LkldNow Founder Barry Friedman Presented Cygnet Award

Feb 13, 2019 at 7:26 am

LkldNow founder and editor Barry Friedman holds the Cygnet Award presented to him on Tuesday by Lakeland Vision.

LkldNow founder and editor Barry Friedman was awarded the first Cygnet Award of 2019 on Tuesday by the community improvement organization Lakeland Vision. The award recognizes businesses and community organizations whose mission or activities align with the strategic goals of Lakeland Vision.

Friedman was presented the award at the intermission of the Imperial Symphony Orchestra concert in the Youkey Theatre at the RP Funding Center. Announcing the award, Lakeland Vision board member Xuchitl Coso said Friedman deserved the award “for the positive difference he is making in the community.” More

Activism

LkldNow Benefits as NewsMatch Announces Record Year

Feb 12, 2019 at 7:00 am

Supporters of LkldNow invested in community journalism to the tune of $27,012 in two months at the end of 2018 as the national NewsMatch campaign raised $7.6 million from individual donors and a coalition of major funders for nonprofit news organizations. More

Activism/ Events

MLK Parade Winners Announced

Feb 4, 2019 at 4:22 pm

Organizations that won awards in the 2019 Lakeland Martin Luther King Jr. Parade were recognized today at a meeting of the Lakeland City Commission. Awards were announced by Natalie Gallon, assistant parks superintendent, who said next year’s parade will be the last she helps coordinate because she will be retiring. More

Activism

Note to Readers: Thank You

Dec 13, 2018 at 7:19 pm

As many of you know, my family has experienced a devastating tragedy. We are profoundly thankful for the support we’ve felt from the Lakeland community via personal messages and response to a fund to build a memorial tribute to my late granddaughter. I’ll be away from LkldNow for the next few weeks, but I’m fortunate that Chuck Welch, founder of Lakeland’s first independent news website, will be filling in, assisted by some of our freelancers. Reader support is helping us carry on despite my absence and will help us continue to grow so that in the future we won’t be as dependent on one person.

— Barry Friedman, Editor and Publisher

Activism/ History

Publix Tile Mural Re-created at a Former Publix Store

Nov 26, 2018 at 11:39 pm

A tile mural created for a Publix store in Fort Lauderdale has been re-created by artist Tim Pitzen, right, and unveiled today at a former Publix store that now houses the Lakeland office of the Polk County Tax Collector. Standing alongside the artist is Gregory Fancelli, who spearheaded the project.

The original creamic-tile mural, titled “The Goddess,” was created during the 1960s by John Garth and was destroyed when the store was demolished during the 1980s. More

Activism/ People

Lakeland Family Nears End of 2,650-Mile Trek

Nov 20, 2018 at 8:18 am Bay News 9

Vince and Monica Strawbridge and their four children are within 50 miles of finishing a 2,650-mile hike along the Pacific Coast Trail from Canada to Mexico. The trip has been an opportunity for family bonding, self discovery and fund-raising for favorite causes.
MORE: Follow on Facebook | Trip website | Lakelander article

Activism/ People

Samantha Kunin of Lakeland: Rhodes Finalist

Nov 19, 2018 at 10:44 am

Samantha Kunin, a 20-year-old Florida State University senior from Lakeland and graduate of the International Baccalaureate School in Bartow, interviewed in Birmingham, Ala., this past weekend as a finalist for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. More

Activism

LkldNow: Where We Are, Where We’re Going

Nov 12, 2018 at 8:15 am

Nearly 70 people attended a reception LkldNow held Friday evening at ART/ifact to recognize its financial supporters and volunteers. The event served as a formal kickoff for NewsMatch, a national call-to-action to support nonprofit journalism that LkldNow was selected for this year. Here is a slightly edited version of the talk LkldNow founder Barry Friedman gave at Friday’s event: More

Activism

Vote Today; Polls Are Open Until 7 p.m.

Nov 6, 2018 at 7:24 am

And the polls are open. You have until 7 p.m. to vote.
✓ Voter guide: https://t.co/JWE589fpMh
✓ Find your polling place: https://t.co/UKnbsX0kIO
✓ 60 percent turnout predicted for Polk: https://t.co/UnR38W2P7F #lkld

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) November 6, 2018

Activism/ Social Services

Three Sites Eyed for Cultural Heritage/Aging Center

Nov 5, 2018 at 11:08 pm

Lakeland Vision and some other organizations came to City Hall today with a vision for the future: a building that would house agencies that serve the elderly, a museum celebrating Lakeland’s diverse ethnic heritages and maybe a visitor bureau and center for business organizations. More