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IV, Mf October 15, 2011




Polk County Democrat

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ACLU slams Judd



on jailing juveniles


Objection is juveniles,
By DIANE NIIOLS
DNICHOLS@POLKCOUNTYDEMOCRAT.COM
In protest of the Polk County Sheriff's
Office decision to house juveniles in the
county jail with adult offenders, leaders
from the American Civil Liberties Union
of Florida joined former Secretary of the
Department of Juvenile Justice, Frank Peter-
man Jr., local leaders with the National As-
sociation for the Advancement of Colored
People and several child advocates in front
of Polk County's Central Jail processing
facility in Bartow Thursday to send a strong
message to Sheriff Grady Judd.
Their demand was to stop housing
children, many whom have not yet been
adjudicated, in an adult jail facility.
"We're strongly opposed to the policy
the sheriff is putting into effect because it's
taking a giant step backwards," said Derek
Newton, ACLU Florida's communication
director. "Decades of research supports the
fact that kids housed in a facility with adult
offenders have a higher suicide rate, suffer
from the isolation and develop severe men-
tal issues. There is no way this can be seen
as an accomplishment for Polk County."
In an afternoon press conference,
Judd defended his stance showing facil-
ity photos, citing statistics, and an giving
unwavering confidence the juveniles were
safe in the newly designed wing of the jail
and overseen by highly trained person-
nel. Further, he criticized the ACLU and
NAACP when not one official from these
organizations toured the juvenile wing of
the jail to see the system they were wanting
abolished.
"I'm critical of the ACLU and how they
have scared the people of Florida into
thinking we don't take care of our juveniles
in this county," said Judd. "The juveniles
and adults don't even share a common wall.
They ignore the fact that you can share the
same roofline and not the same environ-
ment. Did they even ask the local NAACP
folks what they see?We have a local school
teacher that works in the jail with these
kids, but.I doubt they even took time to re-
alize that. They are tearing apart something
they know nothing about"
On Oct. 1, under authority in Senate Bill
2112, pre-adjudicated juveniles were moved
one block from the State Department of
Juvenile Justice's Polk County Juvenile De-
tention Center to a newly designed wing in
the county jail building. The new approach
to housing juveniles in the adult facility was


adults in same facility


PHOTO BY DIANE NICHOLS
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd speaks Thursday
during a press conference over a complaint
that juvenile inmates are kept in the same
facility as adult inmates.
Judd's way of saving Polk County taxpayers
from $1.4 million to $2 million.
The law was signed to allow certain
counties that met the required guidelines to
take over the housing ofjuveniles waiting
on court dates in effort to save transporta-
tion and juvenile-specific custody costs.
There are currently 41 pre-adjudicated
juveniles at the Polk County Detention
Facility- 36 males and five females. The
average age of the pre-adjudicated juveniles
is 15.2 years old.
When asked if anyone from the ACLU
had taken a tour of the facility or spoken di-
rectly to Judd about their concerns, Newton
said neither had been done.
"We'd be happy to tour if we were in-
vited," said Newton. "It won't make a differ-
ence, though. Seeing how well constructed
the walls are or how nicely they've designed
the layout won't change the fact that there
are kids as young as 10 years old being
housed in a jail built to house adults."
While Judd referred to the juveniles
held in the new facility as "incorrigible
kids that deserve to be there while they
SLAMS I12A


PHOTO BY BILL RETTEW JR.


Florida Secretary of Agriculture Adam Putnam has a cup of coffee as he speaks with Gov. Rick
Scott Wednesday prior to the start of the citrus estimate. It was held at Ray-Bob Groves in Alturas.

Partying for the annual

citrus crop estimate


By BILL RETTEW JR.
BRETTEW@POLKCOUNTYDEMOCRAT.COM
About 75 citrus growers and poli-
ticians, including Gov. Rick Scott,
traveled by dirt road, Wednesday, to a
barn within a citrus grove to hear the
annual United States Department of
Agriculture citrus crop estimate.
As part of a brief break from the
carnival-like atmosphere, a dropping
pin could have been heard, as growers
listened to increased orange crop pro-
jections during a live radio broadcast


from Arcadia at 8:30 a.m. Several grow-
ers gasped during the announcement.
The USDA estimated that Florida
2011-12 orange crop production will
top 147 million boxes, or be up 5 per-
cent from last year.
A lot of hand shaking took place.
Wednesday's breakfast was the first
time a governor attended the break-
fast held this year at Ray-Bob Groves
in Alturas.
CROP|12A


Ceremony aims to build on legacy


By STEVE STEINER
SSTEINER @ POLKCOUNTYDEMOCRAT.COM
In less than a month it will be
Veterans Day, and if all goes accord-
ing to plan, this year's commemora-
tion will continue to build upon the
legacy established from last year.
There is, however, one hitch.
"The main thing now is funding,"
said Freda Ridgway, who is chairing
this year's committee. "If everyone
will work towards getting us spon-
sors, it will be greatly appreciated."
This year's goal is $16,000, of
which $4,000 has already been ear-
marked for a project that has been
under way the past several months:
videotaped interviews with World
War II veterans, which S.L. Frisbee
has moderated. The interviews have
been completed and currently are in


the editing stage. The end result will
be part of the ceremony at the lun-
cheon to be held at the Peace River
Country Club on Nov. 11.
Everything on the projected itin-
erary is yet to be worked out.
"There might be a conflict with
the cadets (from Summerlin Acad-
emy), because they are doing a
program from 10-11 a.m.," said Su-
san DeNeve. She added that unlike
last year, when the cadets served as
servers at the luncheon, where they
were clad in dress uniforms, be-
cause of the program DeNeve men-
tioned moments earlier, the cadets
might be wearing their camouflage
uniforms.
A concern was raised by A.J. Jack-
son about the length of the program
LEGACY112A


Business.........
Page 2A
Editorial.........
Page 4A


School Life......
Page 5A
Obituaries ......
Page 8A-9A


County Report
Page IOA
Police Beat ......
Page 12A
Calendar .........
Page 13A
Community .....
Page 15A


rhee


7i0525200025 8


COSTUME CONTEST

SCrickette Club
carnival costume
contest caters
to kids


15A


SPIRIT OF THE GIAME
Cheerleading
is more than
what you see




Page
SPORTS


Page


- I


I


New 2011Starcraft AR-ONE 16BH
.. MDCWA78 Wa S14.SI


I


INDEX






Page 2A The Polk County Democrat October 15, 2011


BUSINESS


Refurbished Publix to reopen Oct


By JEFF ROSLOW
JROSLOW@POLKCOUNTYDEMOCRAT.COM
"Just want to see when this thing
will be open," a man driving by the
Publix supermarket said Thursday
afternoon stopping to look at the
sign on the sliding door.
"Oct. 27, huh," he said. "I guess
that's soon enough."
To Publix devotees the six
months the store has been closed
was a little something but at 8 a.m.
on Oct. 27 the wait will be over.
The new Publix with 5,000 more
square feet than the old one, will
be open. On most days the store
will open at 7 a.m., said Publix
spokesperson Shannon Patten, but
on opening day the ribbon cutting
is happening at 8 a.m.
The hours of the refurbished store,


which will look similar to the Publix
in Highland City, will feature a sev-
en-day-a-week pharmacy open from
7 a.m.-10 p.m. The store will be open
from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through
Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday..
At the grand opening the first
few hundred customers will get a
free gift, Patten said, not saying ex-
actly what the number is because
that is sketchy right now.
She said there will be many free
samples and there will be special
sales going on the first week that
will only be available at this Publix
supermarket.
"There will also be a lot of charac-
ters there to entertain the kids,"
she said. "I don't know who we will
get but I can tell you earlier this
week at a store in St. Petersburg the


.27

Pillsbury Bakery boxes are to be
Dough unpacked inside the refur-
Boy was bished Publix grocery store.
there. The store is scheduled to
And, open Oct. 27.
she said
cus-
tomers will see a lot of familiar
faces. While the store was closed
employees from the store at the
Crossroads Shopping Center went
to different grocery stores to work
but many came back. All together
there will be 140 employees at the
store, she said.
The expanded store will have
a variety of new items including
a lot more organic and natural
products. It will have full-service
departments in the bakery, deli,
fresh seafood, and pharmacy,
Patten said.


PHOTOS BY JEFF ROSLOW
The sign says what's happening. After a little more than six
months of refurbishing and expanding Bartow's Publix grocery
store is to reopen soon.


Before we begin any mining for phosphate an essential crop nutrient for growing
food Mosaic develops a government-approved plan for restoring the land to
productive use after mining. As reclamation supervisor, I oversee the creation of
wetlands, parks, wildlife habitats, and other areas for both people and wildlife to
enjoy. Knowing I'fn helping to preserve nature makes my work more than a job.



