Ask Lake Wales residents where to go for an extraordinary meal and they’ll likely point you to a quaint, done-up dining space off of Highway 60. L’incontro Italian Restaurant opened on January 14, 2011, bringing old-world, traditional Italian cuisine to The Ridge. We sat with the owner and general manager, Alex Barrera at lunch one afternoon to discuss the secret to their success. The lighting was dim and dreamy, tables were fully set with a carnation resting in a freshly filled vase of chilled water. The wait staff were dressed immaculately and tended to guests in the same fashion. Beyond the ambient main dining area is enclosed outdoor seating for a more private, scenic dining experience. Hungry patrons began filing into the upscale-casual eatery for a mid-afternoon meal. THE FAMILY L’incontro is family owned and operated by Barrera and his uncle, Chef Jose Uzhca. Barrera’s family, including his four uncles, are all culinaryminded. “Our family has been in the food industry for a very long time,” said Barrera. Immigrating from Ecuador in the mid 60s, his four uncles went on to lead accomplished careers within the food space, either working as Italian cuisine chefs or owning restaurants of their own. One of Chef Jose’s brothers established his restaurant in Lake Alfred, Luigi’s, and another retired from a restaurant of the same appellation, Trattoria L’incontro in Astoria, New York. Chef Jose, the youngest of four brothers, began cooking at just 17 years old. His resumé boasts some 25 years of perfecting the craft at restaurants Jardino, Novanta, Vivolo, IL Sogno, La Pergola di Taormina, Cafe Fiorello and the Mandarin Oriental in New York City. Chef Jose has had the opportunity to present dishes to some of the most high-profile people in the world, including the President of France, Oprah Winfrey and more. Barrera himself is no rookie on the culinary scene – always working in one form or another in the restaurant industry. Around 14 years old, Alex began washing dishes in restaurants, eventually working his way up to busboy, runner, server, manager and expediter. His background specializes in Japanese restaurants. He started at the renown Nobu Japanese restaurant as a busser, eventually becoming an expediter. THE FOOD Made to order, using traditional recipes and cooking methods, the dishes on L’incontro’s menu span regions and generations of the old country. “Our menu is a very old menu,” he said. The restaurant pays homage to old-world tradition with dishes from puttanesca to piccata. There is no gimmick, no spin – just Italian cuisine as it was intended, according to Barrera. What is any good Italian eatery without its marinara? As an anchor to many menu items, having the perfect sauce is paramount, and L’incontro has perfected it. “Everybody says it’s in the sauce,” said Barrera. Other popular menu items include mussels and clams served with garlic oil, as well as mozzarella caprese, and their famous spaghetti bolognese. “It’s a little twist on spaghetti meat sauce, we just add a little cream. Some people aren’t aware, but that’s what ‘bolognese’ means – it’s from Bologna in Italy and you add cream. It makes a huge difference,” said Barrera. Even more special is what you won’t find on the menu. Every night, L’incontro presents Chef Recommendations. Lake Wales residents are addicted to the String Bean Salad – a simple dish made with string beans, red onions, homemade mozzarella cubes, tossed in a homemade Italian vinaigrette. Their Chef Recommendation Stuffed Pork Chop Barrera described as a Frenched, bone-in pork chop elevated in flavor by prosciutto, goat cheese, raisins, cranberries, candied apples, wrapped in bacon and finished with a truffle mushroom Marsala sauce. This dish is in such demand that it makes the special menu at least once a week. Fancy a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon with your spaghetti bolognese? The restaurant offers a selection of wine and beer along with the addition of a full bar in January earlier this year. You can enjoy lunch or dinner service at L’incontro seven days a week. Dinner reservations are recommended. Stay tuned to their social media or join their newsletter to be in the loop for special events like wine pairings and live music. Maybe it’s the food or the service that has won over the community, or perhaps the secret sauce is in the name “L’incontro.” A date night, business meeting, or a family gathering are all done best at “The Meeting Place.” L’incontro Italian Restaurant 35 FL-60, Lake Wales (863) 676-7400 Lincontrofl.com FB @LincontroItalianRestaurant Photo by Amy Sexson

Beauty pageants. Those two words may evoke images of scenes from movies like “Miss Congeniality” and “Dumplin’” or the perceived superficiality of the pageant circuit. Tall, thin, pretty girls lauded for being pretty – right? In reality, it’s so much more than that. It is scholarships, community service, confidence-building, opportunities, and life lessons according to Florida Citrus Queen 1981, now Executive Director of the Miss Florida Citrus pageant, Brenda Eubanks Burnette. Pageants have been so pivotal in her life in fact, they have led her to her current position as the Executive Director of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Born in Miami, Burnette came to Winter Haven when she was in the second grade. She went through school here, graduated from Winter Haven High School and then Polk Community College. She got her start in pageants winning Miss Winter Haven. Through the encouragement and help to find a sponsor of Bob Eastman and Jerry Imber, she went on to compete in the Florida Citrus Queen pageant. “The first year, I didn’t win or place or anything. In fact, I was so nervous because I wasn’t really a pageant girl, I was only in it for the scholarship money. I forgot my sponsor’s name and everything,” she remembered, smiling. Two years later, when Brenda was working for WSIR Radio, Eastman and Imber convinced her to come back and compete in the pageant again. Bill Raley of Dundee Citrus Growers Association agreed to be her sponsor. Brenda Burnette entered the pageant and claimed the crown as the 1981 Florida Citrus Queen. She received a car for a year and a $1,000 wardrobe along with other prizes. She was paid a whopping $25 for every appearance she made. It wasn’t the prizes or the money that left an impact on Brenda, it was the experience and the opportunities that blossomed from it. “It was the networking and the things that you could do that was so exciting – and the fact that you’d be traveling the world,” she said. “It was a huge growing experience.” The beauty queen had never traveled by herself before then. She remembered her first time traveling to New York and taking a taxi. The meter was blinking and the cab driver spoke no English. She paid him $21 for a ride that most certainly didn’t cost that much. She chuckled as she told that story and about the first time she saw snow, in Chicago – wearing high heel sandals. Her job as reigning Florida Citrus Queen took her all across the United States, Canada, and even Japan – twice. During her travels she met Bruce Springsteen by happenstance in a hotel lobby waiting for the rain to stop. It was his birthday, so she gave him a birthday kiss. “I met a lot of people over that year that really helped me in terms of growing as a public relations person and networking,” she said. After her year as Florida Citrus Queen, she took a job with the Winter Haven News Chief, then as a subcontractor for the Department of Citrus for three years, booking herself in media and tv interviews throughout the United States and Canada. She got into real estate for a time. Then, she was asked to interview for the position of Executive Director for the Florida Citrus Showcase. She was hired for the position and was asked to take over the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant. She did, even securing an $18K per year salary for the woman who won. Working a job was nearly impossible as the appearances and time commitment was a full-time job for the queen. She ran the program from 1989 to 1993 before moving full time to South Florida. According to Brunette, The Showcase stopped at some point after that, leaving the Florida Citrus Queen pageant, a program which began in 1924, defunct. BEAUTY – INSIDE AND OUT “Being a queen goes beyond the mascara and hairspray,” said Burnette. During her time as the Florida Citrus Queen, she learned everything from time management, to always be dependable and honest, and how to conduct herself thoughtfully, gracefully, and intelligently in interviews. “It’s a big confidence-builder. It makes you believe in what you can do because of the things that happen to you along the way,” she said. She can remember arriving late in Chicago one evening. She had a television appearance early the next morning and the universe seemed to be working against her. The pipes froze overnight leaving no running water and her scheduled 3 a.m. wake-up call never came. When the field agent knocked on her door to ask if she was up and ready – she panicked and jumped into action. She couldn’t get a shower, had to brush her teeth dry, and do her hair and makeup in the car – but she made it there, ready to fulfill her duties. “You have to learn to roll with the punches and get up and do it,” she said. She learned to catch cat naps whenever she could, like in the car between appearances. She also learned to be herself. Her mom always told her, “You can’t be anything more than you already are, so be the best at that, that you can be.” FLORIDA CITRUS QUEEN 2.0 In 2012, Burnette brought the pageant back to life. The title of Florida Citrus Queen was back with a new name, Miss Florida Citrus, and is now a preliminary pageant for the Miss Florida pageant. “I now run Miss Winter Haven and Miss Florida Citrus pageant because that’s how I got my start,” she said. It is made all the more special for Burnette to see the winner of last year’s pageant, Michaela McLean, go on to take the 2019 Miss Florida crown. McLean is slated to compete in the 2020 Miss America pageant this December. Burnette shared advice she gives the young ladies who compete now as Executive Director of the pageant. “One of the things I always tell the girls is that this is a job. You are competing for a job, so you need to picture yourself as that person and treat it accordingly. Act as if you already have the crown.” “The job description is not that we want somebody who is 5’10”, blonde and thin as a toothpick. We want somebody who puts her own stamp on that job and it doesn’t matter how tall or cute – if you can’t talk to people and be real with people, it doesn’t make any difference,” she said. “Those shoes are your shoes that year – so you make your own footprint.” Beauty pageants are glamorous, sure. But they are so much more than that according to the Miss Florida Citrus Executive Director. “The thing people don’t realize is that Miss America is one of the largest scholarship providers for young women in America,” she said. “These scholarships allow these women to have an education.” The Miss Florida Citrus pageant alone awards $3K in scholarships each year. Many pageants, including Miss America, not only give the ladies who compete, scholarship opportunities, they encourage them to serve others, and the community. Contestants in pageants like Miss America are required to fulfill so many service hours, champion a social initiative, and raise money for a charity. Tune in to NBC on December 19 from 8 pm - 10 pm ET/ PT, to watch Miss Florida, Michaela McLean vie for the 2020 Miss America crown. Burnette will be there to cheer her on! Burnette says she feels fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunities she’s had and to have met the people she’s met. Memories and friendships and glamour aside, Brenda Burnette says being a beauty queen taught her most about, “Making the most of any opportunity that comes your way.” Solid advice from a woman who has done just that.

