The City of Winter Haven invites the community to celebrate the start of an exciting new chapter with the groundbreaking ceremony for the Winter Haven Recreation & Cultural Center (WHRCC). The event will take place on Friday, January 3, 2025, at 9:30 A.M. at 801 M.L.K. Blvd NE, with parking available via 8th Street NE.
This $21 million redevelopment represents a significant investment in the community, delivering a state-of-the-art, multi-use facility designed to enrich the lives of Winter Haven residents for generations to come. Planned amenities include a double gymnasium, fitness center, library/technology area, swimming pool with zero-depth entry, splash pad, and much more. The 37,616-square-foot facility will provide modern, accessible spaces to meet the evolving needs of residents of all ages.
Community-Driven Vision
The project’s design reflects extensive community input gathered through surveys, focus groups, public meetings, and a committee of community members. This inclusive approach ensures that the new facility will honor the history of the Florence Villa neighborhood while creating new and enhanced opportunities for recreation, education, and connection.
A Space for All
From expanded parking and ADA-compliant access to picnic areas, playgrounds, library, and enhanced recreation facilities, the WHRCC will be a welcoming hub for the entire community. With this redevelopment, Winter Haven continues its commitment to providing exceptional spaces that inspire health, wellness, and togetherness.
Christmas is almost here. Is anyone else excited? But a more important question to ask would be: What is the reason for the season?
We pose this question in our latest episode of the Chattin on the Ridge podcast. This special Christmas Eve episode features audio dramatizations of holiday stories, both past and present.
Give the new episode a listen. And feel free to ponder the answer to our question as we present to you all these stories through our dramatic readings:
***
“A Visit from St. Nicholas”
by Clement Clarke Moore
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window, I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
Read full text here: https://poets.org/poem/visit-st-nicholas
***
“Christmas? Hot? Or Not?”
from “The Light Prince: Christmas Conundrum” by J.C. Alexandre
Amber arrived at the radio station with her father and Tyler. They entered a lobby with vinyl records hanging on the walls and soft rock music playing over the sound system. Amber’s father sat on one of the couches, while the two teens approached the front desk. The secretary directed them to a hallway. Her father waved as they left.
“Good luck with the interview,” he told them. “I’ll be out here, listening and chilling.”
Strolling through the hallway, Amber and Tyler approached a large glass window. Over it hung an unlit sign that read “On the Air.”
Behind the window was a dark room with an oval-shaped table and several microphones hanging over it. Around the table sat Hannah, dressed in her usual all-black attire, T-Man, wearing a red long-sleeved sweater with a blue baseball cap backwards; and Katie, wearing a faux fur coat and her nose in a fashion magazine.
Next to them sat a much older, college-aged man. He had a greasy complexion with long unruly black hair and an equally shaggy goatee. He wore a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, a large pair of headphones, and an extra-large black shirt that barely contained his plump paunch.
The four of them were engaged in a very lively conversation, muted only by the pane of glass separating their room from the hallway. Amber gently tapped it with her knuckles, and Hannah waved for them to enter. Passing through the door, Amber and Tyler could hear the rock music playing from inside.
“Sup, dawgs!” T-Man saluted them. “Glad to see you.”
“Like, totally,” Katie said. “The more, the merrier, or some junk.”
Hannah gestured to the bearded man in the headphones. “Tyler, Amber, this is Tiny.”
Tiny stood and threw his headphones back.
“Yes-siree!” he greeted them with a squealy voice like a needle being pulled across a spinning record. “Tiny’s the name, and talking smack is my game.”
He extended a pudgy hand. Amber and Tyler took turns shaking it. Amber recoiled, smelling that he reeked like a rancid skunk. He gestured for them to sit down. Amber picked an empty chair, Tyler sat next to her, and they both rolled their seats a few inches away from Tiny.
T-Man gestured to the disk jockey as he lowered himself into his seat. “Tiny here’s our host with the most. He’ll be moderating our most righteous roundtable.”
“Yeah!” Tiny added. “And to make sure everything is legit, what with me being an adult and the rest of y’all being in high school, I have my manager here supervising us. Say hi, Kyle!”
In a corner sat an equally portly middle-aged man. Aside from his mutton chops, the rest of his face was obscured by the music magazine he was currently reading. He replied with a thumbs up, but otherwise said nothing else.
“You two came just in time,” Tiny said. “We’re about to get started with this discussion once this last song stops playing. So put your headphones on.”
Everyone put on their headphones and adjusted their microphones. When the music faded, the sign outside (its reflection shining in the glass) lit up with bright red letters: “On the Air.” Tiny pulled his microphone close to his acne-ridden face.
