Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you know Disney World is currently feuding with Gov. Ron DeSantis. Disney has even filed a lawsuit against him, claiming he’s intentionally trying to disrupt their business. It certainly doesn’t help his case that Gov. DeSantis threatened to build a state prison next to the Happiest Place on Earth.
In response, many people on social media have floated the idea (both jokingly and seriously) that Walt Disney World should simply pack up and move to greener pastures. Even one North Carolina senator has filed a bill called the “Mickey’s Freedom Restoration Act” to encourage Disney to move to his state.
Sigh.
Do I really need to write an entire column explaining why Disney World isn’t a traveling carnival that simply can’t load up their trailers and drive down I-4 to another state? Well, I’m currently writing this column, so I guess I should. So here’s why Disney World can’t move out of Florida.
The Walt Disney World Resort is approximately 43 square miles (or 27,520 acres)—nearly the same size as the city of San Fransisco or twice the size of Manhattan. Let me repeat that: Walt Disney World is twice the size of the smallest borough in New York City!
Disney World consists of four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping district, several hundred hotels and motels, and a campground. According to estimates by the Orlando Sentinel, the property value of the theme parks alone were: Magic Kingdom at $504 million, EPCOT at $539 million, Hollywood Studios at $394 million, and Animal Kingdom at $435 million. That makes the total property value of the overall resort approximately $1,872,000—or $1.8 billion!
I am not a mathematician, so I am not about to crunch the numbers. But I’m going out on a limb and assuming that dismantling the entire resort, moving it to another state, and rebuilding it from scratch would no doubt cost much more than $1.8 billion—far too much for the Walt Disney Company, even if it does sport a market value of $183.63 billion.
Even if the billion-dollar company was willing to spend the money to move and rebuild its billion-dollar resort, time remains another factor. Does anyone really know how long it would take to dismantle a resort twice the size of Manhattan and rebuild it in another state? And would Disney be willing to make up for lost revenue from the years the park would be closed in Florida?
In context, Disney’s newest theme park, Shanghai Disneyland, took five years to construct–and that park is only 1.5 square miles! (Reminder: Disney World is 43 square miles!) At a conservative estimate, at the very most, it could take anywhere from 10 to 20 years to totally build Walt Disney World from the bottom up.
None of this even factors in the resort’s complicated infrastructure. Magic Kingdom has its own network of underground corridors. The entire park consists of roads, utilities, and public transportation that it utilizes to maintain itself and its operations. Rebuilding the parks would not
simply involve reconstructing rides. It would involve creating entirely new infrastructure from scratch.
As a reminder, the Reedy Creek Improvement District—the same district DeSantis moved to dissolve and replace with his own state-run board—was created specifically for Disney World to own and operate itself sufficiently and efficiently with little to no cost to the state. Disney World was a self-sustaining, self-regulating operation for that reason. I highly doubt even a bill called the “Mickey’s Freedom Restoration Act” would offer a large corporation like Disney the same leeway.
And, of course, there’s location, location, location. Florida was specifically chosen as the location for Walt Disney World because of its yearlong (mostly) good weather that allows it to remain open year-round. In contrast, if it were to move up north, it would have to operate like other northern amusement parks and close down during the winter months—because snow! (And, really, do you really think Disney World is going to cede its Florida competition to Universal Studios and SeaWorld? I don’t think so!)
In short, moving Walt Disney World out of Florida would cost too much money and take too much time. For better or for worst, the Happiest Place on Earth is here to stay in the Sunshine State.
What do you all think? Do you think Walt Disney World should move? Or do you think the Happiest Place on Earth should remain in the Sunshine State? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.
Tyler doesn’t have an easy life living in a family of success stories. His mother is a doctor. His father is a lawyer. His older brother went to college on an athletic scholarship. And his younger brother always makes the honor roll. Yet the only success Tyler ever had was with video games.