Mosaic



www.mosaicfla.com


Page 2A The Polk County Democrat


October 15, 2011





October 15, 2011 The Polk County Democrat Page 3A


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The Polk County Democrat Page 3A





Page 4A The Polk County Democrat


VIEWPOINT


Anthro-what? Societal values get once-over


No doubt Margaret Mead would have quickly
identified the intricate ritual that began in Florida last
week.
A society elder -- in this case, the Big Man -
makes what initially seems to be an offhand remark
about a little-understood fringe group with a funny
sounding name the Other. He belittles the sub-
group. By exaggerating the impact and significance of
this arcane minority, the Big Man attempts to pro-
voke approval among those of his own clan, as well as
wider societal support for his own cultural values.
He sets a pattern by repeating the remark in public
venues. The beleaguered sub-group responds defen-
sively and weakly. Intra-societal conflicts are exposed
and expressed through a common media of infor-
mation interchange. Or, to utilize a phrase from the
modern lexicon: game on.
Gov. Rick Scott followed that familiar cultural form
last week in advancing his market-oriented agenda,
this time pushing for increased emphasis on science,
technology and math in higher education at the ex-
pense of softer liberal arts, like anthropology.
All business as always, Scott told an editorial board,
"Is it a vital interest of the state to have more anthro-
pologists? I don't think so."
He later repeated the theme a luncheon in Tallahas-
see, "Do we need to use your tax dollars to educate
more people that can't get jobs in anthropology? I


Victim of its own


It was in October of 1851 160 years
ago that Readding Blount and his
party arrived in the location of what
is now Bartow, settled near the site of
what is now a convenience store at
Main Street and Floral Avenue, and
established a small town which they
called Fort Blount.
Just 30 years after the Blount party's
arrival, despite having a population
of no more than 150, the community
boasted a one-room schoolhouse, two
churches, a post office, a telegraph of-
fice, two doctors, a lawyer, a newspaper,
and a barroom.
Probably late in the 1880s, a Board of
Trade was formed, precursor to today's
Chamber of Commerce. What its initial
agenda was I cannot say, but I suspect
that maintaining a strong business
community in the town then known as
Bartow was high on the list.

With the advent of shopping centers
throughout the land in the 1900s, keep-
ing downtown areas viable and attrac-
tive became a major priority for many
cities. Bartow was one of numerous
communities pursuing this goal.
For as long as I can remember, Bartow
has had a succession of merchants'
organizations that tried, with varying
degrees of success, to promote the suc-
cess of its members.
The focus was broadened to improve
the economic health of downtown
Bartow.
Each of these bootstrap efforts
achieved a degree of success, but all had
two related shortcomings: no staff, and
lack of funds.


i
AO,~-
4'rt-'"'


Our Viewpoint
don't think so. I want to make sure we spend our
money where people can get jobs when they get out."
Pattern noted.
The leaders of the American Anthropological As-
sociation soon emerged from their caves in Arlington,
Va., and penned an angry defense.
"As a discipline with a rich and robust history, we
have made numerous contributions to the study of
cultures both foreign and domestic, past and present,
helping us understand humankind in multiple ways,"
the association's official letter said.
"Perhaps you are unaware that anthropologists are
leaders in our nation's top science fields," wrote as-
sociation president Virginia Dominguez.
Perhaps? It's likely Scott hasn't the foggiest. Of
course, the same probably could be said for most
everyone else who heard or read the comments.
Anthropology? Huh? In a way, that was the underlying
thrust of the ritual.
Anthropologists are easy marks the Boogie Men
- in this cultural battle.
Scott's tribe holds that colleges and universities
serve the purpose of training a work force that will
meet society's needs. True, that's an extremely impor-
tant function of the educational system.


success?

S.L. Frisbie

iI msssQ~


S.L. Frisbie can be contacted at
FPCSLFIV@aol.com


Enter Downtown Bartow, Inc. I was its
first vice-president, a post I held for a
number of years.

DBI operated on a voluntary assess-
ment of its members, $2 per front foot
for landlords and $2 per front foot for
businesses renting their premises, or $4
per front foot for businesses that owned
their own buildings.
DBI hired a downtown manager,
Nancy Caldwell, and she did an out-
standing job.
Nancy, a former Miss Bartow, said the
key to establishing an identity, whether
as a beauty queen or a community, was
to identify and capitalize on your stron-
gest features.
She suggested that Bartow's historic
nature, architecture, and pride were
downtown's greatest strengths, and
from her proposal sprang the concept
of Historic Downtown Bartow, a con-
cept that thrives to this day.

But it soon became apparent that
voluntary assessments would not sup-
port a full-time staff member indefi-
nitely. Nancy did some research and
discovered a provision in Florida law for
FRISBIE16A


But the jobs-production model isn't the only valid
model of education.
Higher education is not a mold-injection system,
certainly not for every student who enters, maybe not
for most. And not everyone should or will grow up to
be an engineer, a doctor, nurse or computer techni-
cian.
Another important function of colleges and univer-
sities is to expose open-minded students to different
ideas and concepts. Once exposed, they may develop
a desire to further study things like archaeology, eco-
nomics, government, philosophy, political science,
history, geography, literature, poetry, theater, art,
graphic design, sociology, psychology, international
relations, education, languages, law, communications
or journalism.
The aim is to find something that truly engages
them. Eventually, they may even find fulfilling, pro-
ductive work doing something they love. That job
may even benefit society as a whole.
We tend to agree that an emphasis on science and
math is appropriate, but we also recognize many
students will be drawn to other disciplines. Social
sciences, such anthropology, deserve a place in the
curriculum of a modern educational system the size
of Florida's.
To claim otherwise, and to attempt to marginalize
this group, just seems a little like Stone Age-thinking.


Letters to the editor

Swap would be a good idea
It has been brought to my attention 2) provide a new City of Bartow public
that the City of Bartow and the Ells- Park on the present Ellsworth proper-
worth Properties( Land Fill) have been ties. If this is correct I would hope the
negotiating a land swap. I understand city commissioners would support this
this swap in lands would: land swap and thus move the land fill
1) move the land fill zoning to lands zoning further westward.
further west of the present Republic T.Franklin Black
land fill and Bartow


The Polk County Democrat
Jim Gouvellis Publisher
*Aileen Hood General Manager *Jeff Roslow Editor Peggy Kehoe Managing Editor


Published every Wednesday and Saturday at
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Postmaster: Send address changes to
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Bartow, FL 33830


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We welcome your letters
Letters are welcome on virtually any subject, but we do have
some rules. Please keep them to less than 250 words. Letters
will be edited to length as well as grammar and spelling. All
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Bartow, FL 33830


--


October 15, 2011


.






October 15, 2011 The Polk County Democrat Page 5A





SCHOOL


Polk schools get lots of

equipment for nothing

County schools got more than $18,000 in
donations through DonorsChoose.org


By CATHY PALMER
CORRESPONDENT
For Mulberry third graders in Laura
Cams Kingsford Elementary School
class, math and reading are all fun and
games. Thanks to a charity website
and an area insurance agent.
Cams, who just happens to be
Kingsford's Teacher of the Year, two
years ago tapped into a website
called DonorsChoose.org and netted
enough cash to buy 17 reading and
math games from the pricey California
maker Lakeshore Learning Materials.
The games, including a variety of
Tic-Tac-Toe, help the Title 1 school
kids learn additional reading and
mathematics skills in a more relaxed
and interactive way, Cams says. Title
1 schools are those where a large
percentage of the students fall under
the poverty line and qualify for free
breakfast and lunches.
Cams has obtained some $1,200
via two grants which she has used for
the games her 16 students share with
classroom-mates in Amy Epperson's
third grade class.
Some of the cash comes from insur-


ance agent Greg Badgerow, whose
Horace Mann Educators Group agency
caters to teachers. Badgerow said his
office ponied up half of Cams' grant
money with the rest matched by
Horace Mann. Badgerow said Cams is
among some 39 Polk teachers whose
overall DonorsChoose.org grants to-
taled more than $18,200 this year and
boosted 50 classroom projects from
ideas to reality.
The DonorsChoose.org program is
simple: teachers develop a project,
list it on the website and hopefully,
someone or some business will fund
it.-
Carns felt the need to augment hers
and Epperson's standard math and
reading teaching to boost the compre-
hension of many of her students who
speak English as a second language.
"Most of the families of my students
are migrant farm workers. Not only
do my kids struggle with hunger and
a place to sleep at night," the 24-year-
old teacher says, "they struggle aca-
demically. Since they form an opinion
about education early in life, we want
to make learning exciting for them."
A recent trip to Carns' classroom
found 32 students divided into small
work groups playing reading and math
games. In one game, Reading and
Reveal, the children plug in the right
answers to questions about a story
they just read. When the answers are
correctly placed in the game board,
the board is reversed and if a complete
picture is revealed, the answers were
correct. The tic-tac-toe game also is
solved when the correct answers are


PHOTOS BY CATHY PALMER


Third grade teacher Amy Epperson's class shares Laura Cams' math and reading games.


placed in the appropriate niches.
Because his wife is an educator, Bad-
gerow has adopted DonorsChoose.org
as a cause celebre.
"The more teachers know about
DonorsChoose.org, the more they can
augment the classroom materials the
school system can provide and they
won't have to dig into their own pock-
ets," he says.
Horace Mann's commitment to
DonorsChoose.org is reflected through
its $600,000 contribution to school
classroom projects nationwide this


year. Badgerow says teachers can also
submit classroom projects through the
company's Classroom Project Face-
book page to increase their chances
for funding.
Anyone interested in donating to
DonorsChoose.org can contact Badge-
row at his Mulberry office for addition-
al information.
Just watching the children's faces as
they eagerly showed Cams and Ep-
person their successes with the games,
even a casual visitor can see the 'fun
and games' are working.


