The Lakelander | September - October 2015

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2015

BOONDOCK STUDIOS / RETROSPECTIVE / TOGETHER WE GROW FOREVER FLORIDA / THE COBBLER / CRACKER CULTURE

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THE LAKELANDER

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And as our ER patient, you have access to a medical staff more than 550 strong, who practice in over 50 specialties.

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THE LAKELANDER

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THE LAKELANDER

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Lakeland Automall Ford & Hyundai Completes $10 M Renovation and Remodel Lakeland, FL – Lakeland Automall Ford and Hyundai Dealership on West Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland FL has officially completed a $10 million campus renovation and remodel that has taken nearly three years. The project began in March 2012 when Lakeland Automall President Greg Balasco authorized the demolition of the Lakeland Hyundai and Mazda building on the corner of Brunnell Parkway and Memorial Boulevard. The newly constructed and renovated facilities cover the entire 16 acre complex and 6 brand new sales, service and body shop buildings.

“It was time.” Lakeland Automall Ford and Hyundai President Greg Balasco stated. “We knew that moving forward we needed state-of-the-art facilities to meet the demands of our customers and employees.” Those demands included spacious and comfortable waiting areas, free Wi-Fi, children’s play areas, modern service and sales technologies, and showrooms that were designed to showcase the newest and most modern vehicles for years to come. The addition of FRESCO Café in the Lakeland Ford Building and air-conditioned service bays for technicians and employees makes the Lakeland Automall complex one of the most updated dealerships in Central Florida.

The Lakeland Hyundai building, Pre-Owned Building and the all-new Body Shop facilities were completed in June 2014 and the recently completed Lakeland Ford building opened to the public in June 2015. The opening of Lakeland Ford officially completes the three year project and allows the facilities to comfortably service over 100 vehicles and space to showcase over 1,000 in-stock vehicles.

“We wanted to revitalize Memorial Boulevard and create an environment where customers would want to come and enjoy their shopping experience. We also wanted it to be a place where employees enjoyed working.” Said Greg Balasco, President of Lakeland Automall Ford & Hyundai. “I’ve been in the car business for over 30 years and have seen a lot of the changes. I wanted to build the new Lakeland Automall in a way that changed the customer buying experience. I believe we’ve done it.”

The Lakeland Automall makeover is part of an economic development investment into the Lakeland community and the West Memorial Boulevard.

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www.LakelandAutomall.com THE LAKELANDER

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

106 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2015

DEPARTMENTS SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2015

24 NOTE FROM THE EDITORS 26 EDITORIAL BIOS 30 PHOTOGRAPHER BIOS 134 OPENINGS 136 EVENTS 146 HISTORY

ON THE COVER BOONDOCK STUDIOS / RETROSPECTIVE / TOGETHER WE GROW FOREVER FLORIDA / THE COBBLER / CRACKER CULTURE

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THE LAKELANDER

At Boondock Studios you’ll find high-quality, handcrafted leather goods made from the creative genius of the Boondock family. Each of their creations is both entirely unique and also entirely practical. Find them online at boondock-studios.com, at the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market, and several other local retailers.

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Lakeside dining and cocktail lounge open to the public.

1300 Eaglebrooke Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33813 • (863) 701-0101 • eaglebrooke.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CULTURE 32 CRACKER CULTURE

A brief history of Lakeland’s cowmen and cattle

SPECIAL FEATURE 44 201 YEARS

Meet Doris and Glennie, two of Lakeland’s centenarians

PHILANTHROPY 52 TOGETHER WE GROW

Lakeland’s YMCA builds community by building an intentional culture

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SHELTER 62 FOREVER FLORIDA

Discover a modern bunkhouse nestled among the oak hammocks

STYLE 74 INTO THE SUNSET

Fall style rooted in tradition and inspired by the great outdoors

TASTE 86 RARE, MEDIUM, WELL-DONE

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Tips for making a perfectly cooked steak

PEOPLE 98 THE COBBLER

One of our city’s oldest businesses cares for the soles of Lakeland

SPECIAL FEATURE 106 THE BOONDOCK STUDIOS Creators and crafters of practical art

SPECIAL FEATURE 118 RETROSPECTIVE The Lakelander looks back

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CenterState Bank is a proud partner of Southeastern University. Go Fire!!

Angel Gonzalez, Vice President of Commercial Banking, and his wife Rosalie live in South Lakeland where they raise their daughter Aaliyah. Angel and his wife met for the first time as students at Southeastern University where they later got engaged. Angel and his family now attend Victory Church @ Lakeside Village. They are proud Lakelander’s and big advocates of all the great assets Lakeland has to offer.

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PUBLISHER Curt Patterson ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Jason Jacobs, Brandon Patterson Advertising ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Curt Patterson; 863.409.2449 ADVERTISING SALES Jason Jacobs; 863.606.8785 ADVERTISING SALES Brandon Patterson; 863.409.2447 Editorial EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF CONTENT Alice V. Koehler EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Tina Sargeant

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STAFF EDITOR, SPECIAL FEATURE Kristin Crosby GUEST EDITOR, SPECIAL FEATURE Sarah Sebastian CULTURE EDITOR Abby Jarvis PEOPLE EDITOR Adam Spafford PHILANTHROPY EDITOR Tara Campbell SHELTER EDITOR Christian Lee STYLE EDITOR Abdiel Gonzalez TASTE EDITOR Jenn Smur COPY EDITOR Laura Burke OFFICE MANAGER Deb Patterson ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Kristin Crosby Design ART DIRECTOR Philip Pietri GRAPHIC DESIGNER Daniel Barcelo Photography CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Tiffani Jones, Michael Nielsen, Philip Pietri, Tina Sargeant, Jason Stephens, Jordan Weiland

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Published by Patterson Jacobs Publishing, LLC The Lakelander is published bimonthly by Patterson Jacobs Publishing, P.O. Box 41, Lakeland, FL 33802. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission of The Lakelander is prohibited. The Lakelander is not responsible for any unsolicited submissions.

Contact Patterson Jacobs Publishing, P.O. Box 41, Lakeland, FL 33802 863.701.2707 www.thelakelander.com Customer Service: 863.701.2707 Subscription Help: jason@pattersonpublishing.com “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

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EDITORIAL

NOTE FROM THE EDITORS

Alice V. Koehler

L Lakeland’s Premier COFFEE HOUSE & CASUAL EATERY

eather is tough and strong.

It protects from nasty falls and whipping winds.

It’s the material we tend to seek when we want something to last.

It endures hardship and softens with love.

The more it’s loved and worn, known and shaped, the more comfortable leather becomes.

So it is also with our Lakeland. The longer you’re here and the more time you invest in it, the more you tend to love it.

As The Lakelander celebrates its third anniversary, it’s fitting that leather is the traditional gift for this milestone. In crafting this special issue, Taste Editor Jenn Smurr wrote, “Some say on your third anniversary you become aware of the relationship’s durability and strength. Often times you’re put to the test. This is why leather is the traditional gift — durable, strong, and flexible. Leather is made to weather the storm.”

In these pages, we hope you discover a hidden treasure about this city, that you’ll explore something new and share it with someone. More, though, we hope that you’ll find a new way to love your city and renewed faith in its durability and strength.

In three years, we know that we’ve only scratched the surface of stories that lie in the hearts and lives of our fellow Lakelanders.

We can’t wait to hear (and tell) more of your stories in the coming years!

Warmly, Alice and Tina

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EDITORIAL BIOS ALICE V. KOEHLER

EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF CONTENT Alice Koehler is a longtime Lakeland resident, graduate of Florida Southern College, returned Peace Corps volunteer, mother, and lifelong learner. She holds a certificate in nonprofit management as well as a B.S. in sociology and education. In 2013, she graduated from Leadership Lakeland Class 30 and began her journey as an MBA student. In her free time, she enjoys adventure seeking, memory making, joy giving, bargain hunting, community building, mind bending, knowledge acquiring, and soul filling. Alice is currently the senior representative of Community Engagement for the American Cancer Society in Polk County where she gets to see more birthdays celebrated every year by supporting and implementing efforts that help our neighbors get well and stay well, find cures, and fight back.

ABBY JARVIS

CULTURE EDITOR Abby Jarvis is a writing buff with a deep appreciation for the history behind modern cultures and habits. She attended Florida Southern College and, while enrolled there, fell in love with Lakeland’s ability to blend its history with its contemporary identity. Today, Abby works in marketing and outreach at Qgiv, a Lakeland tech company, and spends her spare time writing fairy tales and poetry, which can be found strewn haphazardly through her apartment.

ADAM SPAFFORD PEOPLE EDITOR

Adam Spafford came to Lakeland in 1999 to attend Florida Southern College and, except for a 20-month graduate school stint in Massachusetts, has been here since. When he’s not writing page-turners for The Lakelander, he trades stock and index options.

ABDIEL GONZALEZ MEN’S STYLE EDITOR

From a young age, Abdiel Gonzalez was inspired by design and art, and influenced by the colorful culture of his native Hawaii. After moving to Florida in his teens, Abdiel formed an award-winning dance company, No Confusion, for which he received national recognition. His love of fashion developed while earning a bachelor’s in business administration at Florida Southern College. He has managed multimillion-dollar retail establishments, designed stage costumes, and styled high-profile photo shoots. Currently, Abdiel runs Style Instinct by Abdiel, a styling and image consulting business. As a longtime Lakelander, Abdiel gives back by volunteering his talent to local production companies and teaches weekly dance classes at studios here in Lakeland.

CHRISTIAN LEE SHELTER EDITOR Christian Lee is a Mississippi native who moved to Lakeland in 1992. After spending several years raising her family, she re-entered the design and decorating industry in 2004. Today, she works with contractors and clients to remodel homes and commercial properties. Christian is passionate about spaces that have soul, and she loves to find ways to make that soul come to life. She is skilled at interior decorating, repurposing antique and vintage furniture, and has designed a line of clothing for the home as well. In her spare time, Christian runs marathons and volunteers on the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Leadership Council. She is also a 20-year member of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland.