With the start of a new school year, Tyler hopes to turn his luck around. He aspires to make the team and make the grade. He even made friends with the new girl in town, Amber. Will she be able to help him achieve the same success as the rest of his family? He’ll need to overcome temptations from some real losers at school to do so.
*****
Recap:Tyler wants to make a good first impression his sophomore year of high school. While his old friends couldn’t care less, his new friend, Amber, the new girl in town, might prove to be better assistance. Upon learning of baseball tryouts, Tyler decides to try out for the team. He attempts to practice at the baseball cages, but his swing could use improvement. His old friend, T-Man, proposes giving him a “offer” to up his game. Realizing that offer is ilicit, Tyler refuses. Did he make the right decision? Will he make the team?
*****
Chapter 5 – Approach the Innermost Cave
“So, if X equals 9 and Y equals 7, then the square root of x to the power of y is, um—”
Tyler mulled over his algebra homework in the school library. He tapped his pencil against his textbook. Despite the day’s lecture in math class, he remained clueless about the material. His exponents proved unexpected, his radicals were still a radical notion to him, and he failed to rationalize his rational expressions while quadratic expressions proved a real quandary.
Fortunately for him, he shared the same study hall period with his new friend, Amber. She sat across from him at the table and she understood math well.
“Look.” She seized his worksheet and scribbled away at the equation. “It’s really easy once you know your order of operations. You know: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. You just figure them all out one by one and then—” She turned the sheet toward him, using the tip of her pencil to show her work. “Voila!”
“You make it look so easy,” he said. “I wish it was that simple for me.”
“You’re lucky I took pre-algebra in my old school,” Amber said. “We may not be in the same class, but I know enough about the material to at least help show you the ropes.”
“I could use all the help I can get.” Tyler flipped through his textbook. “The first big test of the semester is next week. I need to pass it and get good grades. It’s the only way I can take pre-calculus, and after that, trigonometry.”
Amber whistled. “Those are real heavy subjects. You want to take them that bad?”
Tyler shrugged. “Well, I don’t want to take them, but I have to take them if I want to get a scholarship into a good school.”
“Your parents seem to be putting a lot of pressure on you,” Amber said with a click of her tongue. “My dad’s just glad I’m mostly getting Bs.”
“Well—” Tyler sighed “—my parents aren’t really the ones pressuring me to do all this. They’re rarely even around for dinner, what with their busy work schedules and all. But when you grow up in a family like mine, existing alongside success stories really puts the pressure on you to succeed.”
“Ooh, hold that thought,” Amber told him as she rose from her seat. “I, uh, need to excuse myself for a second.”
Tyler understood and waved to her as she left.
“So, I see you actually study in study hall,” a familiar creaky voice asked.
Hannah sat at the next table over. Her face was hidden behind a dusty tome of Poe’s poetry. Tyler could already guess it was her from the sad, grungy music blaring from her headphones and the pile of Lovecraft novels sitting next to her.
“Oh, hey, Hannah.” Tyler waved as she approached him. “Of course you study in study hall. That’s why they call it that.”
Hannah sat in Amber’s seat and pulled back her headphones.
“I like to do better things with my free time than worry about our stupid assignments,” she told him. “Don’t you?”
“Of course I do.” Tyler slicked back his messy brown hair. “But I want to take every chance I have at school to do my schoolwork. Saves time when I get home. Besides, I need to study. The SATs are only a year or so away.”
Hannah blew her bubblegum into a sticky balloon and drew it back into her mouth after it exploded with a loud pop!
“Standardized testing is pedagogically classist and sexist,” she replied. “They only exist to benefit politicians who want an excuse to defund public schools over low scores.”
Tyler shrugged. “Even then, I have a big test coming up and I really want to make a good step forward this school year.”
“If you really want to pass,” Hannah said, “I can help.”
“But you don’t take the same math class as me,” Tyler replied.
“No.” Hannah shook her head, peered over her shoulder, and leaned in closer to him. “But I have a friend, Agatha—”
“That vile girl?” Tyler asked.
“She’s in your class,” Hannah replied. “And she knows someone who supplied her with the test answers.”