Laura Cams and Greg Badgerow join students
as they play math and reading games.


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Faith Equine Rescue fundraiser this weekend


Organization seeking money for land to nurse abused horses


By JEFF ROSLOW
JROSLOW@POLKCOUNTYDEMOCRAT.COM

Saturday, people will have an oppor-
tunity to take part in a horse show and
learn a bit about abused horses, while
helping the Faith Equine Rescue raise
money for a place to keep the horses
they rescue.
A fundraiser is planned at the Bartow
Arena on U.S. 17 North that should
last most of the day and though it is
free, people are encouraged to donate
to a fund to help the organization rent
land where the horses can be kept and
nursed back to health.
Currently the horses are being kept
at Dawn Bazemore's home in Mulberry
and recently she has been putting some
horses on a three-acre area, but she said
the space is not big enough.
"I've got some property we want to
lease," she said. "We were able to secure
three more acres, but three acres isn't
enough. The land down the road is five
acres."


That land is offYule Road in Lakeland.
It will cost $300 per month to lease the
land. But on top of that the organiza-
tion needs help in getting equipment
and food to care for the horses to bring
them back to health.
Some care for the horses the orga-
nization gets for free. Wayne Elkins
donates his time for farrier services and
an Faith Equine Rescue board Member
L.A. Britt, is a licensed veterinarian who
also cares for the horses without charg-
ing them. But for everything else there
is a cost.
Bazemore said Polk County, which
has a lot of horses, currently also has
a lot of horses, in trouble. Some of that
has to do with a poor economy and
some of that has to with people who
either don't know what it takes to take
care of horses or are just cruel.
She said one horse the organization
adopted was beaten with beer bottles
and probably a water hose.
"There are a lot of horses that need
help and there is a lot of abuse out


there," Bazemore said.
She said one colt will be at the fund-
raiser Saturday. This colt is one that
most recently was adopted by Faith
Animal Rescue. She said the horse is
tremendously emaciated. She is a little
hesitant to bring others because having
some in front of people may be tough.
However, there will be a booklet there
showing the horses they've adopted and
telling about their situations.
"We'll have a book with the rescues
and stories on them," she said.
The fundraiser starts at 8 a.m. and
there will be classes that start at 9 a.m.
There will be a fee for the classes and
they will cover English and western rid-
ing, skeet events, trail and halter riding.
There will also be a horse show that
starts at 9 a.m. Judges will be on hand
and ribbons will be awarded, Bazemore
said.
And, perhaps because of the season,
there will be a costume contest, so the
young ones are encouraged to don their
Halloween costumes, or any costume


PHOTO PROVIDED


Cathy Bazemore estimates there are thousands
of abused horses in Polk County.
you have on hand in case you haven't
gotten your Halloween costume out yet.
"We encourage people to come out in
Halloween costumes." Bazemore said.
"They'll get a ribbon and goody bag,"
There will also be food and raffles at
the event.
"It will be a fun day for horse people,"
she said. "And, for those who are not
horse people."


Commissioner health insurance, sidewalk dining on agenda


By BILL RETTEW JR.
BRETTEW @POLKCOUNTYDEMOCRAT.COM
City Commissioners will again
consider, at Monday's meeting start-
ing at 6:30 p.m. at city hall, whether


FRISBIE
FROM PAGE 4A
creation of something called a Commu-
nity Redevelopment Agency.
In 1990, Bartow's CRAwas created, its
boundaries primarily comprising the
downtown area whose interests were the
focus of Downtown Bartow, Inc. Keep in
mind, the whole purpose behind the CRA
was to fund DBI and its staff of one.
Over the years, the CRA boundaries grew
out of all proportion to "slum and blight"
areas envisioned by the enabling statute,
and the agency's annual tax revenues grew
to more than $1 million.
Many worthwhile achievements have
become reality, the most dramatic be-
ing the Main Street redesign. And Main
Street Bartow, Inc., was supported by the
CRA.

At this writing, the modest Main Street
Bartow program is being transferred to city
government, and the Main Street manager
will become a city employee, her salary
reimbursed for only one year by the
CRA.
The CRA executive director, Patrick


the only city employees not receiv-
ing personal health insurance the
board members themselves and the
city attorney should be eligible
for city sponsored insurance.


Brett, candidly acknowledges that he
does not know what will happen to the
Main Street Bartow position, and by in-
ference, its programs, after that one year.
He acknowledges the good that Main
Street Bartow does for the downtown
area, with its monthly Friday Fests, Mov-
ies on the Lawn, and concerts in Fort
Blount Park; its weekly farmers markets
and antique fairs; and a variety of annual
or semi-annual events.
These activities will not keep going
under their own power. History has well
established that volunteer effort without
paid staff won't get get the job done.
DBI (now Main Street Bartow, Inc.)
- Bartow's first dramatically successful
downtown promotional organization
- succeeded because it spearheaded
creation of the Community Redevelop-
ment Agency as a source of funding.
That heritage should not be forgotten
as the future of Main Street Bartow, Inc.,
is considered. The program should not
become a victim of its own success.

(S. L Frisbie is retired. He no longer owns
a business or any property in downtown
Bartow. But he still has this pesky memory
of how downtown Bartow's present viability
and redevelopment were achieved.)


A couple of commissioners said
they might consider collecting health
benefits if fellow commissioners vote
for the changes.
City Attorney Sean Parker currently
picks up the tab for the city to insure
his family. He recently said that he
would consider enrolling himself in
a city sponsored plan, while continu-
ing to pay for the rest of his family's
plan.


Also, during the 5:30 p.m. work
session, CRA Executive Director
Patrick Brett and attorney Drew
Crawford will address the issue of
sidewalk restaurant dining on the
city right-of-way.
Palace Pizza has placed tables for
diners on the sidewalk to the west-
ern side of the eatery while the city
works to set policy.


- ,- -: ,"-
-or
C; kK.
t`s


Fort Meade Animal Clinic
i711 E Brmadway Fort, 'i:/ 2i bI2 *. '


WWiY AlrVIVN(CVtRE?


Acupuncture can often be a very viable
treatment option in dogs, cats and horses
when traditional medicine isn't as successful
as a pet owner might expect. Acupuncture
can be helpful in a wide-range of chronic
conditions that deal with lameness, kidneys,
skin, heart and respiratory issues, to name a
few. Dr. Shank is one of the few vets in all of
Florida certified in both small and large
animal acupuncture by the renowned Chi
Institute. Call for a free consult


Opa 6 da awee 7 p.Amt Isdaysad A oo Sa


October 15, 2011


e gaP 6A The Polk County Democrat


'*


(i 7'' i





October--15.2011-The-Polk-County-Democrat-Page 7A


THE MOST ADVANCED HEALTH CARE IS RIGHT HERE.


* :, '- -.
I*' - -


"Winter Haven Hospital

is at the forefront of

urologic care."


Ss i

L _______* K '


I.

Sijo Parekattil, MD
Diplomat, American Board
of Urology


Winter Haven Hospital's Center for Urology delivers state-of-the-art, world class
treatment options for patients with prostate cancer, enlarged prostate issues,
kidney cancer, bladder cancer, male infertility, groin and testicular pain, and
female incontinence.

Center for Urology Medical Director Sijo Parekattil, M.D. leads a team that has
performed more robotic micro-surgeries than any other urological center in the
world.

Pierre Mechali, M.D. comes to Winter Haven Hospital from Paris, France. He
received his medical degree from the University of Paris, and completed his
residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and George Washington University.

Kevin Lee, M.D., FA.C.S. comes to the Center for Urology from Sebring, Florida.
Dr. Lee received his medical degree and completed his residency program at the
University of Alabama.

Compassion. Innovation. Trust. We're your family's choice.