Tucked away in a sleepy Bartow neighborhood not far from bustling Highway 17, rests a grand architectural art piece devised by an eccentric inventor in the 1920s. One of Florida’s earliest tourist attractions, the Wonder House is presently home to Krislin Kreis and Drew Davis. After falling in and out of disrepair between owners, Davis and Kreis have breathed new life into the house and in June, opened it for historic tours again. A BRIEF HISTORY Born to a poor family outside of Pittsburgh in 1877, Conrad Schuck grew up with dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. He found success starting a stone rock quarry and as a building contractor. According to Davis, a railroad company claimed eminent domain over Schuck’s land, leading to a legal battle that found its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. He lost the fight and in turn lost everything. The stressful ordeal claimed Schuck’s land and his health. “His doctor said he had a few months to live and if he moved down to the warm tropical Florida climate, which was popular back in the ’20s, he would live an entire year,” said Davis. Thinking the clock was ticking on his last year to live, Schuck moved his wife and nine children to Florida in 1926 and began building his dream house. The tropical weather must have been good to Schuck because he went on to work on the house for another 30 years. Determined to invest his money wisely, Schuck invested in the stock market and Florida land. By 1928, Florida land had busted followed by the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. “He has no money, wants to finish his house and that’s when he opens it up for tours,” said Davis. Tours of Florida’s Wonder House were “wildly successful” according to Davis. He’s read some interviews claiming the house attracted 2000 guests every week. It had garnered such a following that in the late 1930s, The Florida Department of Tourism called Wonder House the number one must-visit attraction in Florida. The Wonder House had made a name for itself as one of Florida’s very first (and few still standing today) attractions, predating the omnipresent mouse by some forty years. It remained popular into the 40s, continuing to gain traction. “That’s when Conrad starts branching out from doing mostly oddities and normal tours of the house into inventions,” said Davis. By the 1950s, his children who had helped with the house moved on, leaving Conrad by himself. By the 1960s, he had gotten too old to maintain the property. Land deeds show that around this time, Schuck gave the entire 14-acre property away to a church for just $1000. According to Kreis, all but the 2-acre main property was subdivided in 1963, creating the surrounding neighborhood. The Wonder House and main lot went to Lucy DuCharme next. DuCharme – a larger than life classy southern lady who often donned large hats, white gloves and drove around in a convertible Cadillac according to Davis – did plenty of entertaining in the house and was rumored to have had Elvis Presley there once. A photo of Elvis playing piano in the home is said to exist, though Davis and Kreis have yet to see it. DuCharme passed away in the house and it remained abandoned until Charles Heiden purchased it. He poured money into fixing up the Wonder House until an ongoing spat with the city forced him out. Davis said, “It got to a boiling point over the barn out back and he ended up packing up everything, tearing everything out of the house and just leaving.” It was again abandoned, during which time it was significantly damaged and left in disrepair. ABOUT THE HOUSE The Wonder House is made of concrete reinforced with steel (from local train tracks) tessellated with tile and glass mosaics. Because Schuck didn’t think he had long to live, he didn’t use blueprints to build the house. In fact, only one floor of blueprints exist. The fourstory home, including two stories underground, is somewhere between 5000 and 12,000 square feet of stunningly interesting invention and design. The house is shaped like a cross with porches on every corner – some of which have been enclosed by various owners. The structure’s shape was part of the air conditioning system. According to Davis, in the center of the cross on every floor sat a fireplace. When lit, the warm air would go upwards, and it would suck air from outside. The two and a half foot thick walls covered in creeping fig vine made for a purported four feet of insolation. The air sucked in from outside was cooled from water running through the walls from hollow concrete columns Schuck designed to gather rainwater. “Pretty much every room in the house, when the fireplace was lit, would have a cross breeze because every room has two porches on either side,” he said. Conrad Schuck was known for his collection of oddities within the house, but the Wonder House is a bit of an oddity in its own right. From beautiful tile mosaics and hand-painted ceiling panels to hidden rooms and clever inventions, the Wonder House is the amalgamation of an eccentric dreamer’s boundless imagination and vision. Some of the home’s notable features include a moat with two bridges spanning it and two pools on the third floor (one of which has since been concreted in by a previous owner) that were used as bathtubs, swimming pools, and then koi ponds. A gigantic concrete pergola looms over the third floor. In times past, it too was draped in fig vine to shade the porch from the punishing Florida sun. One of Conrad’s only original inventions remaining in the house is a 21-square foot rotating kitchen cabinet. Kreis said that there used to be many fascinating inventions sprinkled throughout the house. For various reasons, throughout its history, those have been manipulated. “There used to be a laundry chute system that connected all the bedrooms in the house,” said Kreis. “Because the house has two-foot thick concrete walls when they went to put in air conditioning, the only way to do it was to go through the old laundry chute system.” Interestingly enough, Conrad Schuck and his family never actually occupied the Wonder House. According to Davis, Schuck wanted every detail finished before he moved in – the details, however, were never close enough to completion for his liking. The Wonder House’s popularity and tourist magnetism in its heyday saw many newspapers and tabloids filled with salacious claims about features and things that allegedly happened in the house. Admitted history buffs, Davis and Kreis have poured over hundreds, perhaps thousands of articles about the house. Comfortably familiar with its history, preparing for the tours meant putting on detective hats and sifting through bogus accounts. Many of the stories they thought were surely false, have turned out otherwise. Like that of a sunken tub that tourists could lay in and see the front door through Schuck’s mirror system. It took three layers of flooring to get to the sunken tub, but alas, it was there! Extra escape tunnels, hidden passageways, and secret rooms have been posited and some confirmed. You’ll have to take the tour to find out more about that! ABOUT THE PROPRIETORS Davis and Kreis acquired the house at auction in September of 2015, closing in October. Krislin Kreis moved to the United States from Estonia with her parents in 1993. Growing up on Fort Myers Beach, she always knew she wanted to be an artist. She went to Ringling College of Art and Design for Photography and Digital Imaging. Kreis spent five years in fashion marketing before acquiring the Wonder House in 2015. Following two years as a TV production teacher for Polk County Schools, she now teaches photography at Union Academy in Bartow. Drew Davis, from Virginia originally, attended the University of Virginia studying economics before coming to Florida for law school at Florida State University. He now works as a prosecutor and takes an interest in discovering and restoring the Wonder House with Kreis. The couple share the Wonder House with their sweet pup, Joan of Bark. Despite the condition of the home when they first acquired it, without running water or electricity, Davis moved in and immediately began restoration efforts. Kreis moved in two years later, though she would commute to work on the house in the meantime. The first of the repairs to be done was to dig up the overgrown plants in the moat that were so pervasive you couldn’t see the steps. They also took down the front door and refinished it. The first room to be completed was the dining room. This is Krislin’s favorite room in the house. “It was the first room we finished and the light in there is dreamy,” she said. The way the vibrant stain glass reflects on the table she described as, “just magical.” According to Kreis, anything they do to renovate the house, they approach asking themselves what Conrad Schuck would do. They stay close to his vision but take into account modern conveniences. Keeping to the home’s history and Schuck’s vision, the couple has tried to furnish the fortress in the fashion of a Germanic castle. In honor of Conrad’s pickled snake and oddity collection, they too have an oddity display. “My original plan for it was a ten-year plan,” said Davis of the Wonder House restorations. “We’re four years in, so I guess we’re on track, at about 40% completion.” HOLIDAY TOURS The Wonder House will be open for special family-friendly Holiday tours. Krislin loves to decorate for the holidays, especially Christmas. This year, she’s excited to open the Wonder House in all its winter magic to tour-goers. Davis and Kreis would like to break the tours into a nighttime tour and a regular Saturday Christmas tour. Admission to the special nighttime tour may include complimentary snacks and beverages to add to the merriment. Bathed in sparkling Christmas lights and filled with holiday cheer, “You’ll get to see a different side of the Wonder House,” said Kreis. The Wonder House www.wonderhousebartow.com FB @wonderhousebartow Historic Tours of the Wonder House are available only by booking a reservation online in advance. Photos by Amy Sexson