“What?” Tyler asked, half-stunned, half-confused.
“She sits right behind T-Man, and he sits right behind you,” Hannah explained. “I can ask her to pass you those answers on the day of the test, if you want.”
Tyler shook his head. “No way! That would be cheating.”
“So?” Hannah asserted with a cocky voice and cocked head.
“So, cheating is wrong.”
“And why is it wrong?”
“I-I don’t know,” Tyler replied. “It just is. I’m sure it’s against one of the Ten Commandments.”
Hannah scoffed. “You still believe all that crud they taught us in Sunday School?”
“Well—” Tyler started before Hannah cut him off.
“Listen,” she held up her hand, “I was forced to go to church every Sunday morning, too. Trust me, there’s nothing more liberating that realizing all of it was made up. God’s just an imaginary Sky Daddy, and the Bible’s just a book of Bronze Age fairy tales. There’s no magic man in the sky judging us. No Santa Claus putting us on his naughty or nice list. No Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy, either. And morality? It’s all made up. Once you realize that, you don’t have to worry about anything. You’re free to live life your own life.”
Hannah sat up and returned to her table. She passed by Amber, who sat back in her seat.
“Who’s Wednesday Adams?” She thumbed back at Hannah.
Tyler shook his head. “Just some girl I know.”
*****
The hero raced up the stairs leading to the dark castle. Its architecture created a black silhouette against the backdrop of the full moon. He reached the top step, his fairy friend flittering next to him, and passed under the rusty portcullis of the arched entryway.
Catching his breath, he paced toward two tall wooden doors. Both had slots carved into them, and each slot contained a column of five stone tiles. Each tile was of equal height and width, being the size of an open hand, and each bore a symbol of a different painted hue.
His fairy friend hovered over each tile, inspecting them one by one.
“Ancient runes,” she exclaimed.
The hero pushed against a door. Neither a slight heave nor a heavy shove could budge it.
“This door is sealed with an enchantment,” his fairy companion explained. “I can feel the magic emanating from these runes. They look familiar, do they not?”
The hero touched a tile and shifted it upward. He discovered it could easily move vertically and horizontally. When he moved the tile up, a tile above it appeared underneath; and when he moved it to the side, a tile next to it appeared in its place.
“I see,” his fairy chimed. “It is a combination lock. Perhaps if we place these titles in the correct order, the door will unlock. Question is, what is the correct order to set them in?”
*****
Tyler pondered several minutes over the pattern of the tile puzzle in his video game. The runes looked familiar, yet thinking as hard as he could, he was unable to solve the puzzle.
He saved his game and turned it off. He rotated his desk chair to face his computer. The internet browser was open to a video game forum. The cursor hovered over a highlighted link that read: “Final Dungeon Puzzle Solution.”
His hand hovered over his mouse, and his finger nearly double-clicked, yet his fingertip paused over the left mouse button. In half a second, his finger hovered over the escape key, and the window closed. He shut his computer monitor off, pushed aside his keyboard, and pulled his math textbook out of his backpack and opened it on his desk. He would decipher the puzzle to his video game eventually, just as he would decipher his algebra homework in time for tomorrow’s test. He had studying to do, and his game could wait.
*****
When morning came, Tyler felt no more prepared for his math test than when he first started the class weeks ago. Amber had been tutoring him in study hall, and he had dedicated most of his free time at home studying, though he managed to sneak in enough time before bed to playing his video game.
He sat at his desk, chewing on a wad of gum, and tapping his textbook as he poured over its formulas and equations one last time. The bell rang, and the teacher instructed everyone to clear their desks of everything except for a pencil and eraser. Tyler obeyed, shoving his book into his backpack.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a “Psst!” in his ear as someone handed him a folded slip of paper. He lurched over his desk to study it without catching the teacher’s attention. “From Agatha” was written in black ink. He opened it, only to avert his gaze as he recognized a column of quiz answers.