Pierre Mechali, MD
Diplomate, American Board
of Urology


Winter Haven

Hospital

CENTER FOR UROLOGY

www.winterhavenhospital.org


Kevin Lee, MD, F.A.C.S.
Diplomate, American Board
of Urology


AN AFFILIATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND SHANDS HEALTHCARE


For oreinfrmaionon Wnte Haen osptal~ CeterforUroogycal (83) 92-652
1 Ill 33Au-* *o 3 006 -e


The Polk County Democrat Page 7A


October 15 2011


J
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OBITUARIES


Barbara Pullum

Mrs. Barbara Pullum, 56, of Mulberry,
Fla., died Monday, Oct. 10, 2011 of lung
cancer.
Pullum was born Dec. 24, 1952 in
Lakeland, Fla. She was a teacher's aide.
She was a member of the St. James
AME Church of Mulberry.
Visitation: Friday, Oct. 14 from
5-7 p.m. at St. James AME Church,
Mulberry.
Funeral: Saturday, Oct. 15 at
2:30 p.m., at St. James AME Church,
Mulberry

Words of Comfort

Light always
follows darkness.

Anonymous A

For more Words of Comfort, go to
www.inheavenshome.com


Nikki Hooks

Nikki Hooks, 68, passed awayWednesday,
Oct. 12,2011, at Bartow Regional Medical
Center of heart failure.-
Born March 26,1943 in Long Beach, Calif.,
Mrs. Hooks was a resident of Bartow 46
years, moving from Bremerton, Wash.
She was a waitress for S&L Restaurant in
Lakeland for many years. She was formerly
with Mike's Fine Foods & Breton's Restaurant
in Bartow.
She was survived by five daughters, Tonya
Hooks, Lori and husband Sean Serdynski;
Traci Sheppard; Stephariie Lewis and Shawn
Sheppard all of Bartow; two sons, Dave Lew-
is and wife Deborah of Bartow and Jeff Lud-
wick and wife Carlene, Bremerton, Wash.;
one sister Sherry Stephens of California; 14
grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.
Visitation: Monday, Oct. 17,6-8 p.m. at
Whidden-McLean Funeral Home, Bartow.
Memorials may be made to All Children's
Hospital Foundation, Post Office Box 3142,
St Petersburg, FL 33731.
Condolences to family at www.
whiddenmcleanfuneralhome.com


Vera Genevee Funk
Vera Genevee
Funk, 91, passed
away Tues.,
Oct. 12, 2011, at
Lakeland Regional
Medical Center.
Mrs. Funk was
born on Dec. 17,
1919 in Arnolds-
burg, WVa., and
moved to Fort r
Meade from Ak-
ron, Ohio in 1990. Vera Genevee Funk
She was a factory
worker for Gooyear
Tire & Rubber for 35 years.
She was a member of the First Assembly
of God, Fort Meade, Barberton Moose
Club, Barberton, Ohio, Wingfoot Girls and
special recognition of Goodyear Tire for
service greater than 25 years.
Mrs. Funk was preceded in death by her
husband, Carl E. Funk.
She is survived by her sister, Erma Eas-
ley, Spencer, W. Va.; several nieces, and her
caregiver, Evelyn Davis, Fort Meade.
Services: 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14, at
chapel of Hancock Funeral Home, Fort
Meade. Condolences may be sent at
www.hancockfh.com.
Hancock Funeral Home, Fort Meade,
was in charge of arrangements.


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Jim Doyle

Jim Doyle, 72,
of Fort Meade
died Friday, Oct.
14, 2011.
He was born
Jan. 31, 1939 in
Miami.
Jim was a
welder. He en-
joyed auto rac-
ing and wood-
working.
He is survived Jim Doyle
by his wife of
46 years Dean Doyle of Fort Meade;
sister, Catherine Kinney of Fort Myers;
brother, Clarence Doyle of Chesa-
peake, Va.
Visitation: 1-2 p.m.,Tuesday, Oct. 18
at McLean Funeral Home.
Service: 2 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 18.
Pastor Travis Risner officiating.
Burial: Evergreen Cemetery in Fort
Meade.
Condolences to the family at www.
McLeanfuneralhome.net
Arrangements are being handled
by McLean Funeral Home, 306 East
Broadway in Fort Meade.


Eem A:101 0i k d 10 c <= =fi: ^i: tl


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\_ eirallDfag~iepM1


Page 8A The Polk County Democrat


October 15 2011






October 15. 201TePlkCut eoca ae


Frances Louise

(Childs) Raulerson
Mrs. Frances Louise (Childs) Raulerson, age 96,
died from natural causes at the Rohr Home in Bartow,
Tuesday, Oct.11,2011.
She was born on May 4,1915 in St. Petersburg, Fa.,
and moved to Bartow at a very young age.
Mrs. Raulerson was a lifelong member of the First
United Methodist Church of Bartow and was an active
private duty nurse until she was in her mid-70s. Her
passion was flowers.
She was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin Childs
and Susie Louise (Jones) Childs. She was predeceased
by her daughter, Joan Raulerson, husband, Bernard
Raulerson, Sr., her parents, and three sisters, Virginia
Snively, Marjorie Mills, and Mary Mensay.
She is survived by her son, Bernard "Bo" Raul-
erson, Jr., and wife Sandra of Bartow, and two
grandchildren, Kate Moore and husband J. David
of Bartow, and John Raulerson and wife Sarah of
Tallahassee; three great-grandchildren, Emory and
Molly-Grace Moore of Bartow, Tucker Bennett Raul-
erson of Tallahassee; five nephews, nine nieces and
a loving neighbor, Sandra Cruz.
Service: Saturday, Oct. 15 at 10 am. atWhidden-
McLean Funeral Home, Bartow.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First
United Methodist Church, 455 S. BroadwayAve., Bar-
tow, FL 33830. Condolences at www.whiddenmclean-
funeralhome.com


By BILL RETTEW JR.
BRETTEW@POLKCOUNTYDEMOCRAT.COM
Pilots and passengers at the
Bartow Municipal Airport and
Industrial Park soon won't have
to worry about deer, alligators
and feral hogs wandering onto
the runways.
About three years ago, a land-
ing jet struck a pair of deer. No
one was injured then and the
city wants to prevent a simi-
lar occurrence in the future by
securing the perimeter of the
property with chain link fence.
Airport Executive Director
Cynthia Barrow said hunters
running dogs often flush up
deer. Hogs regularly seek worms
attracted to the heat generated
by runway lights and alligators
enjoy lounging on hot asphalt
runways.
"We're in a rural area with
woods all around the airport,"
said Barrow. The executive direc-
tor also said that nearby con-


struction continues to relocate
wildlife which sometimes take
refuge in harm's way.
About three miles of six foot
high fencing is slated to circle
the perimeter of the airport.
The work should be completed
within the next year, said Barrow.
The entire $616,000 cost of the
project will be paid for with a
federal Department of Transpor-
tation grant. Airport board mem-
bers voted at Monday's meeting
to pay consulting engineer URS a
$45,000 fee.
At a higher cost, some of the
fencing will be buried two feet
below ground level to pre-
vent burrowing animals. Three
strands of barbed wire will top
the fencing.
The barrier will join and link to
existing fencing near T-hangars,
the FBO and along U.S. 27.
Gates will need to be designed
to prevent wildlife from entering
the property, possibly with cattle


crossing grates.
In other news, the airport
board continues to hammer out
a deal for a 5.59 acre property
with taxiway access to the run-
ways.
The city owns the land and
PNC Bank owns two of three
buildings, including a 12,000
square foot metal building. The
property is in foreclosure.
Ozzie Carrerou wants to rent
the land and continuing to of-
fer an aircraft paint shop at the
airport run by present operator
Gerry Butterworth.
The board, composed entirely
of the five city commissioners,
discussed improvements made
to the property.
"The airport and Butterworth
spent a lot of money improving
this site," said Mayor Pat Huff.
Barrow noted that the property
is more valuable than conven-
tional industrial park property
because it has runway access.


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Airport fencing to protect flyers


- -- ---~- -- --


The Polk County Democrat Page 9A


October 15, 2011


I







- Page 10A The Polk County Democrat October 15, 2011


COUNTY REPORT I



Legoland is finally here, opens today


By STEVE STEINER
SSTEINER @ POLKCOUNTYDEMOCRAT.COM

They came from all over, Ohio, New
Jersey, North Carolina, and from over-
seas, to name but a few locales. There
even were children (and adults) from
Garden Grove Elementary and Chain
of Lakes Elementary schools on Friday,
Oct. 14. All specially invited to take in
the rides and attractions the day before
the official grand opening of Legoland
Florida, scheduled for today. As they
milled about the entrance just prior to
the gates opening at 10 a.m., it was evi-
dent the level of enthusiasm already
high continued to build.
One contingent, five youths ages 12-
15, and their adult advisors, were all clad
in dark blue shirts that bore the logo,
"Legoaces." They hailed from Granville,
Ohio. They were on hand because they
were the Moonbot 2.0 grand prize win-
ners.
"They build Lego robots that simu-
lated lunar exploration," said Thomas
Miller, coach of the team, who later
added that in addition to the robots, the
team had also made a video. "They did

H-ii9^


an outreach, did a series of videos to
teach others."
The students themselves said they
could hardly contain their enthusiasm
when they learned they were the top
winners, the result of six years worth of
effort that culminated this past July-
August.
"We're going to Florida," said Eric
Miller. It was his and the other's first re-
action; the other teammates being Josh
Richards, Matthew Dottavio, Will Emery
and Daniel Gibson.
Also on hand was Kristen Stewart and


A select group of children listen to pre-Grand Opening Day speeches. As soon as the speeches
concluded, they were off and about, on their way to the numerous rides and attractions.