Lakeland’s hometown barbeque spot since 1964, Jimbo’s Pit Bar B-Q maintains a lasting legacy of good food and good service, run by good folks. The restaurant was originally started by Jim Neff, owner of the Foxfire Restaurant and Henry Landworth who owned the Holiday Inn just down the road. Peck’s Freez-ette was the eatery’s first moniker. It eventually became Jimbo’s Pit Bar B-Q and Neff hired Harold “Happy” Lehman to run it. “Dad managed it for him for a year and bought it from him in ’65,” remembered Harold’s daughter, Traci Lehman Hughes. Traci started working at Jimbo’s when she was 16 years old, leaving for a time to go to school in Orlando. In 2001, she bought the business and carries on the barbecue legacy that has endured for over half a century. Not much has changed in Jimbo’s since the doors first opened. The warm wood-paneled dining area is lined with antiques (which Harold Lehman collected) and some pig-themed decor brought in by guests. The comfy space is filled with picnic-style bench seating and the large windows allow light to flood in. About half of their business comes from take-out through their drive-thru and walk-up windows. Guests can order there or order online through their website and on bitesquad. com. A 1965 menu is framed, hanging on the wall, yellowed a bit with age. They’ve added a few things and taken a few off, but the bones of Jimbo’s menu remain the same. The current menu offers up barbecue standards like chopped pork, Bar B-Q beef and ham, chicken, Jimbo’s burger, or a fried fish sandwich with all the fixin’s. The star of the show is Jimbo’s Bar B-Q Ribs. By far, their biggest seller, the ribs, like the rest of their barbecue, are meat magic made with love. “We use an oiler pit, which comes out of Texas. We use no gas in cooking our barbeque – it’s all wood,” said Traci. “We put a dry rub on them, then we smoke them for 3 and a half, 4 hours. They come off and we baste them. It’s pretty simple – they’re just really good,” she smiled. Everything but the potato salad is made in-house at Jimbo’s. That includes Bar B-Q beans, coleslaw, mac and cheese and more. But I’d be remiss not to mention the made from scratch, to-die-for apple and cherry pies. In fact, that’s what Traci was about to do as we walked in for the interview – roll out the dough for the day’s pie. Though Harold Lehman passed away in 2018, Jimbo’s remains familyowned and operated. Traci’s daughters work with her at the restaurant. Daughter Olivia also runs Happy’s Place Farm and Chloe attends the University of Florida online. Daughter Molly is currently attending college at UF and picks up a shift or two when she comes home to Lakeland. Traci’s nephew, Tyson Hutto and cousin, Daryl Lehman also work at the restaurant. Jimbo’s offers catering and a holiday special in which you can buy whole pies and smoked turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They begin taking reservations for that on November 1 – whip your phone out now because they usually book up within the first week. “We haven’t changed much over the last 50 years – it’s kind of crazy, but it works,” said Traci. She learned this concept from her dad, though she’d nudge him to tweak things here or there in the past. “Now that I’m older, I get that. It works – why would I want to mess with it?” That’s only one of the many things Traci learned working with her dad. She also learned, “To value your customers, to be nice, to get out there and help your community and give back where you can.” Jimbo’s customer base is generational. The family says they are thankful for the community that has supported their small business over the years. “We can’t do it without them. We’re so lucky, we have generations who come in. People will come in with their grand-dad and their dad,” said Traci. Though not messing with what works is part of Jimbo’s business model, that doesn’t mean they won’t listen to their customers. They are toying with the idea of giving pulled and chopped chicken a permanent spot on the menu. In other exciting news – they’ll be adding a rib sandwich soon! “It’s going to be on a thicker, Texas toast white bread with ribs. It’s simple but people ask for it all the time,” said Traci. I stopped in for some take-out during a Wednesday lunch-hour rush. The Jimbo’s Bar B-Q Ribs plate was calling my name. The barbeque plates come with two hushpuppies and two sides. I chose mac and cheese and potato salad. For dessert – apple pie! I drove back to the office with full intentions of sharing… I did share, a little. A rib for you, and a rib for you, and the rest for me. “Fall-off-the-bone” is a phrase thrown around a lot when describing barbeque, but I can think of no four words more fitting for the smoky goodness that came in that Jimbo’s takeout box. It went from lunch to a full-on barbeque experience when I tried it with their homemade barbeque sauce (which they keep hot all day). It was equal parts tangy and sweet with just enough spice to make things interesting. The mac and cheese stood out as well. Strings of real cheese were ribboned in (seemingly strategically for max flavor) within the noodles and creamy sauce. And then, there was the apple pie. The warm, gooey, not-too-sweet apple filling was hugged by a flaky crust. The pie is served with a side of cider sauce which adds any sweetness your missing. A fork full of that pie with a dab of cider sauce is probably the most perfect bite of apple pie I’ve ever had (outside of yours, of course, Nanny). The whole lunch was ten out of ten – would recommend. As I finished my lunch, I thought back to what Traci had said earlier, “We haven’t changed much over the last 50 years – it’s kind of crazy, but it works.” Jimbo’s Pit Bar B-Q www.jimbospitbarbeque.com FB: Jimbo’s Pit Bar-B-Q IG @jimbospitbbqlkld Photo by Amy Sexson

Florida native, JC Anderson lived the first few years of his life in Norway where his dad is from. His family made the move to Lakeland in the late 80s when he was five, where he lived until moving to Nashville in 2004. Growing up, his goal was to be a doctor. In fact, he had earned a full ride scholarship to college after graduating Bartow High School in 2003. The thing was, he had already been playing music on the side, for fun, and it was getting pretty serious. I met up with JC on a September day after he finished his set at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville to talk. JC’s been living in Tennessee for fifteen years, and remembers the day he told his parents he didn’t want to go to college. “I started getting to open for shows like Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Trace Atkins and a bunch of big artists in Florida. I was playing music on the side, for fun and one day I thought, I can’t go to college now,” he smiled. He told his parents he wasn’t going to school and he wanted to move to Nashville. “I worked that summer at Crispers to save up money for an apartment.” Photo by Annette McNamara After moving to Nashville, he got a production deal within six months, which is unheard of. JC had a fellow Norwegian friend who plays guitar, give JC’s music to a producer friend named Ted Hewitt. “Ted liked what I was doing, asked me to come meet with him and he produced a few songs,” he said. At the same time, he was working at a restaurant in Hermitage, TN, a block from his house. “I was a horrible server, I was awful. I was too clumsy and couldn’t memorize stuff well,” he laughed. He needed to make money and he also happened to meet his future wife, Kristi there. So it wasn’t all bad. When he wasn’t at the restaurant, he was keeping the dream alive. “My producer tells me the next step now, is putting a band together and getting some guys you can go out on the road and start touring with. I lucked into doing shows with really big artists before, but I needed road experience.” At age 19, he came back to Florida and teamed up with his mom, Mary Anne to start auditioning for band mates. Bill Boyce was the first person he heard play. JC told him, “You’re in, I don’t need to look any further!” When Bill asked where the rest of the band was? “I laughed and said, you’re it so far!” The drummer was Jimmy Smith, one of his best friends in Lakeland. “One of the best drummers I’ve ever known,” JC said. “He was out in Hollywood at the time. I called him and he said he’d been waiting for this call for a long time.” Everything was falling into place. They got a great group of guys together and started playing gigs in Lakeland. At that point, JC was ready to move back to Tennessee and he was bringing his band. They got a house in the country where they all hunkered down and started making and recording more music. That’s when his mom told him about a new show coming out called The Next GAC Star. (on the Great American Country Channel.) After a little convincing from her, he sent in his music video. “I had just finished a music video before I came back up here for the first song I’ve ever wrote. A week later I got a phone call from GAC and was told I was the Judges Choice for this week’s show.” After being on the live finale show, they won 2nd runner up. That brought opportunities with record labels which were great, however the country’s recession didn’t help. “They all told me the same thing. We love ya but we can’t do anything right now. If we sign you, we’re going to have to shelf you. I felt like the iron was still hot so I didn’t want that,” he explained. He wanted something now, but it just wasn’t happening. Needing to make a living and you know, pay bills and everything. He had to figure out his next move. That’s where the Wildhorse Saloon comes in. They were having a contest, and long story short, after 800 submissions from hopeful musicians, they narrowed it down to 36 to compete live. JC not only made it to the finale, but he eventually went on to win. That meant he won a year contract with them. After that, it was more recording and more touring. At that point, he had been married to Kristi for two years. They began talking about kids. “I felt like, I don’t know what’s going to happen, I don’t know where my life is going. I’m working hard but we’re at this plateau of not knowing