He craned his neck. Sitting several seats back, T-Man gestured a thumbs up and beamed a sheepish grin. Tyler shook his head, spit his gum into the paper, and crumpled it up—an action which elicited a scoff from T-Man.
“Ahem!”
Tyler glanced up at his math teacher, who stood over him, handed him his test, and held out her hand, motioning for him to hand over his discarded gum and paper.
“No gum or snacks in class, please,” she informed him.
Slightly perturbed that she might have seen him with the answers, but relieved that she only cared about his gum and not what it was wrapped in, he handed her the wad of paper with gum inside and accepted the test.
“You will all have the entire hour to work on the test, and you may begin once I tell you.”
Tyler kept his eye on her. His heart thumped in his chest, worried she would unwrap the paper, find the answers, and assume he was cheating. His heart slowed to normal and he breathed a sigh of relief once she tossed the gummed-up paper into the wastebin.
“You may begin.”
*****
The hero pondered silently over the puzzle. He shifted tiles left and right, up and down, hoping to decipher their meaning when the symbol on one of the tiles began to glow. When he shifted back to its previous position, it stopped glowing; and when he shifted it back to where he had moved it, it glowed again.
The light glowing from that title set a light glowing inside his head as a realization occurred to him. He soon remembered where he had seen these runes before. In each of the shrines he visited to obtain the three stones and legendary sword, these runes appeared etched over their entrances. As he recalled the ancient words, he frantically assembled the tiles so that the runes inscribed upon them spelled out those same words; and as he arranged those words on the door, their runes glowed with the same ethereal light. Soon each row spelled out a different word, each glowed with a different colored light.
Once the hero solved the puzzle, the gap between the two wooden doors glowed with a white light, and both doors opened. The hero leapt back from the doorway, elated for having solved the door’s riddle.
“Well done, brave and wise hero,” his fairy friend chirped. “You have decrypted the symbols and unlocked the door. But take heed: the Dark Lord Bannon awaits within, and you will need all of your strength and courage to overtake him. Come! Take courage and fly!”
Without hesitation, the hero rushed through the open doorway, with his fairy companion following him as the doors closed behind them.
###
“Tyler’s Journey” is a side-story to the fantasy novel, “The Light Prince: Grail.” The story follows Tyler’s life before he and Amber ventured into the fantastical world of Arden. It details his many personal struggles and how they influenced his decisions in the novel. His story will help readers learn more about themselves as they do about him.
“The Light Prince: Grail” and “Tyler’s Journey” are available in paperback and e-book on Amazon. For more information, visit the author’s website at: jcalexandre.com
J.C. Alexandre will also be one of the many guest authors appearing at the Writer’s Block Party & Street Fair. The inagural event will be hosted on Sat. May 20, 2023 in Bartow, FL from 10 AM to 6 PM. To learn more, visit their website at: https://bartowcon.com/
The 10th Judicial Circuit Officer-Involved Deadly Incident Task Force is investigating a Lakeland Police Department officer involved shooting that occurred in the Kettles Avenue area in Lakeland Wednesday afternoon, May 10, 2023 at approximately 5:16 p.m.
According to information and evidence gathered at the scene, along with interviews with witnesses and officers by Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives, Lakeland Police Officer Jamie Smith responded to the report of a dangerous shooting near Lincoln Avenue in Lakeland.
When he arrived in his marked patrol vehicle, the suspect, 13-year-old Wesley Dalmas of Lakeland was in the roadway and entering the back passenger side of a white Dodge Avenger. Officer Smith yelled for Dalmas to stop, but Dalmas ignored the command and got into the Dodge.
There were two others in the vehicle: the driver, 19-year-old Jermaine Julian of Lakeland; and front passenger, 14-year-old Leonard Speight, Jr. of Lakeland.
The car sped away from the scene, driving east on Lincoln Avenue and the turning south on Kettles Avenue where all three suspects exited the vehicle while it was still in motion. The unoccupied Dodge ultimately struck a white sedan on Kettles Avenue before coming to a stop.
