July
2013
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Letter from the Editor Thrive THE SELF Center: Find your bliss and balance your life with spa services, personal development, spiritual classes.
By Donna Kelly
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Apropos of Nothing Parenting with the Classics: Local dad Jamie Beckett parents with lyrics no one — not even a baby — can resist.
By Jamie Beckett
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Serve A Clinic Without Walls: Local dentist and ophthalmologist travel to Guatemala to treat the indigenous Mayans.
By Andrea Cruz
10 Discover
Get your art on in the 863’s art meccas.
12 Leap: Cover Story
World Barefoot Center: Winter Haven is a major destination for world class barefoot water skiers who train, stay and play.
By Meredith Jean Morris
14 Treasure
The Bates Mansion Tea Room & Art Gallery is an oasis of old Polk. Learn how the owner paints watercolors using coffee. www.The863Magazine.com
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July 2013
From the Editor elcome all to the W first issue of The 863 Magazine, Polk Coun Coun-
ty’s newest publica publication, featuring stories of the people, places, things, and events that make our communities in the 863 truly great. In addition to shining a spotlight on locals who might not get the rec recognition they’ve earned — artists, humanitarians, trailblazers, ordinary citizens doing extraordinary things — we will also uncover the hidden gems of Polk County so that you can “discover your Polk.” This premier issue features the World Barefoot Center, which brings worldly visitors to our area, and THE SELF Center, a place where one can get a massage, facial, and then take a selfhelp class. Our third story is of local doctors who travel to Guatemala to serve the indigenous Mayans. We round things out with an 863 fine art roundup and a quick highlight of the Bates Grove Mansion Tea Room & Art Gallery in Haines City. Be sure to check out the community calendar on page 22, too. We invite you to share your stories with us. Let us know if there is someone or something amazing in the 863 that is deserving of a little ink: Andrea@The863Magazine.com. -Andrea Cruz www.The863Magazine.com
Publisher | SERGIO CRUZ Editor | ANDREA CRUZ Contributing Writers | JAMIE BECKETT,
ANDREA CRUZ, DONNA KELLY, MEREDITH JEAN MORRIS
Head Photographer | JODI C. FOSTER Cover Designer | DEBORAH COKER Ad Sales Reps | SERGIO CRUZ,
DEBBIE TENNICK
Cover photo: Ben Groen is a world barefoot water skiing champion with World Barefoot Center. Story page 12. Photo credit: www.Fosters-Photography.com The 863 Magazine is independently owned and produced in Winter Haven, Florida. For more info: www.The863Magazine.com.
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July 2013
Thrive :: Local Center Provides Alternative Healing Options
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ust off the hustle and bustle of motorists on U.S. 17 in Winter Haven, perched between a dusty parking lot and serene lake, is an oasis of peace and tranquility offering respite from life’s stressors. THE SELF Center, owned by mother-daughter duo Phyllis Ferguson and Cari MacConnell, offers a wide variety of services and classes designed to soothe and heal the mind, body and spirit, from massage and facials to yoga and tai chi. For those seeking to delve deeper into the self, the center offers life coaching and personal development classes as well as a touch of the metaphysical with intuitive counseling, past life regression, and classes based on various world philosophies. “It’s a place where you can escape the world, learn techniques, and take them out to the world to make it a better place,” says MacConnell. “This is a safe place for healing.” “We picked the name because it is what we want – we want to feed the self,” Ferguson says. Following Bliss The center’s founders believe in the power of focus. Ferguson, 60, a licensed massage therapist, life coach, and Reiki
master, was happily working part-time in the wellness arena for 17 years when she decided to follow her dream. MacConnell, 38, was settled in the financial planning industry for years and doing massage on the side until she was laid off and forced to reevaluate her life. “I was at a crossroads. I could stay in the industry or follow my bliss, so I jumped off with both feet,” MacConnell says. Less than a year ago, they took a class together called “Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity” based on the book, “Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity: A Simple Guide to Abundance” by Edwene Gaines.