what’s next. I don’t have a manager and I don’t know how the business works in that aspect.” He did whatever it took to make things work and to have a family. “We had our first baby, little Sophia, and I did whatever I had to do to get by at that point. I played shows, I worked in warehouses and then I got a job working in the auto industry. It was supposed to be temporary, something to get by.” However, they wanted him full time, so he took it. “I went in at entry-level working at an auto auction place, then got a full time job but was trying to hustle the whole time, too,” he said. They gave him a promotion after promotion, “I worked my tail off. I was working and working at this job, moving up fast. “One day I came to this realization, what am I doing? I’ve been in this business for four years now, was still playing shows, still taking promotions at work but had even less time to play music. That’s when Clay Ryan, the owner of the dealership and still one of his best friends, told him to quit music because he was wasting all of his time at work. “Clay told me, why don’t you leave here and go out there and do what you came here to do. I called my wife and asked her what she thought about me quitting the corporate job and going back at music full time and giving it everything I’ve got while I still can.” Kristi supported him. “ I told her it’s going to be hard. Money will be tight. I basically had to start over and I had to go bigger and better this time around. I worked hard, toured hard, booked more shows, played every hole in the wall in front of 5 people.” Wherever they could get there foot in the door, and started making a new fan base. He said sometimes it was fun, but mostly they were burned out, it was becoming difficult. They started booking less shows focusing on more quality shows. One night playing a show at Puckett’s in downtown Nashville, Len Besinger saw them play. “He’s from Glacier Entertainment Artist Management.” The company had been sitting dormant since the recession. JC explained that Besinger played his music for a friend at CMT, and was inspired to get back into the industry. They’ve been working together since. They’ve been playing bigger stages, making more money, and playing songs that he wrote. “It’s amazing to have other people like what you’re doing so much that they help you with the next step.” “This is the best year we’ve ever had, we’re on pace to have over 200 shows. I’m not starving to death like I was before,” he laughed. They will be coming out with a new single this fall. “Now with a bigger appreciation of what I’m doing and the gift that I was so lucky for God to give me, it is my responsibility to do it,” he said. “As long as I try hard enough, I will find a way. If I don’t give up, I will find a way.” I asked if he had any advice for budding musicians trying to make it big. “The music business is very deep and dark and heartbreaking. You go out every day and wear your heart on your sleeve. You don’t know where it’s going to go. I’ve had so many big things happen to me, with the show, record companies, I’ve gotten so far, so many times and at the last second everything just doesn’t work out. Over and over again. I’m doing everything I can to be the best and be better than the other guy, but nothing happens. You get bitter, jaded and angry. This is not for the faint of heart,” he said thoughtfully. “I don’t do this for me anymore. I love it and I can’t see myself doing anything else but I don’t do it to be a star. I know what I’m best at. So it’s my responsibility to do that and put my kids through college and to support my family, you know?” After sitting for a bit, he added, “Get out and perform in front of people, not your family and not your friends. Perform for people you don’t know and then see if you want to take it further. “ As for his family, “They’re my motivation to keep trying. I don’t want to let them down.” www.jcandersen.com FB@jcandersonband

Born on Florida’s east coast, Jessica Bryant went to Florida Institute of Technology and earned her Bachelor of Science degree. From there she built a career managing restaurants and was the General Manager for years at a corporate restaurant. As she grew increasingly disheartened with the industry, Bryant wanted a change. A friend from roller derby, a firefighter/ paramedic for Hillsborough County, asked Bryant if she’d ever thought of being in the fire service – she hadn’t. She thought teaching was her next calling until an EMR course piqued her interest. Building momentum from that class, Bryant took an EMT course and loved it. Next, she pursued her fire standards. At 34 years old, Jessica Bryant decided to become a firefighter and Lakeland Fire Department was her first choice. She’s been doing a job that challenges and fulfills her for two and a half years now. Bryant even joined a combat fire team, Team Lang to compete in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge. Bryant has always wanted to be the best firefighter she could be. Her mentality is that at work, she is a firefighter above all else. “No matter woman or man, as a new firefighter you have to prove to your crew that you have their back no matter what, which can be stressful, and as a woman, you may have to figure different techniques to get the job done. But once you do and show that you never give up, this is the best career in the world, and the rewards outweigh any bad day,” she said. Donning earrings and glitter nail polish, Bryant made it clear that her femininity has not been sacrificed for her career. “You don’t have to lose being a woman to be a firefighter,” she said. Bryant’s experience in the fire service has been a positive one. “Our department wants you to do a good job and they want you to be happy while you’re doing it,” she said. Of her male comrades, Bryant said, “It’s like having a bunch of big brothers.” Women within the fire service can empower each other through passing on knowledge and being collective says Bryant. “I think if we work together as women, we’re going to get a lot more done,” she said. She shared advice given to her by retired career Lakeland firefighter Maggie Colson, “Demand what is yours, fight for what is yours, but be ready to back it up.” IGNITING CHANGE: WOMEN IN THE FIRE SERVICE In efforts to diversify the department, LFD began a campaign called “Igniting Change.” The program is to encourage more girls and women to consider the fire service as a career option. The fire department speaks at schools and groups like PACE Center for Girls and Girls Inc. to share this message. A video was produced by the department detailing the perspective of a female firefighter, encouraging other women who are interested in the fire service. The department also provides Polk County high schools with materials from bookmarks and videos to career planning materials for guidance counselors to give to students. Fire Chief Riley expressed that the fire department should be a reflection of the community they serve. The department would like to make it an attractive career option for people who might not have considered it as such. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nationwide, only about 4% of firefighters are female. That number is unacceptable to the Fire Chief. “Young girls never think about becoming firefighters. Why? Because nobody ever has that conversation with them,” he said. He thinks middle school or younger is where the seed needs to be planted that firefighting is a viable, realistic career choice for women as well as men. Jessica Bryant is involved with the Igniting Change campaign, and speaks to young girls. “I went through school and went to college and no one said ‘Have you ever thought about being a firefighter?’” She thinks it’s extremely positive to spread their message to girls. “Women in the fire service can be a great help when dealing with female patients. Female firefighters help to just add another perspective or view in serving our communities,” she added. Public Relations and Information Manager for LFD, Janel Vasallo spoke about the impact the campaign has had, saying, “Before the campaign, we went some years without getting any applications from women. After the campaign came out, we got a lot of local news attention [...] The following hiring period, we got eight applications.” EXPECTING ALI Bryant brings another interesting perspective to being a female in the fire service. At the time of our interview in September, Bryant was 34 weeks pregnant and still actively working. Her daughter, Ali Fortunato Bryant Gittings will be Bryant’s first child. With a due date of October 20, the expecting mother shared what it was like having the normal thoughts and worries of pregnancy combined with her dangerous line of work. She went through the usual considerations of how she would get time off and finding a babysitter to things she’s never thought about before like preparing a will. Taking off much of the stress, her fellow firefighters have been supportive of Bryant, even offering to cover her shift when she needs time off. “The department has been very helpful,” she said. They’ve given Bryant the option to come off-line and work in administration whenever she feels she needs to. When we spoke, she planned to continue working as normal until around 37 weeks. Her family of firefighters has embraced Bryant and her baby girl. They even threw her a baby shower and Bryant remarked she constantly receives baby clothes and gifts for Ali. Asked what lessons she has learned as a firefighter that will carry over into motherhood, Bryant laughed, saying she has bought safety kits for the whole house. “I’ve become a little neurotic on safety, that’s for sure.” Bryant reflected on what it was like to be in her 30’s, midcareer, and change everything despite what others would think. She hopes Ali will have that drive to do what makes her happy, to be educated, strong, and voice her opinion. Bryant said, “I want her to know that the possibilities are endless. Whatever she wants to do, she can do it. As long as she has a commitment and a drive – she’ll have the support there.”

