Individual Attempts to Open Coin Machine at Dexter’s Coin Laundry

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December 24, 2019

Individual Attempts to Open Coin Machine at Dexter’s Coin Laundry

Release by Winter Haven Police Department

Anyone recognize either of these two?
While inside of Dexter’s Coin Laundry (834 6th St NW), the male entered the bathroom and proceeded to bust through the wall entering the office area. He attempted to open the coin machine, but the coin machine outsmarted him and wouldn’t let him in! He certainly caused significant damage to the wall and the machine. The male is wearing a camouflage ensemble with crocks and a ball cap.
Anyone who recognizes either of these subjects, please contact Detective Bharratt at 863-837-5784.

Hope Equine Rescue Celebrates Christmas Of Hope

Staff Reporter

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December 23, 2019

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Hope Equine Rescue Celebrates Christmas Of Hope

by James Coulter

Young Chloe loves to read. Every month, she and her family visit someplace special where this kindergartener can read aloud to special guests. It’s not a library. It’s not a nursing home. It’s actually Hope Equine Rescue, and the special “guests” she reads to are horses.

As part of the Reading With Rescues program, 5-year-old Chloe is one of many young children who reads to horses that are being sheltered and trained within the Winter Haven rescue facility.

On Monday, she and her family were able to visit the horses for a special Christmas party. She brought along her favorite Christmas story, “Five Busy Elves” by Patricia Hegarty, to read that evening.

When asked what she loves most about the Reading with Rescues program, Chloe replied, “I get to see all of the beautiful horses.”

That evening, she was joined by her parents, Katherine and Steve Gaymont, and her brother, Soren, 3. The Gaymonts enjoy being able to frequent the horse rescue facility. Chloe loves it especially, as it combines her love of horses with reading.

“For our children, it has given them a real love of reading as emerging leaders themselves,” Katherine said. “They are always talking about how excited they are to read to the horses…So it has been cool to see her grow in the program. It helps them get energized about being appreciative and helping animals.”

Afterward, they were able to enjoy other holiday festivities with the other guests such as eating Christmas cookies, drinking hot cocoa, riding a horse-drawn carriage, and especially visiting Santa Claus himself.

Leigh Ann Webb, Volunteer Director for Hope Equine, attended that evening to allow guests the opportunity to meet one of their therapy horses, Batman. Webb adopted the little pony a year ago to train him for therapy.

Training him has required the horse to dress up in costumes as well as wear a diaper bag so that he can remain indoors. His calm demeanor made him the perfect candidate to become a therapy pony, Webb said.

“Overall, I picked him because he is nice and calm…and he really, really loves to be petted,” she said. “So I did not have to train him much. He already came like that.”

Webb enjoys being able to participate and volunteer within Hope Equine Rescue, as it allows her to interact with both children and horses. Being able to see both happy and healthy makes her involvement all the worthwhile to her.

“I think the thing I enjoy the most is being able to interact with the kids,” she said. “They do a lot for rescue horses and [other] horses that are neglected. It is amazing the things they can do to help save these horses.”

The “Hope For Christmas” event that evening proved successful. More than 40 children participated to not only celebrate the holiday season, but also the Reading With Rescues Program.

Mary Shields, director of the reading program, explains that the program not only allows their rescue horses to receive love and attention but also allows children to practice reading aloud within a judgment-free environment.

“[Our program] promotes confidence building, teaching them how to speak out loud to a group without any kind of judgment,” she said. “Then the horses benefit from the fact that they are introduced to children.”

Hope Equine Rescue has been in operation for more than a decade. The non-profit organization recently relocated to its new location in Northeast Winter Haven. The work they do to help assist neglected and abandoned horses they could not do without the assistance of the Sheriff’s Department and their team of more than 200 volunteers, Shields said.

Aside from their Reading With Rescues program, Hope Equine hopes to introduce other programs and events, including for handicapped individuals, children with disabilities, and Wounded Warriors.

