld in accordance with Marsy’s Law. There is no additional e available at this time. When available, additional information will be provided via media release.

Warrant Suspects Refusing To Come Out Of Lake Wales Home

Lake Wales

Carl Fish

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October 21, 2023

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Warrant Suspects Refusing To Come Out Of Lake Wales Home

This morning the PCSO went to serve a warrant at a home on Candlelight Dr. near Candlelight Loop. The neighborhood is just South of the Loves Truck Stop. According to Brian Bruchey, Public Information Officer for PCSO, deputies went to serve a warrant when the suspect(s) refused to come out. Law enforcement officers form LWPD and PCSO surrounded the house and have evacuated the residents surrounding the area. The incident has been ongoing since early this morning. Residents could see officers surrounding the house bringing out rifles. PCSO SWAT is not on scene.

Update: The PCSO advises that two people have now been taken into custody. The immediate incident is over, but we will have more information for you as the investigation unfolds.

Sheriff Describes How Gang Perpetrated 38 Car Burglaries Looking Mainly For Guns

Lakeland

Carl Fish

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October 20, 2023

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Sheriff Describes How Gang Perpetrated 38 Car Burglaries Looking Mainly For Guns

Six gang members who committed at least 38 car burglaries south of Lakeland with the intent of stealing firearms for gunrunning have been arrested by detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The burglaries and thefts of seven firearms occurred over three nights in four different south Lakeland neighborhoods:

· March 11, 2023 in Reflections West (13 car burglaries)

· May 26, 2023 in Christina Oaks (11 car burglaries)

· May 28, 2023 in Highlands Crossing and Mission Hills (14 burglaries)

“These burglaries were committed by gang members with the sole purpose to steal guns. They specifically targeted vehicles that were most likely to have firearms within them, often looking for window and bumper stickers with pro-gun messages. This is a very bad group of criminals who intended to steal guns to be used for even more crime.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.

Many of the burglaries were to locked vehicles and the suspects forced entry using a window punch to smash car windows.

Because the suspects were primarily focused on stealing guns, they ransacked some vehicles without taking other valuables.

So far, two of the seven stolen firearms have been recovered.

All six suspects are documented gang members and four of the six suspects have gang enhancement penalties on their charges. The PCSO is not identifying the name of the gang.

The arrested gang members are:

· Kingston Pringle, 17, of Bartow– Charged with: Directing Activities of a Criminal Gang (F1), Armed Burglary of Conveyance (F1, 2-counts), Possession of a Machine Gun (F2), Burglary of Conveyance (F3, 19-counts), Attempted Burglary of Conveyance (F3, 12-counts), Grand Theft (F3, 3-counts), Improper Exhibition of a Firearm (M1), Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor (M1, 3-counts), Criminal Mischief (M1, 24-counts), Possession of Firearm by Minor (M1, 2-counts), Culpable Negligence Expose to Harm (M2, 3-counts), and Petit Theft (M2, 4-counts). There is a total of 75 charges with a gang enhancement.

The State Attorney Office 10^th Judicial Circuit will be prosecuting Pringle as an adult on these charges.

Pringle has prior arrests for residential burglary, conveyance burglaries, and grand theft.

· Eldred Kellum, Jr., 23, of Lakeland – Charged with: Directing Activities of a Criminal Gang (F1), Armed Burglary of Conveyance (F1, 2-counts), Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon (F2), Felony Petit Theft (F3, 4-counts), Burglary of Conveyance (F3, 18-counts), Attempted Burglary of Conveyance (F3, 12-counts), Grand Theft of Firearm (F3), Grand Theft (F3, 2-counts), and Criminal Mischief (M2, 21-counts). There is a total of 63 charges with a gang enhancement.

Kellum and Pringle coordinated the burglaries and the two of them carried out the Christina Oaks burglaries themselves.

Kellum’s prior criminal history includes Burglary, Theft, VOP, Robbery, Trespassing on School Grounds, Vehicle Theft, Dealing in Stolen Property, Resisting an Officer, Criminal Mischief

· De’Andre Guilford, 22, of Bartow – Guilford has been charged by Bartow PD with Carrying Concealed Firearm (a firearm that was stolen during one of the PCSO cases) and a warrant arrest for Failure to Appear DWLSR.