The first year of any job is a time to show off your skillset, form relationships with co-workers, and earn your place within the company. Certainly, this is true too of the fire service – a career in which daily tasks can range from station cleaning duties or taking life-saving measures on the scene of a car wreck, to purposely walking into a burning building. Giving a rookie’s perspective to what life is like in the fire service is Lakeland firefighters Peterson Theophile. Theophile grew up in Haiti, moving to the United States in 2010 with his father. He lived in West Palm Beach before moving to Port Charlotte where he went to high school and first became interested in Emergency Medical Services as a potential career. He has pursued these interests since the 10th grade, taking an EMR course in high school. It was in this class he found that the excitement, adrenalin-rush, and ability to help people within the fire service appealed to him. He attended EMT school in college, for which he said his high school EMR class had well prepared him. After completing his fire standards, Theophile was hired on with the Ocala Fire Department (OFD) where he worked for three months before being offered a job with Lakeland Fire Department (LFD) where he has been for six months. Coming up on a year in the fire service, Theophile reflected, “The first year has been really exciting.” When he started at OFD he admittedly wasn’t very handy. His fellow firefighters taught him everything he needed to know from the names and use for the tools they use to how to change a tire. “I learned a lot with them [in Ocala] and when I came down here, they taught me even more,” he said. “Not just about the fire service, but about life itself in general.” Along with soaking up every bit of information he can, Theophile has been working to earn his spot at the station. “[In] station life, you have to be really respectful. As a rookie, you have to be the first one to do everything. Everybody had to go through it – you’ve got to earn your spot,” he said. “Everybody who was here before you – they’ve earned their respect, they’ve earned their spot.” Between saving lives and community outreach, the firefighters even have time for a few good-natured pranks. When asked if he had any funny rookie moments on the job, Theophile laughed and said, “Every day.” The most recent involved a lizard (which Peterson isn’t a fan of) being put on his back. Jokes aside, Peterson feels like he is truly a part of the fire service’s brotherhood/ sisterhood. He still has friends from his time serving in Ocala and described LFD as “a family.” Life in the fire service isn’t as it’s depicted on tv says Theophile. It isn’t nonstop saving babies from burning buildings and getting cats down from treetops. Though they do go on many dangerous and exciting calls, not everything is as dramatic as on television. “The station is our second home. When we come here in the morning, we have morning detail that we always clean, we cook all ourselves. We each chip in $10 and we have one person that cooks – it’s not all exciting. There are certain things you have to do every shift,” he said. Whether it is a big call or minuscule station duties, he said, “Everything I do here, I enjoy very much.” Surprisingly it isn’t the dangerous or adrenaline-inducing calls that this firefighter enjoys the most – it’s helping senior citizens in their time of need. The fire department often receives calls to assist seniors who have fallen. “We all have grandparents that could be in that situation, we’re all going to get old one day. When I go to those calls, I make sure I treat them with respect because that might be me one day and they deserve the utmost respect,” he said. Theophile’s nearest career aspirations are to become a driver and eventually one day work his way up the ranks to a lieutenant. Thankfully, he has many mentors to help him along the way. “At my shift, in this station – everybody’s a mentor. Everyone teaches me and every day I learn something new from everyone at the station,” he said. Perhaps one day he’ll be a mentor to a rookie firefighter. His first-year advice to someone thinking of joining the service was to, above all else, work hard. “And even when you make it, you continue to work hard and learn something new every day and train every day,” he said, “The work doesn’t stop.”

Lieutenant Damian Motsinger has been with the Lakeland Fire Department for the entirety of his fire career – over 11 years. His grandfather was a volunteer fire chief and his great uncle was a Lakeland firefighter years ago. The idea to follow in their footsteps crossed his mind as a kid. Both he and his sister did eventually pursue their fire standards and carry on the family tradition. Now a Lieutenant, how Motsinger leads his crew was influenced by a few mentors throughout his career. He complimented Troy Deines for his knowledgeability as a firefighter, and said, “When I was going through paramedic school, he was stationed with me at that time and guided and encouraged me through that process.” Of another influential firefighter, retired Lieutenant Mark Bowers, Motsinger said, “His crew was very important to him and the family atmosphere and comradery were important to him […] Seeing that early on in my career was important in developing me into an officer because that’s the same way I run my crew here.” Motsinger and his wife Chelsea, a nurse practitioner, have two dogs. When he isn’t at the fire station, Motsinger likes to stay active, taking their dogs to the dog park, exercising, and practicing martial arts. Keeping fit is a personal must for Motsinger. He discussed the major changes within the department in the areas of occupational cancer prevention, mental health, safety, and physical health. “There are a lot of aspects to health and wellness in the fire service. Some of the big ones we’re facing right now are cancer and mental health. When a lot of people think of health and wellness they think of the physical aspect, they think about exercising or eating right and those are very important,” he said. To encourage physical fitness for its firefighters, the Lakeland Fire Department puts out reading material that offers different workout ideas and nutritional advice, and each station has a gym. The department is currently in the process of re-outfitting gyms at each station with new exercise equipment for more functional, low-impact use according to the lieutenant. Making large meals together is an important part of the culture of the fire service. Balancing healthy eating with the stress of the job can be hard for new firefighters which can lead to weight gain and in turn back, knee, and shoulder problems. “The truth of it is, in the fire service, you may go from watching tv or sitting at the dinner table to inside a fire within five minutes,” he said. “You have to take care of and maintain your body throughout your career because you’re going to be here for 25 to 30 years.” Motsinger said, “Hopefully through the information that we put out and through the education we do in our orientation process, we are encouraging our firefighters to eat healthier and live overall healthier lifestyles.” A problem for many firefighters and an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle is getting adequate sleep. The anticipation and excitement of when the next tone will drop can be jolting, creating an unhealthy sleep schedule that can carry over into a firefighter’s home life, said Motsinger. “It creates this sleep debt where you’re always behind,” he said. On par with physical fitness, mental health is an area that leadership within the department has given much attention and taken steps to provide resources for. Motsinger explained that firefighters are exposed to all of life’s regular stress, in addition to sleep deprivation and the emergency scenes they are called to. “It can be challenging,” he said. “The mental part of it is constant. The physical part comes and goes, you have harder days than others, but the mental part is every day for your entire career.” People are affected by things differently and have differing needs when it comes to working through a tough time. Motsinger urged that being bothered by a call doesn’t make a firefighter less than. He said, “Something at some time will bother every firefighter because we’re human beings.” Motsinger added, “Fortunately, we are doing a much better job of recognizing circumstances that would warrant us taking care of each other. And that’s what the peer support system is all about.” Lieutenant Motsinger said, “We’re here to help the public. That’s our mission, that’s what we do. But we have to take care of each other first because if we’re not mentally and physically healthy, we can’t help anyone else.”

