Search this site

Polk County is fortunate to have so many wonderful arts festivals. From the Swan City Jazz Festival to the Lake Wales Arts Festival, to Winter Haven’s Central Park Art Festival, there are numerous opportunities to peruse fantastic visual art or hear great music. What’s missing, however, is a literary festival. When I first became Executive Director of the Polk Arts & Cultural Alliance, I wanted PACA to produce arts and cultural events that were missing from our wonderful arts and cultural landscape – think Shakespeare-in-the-Park, or a children’s book festival. This month, we’re taking a small step towards that goal with the first-ever Polk Tales: A Storytelling Festival. Working with Rogue Stage and the Orlando Story Club, we’re excited to announce that nationally recognized storyteller, Paul Strickland will be joining us for three days of interactive storytelling fun. The festival kicks off on February 9 at 8 pm in the Ghostlight Lounge at Theatre Winter Haven with Paul performing a solo set of stories that are sure to ignite your imagination. The next evening, February 10, Strickland returns with some special guests to the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland for a 5 pm performance. Joining Strickland will be members of the Orlando Story Club and Thom Mesrobian, performing as Sharktooth Sam. Wrapping up the weekend festivities will be a children’s storytelling concert at the Florida Children’s Museum at Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland. That event begins at 1 pm. Strickland, who originally wanted to be a songwriter, has come to see storytelling as a vital part of our communities. “We live in a time of apart-ness,” Strickland said. “People spend so much time ‘alone’ on our devices.” This “aloneness” Strickland noted often runs counter to our communal nature. “We are social creatures. And taking in a story in a group setting is a part of an ancient experience. There’s something truly unifying in that collective experience,” he said. Thom Mesrobian, who has performed on numerous local stages in Lakeland, Winter Haven, and Orlando also recognizes the value a storytelling festival brings to Polk County. “I started Rogue Stage because I know just how much people need to hear stories. It’s the core of our human experience, and I can’t wait to see it blossom here in Polk County,” he said. Danielle Ziss and Bobby Wesley, who host Orlando Story Club events, are also excited to be bringing this artform to Polk County. “It’s an honor to participate in building connections via storytelling across central Florida,” Ziss said. “Watching relationships form after an audience engages in a teller’s story is such a rewarding experience. Some of my closest friends were made at OSC shows,” she added. Polk Tales: A Storytelling Festival will be the first time the OSC storytelling team has performed in Polk. Strickland, who will conclude the festival with Sharktooth Sam at the Florida Children’s Museum on Sunday, encourages patrons to attend as many of the festival performances as possible. “Every performance is a little different. I always adapt the telling of the stories a bit – on the fly – to best communicate the most important things within that story to that specific set of listeners,” he said. “It’s an interactive artform, but you as an audience member don’t have to do anything but be present and listen, and be willing to let me take you on a story.” Find out more about the inaugural Polk Tales: A Storytelling Festival at polkarts.org/story. Photography Provided Ghostlight Lounge at Theatre Winter Haven 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College 800 E Palmetto St, Lakeland Florida Children’s Museum 600 Bonnet Springs Blvd, Lakeland

“I think between December and January, that’s when the berries taste the best,” according to Fancy Farms Market co-owner Kristi Grooms-Barnes. Hailing from the Winter Strawberry Capital of the nation, growing from Thanksgiving through Easter, Fancy Farms is approaching the height of its season – Valentine’s Day. What’s better than gifting your Valentine fresh chocolate covered strawberries? Each season, thousands of people travel to their acres and acres of green dotted with bright red Sweet Sensations, Medallions, Brilliance, and White Pineberries for a taste of Fancy Farms’ fresh, homemade strawberry treats. It’s the 50th crop year for Fancy Farms founders Carl and Dee Dee Grooms. The pair started their strawberry farm in 1974 with just 18 acres in Plant City. “My dad farmed with his dad. It was in his blood,” said daughter Kristi Grooms-Barnes. Over the years, the family acquired more property and reached around 250 acres at their crest. Today, they operate a commercial strawberry farm and roadside market offering seasonal desserts, local produce, and fresh flowers on 135 acres across Hillsborough and Polk Counties. Joining Carl and Dee Dee are their son, Dustin Grooms, and daughter, Kristi Grooms-Barnes. Dustin went into the military for eight years before returning to the family farm. “I like the challenge of it. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. I like the challenge of coming out here every day being an entrepreneur, doing the best I can,” Dustin Grooms said. After graduating from college, Kristi went into marketing and advertising. She worked in Tampa for 18 years for a company specializing in real estate marketing. About four years ago, she decided to come back to what she knew – strawberries. “I wanted to come back to my family roots and help my brother and continue the legacy that my parents have built here,” she said. “I missed being here. I missed being around my family.” Aunts and uncles help at the farm and market. “It really is a farming family,” Grooms-Barnes said. “My dad has a motto, ‘Since 1974 and still learning.’” Dee Dee and Carl Grooms 1976 About ten years ago, the Grooms looked to retire and sold off property, ready to close shop. Dustin was the first one to raise his hand that he wanted to continue their legacy. Four years ago, “He and I came up with this idea to start this little roadside market,” said Grooms-Barnes. The idea behind the market was another avenue to sell their strawberries beyond commercially at grocery store chains. Fancy Farms has been a grower partner with the century-old Wish Farms for over 35 years. “My grandfather brought vegetables to the Wishnatzki’s when they used to do produce in the early days when they came to Florida. […] It’s a family affair. We’re all connected here in the agricultural industry,” said Grooms-Barnes. “My mom has always baked and cooked everything strawberry. We have all these family recipes that we constantly share with our friends and family,” she added. The decision to launch Fancy Farms Market was made in 2019, though they didn’t open the doors until December 2020. “It was unbelievably successful,” Grooms-Barnes said. “It was almost a movement. People want to know where their food comes from. They want to come out to the farms; they want to see where it’s grown.” Alongside their farm-fresh strawberries, the market offers strawberry shortcakes, cobbler, cookies, bread, and hand-spun milkshakes. “All the recipes are homemade right here at the market,” Grooms-Barnes said. They started baking out of a modest 14x24 foot shed they’d converted into a commercial kitchen. After the first year, they expanded their bakery space at the market. “My mom and my aunt have trained all the ladies that work for me on the recipes. They know all of our family recipes backward and forwards, just like my momma and my family do,” she said. “Everything is homemade here, and everything is fresh. The strawberries we use in our milkshakes are picked in the morning and processed to go directly into our milkshakes when we hand blend them — same thing with our strawberry shortcake. Nothing is frozen. It’s all fresh that day. It creates a different taste in your desserts because you get that tartness with the strawberry followed by that burst of sweetness.” Last year, they outgrew their bakery space again and built a third kitchen with the intention of serving lunch. “God has evolved this into something I had no idea. It’s been remarkable, and I’m very blessed,” said Grooms-Barnes. They launched a three-item lunch menu last month with a chicken salad croissant