In retrospect, the experience taught me a couple of valuable lessons.
In 1945, John B. Thornhill, son of Columbus Thornhill, told the local newspaper of his family’s arrival in the area. Columbus Thornhill was one of the area’s earliest residents, having come to the area from Georgia in 1865.
It seems hard to believe — almost impossible to believe — that little more than 100 years ago the women of this country did not have the right to vote. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its passage on August 18, 2020, and the general election that…
When a call comes in to our house phone (rather than one of our cell phones), odds are it is a junk call or a scam.
You’ve probably hear me say once or twice that I’ve been in the law enforcement business for a long, long time — four decades, as a matter of fact. I started out in what was called the “radio room” and my dad had to buy the bullets when I became a deputy, because I was too young. If you need…
Over the past several years there has been a very public discussion about the future of downtown’s historic Ritz Theatre. After a group of concerned local business leaders offered to serve on the struggling theatre’s Board and were rebuffed, a “Friends of the Ritz Theatre” group formed and t…
A civic club program presented by the American Cancer Society last week brought back memories of smoking — from a standpoint of both etiquette and health — memories that date back couple of generations.
Crimes can happen in the blink of an eye — or a quick “smash” to your car window.
The late Bob Swift had enjoyed a highly successful career as a newspaper reporter. While ending his career at the Miami Herald, his early work included stints with both the News Chief and The (Lakeland) Ledger.
What’s the difference between Little League Baseball and the federal government?
Tax-filing season is coming. According to the Internal Revenue Service, it begins on Monday, January 28th, when the IRS starts accepting and processing paper and electronic tax returns.
The Herald, a Winter Haven weekly newspaper, ceased publication some years ago. Published by George and Josephine Burr, the paper often chronicled events from Winter Haven's early history. Here are a few excerpts from May 27, 1955.
They’re the men and women behind the scenes helping keep Polk County clean and beautiful, polishing up their tarnished records by paying for their crime working in the community, not sitting in jail.
My career in community journalism began on July 26, 1964, a date I can remember because it was the day after I was discharged from two years in the Active Army.
“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’”
On Tuesday, my personal odometer will roll over to 78 years. On this occasion for the past few years, I have reflected on what I have learned in my life. I tinker with the list a little each year. Most of what I have learned, I learned from others.
Inwood is a large unincorporated area in northwest Winter Haven. It is bounded by the shore of Lake Cannon to the east, Havendale Boulevard to the north, 42nd Street to the west and Avenue G or Lake Deer to the South. It has evolved into a diverse mixture of mostly blue-collar families. It i…
This week, we continue with a look back to a Chamber of Commerce brochure published in 1929, just prior to the Great Depression.
As the vast majority of Americans rushed to complete the purchase and delivery of gifts, then turned to celebrating both the religious and secular traditions of Christmas Day, some 800,000 employees of the nation’s largest and most inefficient bureaucracy were impacted by a partial governmen…
Over the past several years there has been a very public discussion about the future of downtown’s historic Ritz Theatre. After a group of concerned local business leaders offered to serve on the struggling theatre’s Board and were rebuffed, a “Friends of the Ritz Theatre” group formed and t…
A civic club program presented by the American Cancer Society last week brought back memories of smoking — from a standpoint of both etiquette and health — memories that date back couple of generations.
Crimes can happen in the blink of an eye — or a quick “smash” to your car window.
The late Bob Swift had enjoyed a highly successful career as a newspaper reporter. While ending his career at the Miami Herald, his early work included stints with both the News Chief and The (Lakeland) Ledger.
What’s the difference between Little League Baseball and the federal government?
Tax-filing season is coming. According to the Internal Revenue Service, it begins on Monday, January 28th, when the IRS starts accepting and processing paper and electronic tax returns.
The Herald, a Winter Haven weekly newspaper, ceased publication some years ago. Published by George and Josephine Burr, the paper often chronicled events from Winter Haven's early history. Here are a few excerpts from May 27, 1955.
They’re the men and women behind the scenes helping keep Polk County clean and beautiful, polishing up their tarnished records by paying for their crime working in the community, not sitting in jail.
My career in community journalism began on July 26, 1964, a date I can remember because it was the day after I was discharged from two years in the Active Army.
“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’”
On Tuesday, my personal odometer will roll over to 78 years. On this occasion for the past few years, I have reflected on what I have learned in my life. I tinker with the list a little each year. Most of what I have learned, I learned from others.
Inwood is a large unincorporated area in northwest Winter Haven. It is bounded by the shore of Lake Cannon to the east, Havendale Boulevard to the north, 42nd Street to the west and Avenue G or Lake Deer to the South. It has evolved into a diverse mixture of mostly blue-collar families. It i…
This week, we continue with a look back to a Chamber of Commerce brochure published in 1929, just prior to the Great Depression.
As the vast majority of Americans rushed to complete the purchase and delivery of gifts, then turned to celebrating both the religious and secular traditions of Christmas Day, some 800,000 employees of the nation’s largest and most inefficient bureaucracy were impacted by a partial governmen…
As a law enforcement agency, we often caution people about their use of social media. And while there are some things on the internet that can be dangerous, especially for children, social media does have some good things to offer.
The year was 1965 and Florida was participating in the New York World’s Fair, but the Florida Pavilion was not performing well.
Many years ago — make that many, many years ago — I began struggling with that problem that has vexed parents for generations: Is there a Santa Claus?
In the unincorporated areas of Polk County, we are currently enjoying a 46-year low crime rate. You may have heard me mention that before, but it’s an awesome statistic — and one that really shows how great it is to live here.
In 1936 Winter Haven published a brochure presenting a "summary of Winter Haven's many places of beauty and interest.” A simple black-and-white publication, it features a cover photograph of winter visitors playing shuffleboard.
It looks like, despite competition from North Carolina and one or two other states, Florida will maintain its preeminence for at least another voting cycle as America’s least skilled state in counting votes.
