POLK NEWS-SUN VOL. 91 NO. 11 Wednesday, March 17, 2021 www.polknewssun.com $1.00 The Lake Wales News IN BRIEF ‘IT’S MEANT TO HELP US DO BETTER’ INSIDE Bartow commission eyes golf course improvements Page 2 Superintendent search produces candidates from Lake Wales Main near, far Street starts 3rd Page 3 Thursday Market Lake Wales Main Street, Inc. has launched Polk woman an evening market event every 3rd Thursday arrested for stealing of the month, beginning March 18, from 4-7 p.m.. The monthly event will take place on from grandmother Stuart Avenue, in the picturesque parking lot Page 18 located in front of the brand-new citrus mural on Scenic Highway. The boutique market will feature a variety of CareerSource Polk produce, artisan food vendors, plants, a pinch to host virtual expo of crafts and a mind-blowing food truck. “We are thrilled to bring a night market Page 15 event to downtown providing the community PHOTO BY CHARLES A. BAKER III with fun and quirky items on a monthly basis,” says Karen Thompson, Executive Director Lake Wales Police Department Chief Chris Velasquez third party review of operations at Lake Wales Police Lake Wales Main Street. “With two new exits city hall during a workshop March 10, during Department restaurants in downtown, two new ones on the which it was decided that the City of Lake Wales “It's meant to help us do better,” Velasquez said. way and a new Taproom opening this month, it's time to turn the lights on in downtown after would contract a non-profit organization to conduct a See the full story on PAGE 4. 5 p.m. This market is designed to become a destination and bring in hundreds of people on a monthly basis." Polk Fire Rescue For more information about the 3rd Thursday Market visit facebook.com/3rdthursdaymarket. For more inquiries, contact Karen Thompson continues to expand Lakeland Magic win at [email protected]. G League title pipeline of new stations Page 23 Pioneer Days is on STAFF REPORT The Lake Wales History Museum will host the 45th Annual Pioneer Days Festival on Polk County Fire Rescue officials have announced October 23-24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each their plan to improve service in the county through the day. This event is a free, two-day heritage addition of four new fire stations slated for construction celebration for the whole family. For updates, follow the event at facebook. this year, and the recent approval of four more to be com/Pioneer-Days-Festival-122760644449422 completed by the end of 2022. and the Museum at facebook.com/ On March 2, the Polk County Board of County LWHistoryMuseum/. Commissioners approved a Community Investment Project amendment and budget transfer of $7.8 million PHOTO BY CHARLES A. 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Page 2 March 17, 2021 Bartow eyes upgrade to golf course’s watering system By CATHY PALMER which direction it flows,” she said. “Now, if we drainage and potential liability from the oak Evergreen, said Vorassi, and at a recent Contributing Writer want to water one hole, the sprinklers only spray trees that shelter the lot and stretch over the commission meeting, the city attorney was in a 360-degree pattern, where the new system clubhouse. instructed to use the city's eminent domain Bartow is on the cusp of spending about $1 will allow us to only spray a smaller area, if that's The city commission recently decided that a authority to obtain the land portions that divide million to upgrade the watering system at the where the water is needed.” particular parking section should be resurfaced the two cemeteries. Bartow Municipal Golf Course, with the area's Despite the need for the new system, Vorassi with some pervious ground cover, so the trees Meanwhile, one of the city's other cemeteries, water management district kicking in part of the continued, the course is “in pretty good could be saved, but the issue hasn't been fully Woodlawn Cemetery, is already undergoing costs since it is expected to save more than 50 condition,” overall, for which she thanked the decided as yet. some reconstruction. Almost a year ago, there million gallons of water per year. diligence of her maintenance crews. The commission is hosting a work session on was an accident that sent a car crashing into the Bartow Leisure Services Director Catherine “We have people from other courses come March 30 to tackle that issue and several others brick fencing, knocking down a segment of the Vorassi said last week the contract for installing and comment on how good our course is, even plaguing some of the city's cemeteries. wall that surrounds the graveyard. a new system at the golf course should help in though it is a century old,” she said. Among the cemeteries to be discussed at the Vorassi was given the green light recently to turning the course into a real “money-maker.” She also said that despite the watering issues, session are Evergreen and Palm, both located in proceed with not only rebuilding the section of The existing irrigation system was installed the course is well-used. the western sector of the city. fence that was destroyed, but to bolster other years ago at the 100-year-old golf course and “In addition to the tournaments we host, we The 12-acre Evergreen Cemetery, according sections of the brick fence that were close to cannot provide selective watering, Vorassi are having upwards of 100 golfers using the to some reports, is one of the oldest African collapse. explained, resulting in the overuse of water. course on some Saturdays, which means it is a American cemeteries in the state, with the Vorassi said city workers and state prisoners Curbing that voluminous usage prompted the good course and is popular,” she added. headstones of Andy and Taner Moore that date were removing and salvaging the bricks, and Southwest Florida Water Management District The course, which was built back in 1919 back to 1891. The Moores were former slaves Public Works crews will reinstall the wall's to kick in about $250,000, according to Vorassi. and expanded from the original nine holes to who stayed in Bartow after their emancipation, footings and a brick mason would be hired to She explained that the age of the system does 18 several years later, has also had its share of where Mr. Moore became a prominent farmer. rebuild the walls. not allow selective watering,meaning staff can't other issues recently up for debate by the city The cemetery has been on Commissioner She did not have a dollar amount on how just water one area, or in one direction, where commission. Leo Longworth's watch list for nearly a decade, much the repairs there would cost, since most the new state-of-the-art system will. The parking lot facing Idlewood Street drew with earlier reports of problems he cited dating of the work was being done in-house. “With this new system, we can not only interest from the city governors and is still under back to 2012. control the amount of water, but we can decide study, Vorassi says. There were concerns about Palm Cemetery is virtually adjacent to AdventHealth Fieldhouse weathers pandemic, picks up pace as hotbed for events By STEVEN RYZEWSKI derailed much of its early momentum. [email protected] In a recent presentation to the Winter Haven City Commission, Scott Eilers, the facility WINTER HAVEN — Staff for Polk County Tourism and manager for the fieldhouse, told commissioners Sports Marketing beam a little bit when they talk about the that business is good for weekend bookings at AdventHealth Fieldhouse and Conference Center. the facility. This might be because, while tourist tax revenue is down in “We’re booked all the way through August Polk because of the pandemic, those year-over-year declines at this point,” Eilers said. “The only available are not nearly as pronounced here as they are in neighboring weekend we have (open) is July 4 weekend.” counties. For instance, in December, while Polk’s tourist tax Eilers’ presentation included some numbers for revenues were down 18.2 percent from the prior year, Orange the AdventHealth Fieldhouse that demonstrated was down 57 percent, Osceola was down 52 percent and its potential. In the fiscal year that began in Hillsborough was down 31 percent. August, the fieldhouse has already hosted 11 Mark Jackson, the executive director for the agency, basketball events, 12 volleyball events, nine attributes this to Polk’s relationship to sports and recreation events in its meeting rooms and four events that tourism — a niche within the larger tourism umbrella that qualify as other — from the cornhole event to he and his staff increasingly describe as “recession-resistant.” taekwondo tournaments. The basketball courts at the AdventHealth Fieldhouse have played host to several basketball tournaments.