Like many good ideas, the concept for the Adler’s Burgers food truck started over “an open flame and open beverages” at a backyard barbeque. Husband and wife Wade and Jacki Walston and friend Jeremiah Waters teamed up to perfect the American classic. “We were literally having a backyard barbeque talking about how we wanted to do a food truck. We threw it out into the universe, talked about it and it happened,” said Wade. The food truck’s namesake came almost as easily as the idea to start it – Wade and Jacki have a son, Sheriff Adler Walston. The Adler’s name and dino nuggets on the menu were for him. Jeremiah Waters, who hails from Upstate New York, became their first employee and within a week, their first business partner. The trio started the truck 3 years ago and took any gig they could get. Wade said, “If you had a house party with six people we would be there in the off chance that one of those six people were in charge of the swap meet at their church or the company picnic.” Waters and the Walston’s hustled with the food truck for about eight months when they were presented with the opportunity to open a brick and mortar. In fact, it all started in the alley next to their Davenport burger joint. They became the smash burger fix for the late-night crowd of the adjacent Paddy Wagon Irish Pub which Wade, Jacki, and Jeremiah worked at for a time. To be respectful to the other local businesses, Adler’s wouldn’t set up their truck until after 10 pm. Their success didn’t go unnoticed by other eateries in the plaza and the owners were ordered to cease and desist. The owners of the pub saw the advantage of having Adler’s available to their customers and threw out an offer for the space across the alley. “If it wasn’t for us getting kicked out, we probably wouldn’t be sitting at this table currently,” said Wade. Well if it weren’t for that, and their stellar food and customer service of course. HEY, NICE BUNS Ask Wade Walston, a California native where to find the best burger on the west coast and without skipping a beat he’ll tell you In-N-Out Burger. The trio’s goal for Adler’s was to be the same kind of indisputable burger rep in Florida. “We weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, we were just looking for a missing spoke. Currently, there’s not any one place in Florida known for having the best burger,” he said. “Florida has a lot of fantastic burger franchises and local mom and pops, but no definitive good one. We’re trying to fill that void.” It all starts with the bun. The three owners spent plenty of time, in the beginning, trying different buns out to find their perfect vessel for their burgers. They found an artisan bakery out of Coconut Creek, Florida called Cusano’s Bakery. Cusano’s has been family owned and operated since 1966 with over 100 years of bread baking tradition passed down through the generations. Wade described their bread as “wildly old school, a fantastic product.” Sitting inside this magnificent bun is their uncomplicated all beef, no B.S. smash burger. The burger is comprised of nothing but quality, Midwest, high-fat content ground beef. “There’s no filler in it, there’s no craziness, there’s no Ribeye steak in there,” said Wade. “We like our steaks an inch and a half thick, and we like our burgers with a lot of fat and smashed.” The fast-casual eatery offers $12 combos including a burger, hand-cut fries, and a craft soda. “I think part of our success is that we don’t have an overcomplicated menu,” said Waters. THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS “Hamburgers are an American classic,” said Wade. “We do our best to not overcomplicate it.” Their opus (and number one bestseller by far) is a reflection of that mantra. The Adler’s Classic Burger is dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onion, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup and a slice of American cheese. Though the partners all contributed to their minimal, flavorpacked menu, Jacki Walston – who studied culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu – is the creative genius behind their weekly specials. The pun-laden, campy names are reason enough to make you want to skip your usual and try something new. “I think the beauty of a burger is you can put just about anything on it and it’s always great. Think little black dress of the food world,” said Jacki. “I love getting people out of their comfort zone with flavors, and the burger is a great vessel to do so with. For example, we did a burger called the LamBURGhini, it had baba ganoush on it. So many people had never tried baba ganoush before and discovered how much they actually love it. I’ve found the quirkier the name, the more willing people are to try out of the box burger toppings.” Regulars flock in for treats like the Ernest Hamingway that Jacki created with in-house made spicy mustard, mushrooms, swiss cheese, and thinly sliced ham. I’ll give you a moment to brace yourself for a description of the Jalapeno Business. Ready? Jacki makes a jalapeno, cilantro, lime ranch and adds with it a jalapeno firecracker (a fire-roasted jalapeno stuffed with pepper jack cheese, rolled in an egg roll and deep-fried), a smash burger with pineapple chutney, cheddar cheese, onion, tomato, lettuce, and fresh jalapeno. COMING TO AN ALLEY NEAR YOU The food truck and restaurant have been so well received that Adler’s will be opening a new location in downtown Winter Haven. Your new go-to burger spot will be tucked between Jessie’s and Jenson’s under the covered walkway. Adler’s Alley, as it will be called, will have a walk-up window for patrons to order and take away or sit in the bars’ patio seating during the day. After Jessie’s and Jenson’s open in the evening, you can enjoy your dreamy burger at either a smoking or non-smoking bar. If you’re in the downtown area, you can enjoy your burger without leaving the office or Grove Roots or Union Tap Room, as they’ll be offering a delivery service to a section of downtown Winter Haven. Adler’s Alley is slated to open later this month. Humbly, the owners said they couldn’t have done it without the stellar performance and service of their employees. “If it weren’t for our employees, we would have sunk a year and a half ago,” said Wade. “Our employees are above and beyond.” With a dream team of people, killer food, and service, Adler’s is poised for expansion. One day, they would like to have six brick and mortar locations and beyond that – the sky’s the limit. One spot they have an eye on is Orlando International Airport. Wade Walston envisions their tasty burgers complemented by a full bar at the airport. “I believe with our product and our customer service – if we could bring this to Orlando International, we’d be a good addition,” he said. Jacki Walson beautifully summed up the best part about growing the burger brand. “It’s easy, I love feeding people, it’s such a rewarding thing to see families enjoying food together,” she said. “It’s brought us closer to our community and I look forward to becoming part of more communities in the future!” Adler’s Davenport Location: 113 Ambersweet Way Davenport, FL — 33837 (863) 438-4324 Winter Haven Location: 278 Avenue A SW, Winter Haven www.adlersburgers.com FB @Adlers.TBC IG @adlerstcb Photo by Amy Sexson

Looking for a place to go dancing and a way to impart their love of dance onto others, Finley and Carmen Walker stepped in to create a community for Salsa and Swing in Lakeland. In partnership with the City of Lakeland’s Parks & Rec., The Walkers teach group and private social dance lessons with their company, Lakeland Salsa & Swing. A high school Spanish teacher who would teach Fin and his classmates Salsa, and a Swing-dance-themed senior prom were Walker’s foray into dance. He enjoyed it so much that in college he connected with different groups and would go dancing every week. After about a year of social dancing – mainly Salsa and Swing – Walker was offered the opportunity to teach some basic classes. That grew into a weekly Friday night social in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia that attracted over 200 people each weekend. Fin participated in styles from Waltz and Tango to Foxtrot, Cha-Cha, Rumba, Merengue, and Bachata though his passion has remained Salsa and Swing. When Fin and Carmen met, naturally the two spent time on the dance floor. They would periodically go out dancing and do private lessons. The pair lived in Miami for a time and Durham, North Carolina. The pursuit of Fin’s doctorate in Organizational Leadership at Southeastern University and Lakeland’s “awesome community vibe” brought the couple here to stay. FINDING THE RHYTHM “We wanted to have something to go to in Lakeland. We were looking for a place to go dancing,” said Fin. Lakeland does have dance studios for formal lessons but seemed to be lacking what they were looking for – informal, lowpressure, social dancing that was fun and accessible to both novices and professionals alike. So, in March they created it themselves with Lakeland Salsa & Swing. Every Tuesday evening in the Lake Mirror Auditorium, for $5 per person, folks of all ages and