sandwich made with homemade sweet pickle relish, a strawberry BBQ pork sandwich, and Dee Dee’s famous strawberry walnut salad served on a bed of romaine lettuce dressed in homemade strawberry vinaigrette. “In the army, they taught to crawl, walk, run. That’s kind of what we’re doing with this, but the crawl part started as a trot. Each year, we plan on building and building. Who knows where it will evolve, but we definitely want to get into the education side of it to educate our youth on where food comes from and how it’s grown,” said Dustin Grooms. “My parents have been huge advocates over the years for educating youth,” Grooms-Barnes said. Fancy Farms is a regular supporter of the Hillsborough County 4H program. They’ve hosted an annual U-pick fundraiser for the group for several decades. This year, the Hillsborough County 4H Annual U-pick is scheduled for February 17 at their Plant City farm. It’s their biggest fundraiser of the year, with all proceeds going to the 4H program. Eventually the Grooms hope to start a more structured educational program inviting school children to learn how food gets onto their plate from planting a cover crop during the summer which puts nutrients back into the soil to irrigation and laying the plastic. According to Grooms-Barnes, “There’s a lot that goes into farming. I’d love to start a program to bring kids in and teach them that.” They only get off during the harvesting season when it’s raining. “That doesn’t mean that the truck didn’t break down, that you need to work on the tractor, that you’re going to be doing paperwork. You’re going to be working on something. Every day, something needs to be done on the farm. It never stops, it never sleeps, it doesn’t know if you are sick, or if it’s a vacation or a holiday,” Dustin said. “Strawberries are a very perishable crop. It’s all done by hand. It is a very labor-intensive crop.” Each of their three million strawberry bushes are hand-planted, and it takes 21 days for the berries to grow. They pick from the same bush every two to three days. The hard work isn’t done alone, however. Most farmers in Plant City are part of The Florida Strawberry Grower’s Association. Carl Grooms was one of five men to start the organization in the 80s. Its function is to help growers battle diseases, create new varieties, learn agricultural laws, and everything in between. According to FSGA, “Like all farmers, Florida strawberry growers struggle with the same issues and risks associated with food safety, economic stability and government regulations. That’s why FSGA provides access to research, resources and support that help growers proactively make their farms more efficient and competitive in the marketplace.” The organization also works in conjunction with the University of Florida to develop and crossbreed strawberries to produce the firmest berries with the best flavor that can ship across the nation – all traits the consumer looks for. There are about 80 members, with approximately 15,000 acres of strawberries grown in Hillsborough County. When strawberry season ends, the Fancy Farms Market menu changes. “We completely change the menu throughout each season to keep it fresh,” said Grooms-Barnes. Desserts change to blueberry, blackberry, and peach. While enjoying fresh blackberry cobbler, market-goers can enjoy, pick, and take photos in an endless field of sunflowers and zinnias. “It is unbelievably beautiful,” she said. Flower season is mid-May through the end of June, when they close for the summer through November. JUICY STRAWBERRY FACTS: Strawberries are in the rose family Strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges Americans eat roughly seven pounds of strawberries per year You eat about 200 seeds with every strawberry February 27 is National Strawberry Day Photography by Amy Sexson Fancy Farms Market 5204 Drane Field Rd, Lakeland (813) 478-3486 FB: Fancy Farms Market IG @fancyfarmsmarket Fancyfarmsmarket.com

As a child, Mike & Mike’s Desserts Co-owner and CGO Mike Mitchell spent his time measuring and mixing with his mother in the kitchen – making her signature red velvet cupcakes. “He saw the love that his mom was passing along in every bite,” according to his story online. From helping his mother early on, “I understood this from a deep level,” Mitchell said. He launched Mike & Mike’s Desserts in Miami while attending school for his Bachelor of Arts degree. He initially used his mom’s recipes but transitioned to dairy-, nut-, and egg-free cupcakes. He looked at the market and saw a need for ‘free-from’ desserts that tasted just as good – if not better – than traditional baked goods. “I flipped her recipes to make it inclusive for everybody to taste,” he said. These school-friendly cupcakes are the perfect choice for those with food allergies or dietary restrictions. They’re made with intentional ingredients like oats and plant-based derivatives. Mike & Mike’s initially started with 12 flavors but dialed it into the classics, their current flavors – Strawberry 2-Step, Vanilla Beanie, and Chocolate Delight. In the future, they plan to add limited-release and seasonal flavors. Mike Mitchell and Nate Kendrick The branding stems from Mike’s alter ego, “Mike-Moji.” “As a Black founder, I find profound liberation and self-expression through my art,” he noted. “His life began with my pencil sketch, and my alter ego came to life. Through him I can explore emotions and narratives that deeply resonate with me.” Baking out of a smaller kitchen, the launch was so successful that Mike & Mike’s Desserts made it into South Florida’s Milam’s Market. Demand grew, and Mitchell moved the operation to a commissary kitchen. Mitchell couldn’t keep up with the demand and took a year to put suitable infrastructure in place. That’s when he reached out to his childhood pal, Nate Kendrick. Kendrick, now the co-owner and CEO of Mike & Mike’s Desserts, went to Lakeland High School with Mitchell. The pair met in the lunchroom and became fast friends. Kendrick has been a serial entrepreneur since he was a kid selling cookies. He went on to attend school at the University of Central Florida and started several businesses, including a social media marketing company, and launched a product on Amazon before joining forces with Mitchell. “When Mike called me about a product, I thought I could take the skillset of social media and selling something from a product component and combine both of those resources,” said Kendrick. “The pitch Mike made to me was if we can make it taste just as good if not better than the artificial cupcakes, there’s something we have here.” Baking thousands of cupcakes in a commissary kitchen became cost-prohibitive for the start-up. That’s when Mitchell stumbled upon the concept of co-manufacturing, in which a business signs over their recipe through a non-disclosure agreement to a small- or large-scale manufacturer whose purpose is to manufacture that recipe to scale. According to Kendrick, it took almost a year and some change to work out the kinks. “It’s hard to scale cupcakes. Almost impossible,” he said. Mitchell and Kendrick started working to secure a co-manufacturer daily at Catapult, Lakeland’s business development co-working space. A Catapult associate knew of a potential co-manufacturer, which became their first, helping them launch into Chamberlin’s Natural Foods. From there, Mike & Mike’s Desserts got into Publix GreenWise. In 2021, the friends pitched their sweet treats to Publix (where they had both worked at one time) and got into all their grocery stores. “It was a massive accomplishment,” said Kendrick. Mitchell added, “It was a full circle moment.” “No one in the market currently is making a product like that at scale with super high-quality ingredients, very intentional from top to bottom,” said Kendrick. “Traditionally, vegan or free-from doesn’t taste good. People feel like they’re compromising.” They’ve crafted a product everyone craves, not just ‘free-from’ consumers. Mike & Mike’s is currently the only company in the market using their own cupcake blend. “We were really intentional with making a blend that was unique to where it almost tastes like it was baked at home even though it’s at scale,” Kendrick said. “There’s nothing crazy in this. They’re just normal ingredients that are better for you.” Looking towards the future of their very tasty venture, Mitchell hopes to “push the boundaries of what people think of vegan or ‘free-from,’ what they can taste like, and make people feel like they’re not sacrificing for something that’s an alternative. Trying to push that to the limit.” Kendrick called it an education process – changing the perspective on free-from foods. The pair hopes to disrupt the baking industry and inspire other minorities to follow their dreams. Find Mike & Mike’s Desserts in the Bakery freezer at all Publix locations. Photography by Amy Sexson Mike & Mike’s Desserts Mikeandmikesdesserts.com FB: Mike & Mikes Desserts IG @mikeandmikesdesserts