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DON ’ T JUST

EDITORIAL BIOS

DREAM

JENN SMURR

WIT H C ARLI S LE AU CT ION S

Jenn is a Florida native and a proud Lakelander. She is a lover of people and all things food (especially dark chocolate), an excursionist, and the owner of Born & Bread Bakehouse. For the last four years, Jenn has traveled the world working full time as a fashion model. Taking advantage of the gift of travel, she spent her free time exploring the local cuisine. Her affinity for bread came to a tipping point when she visited a standing-roomonly cafe in Paris. It was there that she first tried “life-changing fresh bread and local butter.” She has since traded a life in fashion for one in food.

ACHIEVE

TASTE EDITOR

TARA CAMPBELL

PHILANTHROPY EDITOR Tara Campbell is a longtime Lakelander with a passion for serving others.

A graduate of Florida Southern College, she is currently the team and outreach director for Access Church. In the past she has worked as the teen development director for the YMCA of Central Florida, the outreach teacher at the Polk Museum of Art, and a classroom leader at Parker Street Ministries.

Believing firmly that only boring people get bored, Tara spends her free time mentoring middle-school girls in the Parker Street Neighborhood, teaching art lessons, and serving the community through several civic organizations, as well as enjoying all of the friends and culture that Lakeland has to offer.

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KRISTIN CROSBY STAFF EDITOR, SPECIAL FEATURE Kristin is the administrative assistant for The Lakelander at Patterson Publishing. Outside of an obvious affinity of coffee, her interest in writing about all things from life, love, and politics can be found at kristincrosby. com. Also, Kristin has contributed as a film critic for relevantmagazine.com and vitalmagazine.com.

AT

SARAH SEBASTIAN GUEST EDITOR, SPECIAL FEATURE

N O V. 1 3 - 1 4 , 2 0 1 5 FEB. 26-27, 2016

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Sarah Sebastian has lived in Lakeland most of her life. She earned her English degree at Florida State University. She can’t seem to decide where she’d like to live, having jumped around between Lakeland, Atlanta, Tallahassee, and Norway. After eight years of teaching, she changed careers and now spends her days as the product content manager for Qgiv, a Lakeland tech company. Her spare time is devoted to her greatest loves: animals, writing, and reading old novels about British people eating dinner (at least that’s how her literary interests were once described).

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PHOTOGRAPHER BIOS TINA SARGEANT, EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Tina Sargeant has been professionally capturing the moments, events, and people of our region for the last seven years and photographing for The Lakelander since issue one. Tina’s photography is driven by the ability to suspend time and create emotion, and her work embodies a passion for anthropology – people, culture, and stories. sargeantstudios.com

PHILIP AND JESSICA PIETRI

Pietri Photography is run by husband and wife duo Philip and Jessica Pietri. Both photographers are established creative professionals from the Tampa Bay area who inject a clean, modernist aesthetic into their work. pietriphotography.com

JORDAN WEILAND

Jordan Weiland is a longtime Lakeland resident. She spends her time photographing weddings and dancing around the house (poorly) with her four-yearold daughter and husband. She graduated from Florida State University with a degree in studio art and has photographed weddings for several years. She loves the visual art of storytelling, which is why she loves taking on The Lakelander photography assignments in between photographing couples in love. jordanweiland.com

TIFFANI JONES

Growing up, Tiffani Jones could never get lost in the wonder of a storybook. Then one day she realized she could let her mind imagine a wondrous story through imagery. Photography gives Tiffani a tangible voice with her audience. After a wonderful 15-year nursing career, she left the art of nursing for the art of creating. She’s a life-long Lakelander where she raises three energetic children with her husband. iamtiffanijones.com

MICHAEL NIELSEN

Michael Nielsen has lived in Lakeland for the last 25 years, but he has traveled the world shooting photos and videos for clients like Visit Florida, Chris Craft, Bentley Motorcars, and a number of boutique hotels. He also leads a team of producers, editors, audio engineers, and creatives as they work together to produce television commercials and content videos. He loves spending time with his family, working on his motorcycle, and planning the next big adventure with his twin brother. grainandglass.com

JASON STEPHENS

Jason Stephens is a native Florida boy who lives in Lakeland with his beautiful wife, Jess, and daughter Isla. Whether it’s from 500 feet up in a helicopter, on a boat cutting through the water, or locked down on a tripod, Jason loves to be behind the camera capturing the moments that pass in front of his lens. jasonstephensphotography.com

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MIDFLORIDA

CULTURE

written by

Abby Jarvis photography by

Philip Pietri set styling by

Lisa Mallot special thanks to

Angela Higgenbotham Dixieland Relics Gina’s Costume Rentals Wish Vintage Rentals

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A brief history of Lakeland’s cowmen and cattle

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I

n 2015, few reminders of Florida’s past remain visible around Lakeland. The coffee shops, antique stores, glimmering businesses, and downtown buildings belie Lakeland’s more raucous beginnings. But if you look closely enough, beyond the businesses and interstates and neighborhoods of the city, you can still glimpse bits and pieces of old Lakeland — of old Florida — and of our city’s wild origins.

Lakeland’s history began thousands of years ago, when the first Paleo-Indian peoples

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moved into what would become Central Florida as they followed wooly mammoths and other game. Those people eventually settled and split into the Pre-Columbian tribes that became the Timucua, Tocobaga, and Calusa tribes. They and other tribes to the north and south dominated the peninsula, and an estimated 250,000 native people lived in Florida when the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon landed on its shores in 1513. In 1521, Ponce de Leon returned to Florida on a second voyage, this time bringing

with him a small herd of cattle. Thus began Florida’s first agricultural industry; cattle ranching would go on to dominate the state’s economy ever since.

Later, settlers from Spain, England, and the colonies to the north brought cattle of their own until, by the early 19th century, tens of thousands of cattle roamed the state.

Breeds of various sorts intermingled and resulted in the Cracker cow, a small, hardy animal that was prized for its ability to thrive in the hot, humid, insect-filled scrublands.

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Employees of the Lakeland Cash Feed Company which is still located at 502 East Main Street. The company sells animal feed, western wear, and a variety of ranch needs.- 1952

Photo Courtesy of Special Collections, Lakeland Public Library Photo by Dan Sanborn

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Some herds were owned by native tribes who had joined with Creek tribes from the states to the north to form the Seminole tribe. Other herds were owned by Florida’s celebrated cowmen, who were renowned for their resourcefulness, grit, and simple lifestyle. By the late 19th century, Florida was studded with hundreds of cattlemen’s camps, which were small, rowdy encampments that sprang up along Florida’s cattle trails and pasturelands. Some notable camps included Cow Town, which is near current-day Kissimmee, and other camps in what would later become Bartow and Fort Meade. Herds

were kept in unfenced pastures, which meant that cowmen would periodically collect their cattle that had ranged for miles before they drove them to be sold. They rode small, tough ponies, and used dogs and long, braidedleather whips to round up their cattle, which led to their now-famous moniker, the Florida Crackers.

Things began to change when the railroads came to Florida. With them came more settlers, more resources, and other industries.

Cattlemen moved into the Peace River area of what would later be Lakeland and Bartow, pushing out the Seminole tribesmen who

grazed their herds there. They planted citrus trees and built more permanent settlements, complete with schoolhouses and churches.

Cattle remained king, and the land that eventually became Lakeland and the rest of Polk County was still largely untamed.

Growth in the cattle industry was disrupted when the Civil War broke out to the north.

Although Florida elected to secede from the Union with the other Southern states, the largely unsettled territory was devastated by the war. Cattlemen and farmers did trade with the Confederate Army, which regarded the state more as a source of supplies than as

THE LAKELANDER

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They rode small, tough ponies, and used dogs and long, braided-leather whips to round up their cattle, which led to their now-famous moniker, the Florida Crackers.

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THE LAKELANDER

The wild spirit of Lakeland’s early history is evident all over town. Take a walk through the Circle B Bar Reserve, an old cattle ranch that was purchased by the state of Florida and turned into a nature reserve, and visit the replica cattle camp built there. The reserve is quintessentially Floridian, with examples of prairie landscapes that would have been full of grazing cattle, as well as oak strands, swamps, and marshes.

You can also visit the Lakeland Highlands Scrub, a 160-acre preserve of sandhills and the scrub landscape that would have been familiar to every cattleman in Florida. Outside the city, a walk through the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve in northwest Polk County is a trip back into Florida’s past, with ancient landscapes and untouched wilderness that recalls the untamed frontier of early Florida.

a source of soldiers. The state was the largest supplier of beef to the Confederate Army, and the cowmen’s intimate knowledge with Florida’s unsettled landscapes and coastlines made them adept at evading the federal blockade that was set up around the state.

But while the Confederacy’s power dwindled as the Union armies beat back their defenses, supplies from other sources were cut off. The Confederate Army was allowed to dictate their own prices for beef and other supplies from Florida, and cattlemen were often paid next to nothing for their herds. What’s more, the army also paid with Confederate currency, which was virtually worthless.

Economic growth halted, education was virtually nonexistent, and development in the Polk County area ground to a halt.

Not until 1865, when the war ended, did Florida’s development continue.

Bartow, already established as the seat of Polk County, began to grow again. In the 1870s, a few cattle ranchers and other families settled to the north of Bartow.

In 1882, a Kentucky man named Abraham Munn purchased 80 acres that he intended to plat as a city, and the city of Lakeland was incorporated on January 1, 1885.

Lakeland’s subsequent history is as colorful as the rough cattlemen who traced over the land for almost 200 years before it was founded. The stories that surround our city include Zora Neale Hurston’s wild tales from the railroad camps in Lakeland, as well as a suspicious fire that destroyed a rival city’s railroad depot just before Lakeland’s citizens built their own station.

The cattle industry played — and still plays — an important role in Lakeland’s culture and economy. Nods to our history are everywhere, from The Texas Cattle Company steak house on Lake Mirror to the annual fundraisers put on by the local Cattlemen’s Association. Through cattle no longer roam unchecked through pastures, scrubland, and strands of oak, they’re still a common sight all over town.

