Food Truck Park Readies for a May 9 Groundbreaking
The Yard on Mass food-truck park and beer hall easily jumped a hurdle this morning on its way to an expected May 9 groundbreaking and fall opening.
Two churches near the site at North Massachusetts Avenue and Parker Street sent no representatives to object, so the Lakeland Board of Adjustments and Appeals quickly approved an alcohol variance at a special meeting. More
Live Music in Lakeland This Weekend
It looks like a good weekend for musical comedy, a Swan Brewing birthday and good ol’ Southern Rock. Some of the music highlights:
- Tague Zachary, a Chicagoan with a guitar and a refined funny bone, brings his show (directed by Swan City Improv‘s Nate Fleming) to LkldLive Friday.
- Swan Brewing celebrates its first anniversary with the Deadhead sounds of Uncle John’s Band Friday night, Pensacola’s aptly named Spearman Brewers Saturday afternoon and the guitar/mandolin/violin interweavings of the Munn Park Saints Saturday night.
- Music Ranch continues to preserve Southern Rock with Second Shot out of Jacksonville and guitar slinger Jimmy Sexton Saturday night.
Keep scrolling for our updated music calendar: More
Read It in the Morning Paper
MUNN PARK: City commissioners are feeling no rush to put something new in the center of Munn Park even as downtown promoters press ahead with plans for a public meeting (info) on whether a carousel or something else should go there.
DINING: The original Uncle Nick’s deli is still serving solid sandwiches and Italian-American fare at Old 37 and Shepherd Road, even as two satellite locations have closed, writes restaurant critic Eric Pera, who dished out 3 1/2 stars out of 5 for food and 3 for service.
ART: “Pink Moon,” a showcase of women’s art opening Friday at Art/ifact Studios, explores “the divine feminine.” | Event page
Alice Hunt Will Lead Florida Poly Foundation Board
Lakeland resident Alice Hunt, who co-founded Hunt Construction with her husband Chuck, was elected chair of the Florida Polytechnic University Foundation Board of Directors. Jack Harrell III, senior vice president at Harrell’s LLC in Lakeland, replaces her as vice chair.
Read It in the Morning Paper, Evening Edition
City commissioners and their senior staff spent the first day of a two-day retreat today looking at plans for the future. Among the stories that emerged:
CAROUSEL: As downtown development honcho Julie Townsend pondered what should go into the now-vacant middle of Munn Park, the idea that swirled in her head was a carousel to draw more families downtown. (In the instant-analysis feedback loop of Facebook, residents threw out many other ideas.) ALSO: LDDA explains the case for a carousel.
POWER PLANT: It’s probably time to close the 37-year-old, coal-fired McIntosh Unit 3 power plant and replace the lost power with a new natural gas plant and an expansion of solar, Lakeland Electric chief Joel Ivy said.
EMERGENCY COORDINATOR: In response to lessons learned during Hurricane Irma, city administrators are budgeting for an emergency operations manager to coordinate disaster response.
Lakeland Director’s Women-in-Aviation Documentary Showing April 26
“Fly Like a Girl,” the documentary that Lakeland resident Katie Wiatt and her team spent three years producing, is screening at film festivals, including St. Petersburg’s Suncreen Festival. It will be shown April 26 at 4:15 p.m. at AMC Sundial Theater | Learn more about the film
Nineteen61 Plans Move Into Former Posto 9 Home
Latin fusion restaurant Nineteen61 is planning to move from Dixieland to downtown, owner Marcos Fernandez tells The Ledger. He and two new business partners plan to expand the menu as they move into the first floor of the former home of Posto 9 on Main Street across from Munn Park.
U.S. 98 South Crash Leaves One Dead, One Injured
Shannon Oglesby, the 47-year-old manager of Web Pro Realty, died Sunday night when the Jeep she was riding in crashed into a utility pole on U.S. 98 across from the entrance to Oak Hill Cemetery. Rodney Wimberly, 52, who was driving the Jeep Wrangler, was in critical condition Monday morning. Deputies said it appeared the Jeep was racing a sports bike when it went out of control, and they hope to find the person riding on the motorcycle.
Facebook tribute | GoFundMe
Road Diet Test Includes Massive Data Collection
During a one-year test of a “road diet” reducing Florida Avenue in Dixieland from five lanes to three, an unprecedented collection of data will supplement community feedback in determining how the project affects safety, travel time, economic impact and effects on nearby roads. Eleven sensors along the corridor are already collecting speed and travel-time data, and traffic counters will be installed at each intersection.
Burned-Out Family Upset They Can’t Retrieve Possessions
A Lakeland mom tells WFLA she’s angry she can’t retrieve family treasures from their burned-out apartment. She says she was under duress the night of the fire when managers at Arbor Glen Apartments encouraged her to sign a release form. Management says safety concerns prohibit former residents from entering the 24 units that burned March 11.
City: Broadband Survey Is Legitimate
People receiving emailed links to an online survey about high-speed Internet have raised questions about whether it’s legitimate, City Manager Tony Delgado says. He confirms that the survey is authorized; it was sent randomly to 38,000 Lakeland residents by a consultant hired to create a business plan for a possible city broadband service.
TBBJ Names Core Wealth Advisors a Cool Office Space
Tampa Bay Business Journal is featuring Core Wealth Advisors as one of the region’s coolest office spaces. The space on the top floor of the Regions Bank Building, 124 S. Florida Ave., combines a large open area with getaway rooms and a gym. It was designed by The Lunz Group and built by Strickland Construction.
Barnett Park Gets a Big New Splash
A few lucky children got a big surprise when they visited Barnett Park this morning. They were the first to get splashed by a tipping bucket the Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department added to its popular splash pad. More
Live Music in Lakeland This Weekend
We’re continually impressed by the live music offered weekly by local musicians. Check our calendar below to see who’s playing and where to hear live music. More
Read It in the Morning Paper
DINING: Curry Mango, a 160-seat restaurant being built on Florida Avenue just north of Shepherd Road, will offer dishes of coastal southern India, where owner Anthony Mankidiyan grew up, as well as the more familiar foods of northern India and some southern U.S. favorites with an Asian twist.
BUSES: A plan to simplify bus routes in Lakeland and extend hours earlier in the morning and later in the evening will be tested for 60 days starting Thursday.
FLORIDA AVE.: A reporter talking to people attending public info session about the upcoming test of a Florida Avenue “road diet” in Dixieland sensed cautious optimism as well as concern over traffic spilling into neighborhood streets.
Tony Golf Community Was Once a Mining Town
Diners gazing out the large picture windows at the rear of the the Grasslands Clubhouse would be forgiven if they can’t imagine the manicured golf course in front of them and lakeside houses off to the right were once the site of a phosphate plant and a small mining community called San Gully.
The community was built just over a century ago by the Lakeland Phosphate Co., and its residents mined the land until 1945 under a succession of owners. More