Guilford has had previous arrests for Carrying Concealed Weapon, False Info to LEO, Possession of Marijuana and Carrying a Concealed Firearm.

· Taurean Sumrall, 22, of Bartow – Charged with: Directing Activities of a Criminal Gang (F1), Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon (F2), Grand Theft (F3), Possession of MDMA (F3), Possession of Fentanyl (F3), Possession of Amphetamine (F3), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1), and DWLSR (M2). There is a total of 8 charges with a gang enhancement.

Sumrall’s primary role was to coordinate the selling of the stolen firearms.

Sumrall has been previously arrested for Carrying Concealed Weapon, False Name to LEO, Obstructing Law Enforcement, Possession of Weapon, Resisting LEO w/o Violence, Violation of Probation and Robbery.

· Javien Sterling, 19, of Lakeland– Charged with: Burglary of Conveyance (F3, 11-counts), Attempted Burglary of Conveyance (F3, 10-counts), Grand Theft of Firearm (F3, 2-counts), Grand Theft (F3), Tampering with Evidence (F3), Criminal Mischief (M1, 14-counts), and Petit Theft (M2, 2-counts). There is a total of 40 charges with a gang enhancement.

Sterling was recruited by Pringle to be the driver for the group during the burglaries at Highlands Crossing and Mission Hills.

· Eric Denson, 18, of Riverview – Denson was the driver during the Reflections West burglaries. He was charged by the PCSO with Carrying a Concealed Weapon (F3), Possession of Marijuana (M1), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1). While in the Polk County Jail, Denson was found to be in possession of a knifelike weapon known as a shiv, for which he was charged with Introduction of Contraband to the Jail (F3). He is also facing charged by the Lakeland Police Department for Attempted Murder in the 1^st Degree (3-counts) and Shooting into a Dwelling.

During the course of the investigation, PCSO detectives discovered a disturbing video on Pringle’s cell phone in which Pringle was pointing and mock-firing a Glock handgun at three juveniles, one as young as 17-months old. The Glock had been modified into an automatic firearm and had an extended magazine inserted, and Pringle was using the laser site to point the gun directly at the juveniles.

Welcome, World Travelers! Is Soarin’ Over California Better Than Soarin’ Around the World?

Polk County

Allison

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October 20, 2023

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Welcome, World Travelers! Is Soarin’ Over California Better Than Soarin’ Around the World?

by James Coulter

In celebration of Disney’s 100th anniversary, Soarin’ Over California has returned to Epcot for a limited time. Disney fans have long debated which version of the ride is better: Soarin’ Over California or Soarin’ Around the World. So, which is the superior attraction?

Soarin’ Over California premiered as an opening day attraction at Disney’s California Adventure in 2001. The ride was essentially an IMAX movie paired with a then state-of-the-art “flying theater”, giving riders the sensation of flying. The show proved so popular that a clone was created for Epcot’s Land Pavilion in 2005.

Originally, Soarin’ Over California, as the name implied, showed aerial footage of various California locations. However, in 2016, a new version, Soarin Around the World, replaced it with aerial footage of various international locations spanning nearly six continents. Cloned versions of the ride later opened at Shanghai Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

Since then, Disney fans have engaged in heated debate about which version of the ride was better. Some fans claimed the original “Over California” was the superior version, while others claimed Around the World was just as good, if not better. But which side is right?

Well, all opinions are subjective. However, since this is my column, my opinion is evidently the correct one. As such, having ridden Around the World multiple times and recently riding Over California, I can objectively conclude that—Around the World is the better version.

No offense to Over California fans. I’m sure you all have fond memories of the original show. But since I don’t have that same nostalgia goggles, riding Over California after riding Around the World for the longest time feels like a real downgrade. And I have two big reasons why. (Well, technically three!)

First, the landmarks. Soarin’ Around the World, as the name implies, features various iconic landmarks from around the world: the magnificent Taj Mahal, the awe-inspiring Great Wall of China, and the ancient majesty of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Chances are, for many riders, especially Americans, these sights will be the closest they will ever have to experiencing these wonders of the world.