“The fudge, there is so much touch and feel that goes into that,” said RJ Webb. “If you put it into the trough just a little too soon or a little too late, that batch is a throwaway.” Fudge and employees-turned-family keep this Davenport candy shop running strong. Paul Webb courted Nadine Henderson since the first grade. They married in 1942. That’s when they purchased their first business, the Fountainette, in Mayville, New York. One month later, Paul was drafted into the Army and served under General Patton with the 3rd Army anti-aircraft artillery unit in France and Germany. “When my grandpa got drafted into the war, he and my grandma opened a fountain shop that my grandma ran while my grandpa was off at the war,” said grandson RJ Webb. Beginning in 1946, the Fountainette started selling large lollipops known as “all-day suckers,” sometimes making 5,000 lollipops a day. As sales from all-day suckers slowed, Webb looked for other appetizing avenues to sell candy. He started making goat’s milk fudge, a richer and creamier alternative to its cow milk cousin. In 1968, he built Webb’s Resort—the family-owned restaurant, marina, and bowling alley. Meanwhile, in 1932, Sun Dial Tropical Sweets was founded in Davenport, FL. In 1935, local realtor C.S. Taylor purchased the company, renaming it C.S. Taylor Tropical Sweets. When the family relocated to Florida in the 1970s, Webb purchased C.S. Tropical Sweets and dubbed it Webb’s Citrus Candies. “My grandpa was not a golfer or a fisher, he liked to work. Business excited him,” said RJ. He also started Webb’s Coppertop Restaurant in Lake Wales in 1976. In 1985, youngest son and RJ’s father, John Webb took over the Coppertop Restaurant and now owns and operates Webb’s Citrus Candies. In 1978, Webb decided to move his candy store from downtown Davenport to S.R. 27. “At the time, 27 was dead,” RJ said. “He thought that eventually this place would explode.” And he was right. Though Paul and Nadine Webb have passed away, Webb’s Candy Store continues as a family-owned and operated venture. RJ and his sisters grew up working in the family business. “From the time I was old enough to play with stickers, I was pricing new inventory,” he said. He grew up doing maintenance for the most part and always knew he wanted to go into the family business. “After my freshman year in college, I realized that no one was ever going to pay me any money to play baseball, so I got my real estate license and have been doing that since I was 20 years old,” RJ said. He assists his dad in real estate and running the family candy store. In New York, Webb was doing goat’s milk fudge, peanut brittle, and hand-dipped chocolate. Meanwhile, Mr. Taylor was producing citrus candies down south. “When grandpa bought C.S. Taylor Tropical Sweets, he combined his recipes with Mr. Taylor’s recipes, and that’s how we have what we have today,” RJ said. Webb’s Candy is also known for their vast selection of sugar-free sweets. “My grandpa had a huge sweet tooth. Once he got diagnosed with diabetes, he wanted to have the biggest selection of sugar-free chocolate anywhere,” said RJ. With copper kettles dating back to 1891 and candy tables original to Sun Dial Tropical Sweets, Webb’s continues making candy magic with most of their chocolates and centers made in-house. Even their ice cream is homemade. “Our coconut ice cream has almost a cult following,” said RJ. But what makes Webb’s Candy special? The people. “We’ve been extremely fortunate over the years with us being a small, mom-and-pop business, with the employees that we have, they absolutely became family,” said RJ. “They take good care of us.” Many have spent a lifetime churning fudge and dipping chocolate at Webb’s. Webb’s Candy Shop 38217 US Hwy 27, Davenport (863) 422-1051 webbscandyshop.com FB: Webb’s Candy Shop IG @webbscandystore

Amadeo Fiore may be credited with bringing pizza to St. Louis, but Jerry Burns and Bernie Jackson brought the thin, crispy, cut-intosquares pie to Polk County. But first, a slice of history on St. Louis-style pizza. Fiore opened Melrose Pizzeria in the basement of the apartments by the same name at 204 North Sarah near the end of World War II. His pizza created such fanfare that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote about it. A caption from the article reads, “With scissors Amadeo [sic] Fiore, proprietor-chef of the Melrose Pizzeria, cuts pizza into squares for serving. The squares, held with a paper napkin, are eaten from the hand.” Decades later, in 1964, Ed and Margie Imo opened their namesake pizzeria on Thurman Avenue in St. Louis. With $75, Ed purchased a used oven, two refrigerators, and a stove. He continued working as a tile setter, “slicing squares of linoleum by day and pizza by night.” Imo’s is credited as the creator of the “original St. Louis style pizza” and was the first to popularize Provel cheese in place of mozzarella. The modest shop grew, popularizing delivery, and by 1985 had 30 locations across the city. Today, there are nearly 100 Imo’s franchise locations across Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois. In the 1950s, over 300 miles away in Dayton, Ohio, a young Jerry Burns was making the same kind of pizza at his job at Cassano’s. In 1965, Burns and buddy Bernie Jackson opened the first J. Burns’ Pizza Shop location in Winter Haven. By the mid-80s, they grew to 11 locations. The pizzeria had a cult-like following, and many folks today could tell you a memory they have around the thin, crispy pizza. From birthday parties to Little League game celebrations, everybody loved J. Burns’. By 1993, the last J. Burns’ location closed, and in 2008, Matt Wade and his son, Hunter Wade, bought the rights to the name. J. Burns’ and the company was officially revived in 2011. “He grew up next door neighbors next to Bernie Jackson. My father’s first job at 14 was with J. Burns’,” said Hunter Wade. Wade says he and his father were lucky to have connections to the founding families to recreate the original magic. “The dough is the exact recipe that Jerry started with back in the ‘60s,” he said. Describing Dayton’s Cassano’s as their ‘north star’ to St. Louis-style pizza, Wade said of J. Burns’ pie, “It’s thin, crispy, cut into squares all the way to the edges, so there’s no crust. The dough doesn’t rise, so it’s really thin.” A trade secret… Instead of coating the bottom of the dough with flour before it goes into the oven like a traditional New York style, they coat it with cornmeal. Another difference? J. Burns’ uses provolone cheese to top their pizza to make it Ohio-style, rather than the Provel used in the St. Louis-style. They don’t slack when it comes to quality, either. The pizza shop only uses fresh produce and dough (including a gluten-free option). Today, J. Burns’ has three locations across Lakeland and Winter Haven. Wade credits that success to what Jerry Burns did back in the day. “We’re just doing something that someone else had already done well and trying to capture that essence of what J. Burns’ was – a staple in the community.” Wade says they hope to “tug on [people’s] heartstrings through pizza.” Hunter bought out his father for a majority stake six years ago. The pair still work together along with Hunter’s wife, Cali, and their six-year-old daughter, Payton, who has her own little J. Burns’ uniform. Wade notes that they hope to open more locations soon. PIZZA PRO TIP: The best way to reheat a J. Burns’ pizza? Turn the oven up as high as it will go – I’m talkin’ 475-500 degrees. Preheat your pan and bake your pie for two to three minutes. According to Wade, that will get it close to that cracker crispy crust without getting rubbery.

