Survivor Will Speak at Holocaust Remembrance Day Event
Rosa Rosenkranz, a child survivor of the Holocaust, will speak at Temple Emanuel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day observance May 1 at 7 p.m.
Category: Activism
Commissioners Pledge to Add Housing for Homeless Kids
At a rousing faith-based rally Tuesday night, four Lakeland city commissioners pledged to reach a goal of adding 500 housing units for families with homeless children by 2023. Mayor Bill Mutz and commissioners Stephanie Madden, Justin Troller and Phillip Walker drew cheers for their pledges from the approximately 1,400 participants at the 19th annual Nehemiah Action rally of the Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment, or PEACE, at Resurrection Catholic Church in Lakeland. More
Give Your Opinion for Lakeland’s Future
Lakeland Vision is looking for some good people like readers of LkldNow to take a survey to help guide the city’s future. You can take the short survey online. The deadline is March 31. More
Latin-American Rights Organization Launches Polk Chapter
The League of United Latin American Citizens launched its Polk Chapter Jan. 1 and has scheduled a swearing-in ceremony for April 5 at 5:30 p.m. at Florida Polytechnic University | Facebook
Groups Gather to Clean Up North Lake Wire Neighborhood
The cleanup was organized by the city of Lakeland’s Gang Task Force and included volunteers from Paint Your Heart Out Lakeland and faith-based organizations | View video
Local Methodists Express Grief, Hope After LGBTQ Vote
“It’s been an exhausting week,” said the Rev. David McEntire, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Lakeland, speaking to his congregation during Sunday morning worship. “We’re kind of worn out.”
Like many of his fellow United Methodists, McEntire was left wondering about the future of his denomination in the wake of a strife-filled special international conference in St. Louis last week. To the surprise of many, more than 800 delegates from United Methodist churches in the United States and overseas rejected a proposal – the One Church Plan – that would have allowed gays and lesbians a wider role in the church.
Instead, in a close vote, an alternative plan – the Traditional Plan – was adopted that potentially will strengthen current rules that forbid “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained to any office and do not allow gays and lesbians to be married in its churches. More
City Considers Reducing Voting Places
Should the city of Lakeland trim the number of polling places for municipal elections from 25 to 12? Mayor Bill Mutz says the cost-cutting idea makes sense in an age when a growing majority of voters cast ballots by mail. But Commissioner Justin Troller says plentiful polling places prompt participation. More
LkldNow Founder Barry Friedman Presented Cygnet Award
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
LkldNow Benefits as NewsMatch Announces Record Year
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
MLK Parade Winners Announced
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