In contrast, Over California, as its name also implies, features scenes from California. To be certain, there are plenty of notable landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and Yosemite Falls. Unfortunately, everything else appears relatively mundane in comparison. Sure, seeing snowboarders skiing down snowy mountains and water rafters rowing down white-water rapids is interesting, it’s not as enthralling as flying over a herd of elephants on the African savannah or the floating icebergs in the Antarctic. (But hey, who needs the Pyramids or Taj Mahal when you have golf courses and suburbs?!)

Second are the transitions. Around the World features many actions that serve as transitions between scenes: elephants kicking up dust, a kite flying over the Great Wall, a plane or balloon flying toward the audience. All work effectively to help seamlessly transition from one scene to another.

In contrast, Over California has no transitions. At most, you’ll have once scene fade into another. But other times, you simply have a scene cut to the next one. Such a lack of proper transitions ruins the immersion and makes you feel less like you’re really flying over these locations and more like you’re watching an IMAX movie.

But perhaps the biggest advantage Around the World has over, well, Over California is the theming and location. Honestly, the Over California version works much better in Disney’s California Adventure. It’s literally a movie about California in a park about California in California.

At Epcot? Not so much. Not to point out the obvious, but what’sa ride about California doing in Florida? Say what you want about Around the World, but the attraction fits the more international theme of Epcot’s World Showcase (even if the ride isn’t in World Showcase).

To be fair, I wanted to know why some fans preferred Over California over Around the World. So, I posed the question in a Disney fan group.

The group’s administrator answered that they liked the California version better: “because it shows you an expansive variety of the types of places contained within a single state, as opposed to Around the World, which shows you a reductive look at the same damn landmarks every other reductive travelogue shows you.”

Another user admitted that Over California wasn’t as good in some places compared to Around the World, but while the attraction isn’t “perfectly done”, Over California feel better: “I do think when [you’re] going over naturalish [environments] it does read better then landmarks.”

So, to each their own, I guess. If you love the original version, good for you. Me, personally? Well, I think I’ll just wait until the “better” version eventually returns.

What do you think? Which version of Soarin do you prefer? Over California? Or Around the World? Leave your answers in the comments on Facebook.

Polk County Fire Rescue and Lakeland Fire Department Respond to Two-Alarm Fire on Munn Avenue

Carl Fish

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October 19, 2023

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Polk County Fire Rescue and Lakeland Fire Department Respond to Two-Alarm Fire on Munn Avenue

Press Release

Bartow, Fla. (Oct. 19, 2023) — On Thursday, October 18, 2023, at 5:47 p.m., Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) and Lakeland Fire Department (LFD) responded to a two-alarm commercial building fire on Munn Avenue in Lakeland. The second alarm response was due to the building’s size, type and risk of the fire extending to adjacent units.

The first crews arrived on the scene within four minutes and initiated an aggressive fire attack. Twenty units were on the scene, including 18 PCFR units and two LFD units. The fire was under control in under 30 minutes. No injuries were reported on the scene.

“Both Polk County Fire Rescue and Lakeland Fire Department exemplified exceptional firefighting strategy and tactics in their response to this incident,” stated Fire Chief Hezedean Smith, D.M. “Between the quick response, aggressive fire attack, seamless communication, and excellent interagency teamwork, this was an impressive display of our members’ work.”

The fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal.

Bonnet Springs Park Celebrates Inagural Hispanic Heritage Festival

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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October 19, 2023

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Bonnet Springs Park Celebrates Inagural Hispanic Heritage Festival

by James Coulter

Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland welcomed its inagural Hispanic Heritage Festival on Saturday with “Bienvenido!”

The event proved to be muy caliente with several hundred attendees participating, many of whom were from the local Hispanic community to celebrate their culture and heritage.

Several dozen vendors were set upon the Allen & Company Family Lawn, outside of the Florida Children’s Museum, to showcase various arts and crafts based on Hispanic culture.

Meanwhile, several food trucks served authentic Mexican food, while various musical and dance performances were held on the main stage. All the while, families could sprawl out on the main lawn to relax with fun and games.