Little hands tend to rosemary, garlic chives, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts on a 10-acre farm in Lakeland. They collect eggs from chickens and plant bluebells, among other farm chores. They take a moment to pet Gilbert, the resident cat. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are well-balanced with play, creativity, and open green space at this private microschool. Fresh air and freedom inspire joyful shouts and giggles. WonderHere, a learn-and-play farm and schoolhouse for pre-K and elementary-aged children, cultivates wonder and a love of learning in its students. According to WonderHere, “We strive to holistically develop children who are curious, empathetic, community-minded, problem solvers, and creative leaders.” The school promotes play-based, project-driven, and personalized education, with the schoolhouse divided into areas of interest, including a library, science lab, project room, study, and a STEM room. Whether attending a half or full day at WonderHere, students receive direct instruction in language arts and math with an assigned teacher. But at WonderHere, it isn’t about letter grades and test scores – it’s about exploring that intangible curiosity we lose somewhere along the way to adolescence. Or maybe we don’t ‘lose’ it. Perhaps it isn’t appropriately nurtured and withers. That curiosity – that wonder – needs tending like the bee balm and milkweed in the garden. Alongside learning the core subjects, kids at WonderHere can traverse the schoolhouse according to their pace and areas of interest. Ten-year-old Eva likes “everything” about WonderHere but has a particular affinity for acting class and hanging out with her friends. Matias, a curly-haired seven-year-old, enjoys the freedom and “being able to run around.” Gavin, age 12, has a unique perspective on the microschool. He attended WonderHere before his family moved. He went to traditional school for a time before returning to the Lakeland farm and schoolhouse. “You didn’t have as much freedom to do what you wanted,” he said of public school. He enjoys that he doesn’t have to change classes and remain seated. “We can move around and work with our friends,” he said. A SPARK OF WONDER Former public school teachers and best friends Jessica Zivkovich and Tiffany Thenor founded WonderHere in 2016 as an urban alternative learning space. “We questioned if there was a different way to do school,” said Zivkovich, who has a Bachelor’s in Exceptional Student Education and a Master’s in Reading Education from Southeastern University and over ten years of teaching experience. Co-founder Tiffany Thenor also graduated from Southeastern University with her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She taught in a Title 1 School for seven years. The school started as a learn-and-play homeschool enrichment program with ten kids. Ten grew to over 30 the following year as WonderHere transitioned to a full-time school. “The whole goal when we started WonderHere was to make learning fun again – to preserve the joys of childhood. We believe in academic growth and progress, but we do it in a way that honors the whole child, that brings joy and spark into their whole learning experience,” said Zivkovich. They started with the intention of being an urban school with a space downtown near the Polk Theatre. They had no green space but fenced in a parking lot where children could play. “We grew out of our downtown location, and then we started pursuing the farm,” said Zivkovich. Now on a sprawling ten-acre farm with a garden, farm animals, and plenty of space to run and play, WonderHere enters its eighth year. “This is a lot more green space than we ever dreamed of,” said Thenor. The school was given several goats for the farm. With no idea how to care for the animals, they called in Karrie Tidlund, who has worked with animals and gardening her entire life. She has an associate degree in business administration, a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrative Studies, and 15 years of experience working with children. As the farm director, Tidlund leads programs, including Toddler Farm School, The Outdoor Classroom, and Wilderness Workshop. Tidlund walked us through a shaded copse of trees they call “the woods,” where a cluster of kids were playing and exploring. We entered the garden at the back of the farm. “When we got this farm, it was just grass,” she said. “We’ve built this from the ground up, and the students have been a part of that.” Tidlund means that literally. Early on, students heaved wheelbarrows full of soil, compost, and woodchips to build out the garden that they now tend, with Tidlund’s help, of course. “Every classroom in our schoolhouse has a garden bed. They’re learning to grow different things,” Tidlund said. “They weed it, they do pest control, they harvest it, they do the whole process.” Last fall, they installed a wildflower garden, planting flowers like zinnias, bluebells, and sunflowers. The flowers will be a boon to the school as they’ll sell them on special Family Farm Days. The produce grown by the students also helps to support WonderHere as Tidlund sets up a booth to sell it at the Winter Haven Farmers Market a couple of times a month. What do the kids benefit from all this open space and time playing in the dirt? “Fresh air,” said Tidlund. “Honestly, they’re just learning, and they’re able to interact with it differently. To know what a garden is and to put your hands in the dirt and experience it is another thing entirely.” She noted how excited the children were to see what had changed since their last time working in the garden. They also love to find caterpillars and butterflies among the milkweed. “We don’t use chemicals in the garden, so the kids can pick and eat right from the garden,” Tidlund said. “That has gotten some kids to eat vegetables they have never been willing to eat before. […] I think that experience has done wonders for them to understand where their food comes from.” “I had a great educational experience as a child, but I didn’t learn that kind of stuff,” said Zivkovich. FREEDOM TO LEARN AND GROW “Some of the biggest things we did differently when we left public school are that we don’t do letter grades, we don’t classify kids by grade level, and we don’t do standardized testing,” said Thenor. This means more flexibility for students and teachers alike. “Because we don’t isolate kids by their grade level, they have much more growth. They can grow as slowly or as quickly as it takes. They’re not compared to each other.” WonderHere takes a gentle approach early on. “Traditional education puts such a huge emphasis on learning to read proficiently and write at the pre-K, kindergarten level. And if a kid is ready for it, that’s great. Most kids need time to grow their social and emotional wellness, their time to play, and time to explore without getting all this explicit direct instruction. Their brains just aren’t wired for that yet,” said Zivkovich. As they attempted to find footing in this new terrain, the co-founders explored what they believed about children and education. Thenor and Zivkovich found much inspiration in the Finnish style of teaching. Digging into this method, they found that in Finland, compulsory education is started later than in the American school system, typically around age seven. “We’ve been doing this long enough that we’ve found that those kids that we took a gentle approach with early on – they’re growing into just fine learners and wellrounded kids who are now in our older grades,” said Zivkovich. As they enter year eight as an organization, WonderHere has alumni who are currently in high school – and they’re successful. These students have had roughly 75% less paper-and-pencil, sitting-in-a-desk instruction than their counterparts. “They’ve done a lot more digging in the dirt, drawing, creating, playing in the garden than most kids. But academically, they look the same on paper,” said Thenor. “There’s not as much merit as we’re led to believe that the number of hours we spend at a desk doing paperwork will equal the amount they’ve learned and retained. […] When they are developmentally ready, they will get the knowledge that they need.” MORE MICROSCHOOLS COMING SOON It’s always been in the co-owners’ hearts to share what they’ve learned the past eight years. Thenor likes to refer to their location as a research center for their ideas. Skilled and intuitive teachers are given the autonomy to try different learning methods, an opportunity not afforded to many public school educators. “They have been a really important sounding board as we’ve grown and developed,” Thenor said of their WonderHere instructors. Over their tenure, the best friends feel that they’ve tested and honed in on a successful education style. “We’re getting to the point now that we want to create other microschools like WonderHere in other locations and empower other people to do the things we do,” said Thenor. WonderHere recently received a grant from VELA, which, according to their website, “is the nation’s leading community of entrepreneurs providing alternatives to conventional schooling.” Zivkovich said, “It really is the perfect time. There are so many people realizing that education can be done differently, and they feel the same urging that we felt to do our part to make the educational world a better place.” WonderHere 5120 Colbert Rd, Lakeland (863) 698-7782 FB: WonderHere IG @wonderhere wonderhere.com

Fourteen-year-old Harlow Manning is a freshman at Harrison School for the Arts. The young Winter Haven native was bound to be creative, surrounded by art since birth. Her father, Trent Manning, is an internationally renowned mixed media artist who describes his work as a reflection of his personality, “a somewhat disillusioned cynic, with an odd sense of humor who still clings tightly to his inner child.” Mother Daphne Manning is a painter and the executive director of the Ridge Art Association. “I’ve always been around art from an early age because my dad is an artist. He really inspired me. Growing up around creative people and art inspired me a lot,” said Harlow Manning. “I’ve been drawing since I can remember.” In a 2019 Haven Magazine interview with Harlow and Trent, she noted that she’d been sketching since age three. Her dad remembered being called into her class by her teacher when he picked her up one day. The teacher asked if he could pick out Harlow’s self-portrait from the collection on the wall. He said, “Yes, that one’s Harlow’s.” Her teacher explained that the project was to do a self-portrait. Harlow’s self-portrait stood out because of the big rainbow. When the teacher told her that wasn’t part of the project, Harlow retorted, “But that’s my rainbow.” When her teacher told her she didn’t have a rainbow, Harlow said, “Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” At age seven, Manning first displayed her work in a joint show with her dad at Outer Space Art Gallery called “Inspired.” When she was ten, she collaborated with Trent again for a show at the Punk Rock Flea Market, where they debuted their business, Cerk Fillet. “All of the sculptures I did were based on her sketches for our first show. All the paintings originated from her sketchbook,” Trent said in the 2019 interview. “This time, it’s going to be a little bit more me and a little bit more her, and then we’re also going to collaborate.” “I think that’s what was fun about when we first collaborated,” Harlow said. “Our styles are so different, but we made them work together.” Since then, Manning has shown and sold her art at Art Crawl, the Punk Rock Flea, Mayfaire by-the-Lake, and the Central Park Art Festival, where she’ll return this month. “My style is very bubbly and happy and very colorful,” Manning said. She’s currently inspired by the many colors in nature. Her medium is acrylic paint and Posca paint markers. A mural featuring a series of cute, colorful creatures graces the wall behind The Lodge in downtown Winter Haven. These “blob animals” blossomed directly from Manning’s imagination. She described her process: “I start with random shapes and layer it with a Gelli plate. I layer the acrylic which I like because it makes a nice texture. Once I have my base of layered colors, I go in with the Posca markers and make the details of the creatures themselves.” After sketching the animals with chalk, the mural took only four days to complete. She also did a live mural at Swan Brewing for the Punk Rock Flea in 2023. Manning has plans for more mini murals throughout downtown Winter Haven that are hidden, making for a happy surprise when you come across one. “I’ve loved art for so long that it’s a big part of my life now,” Manning noted. “I do it for fun.” Her friends think it’s cool that she’s an artist and support her endeavors. “Since I go to an arts high school, there’s a lot of creative people there. It’s nice to have so many other creative people who go to school with me to encourage me.” Aside from her colorful paintings and murals, Manning enjoys theatre. She volunteers at Theatre Winter Haven and focuses on technical theatre in high school. “I like setwork, design, and lighting,” she said. Manning has worked on the set for “Moana Jr.” and has worked on lighting for five other shows at the community theatre. “I think it would be really cool to do some setwork for Broadway. It’s a good mix of theatre, which I love, and the painting aspect and working on building sets.” To see Harlow’s work and what shows she plans to attend, follow her Instagram @harlowmanningstudio. Manning will sell pieces at the 46th Annual Victor Smith Law Group Central Park Art Festival in downtown Winter Haven. The festival, presented by Ridge Art Association, is a premier fine arts festival with established artists and rising stars alike. The festival will be held in Central Park on March 9 and 10, 2024. Manning will have large-scale versions of her canvas pieces and smaller framed works.