“The instructor told us to set a goal and we both wrote down the same thing,” Ferguson says. When they were asked what they needed to do first, they both says, “Get a building.” “We literally had a building in three days. It just lined up,” Ferguson says. The duo opened the doors of THE SELF Center on February 1 of this year. “What you focus on is what you get – this has been a real focus,” Ferguson says. It’s a family focus. Ferguson’s son, Steven, is a licensed massage therapist who also works the front desk and attends classes. Carroll Franklin, an instructor and intuitive life coach, says Ferguson and MacConnell are the heartbeat of the center. “The Self Center is a collaboration of these women,” Franklin says. “They both have a desire to offer a welcoming place to the community that centers on the wellbeing of the whole self.” For Ferguson and MacConnell, it is tangible proof of one of their life truths. “Following your faith, folContinued on page 16
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Apropos ofNothing
T
o the best of my knowledge, I have been involved in the production of three children. Truthfully, I’ve never had DNA tests performed to prove that I actually am the father of any children. But my wife assures me these three are mine, and I’m inclined to take her word for it. Relationships are about trust, after all. As any decent father knows, being a parent is a learning experience. And that learning goes both ways. My kids have learned a great many things from me over the years. Important things, too. For instance, they learned young that it’s not a good idea to wake dad up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday to ask him which channel SpongeBob is on. They’ve also learned to never end a sentence with the challenge, “and you can’t make me.” Oh, yes I can. My oldest child was born when I was a bright, enthusiastic young man just 25 years old. The next came along a decade later, and the last one showed up at our house when I was just beginning my long, downhill slide to senility. I was forty. If you do the math you’ll see that I had the pleasure and the pain of being legally, emotionally, and often physically attached to a small person for 15 years straight. Without a break. Not once. Seriously! When I look back on it, it seems there has always been someone in my house crying,
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screaming, complaining, or experiencing an unfortunate event centered around the spillage of body fluids. But enough about me. Let’s talk about kids. More specifically, let’s talk about parenting kids. Raising them. Keeping them calm, getting them to eat, encouraging them to take naps, and maybe even keeping your sanity in the process. For me, the key was found in the classics. And by classics I mean music that was recorded in the 1960s, of course. This may come as a surprise to some, but I am a leading authority on changing diapers. Yes, I realize this is an area of waste management that has traditionally be the domain of women. They do a fine job of it, too. In fact, when I was a mere lad living in Arizona, I believe my mother’s preferred method was to leave my brother and me outside in a large, entirely natural sandbox until dusk, then tough it out till the morning when we could be relocated outdoors again. I changed a lot of diapers during my time on dad duty, and in the process I improved on the big Sonora Desert sandbox approach my mom used. Personally, I found salvation in the staccato rhythm of the Beach Boys classic, “Barbara Ann.” You don’t need one whit of musical talent to pull this off, so don’t let having a tin ear dissuade you. Sing “Barbara Ann” whenever you change your little one’s diapers. You just start with, “Ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-berannn, and repeat until the job is done. It doesn’t even matter if you remember the rest of the words. All you need is the Ba-ba part and you’re good to go. You see, your kids don’t care what you’re singing to them, they only care that you’re singing, and you’re focusing all your attention on them. They love it. In fact, if left to their own devices they’ll make the challenge of dominating your atten-
By Jamie Beckett
tion a lifelong pursuit. But that’s a different story for a different day. Right now we’re talking about diaper changes - and let me tell you, having a happy, smiling baby singing, “Ba-ba, ba...” right along with you is a heck of a lot better than having a screaming, kicking, poop machine squirming around on the changing table like a wounded Kingfish on the deck of a rain slicked boat. At bath time, it was “Rocky Raccoon.” The jaunty tale of a barroom gunfight between two men sparing over the affections of a young lady made for great bath time fun at our house. Prepare for giggling from girls when you get to the part about McGill, who called herself Lil, though everyone knew her as Nancy. If you have sons you might want to consider wearing a raincoat when the gunfight rolls around. I’m just saying – they may become a bit exuberant and act out the scene right there in the tub. Boys are brain damaged. Don’t question it. They just are. At bedtime, the appropriate selection is, “Goodnight” by the Beatles. It’s on the White Album. If you don’t have it, get it. Practice this song religiously throughout the pregnancy period. It may be the only weapon you have against a case of sleep deprivation the UN would classify as an illegal torture technique, if it didn’t happen to every third set of parents on the planet. Good luck to you. If you’re the parent of a small child, you’re going to need it. But then, you already knew that, didn’t you?