Many of those herds are still tended by men who, though no longer as wild and lawless as the cattlemen who went before, are as resilient and resourceful as the Florida Crackers of the 18th and 19th century. Those cattle herders’ legacies live on, both in Lakeland and throughout the rest of Polk County.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Meet Doris and Glennie, two of Lakeland’s centenarians

written by Sarah Sebastian photography by Tiffani Jones with special thanks to Ashley Metts-Miller at Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (VISTE)

he past quietly observes us from the walls as 101-year-old Doris settles into her faded recliner. As we chat, faces of grandparents and siblings look on, seeming to lean in, hoping to hear their names mentioned during our conversation.

Doris, who’s been blind for 14 years and brusquely reminds me to speak up, has plenty to say. Her slight frame is brimming with a fiery, independent spirit.

She’s seen a lot.

Born in 1914 in Rochester, New York, Doris lived with her parents and two younger siblings.

She says she didn’t have a particularly remarkable childhood; she read a copious amount of books and played on the local girls’ basketball and softball teams. Her parents died in 1938, leaving Doris with the responsibility of ensuring her brother and sister were well-educated, just as she was. After three years of training at St. Joseph’s hospital, she became a registered nurse.

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“[At the Mark One Dinner Theater], they’d serve you a lovely meal while you watched a stage show. The building was awful, though!

If it rained during the show, they had to put pails out to catch the water.”

— Doris

Doris

“I loved helping people,” Doris says when asked what she liked most about her job.

The joy she found in helping others led her to private duty caring for orphans at a center for unwed mothers outside of Buffalo. She continued to focus on excelling in her field, attending conferences and remaining active in the Industrial Nurse’s Association. She was determined to be independent, which she credits to growing up during the Depression. At the time, she said the thought of growing old terrified her.

“I always thought, ‘What’s going to happen? Am I going to have to work forever?’ So I worked hard. I was able to save money, and I’ve never had to borrow a nickel from anyone.”

Doris moved to Lakeland with her husband in 1976. She recalls driving behind citrus trucks, watching fruit cascade out and bounce along the road after a sharp turn. Everyone would jump out of the car and quickly gather as much fallen fruit as they could before rushing to get back in.

When asked how Lakeland has changed, she pauses, seeming unable to pinpoint what she’d like to say.

“I haven’t been out much in the last 14 years, but I know downtown has changed.”

She goes on to tell me about the Mark One Dinner Theater, which closed in 1987.

“You had to go downstairs into the theater; they’d serve you a lovely meal while you watched a stage show. The building was awful, though!

If it rained during the show, they had to put pails out to catch the water.”

The change Doris is most passionate about is not a physical change, however. She says personal relationships have changed dramatically, and for the worse, because of technology.

“I was recently in the hospital, and it was the worst experience of my life. The computers went down and no one knew what was going on.

They couldn’t do anything. They didn’t know who anyone was. It was ridiculous. There’s no more personal contact with people. Believe me, you’ll learn more from giving a patient a bath and having a conversation with him than you will from a file on a computer. Personal contact is more important than machines.”

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Doris feels she’s lived a successful life, and she’s proud of her hard work and self-reliance. Her advice to younger generations is sternly given. “You don’t know how long you’re going to be around, so save your money! But be careful where you put it and whom you trust.”

Living a long life, however, has been hard. Doris’ clouded eyes reflexively glance downward as she says, “When you’re no longer independent, when all of your friends are gone … it’s not funny. It’s depressing.”

The next afternoon, I knock on another stranger’s front door, which opens to reveal a wheeled walker being pushed by a tiny woman wearing a huge smile on her face. This is Glennie, born in 1915 in Indiana, Pennsylvania. She lived in a farmhouse with her parents, the only child of a relationship that ended when she was in first grade.

I ask what she remembers most about her childhood in relation to history and technological advances.

“Airplanes,” she says. “As a kid, whenever one would fly over, everybody would drop what they were doing to rush outside and stare up at the sky.” She also remembers Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic and the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Glennie married for the first time in 1932. Her first husband served in World War II, and while he was away, she worked as a waitress at a local Moose Club. She tells me she was always working. “I did anything I could find that was honest! I waited tables, worked in factories, and cleaned.”

She moved here in 1985 with her second husband and says Lakeland has grown in every way imaginable — the buildings, roads, and especially the traffic. The one thing she misses is the bowling alley that used to be on the corner of Edgewood Drive and Bartow Highway.

Glennie only recently stopped driving, giving up her car at the age of 98. She relies on friends and Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (VISTE) to help her get around. When I ask her what the best and worst parts of getting older are, she doesn’t hesitate.

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Glennie

“Oh, the best part is my family! There are five generations of us. The worst part? I don’t think there is one. I’ve had my troubles, but God always saw me through.”

Glennie’s solid faith is laced throughout our conversation. She frequently finishes a thought by giving God credit for her happiness. She laughingly adds that her life has been successful because she’s never been fired from a job or spent a day in jail. We move on to talk about how the elderly are treated in our society. “People assume that just because I’m old, I don’t know what’s going on and they can do whatever they want with me. Have a little respect — we do know what we want!”

As our conversation comes to an end, she tells me about her daily life. She enjoys visiting with friends, going out to lunch, and playing card games on her computer. She and Doris share an opinion about how technology has contributed to the decline of personal relationships.

“These people that sit around with little square things on their laps! There’s one screen here, one screen there. They’re talking to each other through little squares instead of faceto-face. They’re missing everything. They don’t see the beauty in the world. They don’t see the flowers, the green grass, the sky … everything!”

On my way out the door, I catch myself checking my phone for notifications. I switch it off, drop it into my bag, and vow not to touch it for the rest of the day. I don’t want to miss anything.

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“As a kid, whenever [an airplane] would fly over, everybody would drop what they were doing to rush outside and stare up at the sky.”

— Glennie

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PHILANTHROPY

written by Tara Campbell photography by Jason Stephens

Lakeland’s YMCA builds

community by building an intentional culture

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T

he YMCA’s rich 171-year history and vast cultural reach are a prime example of how positivity and intentionality can change a community.

Today, the Y is a household name that can be placed alongside giants like Apple, Disney, Starbucks, and Google when comparing companies whose intentional focus on culture is of the utmost importance.

Through intentional influence and cultural appropriation, Y programming has become a part of our everyday lives. Summer camp, basketball, volleyball, Campfire Girls (a precursor to the Girl Scouts), and swim lessons all began at a YMCA. In the 1960s, the Peace Corps was modeled after a Y program. In the 1970s, the Y saw a need for quality childcare services and transformed the idea of childcare through their programming. Subsequently, the Y became the largest provider of childcare in the United States. Currently, the Y engages more than 10,000 neighborhoods in the United States and millions of people as our country’s largest nonprofit committed to helping their community learn, grow, and thrive (ymca. net/history).

Lakeland’s local Y association is considered a midsized Y even though there are three branches in Lakeland alone. The Lakeland Family YMCA, Fontaine Gills YMCA, and Par 3 serve nearly 15,000 Lakelanders in more than 50 programs.

This extensive reach is the product of intentional community-based planning and

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programming by the YMCA of West Central Florida throughout the last 50 years.

The Lakeland Y got its start in the late 1950s through the efforts of local volunteers uniting their voices to petition the National Y. However, it wasn’t until 1965 that a small Y opened in a downtown Lakeland storefront on Kentucky Avenue. In this original location, the Y held day camps and exercise classes, and rented local pools in which to hold swim lessons.

Ten years later, a capital campaign led by George Jenkins and Wogie Badcock raised more than $1 million and made it possible to purchase the land on Cleveland Heights where the Lakeland Family Y sits today. Over the next

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40 years, the Lakeland Family Y was slowly built while the Y’s leadership observed this community and the needs within it.

In the 1980s, racquetball courts, the women’s fitness center, and the gymnastics centers were built. As Lakeland grew to see and appreciate how the community benefitted from the local Y, talks of adding a branch in North Lakeland began. By the early 1990s, in a storefront off of Socrum Loop, the North Lakeland Y was opened.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, under the direction of CEO Alice Slack Collins, the YMCA of West Central Florida grew in programming and locations. During this period, the Lakeland Family Y expanded the facilities and got a facelift

“Every year, our Y gives away over $200,000 [in scholarships] to families that need it, making a healthy lifestyle accessible to everyone.”

thanks to a $4-million campaign, most of which was raised by members of Lakeland’s Y and the greater Lakeland community.

The Y’s longevity as an organization is an interesting cultural phenomenon. To many, the Y is “just a gym.” The truth is, however, that the Y is so much more because of its overarching philosophy of health and fitness which include not only the body but also the spirit and mind. For members of all ages, from infants to seniors, the Y is a part of daily life. It provides a home away from home where members see their friends and neighbors while also bettering themselves and others.

While visiting the Lakeland Y, I spoke with Kirk Eich, the newest CEO of the YMCA of West Central Florida, and Brian Hernandez, director of operations for the Lakeland Family Y. Years ago, Hernandez and I worked together as Y camp managers. Since that time, he has dedicated himself to the Y’s culture and mission,

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working in everything from sports to teens. The current sports coordinator, Jake Putnam, is also an employee who, like Hernandez, started as parttime staff. This dedication to the job isn’t rare among Y staff. Many of the employees started as part-timers and dedicated a lifetime of service to the Y. Now running Community Initiatives, Dorothy Cheshire started as a women’s fitness instructor and has worked for the Y for over 30 years. Her daughter, Stacy Walsh, has worked for the Y since she was 14 and currently does marketing for the YMCA of West Central Florida.

Eich has a similar story of starting with the Y in 1984, being drawn to the Y’s culture, and

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committing to it. He moved to the area just a few years ago from Athens, Georgia, where he was also the executive director of a Y. He’s still learning about Lakeland and the surrounding area, but he already has big dreams for where the Y and the Lakeland community can go together.

He explains, “My mom always wanted me to be a pastor. The Y is like a ministry in that we have the opportunity to set the tone, philosophy, and mission of what we do.”

