Lake Wales High School Girls Lacrosse Team also had their first official games on Tuesday Night.
Where they were victorious over Lakeland with a score of 8-7 in the final 10 seconds.
Way to Go Lady Highlanders!!!
Next games are at Winter Haven on 2/28 at 7pm, and versus lake Gibson on 3/2 at 7pm
Come out and support our Lady Highlander Lacrosse Team!!!
Outback Oasis Provides an Enchanting, One of a Kind Experience
By Allison Williams
Located just off of Dundee Road at 4000 Country Club Road South in Winter Haven sits Outback Oasis, an event venue for weddings, fundraisers, private parties and much more.
Tere Pilka and her family have been running the venue for two years. Pilka works tirelessly managing, creating and executing special events for her guests. She has volunteers to help with events, including set ups.
The inspiration of Outback Oasis comes from wildlife artist, Paul Schulz. Opening in 2011, the venue was designed to offer a “one of a kind” exotic experience for guests.
The venue has tons to offer. There are tents and picnic areas that can be rented for events. There is a large pavilion with beautiful artwork inside and a butterfly garden.
A designated ceremony site sits on the property with a lush, picturesque background. This ceremony site can comfortably seat 100-125 guests. Weddings can be held in other locations on property as well.
A large kangaroo terrace rests in the middle of Outback Oasis. This is home to kangaroos Auzzie and Joey, Fiji the bunny, and two African spurred tortoises named Sheldon and Fluffy.
The kangaroos are one of Pilka’s favorite perks of the Oasis. She has grown such a strong bond with Auzzie and Joey that she has had to changer her shampoo because Auzzie started to enjoy the smell of it just a little too much.
“You get attached to the kangaroos and they become attached to us,” Pilka said.
Beyond the kangaroo terrace is a wide-open space. Pilka has plans of turning some of this area into a resort-style setting where guests can stay overnight at the Oasis.
Outback Oasis is filled with tons of plant life and animal life. There are royal palm trees, rainbow eucalyptus trees, macadamia trees, silk floss trees, hibiscuses, bamboo (greys, greens and yellows) and even a Medusa Palm.
Grass eating carp live in the large pond that is in the center of Outback Oasis. There are also koi fish and an assortment of aquatic turtles. Birdhouses sit in the pine trees in the open areas and blue herons, ospreys and other birds fly in for occasional visits.
Pilka enjoys the fact that wildlife comes and goes at the Oasis. “On any given day, you don’t know what will show up,” Pilka said. “On Thursday afternoon a whole family of sandhill cranes just walked in.”
Outback Oasis does not implement irrigation to sustain plant life. All plant species, except for the water plants in the butterfly garden, live on their own.
Often times, when people step into the Oasis, they find themselves lost in the beauty and end up staying for a long time. Pilka loves that she sees repeat guests who come to enjoy the beauty on a regular basis.
A little girl, around seven years old, comes just to talk to the mermaid,” Pilka said. She and Mermaid Celeste talk about fish, mermaids and all sorts of stuff.”
One word to sum up the experience of Outback Oasis: Tranquility. “When you come out here, it’s that feeling you get,” Pilka said. “There is this massive tranquility.”
Pilka and her family like to wind down the day sometimes with a relaxing evening under the stars. “At night, this place glows,” Pilka said. “There is no other word for it.”
For those interested in experiencing the wonders of Outback Oasis first-hand, call (863) 508-5482 or stop by the venue for more information.
Office Hours:
Daily from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Address:
4000 Country Club Road South
Winter Haven, Florida 33881
Website:
Upcoming Saturday Events:
Additional Saturday Events Co-Hosted with Ever After Character Events:
Cypress Gardens Water Ski Show Hosted a Back to the Future Style Ski Show
By Allison Williams
On Saturday, the Cypress Gardens Water Ski team performed a show for the community. The recurring event is free to the public and takes place the third Saturday of every month on Lake Silver in Winter Haven.
The Cypress Gardens Water Ski team is a non-profit 501c3 organization. The show is completely free to attend so the team relies on help and donations from the community to be able to put on the shows that they do month after month.
A concession stand is always available to the guests at the monthly shows. Whether it is a sweet treat, a burger or an ice-cold drink, the concession stand has plenty in stock to feed those who want to sit back, relax and enjoy a treat while watching the show.
There are t-shirts and official 2018 show calendars for sale at the concession stand as well. A 50/50 raffle takes place and guests are encouraged to purchase raffle tickets and support the ski team in doing so.
The Wip Show began Saturday afternoon at 3:30 with the main show following at 4:30.