Jamie Beckett appears to be an average, everyday guy who just happens to hail from Arizona, Connecticut, New York City, and Central Florida. He wears many hats — pilot, mechanic, writer, politician, musician, stay-at-home dad — often an odd combination of all those things. Frankly, we don’t care. At The 863 Magazine we just keep him around because we think he’s funny. That’s that. www.JamieBeckett.com
A Clinic
Serve :: A Clinic Without Walls
Without Walls
to Guatemala – toothbrushes, gloves, gauze, filling material, anesthetics, needles – came out of their own pockets. They received very few material donations from dental companies. Most groups that travel to help in a third world country go with a church or other organization, however, the Hewetts went completely on their own. “Because of that there’s no agenda to what we’ve done,” she says. “We provide service just because, we don’t have any motivation or ultimatums about it. It’s providing care to humans just because they deserve it. It’s just service.” Cara Hewett, a trained counselor, says that their service in Guatemala has been very eye opening for all involved. “Your first world problems suddenly disappear, it totally changes your perception of how you view the world and your perspective on what you really need in your life to live,” she says. The Hewett’s children have also grown from the experiences in Central America. “My daughter would just as
Local Doctors Care for Indigenous Mayans By Andrea Cruz :: Photos provided by Cara Hewett
S
ervice for the sake of humanity – service just because. That is the only agenda for a rare few who feel compelled to use their skills to alleviate pain and suffering of others and help provide basic necessities of life – no matter where either party calls home. Five years ago Winter Haven dentist Steven Hewett and his wife, Cara, sought an opportunity to serve in a third world country. Their search led them to a hard-to-reach area in the Guatemalan mountains called Chichicastenango, well-known for having the largest market for woven goods in all of Central America. With their 13- and 15-yearold children, in addition to 12 dental students from Case Western University, they set off on what would be a very memorable experience for all. Nobody quite knew what to expect. “The first time we got there, the clinic doors opened and we were in a makeshift space, basically on a patio with plastic chairs lined up,” Cara Hewett says. “There was a tarp over our heads in case it rained.” But they made the bare bones environment work. For the first couple of years they set up the clinic, Cara scrubbed instruments. “But then the Mayan women who got to know us took the reins on that and learned to assist. They’d scrub instruments and sterilize them in an improvised outdoor sink and pressure pot system,” she says. With the help of the student dentists, Hewett’s team saw hundreds of patients a day – they estimate up to 400. Once
word spread that dental care was being offered, long lines formed – 98% Mayan – waiting to be seen. Up until Dr. Hewett’s team got there, the only dental care provided to the residents were cleanings by a hygienist who hadn’t been properly trained. “She had watched somebody (clean teeth) in Guatemala city over a couple of days, then came back and decided she could clean teeth, too,” Cara Hewett says. “And she did a fairly good job of it.” In the early years, doing fillings was a big deal – extractions were more the norm. “Their sweet, gentle smile, typically with a few missing or decayed teeth, was status quo in their villages,” Dr. Hewett says. Many of the teeth couldn’t be salvaged, Cara Hewett says. “There’s a lot of abscessed teeth, a ton of decay, but what we found each year is that we did more and more restorations, rather than extractions,” she says. In addition to oral hygiene education, a new toothbrush and toothpaste were sent home with each patient. “We would tell them that even if you can’t afford toothpaste, use salt to get the food off your teeth,” Cara Hewett says. “Educating the Mayans about the process of tooth decay and prevention as well as aiding their ability to eat a meal without pain and suffering is my long term goal,” Dr. Hewett says. The funding for a majority of the items the Hewetts brought
Continued on page 9
Winter Haven dentist Dr. Steven Hewett works on a Mayan patient in Chichicastenango, a city in the mountainous region of Guatemala.
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A Clinic Without Walls, cont. from page 7 soon shop at a thrift store because she gets the frivolousness of designer shoes,” Cara Hewett says. “Spending four or five hundred dollars on a pair of shoes could put three children in school for an entire year in Guatemala.” Things like education and health care in Guatemala are privileges, not rights, particularly if one is Mayan because they’re considered second class. The Hewetts realize that their altruistic intentions may be controversial as it could be argued that there are many locals who could use this same kind of free dental care. “Anyone who’s ever traveled into a third world environment wouldn’t say that,” she says. “We have our basic needs met. There’s not a child in this country whose not granted an education. And if you are in the system of Medicaid, you can be seen. They’re not going to deny you, or turn you around. That is the difference and people need to understand this.” This year’s May trip was different – because Guatemalans can’t always get out of their villages, the Hewett’s decided to expand their clinic to an area called Panajachel. They also traveled with Winter Haven ophthalmologist Dr. Gary Schemmer of Fischer, Schemmer, Silbiger & Moraczewski, who gave eye exams and glasses to the indigenous people. Dr. Schemmer is not new to this kind of service in a third world country, having already set up an eye clinic in the West Indies, specifically St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 12 years ago. Ophthalmology services provided by Dr. Schemmer on the Caribbean island also included cataract and glaucoma surgeries, and treatment of diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina caused by complications of diabetes). Dr. Schemmer says that there’s not much that beats
the feeling of giving back. He recalls having done cataract surgery on a patient who was essentially blind and had polio as a child. He was unable to walk, so his grown grandson carried him around like a child,” Dr. Schemmer says. “The day after surgery his wife was obviously upset about something, concerned he may have had a complication. So, naturally, Dr. Schemmer asked what the problem was. “She explained that he had been singing from the time he left the hospital because he could see again, and she was tired of hearing him sing,” he says. “With that says the patient proceeded to sing me a gospel song and thanked me for returning his vision so he could read again.” The doctors hope to return to Guatemala in 4 to 6 months with the help of Mayanfamilies. org, a nonprofit that works to better the lives of the impoverished indigenous people in the Panajachel region. In addition to expanding the locations, Cara Hewett says bigger things are in the works for their future trips. They are working with Rotary Club of Winter
Above: A young Mayan girl in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. Below: One of the Hewett’s daughters holds the hand of a Mayan woman.