Dalmas, Julian, and Speight ran into an apartment complex on Kettles Avenue.
Dalmas ran east through the northern part of the apartment complex still holding a firearm. Officer Smith instructed Dalmas to drop it, but he refused and continued to run away. Officer Smith pursued Dalmas around a building. As Officer Smith rounded the corner, Dalmas turned around and fired toward Officer Smith striking him once in the foot.
Dalmas again fled and concealed himself in heavy bushes on the south side of a building in the apartment complex. When Officer Smith passed the bushes where Dalmas had hidden, Dalmas exited the bushes. Officer Smith again ordered Dalmas to drop the firearm, which he again refused to do forcing Officer Smith to shoot Dalmas. Dalmas fell to the ground and was taken into custody.
Dalmas had a 9mm semi-automatic firearm in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Julian and Speight were both taken into custody soon after. Julian told detectives he, Dalmas, and Speight were out looking for a “target of opportunity” when they saw an unknown man walking on the sidewalk. They then exited the Dodge and began shooting at the man. No victim has been identified at this time.
During a search of the Dodge, a 9mm handgun was located under the front passenger seat where Speight was sitting, as well as several spent ammunition casings around the passenger seat.
“Shooting at a law enforcement officer will never be tolerated. This 13-year-old decided to enter the world of adult criminal actions when he shot at Officer Smith, and we will do everything in our power to ensure he is held accountable and charged as an adult. Thankfully, Officer Smith is doing well. Our prayers are with him, his family, and the Lakeland Police Department during his recovery.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Wesley Dalmas was arrested for:
Attempted 1st degree murder
Resisting arrest with violence
Resisting arrest
Discharge of a firearm in public
Improper exhibition of a firearm
Violation of probation
Dalmas is currently in the hospital and being treated for non-life threatening injuries. Upon release from the hospital, he will be transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center. At the time of his arrest, he was on probation for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, attempted burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm, and improper exhibition of a firearm.
As part of Dalmas’ current probation conditions, he was not to have contact with Speight.
Jermaine Julian was arrested for:
Attempted 1st degree murder
Fleeing to elude
Leaving the scene of an accident
No valid driver’s license
Contributing to a minor (2 counts)
Tampering with evidence
Resisting arrest with violence
Julian was transported to the Polk County Jail. His previous criminal history includes 6 felonies and 3 misdemeanors for theft, carrying a concealed weapon, attempted burglary, trespassing, loitering, failure to appear, and multiple violations of probation.
Leonard Speight, Jr. was arrested for:
Attempted 1st degree murder
Resisting arrest with violence
Tampering with evidence
Possession of a firearm by a minor under 18-years-old
He was transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center. At the time of his arrest, he was on probation for attempted burglary. As part of Speight’s current probation conditions, he was not to have contact with Dalmas.
Lake Wales, Fla. (May 10, 2023) – Governor Ron DeSantis reinstated Kristen Tieshia Fitzgerald as City Commissioner for the City of Lake Wales, Florida, Seat 4.
Governor DeSantis’ decision to revoke an Executive Order issued on July 7, 2021 to suspend Fitzgerald from her position as a city commissioner for the City of Lake Wales, Florida, Seat 4, came after Fitzgerald was acquitted on all charges of interference with the custody of a child.
City Manager James Slaton said, “Commissioner Fitzgerald will receive full back pay and other allowances to which she would have been entitled during the suspension.”
Fitzgerald replaces Daniel Krueger, who was elected to Commission Seat 4 on May 3, 2022.
The City has reached out to Fitzgerald notifying her of the governor’s decision.
Mayor Hilligoss announced that Kris Fitzgerald has been restored to her seat by @GovRonDeSantis Chuck Galloway reviewed the Governor's decision and said that it is effective immediately
— City of Lake Wales (@CityofLakeWales) May 10, 2023
On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested 24-year-old Elmer Bryan Giron-Canil of Mulberry for 1) negligently operating a motor vehicle and causing serious injury or death to a person while not possessing a driver’s license (F3)(6 counts) and 2) driving without a valid license (M2)(1 count). Canil is a Guatemalan citizen in the U.S. illegally.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, along with Polk County Fire Rescue, were dispatched at about 5:41 a.m., to the crash scene on S.R. 60 West near the intersection of Pine Grove Road in Willow Oak near Mulberry.
