Do you live, work or visit downtown Winter Haven and have a furry friend? Then we have great news for you! The brand-new K9 Courtyard will be opening soon! This off-leash dog run area is a new amenity to downtown featuring approximately 6,000 square feet of fenced play area for dogs, drinking fountains for humans and animals, and shaded seating areas. The K9 Courtyard is located north of Avenue E N.W. between the Winter Haven Area Transit Terminal and the Chain of Lakes Trail.
Next steps in construction: sod! It will take a few weeks for the grass to take hold. Stay tuned for a ribbon-cutting date!
Winter Haven Recreational & Cultural Center Could Receive $5 Million for Reconstruction
by James Coulter
More than $5,000,000 from the city’s general fund surplus might be used to help completely reconstruct the Winter Haven Recreational and Cultural Center (WHRCC), if Winter Haven City Commissioners approve the proposed funding transfer at their next meeting on April 25.
At their recent meeting on Monday, commissioners reviewed the first reading of an ordinance that would appropriate $5,151,147 from the city’s general fund surplus toward the WHRCC construction fund for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2023.
The City’s fiscal policy requires the general fund “should not be less than 17 percent” of its operating expenditures. Last year’s budget experienced a surplus of $5,151,147, which increased the available fund balance to $22,581,371, or 38 percent of its budgeted expenditures.
“The General Fund’s FY 2022-2023 surplus may be utilized to accommodate the construction cost increase without a negative impact to fund balance,” the ordinance stated.
Located at 801 Ave T NE next to Jewett School of the Arts, the WHRCC building has remained standing since its construction in 1974. The 20,000-square-foot facility currently consists of a playground, a 25-meter pool, a 7,160-square-foot indoor gymnasium with a fitness center, and two lighted youth baseball/softball fields.
The facility was originally recommended to receive renovations to improve its fitness center and address its ADA needs. However, last year, according to the ordinance memo: “during the initial design and master plan efforts, the breadth of the project warranted consideration of a complete rebuild versus a traditional renovation.”
The proposed new facility, as the staff memo explains, “would feature a 17,000 square-foot double multi-use gymnasium, a new zero-grade entry swimming pool, a splash pad, new playground, outdoor sports court, and all the amenities of an upgraded fitness center, community meeting space, library/technology area with WiFi, business support area, kitchen (caterer), offices, restrooms, and additional storage.”
City Commissioners will review and vote on the ordinance during its second reading at their April 25 meeting, to be hosted at City Hall at 6 p.m.
Location: Downtown Winter Haven Historic District Spend your FREE Friday night shopping pet vendors, enjoying a cold beverage, and enjoying time with your favorite four-legged friends. Bark in the Park will be held in Central and South Central Park Downtown – with favorites like the police K9 demonstration and our Annual Weiner Dog Race!
We bet you’ve heard the old adage that some pet owners look quite a lot like their pets?! We are pumped to announce the Look Alike Contest for this years Bark in the Park Downtown!
Please make sure both owner and pet are looking at the camera. Send your submissions to [email protected]!
Submissions will go live to vote on May 1st! (see details below)
Life ring at swimming pool.emergency tire floating at swimming pool.
On Friday, April 7, 2023 around 4 p.m., Crystal Horrocks and her 9 year-old daughter, Kathleen, were enjoying the afternoon at the swimming pool in the Carlton Arms Apartment Complex (7676 Carlton Arms Blvd., Winter Haven).
Little Kathleen noticed a man in the water towards the deep end of the pool who appeared to be struggling a bit. Moments later, Kathleen saw that the man had sank to the bottom and was not moving.
Kathleen alerted her mother who immediately jumped into the pool and brought the man to the surface. With assistance from others at the pool, they were able to lift the man out of the pool. Crystal started preforming CPR and after two rounds of CPR, the man coughed up some water and started to breathe! Fire and EMS personnel arrived a short time later to find the man sitting up and breathing on his own. He was transported to Winter Haven Health as a precaution, but was released with no issues.
“The swift actions, first by this very alert young lady followed by the quick response of her mother, saved this man’s life,” said Winter Haven Public Safety Director Charlie Bird.
As a reminder, we are in the wonderful season of swimming and we encourage everyone to stay alert around any body of water. Now is also a great time to learn CPR for those who don’t know how to already. Check with the local Red Cross or Citizen CPR to find a class near you.