skill levels, with and without partners gather to learn from the Walkers and socialize with fellow dancers. “Most of our students that come are beginners,” said Walker. For this reason, they’ve created lessons comfortable for everyone. Each week, they cover a basic step along with the foundational basics of moving to the music and dancing with a partner. They marry that with a combination, turn, or another maneuver. The Walkers switch it up each week to make the class accessible to newcomers and not repetitive for those who attend regularly. “What we’re looking to do now is build more of a culture and a community,” said Fin. He explained that bigger cities like Orlando or Tampa have these types of dance events regularly. Instead of having a studio, they rely on a different restaurant or business to host. This is the model he’d like to create here, partnering with Lakeland business owners. Both the accessibility and the ubiquity of the dances were the reason he wanted to bring Salsa and Swing to Lakeland. “It’s kind of like a gateway to the other partner dances. The steps are a little more accommodating to beginners,” he said. “They’re kind of these evolving dances because they’re more social dances and less of the traditional formal styles. They’re constantly evolving, changing, adapting with different music that’s coming out.” Periodically they change formats from their usual class and host Salsa social. The last one was at LKLD Live with another scheduled this month at Haus 820. The social is typically longer than a normal class and draws in more people. The Walkers are hoping to have upwards of 100 people at their upcoming Haus 820 social on October 11. TRY SOMETHING NEW, YOU MIGHT JUST FALL IN LOVE If you’re on the fence about stepping into your dancin’ shoes, Fin had a story that might change your mind about trying something new. In college, Walker would ask his roommate to go out dancing with him as a way to meet new people, unwind, and build confidence. “Dancing helped build my self-esteem,” Fin said. “It also taught me a lot about relationships.”For an entire semester, his roommate declined. Finally, at the end of that semester, he gave in and went dancing. Walker said, “He loved it after that first time. He was hooked!” His roommate went dancing every week from then on. He moved back to Los Angeles where he was from and began working with a professional dance group. Now, he competes professionally and teaches at a prestigious dance studio in L.A. The roommate even met his wife through dance. “Dance, it brings people together,” said Walker. “Everyone should give it a shot at least once and you never know, it might be your new favorite thing.” Walker says he and Carmen would love to add another day of the week to their dance schedule – one day for Salsa and another for Swing. At the moment, the family’s schedule won’t allow it as Carmen works full-time in the mental health field and Fin will soon start a position teaching 5th grade English. Oh, and they’re expecting a baby! They look to add that extra day in the future and potentially try out a “Dancing with the Stars” event with Polk County celebs. In the meantime, the duo will keep using dance as a conduit for community, confidence building, and fun. “I love teaching – with dancing or teaching English and Social Studies – I love seeing the lightbulb moments in people’s eyes when they get it,” said Fin Walker. “The moment when they self-discover what they’re capable of, that’s an awesome feeling. For me and my wife, that’s the reason we love to teach dance.” Lakeland Salsa and Swing www.lakelandsalsa.com FB @lakelandsalsa IG @lakelandsalsa Classes: When: Tuesday 6:30pm - 9pm Where: Lake Mirror Auditorium 121 South Lake Ave., Lakeland $5 per person Photo by Amy Sexson

Let’s get to the root of it and talk about trees. I’m going to go out on a limb and say we’ve all walked down a tree-lined street at one time or another. If you’re lucky, the trees were mature and have formed a canopy over the street creating a dreamy environment to pass through. Let’s not leaf out the the gorgeous orange groves around us, and the beautiful smell of orange blossoms in the breeze. Trees provide oxygen, shade on a sunny day, a sturdy branch for a child’s swing and you can’t have a super cool treehouse without the tree. I don’t want to bark at you, but I think we could always use more trees. According to Jeff Speck’s 2018 book, Walkable City Rules, 101 Steps to Making Better Places, there is no better use of public funds. He writes: STREET TREES PROTECT SIDEWALKS Like parked cars, mature street trees form a sturdy barrier between moving vehicles and pedestrians. STREET TREES REDUCE CRASHES A study along Orlando’s Colonial Drive compared a segment of roadway with street trees and other vertical objects along it to a segment without. It found that the segment with no trees experienced 45% more injurious crashes and many more fatal crashes: six vs zero. STREET TREES ABSORB STORMWATER A typical mature tree absorbs about the first half inch of each rainfall that hits it. STREET TREES ABSORB UV AND POLLUTANTS In addition to keeping ultraviolet rays from reaching the ground, street trees absorb a tremendous amount of airborne carbon dioxide - ten times more than trees located farther from the roadways. STREET TREES IMPROVE PROPERTY VALUE A study conducted by the Wharton School of Business found that street trees increase home prices by 9%. Such improved valuations translate directly into increased property tax revenue. The City of Portland found that, for this reason, its investment in tree planting and maintenance pays off at a ratio of twelve to one. STREET TREES IMPROVE RETAIL From Nantucket to Beverly Hills, the most desirable Main Street districts in North America are, with few exceptions, characterized by consistently planted street trees. One study found that shops on streets with good tree cover earn 12% more income. Visibility-seeking merchants who fight for tree removal forget that much main-street shopping is experienced-based. With cheaper prices and better convenience on Amazon, providing a great environment is becoming central to retail viability. STREET TREES IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH Multiple studies have shown that regular exposure to trees prolongs life, aids mental health, reduces asthma, obesity, stress and heart disease, and basically just makes us happier. WHAT CAN WE DO? We can plant trees at home! Not only will they provide shade in this Florida heat, but if you’re lucky, they can also provide food. (I can’t seem to keep anything alive?) Polk County is in Plant Hardiness Zones 9 and 10. Some of the trees we will have the most luck growing are cedar, crapemyrtle, cypress, magnolia, live oak or pomegranate to name a few. The public can also donate to the Carl J Strang Jr. Urban Tree Canopy Fund. Main Street Winter Haven, Inc. created and manages this fund. I talked with Executive Director Anita Strang about when and why this all began. “Main Street Winter Haven announced the Carl J Strang Jr. Urban Tree Canopy Fund in September of 2018. This fund was created in response to recognizing the benefits of increasing our urban forest. It will be a sustainable amenity that delivers shade, environmental and economic benefits, for generations to come while creating an inviting atmosphere. We plan to work alongside and complement the work the City of Winter Haven is already doing. MSWH believes that there is strength in partnerships when a common goal is in place. Contributions to support this effort are greatly appreciated.” Contributions will support their efforts, and at the same time you can acknowledge a loved one, to commemorate a special event or leaving a lasting gift to the community. Call (863) 295-9422 or go online to www.mainstreetwh.com and search Carl J Strang Jr. Urban Canopy Fund to donate. DID YOU KNOW? While not the tallest tree or the widest or even the oldest, General Sherman is thought to be the largest single stem tree by sheer volume. This giant sequoia in California is believed to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old, it’s 275-feet tall and has a trunk diameter of 25-feet. Its total volume is estimated at an incredible 1487 meters squared. General Sherman’s largest branches are wider in diameter than most regular tree trunks. The largest of these branches fell down in a winter storm in 2006, and it was recorded as being over 7-feet in diameter and more than 98-feet long. Apollo 14 launched on January 31, 1971. Five days later Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on the Moon while Stuart Roosa, a former U.S. Forest Service smoke jumper, orbited above in the command module. Packed in small containers in Roosa’s personal kit were hundreds of tree seeds, part of a joint NASA/USFS project. Upon return to Earth, the seeds were germinated by the Forest Service. Known as the “Moon Trees,” the resulting seedlings were planted throughout the United States (often as part of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976) and the world. They stand as a tribute to astronaut Roosa and the Apollo program.