Upon arrival of first responders, a 33-year-old man was found deceased. He was a passenger in a silver 2007 Ford Expedition that was driven by Canil. A second passenger, a 62-year-old man, was transported to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.
Four other passengers were in Canil’s Expedition. They were transported to area hospitals where they are being treated for their injuries; two are in stable condition, one is in critical-stable condition, and one is in critical-unstable condition.
The second driver, an 18-year-old Bartow High School student, was transported to an area hospital where she is being treated for her injuries and is in stable condition. She was driving a red 1996 Chevrolet 1500 pick-up truck.
Based on evidence and witness statements, detectives have so far determined that the Chevrolet was traveling east on S.R. 60 W and in the inside lane. At the same time, Canil was driving west on S.R. 60 W and entered the left turn lane in the median.
As the Chevrolet approached, Canil attempted to turn south onto Pine Grove Road and pulled into the path of the Chevrolet striking the passenger side of the pick-up truck. The impact caused the Chevrolet to spin around and stop facing west in the eastbound travel lanes. The Expedition also spun and four of the passengers were ejected from the SVU; two of whom died.
Canil told detectives that he saw the headlights of the Chevrolet approaching, but thought he could make it across. He also said he did not have a driver’s license because he was in the country illegally.
“Not only is Canil in the country illegally, but his criminal actions have cost two people their lives and caused catastrophic injuries to others. Our prayers are with the victims and families affected by this horrific crash.” Grady Judd, Sheriff
Canil was taken to an area hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and then transported to the Polk County Jail. Immigration and Customs Enforcement completed an immigration detainer for Canil after confirming he is illegally in the U.S.
A portion of S.R. 60 West was closed for approximately 4 hours during the on-site crash investigation.
Paddle On Lake Wailes Allows Disabled Residents to Paddle On
by James Coulter
Photos provided by James Coulter and Cindy Turner
Ignacio Arriaga is a local veteran and C6 paraplegic paralyzed from the chest down. Despite his disability, he was able to go onto the water of Lake Wailes during the inaugural Paddle On! Lake Wales.
While Arriaga was unable to go on a kayak or canoe, which he would have loved to do, he nevertheless was able to get into a special boat. Its seat was wide enough with a tall enough backrest that he could sit and remain stable with his chest strapped to hold himself.
“It was fun to get on the water,” he said. “The only thing I wanted was a pole. I wish I brought my fishing pole to get some fishing in.”
The aquatic event provided various aquatic activities for people with special needs and disabilities. However, even with adaptive equipment and gear available, not everyone was able to do everything.
“I was disappointed I could not get on a kayak, but that is no one’s fault,” he said. “You don’t know how to set up for somebody until you have someone who cannot get on it.”
He enjoyed many of these activities before his injury. However, post-injury, he and many other disabled veterans were not able to enjoy them as they used to. Thankfully, events such as this allow them to be able to enjoy these activities again.
“I am enjoying all of it,” he said. “I like it. It is good. It is fun to have disabled people out on the water. I like all our organizations get us disabled folk on the water, get out of the house.”
On Saturday, nearly a hundred people, both able-bodied and disabled, took to the waters of Lake Wailes by boat, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard for a day of aquatic fun.
The main event was a poker run with participants circumventing the lake for cards for a chance to obtain a winning hand. Most attendees took to the water by paddleboat, kayak, or canoe, while others took by foot by walking around the lake.
Various other activities were hosted on the water and the land, with attendees able to enjoy bounce houses, carnival games, food trucks, and even (foam) axe-throwing.
Tyler Hudson, owner of Crave Food Truck, decided to serve the event, not only for a chance to showcase his food, but also to assist a local event dedicated to a great cause.