Fire, often perceived with apprehension, plays a pivotal role in maintaining Florida’s diverse ecosystems. Today, I’ll be chatting about the interplay between fire and nature, particularly highlighting the winter/spring fire season in Florida, and underscoring the significance of adopting firewise behaviors in neighborhoods inside or adjacent to the wildland urban interface (often abbreviated to WUI, and sometimes pronounced ‘Woo-EE’). THE DUAL NATURE OF FIRE IN FLORIDA In Florida, fire acts as a double-edged sword—its absence as detrimental as its uncontrolled presence. Fire has historically been a threat, something to prevent at all costs. This attitude became mainstream in the 1940’s with films like Bambi emphasizing the danger and destruction wildfire could bring to an area. In 1944, the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign began and it has since become one of our nation’s longest running public service advertising campaigns. As Smokey famously said, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires!” But, you may not have noticed that sometime in the 2000s and 2010s Smokey’s message changed to, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires!” This subtle change means a world of difference across the USA and particularly, here in the SE USA. Unfortunately, this resulted in decades of fire suppression in the US. When fire is excluded from ecosystems in which it was a normal disturbance, it can disrupt the habitat available to wildlife, change the dominant plant and tree species in an area, and even affect the way water moves through a system. And, in extreme cases, it can make the next fire that comes through even more dangerous due to an unnatural buildup of fuels (dead wood, overgrowth, vines, etc.). PRESCRIBED FIRE Prescribed burns, carefully managed by trained land managers, are instrumental in maintaining ecological balance, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires. These planned fires mimic natural fire cycles, essential for the rejuvenation of fire-adapted ecosystems like pine flatwoods, which historically experienced fires ignited by lightning. It’s important to note that many of our American Indian cultures also used prescribed fire to help renew the forests throughout North America. We know through dendrochronological research (the study of tree rings) that specific ecosystems and species living within them are dependent on regular fire rotations (in other words, the average number of years between burns) to enhance their reproduction and suppress overgrowth of the ecosystem. For instance, many longleaf pine ecosystems have a natural fire rotation of 2-4 years but sand pine-scrub systems may have a much longer fire rotation, 10-60 years. The types of fire associated with these different cycles vary in intensity, season, and how species have adapted to survive and thrive in them. FIRE DEPENDENT SPECIES IN FLORIDA The dance between fire and nature paints a complex picture, where fire-dependent species like the Florida scrub-jay and the longleaf pine play pivotal roles. The Florida scrub-jay, exclusive to just a few of Florida’s unique scrub habitats, thrives in the open environments maintained by periodic fires. These necessary flames clear away dense vegetation, ensuring the scrub-jay has access to ample foraging grounds and nesting sites. Similarly, the longleaf pine, a symbol of Florida’s fire-prone ecosystems, relies on fire to clear the ground for its seeds to take root and grow, maintaining its dominance in the landscape. These examples highlight the nuanced role of fire as both a guardian and a renewer of Florida’s natural heritage, promoting a landscape where both plant and animal life are intertwined with the cycle of fire. Recognizing and implementing controlled burns not only protects these fire-adapted communities but also embraces a broader understanding of fire’s integral role in sustaining the ecological diversity and health of Central Florida. FLORIDA’S FIRE SEASON Florida’s fire season is usually from mid-April through July and is marked by naturally ignited lightning fires across the state. Fire season, preceding the wetter months, often includes lower humidity and drier vegetation, conditions ripe for both natural and prescribed fires. And as you can imagine, fire season may start early or run late if drought conditions are also going on! It all depends on how much rain we’ve received that year. You may see announcements from local land managers that there are prescribed fires going on. If so, you might like to know that prescribed fires are planned extensively and permitted through the Florida Forest Service. In their plans, they must make contingency plans in case the fire was to escape due to a change in conditions. Escaped prescribed fires are rare, but it is possible. If you notice a “red flag warning” on your local weather app, this is an indication that conditions are ripe for a fire. Be extra careful with barbecues, fire-pits, pile burning, and avoid parking on tall dry grass if your car’s engine is hot from driving. FIREWISE BEHAVIORS FOR RESIDENTS Amid the natural occurrence of fires and the implementation of prescribed burns, residents play a crucial role in fire prevention and safety. The goal of defensible space is to create and maintain a safety zone around the home, which increases the likelihood that a home will survive a wildfire even in the absence of firefighters. Adopting firewise landscaping, creating defensible spaces around properties, and understanding the ecological benefits of fire can significantly mitigate risks. These practices, inspired by nature’s own mechanisms like the gopher tortoise’s burrow serving as a natural firebreak, not only protect homes but also aid firefighting efforts. Some tips you can adopt if you live in a rural wooded area: • Clean your roof and gutter system of dead leaves, debris, pine needles and cones • Remove or trim back all flammable materials such as mulch, flammable plants, wood piles, or other vegetation making a 5-foot wide buffer around your home • Trim back any trees leaning over your roof • Prune all trees within 30 feet of the home up to 6-10 feet above the ground As stewards of our environment, it is important to support and understand the role of fire in maintaining the health of Florida’s ecosystems. Encouraging the use of prescribed burns and adopting firewise practices at the community level can foster a harmonious coexistence with this natural process. For further information and resources on fire management and safety, residents can contact me at scarnevale@ufl.edu OR 863-519-1041. You can learn more about firewise landscaping from UF/IFAS Extension at: edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/fr076. Or, from Florida Forest Service at: fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/ForCommunities/Firewise-USA.