While talking with Hernandez and Eich, it’s easy to get inspired about the mission. “[Modern life is] full of junk; having healthy competition is so great,” Eich says.

“Every year, our Y gives away over $200,000

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[in scholarships] to families that need it, making a healthy lifestyle accessible to everyone. No one knows who these families are. They come in and are just like everyone else, and they have a chance to develop a healthy lifestyle,” Hernandez says.

The Y’s expansive programming reach is impressive. After-school care, Leaders Club, Youth in Government, and Voluntary Pre-K are just a few of the programs the Y offers. The First Tee program has seen more than 1,000 kids already this year. Additionally, 1,600 kids have received free swim lessons with the help of the Lakeland Rotary Club, the school board, and other local partnerships. If there’s a need in the community, the Y is willing to act on it.

“I think what we’re doing now is good, but I think the future for us is very bright,” Eich states in his enthusiastic way that shows that he’s grounded but also thinking intently about the future.

Hernandez nods emphatically in agreement.

They are two members of a much larger team of employees, all on the same page when it comes to thinking of the good of our community.

After meeting with Eich, Hernandez gave me a tour of the Lakeland family Y and showed me the changes that have been made to the facility in the last few years. The weight room was rearranged to be more welcoming and accessible to new members.

Walls were repainted, and inspirational quotes and videos grace the hallways. Spin classrooms were added, and gymnastics rooms have been

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improved. Childcare is no longer a place for kids just to hang out, but intentional programming has been added to make participants’ time engaging and productive. Everything is handled with care, and the result shows in the smiles of the staff and the Y participants.

Eich, Hernandez, and the staff are thankful for the last 50 years and the effect that the Y has had on their lives, as well as the lives in our community that have been changed by the Y’s mission. They eagerly look forward to the next 50 years and are ardently planning how the Y can be sustainable as it reflects the community around it. Innovation and impact are central to the Y’s culture. In 50 years it will more than likely be central to Lakeland’s culture, too, thanks in part to the hard work and dedication of the Y.

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FOREVER FLORIDA Discover a modern bunkhouse nestled among the oak hammocks written by Christian Lee photography by Philip Pietri

T

here are few things in life that bring more joy than the scenic beauty of old Florida. From open pastures dotted with groves of oak trees heavy with the swaying allure of Spanish moss, to bay heads, cabbage palms, pine trees, and wetlands, Florida, and Central Florida in particular, is splendid to the senses. Because of coastal development along the beaches and the more central, commercial regions we all know (and love), these natural areas are becoming harder to come by.

But, just north of here, a Lakeland family manages hundreds of cattle on thousands of acres while at the same time understanding and protecting the organic, natural world around them. They believe that natural is better and steadfastly guard their land and the very foundations of the traditional Florida ranch. They run their operation with care, using sustainable, ecologically sensitive organic-farming practices. And, sheltered among the natural layers of green and the quiet tranquility of oak hammocks, they have built a “bunkhouse� as both a base of ranch operations and a family retreat.

The western ranch design is typically characterized by deep wood and desert tones; rough, rich fabrics; leather; and a generally neutral paint pallet. Accents are often variations of reds and greens. It’s normally recognized by its solid-wood furniture; hand-carved pieces; and large, bold, tooled leather chairs and sofas. It is inspired by and infused with the outdoor world. Think Ralph Lauren meets Roy Rogers and they enter into a secret, interior-design conspiracy.

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A partnership to pursue what matters most Samantha Hopkins CFP速, CRPS速 First Vice PresidentWealth Management

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Historically, a bunkhouse was a large, open, military-like room or barracks, used to house ranch employees. Housing and food were often included as part of wages because towns were too far away for a daily commute. The design aesthetic was normally pretty basic, and the kitchen was either somewhere else or outdoors. As I approached this Lakeland family’s modern bunkhouse, I began to realize that things have changed a bit.

This bunkhouse looks like a barn, but it isn’t a barn. It’s a two-story, graywashed structure with what appears to be double barn doors along one side and accented by a gabled roof line. The entryway is a single door serenely disguised and massaged into the siding in such a way that it’s virtually unnoticed. Out front, there are two hitching posts. Once through the front door, a long hallway, screened at both ends, is flanked by bedrooms on the right and public spaces on the left. I am immediately immersed in an impressive union of the simplicity of the bunkhouses of old and iconic, modern western ranch design.

The kitchen, dining room, and great room consist of one large, fluid open space with an extended wood beam over an enormous island, soaring ceilings, and airy open expanses. The kitchen is a refuge for the gourmet chef, with a 48inch Bertazzoni stainless steel range and oven combination located in the island.

Across from the island are a French-door refrigerator and a set of double ovens.

The kitchen is a space designed to equally suit the preparation of an intimate dinner, lunch for a dozen ranch hands, or a large weekend dinner party for extended family and friends. One full side of the open granite-topped island is lined with bar stools with unique saddle seats for informal meals and casual conversation. The dining area is designed for easy access and circulation; there’s a side bench and substantial chairs with a rich southwest textile pattern at each end of a farm table that can be easily with outfitted with bowls of fresh, organically homegrown fruit and vegetables. A four-seat game table doubles as seating for larger gatherings.

The family has taken a steady, consistent approach to a ranch-style interior aesthetic for the great room. A substantial, intricately interwoven antler chandelier is installed over a large, fringed Oriental rug accentuated with splashes of red and green. Natural, honey-stained, wide-plank wood floors with distressed

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There’s a soulful, irresistible, familial charm attached to this bunkhouse and the land it embraces.

highlights are adapted to the informal atmosphere of the room. The ceilings, made of lightly stained, exposed cypress, are featured throughout the entire length of the room. Earth-toned leather chairs and a large, extra-deep matching sofa provide seating with a nod to durability and comfort. An entertainment center commands and transforms one wall, while cow-horn lamps crowned with cowhide lampshades complement this synthesis of western ranch style.

Three bedrooms rest off of the main gallery. Each room is furnished with wood paneling, ceilings, and floors, substantial beds, chests of drawers, and a cowhide rug immersing each space in the unmistakable burnished charm of the ranching west. The bedrooms are anchored by bathrooms appointed with fixtures suitable for today’s modern family living.

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There’s a soulful, irresistible, familial charm attached to this bunkhouse and the land it embraces. Its appeal lies equally in the transcendence of its location, the focus and importance the family has placed on organic ranch management practices, and its design adherence to traditional ranch style. With a kitchen ready to feed the crew, bedrooms that welcome rest for extended weekends after a long week of working cattle, and a great room large enough for all occasions, this home is the picture-perfect reflection of the good life. The leather furniture is truly timeless, consistently proving itself to be durable and aesthetically agreeable, tough enough for a tired cowboy’s spurs and comfortable enough for a Saturday afternoon cordial with friends in front of the big game.

I hear an echo in the air as I pull away in my car. It’s the echo of a time long ago and a place where families gathered and played together, ate together and worked together in common purpose. It’s the past manifested in the present. It’s Florida ranch culture and, with their modern interpretation, this Lakeland family has gotten it right.

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BURNS Flooring

Kitchen Design

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This is an incredible pool home zoned for the most desirable schools in Lakeland. This 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home features an outdoor living experience like few other properties.

The covered patio expands almost the entire length of the home and includes a covered dining area. The pavered outdoor living space extends to the landscaped pool deck surrounding a large 17’x30’ in ground pool. The kitchen features granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, and a flat top range built into the island. Upstairs, the master suite has views of Scott Lake, dual granite vanities, a walk-in shower and garden tub.

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Over-sized screened pool area looks out on to the Lake -Almost 3,200 Sq. Ft. of Living Area including Office -Golf Cart has it’s own garage door entry -$429,000 JAY REARDON • buyorsellhomeslakeland.com 863.602.4781

3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths, screened pool. New paint, carpet, water heater, kitchen range, air conditioner, roof recently replaced, woodburning fireplace, fenced yard...Move-in ready! Valleyview, Scott Lake Elementary.

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Custom built home in se gated neighborhood of summerland hills. 4 bed/2 bath split plan with warm, inviting wood burning fireplace in the great room. loaded with features Brian Stephens • 863-647-8600 Rhoadsstephens.com

PCBA Parade of Homes model built by Duane McQuillen Construction. Lots of upgrades and features a very flexible living space. Enter into a breathtaking foyer and view the beautiful salt pool with waterfall and firepit.

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STYLE

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into the

FALL STYLE ROOTED IN TRADITION AND INSPIRED BY THE GREAT OUTDOORS

written and styled by Abdiel Gonzalez photography by Tina Sargeant hair by Josh Vasquez of Evolve Hair Studio makeup by Ciara Liebl special thanks to Tenille Southern and Hidden Creek Farms

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While brightly colored shorts, breezy tank tops, and our favorite espadrilles make the summer heat bearable and fashionable, we’re all ready to move on.

As the season transitions, so should our wardrobe, which proves tricky for Floridians since we don’t have Mother Nature’s natural reminder. Instead, our favorite shops taunt us with the latest outerwear trends, including heavy knits and every possible style of the iconic winter leather. Fortunately, dressing for an 80-degree Florida fall can still be on trend and doesn’t require layering of bulky winter fabrications.

This autumn, follow the lead of equestrian- and safari-inspired trends by using rugged leather and coarse utilitarian fabrics to layer over soft and delicate basics. Keep the color story neutral with deep indigo as the pop of color leading into traditional Native American patterns and textiles. Worn-in leather, as an accessory or clothing, is a must-have this season and an easy fashion element to incorporate because of its multiseasonal style and insulating properties.

Take advantage of Florida’s unique autumn weather and fuse light, breathable basics with weathered outdoorsy layers and tell a story of adventure, tradition, and iconic style with your fall wardrobe.

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tank top and poncho Urban Outfitters gold shorts BCBG necklace Kristy Scott for 5th and Hall belt stylist’s own

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ON HIM printed chambray shirt Obey utility vest Ralph Lauren pants Dockers necklaces stylist’s own

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REOPENING

Friday, September 18, 2015 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

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They have 3 beautiful daughters, and the youngest two attend Mckeel Schools. Melissa and her family attend Victory Church. They enjoy spending time with family and friends and also traveling together.