The Cypress Gardens Water Ski team is always thankful to their supporters. Without the support of businesses and people around the community, they would not be able to provide creative costumes for the performers or be able put on the show for everyone to enjoy.
Businesses that received a special shout out at this month’s event include Wawa, Citizens Bank and Trust and the American Legion. American Legion gives the ski team a place to store their boats.
Children and adults of all ages performed during the Wip show. Toward the end of the Wip show, the performers mastered a three tier human pyramid.
With the main show having a Back to the Future theme, the first half of the show was geared toward the past and the second half of the show was geared toward the future.
For those who know the Back to the Future movie from the 1980s, Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown showed their faces a few times throughout the ski show.
Amy Kaeberle, a new Winter Haven resident, attended the ski show for the first time.
“This was my first time coming to see the ski show, and I was extremely impressed by the turnout, the talent and the energy,” Kaeberle said. “Both the kid and adult skiers and performers were so much fun to watch and it’s so obvious that they love what they do. I’ll definitely be back to see more in the future!“
The next Cypress Gardens Water Ski show will take place on March 17, 2018.
Location:
100 Lake Silver Drive
MLK Jr Park
Winter Haven, Florida 33880.
PCSO Detectives Add 40 Additional Child Pornography Charges to Former Elite World Gymnastics Coach
On Wednesday, February 21, 2018, Polk County Sheriff’s Office computer crimes detectives added 40 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography charges to former Elite World Gymnastics coach, 21-year-old Alexander Katchalov, who was arrested on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, for 22 counts of possession of child pornography.
According to the arrest affidavit, detectives completed an investigation of Katchalov’s electronic devices and private drop box account and found 10 additional videos depicting child pornography. One video depicted over 30 different scenes with victims as young as two-years-old being graphically sexually battered by adults, including sexual penetration and sex acts with adults and other children, and videos graphically exposing children in a lewd manner.
Katchalov is scheduled for first appearance hearing today, February 22, 2018, as a standard protocol, for the additional 40 counts of possession of child pornography.
“Thankfully, during our investigation we have not determined there to be any local victims. However, if there are any local children who had regular contact with Katchalov and who have experienced any inappropriate contact from Katchalov, we want parents to call us if they believe their child is a victim. Katchalov was in possession of and regularly watched horrible, graphic, and sexually deviant child pornography and I am thankful for our detectives who did an outstanding job thoroughly searching his electronic devices and accounts.” – Grady Judd Sheriff
Previous news release sent out on January 31, 2018.
PCSO Detectives arrest Elite World Gymnastics coach for possession of child pornography
On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, Polk County Sheriff’s Office computer crimes detectives arrested 21-year-old Alexander M. Katchalov of Lakeland after receiving a tip that he was uploading images and videos of child pornography online. He was arrested and charged with 22 counts of possession of child pornography (F-2).
A search warrant was executed on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, at the Elite World Gymnastics training complex located at 5350-5390 State Road 33 North in Lakeland. Alexander’s parents, Mikhail and Irina Katchalov own the complex – they all coach adults and kids in some capacity with the youngest being 3-years-old. Detectives seized electronic devices used by Alexander, and located 21 videos and 1 image depicting boys and girls between the ages of 3-12 being sexually battered or displayed in a lewd manner.
“Make no mistake, those who view, possess, buy, and trade child pornography are complicit in the crime against the child depicted in the images. Our primary concern in this investigation is to find out if there are any local victims. Our forensic experts will be searching the devices we have seized today to determine the scope of illegal material that he possesses or has transmitted. It makes all of us angry that someone who has regular access to graphic child pornography also has regular access to children. We encourage anyone who has reason to believe that there has been any inappropriate contact between Alexander Katchalov and a child to contact us.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
The investigation is on-going and additional charges are pending. Katchalov was arrested, charged, and booked into the Polk County Jail on the above charges.
“We are committed to protecting our children from those who possess and distribute child pornography. These men are a part of a worldwide underground child pornography distribution system – the demand for this vile material harms children, and ruins lives.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
PCSO Press Release
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with Webber International University, is establishing the Sheriff’s Sentinel Program to enhance the safety of an already safe and secure community of students, faculty, staff, and guests at the University’s campus in Babson Park, Florida. The Sheriff’s Sentinel program is a unique program that will provide comprehensive and professional law enforcement training to select university faculty and staff members that will enable them to carry a concealed firearm for the purpose of rapidly responding to an active assailant on campus to stop a potential deadly threat.