Haven to get funds for equip equipment. They also took a film crew this year to show at the annual meeting of the American Academy for Implant Dentistry. “We are barely scratching the surface. We need to put a dent in the problems that exist just for the dentistry.”
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Discover :: Fine Art in the 863
fine ART in the 863
Bartow
Lake Wales cont.
Bartow Art Guild
BSD Galleries
Displays in {Tay’-Cho} and Polk Co. Historical Museum (see below).
{Tay’-Cho} an Art Gallery
395 E. Summerlin St., Bartow 863-533-2365 taycho.com
Polk County Historical Museum
100 E. Main St., Bartow 863-534-4386
Frostproof
208 East Stuart Ave, Lake Wales 863-679-2787 BenedictSmithDesign.com
Bok Tower Visitor Center
1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales 863-676-1408 BokTowerGardens. org
Lake Wales Arts Center
12 E. Wall Street, Frostproof 863-635-7271
1099 State Road 60 East, Lake Wales 863-676-8426 LakeWalesArtsCouncil.org
Haines City
Lakeland
Jackie’s City Hall Art Café
1026 SOFLO Fine Art Gallery & Marketplace
Frostproof Art League and Gallery
621 Ingraham Ave, Haines City 863-421-0777
“Self portrait as Astarte Syriaca after Dante Gabriel Rossetti” by Glenda Losh. 60” x 36”, painted in oil and encaustic. {Tay’-Cho} and Art Gallery in Bartow.
1026 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland 863-409-7901
Bates Grove Mansion Tea Room & Art Gallery Arts on the Park 380 Patterson Rd, Haines City 863-206-1443
Lake Wales A Taste of Lake Wales 207 E. Park Avenue, Lake Wales 863-605-0200 10
July 2013
115 North Kentucky Avenue, Lakeland 863-680-2787 ArtsOnThePark.org
Black Swan Bazaar
229 N Kentucky Ave., Lakeland 863-510-5980 BlackSwanBazaar.com
Brooke Pottery
223 N Kentucky Ave., Lakeland 863-688-6844 BrookePottery.com
KRaP Art Studios
2619 S. Lincoln Ave., Lakeland 863-860-1711 KrapArt.com
Polk Museum of Art
800 E. Palmetto St., Lakeland 863-688-5423 PolkMuseumOfArt.org
Fine Art in The 863
Lakeland cont.
The Loft Art Gallery
123 South Kentucky Ave., Lakeland 863-409-5771 LoftArtGalleryDowntown.com
Winter Haven Arts Ensemble
1000 American Superior Blvd, Winter Haven 863-293-2700 ArtsEnsembleHealingArts.com
My Gallery the Art Cottage 185 Avenue D NW, Winter Haven 863-294-2350
Winter Haven cont.
Ridge Art Association
210 Cypress Gardens Blvd. SW Winter Haven 863-291-5661 RidgeArt.org
Other Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition Downtown Winter Haven and Lakeland’s grassy areas.
Area City Halls
Local art hangs in various city hall buildings, call ahead.
Polk Art Sites
PolkArts.org & PlatformArt.org
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Putting their best
Feet Forward By Meredith Jean Morris Photos by Jodi Crawford Foster
F
or many, going to work involves putting on a certain style of clothes and shoes, to spend the day sitting at a desk or standing behind a counter in an office setting. This would be considered typical for many people employed in Polk County. However, there is one group of Polk County workers who prepare for work in quite a different way. While they do wear a certain style of cloth-
Keith St. Onge, one of the founders of the World Barefoot Center, demonstrates water skiing on one foot.
