Giveaways at this year’s Summerpalooza event (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the RP Funding Center; sponsor: New Beginnings High School) will include free shoes provided by the Blended Family Foundation, established by Tony and Lisa Kirk to honor the memory of their son Kalen.
LEARN MORE: Summerpalooza | Blended Family Foundation | Ledger preview
Dressed in the uniform of an 1898 U.S. Army cavalry soldier, Richard Wilder came to today’s City Commission meeting with a simple request: Promote Lakeland tourism and pride by naming a park between Lake Wire and Florida Avenue after the Buffalo Soldiers who camped along the lake 121 years ago. More
The City Commission will be asked next week to change the name of Freedom Park to Buffalo Soldiers Park in honor of the all-black cavalry regiment who camped on Lake Wire in 1898. Freedom Park is the green space between Florida Avenue and Lake Wire near Lawton Chiles Middle Academy.
Led by Mayor Bill Mutz, a majority of the City Commission expressed enthusiastic support for a series of groundbreaking steps to address the issue of affordable housing in Lakeland during a policy workshop today. More
Meghan DeLong of Lakeland has been a crusade to spread information about furniture hazards ever since her two-year-old son, Conner, died after a dresser fell on him in 2017. She started a foundation, Conner’s Legacy (website) and last month sued two furniture industry organizations, CBS Miami reports. Her ask: $50 million in damages the she would use to lobby Congress on par with the furniture industry, her Miami lawyer tells House Beautiful.
Polk Pride 2019, a week of events (schedule) celebrating the local LGBT+ community, kicks off tonight with a launch party at Lakeland Pulse and continues through next Saturday, ending with a daytime festival at Munn Park followed by Pride After Dark at LkldLive.
The Lakeland Women’s Collective is organizing a co-working space that it says will be for female, femme-identifying and non-binary persons. The location: 818 E. Lemon St, near the Lake Mirror Center | website
Combee Connection Ministries offers free bottled water in coolers to help homeless people stay hydrated in the hot summer months.
A “Welcome to the Catch” video (here) produced by outdoors outfitter L.L. Bean features Lakeland resident Will Dunn and his non-profit, Take a Kid Fishing. The company donated to his non-profit, supplied gear and clothing and paid the two teens featured in the video, Dunn said. | Learn more
Alice Koehler, whose career has focused on Lakeland non-profits since she returned here after two years in the Peace Corps, has been chosen as the next president and CEO of Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine. More