In honor of National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6 – Oct. 12), we sat down with the Lakeland Fire Department’s Fire Chief Douglas Riley and Assistant Fire Chief of Administration Rick Hartzog to talk about a few changes they’ve implemented within the department. These changes have addressed occupational cancer prevention, mental wellness, health and fitness, and firefighter safety. In a few short years, the entire culture of the Fire Service has evolved. Cultural evolution isn’t a new concept to the Lakeland Fire Department. They seem to be at the forefront regionally for employee morale, best practices, inclusion, and diversity – making them a destination department for many cadets and an example for other departments. Fire Chief Riley started with the Lakeland Fire Department in 1987 at 20-years-old. During his 32 years with the department, he worked his way up the ranks from firefighter to driver, lieutenant, battalion chief, and assistant chief in 2010. He was promoted to Fire Chief in December of 2017. Assistant Fire Chief Rick Hartzog, originally from Wisconsin, moved to Florida as a teenager. In 1991 at age 26, Hartzog was inspired by his best friend to join the Fire Service. He too moved up through the ranks, and entered his current position in 2010, at the same time as Riley. “Rick and I have a lot of the same thoughts and ideas and goals for what our vision for the Lakeland Fire Department was,” said Riley. Accompanying their vision, the two share a centered passion for the betterment of the department and its firefighters. According to Hartzog, it was three years ago that the Florida Fire Service began to take a much closer look at the areas of mental health, physical health, firefighter safety, and cancer prevention. The catalyst for this was the formation of the Florida Firefighters Health and Safety Collaborative in 2016. Over the past two years, LFD has worked with advocacy and research groups like the Florida Firefighters Safety and Health Collaborative, Firefighters Against Cancer Epidemic (F.A.C.E.), and Florida Fire Service to act towards preventing occupational cancer and ensuring the personal safety, mental wellness, and physical health of their firefighters. “We’ve been focused on that for 200 years in the Fire Service, but we’ve learned so much about what we’re not doing correctly,” said Hartzog. “We’re taking all of those initiatives and turning them upside down and taking a much deeper dive.” CANCER PREVENTION As Assistant Fire Chief, Hartzog is responsible for the budget, facilities, apparatuses, tools, gear, and supplying firefighters anything they need to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. As such, he has taken a vested interest in occupational cancer prevention, mental wellness, health and fitness, and safety on the job for firefighters. The Lakeland Fire Department has been aggressive with education on those four areas and has made remarkable strides to better care for their firefighters. In a YouTube video by Lakeland Fire, Hartzog stated that “Firefighters have a greater than one in three chance of getting cancer while employed or in retirement.” Their profession puts these men and women at a significantly greater risk of cancer than the general population. Lakeland Fire Department has taken steps to reduce or eliminate their firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens and harmful agents both on emergency scenes and from contaminants that they may carry home with them afterward (despite a line of defense with safety gear and self-contained breathing apparatuses). One of the many ways they are addressing this issue is in redesigning their engines. Fire Station No. 5’s Engine 51 is the department’s first clean-cab fire engine. In this concept, they have moved the primary gear, tools, and equipment from storage in the cab of the truck to exterior compartments. Through post-fire decontamination of their gear, tools, and equipment, they can remove 85% of contaminants. Additionally, removing contaminated gear and tools from the cab virtually eliminates exposure to carcinogenic gases. The cab’s interior was outfitted in non-porous, easy to clean material to reduce cross-contamination. An air conditioning unit fitted with a HEPA filter was installed to keep emergency scene contaminants from circulating into the engine’s cab. A diesel filter system was also installed on the truck to eliminate contaminants while the engine is idling, cold starting at the fire station, and while low idling on-scene. Engine 51 was modeled after a concept from the Coral Springs Fire Department. LFD copied the concept, made improvements of their own, and have shared that with other departments in hopes they’ll follow suit. “We’re changing the face of the Fire Service here in the state and throughout the country, by what we learn and what we share,” said Hartzog. Lakeland Fire Department plans to do this with all of their engines eventually by replacing them at the end of their life cycle and retrofitting current apparatuses. Other cancer prevention initiatives include a thorough postfire gross decontamination, a second set of firefighting gear for firefighters to change into if called to a second emergency scene, washers and dryers installed at the fire stations to reduce transferring contaminants to their home, and a personal decontamination and cleaning process that includes showering within an hour of returning from an emergency scene. Explaining the importance of the personal decontamination, Hartzog said, “Your body, when you have an elevated temperature, absorbs the contaminants 400 times more than if your body is at a normal temperature. That’s why it’s important to shower, to lock your pores so you don’t continue to absorb.” According to Fire Chief Riley, LFD was also the first department in the state to adopt carcinogen barrier hoods in efforts to reduce thyroid cancer. These best practices are part of a nationwide collaborative effort to keep firefighters as safe and healthy as possible. CULTURAL CHANGE In years past, a certain level of bravado and honor was attached to coming back to the station with a helmet dirtier than your comrades’. With their combined over 60 years in the fire service, Riley and Hartzog are no strangers to this idea that the dirtier you are post-fire, the harder you must have worked. They’re happy to have initiated a change in that culture at LFD and see a similar shift in the Fire Service across the state. This shift is happening right now, but not everyone is on board said the Assistant Fire Chief. “That’s the challenge – we fight the culture. The culture is that we are superheroes, we don’t get hurt, we don’t show weakness, it’s macho to be dirty and nasty and have that stuff on you,” said Hartzog. “Now, clean is the new badge of honor.” Since joining the Florida Firefighters Health and Safety Collaborative, LFD has become a leader in cancer prevention, health, wellness, and safety in the state. Hartzog said, “We are a department that other departments look to about all of this.” Like any organizational change, it has to start at the top. Thankfully for the Lakeland Fire Department, their leadership was ready to push for change. Fire Chief Riley noted, “Our whole career, our number one priority was to take care of the citizens – and it still is. But, I have 156 firefighters out there that work every day, put on the uniform and give it 110% to take care of the citizens. Our job is to take care of them [the firefighters].” Hartzog agreed, adding, “You have to be willing to be openminded. You have to be willing to listen. When we started to look at the data and what it was telling us – it was eye-opening.” Riley expressed that change within the department was fairly easy. Once the firefighters were confident that leadership had their best interest at heart, they followed suit with the life-saving initiatives. MENTAL HEALTH For LFD, it was important to take care of their firefighters holistically. Mental health had to be at the forefront of this fight as well. Hartzog stated an alarming truth, “Firefighter suicide is outpacing firefighter line of duty death in the field.” “Firefighters are dying at almost twice the rate from suicide than from line of duty deaths and that’s just not acceptable,” said Riley. Many of these suicides can be attributed to PTSD. Every firefighter doesn’t have just one bad call in their career. They go on many calls that would shake most human beings to their core, that would alter them. These heroes, for the betterment and safety of the community, put themselves in a position to see countless tragedies. “We’ve never had a line of duty death or suicide here. We don’t ever want to have one,” said the Assistant Fire Chief. The first step towards keeping LFD firefighters in fit mental health was the notion that ‘It is okay not to be okay.’ This too has been a cultural change within the fire service, perhaps a more difficult one to overcome than the areas of cancer prevention and physical health and safety. Riley and Hartzog spoke openly about being young men in the fire service. If they ran a bad call, they kept their mouth shut and moved on with it for fear of ridicule, stigmatization, or even becoming unpromotable in their career. As seasoned veterans of the service, they will be the first to tell you, that isn’t the way to handle mental health and it certainly isn’t their approach as leaders now. The department has a peer support system and has made mental health resources readily available. The Fire Chief brought in formal training for their Peer Support Team which Hartzog detailed as, “A team of trusted firefighters that were identified by their fellow brother and sister firefighters that if somebody was not having a good day, if they were struggling with mental health – whether it’s one call or life is just not good – they can reach out to a peer supporter and know that it will be confidential [unless someone committed a crime or threatened to hurt themselves or someone else].” “Firefighters will trust that process – we use it here. It works,” he said. Riley added, “I think we’re doing well but not good enough. We’re going to continue to fight that fight.” The network of peer support extends beyond the walls of the Lakeland Fire Department. They have made their resources available to other departments in Polk County and across the region. With a desire to be an asset to other departments in the state, LFD has joined a collaborative effort to build a statewide support network to be deployed where needed. “There’s almost nothing greater that you can do than help somebody in their time of need,” said Hartzog. NOT SLOWING DOWN The idea is simple. “If we can’t take care of us, we can’t take care of you,” said Hartzog. This push to destigmatize mental health and incorporate other best practices in the fire service has been good for the department. “We’re having healthy conversations that we never had before,” he said. With an air of humility, Riley and Hartzog spoke fervently about the steps the department was taking to care for their firefighters. They want these initiatives in place not for any recognition, but the betterment of their firefighters and ultimately the citizenry of Lakeland – and they have no intentions of slowing down. Assistant Fire Chief Rick Hartzog said, “We have a lot to do. We will never move fast enough to accomplish the changes that need to be made and the things that need to be put into place to better take care of our firefighters – we’ll never move fast enough. We’re going as fast as time, effort, energy, and funding will allow us to go.”