Melissa has been an entrepreneur for 16 years and is excited about being a part of impacting people’s lives from the inside and out.

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FOLLOW THE LEAD OF EQUESTRIANAND SAFARI-INSPIRED TRENDS BY USING RUGGED LEATHER AND COARSE UTILITARIAN FABRICS TO LAYER OVER SOFT AND DELICATE BASICS.

ON HER striped shirt Ralph Lauren cardigan Lucky Brand leather shorts 5th and Hall earrings Anthropologie

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ON HIM sweater and trousers Urban Outfitters leather jacket vintage necklaces Kristy Scott for 5th and Hall

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An entrepreneur at heart, Jordan Arbuckle had already started his own marketing firm as an undergraduate business student at Florida Southern College. He decided to keep the momentum going by continuing in the MBA program. “Getting my MBA at FSC was a great way to keep learning while growing my company.”

Though it was challenging to build a business while earning a degree, Jordan says the program’s personalized approach made the difference. “The MBA at FSC helped launch my career simultaneously because I could customize my experience.”

Now, running his own e-marketing firm and a lifestyle website, Jordan still reaps

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ON HIM blazer and jeans H&M T-shirt Zara boots Urban Outfitters necklace Kristy Scott for 5th and Hall

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ON HER dress Ralph Lauren utility jacket Hollister Co. hat and shoes vintage necklace Kristy Scott for 5th and Hall

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TASTE

RARE, MEDIUM, WELL-DONE Tips for making a perfectly cooked steak

written by Jenn Smurr | photography by Michael Nielsen

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In celebration of The Lakelander’s third anniversary, we have our minds set on a steak dinner: classic, timeless, and on occasion, rare (sorry, had to!). The recipes are based on an indoor skillet method, but these are easily adaptable to the grill. I’m not sure exactly what it is I love about steak night at my house; there’s just something that feels so good about knife-and-fork meals.

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QUICK TIPS FOR COOKING THE PERFECT STEAK AT HOME

Roger’s Quality Meat & Deli 4610 Cleveland Heights Blvd.

Lakeland, FL 33813 Family owned and doing business in Lakeland for the past 29 years.

Roger believes that their service, quality, and variety are what make them so special.

Why we like them: local business, family owned, grass-fed meats

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THE LAKELANDER

Experts agree that a high heat method is best for cooking most steaks.

So, whether you’re grilling or using a skillet, make sure you take time to preheat properly.

Before cooking, be sure the steak has had time to rest at room temperature.

This will help it to cook more evenly.

Minimal flips! To get the exciting jitters out, turn up MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This,” and dance around the skillet. If you’re able, estimate how much cooking time you’ll need for each side of the steak. For example: I personally enjoy my steak medium. If I’m cooking a thin New York strip in a skillet, I preheat the skillet on medium-high to high and cook on each side for 1-1/2 minutes. Yes, that’s it. Same goes for the grill: as much as you can, DON’T MOVE THE STEAK UNTIL IT’S TIME TO FLIP IT. Marinade vs. dry rub vs. quick seasoning: This is personal preference.

There aren’t many things we can control in life, so take advantage of this opportunity. I’ll list a few of my favorites later.

Steaks do not finish cooking on the grill or in a pan. At such high cooking temperatures, the meat continues to cook even after it’s removed from heat. For this reason, take the steak off the heat just before you think it has reached desired doneness. We all need rest — do yourself and the steak a favor, and let it rest 10 minutes before plating.

Okee dokee, Smokey. Happy steak night!

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THE LAKELANDER

RECIPES

PAN-SEARED STEAK WITH WORCESTERSHIRE BUTTER steak (We used a Porterhouse, but you can choose your favorite cut: ribeye, filet, and T-bone are all just as tasty.) kosher salt freshly ground pepper optional: garlic, your favorite herb, crushed red pepper Whether using an indoor method or the grill, allow your cooking surface to heat up sufficiently. The thickness of your steak is also important, so take note and adjust cooking times if necessary.

Bring the steak to room temperature and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if cooking a thin steak, less than an inch thick, skip this step). Heat a skillet or ovenproof fry pan on high for 4-5 minutes. Add a little oil to the pan, which should be hot enough that the oil is almost smoking; then add the steak. Cook the steak for about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.

Now, adjust oven cook time to preferred doneness. Medium-rare 2 minutes, medium 4 minutes, medium-well 5 minutes, well 6-1/2 to 7 minutes. Remove steak from the pan and cover loosely with foil for a few minutes before plating.

Top with a pad of Worcestershire butter and enjoy!

WORCESTERSHIRE BUTTER 1/4 cup (equals 4 Tbsp) butter, room temp Worcestershire sauce freshly ground pepper Mix ingredients together with wire whisk and place in a small dish or shape it in between wax paper. Let it cool in the fridge until you’re ready to use. Done.

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quality Only the finest meats, cheeses and vegetables are used to make our delicious classic italian dishes.

Come enjoy.

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THE LAKELANDER

CRISPY, OVEN-BAKED POTATO WEDGES

WHITE CHEDDAR HORSERADISH DIP

4 russet potatoes 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp sea salt or kosher salt 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp black pepper 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp flour 2 cups milk 8 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded 2 Tbsp prepared horseradish salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Wash potatoes. Cut them into wedges by slicing lengthwise in half; then slice each half into three slices.

Place potatoes in a bowl of water with about two cups of ice cubes. Let them stand for 30 min, then pat dry with paper towels.

Place 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp paprika, and 1/4 tsp black pepper into a large Ziplock bag. Add potatoes, and shake everything together.

Add 1/8 cup of olive oil to the bag and toss until potatoes are coated.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place potatoes on the lined sheet and bake at 450 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through, browned, and crispy.

While potatoes are baking, chop 2 Tbsp fresh parsley and grate 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Place both into a large mixing bowl.

Toss potato wedges in the mixing bowl with parsley and cheese. Serve with warm White Cheddar Horseradish dip.

While the potatoes are roasting, place butter in a medium-size pot over medium heat. When the butter has melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk for about a minute. Pour in the milk and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the cheese and horseradish until the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

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THE LAKELANDER

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TOMATO JAM 3-1/2 pounds of tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 cup brown sugar 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp coriandar 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 cup cider vinegar juice of 1 lemon Place all of the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until thickened, about 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Cool; then transfer to sterilized glass jars. Store in refrigerator for up to two weeks, or use a hot-water canning bath for 15 minutes for long-term storage. Spread it on your favorite bread, and buy local when possible (wink wink).

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DESSERTS

NANA’S POUND CAKE 1-1/2 cups butter 3 cups sugar 3 cups flour 6 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 8 oz. sour cream 1/4 tsp baking soda Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Gradually add flour. Stir the baking soda into the sour cream and then add to mixture. Add vanilla. Butter or spray a bundt pan with cooking spray, then pour batter into the pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

BRULEED BANANAS ripe bananas sugar Thinly slice the bananas and sprinkle with a light, even layer of sugar. Using a *kitchen torch, evenly brown the top of the bananas. Let them cool for a few minutes so the sugar cools and gets crisp. These are also a tasty addition to breakfast oatmeal! *If you do not have a kitchen torch, move a rack to the top of the oven and broil the bananas for 5-10 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn.

VANILLA-BEAN WHIPPED CREAM 1 pint heavy cream 1 vanilla bean 1/3 cup powdered sugar Place a bowl and a whisk in the freezer for 30 minutes before mixing.

Remove from freezer and place all of the ingredients in the bowl. If using a mixer, mix on low speed for about a minute and then finish on high or until you see stiff peaks. If mixing by hand, follow above steps and take deep breaths — you’re in for a bit of a workout!

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THE LAKELANDER

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THE One of our city’s oldest businesses cares for the soles of Lakeland

written by Adam Spafford

photography by Jordan Weiland

You might not guess from the unassuming storefront in South Lakeland that the history and craftsmanship of McFarland’s Shoe Repair stretch around the world.

Here, The Lakelander visits with Jim McFarland to learn about this generationsold family business that has footprints across the globe.

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THE LAKELANDER

PEOPLE

The Lakelander: In just a few short years, McFarland’s Shoe Repair will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Not many businesses can boast longevity like that. What’s the history behind McFarland’s?

Jim McFarland: The business has actually been in the family for several hundred years — it just skipped a couple generations when the family came to this country in the early 1700s. My grandfather started back into it in 1918. My father grew up in the business, and in 1963 Publix actually brought my family to Lakeland from St. Petersburg so they could open a shoe-repair store in the brand-new Searstown Shopping Center. My mom, father, and brother ran that store for 20 years. I grew up in that center watching and learning until we opened our location in the Lakeland South Center in 1981. Around 1986 my father grew ill, and he passed away in 1987. I took it over in 1986, and we’ve been in that location for 34 years now. My family is originally from Scotland where our clan house was turned into a bed and breakfast and is now called the Cobbler House with a cobbler on the front sign. So it’s definitely a very old family business. Unfortunately, I heard somebody just purchased [the house], but I do have pictures that my sister took when she went, and they’re really nice to look at.

TL: Some might be surprised that shoe repair can remain viable when we’re used to disposable things. What do you say?

JM: During the 1920s there were over 120,000 shoe-repair shops in this country. Today there remains about 6,000. Over 95 percent of the shoes in this country are imported now, and less than two percent are made in this country. People still buy high-quality shoes, and there are many more people in this country than 80 years ago, so there’s still plenty of work to do, that’s for sure.

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THE LAKELANDER 101

In 2002, McFarland’s Shoe Repair won the Shoe Service Institute of America’s World Cup in rebuilding shoes.

102 THE LAKELANDER

TL: Tell us about some of the awards McFarland’s has received.