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World Barefoot Champions Ski Toward Success
ing, their work preparation includes taking their shoes off, and their office is among the wind and water of Winter Haven’s many lakes. Their job is anything but typical. This group of exceptional people includes Keith St. Onge, Gary “Swampy” Bouchard, David Small, Ben Groen and Ashleigh Stebbeings. They are the instructors at the World Barefoot Center, also known as the WBC. While many locals know that Winter Haven
Leap :: World Barefoot Center Retail store at the World Barefoot Center.
is the “Waterski Capital of the World,” they don’t realize that the world’s top barefoot water-skiers actually come to Polk County to train in the 863 area code year-round. Furthermore, the WBC world champions are available to teach and coach others of all skill levels — from beginners to professionals. Located off of Lucerne Park Road, in a residential neighborhood, the World Barefoot Center is situated on the shore of Lake Conine. Physically, the center is easy to miss. However, its impact is felt both locally and internationally, in the way that it brings barefoot skiers from around the world to Polk County and prepares them to compete in — and often win — world championships. “Keith started a ski school in Winter Haven back in 2005,” says Swampy Bouchard, a world champion coach with 30 years of experience. “Then, on May 15, four years ago, we got two world champions together and formed the World
Barefoot Center.” St. Onge, 35, is the trick and slalom ski world champion, a 13-time U.S. national champion and a two-time world champion barefoot skier. In addition to St. Onge, the other world champion barefoot skier instrumental in the school’s start was 29-year-old David Small, a native of England, who holds five world championships and is a six-time world jump champion. “These are two of the greatest barefoot skiers who have ever set foot on the water,” Bouchard says. “And, if you come out here to train or take a class, you’ll get to work with them.” The purpose of the World Barefoot Center is two-fold. It is a place for beginners to come and learn how to barefoot waterski during a half or full day of training. “If you come out, we’ll have you out on the water ski-
ing during that day of lesson,” Bouchard says. “We’d start out with some exercises on the shore, then move out into the water in some ski shoes. After that, we’d go barefoot if you were ready.” The second purpose of the World Barefoot Center is to provide a training facility for professional skiers to work with world champions. Current instructors Ben Groen and Ashleigh Stebbeings first came to the center to train, and stayed on as staff. “I learnt about (the World Barefoot Center) at the 2010 World Championships in Germany when I was talking to David Small,” says Stebbeings, a 20-year-old native of Australia and two-time world champion. “He was telling me that I should come out the following year to ski there. I started skiing there in January 2011, and became a member of the team shortly after.” Groen, 22, had a similar experience. “I came here to train for Continued on page 19
Judy Myers, 70, is the oldest competing woman barefooter in the world.
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Bates Gr ve Mansion B
Tea Room & Art Gallery
uilt in 1923 by Henry Bates, a Dutch oil baron from Pennsylvania, the building that is now the Bates Grove Mansion Tea Room & Art Gallery was his personal residence. Today, the Larsen family owns and operates a reservation-only tearoom.
Photos by Andrea Cruz
Sandwiches, tea, and pastries are the main draw, in addition to the fine watercolor art painted with coffee. Owner Steve Larsen paints watercolor scenes with coffee grounds, diluted to create different “paint values” of the coffee. Scenes include nature, wildlife, dogs, and old Florida, such as the cracker cowboy. Original pieces range from $100 to $5600 and prints from $1 to $100. The artwork of Larsen — who has never had an art lesson — decorates the mansion and is plentiful in the gift shop, which was once the piano room of Henry Bates’ daughter. The building itself still retains much of the original architecture, including cast iron light fixtures, huge solid oak doors, double Dutch doors and 13-foot ceilings. It was said that the house, which has 5000 square feet under the roof, was the first to have indoor toilets in Haines City. Mr. Bates had the sweeping hardwood staircase torn out and rebuilt three times before he was satisfied with it. 14
July 2013
Treasure :: Bates Grove Mansion
The tearoom hosts luncheon meetings, bridal and baby showers, birthday parties, children’s tea parties, and reunions. Party reservations for the tearoom can be made through the art gallery. An afternoon of “high tea” will include scones and jam, a pot of tea, a tier with sandwiches and desserts for $13 per person. Parties of 6-40 can be accommodated.
Cottage baked goods are made to order and include scones, biscotti, lemon cookies, meringues, madeleines, lavender shortbread, petit fours, and artisanal bread. The tearoom is available Tue - Sat: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. It is located at 380 Patterson Rd., Haines City. For more info contact 863-2061443 or visit BatesGroveMansion.Weebly.com.