Kjelk Kirk Kristiansen,
the grandfather of the
4 founder of Lego, and
currently the chairman
of the board of the
holding company, accom-
panies Hanna Swidler
and Emerio Obrero, as
they join Adrian Jones,
general manager of
Legoland Florida, as he
is about to place the
50th million Lego brick,
marking the official
opening of the park.
her family, from Cranbury, N.J.
"I write for a blog, www.deliciousbaby.
com. The person who runs the blog lives
in Seattle, Wash., and couldn't attend,
so she asked me," Stewart said, adding
she was familiar with Legoland. "We've
been to the one in California a couple of
times. We're big fans."
Another "big" fan was Joe Meno, pub-
lisher and editor-in-chief of Brick our-
nal (www.brickjournal.com), a Raleigh,
N.C.-based publication that spotlights
Lego hobbyists.
"You would be surprised. There are a
lot of adult builders and the magazine
shows them off," he said. It was also sur-
prising how many people from Legoland
and Merlin Entertainment immediately
came up to Meno when they spot-
ted him and engaged in conversation,
much of which was more than words of
welcome.
"One of the things about being an
enthusiast is that quite often we are the
first to let those at Lego know if there is a
problem with a product."
However, even Meno thought Lego-
land Florida stupendous.
"Wow," was his reaction, "All I can say
is, wow."
Several highlights marked the pre-
Grand Opening ceremony. Following
speeches, two Legoland mascots ap-
peared, soon followed by Hanna Swidler,
9, and 8-year-old Emerio Obrero, driving
two tiny vehicles whose bodies had been
built using Legos.
"Legoland Florida is now officially
open," announced Jones to applause.


Among the attractions at Legoland Florida is a
carousel. While it appears that mom is having
fun, it looks like her daughter may not be so
enthralled.
Obrero,
who enjoyed
his brief
moment of
celebrity,
was eager
to join his ..
classmates
who were
elsewhere
in the park.
Still, driving
the vehicle Danny Kohlbrenner, 5, of
was fun. Jacksonville, hits the button
"It was that lowers the starting gate,
pretty awe- which will send the race car
some," said he built using Legos scurrying
Obrero. "It down the track.
was like
regular driving."
While the opening ceremony, held at
the park's Imagination Station was taking
place, elsewhere throughout the park,
happy voices of children could be heard
ringing out, with children, chaperones,
teachers, parents and grandparents
eager to try out the attractions. Two were
April Mole and her 5-year-old daughter,
Reese, a kindergarten student at Chain
of Lakes Elementary School. As they
approached the front of the line, Reese
could hardly contain her enthusiasm.
"We've been counting down the days,"
said April.


Time's up for schools to meet class size mandate


By DIANE NICHOLS
DNICHOLS@POLKCOUNTYDEMOCRAT.COM

Many students in the county have
had to transfer to different schools in
order to meet the district's Friday dead-
line for the state's class size amendment
requirement. In order to be in compli-
ance, more than 1,000 students have
had to be uprooted to nearby schools
to compensate for the ongoing issue of
overcrowding in Polk's classrooms.
Last week was a survey week for
students enrolled full-time in Polk's
school system. The numbers determine
the amount of funding awarded from
the state, which currently equals $6,132
per student. Enrollment as of Tuesday's
School Board meeting was 93,500 stu-
dents, which includes charter schools.
The official count started Sept. 30.
Juggling numbers and shuffling stu-
dents to meet the survey week deadline
was easier in some schools than in
others. Ann Tankson, associate super-
intendent of school-based operations,
explained to the school board what was
entailed in meeting class size goals.
Discussion included the county's


strategy of clustering schools in close
proximity to one another to make it
easier for families in regard to transpor-
tation issues. Earlier this year, a cluster
of three to five neighboring elementary
schools were created and utilized in
meeting class size quotas.
"At elementary levels, we are meeting
class size this school year," said Tank-
son. "We did this by adding 35 co-teach
positions and we moved 410 students
across the district in cluster schools. It's
working well since parents have been
very understanding and the schools
have been very caring about it. In mid-
dle and high schools we're still working
on it. We monitor those numbers daily,
hourly, and minutely to make sure we
-do meet class size at that level."
Under the class size amendment, no
more than 18 students should be in a
classroom at the kindergarten through
third-grade levels and no more than
22 students in classrooms for fourth
through eighth grade levels. High
schools need to keep their count to 25
students in classrooms. If the district
violates those numbers with overcrowd-
ing, they are to pay a penalty of $3,000


per student.
Superintendent of Schools Sherrie
Nickell feels the process of keeping class
size within the limits has gone as well as
can be expected and credits Tankson for
her dedication to the daunting task.
"This lady has personally been on
the phone with parents to make sure
that they understand the process," said
Nickell. "Achieving this movement within
the clusters has been quite a process. It's
amazing to see that we're placing kids in
these schools within 24 hours."
Typically, if a parent goes to enroll
their child into a school that has reached
class size capacity, the principal finds the
nearest school that has an open slot. If
the parent is unable to drive their child
to that school and busing or transpor-
tation arrangements must be made, a
student can temporarily begin at one
school even if it is overcrowded and then
be transferred to the school chosen that
does have room available as soon as
transportation is arranged.
Looking to the future, board mem-
bers plan to keep class size down by
continuing to encourage early enroll-
ment for next school year by posting


messages on the marquis outside of the
schools alerting students and parents.
Letters will also go out to parents who
enroll their child late alerting them that
the child can enroll, but it will be at a
different school.
The issue hit hard with school board
member Frank O'Reilly who witnessed
during a visit to area high schools last
week just how many students come in
to enroll when there simply is no room.
"I wish to God's name the Legisla-
ture would deal with this issue," said
O'Reilly. "This problem cost us $7
million dollars last year, not to men-
tion manpower. When is it going to get
across to people that we're being taken
to the cleaners? This has to be solved."
Board member Lori Cunningham
offered her choice for a solution by
saying she would like to see the class
size count work in the same format as it
does for charter schools.
"With charters the count is taken
by school, not by the classroom," said
Cunningham. "This would work and
wouldn't disrupt kids after school starts.
It would be good for the students and
good for the parents, so it makes sense."


Page 10A The Polk County Democrat


October 15, 2011







October 15, 2011 The Polk County Democrat Page 1 lA


ARRESTS

Oct.3
Andrew Stasen, 24, 1982 E Blvd. -
battery and aggravated battery causing
bodily harm.
Jesse Oliphant, 17, 7611 Sinkhole
Road possession of a controlled
substance without a prescription, pos-
session of paraphernalia, grand theft of
a motor vehicle.
Sandra Leonard, 53, 820 Childs
Avenue out-of-county warrant,
possession of a controlled substance
without a prescription and possession
of paraphernalia.
Jessie Oliphant, 17, 7611 Sinkhole Road
- robbery with a firearm and larceny.

Oct. 4
Nicolas Peed, 24, 980 E. Church Street
C 305.- violation of probation.
Linda Smith, 55, 1485 Austin Street -
violation of probation.
Tiffany Hodges, 24, 4535 David Drive
- failure to appear.

Oct.5
Kiira Smith, 26, 715 Childs Avenue
- possession of cocaine, possession of
marijuana and resisting arrest without
violence.


Wadsworth Whitehead, 54, 1195 S.
Woodlawn Avenue larceny.
Orlando Trinidad, 39, 5515 Englands
Court driving with a suspended license.
Carlos Henao, 18, 557 Hankin Road -
violation of probation.

Oct. 6
Nathan Legg, 21, 3103 Meadow Lane
- battery.
David Henry, 29, 980 E. Church Street
C-105 failure to appear.
Danny Goodman, 61, 780 W. Da-
vidson Street Lot 11 driving with a
suspended license.
Nathaniel Toothman, 21, 305 Citrus
Highlands Drive cruelty toward a
child, obstructing justice-evidence tam-
pering, and battery.
Eric Mcfayden, 27, 1260 Spring Court
- out-of-county warrant.
Eric Rookard, 21, 750 Kathy Road -
burglary.
Anthony Grelishaus, 19, 1060
Golfview #3 contempt of court-viola-
tion of injunction protection domestic
violence.
Alejandro Hernandez, 41, 5716 Wells
Road larceny, trespassing and dealing
in stolen property.
Mauricio Hernandez, 37, 350 Han-
kins Road dealing in stolen property,
trespassing and larceny.


Gregory Herndon, 40, 4301 Scott
Drive violation of probation.