JM: In 2002 we won the Shoe Service Institute of America’s World Cup in rebuilding shoes. The competition was first held in 1938, and there are currently fewer than 12 repairers alive in the united States that have it. I’m now a judge for this competition. Repairer contestants craft two pairs of shoes back to a brand-new, out-of-the-box look. It’s then judged with score sheets. People enter from all over the world. It used to be called the Grand Silver Cup, but the Shoe Service Institute of America created a new category this year to attract even more attention.

We have also won medals in Germany and the Netherlands, which have some of the best competition in the world of shoe repair. We were the first Americans on record to achieve this recognition; we are proud of that accomplishment! There has been one other since then. Altogether we have won over 20 awards, but those three are our most treasured.

TL: You’ve also worked with movies.

JM: We helped in the production of the latest movie with Dustin Hoffman and Adam Sandler called The Cobbler. We spent 18 months on the project. It’s not a typical Adam Sandler movie and is actually a nice, family movie. We had many family portraits placed in different areas on the set. This so far has been the highlight of the shop’s history.

We also have an original stitcher on display from the movie along with the pictures.

THE LAKELANDER 103

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TL: What does it mean to McFarland’s to be part of the Lakeland community?

JM: Lakeland is very special. Publix wanted us to come to Lakeland in 1967. My dad had just finished with cancer surgery and was not in the best of health. Publix’s own Joe Blanton and George Jenkins paid for the move as they knew my family could not do it at the time because of medical bills. They gave him a special base rent of $135 a month as long as one of them was alive. Publix honored that until my dad passed in 1987. To this day, all Publix employees get a discount as long as they have ID, or until we know them, because otherwise we would not be in Lakeland. Thanks to Publix, I also work with several clinics on treating certain foot conditions. Lakeland has been very good to us, and we value our customers. We have many customers who have been with us over 40 years.

TL: Do you have a 100th anniversary celebration planned?

JM: Yes, we do. This will be a very special celebration, and we plan to do something for the whole year. Even though we won’t roll all of our prices back 100 years, we will offer something special.

TL: Tell us how to contact McFarland’s and where you are located.

JM: We are located [at 5355 South Florida Avenue] in the same shopping center as the Outback Steakhouse and also at mcfarlandsshoerepair.com. Our phone number is 863.644.6395. You can also find us on Facebook.

TL: Any final thoughts you like to share?

JM: We have many wonderful customers. We will always let you know up front if the repair will be a value. Buying cheap shoes is not the way to go. If you buy a good pair of shoes, they last you many years and are much healthier for your feet.

THE LAKELANDER 105

106 THE LAKELANDER

written by Kristin Crosby photography by Tina Sargeant

THE LAKELANDER 107

D

an Boondock smacks away with a large hammer, seaming a piece of leather against the cutting board atop the work table.

Stacy, his wife, lets out a sigh and says, “This used to be our dining-room table.”

The large black table, located in the center of what is both the Boondocks’ family living room and current work station, is coated with specks of colorful paints and dyes, and overflowing with leather pieces in the midst of production, currently being seamed, trimmed, and sewn into leather goods of all kinds.

Stacy smiles. “It was a nice table.”

Dan and Stacy, founders and owners of Boondock Studios, along with their equally creative kids, Kier and Molly, have been in business as “makers of practical art” for the past four years selling genuine leather goods such as bracelets, handbags, messenger bags, leather-bound journals, and whatever else they may dream up in the process.

108 THE LAKELANDER

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Before one can understand how this hobby evolved to a business and retirement plan (sans the retirement), one must understand how this love for leather began.

Dan grew up around leather production for most of his childhood, though it wasn’t until later in life that the love of producing leather goods himself evolved. “My dad taught me this as a kid,” Dan says. “But you know how kids are. I wanted to go outside and play with my friends. There were bikes to ride. So for being stupid — well, let’s say for being a kid — I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have. But I did learn some things. And he taught me all this stuff I know now.”

At this point, Dan lifts a dark, intricately ornate leather holster that could have come straight out of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. “[My dad] made this in 1969. And he made this by hand, all the carving. So he taught us to do stuff like that. And a lot of these tools here are his tools.” Dan points to the dozens of unique metal devices on the table. “I got them after he died. You could say we’re traditionalists.”

But it wasn’t until the Boondocks found themselves in Lakeland that this love of leather production became a real part of daily life.

110 THE LAKELANDER

While Dan and Stacy are craftspeople by night, Dan is a stereo compiler (creator of maps) by day, and Stacy works in tech support for a hosting company. It was Dan’s unique job that brought the couple to Lakeland in the first place, where he hand draws three-dimensional maps to a 10th of a foot.

Stacy (originally from Huntsville, Alabama) and Dan (born in California but “raised everywhere else”) both agree that when they found Lakeland, they found where they belonged.

“When we came down here,” Stacy says, “we went outside and immediately stayed outside for a decade, tromping around, exploring Florida and taking pictures of all of it, and really had developed a skill and love for wildlife photography. And then Dan’s health became an issue; he began to deal with spine issues and had to go in for surgery.”

Dan had served in the Navy onboard the aircraft carrier USS John F Kennedy for three years, first during Desert Storm and then for another four years at Intel HQ for the Atlantic Fleet. He had gone to Tampa General Hospital for surgery on a disc that had fused in his neck, so that he could begin to use his left hand again which had become severely weak.

“Even after the surgery, my hands and arms were weak,”

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“Innovation is fine and great, and it’s what makes the world go round, but you have to have the root, the base, or else it doesn’t mean anything.”

112 THE LAKELANDER

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Dan says. “They were just atrophying.” Through the time off for the surgery adjusting to the chronic pain, Dan had to rest for three months. No work, and no using his hands for three months. “It was a frustrating time. A terrifying time,” he says.

A year later, when the pain still would not subside, Dan continued to receive physical therapy at Tampa General, where creative projects were provided from the national charity Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) to distract patients from their chronic pain, help rehabilitate the use of their arms and hands, and instill a sense of accomplishment. Veterans are taught how to live with the pain, how to exercise, and “basically how to manage it so it doesn’t make them crazy,” Stacy says. “While Dan was an in-patient at the VA, he was instructed, ‘One of the things you’ve got to do is move. It doesn’t matter how much it hurts, you have to use everything. You have to move.’”

Dan adds, “They told me, ‘If you don’t start using your hands, you’re not going to have hands to use.’”

Ironically, crafts were the activity the program emphasized. And one of

them was leather projects. Stacy says, “Help Hospitalize Veterans would send us leather crafts and wood crafts. To this day they still mail them to us. Every month he gets a new little project in the mail.

“So he got out of the hospital, came home, got hold of his dad’s tools, and went out to the garage. He would read on the internet, watch videos, and then go work in the garage. He’d be hammering and making all kinds of noise. He would come back in with a little hybridized monstrosity. And it would be so cute! It was just out of scrap leather that we picked up from Hobby Lobby.

And then he started getting good. Things started piling up around the house, and we said, ‘We’ve got to go to the [Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market].’ So we started going to the market, and this September will be our fourth season there. And it’s been wonderful.”

Though they may be traditionalists and have much of what you would hope to find at a leather studio, the Boondocks don’t hold back from creating “practical art” that is entirely unique. “We’ve stuck with our philosophy,” Stacy says. “We’re going to build one-of-a-kinds. We’re going to build what the

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material is in front of us. And obviously we do custom work — that’s our favorite thing in the world!”

Now with a direct source for bison leather, Boondock Studios can invest in genuine materials only to spur on more ideas for unique designs. Explaining their design philosophy, Stacy says, “We use it and match the material to the designs that would fit it best. And with some of it, we may think we’re working on one piece, and the material says, ‘No I don’t want to do this. I want to do that.’

“We have our great book of sketches,” she continues, pulling out a notebook nearly full cover-to-cover of penciled sketches of pieces they’ve dreamed up with potential dimensions and details. “While Dan was teaching himself leather work, I was teaching myself to knit, crochet, and eventually weave.” On her left forearm, Stacy has a tattoo of a ruler, disguised as nouveau art, for the purpose of measuring her thread and yarn — quite possibly the most practical tattoo to date.

“So we do all of it,” she says. “But right now we’re in pure leather production mode, with the Downtown Farmers Market resuming at the start of September.” It could be said the couple is in full creative-production mode as well, as Stacy is even set to be the featured artist at Mitchell’s Coffee House this November.

But the market isn’t the only place where you can find their leather products. The business provides goods such as leatherbound journals and classic leather bracelets at A Kind Place, The Black Swan, Simple Vintage and Scout & Tag, as well as

a boutique in Australia, Vic and Bert. “I’m also making leather stockings with ornate jingle bells this Christmas for Simple Vintage and Scout & Tag,” Stacy says with a smile full of anticipation.

A studio downtown in the years to come would be a dream come true for the Boondocks. It would be an open studio serving as both store and a place of creative collaboration, a place to offer classes on making leather-bound books and bracelets, and offering progressive classes honing in on all the appropriate skills to eventually make a leather bag.

While the couple seems to thrive through the entire production process at the dining-room table, Dan says, “The sewing process is not my favorite part.”

Stacy says, “You’re hands just become raw.”

“We joke that after we poke or bleed in the production process: ‘The person is going to love this!’” Dan says.

Stacy concludes with a laugh, “It’s the blood sacrifice.”

“Bottom line, we are at heart traditionalists,” Dan says.

“And we’ve brought our kids up to be traditionalists, so they see everything in the same light we do. Innovation is fine and great, and it’s what makes the world go round, but you have to have the root, the base, or else it doesn’t mean anything.”

So while many families join around the table for their evening meal, the Boondocks gather ’round to create and construct together at their well-worn family dining table. No doubt, with all its nix and stains, this “production” table won’t be going anywhere soon.

Special thanks to Curio Design and Consulting THE LAKELANDER 117

WRITTEN BY ALICE V. KOEHLER Three years ago, the premiere issue of The Lakelander appeared in businesses and on doorsteps throughout our city.

In that issue, The Lakelander’s original editor, Jackie Houghton, wrote, “You may be wondering who we are exactly and why we took on this particular task. [This team] of writers, artists, foodies, design enthusiasts, collectors, voracious readers, admirers of strange objects, wanderers, thrill seekers, and above all, lovers of this town … saw an opportunity to reveal and unearth the most interesting facets of living here, bringing to light the most intriguing stories, the hidden but nonetheless rich resources we all have at our fingertips.”