“It seemed like a good cause with a beautiful day, so I wanted to come along and make people happy,” he said. “I think it is great, any way to help someone and get them out to do what they love is fantastic. I hope they are having a great day and are enjoying themselves on the water.”
The event was hosted by Removing the Barriers, a local non-profit organization dedicated to assisting people with special needs and disabilities, allowing them an opportunity to enjoy aquatic activities despite their disabilities.
Proceeds from the event will go toward Stirring Waters, an initiative to construct a water park specially designed to accommodate people with special needs and disabilities.
Bill Redmon, Founder of Breaking the Barriers, was pleased by the overall turnout of the event. Though he admitted it could have been bigger, he expects future events to be bigger and better.
“People with disabilities cannot afford to do things on our own. We will need to help them,” he said. “This [event] is not our end goal. Our end goal is to build the water park. And this is a stepping stone. And it has been a really good stepping stone.”
Redmon expects to break ground by the end of the year. Afterward, construction on the park will take between six to eight months to complete its first phase, which will include a splash pad and a sensory trail.
“We are working with a company [the Ohio-based Rain Drop] that wants to be a big international company who want to be the world leader with aquatic play,” he said. “And they have taken our project on to try and make their case to the world that they can do this, and we are excited to have them as a player.”
To learn more about Stirring Waters and the Breaking the Barriers Initiative, visit their website at: https://stirringwaters.world/
These Local Elementary School Students Celebrated Cinco De Mayo by Singing in English and Spanish
by James Coulter
What better way to celebrate the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo than by performing traditional Hispanic songs in Spanish?Mi Escuela Montessori in Lakeland hosted a bilingual performance for families and guests during a special Cinco De Mayo celebration on Friday.
Nearly a hundred preschool and kindergarten-aged students had the opportunity to perform traditional Hispanic songs in both English and Spanish for families and guests. These students dressed up with decorated owl headbands to perform a traditional Peruvian folk song about a mischievous cuckoo and a wise owl, which they sang in Spanish.
As a bilingual school, Mi Escuela Montessori teaches children in both English and Spanish. As such, performances like this not only allow them to learn about music theory but also about the Spanish language.
“We were super proud of our preschoolers being able to learn the songs in just two weeks,” said Mercedes Haedo, Executive Director of Mi Escuela. “We believe that since we were able to teach the children in both English and Spanish, that it reflects what we are doing at our school and expresses our need to teach children in both languages and support both languages.”
Sarah Morrison, Music Instructor, chose the songs for their performance to teach her children about the Spanish language and Mexican culture, as well as to educate them about musical elements, especially rhythm through hand movements and gestures.
“I am so proud of them,” she said. “I want them to learn the joy of making music, to develop their confidence and make music beautifully. Everyone one of them is an innate musician. They are wonderful musicians as they are, and we just want them to learn to hone and develop their skills. We also connect musicians to music. I want them to learn that music through movement and singing, but mostly the joy of music making.”
Lee Dorbert was one of the parents of the students who performed there. He loved being able to see his son sing and perform at the concert, and he felt the performance showcased the school’s excellent commitment to education.
“It is not just a school, it is a community, and it is really good,” he said. “We chose this school because of the different learning styles. We wanted what is best suited for our son. It has been great and very hands-on. He is doing very well for himself. This place does a good job, and Kelly does a good job, and all the staff is very good.”
A tuition-free, public charter school located in Lakeland, Mi Escuela Montessori focuses on teaching children to become independent learners. They start by teaching children practical life skills while incorporating lessons about reading, writing, and mathematics.
“Our interdisciplinary, hands-on and experiential curriculum will be delivered in English and Spanish with the goal of developing biliteracy, bilingualism and cross-cultural competence in both languages,” their website states. “This program is offered to all students, including those who speak only Spanish, some Spanish or no Spanish at all.”