“Alrighty, ladies and germs,” he announced. “Hope you all got pumped up with some jammin tunes, cause we’re about to throw down with another heated session of—”
He pressed a button on his control console, and a pre-recorded voice announced over the speakers, in a reverberating echo:
“Hot? Or not?”
Read full story in paperback and e-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMQP6ZLJ
***
“The Nativity Story”
from Luke 2 (KJV)
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Read full text here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202&version=KJV
###
Listen to all of these stories dramatized on the Chattin on the Ridge podcast, available on Acast: https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge/episodes/minisode-06-the-reason-for-the-season-holiday-stories-and-so
On Saturday, December 21, 2024, at approximately 7:22 PM, PCSO deputies and PCFR responded to a two-vehicle crash with injuries on Hatchineha Road, just east of Jennings Road North in Haines City. Two vehicles were involved, a 4-door green Nissan Sentra, and a white Nissan pickup truck. Each vehicle had one occupant.
The driver of the Sentra, a 24-year-old female from Kissimmee, was found entrapped in her vehicle with life threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup truck, a 30-year-old male from Lakeland, also suffered serious, but non-life threatening injuries. Both were transported to the hospital. Hatchineha Road was shut down in both directions for approximately three hours.
PCSO Traffic Homicide detectives and Forensic investigators responded to the scene. The vehicles were travelling in opposite directions on Hatchineha Road at the time of the crash. According to witness statements taken at the scene, the Sentra was heading westbound and was attempting to pass the vehicle in front of it by pulling out into the eastbound lane at the same time that the truck was heading eastbound. Evidence collected at the scene indicates that both drivers attempted to swerve to avoid a crash, but they collided and came to a stop on the shoulder of the road.
The female driver of the Sentra succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, December 22, 2024. The investigation into the crash is still ongoing at this time.
Westbound lanes of 2400 Dundee Rd in Winter Haven (in front of the Day Surgery Center) are currently shut down due to a crash. Drivers should avoid the area if at all possible.
The southbound lane of First St. N at Ave. U NW is shut down due to a fire hydrant that was struck. It has caused damage to the pipe and crews are working to repair. This will significantly impact traffic on Lucerne Park Rd. Estimated time frame is five (5) hours. Police are on site diverting traffic around, however drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes during this time.
The nights are getting longer. The weather is getting cooler. So, what better way to warm up on a cold winter night than with a hot drink? Question is, what hot drink do you prefer: hot cocoa or hot apple cider?
Personally, I’m more of a cider kind of person. Which is why, around this time of year, I love to prepare wassail.
What’s wassail? Essentially, it’s a hot spiced apple cider. The drink was so popular during the holidays they even wrote songs about it. Ever heard of, “Here we come a wassailing”?
And what, exactly, is wassailing? Essentially, it’s a medieval form of caroling where people would go door-to-door singing Christmas songs and sharing hot drinks.
Anyway, like I said, this time of year, I love to prepare wassail. Nothing warms you up after a long cold day than heating some apple cider on the stove with cinnamon sticks and apples with cloves.
Actually, I stand corrected. The only thing that warms you up more is drinking the wassail you prepared.
I’ve been using this recipe for the past few years. It combines apple cider with different fruit juices and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The result is a warm brew that’s perfect on a cold winter night.
***
Wassail (from Tastes Better from Scratch)
Ingredients
· 2 apples
· 8 cups apple cider
· 2 cups orange juice
· 1/3 cup lemon juice
· 4 cinnamon sticks
· 15 whole whole cloves, or ½ tsp ground cloves
· 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
· 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar, optional
Directions
1. Poke the whole cloves into the apples on all sides.
2. Add all of the ingredients, including the apples, to a large pot over medium-low heat.
3. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.
4. Remove the apples and whole cloves. Ladle into mugs and enjoy!
A 57-year-old man was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, December 19, 2024, after an investigation determined that he intentionally and repeatedly touched the buttocks of a 16-year-old girl at the Chick-fil-A restaurant at 4625 South Florida Avenue in Lakeland.
Awny Abdel Malek Basta of Lakeland was booked-in at the Polk County Jail, and charged with Lewd & Lascivious Touch (F3). The investigation remains active.
PCSO deputies responded to the restaurant at 2:55pm, but Basta had fled on foot; he was located near the Imperial Swan Hotel, less than a mile away.
According to the victim, she was seated at a table in the restaurant doing schoolwork when Basta sat down directly behind her. She told detectives that she felt something touch the upper part of her buttocks several times. When she turned around to see what was touching her, she saw that it was Basta’s hand.