Arabellas has been a Winter Haven fine dining fixture for a decade, and Ave Bar is the perfect place for a craft cocktail downtown. But where do passionate pizza fans get their pie? Bistro, of course. Bistro Pizza, the sister restaurant to Arabellas and Ave Bar, is a repeat Best of Haven winner in the pizza category. The Neapolitan-style pizza makes for the perfect slice. “I love making pizza. It was my first job out of high school,” said Bistro co-owner Nikolas Chan. He started at a little pizza shop in Texas. Ray Sykes, a fellow owner, partnered initially with Chan’s father, Yan. Sykes doesn’t hail from a restaurateur background but started bartending at an early age. He moved to Orlando for college and started working at Landry’s Seafood House, where he met the General Manager, Yan Chan. Nikolas Chan got into the business after seeing his father’s success. “Growing up, I used to go see him at the restaurant at Landry’s, and seeing the way he interacted with people and seeing the lifestyle he was able to accomplish because of the hard work he put in really attracted me to the industry,” Chan said. Bistro’s gas brick oven pizzas are hand-tossed and made with only the freshest ingredients. What makes a good pie? The cheese and the sauce, according to Chan. Bistro uses a simple homemade tomato sauce and tops their pizza with Bacio cheese – a combination of mozzarella trademarked as having a “Kiss of Buffalo Milk.” In addition to best sellers like the cheese and supreme pizzas, this Central Avenue pizzeria offers unique varieties like the Pizza Rustica with mozzarella and ricotta cheese, ham, bacon, garlic, and olive oil, and classics like the Pizza Italia with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic. Or, you can create your own – and they mean it. One gentleman even ordered a shrimp alfredo pizza. Bistro also features a full menu of calzones, strombolis, antipasti, baked pasta, oven-baked subs, and salads. (Pro tip: Chan says not to sleep on the salads. They are generously portioned and made with the freshest produce.) The creative pizza connoisseurs also do a ‘Pizza of the Day’ with out-of-the-box flavors like Philly Cheesesteak and Cuban. If you’re gluten-free, don’t worry; they have a cauliflower crust to die for. Everything at Bistro is made from scratch (including the ranch dressing – if you’re a pizza dipper), and you can taste the difference. First-timers are encouraged to try the garlic knots with house-made marinara. As for the pizza? Opt for a rustica or supreme. “Another allure that we have that other pizza places don’t, is we offer a white pizza,” said Arabella’s General Manager, Jeffrey Tuttle. Guests can pair their pizza with a cocktail from Ave Bar, a local craft brew, or wine from their extensive wine list. Tuttle worked with the original owners of Arabellas when they had Antonio’s. After leaving for a while, he returned and worked his way up from server to GM. “I love this industry. I’ve always enjoyed the culinary side of it and being able to provide people with memories and experiences,” Tuttle said. He enjoys making birthdays and anniversaries extra special. “It feels like you’re giving something to somebody.” “We enjoy all of our customers,” said Sykes. “The locals are what built this business. That’s my favorite part of the business is meeting the locals. Sometimes, you’ll see people here four to five times a week.” PIZZA PRO TIP: The best way to reheat a Bistro Pizza is to add it to a pan with a bit of water on the stovetop and place a lid over it. The steam will bring it back to life! Don’t use too much water, though. No one likes a soggy bottom.

OHIO STYLE PIZZA CONNECTION220 E Lake Ave, Auburndale(863) 967-9230FB: Pizza Connectioneatpizzaconnection.com J. BURNS’ PIZZAEdgewood Drive:2306 East Edgewood Drive, Lakeland(863) 450-2986 Maryoma Plaza:5615 South Florida Ave #101, Lakeland. (863) 377-9997 Winter Haven:5535 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven(863) 256-0200FB: J Burns Pizzajburnspizza.com NEAPOLITAN STYLE CALOGERO’S PIZZERIA148A W Haines Blvd, Lake Alfred(863) 268-8352FB: Calogero’s pizzeriaCalogerospizzeriamenu.com NEAPOLITAN ITALIAN EATERY645 Ingraham Ave, Haines City(863) 353-2576FB: Neapolitan Italian Eatery, LLC AVA NEAPOLITAN PIZZERIAInside The Joinery640 E Main St, LakelandFB: AvaIG @avatampaavatampa.com BISTRO PIZZA326 W Central Ave, Winter Haven(863) 875-4894FB: Bistro Pizzaarabellas.us/bistro-pizza ARTISAN STYLE PIZZA DADDY’S811 E Palmetto St, Lakeland(863) 937-5562FB: Pizza Daddy’s KC’S ARTISAN PIZZA AND WINE BAR6645 Florida Ave S STE 5, Lakeland(863) 644-8000FB: Kc’s Artisan Pizza and Wine Bar HAND-TOSSED Floridino's Italian Kitchen 30650 US Hwy 27, Lake Hamilton (863) 353-2670 FB: Floridino's Italian Kitchen floridinositaliankitchen.com PIZZERIA VALDIANO1610 Town Center Dr, Lakeland(863) 686-3730FB: Pizzeria ValdianoIG @pizzeriavaldianopizzeriavaldiano.com DORA’S PIZZA35562 US Hwy 27, Haines City(863) 422-6474FB: Dora’s Pizza DIROMIO’S PIZZA AND GRILL101 Divine Dr, Davenport(863) 420-2001FB: Diromio’s Pizza and GrillIG @diromiospizzadiromiospizza.com PALACE PIZZA BARTOW105 E Main St, Bartow(863) 533-9300FB: Palace Pizza of Bartowpalacepizzabartow.com PALACE PIZZA HIGHLAND CITY5235 US-98 South, Lakeland(863) 709-8683FB: Palace Pizza Highland Citypalacepizzahighlandcity.com PALACE PIZZA DOWNTOWN114 S Kentucky Ave, Lakeland(863) 688-0045FB: Palace Pizzapalacepizzadowntown.com PALACE PIZZA MULBERRY2054 Shepherd Rd, Mulberry(863) 709-0002FB: Palace Pizza Mulberrypalacepizzamenu.com PALACE ITALIAN RESTAURANT SOUTHSIDE4780 Florida Ave S, Lakeland(863) 619-5919FB: Palace SouthsideIG @palacesouthsidepalacesouthside.com PALACE ITALIAN PIZZA NORTH6120 US Hwy 98 N, Lakeland(863) 853-1316FB: Palace Italian Restaurant Northpalacerestaurantlakeland.com LAKELAND STADIUM PIZZA AND ITALIAN GRILL. 1035 E County Rd 540A, Lakeland(863) 701-7000FB: Lakeland Stadium Pizza and Italian GrillIG @lakeland_stadium_pizzastadiumpizza.net DI MAGGIO’S PIZZERIA6980 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven(863) 293-9200FB: Dimaggio’s Pizzeriadimaggiospizzaria.com THE FAR CORNER KITCHEN / FAR CORNER PIZZA 943 E Memorial Blvd, Lakeland(863) 603-3477FB: The Far Corner Kitchen/ The Far Corner Pizzathefarcornerkitchen.com WABASH PIZZERIA AND ICE CREAM COMPANY217 N Wabash Ave, Lakeland(863) 937-3773FB: Wabash Pizzeria and Ice Cream Companywabashpic.com EVANO’S FAMILY KITCHEN6617 N Socrum Loop Rd, Lakeland(863) 816-5307FB: Evano’s Family Kitchenevanospizza.com MIA PIZZA2440 Sand Mine Rd, Davenport(863) 420-3336FB: Mia Pizzamiapizza.net CLASSIC PIZZA & SUBS403 W Broadway St, Fort Meade(863) 285-7827FB: Classic Pizza And Subsclassicpizzasubs.com DUNDEE DOWNTOWN PIZZA219 E Main St, Dundee(863) 353-5473FB: Dundee Downtown Pizzadundeedowntownpizza.com NEW YORK STYLE ANGELA’S PIZZA3800 US-98, Lakeland(863) 450-1520orderangelaspizza.com IL FORNO ITALIAN RESTAURANT3615 Florida Ave S suite 1310, Lakeland(863) 607-6030FB: Il Forno Italian RestaurantIG @ilfornolklIlfornolakeland.com BROTHERS N.Y. STYLE PIZZERIA1107 3rd St SW #3, Winter Haven(863) 229-7404brothersnystylepizzafl.com GIOVANNI’S NEW YORK PIZZA6959 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven(863) 324-9100FB: Giovanni’s New York Pizzagiovannisnypizza.com SAL’S PIZZA213 E Lake Ave, Auburndale(863) 229-5342FB: Sal’s pizzaauburndalesalspizza.com THAT 716 PIZZA JOINT1950 S Combee Rd, Lakeland(863) 884-4252FB: That 716 Pizza Jointthat716pizzajointmenu.com LUKE’S LEGENDARY PIZZA39867 US Hwy 27 N, Davenport(863) 547-9505FB: Luke’s Legendary Pizzalukeslegendarypizza.com MANNINO’S PIZZA43362 US Hwy 27, Davenport(863) 424-4222FB: Manninos Pizzeria PRONTO EATALY PIZZA8293 Champions Gate Blvd, Davenport. (407) 479-2156IG @prontoeatalypizzaprontoeatalypizza.com ROMEO’S PIZZA & PASTA2346 Griffin Rd, Lakeland(863) 816-8100FB: Romeo’s Pizza & Pastaromeospizzaandpasta.com MJ’S PIZZA AND WINGS3062 Cypress Gardens Rd, Winter Haven(863) 268-2715FB: Mj’s New York Style Pizzamjspizzawinterhaven.com Lakeland Location:1747 E Edgewood Dr, Lakeland(863) 816-6950FB: Mjs pizza &wingsmjspizzawingsmenu.coM CUBAN STYLE LA GUAPACHOSA CUBAN PIZZA6595 Florida Ave S, Lakeland(863) 450-4711FB: La Guapachosa Pizzeríalaguapachosa.com DETROIT STYLE Jet’s Pizza3234 Florida Ave S, Lakeland(863) 709-09994973 US Hwy 98 N, Lakeland(863) 333-0322FB: Jet’s PizzaJetspizza.com DID YOU KNOW The first-ever pizzeria in the world is the Port’Alba in Italy. Established in 1830, the store cooked their pies in an oven featuring Mount Vesuvius lava. The active volcano lies on the Bay of Naples. Pizza only came to America in the late 1800s. The food had been a staple in Naples for