Oct.7
Darla Kenney, 30, 7332 Thomas Jef-
ferson battery.
Michael Mach, 39, 904 S. Lakeview
Avenue battery.
Jody Johnson, 37, 5949 Vaughn Road
- violation of probation.
Samuel Fabila, 30, 1510 E. Georgia
303 driving with a suspended license,
possession of a controlled substance
without a prescription and possession
of paraphernalia.
Terry Pickles, 46, 595 Searcy Avenue
C failure to appear

Oct.8
Jose Benites, 20, 4725 Hunt Road -
driving with a suspended license.
James Hatfield, 25, 890 Grove Drive
- possession of a controlled substance
without a prescription, possession of mari-
juana and possession of paraphernalia.
Jorge Jiminez-Cupil, 40, 780 Davidson
Street #101 driving with a suspended
license.
Yashira Dejesus, 31, 3438 N. Minus
Street driving with a suspended license.
Mary Arnett, 59, 2405 E. Hwy 60 Lot
210 aggravated stalking and con-
tempt of court-violation of a injunction


protection domestic violence.
Lakeisha Gatlin, 30, 2580 Chestnut
Woods Drive DUI.
Erasmo Contreras, 52, 495 N. Ethal-
ine Road driving with a suspended
license.
Julio Salazar, 21, 640 S. Broadway Av-
enue driving without a valid license.
Arron Clock, 24, 584 Moose Lodge Road
- driving with a suspended license.
Joel Delgado, 20, 1350 Carmen Av-
enue possession of marijuana.

Oct.9
Frances Bostic, 30, 2190 Greentree
Court violation of probation.
Kristal Simpson, 33, 1145 E. Gay
Street failure to appear.

Oct.10
Billy Harrell, 50, 8730 Alturas Road S.
- criminal mischief and battery.

Oct. 11
Jose Aguilar, 24, 505 Pearl Street -
possession of marijuana and possession
of paraphernalia.
Antonio Bermudez, 24, 760 Marion
Place driving with a suspended li-
cense. Thomas Flynn, 23, 1575 E. North
Street passing a forged instrument.
Shavonda West, 32, 1050 Golfview
Avenue #506 violation of probation.


The Polk County Democrat Page 11A


October 15, 2011







Pae1ATePl onyDeortOtbr1,21


Gov. Rick Scott (left) and Sen. JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales, talk Wednesday morning at Ray-Bob
Groves in Alturas during the annual citrus crop estimate.


CROP
FROM PAGE 1A
Rep. Ben Albritton, Secretary of
Agriculture Adam Putnam, state Sen.
and Appropriations Committee Chair
JD Alexander and State Rep. and House
Appropriations Committee Chair De-
nise Grimsley greeted the growers.
Albritton works 350 acres of fam-
ily groves and enjoyed attending the
- breakfast.
"Part of it is a culture," said Albritton.
"We look forward to it.
"It's kind of like a traditional holiday.
We celebrate citrus for a day."
Putnam is also a citrus grower.
"This builds camaraderie in the


industry and brings people together,"
said Putnam, Bartow native.
Albritton cited the movie "Trading
Places" as an example of how the com-
modity markets function.
Typically a higher crop estimate
drives prices that growers receive
down. Prices regularly rise when a
smaller crop is projected.
Citrus might still garner more value
this year for growers since less product
is warehoused than usual, according to
several growers.
Although other organizations make
earlier projections, the USDA estimate
is still recognized as the benchmark
standard. The USDA numberkeepers
are reportedly sequestered the night
before the announcement.


PHOTO BY BILL RETTEW JR.
A Citrus Mutual Worker marks the board Wednesday during the annual citrus crop estimates.


"It's very sensitive, but not as sensitive
as it was 30 years ago," said Albritton.
Putnam said that the statistics imme-
diately posted at the breakfast "set the
tone" for what growers can expect to
recover for their fruit. Putnam said that
the yearly estimate spreads "tentacles
into every aspect of the industry."
During a lighter moment and as part
of a grove tour, Putnam told the gover-
nor that he had hand-harvested fruit
and pruned trees after freezes.
"But I'm no Abe Lincoln," Putnam
told Scott.
Traditionally a shotgun is given away
to the lottery-winning-grower mak-
ing the closest projection prior to the


USDA crop estimate. This year the win-
ner received a grill suitable for place-
ment on the tailgate of pickup truck in
the parking lot prior to a Gators game.
Scott was just a million off with his
guess at 148 million boxes of oranges.
As part of a news release, MichaelW.
Sparks, executive VP/CEO of the event's
sponsor, Florida Citrus Mutual, said that
he has visited several groves statewide.
"This number is not a surprise," said
Sparks. "We've had good rain over the
summer and large bloom in the spring so
this is pretty close to what we expected."
Ellis Hunt, of Hunt Brothers said the
projection was the perfect number.
"It hit the sweet spot," said Hunt.


LEGACY
FROM PAGE 1A
due to the number of the items. For
many of the veterans, especially from
the WWII era, it might be too long.
"We need to massage this pro-
gram," he said.
His concerns prompted a brain-
storming session over how and
where to trim.
S However, much conversation was
devoted to the videotape presen-
tation. Each person interviewed
was promised his or her own copy.
However, how many other copies
should be made, and had it been
determined who and/or what enti-
ties should receive them. Also, would
copies be available for purchase. If
the latter, what would be necessary?
Would those interviewed need to


sign releases, as well as would the
interviews be considered copyright-
ed material were some of the ques-
tions arisen.
There was one other aspect regard-
ing the interviews.
"How politically correct did they
have to be?" asked Frisbie. He was
specifically speaking about those he
had interviewed who had seen action
in the Pacific theater during WWII.
"They referred to them as 'Japs,' but
that was the vernacular."
The consensus was there would be
no editing for political correctness.
It was decided the next meet-
ing would be 4 p.m., Oct. 21, in the
board room at the Greater Bartow
Chamber of Commerce, 510 N.
Broadway Ave.
"Please, let's get as much of this
finished up," said Ridgway. "Nov. 11
will be here before you know it."


--




t n rup -tu. t z ....= t Io- ... .O

Ld. a ve......3.... t est


PHOTO BY STEVE STEINER


SLAMS
FROM PAGE 1A
await adjudication," he was meticulous
outlining the extensive training, profes-
sionalism and experience the detention
deputies have received. A Polk County
Sheriff's Office Detention Deputy work-
ing in juvenile custody areas will have
a minimum of 871 hours of training in
addition to 39 hours of annual train-
ing for every additional year employed,
mandatory FDLE retraining, and other
optional training that he or she may take.
In comparison, the Department of Juve-
nile Justice has a minimum requirement
for DJJ Detention Officers which totals
240 hours.
Judd was quick to point out that the
Department of Juvenile Justice has no
outside accreditations.
"The State of Florida has zero ac-
creditation and the sheriff's office has
five. We're the only sheriff's office in the
nation with dual accreditations. We take
pride in that and I have to ask this ques-
tion to the State of Florida. Why aren't


you accredited?" Judd said.
To address the stated concerns by the
ACLU and NAACP, Judd insisted juveniles
at the Juvenile Detention Facility are kept
strictly away from adult inmates in every
way including sight, sound and during
transportation. Juveniles go to educa-
tional classes taught by the Polk County
School Board and have a 9 p.m. bed
curfew. The facility follows the same clas-
sification rules as the DJJ and is operated
under the Florida Model Jail Standards
with inspections taking place annually.
The Sheriff's Office also conducts internal
staff inspections at all PCSO facilities.
When asked if Judd would consider
the requests byACLU and the NAACP to
stop housing juveniles in the county jail,
he said only when they offer to reimburse
Polk County the $1.4 million to $2 million
this will save taxpayers per year and only
when they can guarantee someone would
be watching over the juveniles with the
same high standards of training provided
to them now.
"These are just silly people slinging
mud," said Judd. "We're just going to keep
on doing what we're doing."


The committee organizing this year's Veteran's Day salute are hard at work putting the finishing
touches to this year's commemoration.


October 15, 2011


Page 12A The Polk County Democrat






October 15, 2011 The Polk County Democrat Page 13A


CALENDAItn


ARTS
Sunday, Oct. 23
Annual Cornucopia Art Show Recep-
tion, 3-5 p.m. BartowArt Guild will
have show throughout October and
November. Bartow Public Library, 2150
S. Broadway, Bartow, 534-0131.

CLUBS
Tuesday Oct. 18
Golden Age Club, noon, members
bring 2 white elephant gifts unwrapped.
Bartow Civic Center, 2250 S. Floral Ave,
Barrow. (863) 519-8688.

Tuesday, Oct. 18
Master Gardener Program, 9 a.m.-3
p.m., $125.00 to cover cost of books and
materials. Polk County Extension Office,
1702 Highway 17 South, Bartow. For
Further Information: Call David Shibles
at (863) 519-8677, ext. 109 or www.
polkhort.com.