Hope Equine Rescue is located at 3805 High Street NE, Winter Haven, FL 33881. For more information, visit https://hopeequinerescue.com, or call 863-287-7503.

The Grinch Visits Gourmet Goodies For Christmas

Staff Reporter

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December 23, 2019

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The Grinch Visits Gourmet Goodies For Christmas

by James Coulter

Every person in Winter Haven loves Christmas a lot. And the Grinch came from Whoville to visit this spot. The Grinch now loves Christmas, the whole Christmas season! He came over to Winter Haven to celebrate that reason.

On Sunday afternoon, many locals were elated, for once again Grinchmas at Gourmet Goodies was celebrated. This special event had a sight to be seen of everyone’s favorite “Santa Claus” dressed in red and green.

Over to Gourmet Goodies, he visited the store, to remind us that Christmas means a little bit more. The young and the old he met with a cheer, for Christmas is coming, it’s practically here!

By the hundreds they gathered, perhaps a thousand more. They all waited in line outside of that store. They waited nearly an hour for him just to meet. They waited around the corner. They waited along the street.

And as they were patient for their next turn to meet, they could listen to a DJ’s very hot beats. There were games to play, and prizes to win, as they all waited patiently to finally go in.

Once they passed through the door, oh what a sight they could see, of all the baked goodies within that bakery. There were green Grinch cupcakes and cookies galore that parents could buy within that festive store. And decking the halls were paintings of the Grinch that local artist, Brittany Ellerbe, had painted in a cinch.

This year’s Grichmas proved especially grand. It drew a large turnout, nearly a thousand. It looked bigger that last year’s, perhaps even a bit more. So said Carissa Hughes, the owner of the store.

“Everybody had a great time, it was a really great day,” is what the proud owner had to say. And why she hosts this event? She replied, to wit: “It was a way for us to give back to our community, we always enjoy doing it.”

Everyone expressed their satisfaction through their Facebook and tweets. One person wrote: “We had a great time seeing the Grinch and having some yummy treats!”

While some kids loved the Grinch, others were more shy. One pair of twins were even driven to cry. Their mother on Facebook expressed her regret: “Oh my gosh! I felt so bad that they got so upset.” But in the end, she said it was okay: “I can’t wait to show them this picture one day!”

Overall, the event was hosted with glory as folks could see their favorite character from their favorite story. So Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart and hand in hand.

Feltrim Sports Village Celebrates Grand Opening

Haines City

Staff Reporter

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December 23, 2019

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Feltrim Sports Village Celebrates Grand Opening

by James Coulter

What do football, soccer, and quidditch all have in common? They’re all games and sports that will be played at the new Feltrim Sports Village at Balmoral Resort in Haines City.

Costing $4 million, the 5-acre sports facility includes a large playing field for sports such as soccer and football. The facility also includes practice fields for soccer and lacrosse, as well as a fieldhouse with locker rooms and a concession stand.

More facilities are expected in the near future. In 2021, an indoor sports arena is planned to be constructed. This 65,000 square foot indoor sports arena will include two basketball courts and six volleyball courts. Also planned is an event center, which will be planned for construction in 2020. This center will serve as a venue for large events such as weddings and receptions.

Feltrim Sports Village is located in the Balmoral Resort, a 100-acre vacation-home community located off of Highway 27 in Haines City. Since opening in 2016, the resort has added more than 100 new homes, with even more being constructed.

The new sports village will host various sports and games, from traditional sports such as football and soccer, to unique games such as quidditch, the magical broomstick game from the Harry Potter book series.

The very first event was hosted on Sunday with the AAU Football National Championships, as reported by the Winter Haven Sun. More events are planned for the near future, with the next four months having already been booked, explained Garrett Kenny, CEO and Owner of Feltrim Sports Complex.

“We are hoping to bring in locals in Haines City and Polk County and also out of state,” Kenny said. “I think the northeast section of the county has been ignored for the last couple of years. There is a hell of a lot of activity in Winter Haven and Lakeland. So I think this will help put Haines City on the map.”