years. Italians started migrating to the United States bringing their flavor preferences along. Pizza in America started on the East Coast. The first areas to start commercializing pizza were Boston, Connecticut, New Haven, New Jersey, New York, and Trenton. Also, these places received the highest influx of immigrants from South Italy by the shift of the century. The first pizzeria in the United States opened in 1905. Italian-American Gennaro Lombardi started a mini-pizza business at his street-front shop in Manhattan. While the shop no longer stands in its original location, Lombardi’s is still operating. A returning GI invented the gas-fired pizza oven in 1945. World War II got American soldiers craving pizza from their service in Europe. It inspired GI Ira Nevin for his Baker’s Pride invention, allowing an easier and less-expensive way to bake and retail pizza. Pizzas would only sell by the pie, exclusively. It lasted until 1933 when Patsy Lancieri of Patsy’s Pizzeria, New York initiated the selling-by-slice trend. Pizza ATMs debuted in the United States in 2016. The first machine stands at Xavier University, Ohio, where it holds 70 pizzas. Customers can place orders on the touchscreen, which will then command the machine to heat then serve the pizza. Pizza Hut made history as the first pizza chain to send a pizza delivery to space. The pizza chain sent a 6-inch salami pizza via a Russian rocket to the International Space Station. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachov ate the pizza and took a photo. The record for the biggest pizza in the world has a diameter of 131 feet. Made in 2012, the colossal pizza tipped the scale at 51,257 pounds. The ingredients included 19,800 lbs gluten-free flour, 8,800 lbs mozzarella cheese, and 10,000 lbs tomato sauce. PIZZA TRIVIA What is the most popular pizza topping in the US? What is the second most popular pizza topping in the US? What is America’s least favorite topping? What day of the year are the most pizzas ordered? What percentage of Americans eat pizza at least once a month? Where was the classic Hawaiian pizza with pineapple, cheese, ham & tomato sauce created? What year did Bagel Bites make their debut? On average, how many slices of pizza does an American eat in one year? What is the largest pizza chain in the world? How many billion pizzas are sold in the US in one year? What day of the week is the most popular day to order a pizza? In the movie “Toy Story,” the main characters Buzz and Woody find themselves at a themed pizza restaurant. What was the name of the restaurant? What type of pizza did surfer Jeff Spicoli order in the movie “Fast Times at Ridgemont High?” How long does it take Domino’s “World’s Fastest Pizza Maker” to make a single large pizza (to the nearest second)? What percentage of Americans prefer thin crust? Answers Pepperoni Sausage Anchovy Super Bowl Sunday 93% Canada 1985 46 Pizza Hut 3 billion Saturday Pizza Planet Double cheese & sausage 11 seconds 61% Information gathered from dogtownpizza.com

Approximately 140,000 visitors meander the galleries at Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College annually. Boasting more than 3,000 works of art in their permanent collection – including works by Rembrandt, Andy Warhol, Faith Ringgold, Pablo Picasso, Miriam Schapiro, James Rosenquist, Barbara Kruger, Chagall, Damien Hirst, Hung Liu, and others – the Smithsonian affiliated institution is bursting at the seams. The Museum was founded in 1966 by the Junior Welfare League of Lakeland as The Youth Museum of Imperial Polk County. In 1983, it received national accreditation as an art museum and adopted the name “Polk Museum of Art.” The current building, designed by Ernie Straughn, was formally dedicated in September 1988. It was designed to house 500 objects in its collection. In February 2022, the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College announced plans for a then-$6M, 10,000-square-foot expansion and renovation project. The project has since grown to $8M and will encompass 14,000 square feet of gallery, classroom, and art laboratory space in addition to the current 38,000-squarefoot building. The two-story addition will be located on the northwest side of the present building. Executive Director and Chief Curator for Polk Museum of Art, Dr. Alexander Rich, noted the expansion was a 30-year dream for the institution. The current facility offers approximately 18,000 square feet of exhibitable gallery space. “There’s always been a great desire to add to this building,” said the executive director. “With the affiliation with Florida Southern College in 2017, our aspirations grew, and as it became an academic museum and a community museum, we were trying to bring bigger exhibitions and drive larger audiences through,” said Dr. Rich. “We are elated to build upon the legacy of this impressive museum of fine arts, and through the affiliation of FSC and the Museum, now pursue an expanded agenda to offer exhibitions of our treasured permanent collection and welcome an increasing number of visiting exhibitions from the great museums of the world,” said Dr. Anne B. Kerr, president of Florida Southern College and member of the PMA Board of Directors. They broke ground on the 14,000-square-foot expansion in May 2023 and are projected to open in Fall 2024. Gallery space will be principally added, with each space convertible into lecture, education, and multipurpose use. The expansion will triple the Museum’s current major exhibition space, “enabling the Museum to display more of its permanent collection and to expand its collections storage.” “A lot of the dream was how we could imagine what a museum of the 21st century truly looks like,” said Dr. Rich. “That becomes an interesting futuristic addition to the 1988 building.” Funding for the project comes from private donations as well as city and county support. Dr. Rich notes they hope to receive state support in the future. “I’m excited about the idea that we are going to live up to our expectations and far exceed them in people’s minds. To give people who come to the museum an opportunity to spend a half-day here or more and have so much to look at and learn, and to appreciate all the hard work our team puts into creating exceptional experiences that are both fun and enormously educational.” “It’s a dream to add to the collection. Because our space is so limited, we’ve been very purposeful with any additions to the collection,” said Dr. Rich. Though they accept gifts to the Museum as often as possible, they have not acquired many works because of the scant space. Museum patrons can expect more numerous and extensive exhibitions in the new space. PMA’s current show, “Rockwell / Wyeth: Icons of Americana” (Jan. 27, 2024 - May 26, 2024), is the Museum’s most expansive exhibition to date, with 366 objects taking up all of the main gallery space on the first floor. Dr. Rich says there are more exhibits of this caliber to come. There will also be more opportunities for experimental exhibitions, exhibitions for new media, for students at Florida Southern College and surrounding schools, and educational programming. The latter is especially important to Dr. Rich, Chair of the Department of Art History Museum Studies at Florida Southern College, housed at the Museum. “I’m excited for the opportunities we have to grow the next generation of museum and nonprofit professionals,” he said. “We see the expansion as a hub for community and professionals working in the arts and nonprofit fields, and pre-professionals [...] to give them resources to succeed and also help support this world as we move into future generations.” They are looking to add an undergraduate and master’s program in Museum Studies as well. The expanded space will also include “new, innovative, multi-use gallery, education, and archival spaces in which to study, learn from, and appreciate art across time and cultures, special events spaces, classrooms, and additional storage and restoration areas.” Dr. Rich notes that he loves the narrative the museum as a whole will share. Guests will enter through the current entrance of the 1988 building and step into the future – the expanded gallery space. “We are a free-admission museum and intend to remain a freeadmission museum. To be able to offer a museum like the one we have at the moment and to offer an expanded museum in the coming months is extraordinary and unusual for a community like ours,” said Dr. Rich. “I always hope that people come through the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College and are surprised to find a museum of this caliber here in Lakeland, in Polk