At The Lakelander, with every story we tell in every issue we produce, we set out to inspire our readers to fall in love with their city over and over again.

Here, we remember the past and look forward to the future. Here’s to many more years of loving this city and telling its stories.

COVER IMAGES

September/October 2012 - September/October 2015

THE BEEKEEPER

September/October 2012

“It’s hard to believe that three years have come and gone since The Lakelander’s debut issue. In 2012, Sarah Nederveld sat down and typed the very first Taste section for this lovely magazine. It was a beautiful piece on Kelley’s Apiary, my personal local favorite. The photos were wonderfully shot, the craft was honored, and the recipes made you hungry just reading them. She set the bar high, and since then there has been crazy pressure to make each issue as good as the last. In a way, that’s what anniversary celebrations are all about. Reminding us of how good we had it, so we can continue to do what it takes to keep having it that way.”

— Jenn Smurr, Taste Editor for The Lakelander

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PASTOR DOUGLAS WILSON

BEN MERKLE, JOE CARTER, AND STEVEN WEDGEWORTH

* early bird pricing ends 9/1/15 *early registration prices, subject to change

CREATING COMMUNITY As The Lakelander continues to emulate the beautiful and intricate parts of our unique city, it seems only fitting that the magazine would find more ways for all of us to experience this rich community together. Through exciting events like The Secret Supper Club (as featured in the Jan/Feb and May/June issues), and more recently our Issue Release Parties that are now open to the public, we’re encouraged to discover even more reasons to relish this city. Stay tuned — there’ll be additional occasions to celebrate with The Lakelander just around the corner!

— Kristin Crosby, Guest Editor for The Lakelander

BOO! BASH

Pre-school costume party with pumpkins, parade and carnival games perfectly sized for little hands and feet.

OCTOBER 30 • 10am - 1pm

Downtown Lakeland • 863.687.3869 •

ExplorationsV

THE ALICE O’REILLY STORY July/August 2014

VITAL, VIBRANT, AND VALUABLE January/February 2015

SHADOWS OF THEIR FATHERS

INKING A SABERTOOTH SWORDSMAN

NOW IS BLISS

LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG HEARTS

May/June 2013

January/February 2013

March/April 2014

The Kids Issue, June 2015

GOW FIELDS INTERVIEW September/October 2012

TO OUR HEALTH

January/February 2013

RED DOOR

January/February 2014

You’ll notice the

difference right away Cosmetic & Reconstructive Dentistry

by John H Paul DMD PA

863.665.6201 johnpauldental.com LklndrSeason8x4.75.pdf 1 7/30/2015 9:21:48 AM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Boxing // Barre Shape // TRX // Prana Les Mills Body Pump // Pilates Reformer

CALL NOW OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR CLASS DETAILS! 3625 S. Florida Avenue // Lakeland, FL 33803 863.646.3036 // goldsgym.com/lakelandfl LakelandHealthClub.com

*Certain Restrictions Apply. Exp. 4.30.15

HAUGER-BUNCH, INC. COMMERCIAL REALTORS ~ Committed To It’s Communty ~ Hauger-Bunch believes that businesses should earn the privilege of doing business in the community by giving back to that community.

Hauger-Bunch Commercial Realtors, attempts to earn that privilege every day.

While assisting nearly 1000 commercial, industrial, governmental, non-profit, educational and medical facilities with their real estate requirements, Hauger-Bunch’s principals and associates also support non-profit community programs and facilities ...

Always Have - Always Will.

Hauger-Bunch appreciates your support of local businesses and community non-profit assets.

hauger bunch REALTOR ®

David F. Bunch, SIOR David@Hauger-Bunch.com

Lisa Parks Abberger, SIOR, AICP

415 S. Kentucky Ave., Lakeland, FL 33801

www.hauger-bunch.com

Lisa@Hauger-Bunch.com

863-682-6147

Our 56th Year • Market Knowledge • Creativity • Integrity • Strong Representation

You choose your doctor.

You choose your hospital.

Now choose VITAS as your hospice specialist.

You and your family have made so many tough decisions. When it comes to hospice care in Lakeland, the choice is easy—VITAS. Serving Polk, Highlands and Hardee Counties.

Proud Sponsor of:

SINCE 1980

For more information, please call 800.723.3233 or visit VITAS.com

SINCE 1956 Drea m it. We’ll Build It. new home and commercial construction specialize in kitchen and bath remodeling repair and maintenance work flood and fire restoration FREE ESTIMATES

Your source for fine jewelry & gifts this holiday season and year round.

CUSTOM JEWELRY | BRIDAL REGISTRY | JEWELRY REPAIR

Mark Brown Construction 863.646.0511 • markbrownconstruction.com

Marshall Jewelers 2535 S. Florida Ave. | Southgate Shopping Center 863.682.4725 | marshalljewelerslakeland.com

OPENINGS NEW TACO BUS

Location: 126 South Kentucky Avenue Date: Open Famed for the tasty tacos it has been serving up in Tampa for years, Taco Bus comes to Lakeland! Starting in Tampa with what was once a school bus transformed into an authentic and fresh taco stop, the Taco Bus is known to satisfy the pickiest taste buds with the “real Mexican food experience.”

Since its success, the bus has been replicated into several stores throughout the Tampa Bay area to serve more hungry mouths, though the original bus still serves as the kitchen in their flagship restaurant in Tampa’s historic Seminole Heights neighborhood.

PALADAR BORICUA & BBQ Location: 635 Robin Road Date: Open

This new spot for Latin fare is full of traditional and flavorful Puerto Rican cuisine, such as Alcapurria, Churrasco Carbonara o Queso and Arroz con Dulce. But for those who don’t want to venture outside their comfort zone, there’s always the dependable roasted chicken with beans and rice.

CHILD - O - MINE

Location: 3143 South Florida Avenue Date: Open Previously known as Baby Avenue, this clothing store for your little ones has had a recent makeover. With its new owner, the store will continue to specialize in children’s clothing, featuring local vendors, handmade items, and personalized monogramming.

UNCLE NICK’S BAGELS N SUBS

Location: 6955 Old Highway 37 Date: Open A family-owned, New York-style bagel and sub shop

THE JUICE BOX

Location: 4295 South Florida Avenue Date: Opens September 12 This fresh and healthy fast-food spot has been cleansing and energizing us in recent months with its green juices and kale smoothies. The Juice Box will celebrate its grand opening this month with an art show, live music, local vendors, and even your local favorite craft ice cream makers, A Cow Named Moo, featuring a special vegan ice cream for the occasion.

134 THE LAKELANDER

THE BALANCE CULTURE

Location: 1035 South Florida Avenue, #200 Date: Opens September 25 This new fitness studio has been bustling all summer with PopUp Fitness classes of every kind. But come Friday, September 25, at 6 p.m., the studio’s doors will be wide open to celebrate its grand opening. The following Monday, September 28, The Balance Culture will offer visitors to try any classes for free, including barre, boot camps, cardio, kick-boxing, Pilates, yoga, and much more.

CRUMB & GET IT COOKIE COMPANY Location: 2510 South Florida Avenue Date: Opens Mid-October

This franchise cookie shop is all about “fresh cookies, your way.”

It specializes in cookies made to your liking, with deliveries to your doorstep if you so desire! Simply pick out your dough, your mix-ins (which range from peanut butter chips to Snickers bars), and in about 10 minutes be ready to take home a freshly baked batch of cookies.

MELLOW MUSHROOM

Location: 3555 Lakeland Highlands Road Date: Opens Early 2016 “Mellow is a state of mind, a culture, a way of being.” At least, that’s the motto of the good people at Mellow Mushroom. Originators of the “classic Southern pizza” and memorable crust, this pizza chain is in the works to open soon in Lakeland. Construction is set to begin at the end of the summer in front of Lowe’s. Mellow Mushroom is well known for its vegan options and gluten-free crust.

MOVED DEAN BURNETTI LAW

Location: 1937 East Edgewood Drive, Suite 102 With a practice in law for over 28 years, Dean Burnetti has dedicated the span of his career to representing people who are injured or suffer from disabilities. Double board certified by The Florida Bar in civil trial as well as workers’ compensation law, Burnetti concentrates on areas of auto accidents, personal injury, premises liability, nursinghome negligence, medical malpractice, sexual battery, and workers’ compensation.

COMPLETE COMMERCIAL ROOFING SOLUTIONS

We work with commercial roofing clients, including new construction, new commercial roofing projects and all phases of re-roofing and repairs. Our goal is to meet and exceed expectations. Let us help you get your project completed on time and on budget.

Andrew Katrow

Owner, Central Florida Roofing

Photograph showing the solar array on top of CPS Building downtown Lakeland. Central Florida Roofing also builds solar photovoltaic systems.

4600 Old Lucerne Park Rd. Unit #2 Winter Haven, FL 33881 (863) 559-4582 centralfloridaroofingllc.com

EVENTS CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER ALL YEAR FREE ADMISSION AT POLK MUSEUM OF ART polkmuseumofart.org EVERY TUESDAY IN SEPTEMBER PUB RUN @ RED DOOR WINE MARKET 6:15 p.m. fitniche.com EVERY THURSDAY IN SEPTEMBER PUB RUN @ THE CHOP SHOP 6:30 p.m. fitniche.com

Downtown Farmers Curb Market

EVERY SATURDAY IN SEPTEMBER PUB RUN @ MITCHELL’S COFFEE HOUSE 6 a.m. fitnitche.com EVERY SATURDAY IN SEPTEMBER BLACK & BREW FUN RUN 7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. blackandbrew.com EVERY SATURDAY IN SEPTEMBER DOWNTOWN FARMERS CURB MARKET 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. downtownlakelandfl.com

Black & Brew Fun Run

SEPTEMBER 10 THURSDAY SQUARED FOOD TRUCK RALLY 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. downtownlakelandfl.com SEPTEMBER 11 CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE – EAGLES thelakelandcenter.com SEPTEMBER 19 PMOA WORKSHOP – SWEETNESS & LIGHT: OIL & ALKYDS polkmuseumofart.org SEPTEMBER 19 RODNEY CARRINGTON – HERE COMES THE TRUTH thelakelandcenter.com

136 THE LAKELANDER

PMOA Workshop

Join the Imperial Symphony for a season of celebration as we mark 50 seasons of

educating, entertaining & inspiring

audiences. Whether you prefer the Masterworks, pops or classics for kids, the best way to enjoy music is to hear it live.