Wednesday, Oct. 19
Writing Your Life Story with D J Os-
borne, 1-2:30 p.m., Understanding your
Dreams with Shirley Curtis-Ference,
2:30-4 p.m., $5 donation suggested. The
Center for Personal Growth, 151 Second
Street SW, Winter Haven. djosbomefl@
yahoo.com or (863) 293-3594 to register.

COMMUNITY
Saturday, Oct. 15
Pix and Popcorn at the Library, 2:30
p.m. Bartow Public Library, 2150 S
Broadway Ave., Bartow, (863) 534-0131.
Saturday, Oct. 15
Boktoberfest Plant Sale, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
The third annual Boktoberfest Plant Sale
with free admission. Live entertainment,
German food, craft beers, tree climb-
ing and children's activities. Bok Tower
Gardens, 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales,
676-1408; www.boktoberfestcom

Saturday, Oct. 15
Faith Equine Rescue fundraiser
gates open at 8 a.m., classes begin at
9 a.m., free. Fee for classes on English
and Western riding, skeet events, trail,
halter. To raise money for land for
rescued horses and for hay and feed for
the horses. Seeking vendors for event.
Call (863) 608-0827 if interested. Bartow
Arena, U.S. 17 North.

Sunday, Oct. 16
City G with Seventy7, 5:30 p.m. music
6-8 p.m. Free, but a Love Offering/Do-
nation will be accepted. The Venue, 385
E. Main St., Bartow, (863) 430-2410


Monday, Oct. 17
Celebration of Polk County in Story
and Song, 7:30 p.m., free. Phillip O'Brien,
elementary School Children's Chrous,
Shannon Pierce, a storyteller. Bartow
Civic Center, 2250 S. Floral Ave., Bartow.

Monday, Oct. 17
Computer Classes, Microsoft Word,
1 p.m. Bartow Public Library, 2150 S
Broadway Ave., Bartow, (863) 534-0131.

Tuesday, Oct. 18
6-8 Year-Old Story Time, 3:30 p.m.,
books read by Bartow's Children's Li-
brarian. Bartow Public Library, 2150 S.
Broadway, Bartow, 534-0131.

Wednesday, Oct. 19
3-5 Year-Old Story Time, 10 a.m.,
children learn from books read to them.
Bartow Public Library, 2150 S. Broad-
way, Bartow, 534-0131.

Thursday, Oct. 20-Friday, Oct. 21
Ghosts of BartowWalking Tour, 7-9
p.m., $6. One-hour guided walk around
the blocks surrounding the Old Polk
County Courthouse. Tours not recom-
mended for ages 10 and under. Tours
are scheduled for family night Thursday
Oct. 20, 7-9 p.m..00 per person. Polk
County Historical Museum, 100 E. Main
St., Bartow. (863) 534-4386

Thursday, Oct. 20
Mother/Daughter Book Discussion
Group is for girls ages 9-12, 4 p.m. Mr.
Popper's Penguins by Richard & Flor-
ence Atwater. Receive free copy when
registering at Circulation Desk. Bartow
Public Library, 2150 S Broadway Ave.,
Bartow, (863) 534-0131.

Thursday, Oct. 20
Open House, TiAnViCa Riding Acade-
my, 4:30-6:30 p.m., free. 3350 State Road
60 E, Bartow. Visit http://tianvica.org/
for contact and donation information.

EDUCATION'
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Bartow High/International Baccalau-
reate/Summerlin Academy open house,
5:30 p.m.-7:35 p.m. Video and parents
to visit classrooms. Bartow High School,
1270 S. Broadway, Bartow. 534-7400.

GOVERNMENT
Monday, Oct. 17
Bartow City Commission, 5:30 p.m.
work session, 6:30 board meeting, 450
N. Wilson Ave. 534-0100.

Tuesday, Oct. 18
County Growth meeting, Polk State


Tuesday Thursday
8 BallPooTournament All You Care To Eat
signupft7:30p.m. Baby Back B-B-Q Ribs
$SEntry Fee WI LOT OF CASHI with Beans and Fries
40C Wings in Only $ 1 p9 Dne-inonly
Withpurdaseofanibeverage With purdseofany
11a.m.-8:30 pm b-emge4pm.- &30Opm

Wednesday Saturday
Ladies Nite Ladies Night
7pm 11pm Ladies drink free 9pm 12:30t
Karaoke & ditil2am No cover. DAs til 2 am.


H''A


Friday
AllYou Core To Drink
Unlimited Wells andDrafts
ONLY$1t 9pm. -I230a.m.
withDs 'til2a.m.
LiveEntertainmentby
Paige Cstle5- 8pm. Dinnerspedals
**- .. .- -


S2951 Hwy 27North Avon Park, FL *(863) 453-9438
4 mile South of Polk County Line on U.S. 27 Closed Sunday


Just as he has done for Halloween over the last 10 years, Sean Serdynski decoratesthe
front of his house at 1970 Kissengen Avenue S. He does the same at Christmastime. This
year using stuff in his garage, he built two 10-foot statues in his front yard in two days
to go with his science fiction theme that indudes Star Trek and Dr. Who decorations.
Serdynski owns SLS Entertainment.


College, 999 Ave. H, NE in the Student
Center, Building WST 126, Winter Haven.

HEALTH
Saturday, Oct. 15
FamilyWellness Day, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
To promote healthy living, exercise and
nutrition. Races, activities for kids fun
run K9 demonstration, Zumba, skin
care basic, fire truck display. Summerlin
Park.

Tuesday, Oct. 18
Hospice Volunteer Training, 8:30 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m. Part of four classes people
must attend for 16-hour certification
and interested participants should
plan to attend all four training. Lake
Gibson Church of the Nazarene, 6868
N. Socrum Loop Road, Lakeland -(863)
291-5567

Wednesday, Oct. 19
Recovery for Life group, 11:30-noon
and noon- 1 p.m., free lunch. Leland
Family Ministries Office 1715 U.S. 17 S.,
Bartow, 519-0000 or info@lelandfamily
ministries.com

Thursday, Oct. 20
Hospice Volunteer Training, 8:30 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m. Part of four classes people
must attend for 16-hour certification
and interested participants should
plan to attend all four training. Lake
Gibson Church of the Nazarene, 6868
N. Socrum Loop Road, Lakeland (863)
291-5567


RELIGION
Sunday, Oct. 16
52nd Anniversary of The Holy Proph-
eteers, 7 p.m. Program has Anita Wanda
Johnson, Gramps Golden Harps, Echoes
of Joy, Voice of God and Tom Mizell.
There will also be various choirs and
quartet groups. Carver Recreation Cen-
ter, 520 S. Idlewood Ave., Bartow.

Sunday, Oct. 23
157th homecoming celebration,
10 a.m. Music provided by the Royal
City Family Ministries. Featured guest
speaker will be Rev. Anthony Goff. Peace
Creek Baptist, 3070 State Road 60 E., Bar-
tow. (863) 533-9263 or www.peacecreek
baptistorg for more information.









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Science fiction Halloween

3i. --T~"MWS W s-s'


PHOTO PROVIDED I


Ir NAIt ImKFIIFU1,A


The Polk County Democrat Page 13A


October 15, 2011







Pae1ATePl onyDeortOtbr1,21


It's for your own good


Can't begin to recount how many
times I heard my mother tell me,
"It's for your own good." It got to
the point you expected it ... you knew
it was coming. It was so predictable
that you just didn't pay attention.
Not paying attention is a cause for
concern in a lot of ways, especially
when it comes to the unpredictable.
One of the "It's for your own good"
lessons as a child dealt with rain-
storms. If I saw lightning, I was to
get inside. Sure, mom. I'll do that.
But, one day, as a high school junior,
at a time when I was a bullet-proof
teenager, we were on the 17th tee and
a storm was brewing. We thought we
can finish this because it looks like
the lightning is far away.
Until it hit the 16th green and the
two guys who were finishing the hole
as we were about to hit our second
shots. They were teammates on the
high school golf team. Both would
survive, but it gave me and my play-
ing partner a valuable life lesson.
This year, weather has delayed one
Bartow High School varsity football
game and nearly played a role in the
Kathleen contest last weekend. For
the junior varsity, weather has can-
celled one and suspended another.
During the suspension at the recent
game, the players were ordered off
the field. It would have been a good
idea for the fans to follow suit but few
did, choosing instead to sit on the
metal stands.
Well, we got lucky that time. No
one was hurt, there were no lightning
strikes and play eventually resumed.
As a result, no one will give the situ-
ation much thought when the situ-
ation arises again. It usually doesn't
get any play until it happens some-
where else.
In September, there were two seri-
ous lightning strikes that comes to
mind. One, at an amusement park,
resulted in the loss of a life. The
other, at a high school football game,
injured two people. That game was in
central Florida involving Wekiva High
School, the team that played George
Jenkins last weekend.
SThe Florida High School Athletic


arry an be contacted at
ortow56@igmoil.om.