Feltrim Sports Village celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday afternoon hosted by the Northeast Polk County Chamber of Commerce. The ribbon was cut on the main field by local delegates from the city and community, with fireworks being launched shortly after. The marching band from Haines City High School performed live music.

Darren Soto, U.S. Representative for Florida’s 9th District, lauded the village as an investment within the northeast section of the county, an area that has been lagging behind as compared to others such as Winter Haven and Lakeland.

The new facility will help provide a boost in the economy by attracting tourism dollars to Haines City and the surrounding area. Such economic development is what inspires him to help pass bills such as a recent state program that he recently helped to reauthorize, which helps to facilitate local parks and local tourism excursions, he said.

“We appreciate the local funding and the investment to make sure we are maintaining that prosperity that the rest of central Florida has had the benefit of enjoying,” he said. “So we will continue to have your back, and we appreciate the hard work and investment.”

Martha Santiago, Polk County City Commissioner for District 4, also lauded the facility as a great addition to the county, not only as an economic investment, but also as an investment for local children.

“This sports facility compliments…your resort area and it is going to serve as special need in Haines City with our students,” she said. “Education is real important. Our students need to have facilities such as this and participate in facilities like this.”

When she first encountered the facility, she was awe-struck by its sheer size and scope. Not only will it potentially attract tourism by hosting various sporting events, but also impact the local community by stimulating the economy.

“I sincerely believe that this is definitely a game-changer not only for Haines City, Northeast of Polk County, but also for all of Polk County, so we are excited to have this here,” she said.

Deric Feacher, City Manager for Haines City, likewise praised the facility for transforming the city, local area, and the entire county as a whole. This new venue will host major events that will draw in plenty of tourists, and hopefully, potential residents, he said.

“We know that this will be synergy for our community,” he said. “I encourage all of you to engage in dialogue with your friends and family about what will be taking place here because what they are doing here in our community is going to transform everything dealing with sports…and also impact lives, provide educational opportunities for the students.”

Excel Christian Academy Hosts Annual Winter Boutique

Lakeland

Staff Reporter

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December 23, 2019

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Excel Christian Academy Hosts Annual Winter Boutique

by James Coulter

What does The Grinch, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Hocus Pocus all have in common? They’re all movies that are currently streaming on Netflix and Disney Plus. They’re also properties that one local artisan has used to create her crafts.

Amanda Wachendorf, a Lakeland resident, has been attending various local arts and crafts events like the Auburndale Fall Festival. There she sells her handmade craft items such as stockings, mugs, and keychains. Many of them are inspired by popular movies and shows.

“I try to do a little bit of everything,” she said. “I see some things and I like to craft them…If you don’t see it, I can make it for you.”

Amanda shared her crafts as one of several dozen vendors at the Winter Boutique at Excel Christian Academy in Lakeland. The winter craft festival was hosted as a fundraiser for this year’s senior trip, explained Sherry Delgato, the second-grade teacher in charge of the event.

Excel Christian School is a non-profit Christian school that, according to its website, “promotes and provides for quality education, wherein students find joy in the pursuit of spiritual, moral, relational, and academic excellence, through the establishment and maintenance of private, non-denominational Christian schools and activities.”

The Winter Boutique has been hosted many times at the school, though the event was not hosted last year. Each year, the event has grown with more and more vendors attending. This year had more than several dozen vendors from the local community, Delgato said.

“The reception and turnout have been very good,” she said. She mentioned how the event is good for “meeting new people, [because we] have a lot of new people.”

The many vendors there sold a little bit of anything and everything from handmade ornaments and stockings to food such as Cubans, unicorn popcorn, and other assorted treats.

Tiffany Hash was one of the many local vendors selling her handmade crafts. That day, she sold several Christmas related items such as stockings and ornaments. For the past ten years, she has been creating her crafts and selling them at local events. She plans on attending another at Yard on the Mass on Friday evening.

As someone who lives near the school, she considered this event very convenient for her, as she did not need to travel far. Not to mention she was able to support a great institution such as Excel Christian Academy.