City of Winter Haven, Fl- Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 11th, 2023, The Winter Haven Water Department is having a Job Fair from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm! They are looking to fill openings for a Wastewater Treatment Plant Chief Operator and Utility Service Workers. We hope to see you there!
GEICO Celebrates Ribbon Cutting of Winter Haven Office
by James Coulter
We all know 15 minutes can save you 15 percent or more on your car insurance through GEICO. But did you know GEICO can help Winter Haven residents with their insurance with itsnew office location?
Located along Cypress Gardens Boulevard outside of LEGOLAND, the new Winter Haven office provides local convenience to Winter Haven residents, whether they’re looking for a quote or wanting to ask how they can save on their current plan.
Ryan Gunkel, the owner of the Winter Haven location, wants his business to better serve their clients in Winter Haven by setting up shop within that community. After all, why deal with the hassle of making a phone call or logging onto the website when you can meet and speak with a real-life person face-to-face?
“We are excited to be a part of Winter Haven,” he said. “It is a way for us to be a part of the community, to interact with them, where you are not just picking up the phone or visiting the website. We are starting to get more people who are coming in and sitting down because they actually have somebody to talk to. So we are really excited.
GEICO celebrated the grand opening of its Winter Haven office with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. Grunkel and his staff gladly took the ceremonial scissors and cut the ribbon commemorating their location.
“We have a great team, and we are focused on making sure that we are servicing the community that is a big part of Winter Haven and greater Polk County,” he said. “We’ve had people walk in and say they did not even know we had an office. So that is the biggest thing that we can do to spread the word. Let people know we are here and they are come in and sit down and these guys have customers who come in and ask for them.”
Brian Yates, Winter Haven City Commissioner, commended GEICO for choosing the city as one of their many office locations. By providing a local office, the insurance company will be able to better serve the Winter Haven community and its needs.
“Thank you so much for choosing the City of Winter Haven and giving the citizens and surrounding community members options for their insurance,” he said. “On behalf of over 600 employees and over 52,000 city residents, we wish you all the luck and success in the world.”
Sarah Beth Wyatt, Winter Haven Chamber member, likewise commended GEICO for their new location, especially since it set up shop in the fastest-growing and developing area of the city. Being in such an ideal location gives them the most opportune advantage, she claimed.
“We had multiple conversations this week about how the hospital will be on this side of Winter Haven,” she said. “We are getting ready for two sides of Winter Haven [to experience growth and development], and we are right here in the middle. So being able to connect is a really cool spot to be…So on behalf of our 750-plus members, we are excited to have you here, and we are excited to help you however we can. So please let us know what you may need for us in the future.”
Kevin Carr, another Chamber Board Member, likewise praised GEICO for setting up shop in the best location in town: “I would say from a location perspective, you picked the right side of the town to be on because of all of the development going on this side of town. It is great it is coming this way and all well that the city has been doing over the past nine years…I am happy you are joining and we will do all we can to support you and the other businesses around.”
GEICO Insurance of Winter Haven is located at 5935 Cypress Gardens Boulevard, Suite 200, Winter Haven, FL, 33884. For more information, call 863-269-4700, or visit their website at geico.com.
Winter Haven Fire Department All in a day’s work! Thirteen… count them, 13!!!!! Baby ducklings rescued from a storm drain in Winter Haven by our firefighters! Babies and mama reunited – after a couple of pics of course. Duck Love!
Do you know where 17 year-old Markyle Redhead is? Markyle left his Ave. C SE residence on 3/31/23 to attend Winter Haven High School. He did not return home and is still gone. Markyle’s family and detectives want to know that he is safe. If you know of his whereabouts, please contact Detective Lozado at 863-662-0166.
Can you help identify this guy? On April 4, 2023, the subject seen in the photos entered Walmart (7450 Cypress Gardens Blvd) and selected approximately $1,300 worth of baseball cards. He placed the items inside of bags and passed all points of sale. When he was approached by an associate, he pushed the associate and ran out of the store. He was seen getting into a dark gray SUV (unknown model). f you recognize this suspect, please contact Detective Moore at 863-837-9754. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers:
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. You will always remain anonymous when you send a tip through Crime Stoppers and you are eligible for a cash reward if your information leads to an arrest.