Association does more than find out
if the players are getting benefits to
transfer to other schools. The organi-
zation is there for all matters of the
games, including safety.
In their football sport manual, the
Florida High School'Athletic As-
sociation spells out the procedure
to be followed. Rule 32.1 states, "If
a thunderstorm or electrical storm
occurs in the area prior to the start
or during any outdoor contest, the
officials must immediately contact
the principal or his/her designee of
each school involved in the contest
to determine if the contest should be
played as schedule, delayed, sus-
pended or postponed."
Rule 32.2 adds, "The safety and
welfare of all concerned is of para-
mount importance. In no case may
an official deny a request by a princi-
pal or his/her designee to delay, sus-
pend or postpone an outdoor contest
due to inclement weather."
In speaking with different officials
who work games throughout the
region at all levels, the responsibil-
ity of the game officials involves
the players, coaches and officiating
crew. The men and women in striped
shirts have no domain over the spec-
tators, who are typically informed
by the PA announcer and requested
to leave the stands. If there's noth-
ing happening on the field, it would
make sense to be elsewhere. You can
be assured that a suspension of play
in a high school football game is a
minimum 30 minutes. During the
period, game officials and school
officials monitor the skies and
other reliable means to work toward
resumption, rescheduling or other
actions required.


PHOTOS BY MIKE CREECH
Bartow's Aaron Garrison goes down against Hardee High School earlier this year at Bartow
Memorial Stadium. With rain happening almost every Friday this year the safety of students on
the field is a concern.


Back in the day of that golf course in-
cident, which did not occur in Florida,
there was no policy in place for the
golf course. It was common sense,
something teenagers might have in an
undeveloped state. Today, golf courses
have become proactive. Bartow Golf
Course Pro Shop Manager Cecil Peek
said the course keeps a close eye on
the weather. When conditions war-
rant, the course will activate a warning
horn that can be easily heard at any
point. Golfers should then head to one
of the shelters on the course or return
to the clubhouse. Given the lay of the
land of the Bartow course, those safety
spots are never far from the players.
While some courses have been known
to send out rangers to bring in those
who ignore warnings, this practice only
jeopardizes the ranger or rangers that
are sent out into the situation. Just
like the fans in the stands at a football
game, it's the individual's responsibility
to seek safety.
It usually takes a tragedy to get
people to pay attention. Let's try it
without one and see how it works out.

Honor Our Troops
On Thursday, Oct. 13, the Bartow


High School girls volleyball match with
Haines City at the Bartow High School
gym carried extra meaning. The Bartow
volleyball teams have joined with the
Summerlin Academy lacrosse team
to support Americans. There will be a
special seating section open to service
personnel, veterans and their families.
Care packages were put together for
Lancers 2-5 Cav, 1st Brigade, 1st cav-
alry in Iraq and the 1st Cavalry, Ren-
egade 6 Company in Afghanistan.
Admission to the game was any-
thing for the care packages for
those who are serving. In addition,
a collection was taken to benefit the
Wounded Warriors Project, a public
aid program to address the needs of
wounded soldiers.
Immediately following the best-of-
three series, a color guard and band
played. Introduction of honored
guests and a moment of silence for
those lost was presented, followed by
the playing of Taps.
The varsity teams were introduced
and the games between Haines City
and Bartow (a best-of-five match)
concluded the action.
The Summerlin Academy Raider
Team Competition also provided
entertainment.


Sophomore Dimitri Leverett sees a receiver downfield. Playing games in the rainfall has become
a concern this year.


Spe lists
of MidFlorida,P.A.


!t ^(iq in Your cia^( es

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October 15, 2011


Page 14A The Polk County Democrat






October 15, 2011 The Polk County Democrat Page iSA


Costume contest for kids set


The Crickette Club's annual Costume
Contest is at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27
at Mosaic Park Stage. It will follow the
69th annual parade and is part of the
carnival that follows the parade that
starts at 5 p.m.
The contest is open to anyone up to
12 years old and Vice Mayor Leo Long-
worth emcees the event.
Registration forms will be available at
the stage area from 5-5:50 p.m. Entry is
free. Contestants are to take the com-
pleted registration form and line up at the
stage area five minutes before their age
division's contest time. A parent or guard-
ian consent must be provided for the


child's picture/name to be in the media.
Contest times are:
Birth to 9 months: 6 p.m.
10-18 months: about 6:10 p.m.
19 months-2 years: about 6:20 p.m.
3-4 years: about 6:30 p.m.
5-6 years: about 6:40 p.m.
7-9 years: about 6:50 p.m.
10-12 years: about 7 p.m.
Trophies will be awarded for first, sec-
ond and third place in each age division.
Costumes will be judged on originality
and overall appearance. Each contestant
will receive a certificate of participation
and one game ticket for a Crickette Club-
sponsored carnival game.


Glenda Losh is featured artist


A program for the Bartow Art Guild
at 7 p.m. Monday Oct. 17 will feature
Glenda Losh.
The featured artist is the owner of the
newly opened {tay-cho} art gallery at
195 S. Central Ave., Bartow.
She grew up in Miami and graduated
from Florida International University with
a BA in Fine Art and a minor in Art His-
tory. She is presently working on finding
her way through art and painting using


various mediums such as oils, pastels,
encaustics, and mixed media.
The program will feature her work in
encaustics which involves mixtures of
beeswax and damar resin crystals. Inter-
esting effects are achieved and this pro-
gram will be an educational adventure.
The meeting is at the Adult Lounge at
the Bartow Civic Center, 2250 S. Floral
Ave. Meetings are open to the general
public and all are welcome.


Musical lunch at the library


LIBRARY PHOTOS
Bartow High School musicians presented a musical program for the monthly Brown Bag
Lunch at Bartow Public Library Oct. 4. Taking part were (from left) Alex Gesselman, senior,
trumpet; Matthew Nave, senior, baritone sax; Jose Martinez, sophomore, clarinet; Jesus
Martinez, sophomore, trumpet; Bianca Mulaney, senior, flute; Dillon Mendoza, senior,
percussion; and Mindi Mulligan, assistant director of bands. More than 30 people attended
the program. Made available free by the Friends of the Bartow Public Library, the next
concert will be the BHS jazz combo on Tuesday, Nov. 1, from noon-1 p.m. For more informa-
tion call Roxanne Tovrea at 534-0131.


Stanford getting into Halloween spirit


With Halloween coming, the Stanford
Inn is getting into the spirit.
For $40 per person people can take
part in the Apollo Paranormal Dinner
Investigation on Friday, Oct. 21.
The second Spirits of the Night ghost
tour is happening and the Inn plans to
bring in visitors from around the world.
Some people have said they believe
there are lingering resident spirits that
many have reported encountering dur-
ing their visits.
During the tour, paranormal re-
searchers will attempt to find answers
to these and other mysteries of the inn.
They will share intriguing paranormal
evidence, haunted history, and tales
that should never be told.
Guests can bring handheld research
equipment, cameras, recorders, and
spare batteries. Recommended attire
includes comfortable clothing and flat


soft-soled footwear.
To participate you must be 16 or
older, anyone under 18 must be accom-
panied by an adult.
The show starts at 6 p.m. and din-
ner (for a nominal price) will be served.
Reservations are required for dinner. Call
(863) 533-2393 to make a reservation.
Next month there will be a murder
mystery dinner with an appearance by
psychic Warren Rice.
Romance novelist Rachel Grey will
read an excerpt from her latest novel
in "The Savage Series," and her sister,
Diana Grey Rice, will offer inspirational
advice from her own experience in over-
coming tremendous obstacles.
Guests will follow the clues and help
the detective solve the case while enjoy-
ing a gourmet dinner. The cost of the
evening is $45. Call 533-2393 to make a
reservation.


More than 30 people attended the October musical Brown Bag Lunch. The concerts take
place the first Tuesday of each month through April, from noon to almost 1 p.m. upstairs
at Bartow Public Library. Those attending may bring lunch and enjoy a free music program
courtesy of the Bartow High School and Southeastern University music programs. The next
concert will feature the BHS jazz combo on Nov. 1. Bartow High School Assistant Director of
Bands Mindi Mulligan (in red shirt) introduced the musicians.


Meeting is Bingo
Golden Age Club's meeting on Tues-
day will feature a Bingo game and an
an educational event for annual open
enrollment for Medicare Advantage.
The meeting starts at noon on Tuesday


Oct. 18 at the Bartow Civic Center and the
Medicare event starts at 1:30 p.m.
Companies represented will be
United Healthcare and Universal Health
Care Group.
For questions call (863) 533-5985.


ast seen on Georgia Street and Hwy 17
2 Years Old
fI Poodle Mix
SShort, Black Hair
SWhite Chest
Blue Collar with Tag
If you find him or have any information
please call863-534-3128 or 863-640-5782


Golden Age features Bingo,

Medicare info


October 15, 2011


The Polk County Democrat Page 15A





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aP e 16A The Polk Coun t


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