County, or Central Florida, for that matter.” The project also includes renovations to the existing 1988 structure, including to the current entrance, new flooring throughout the first level, and updated second-floor galleries, classrooms, and office spaces. “We want to be on the leading edge of what art museums should be,” said Dr. Rich. The opening of the new expansion is sure to draw fanfare. Though the Museum is keeping exact details close to the vest, Dr. Rich divulges that there will be several launch exhibitions—a large one in the 1988 building, another anchor exhibit in the expanded space, and several other shows from their permanent collection. Consider becoming a member to support the Polk Museum of Art and keep admission free. By joining the Museum, you’re supporting arts education, exhibitions, educational programming, and operations, and investing in the arts in your community, according to the Museum’s membership page. Additionally, you’ll gain access to a myriad of perks and reciprocal benefits, including free afterschool art programming for young artists, free admission to Bok Tower Gardens, the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa during February and July, and more. To become a PMA member, visit their website, listed below. Polk Museum of Art 800 E Palmetto St, Lakeland (863) 688-7743 FB: Polk Museum of Art IG @polkmusuemofart polkmuseumofart.org Photograph by Amy Sexson, Renderings Provided

You’ve just received the news. It’s breast cancer. The diagnosis shatters you. Questions pile one on top of the other in your mind. What are you going to do? What toll will the treatment take? Are you going to lose your breasts? Are you going to lose your life? How will your family cope? How will you afford medical bills on top of all your basic needs? This is a familiar crisis to many women across Central Florida. Thankfully, there is an organization that seeks to ease the burden of those going through cancer treatment. Nearly one out of every eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, according to the Breast Cancer Foundation of Central Florida (BCFCF). This disease ravages the lives of those it touches, including family, friends, and finances. The BCFCF financial assistance program was started in 2017 to provide help with household expenses while a breast cancer patient is in active treatment. This includes covering the cost of rent or mortgage payments, utility payments, car payments, car repairs, home or auto insurance, or other necessary expenses. Based in Lakeland, the organization works with communities across the west to the east coast of Central Florida. They assisted 130 women in Polk County alone last year. BCFCF also provides a Children’s Fund that supports the unique needs of children in the homes of families with a member in active treatment for breast cancer. This assistance has included orthodontic continuation, eyeglasses, clothing, birthday and holiday gifts, school supplies, childcare, and infant supplies. According to their website, “BCFCF reaches out to the local, Central Florida communities we serve through breast cancer education and awareness initiatives, such as panel discussions, speaking engagements, health fairs, and web-based resources. BCFCF works to share both facts and myths about breast cancer, spreads the word that breast cancer can affect all ages and sexes, and is passionate about advocating for early detection and yearly mammogram screenings. We are doing our best to impart the importance of routine, monthly self-breast exams starting by age twenty.” In the last year, they’ve partnered with Moffitt, BayCare, and Florida Cancer Specialists to provide wigs and chemo caps to patients who can’t afford them and have started survivor groups. In addition to their annual Pink Ribbon Gala, the Breast Cancer Foundation of Central Florida hosts Jeepin’ for a Cure in October. Last year, they raised $18K and look to triple that number this year. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised go directly to breast cancer patients. Ashley Lloyd is the outreach director and only employee for the Breast Cancer Foundation of Central Florida. She was also a recipient of their care. Two years ago, Lloyd was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. “You don’t know what you’re going to do when you’re diagnosed. How am I going to feed my kids, pay for their soccer camp, and pay my mortgage?” she said. After receiving assistance from BCFCF, she fell in love with their mission, quit her job, and started with the organization in November 2022. Since Lloyd took over, there’s been a 73% increase in awareness of their cause. In 2023, BCFCF gave out nearly $300K and saw an increase in patient applications by almost 50 percent. The originization is always in need of donations and volunteers, but spreading awareness of what they do is just as valuable. “We want people to know that we exist. We’re not just here to give assistance. We also have people who can mentor you if you’re diagnosed,” said Lloyd. MARBIE’S STORY Marbelis ‘Marbie’ Garcia Wonders is originally from South Florida. She’s lived in Lakeland since 2006. Wonders is a fifth-grade teacher at Willow Oak School in Mulberry, has been married for over 26 years, and has two grown children. Wonders went for a regular checkup in the summer of 2022. She was turning 50 in October and hadn’t had a mammogram the previous two years because of the pandemic. “I wasn’t very worried about it because I don’t have a history of cancer in my family,” she said. Her son was a senior in high school and a member of the Dreadnaught marching band. The team was headed for a championship, and Wonders was president of the band boosters and partially in charge of the concession stand. Life was busy. Then, she was called in for a second mammogram. Following that, she was told to come back for a biopsy. Wonders began to grow worried. “They called me back in late September and informed me of my diagnosis over the phone – that I had breast cancer,” she said. She was diagnosed with Stage 1 of an aggressive form of breast cancer called HER2+. “I was very stunned because I felt fine,” she said. “For them to tell me that there’s something wrong with my body when I didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with my body was counterintuitive to me. It was really something I had to wrap my mind around. That was a tough pill for me to swallow because there was nothing wrong with me.” Wonders was rushed to the oncologist and the breast surgeon to decide on a treatment plan. She was given the diagnosis on September 22, saw the breast surgeon on September 26, and was in surgery for a lumpectomy by November 1. Her case required a second surgery on November 15 to clear the margins. Following these two surgeries, Wonders had 12 weeks of chemotherapy, 21 rounds of radiation – five days a week for four weeks – and had to take Herceptin and Perjeta every three weeks for a year. The financial demands began to take their toll when someone from Watson Clinic recommended she apply with the Breast Cancer Foundation of Central Florida. “Things were starting to pile up at the house as far as bills go,” she said. Her engineer husband lost his job in 2008, and the family went through bankruptcy and foreclosure. “It’s just been in the last four or five years we’ve finally started to come out of it and be in a much better place financially.” They’d gotten their homeowner’s insurance bill, and because of an aging roof on the house, their mortgage payment skyrocketed by $600 a month. “What are we going to do now?” she thought. Then, BCFCF accepted her application. They agreed to pay her utility bills in full for four months. “That alone was a big help,” she said. “Them paying that one bill was enough to give us a little breathing room to figure out what we needed to do. […] It was one thing off my plate that I didn’t have to worry about. I could put it on them and focus on other things. When you have so many things going on, even one less stressor was helpful.” Today, Wonders is in remission with no evidence of disease detected. She is finished with treatment and has since had two clear mammograms. The fifthgrade teacher hopes to pay it forward with the organization that helped her during her battle with breast cancer. Asked if her diagnosis changed the way she lived her life at all, Wonders replied, “I was someone who didn’t sweat the small stuff to begin with. I definitely don’t do it now.” Breast Cancer Foundation of Central Florida P.O. Box 2508, Lakeland, FL FB: Breast Cancer Foundation of Central Florida IG @breastcancerfoundationcfl bcfcf.org Photographs Provided