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THE SELF Center, cont. from page 5 lowing your bliss, does work,” Arthur Ford International AcadMacConnell says. emy of Mediumship in Miami. “Whatever they need will just Mind Opening Experiences come out.” Franklin, a retired emerFranklin guides clients in gency room nurse, taps into discovering behavioral patterns, her Native American ancestry such as repeatedly picking out and her intuition to offer intuitive the same type of incompatible counseling, past life regression, mate. meditation, and animal totem “It is good to see the kind classes. She also leads Full Moon of things you’re doing over and and Native American medicine over so our souls can heal. It’s wheel ceremonies. so freeing when you see some“Relationships are kind thing you’ve always carried and of my specialty,” Franklin says. realize you don’t have to do “It’s using my intuition and the that anymore,” she says. “I think person there to see things that there are a lot of fractured souls might help them grow.” Coun- out there.” seling sessions are relaxed and Past life regression is a private. guided meditation that walks “I just feel the person’s a person back to another time energy and start talking. It is liter- and place to help her deal with ally just having a conversation,” an issue causing a struggle in says Franklin, who trained at the the present. “I take it back like it is a movie. It’s like seeing another side of yourself,” Franklin says. “It’s going back to help you deal with whatever is happening in your life now.” Other classes, taught by various Phyllis Ferguson, left, and Cari MacConnell instructors, are the owners of THE SELF Center in Winter Haven. include Free
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Thinking: Life Beyond Spirituality; Communicating with Spirit Helpers; Reiki, a form of energy healing using spiritually guided life force energy; numerology, the study of numbers to reveal the future or hidden information; guided meditation; and Soul Group, a gathering to discuss various topics. New classes are continually added to the schedule and are repeated upon request. Former librarian Phyllis Brinson not only gets regular massages at The Self Center, but she attends every class she can. She began with a Sage-ing – or positive aging – class when her late husband became ill. She quickly began attending classes about Reiki; stones and crystals; and Chakras, a Hindi tradition based on energy sources in the body. It changed her life. “I met this wonderful group of people I didn’t know existed. I started seeing all of these different things. Without that I wouldn’t have been able to handle the deaths of both of my husbands,” says Brinson, a 67-year-old Winter Haven resident. THE SELF Center has become Brinson’s sanctuary. “It’s very calm and peaceful. It just helps you through your week. All you have to do is come in and sit on the sofa with the girls and talk,” says Brinson, whose allergies and asthma have disappeared since applying principles learned at the center. “When you let your mind rest and relax with the classes, all the busy hustle and bustle problems in the world are their problems not yours.” The secret to THE SELF Center is the caring with which healing techniques are shared and applied. “As long as we are on this earth there is something to learn. We all have our own stories and something we learned,” Franklin says. Getting the VIBE Instructor Tara Wohlrabe collectively
THE SELF Center, cont. exercises the mind, body, and spirit in her VIBE class using guided meditation, breathing techniques, and toning exercises. Wohlrabe, a 30-year-old certified trainer through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, designed the class to fill a need in her own life during
Ferguson, left, and MacConnell perform Reiki, the laying on of hands to heal affected life force energies.
a time she was working 50 to 60 hours a week and stress was beginning to take its toll on her. The class begins with breathing exercises to clear the mind, relieve stress, and gain focus. Then there’s 25 minutes of working on the body to high energy music with basic strength and toning movements for all the major muscle groups. Mind, body, and spirit are pulled together at the end with a guided meditation. VIBE is suitable for all age groups and doesn’t require weights or equipment other than a yoga mat. “It’s not for those who want to want to kill themselves with exercise for an hour,” Wohlrabe says. “It mixes exercise with the spiritual component they won’t get at a gym. There’s no religious base at all, it’s just very spiritual and open.” Wohlrabe says many people are leery of meditation and don’t know how to use it. “People sort of fear what they aren’t familiar with. Just come and check it out and you will find a lot of really warm, kind-hearted people. They (Ferguson and MacConnell) had the opportunity to get
Steven Ferguson performs deep tissue massage on a client.
together and share things that are really good for this area,” Wohlrabe says. “These are guided meditations, so they are just ways to relax.” THE SELF Center is a place of learning, says Wohlrabe, where people learn about themselves and how to lead a balanced life. THE SELF Center is located at 2750 Hwy. 17 North in Winter Haven. For more information visit www.TheSelfCenterHealing. com or call 863-875-5635.