After the suspect was confronted by the victim, he fled the restaurant. Restaurant staff followed and provided ongoing updates of his location to PCSO dispatchers. The suspect boarded a city bus and it drove north on S. Florida Avenue. Restaurant employees flagged down the bus at which time it stopped, and the suspect was asked to leave the bus. Patrol deputies located the suspect in a nearby parking lot and detained him.
Detectives obtained security video from the restaurant which confirmed the victim’s statements.
Basta refused to speak with investigators.
“Awny Basta is a pervert, and a sex offender with an extensive criminal history. Because of his history, our detectives believe it’s possible that there are additional victims out there. If anyone thinks they may have been a victim of this man, please contact the Special Victims Unit of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200. We want to make sure he’s held accountable for everything he has done.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Basta was incarcerated three times between 2006 and 2011 in Tennessee for sexual battery charges.
In 2015, Basta was arrested after he groped a woman at a Lakeland Panera restaurant, and subsequently served 180 days in jail for battery. In 2023, Basta was arrested for groping a woman at Starbuck’s in Lakeland and charged with violation of probation and felony battery. He was released from prison on October 18, 2024.
On December 20, 2024 @ 5:02 a.m., the Florida Highway Patrol responded to a vehicle crash in Pinellas County, FL.
Vehicle 1, a Ford F150, driven by a 21-year-old Winter Haven man, was traveling westbound in the inside lane of Roosevelt Boulevard. Vehicle 2, a Chrysler Pacifica, driven by a 48-year-old man from St. Charles, Illinois, was traveling eastbound in the inside lane of Roosevelt Boulevard. At the intersection of Rhodes Road, the vehicles collided head-on. Both drivers were transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.
You know, in hindsight, I should have known Red One was going to be a disaster. Despite its $250 million budget, the movie only grossed $32 million in the domestic box office and $165.8 million worldwide, making it the biggest box office bomb of 2024. In fact, the movie went straight to streaming, which meant I could have saved myself a ticket and watched it on Amazon Prime.
And yet, Red One had potential. It had all the biggest action movie stars: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, and Lucy Lui. And the movie certainly looked campy enough that, even if it wasn’t good, it could have been so bad it’s good.
So what made this movie so bad? Why did the movie bomb so badly that it deserves coal for Christmas? Why did this movie end up becoming naughty rather than nice?
Red One stars J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus and The Rock as his assistant Callum. When St. Nick ends up being kidnapped from the North Pole, Callum assembles a special task force called E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable) to save him. He conscripts the assistance of Chris Evans’ character, Jack O’Malley, a professional hack to help track down the Red One. Will they save Christmas? Or…well, it’s a Christmas movie, so you know the answer.
The best way I can describe Red One is that it’s a movie you would get if you tasked an edgy teenage boy (the type with posters of cars and bikini-clad chicks in their room and who watch nothing but action movies and Andrew Tate videos) with writing a script for a Christmas movie about saving Santa Claus–but because they’re too embarrassed to write about “kiddie stuff”, they try to make it “mature” and “cool”: a jacked Santa Claus who lifts mad weights, scenes shot at beaches with scantily-clad women, jacked-up snowmen and Krampuses with six packs, and plenty of action movie cliches you’d expect from a teenager who’s movie diet is nothing but action flicks.
On the surface, Red One is a campy action flick with a campy premise. So, even if it wasn’t going to be good, it had the potential to at least ironically be good—so bad it’s good. It certainly had a star-studded cast to pull it off, and admittedly, some of the action scenes were impressive. This movie could have easily been on par with a Marvel movie.
Unfortunately, Red One’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t seem to know who its target audience is. On the one hand, the movie is silly and campy like a children’s movie; but on the other hand, it also has a lot of adult subject matter not suitable for younger audiences, what with alcoholic references, scantily-clad women, plenty of kicks to the crotch, and a lot of almost-swears. In the end, the movie comes across as too juvenile for adults and too adult for children.
Many other reviewers have pointed out that this movie is a prime example of everything wrong with Hollywood movies these days. The movie was undoubtedly expensive, one of the most expensive movies of the year, and yet it failed to generate box office revenue to compensate for its expensive budget. Exasperating matters even further is how this movie was originally intended to be released on streaming, so the overall quality looks made for television.
In the end, Red One is a Christmas film that prioritizes style over substance. Despite its glossy visuals, quippy comic book movie dialogue, and over-the-top action scenes, the story ends up being your typical run-of-the-mill plot about saving Santa Claus while learning about the “true” meaning of the holiday. Overall, it’s a Christmas tree that’s all bark and not real bite.