We’ll see you soon,

Maestro Mark Thielen Music Director & Conductor

MASTERWORKS SERIES Youkey Theatre, Lakeland October 20 ~ 7:30 p.m.

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 December 8 ~ 7:30 p.m.

A Canadian Brass Holiday March 15 ~ 7:30 p.m.

Music of the Stars April 19 ~ 7:30 p.m.

Ode to Joy

www.imperialsymphony.org

THE LAKELANDER 137

EVENTS CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 22 SEU DOCUMENTARY SCREENING polktheatre.org SEPTEMBER 28 FREE CLASSES – GRAND OPENING The Balance Culture thebalanceculture.com SEPTEMBER 25 EXHIBITION RECEPTION FOR DESTINATIONS IN PAINTING: THE KASTEN COLLECTION AND MOON MUSEUM polkmuseumofart.org OCTOBER EVERY TUESDAY IN OCTOBER PUB RUN @ RED DOOR WINE MARKET 6:15 p.m. fitniche.com

138 THE LAKELANDER

SEU Documentary Screening

The Balance Culture Grand Opening

Where Cleaning Meets Quality!

• Facility Cleaning • Complete Floor Maintenance • Post Construction Cleanup • Pressure Washing/Windows

863.510.6957 • vaughnscleaningservices.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015 LAKE MIRROR @ DUSK THIS FREE EVENT MADE POSSIBLE BY:

FOOD DRIVE FOR LOC AL CHILDREN E VENT BENEFITS ORPHAN’S HEAR T

THE LAKELANDER 139

EVENTS CALENDAR EVERY THURSDAY IN OCTOBER PUB RUN @ THE CHOP SHOP 6:30 p.m. fitniche.com

OCTOBER 8 THURSDAY SQUARED FOOD TRUCK RALLY 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. downtownlakelandfl.com

EVERY SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PUB RUN @ MITCHELL’S COFFEE HOUSE 6 a.m. fitnitche.com

OCTOBER 9 CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE – JANIS JOPLIN & JIMI HENDRIX LIVE thelakelandcenter.com

EVERY SATURDAY IN OCTOBER BLACK & BREW FUN RUN 7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. blackandbrew.com OCTOBER 1-4 ALMOST, MAINE www.flsouthern.edu OCTOBER 2 FIRST FRIDAY “FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE” downtownlakelandfl.com

OCTOBER 10 TRIBAL EXTREME MUD RUN tribalextreme.com OCTOBER 10 – DECEMBER 6 NEW EXHIBITION, AN AMERIAN IN VENICE: JAMES MCNEILL WHISTLER AND HIS LEGACY polkmuseumofart.org OCTOBER 13 ABOUT TIME flsouthern.edu

Friday, November 6 • 8:00 AM • Florida Southern College www.flsouthern.edu/pulse

863.680.4280

TM/© Sesa ame Workshop. All Rights Rig s Reserved.

R

become a favorite friend at sesamestreetlive.com

October 24 PLAYING Y AT

10:30 AM, 2:00 PM, 5:30 5 PM TM/©2015 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. 69798 8 8/15

EVENTS CALENDAR

OCTOBER 13 TEA & SYMPHONY PRE-CONCERT LECTURE SERIES thelakelandcenter.com

Tea & Symphony

OCTOBER 15 MUSIC UNDER THE STARS flsouthern.edu OCTOBER 16 FESTIVAL OF PRAISE TOUR thelakelandcenter.com

Lakeland Beer Fest

OCTOBER 24 SESAME STREET LIVE thelakelandcenter.com OCTOBER 24 PINTS FOR PAWS LAKELAND BEER FEST thelakelandcenter.com

Everything You Expect From Your auto dealership For almost Half the Cost.

Professional Home Inspection for Buyers & Sellers BUYERS

We Service All Vehicles! American & Imports Brakes • Tune-Ups • Power Windows Computer Diagnostics • Full Transmission Services

CarTech 863.687.7335

218 East MEMorial Blvd. | lakEland, Fl

142 THE LAKELANDER

A complete home inspection is essential in knowing what you are buying

• Full Home Inspections • “4-Point” • Wind Mitigation

SELLERS

Learn and address what a potential buyer’s inspector will find in your home BEFORE you list

• Detached Structures • Pool/Spa

Valenti Consulting Now accepting all major credit cards

www.valenticonsultingllc.com • 863-370-1099 State of Florida Certification #HI8614

LAKE MIRROR CAR SHOW October 16 - 17, 2015 1939 Mercedes Benz 540K

Classic Cars | Live Music | Food & Souvenirs

A Free Community Event Benefiting The Friends of Lake Mirror Fund • Downtown Lakeland, Florida

hauger bunch

Peter J. Munson Attorney

REALTOR ®

l a k e m i r r o r c l a s s i c. c o m

Polk Theatre

Where Historic Meets Cutting Edge!

!

!2015-16 Season Line-up

To Be Announced Soon! www.polkTheatre.org 863.682.7553

I SAVE YOU THOUSANDS IN COMMISSIONS! Sellers: As low as a 1% COMMISSION + No Junk Fees = BIG Savings!

Buyers: FREE APPRAISAL + No Junk Fees = BIG Savings!

Carolyn Christian, REALTOR®

Cell: 863.514.6378 carolyn@carolynchristian.com FREE MLS SEARCH: carolynchristian.com 144 THE LAKELANDER

Plant City, fl madison, fL FRI.-SAT.~NOVEMBER 6-7 SAT.~NOVEMBER 14 9am - 4pm

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL FAIRGROUNDS 289 Ritter Street, Plant City

$5 admission / free parking

✓shabby chic ✓farmhouse finds ✓hand-made jewelry ✓repurposed décor

9am - 4pm

DOWNTOWN MADISON

197Southwest Range Ave., Madison

free admission / free parking

featuring ✓fabulous furniture ✓vintage fashions ✓primitives ✓mid-century

✓cottage glam ✓salvage ✓antiques ✓garden décor

FOR MORE INFO

Photos courtesy of

Since 1972 We’ve treated them like family.

• Comprehensive Medical Services • Professionsal Grooming & Stying • Comfortable & Spacious Lodging • AAHA Accredited 3710 Cleveland Heights Boulevard 863.646.2995 pethospital.com

John Hugh Shannon Business and Commercial Litigation

“when all else fails” Choose a New Beginning For students, ages 16-22, New Beginnings High School is an alternative for Polk County students who may be struggling in a traditional high school environment.

FREE Tuition FREE Transportation FREE Childcare

5115 South Lakeland Drive, Suite 1 Lakeland, FL 33813 863‐619‐7464 jhspa@johnhughshannon.com

NEWBHS.NET • 863.298.5666 THE LAKELANDER 145

HISTORY

Date: 1938 Young cattle breeders round up their herd for an auction.

Photo courtesy of Special Collections, Lakeland Public Library

146 THE LAKELANDER

THE

ARTY REPORT leading lakeland in real estate

The state of the real estate market is always a hot topic of discussion. Like the stock market, everyone has an opinion about the direction and current health and stability of the real estate marketplace. If there’s one thing about the real estate industry that nobody can dispute, however, it’s the amazing numbers that are being generated right now. To put into proper context what is happening, let’s take a moment to get some historical perspective. About a decade ago, we were at the apex of the real estate “BOOM.” Homes were selling at substantial premiums before we could even put the For Sale signs in the yard. The real estate industry as a whole was flying high. As we all know now, the collapse of the market soon followed and we were left to pick up all the pieces for the better part of the past decade.

Much has changed, and with wide-sweeping federal regulations, tax incentives, and historicaly low interest rates, the real estate market is once again on top!

Let’s compare the market of today vs the “BOOM Market” of a decade ago. In Lakeland, for the month of June 2005, there were 341 residential re-sales. In July of 2005, there were 327. These were very impressive numbers, and for that point in time, these were sales figures never before seen in our area. Now let’s fast forward to more recent activity.

In June & July of 2014 we had 257 & 263 homes sold respectively. This was considered a good indication that a real estate renaissance was occurring. More than a few people took notice and many people jumped off the fence and began their home searches again. The 2014 market was also stimulated by a lot of real estate investors recognizing the great value in the marketplace. But that’s a discussion for another day.

The more impressive data shows that today’s market has yet again reached historical levels. In June of 2015, there were 343 residential resales! Showing amazing consistency, the month of July 2015 also offered up 343 additional residential re-sales. Again, that’s more than 2005! So if you’ve been thinking about your real estate options, your timing couldn’t be any better. Growth in Lakeland has been noticeable in both the residential and commercial sector. And with the economy performing so well, most economists and industry experts agree that the market should continue to experience both stability and probable growth. Stay tuned!

Summer Residential Resales 2014

2005

2015

350

233

117

0

June

July

GateArty.com • 863-680-9988

500 LAKE JULIANA DR. • CALL FOR DETAILS

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the doctors you know. the care you trust.

Watson Clinic Highlands will change the landscape of healthcare for residents of Bartow, south Lakeland and surrounding communities. This exciting new location will feature a team of the area’s finest specialists and a host of services tailored for each generation of your family.

• OB-GYN

• On-site Laboratory

• 3-D Mammography, CT,

• Dermatology

• ENT / Otolaryngology

X-ray & Ultrasound • Expanded walk-in care

• Primary Care

Watson Clinic Highlands Opening in Late September 2015

2300 E. County Road 540A • Lakeland • www.WatsonClinic.com 148 THE LAKELANDER