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L
Non-profit Spotlight: LaSertoma
aSertoma is an international organization founded in 1951 to promote friendship, fellowship and extension among its members; also to aid, assist, support educational and philanthropic enterprises and endeavors. LaSertoma is an acronym for “Leaders in Service to Mankind.” The mission of LaSertoma is: To enhance the lives of all persons and to promote youth and education through public awareness as we strive to be “Leaders in Service to Mankind.” The Winter Haven Area LaSertoma was started by 31 ladies in 1983. The International office headquarters are in Dayton, Ohio. The group meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at St. Johns United Methodist Church, located at 1800 Cypress Gardens Blvd. in Winter Haven. Monthly meetings include cultural, informative, and interesting programs. Funds are raised through endeavors such as Pumpkin Patch, Poinsettia sales, Ghoul’s Night Out, Pecan sales, Tasters Tea, White Elephant sale, and a rummage sale. Monies raised are donated to Camp Endeavor, Family Emergency Services, Aluminum Can Tops, Box Tops for Education, Salvation Army, Prescription Drug Bottle Program, Friends of the Library, Cancer Resource Room, and Blood Bank. In addition, LaSertoma members donate their time and services to these organizations. Winter Haven Area LaSertoma will be celebrating its 30th birthday on August 1, 2013 at 7 p.m. at Lake Bess Golf Club Clubhouse, located at 218 Golf Aire Blvd. in Winter Haven. The public is invited. For more information or to attend a meeting, visit www.WinterHavenLaSertoma.com or email WinterHavenLaSertoma@Gmail.com.
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World Barefoot Center, cont. from page 13 six weeks, and then I came back for two months to train for the world championships,” says the New Zealand native. “After that, I never left.” It’s not unusual for barefoot skiers from around the globe to visit the World Barefoot Center for training. “At any given time, we have people training here from other countries,” St. Onge says. “I think that’s what I’d like locals to know about us. We’ve trained teams from France, New Zealand, Germany, Finland and Great Britain. People from all over the world come here to train and come here to stay. We bring a lot of visitors into the area to stay, eat in the restaurants and shop.” The skiers stress the unique aspect of the World Barefoot Center that regardless of skill level, anyone training will have the opportunity to learn from the top skiers in the sport.
“I would encourage (anyone interested) to come and check WBC out,” Stebbeings says, “because not only are the two world champion co-owners going to be instructing you, but we all put our heart and soul into each and every individual that comes through the school so that they are able to get the absolute most out of their skiing and time down at the school. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, there is something for everybody at the
school.” Groen puts it well. “Where else can you go and train with the best in the sport?” he asks. “It’d be like learning to play basketball from Michael Jordan. You’re learning how to ski from the world’s best — here in Winter Haven.” For details about the World Barefoot Center, visit www.WorldBarefootCenter. com or call 863-877-0039.
From left: Keith St. Onge, Ben Groen, Judy Myers, Gary “Swampy” Bouchard, and David Small.
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Your Stuff :: 863 Readers’ Art
“Jagged Pink Lady” - Bok Tower
“Promenade” Lake Mirror in Lakeland
“Consequences” - Hollis Gardens
D
“Paint My World Blue” Unripened blueberries at Bok Tower Facebook.com/IllustratingLifeArt
igitally-enhanced photography by Carla Hodges of Lakeland. Self taught, Carla does not use lenses or filters. She finds inspiration in the works of Mario Giacomelli. “Giacomelli had a poet’s eye for the startlingly abstract order man can impose on nature, and a poet’s understanding of the great disorder that is the human condition.” Hodges lives with her husband and two boys in Lakeland.
Got art? Send your poetry or images to Andrea@The863Magazine.com.
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Mention or Check-In! Tell ‘Em The 863 Sent You! Save money at these businesses by either mentioning you saw them in The 863’s No-Cut Coupon page or use your smart phone to check in to the location on a social media website like Facebook or Foursquare. Restrictions may apply. No-Cut Coupons from this issue expire July 31, 2013.