Many local organizations, especially affiliated with the local Hispanic community, participated in the event. These organizations included Polk State College, Hispanic and Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce, and the Viva Polk publication.

“The day has been better than we could have expected,” said Stephanie Bernal, Director of Events at Bonnet Springs Park. “We have a full lawn. Our members are wonderful today. All of our vendors are doing a great job. And we have a wonderful turnout with great talent.”

Since its inception last year, Bonnet Springs Park has helped facilitate local culture with various events such as this heritage festival. The park will be celebrating its first anniversary on Oct. 21 with a big all-day celebration.

“It has been a really great turnout,” said Stephanie. “We owe our success to the Hispanic and Latino community…Having everyone out here today has made it very special. So, we are very happy and we are looking forward to doing it again.”

Bonnet Springs Park will celebrate its birthday on Sat. Oct. 21 from 9 AM – 9 PM, with festivities concluding with a major firework spectacular.

The park is located at 400 Bonnet Springs Boulevard, Lakeland, FL 33815. For more information, visit their website at: https://bonnetspringspark.com/

Welcome, World Travelers! Taste The Flavor at This Year’s EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

Uncategorized

Allison

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October 19, 2023

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Welcome, World Travelers! Taste The Flavor at This Year’s EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

by James Coulter

How do you say, “delicious”? In Spanish, the word is “delicioso.” In French, it’s “délicieux.” And in German, it’s “lecker.” But no matter where you’re from or what language you speak, you’re sure to say some form of the word “delicious” during this year’s International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot.

Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

For nearly three decades, EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival, true to its name, has allowed guests to sample food and wine from around the world. This year features more than 25 vendors located around the park, serving cuisine from various countries including those at World Showcase as well as others like Greece, Spain, and India.

From now until Nov. 18, 2023, attendees can, as the official Disney World website states, “delight in delicious dishes created with innovative cooking techniques from globally inspired chefs. Try the Peri-Peri Shrimp from the Kenya Marketplace, Tikka Masala from the India Marketplace and so much more!”

Unlike ticketed events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary-Halloween at the Magic Kingdom, the Food and Wine Festival is accessible to all Epcot guests with general admission including annual passholders. However, food and drinks served at the various vendors still cost money. Fortunately, most menu items are affordably around $7. So, even visitors working on a budget can sample about five items per visit at around $35.

Event maps are provided at the front of the park, allowing guest to more easily locate the various vendors, as well as passports so they can mark off said locations. Scavenger hunts for all ages are also being hosted throughout the park.

Unfortunately, I cannot do a proper review of every food and drink item, as I’m not made of money. However, I can offer a mini-review of three unique food items I had the chance to try during a recent visit.

Currently, the Odyssey Pavilion (located between Test Track and the Mexico Pavilions) has been converted into the Brew-Wing Lab. The story behind the theme is that Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker from Muppet Labs are serving special “science experiments” for guests to “taste test.” I had a chance to “test” three of these items, and here are my thoughts:

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Wings. They’re exactly as the name implies: sticky wings coated in a peanut sauce with globs of grape jelly. Interestingly enough, they taste much better than they sound. The peanut sauce reminds me of Thai peanut chicken, the jelly adds hints of sweetness to the spicy peanut sauce, and the little bits of nut add a nice crunch.

• Pickle Milkshake. Imagine a vanilla milkshake spiked with dill seasoning. That’s what this drink tastes like. It’s essentially a sour-ish, bitter-ish egg nog. The flavor is…unique to say the least, yet certainly worth trying.

• Frozen Fusion. A pomegranate and raspberry mini-frozen slushy with orange ice cream molecules. My experience with this drink was less than satisfactory, as the slushy was frozen solid. Not even waiting a few minutes was enough for it to melt. I had to add some water from a nearby fountain to melt it down into a liquid, and even then, I felt that only watered down the flavor. It was sweet and tangy, to say the least, but my first impression was not the best.

The Food and Wine Festival is happening from now until Nov. 18, 2023. For more information about menu items, visit: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/food-wine-marketplaces/

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