Key components of the Sheriff’s Sentinel Program are:
Special Deputy Sheriff Sentinel Program Training: (132 total hours)
Participation in the Sheriff’s Sentinel Program may be denied or terminated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for any reason, including:
Additional Details
Costs of the program shall be determined by contract between Webber International University and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Update: Breaking News: No credible threat found. Larger police presence in park will remain at Park the rest of day, but people are allowed to come and go as usual
Concerning Note Has Law Enforcement At Legoland Amusement Park
Winter Haven Police Press Release
A large presence of law enforcement is at LEGOLAND Florida
this afternoon after a note with a concerning message was found inside
of a family bathroom.
Law enforcement members from the Winter
Haven Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office are walking
through the park checking for anything unusual. At this time nothing has
been found and there is no reason to believe the note is a credible threat.
However, out of an abundance of caution, the park guests and
staff are not being allowed out of the park and there is nobody allowed
in at this time.
The City of Winter Haven and Winter Haven Recreational and Cultural Center Host Black History Month Spelling Bee and Other Events
By Allison Williams
February is Black History Month. The City of Winter Haven has events taking place at the Winter Haven Recreational and Cultural Center all throughout the month.
For those who have not yet made it to an event, for the rest of February, there will be a Black History Month City Hall Display at 451 3rd Street Northwest. Anyone is welcome to stop by for a visit.
Students living in Winter Haven who are in grades 6-8 have a few days left to enter the Youth Essay Contest for the month. The topic for the contest is: Who is your favorite African-American Trailblazer or Inventor? Why? The deadline to submit essays for the contest is February 23, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. The students who come in first and second place will receive awards.
On Tuesday, the Black History Month Spelling Bee took place at the Winter Haven Recreational and Cultural Center from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The annual event has occurred for over five years now.
Children from grades Kindergarten to 8th grade were invited to participate in the contest. Tanisha Duncan, Recreation Leader, helped run the flow of the event. “We try to have different people in the community,” Duncan said. “It is open to the community, different schools and churches in Winter Haven.”
Four contestants represented this year’s contest. In the first heat, 6-year-old Carmen and 7-year-old Damien went back and forth many times spelling words such as A-G-E, O-U-T, J-U-M-P and W-E-N-T. Damien received first place by correctly spelling the word M-A-K-E. Carmen received the second place award. Both children earned a medal, certificate and goodie bag for participating.
Pic of 2 kids receiving awards
First grader, Marlai’sha took the stage and was given the word T-O-O-T-H to spell. She also received a medal, certificate and goodie bag for participating.
Lanaye was the oldest competitor in the evening’s spelling bee. At 10 years old, Lanaye correctly spelled the word BOOTS to take homw first place prize in her age bracket.
Duncan along with Dwan Lawrence, Recreation Supervisor, gave each child the word to spell and administered prizes. They were able to give out prizes to every participant thanks to donations from McDonalds, Chick-fil-a, Olive Garden, Dairy Queen and Cobb’s Grand 10 Cinema.
The ending of the spelling bee is Duncan’s favorite part of the event. “Everybody is a winner,” Duncan said. “It’s just being able to give back and to see all the kids faces when they win and even if they misspell a word it’s ok. They are brave to be out here in front of everybody.”
To close out the event, Duncan and Lawrence invited some high school students in the crowd to take part in the spelling bee. “They are with one of our local basketball teams here,” Lawrence said. “They are an amazing group of young boys. Not only do they play basketball, but they tend to be leaders here.” Lawrence was thankful that the group of high school students stepped up to participate.
Lawrence and Duncan ended the event by thanking the crowd for attending and congratulated all the children who came out to show their spelling talents.
Bok Tower Gardens To Lead Foodscape Revolution
by James Coulter
Love fruits and vegetables? Don’t want to worry about pesticides and GMOs? Why not grow your own?
Unfortunately, growing your own produce is easier said than done. Fortunately, you can learn how to save time and money doing so at Bok Tower Gardens this Saturday.
Learn how to make the most out of the food that you grow while spending the least of your time and money with tips from Brie Arthur, nationally-renowned garden industry communicator and author of the book, “Foodscape Revolution.”
Considered the foremost leader of the “national suburban Foodscape movement”, according to her website, she helps present “a model of community development that incorporates sustainable, local food production.”
Her class will provide instruction how to grow the most sustainable produce within a suburban setting, offering simple strategies on the foodscaping basics.
Guests can then enjoy the end result of such gardening as she will also teach them how to make delicious salsa and Bloody Marys from fresh tomatoes.
“My focus is trying to come up with strategies to use with existing landscapes and really encourage people to play a role in the local food movement,” she said.
A Michigan native, Brie Arthur graduated from Purdue University where she studied horticulture.
She previously worked at Plant Delights Nursery and Camellia Forest Nursery before starting her current career as a professional speaker, touring the nation and leading her revolution in foodscaping.