Elmo & Linda’s 353 3rd Street NW, Winter Haven 10% Off 1 Check
Four Purls Yarn Shop 331 3rd Street NW, Winter Haven Free Knitting Class
Il Forno Italian 3615 S. Florida Ave, Lakeland Ask for Daily Special
Tsunami Sushi 317 West Central Ave, Winter Haven 10% Off Dine In Only
El Norteño 1925 6th St. NW, Winter Haven Free Bead Dip / Party
Outback Steakhouse 170 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven: Free Blooming Onion w/ Two Entrees
Foster’s Photography 525 Ave B NW Winter Haven $10 Off Any Session
Performance Tire 304 Avenue E SW, Winter Haven Call for Special
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Explore :: July’s Happenings in the 863 FJuly 3: Rock N’ Freedom Fest City of Winter Haven’s Independence celebration on Lake Silver. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m. For more info: 863-291-5656 or MyWinterHaven. com. FJuly 4: Lake Wales 4th of July On the shores of Lake Wailes. Festivities start at 2 p.m.; fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. For more info: 863-678-4182. FJuly 4: 4th of July Mass Celebration Fun Day for families and friends in the community to display their patriotism on the 4th of July. Mosaic Park, Bartow. 2:30 - 10:15 PM For more info: 863-533-7125 or BartowChamber.com. FJuly 4: Thunder on the Ridge Annual celebration includes fireworks, vendors, and entertainment. Lake Eva Park (799 Johns Ave.) in Haines City. For more info: 863-421-3700. FJuly 4: Fireworks at the City Beach Auburndale. 9 p.m. For more info: 863965-5545. FJuly 5: First Friday: “Heritage Festival” Celebrate the history of Downtown Lakeland, Polk County and Florida. Downtown Lakeland. 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. For more info: 863-510-9723 or DowntownLakelandFl.com. FJuly 6: Antiques Arts & Oddities Downtown Lake Wales, in Market Square between Park and Stuart Avenues. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Antiques in Toyworld Coffee Shop on Park Avenue also. For more info: 863-412-6960. FJuly 6: Cruisin’ Winter Haven Classic Car Show in downtown Winter Haven, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. For more info: 863-291-5656 or MyWinterHaven.com. FJuly 10: August 12: Ridge Art Artisan Market - Twenty plus local artists display their artistic wares. Ridge Art Association, 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven. Mon - Fri. 12:30 - 4 p.m. & 1 hour before all Theatre Winter Haven performances. For more info: 863-291-5661 or RidgeArt.org.
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FJuly 11: Thursday Squared Food Truck Rally - Around Munn Park, downtown Lakeland, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. For more info: 863-510-9723 or DowntownLakelandFL.com.
For more info contact 863-676-1408 or BokTowerGardens.org.
FJuly 13 & 27: Lake Wales Downtown Farmer’s Market - In Market Square between Park and Stuart Avenues, downtown Lake Wales. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. For more info: 863-412-6960.
FJuly 31 - Saturday, August 3 New to You Children’s Consignment Sale. Winter Haven Garden Center, 715 3rd St. NW, Winter Haven. Times vary; check website for hours: NewToYouFL. com.
FJuly 26: Dulcimer Night - Play the dulcimer or just want to listen? Dulcimer players are welcome to join in and everyone is welcome to listen to this FJuly 12: Praise in the Park Local church bands will be performing beautiful instrument. In Central Park in in Central Park, downtown Winter Ha- downtown Winter Haven, 5:30-7 p.m. For more info: 863-291-5656 or MyWinven. 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. For more info: 863-291-5656 or MyWinterHaven.com. terHaven.com.
FJuly 13: Family Fun Day at the History Center - Family activities at the Polk Historical Museum (old courthouse). 100 East Main Street, Bartow. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. For more info: 863533-7125 or BartowChamber.com. FJuly 19: Main Street Friday Fest Tow Jam - Food and vendors down Main Street, Bartow. 6:00 - 10:30 p.m. For more info: 863-533-7125 or BartowChamber.com. FJuly 20: Spring Lake Plaza Fresh Goods & Crafts Market - More than 50 vendors, including produce, local artists, live music. Spring Lake Plaza parking lot: Havendale Blvd. and US Highway 17 intersection in Winter Haven. 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. For more info contact 863-258-3561. FJuly 20: Cypress Gardens Water Ski show - The Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team perform a 40-minute show reminiscent of shows previously held at Cypress Gardens. MLK Jr. Park on Lake Silver, Winter Haven, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. For more information: 863-224-9350 or visit MyWinterHaven.com. FJuly 20: Live at the Gardens: New Groove City- Salsa Jazz concert inside the Bok Tower Gardens Visitor Center. Concert Only: $20 / Concert & Dinner: $40. A prepaid dinner will be served at the Blue Palmetto Café. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales
All July F A Silver Lining - Polk Museum of Art: Perkins Gallery. This exhibition will showcase PMoA’s collection of Georgian silver, which refers to the period of the consecutive reigns of four English kings. Museum summer hours: Tue. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more info: 863-6885423 or PolkMuseumofArt.org. F Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: Master of Ukiyo-e Polk Museum of Art: Ledger and Murray Galleries. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 – 1892) is widely regarded as the last great master of the ukiyo-e tradition in Japanese printmaking. Museum summer hours: Tue. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more info: 863-688-5423 or PolkMuseumofArt.org. F C. Paul Jennewein: An Usher for a New American Style - Polk Museum of Art: Dorothy Jenkins Gallery and Gallery II. C. Paul Jennewein (18901978) was a highly regarded American architectural sculptor of the mid-20th century. Museum summer hours: Tue. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more info: 863-688-5423 or PolkMuseumofArt.org.
Send Your Community Event to Andrea@The863Magazine.com.