During their current curriculum about Cinco de Mayo, they taught students about the holiday, with some classes even teaching children how to grow plants to prepare squash soup and guacamole. Moreover, Mi Escuela Montessori teaches children within a safe environment where parents can rest assured that their children are being trained and raised properly.
“It is a safe place,” said Haedo. “Families feel safe here even when we have big events like this, we are so on top of it keeping everyone safe.”
I’m Mi Escuela Montessori is located at 6129 US-98, Lakeland, FL 33812. For more information, visit their website at: https://www.miescuelamontessori.com/index.html
What started as a humble school project turned into a major tournament that draws in more than 50 boats and raises more than $5,000 for cancer research and awareness.
Casting Lures for Cures celebrated its fifth annual event last Saturday, drawing in 58 boats to Camp Mack, A Guy Harvey Lodge, Marina, and RV Resort in Lake Wales for the opportunity to land the biggest catch in Lake Tahoe and Okeechobee.
First place went to LaMarr Farrow and his team, which landed a total catch weighing a whopping 24.47 pounds. Farrow proved to be a man of few words, as he simply considered the honor “great” and the opportunity to fish for a good cause a good reason to fish.
More than $5,000 was raised during the tournament, where participating fishing teams and casual attendees could enjoy great food and buy raffle tickets for chances to win grand prizes. Proceeds went to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization that, according to its website, “is dedicated to funding research to eliminate childhood cancer.”
Clayton Keene II, the founder and event organizer for Lures for Cures, chose to support that organization because 99 percent of what they make goes directly toward the families its supports with the remaining one percent going toward medical expenses.
“It is a great organization,” Keene said. “We want to make it big for them.”
Keene started the tournament as part of a school humanities project more than five years ago. Now, five years later, now that he is a high school sophomore, his tournament has grown much bigger. Keene hopes it will continue to grow larger in the coming years.
“I love bass fishing, and I love being able to help people, [to] help give back to people,” he said. “That is what I love about this tournament, we are giving back to an organization that cares about people and cares about the community as a whole.”
To learn more about Casting Lures for Cures, visit their website at: https://www.castingluresforcures.com
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating fatal crash on SR 60 West at the intersection of Pine Grove Rd in Willow Oak (near Mulberry).
The crash occurred around 5:41 a.m. and it was reported that a truck and an SUV were involved. There are 2 fatalities and multiple people with injuries.
The eastbound lanes in the area of the crash will be shut down for several hours. Please consider alternate routes.
Sheriff Judd is heading to the scene of the double-fatal crash on SR 60 in Mulberry and will brief the media there at 9:15 a.m. this morning.
Saturday, May 6th, In-Gauge of Polk County donated a STOP THE BLEED, emergency blood loss control, tourniquet kit to the Florida Frontiersmen gun range, during the Frontiersmen’s May general meeting in Homeland, Florida, with approximately 100 people in attendance.
The Frontiersmen’s Chief Range Officer Joe Noto received the kit. May is National STOP THE BLEED Month and in an effort to generate public awareness of the ability to prevent needless deaths, due to traumatic blood loss, through simple easy to use techniques, with simple, easy to use equipment, In-Gauge of Polk County is donating emergency blood loss control, tourniquet kits to high risk locations. In-Gauge of Polk County, an NRA chartered, non-profit organization, in Winter Haven, Florida specializes in firearms safety training and is a licensed affiliate of STOPTHEBLEED.org. In addition to conducting firearms training, In-Gauge offers free STOP THE BLEED training clinics to the public. In-Gauge will be donating emergency blood loss control, tourniquet kits to other non-profit organizations throughout the month of May. Any non-profit organization having the need for a kit, can request one by simply sending an email request to [email protected] or through ‘CONTACT US’ on the In-Gauge website. Requests will be evaluated and granted based on need. In-Gauge will be conducting free, official STOP THE BLEED training clinics throughout the month of May. Day and afternoon, weekday and weekend classes are being conducted. Pre-registration is required for participation. Registration for the clinics can be done on the In-Gauge website or through EVENTBRITE.