“One of my most gratifying experiences during my 20-year-career in horticulture is to have the chance to tour the country and engage with people who enjoy the hobby of gardening and inspire new gardeners and younger people to give it a try and start simple,” she said.
In her recent book, “Foodscape Revolution”, she presents a guide for beginning gardeners on how to best incorporate their produce among their traditional ornamental plants rather than segregating the vegetables from the flowers.
For first time gardeners, she suggests writing down the list of vegetables they consume in a week to check and see which ones would be most beneficial for them to grow themselves.
“Some people only pick what looks pretty at the garden center, and that might not be what they already eat on a regular basis,” she said.
For long time gardeners, she encourages them to share their love of gardening and their years of expertise whenever they can as to encourage others to pick up the hobby.
“Gardening is something in this era that can bring people peace, joy, and empathy with a connection to not only the planet but also the communities that people live in, and I think more than ever, we have to concentrate on ways to improve the societies that we are living in at this moment,” she said.
Having previously visited Bok Tower a few years ago, she is thrilled to return once more to take part in the scenic facilities, especially within the outdoor kitchen where she will be offering her presentation, especially with her tomato-based recipes.
“They [guests] will be getting into their tomato season soon, and tomatoes can feel overwhelming,” she said. “People love being able to taste Bloody Marys.”
The “Foodscape Revolution” yard to table cooking demonstration will be hosted at Bok Tower Gardens on Sat. Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $15.
For more information, visit their website at https://boktowergardens.org.
Paws and Perches Animal Hospital Hosts a Fun-Filled Open House
By Allison Williams
Paws and Perches Animal Hospital in Lake Wales hosted an open house Saturday and invited the community to come out and celebrate with food, a prize raffle, contests, facility tours and other giveaways. The first 100 guests were given free t-shirts to take home.
Dr. Ashley V. Lab took over the practice in 2012. Guests were invited into the facility for a tour. They were given BINGO sheets and had their cards stamped at each stop on the visit. Stops on the tour included the pharmacy, lab, surgery room, dentistry room, bathing area, boarding area and the Paws Protection Plan booth.
Once guests finished the tour, they made their way over to the prize table to enter into the prize raffle. Three tickets were given out to each guest who completed the tour and guests received additional raffle entries for liking the Paws and Perches Animal Hospital page and checking into the event on Facebook.
Paige Baden is a technician at the animal hospital. She was in charge of the lab station on the BINGO facility tour.
Baden has been working for Dr. Lab for two years. She shared more about what Paws and Perches Animal Hospital provides for the public. “We do annuals, routine vaccines, dentals, growth removals and surgeries,” Baden said. “I love working here because as a technician, there is something different every day. Every day I come to work, I never know what I’m going to get.”
Since Dr. Lab is known for treating many species of animals including wildlife, Baden added that some of the animals Dr. Lab has treated are eagles, sandhill cranes and turtles. Not knowing what will walk in the door next keeps Baden’s job exciting.
Karla Scobie, a close family friend attended the event to support Dr. Lab. “I’ve known her all her life,” Scobie said. “Besides being a good vet, she has a very loving, kind, giving personality.”
A tent was set up just outside of the building for Safe Haven Wildlife Rehabilitation. Founded in 2007, they specialize in small animals, including rabbits, opossums and squirrels. Maisy the duck made an appearance at the event along with Elsa, a 5-year-old eastern gray squirrel and a 1.5-week-old baby eastern gray squirrel.
Kathy Lamb, owner of the Safe Haven Wildlife Rehabilitation program keeps some of the animals in her home. “We have an extra room in our house that I made into a nursery,” Lamb said. “Elsa is a lifetime resident.”
Lamb loves what she does. “It’s my calling,” Lamb said. “I think it’s where I’m supposed to be.”
On the other side of the facility, a bounce house was set up for children to enjoy. They also had the opportunity to get their faces painted. A Free Puppy Kisses booth was set up as well, which was quite popular with the children.
Set up next to the bounce house was an obstacle course. Animals present at the event were encouraged to enter into contests to win awards and treats. Prizes were administered to the best dressed pet, pet with the best trick and fastest pet on the obstacle course.
To close out the open house, a special performance took place by Dogs in Sync. Bob Sokoloskis is the instructor of this volunteer group. He trains dogs with obedience exercise to music and the dogs and their owners perform in front of audiences.
Paws and Perches Animal Hospital is located at 755 W Central Ave, Lake Wales, Florida 33853.
Phone:
(863) 676-6176
Website:
© 2021 WinterHavenDaily.com | All rights reserved.