“It is great to be able to support them,” she said. “We have some friends whose kids have gone here, and it is a great organization.”

Attempt to Identify Suspects who Attempted To Make a Fraudulent Purchase at McKibben Powersports

Lake Wales

Staff Reporter

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December 20, 2019

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Attempt to Identify Suspects who Attempted To Make a Fraudulent Purchase at McKibben Powersports

On November 14, 2019 the two suspects in these photographs attempted to fraudulently use the victim’s personal information to make a purchase at McKibben Powersports, located at 20769 US 27 in Lake Wales. The victim was alerted to the attempted purchase before the transaction was completed and stopped the transaction. The suspects left prior to law enforcement arrival.

If anyone knows the identity of these suspects or has information regarding the investigation please contact Detective Martin Petkevich at (863) 678-4223 extension 541 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at (800) 226-8477.

Attempt to Identify Suspect from McKibben Powersports Fraudulent Purchase

Lake Wales

Staff Reporter

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December 20, 2019

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Attempt to Identify Suspect from McKibben Powersports Fraudulent Purchase

On November 7, 2019 this unidentified suspect used the victim’s personal information to fraudulently obtain a 2019 Polaris UTV from McKibben Powersports, located at 20769 US 27 in Lake Wales. The victim learned of the fraudulent purchase after receiving information in the mail regarding the purchase. These photographs are of the suspect who used the victim’s identification and credit card information to make the purchase.

Anyone who knows the identity of this suspect or who may have information about the case is asked to contact Detective Martin Petkevich at (863) 678-4223 extension 541 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at (800) 226-8477.

Purchase of YMCA Building, Facilities Is One Step Closer

Lake Wales

Staff Reporter

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December 19, 2019

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Purchase of YMCA building, facilities is one step closer

The sale of the Burns Avenue YMCA to the City of Lake Wales is one step closer to reality.

Commissioners approved a loan proposal from CenterState Bank totaling $900,000 at their regular meeting of Dec. 3, and will vote on a final sales contract at a future meeting.

The total sales price is $565,000, according to Deputy City Manager James Slaton. The additional funds will go largely towards rehabilitation work at the YMCA.

CenterState was one of six bidders on the loan. CenterState and BB&T both submitted proposals for a rate of 2.59 percent. However, CenterState’s offer did not include pre-payment penalties, while the offer from BB&T’s did.

“This gets the financing in place to move everything forward,” City Manager Ken Fields noted.

City leaders identified improved recreation opportunities as a priority of the commission in recent years.

Mayor Gene Fultz noted that while the city is purchasing the facility, which will lead to potential benefits for city residents like reduced rates and more facility access, actual operation of the facility will stay with the YMCA.

“Even though the city is purchasing that property, it will be leased back to the Y so they can run it. They’re the professionals at running it. We don’t want to go out and rehire and try to staff the people that do that,” he said.

Fields also noted that the city continues to be in a strong financial position even with the new debt service, which will average about $73,000 annually.

“We are well within our limits, or what’s proper practice, in terms of percentage of our general fund that goes for debt service. We’re below the recommended amounts by a fairly good amount. We’ve got some room in that respect.”

Snow Central Lets It Snow In Winter Haven

Winter Haven

Staff Reporter

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December 19, 2019

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Snow Central Lets It Snow In Winter Haven

by James Coulter

Winter Haven may have “winter” in its name, but during the actual winter, it rarely gets cold enough for the city to become a Winter Wonderland. However, once a year in December, the city imports ice to give local children the opportunity to frolic and play the Eskimo way as they enjoy a Winter Wonderland in Winter Haven.

Once again, the City of Winter Haven allowed children and their families this rare opportunity last Friday during its annual Snow Central at the Chain O’ Lakes Complex.

For the low price of $1 to $2 for admission, attendees could enjoy the white stuff by either frolicking within it and tossing it around during a snowball fight, or sliding down it on an ice slide with an inner tube toboggan.

Whether they were playing within the snow in the indoor snow arena or sliding down it on an ice slide, young children were able to celebrate Christmas early by having white snowy fun that only children up North get to enjoy.

Ryon Minter, a local father of two, brought his daughter and son out to the event—or rather, “they” brought him out—for an evening of snowy fun. None of them have been up North, so this was their first time being able to play with snow, he said.

“My kids have never seen the snow, so this is the closest we are getting for a while,” he said. “They love the snowballs for sure. They could not wait to throw the snowballs. They were trying to hit me most of the time. We would do again, for sure…It was fun. I liked it. We enjoyed it.”

The “snow” is created from ice imported from the Alpine Ice Company. The ice is brought early in the morning, shaved, and fluffed into a white pile within the makeshift indoor area.

During the event, after each set of attendees are permitted to play within it for five to ten minutes at a time, the snow is “fluffed” by staff members to ensure that the snow is soft and fluffy for each and every group of children, explained Marissa Barnes, Special Events Marketing Coordinator.

This is the first time Barnes has hosted the event since stepping forward as the city’s new Special Event Marketing Coordinator. The event itself has always been hosted every year in December; however, due to weather problems last year, that year’s event was postponed until January.

Aside from the snow, the event also offered several food trucks, activities such as cookie decorating provided by local vendors, and, of course, a meet and greet with Jolly Old Saint Nick himself.

The annual event gives locals the opportunity to enjoy a “White Christmas” that other people up North have the privilege of enjoying. It is an annual tradition that is expected to remain annual for many Christmases to come, Barnes said.

“For Florida natives such as ourselves, seeing snow is something you do not do often, and it is such a delight that the city of Winter Haven allows experience not only for adults like me who do not travel in the winter for those elements, but it is also exciting for the little kids,” she said. “Everybody watches movies and reads books, and wants to experience a white Christmas…Each child gets to see what it is like to play in the snow, to slide down a snow sleigh, it is something you really miss out on if you are a Floridian.”

Annual Havendale Christmas Parade Brings Auburndale And Winter Haven Together

Staff Reporter

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December 19, 2019

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Annual Havendale Christmas Parade Brings Auburndale And Winter Haven Together

by James Coulter

Nothing brings people together like the holidays. So it only seems fitting that what brings the cities of Winter Haven and Auburndale together is the annual Havendale Christmas Parade.

Hundreds gathered along Havendale Boulevard between the two cities for a chance to see the annual parade, which included hundreds of holiday-themed floats, marching parades, police and rescue vehicles, and other units.

Participating within the annual holiday parade were several organizations from Auburndale and Winter Haven, along with other surrounding communities such as Lake Alfred and Bartow.

The parade started at 7 p.m. from Spring Haven Retirement in Winter Haven and continued on along the boulevard to the Wells Fargo in Auburndale.

Spectators lined the sidewalk along the highway in lawn chairs and blankets waiting in anticipation for the parade to arrive, while several food trucks and concession stands were set up to sell food and merchandise.

Some of the more creative floats within the parade included a carnival-style float with Ferris wheel by the Silver Shoe Cloggers, a Candyland themed-float by Esprit, and a Star Wars-themed float by McKibben Power Sports Honda.

The Winter Haven power sports dealer had been hosting its Star Wars-themed float for several years, at least since 2017. Not only was Star Wars chosen as a theme because of the new movies being released in theaters, but also because the people involved with the dealer are big Star Wars fans, explained Casey McKibben, owner of McKibben Power Sport Honda in Winter Haven, to the Daily Ridge in 2017.

For many local residents, the parade is a cherished annual tradition that not only allows them the opportunity to kick off the holiday season in style, but also allow them to share such an experience with people from neighboring cities.

“I grew up going to the Havendale Christmas Parade,” wrote one Facebook user, Hope Pierson. “We also found some sweet friends while we were there. Tiffany and I have been friends since we were in diapers. Our little girls got to meet for the first time last night! Such a sweet moment.”