Each month, hundreds of local families visit the Social Services office and Food Pantry for The Salvation Army of East Polk County. The organization offers social services, including financial assistance with rent, food distribution, and operates a homeless shelter. We met with Diana Woodhead, Social Services Director for The Salvation Army Winter Haven Offices serving East Polk County, and Commanding Officer Captain Dominic Blanford to discuss what they do and how the community can help. SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOMELESS SHELTER The organization works with several grants to provide this assistance, including the Tampa Electric Company Share program. The Salvation Army provides a food pantry for families in need. “Once a week, we provide food to families in our community. It can be anywhere from 50 to 100 families that come in a day depending on the time of month,” said Diana Woodhead. The organization stocks its food pantry with donations from many sources, like Feeding Tampa Bay, part of Feeding America, a nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger. Every week, The Salvation Army picks up meat close to its expiration date that has been frozen, produce nearing its sell-by date, and items with damaged packaging from Harveys Supermarket, Save A Lot, and ALDI Grocery Store. The faith-based food pantry receives leftover items from the Auburndale and Winter Haven Wawa through the Harvest Program. Last month they received nearly 4,000 items from donuts to breakfast sandwiches. Once a month, they pick up at least four pallets of damaged items from a Publix warehouse in Lakeland and receive milk, eggs, cheese, butter, and dry goods through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Donated food is stored and sorted in their on-site warehouse and then shelved and packed by volunteers in a pantry across the hall to be picked up by families in need each Wednesday. In the kitchen, a cook prepares community meals every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. “We feed anyone who comes – no questions asked. We just take a first name to log the meal,” said Woodhead. The number of families in need fluctuates. In September, 287 cases or 1,013 people utilized their food pantry, shelter, and rent/ utility assistance services. That doesn’t include the weekly meals they serve, 473 in the same month. These numbers often swell around the holidays. The back of the facility houses their women and children’s shelter with dorms for single women, a handicapped-accessible dorm, and one for mothers with children. The shelter has a children’s playroom, dining hall, television area, bathrooms and showers, and a laundry room. The shelter is closed Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm, with exceptions for illness and inclement weather. “We can help the moms that have children of daycare age get daycare through the Early Learning Coalition. We work closely with The Hearth Project, which is part of the Polk County School Board that specifically caters to homeless families with children,” said Woodhead. The shelter’s caseworker, Dreamalee Lamberti, works closely with its tenets. Woodhead said of Lamberti, “She’s got a lot of knowledge that she can use to help the ladies. She has applied herself since she’s been here to working individually with every person we have in the shelter to put them on the right path and give direction.” THE ANGEL TREE PROGRAM AND RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN Corps Officers for Salvation Army of East Polk County, Captains Dominic and Ivelisse Blanford took leadership in Winter Haven last year. “My wife and I have both worked with the Salvation Army for over ten years now,” said Dominic Blanford. The two met at “Camp Keystone,” The Salvation Army’s Camp in Starke, Florida, and married in 2010. The Blanfords are both ordained ministers for The Salvation Army and pastor at its local church. With the help of longtime staff and volunteers, including social services director, Diana Woodhead who has been with The Salvation Army for over twenty years, Blanford said, “Our goal is to enlighten the community of what we do and what they can do to help support the cause.” In addition to the shelter, food pantry, and social services, The Salvation Army has a number of programs benefiting the underserved in our community. The Salvation Army Family Store is a volunteer-run thrift store where folks often donate second-hand clothes and household items. Blanford notes that all proceeds earned at The Family Store stay local, supporting their other programs. A popular program benefiting families who can’t afford Christmas gifts is the Angel Tree Program. “The Angel Tree Program has been in existence since the 80s,” Blanford said. “It gives individuals, families, organizations, and businesses the opportunity to adopt Angels.” According to saangeltree.org, “Once a child or senior adult has been registered and accepted as an Angel, their Christmas wish list is shared with donors in your community who purchase gifts of new clothing and toys. The gifts are distributed to the family to place under their family Christmas tree.” Distribution of gifts will be done at their administration and worship center on December 15 as a drive-through. ‘Angel’ families can drive up, and volunteers will load the gifts into their vehicles. “We like to follow up with those families too,” Blanford said. “We like to check on them and see how they’re doing. They aren’t just numbers to us – they’re people. Of course, we’re a religious organization, and they’re God’s children. We want to ensure they’re not statistics to us.” The Salvation Army Commanding Officer noted this is where they can connect families with their other services if needed. The Angel Tree Program is especially meaningful to Blanford. Growing up in Orlando, he remembers one Christmas when things were a little tight for his family, and his mother applied for the Angel Tree Program. “Now I have the opportunity to be on the other side of it and participate in helping families,” he said. And of course, who hasn’t seen volunteers ringing the bell outside of grocery stores around the holidays? The Salvation Army is currently gearing up for their signature Red Kettle Campaign. East Polk County has around 20 Publix and Walmart red kettle locations across Winter Haven, Auburndale, Lake Wales, Haines City, and Davenport. Donations made in East Polk stay here to support their programs, says Blanford. “It doesn’t go to Washington D.C. or Los Angeles. It stays in your local community.” “We like to encourage individuals, families, businesses, civic clubs, schools, churches – anyone who’s able to come out for a couple of hours – to take a couple of shifts,” he said. “We have great support here in this community.” This year, the East Polk Red Kettle Campaign will go from November 27 through December 24, daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Those interested in volunteering for the Red Kettle Campaign can sign up at www. registertoring.com. Helping hands are always needed both during the holidays and the day-to-day operations of the food pantry and Family Store. “We’re in great need of volunteers,” said Blanford. “COVID has played a role in our decrease in volunteers.” The Salvation Army Captain understands the concerns with COVID and assures they provide gloves and take necessary precautions to keep volunteers safe. EXPANDING SERVICES Blanford says he would like to offer more services to the community in the future, an endeavor they are actively working towards. “That breaks our heart, especially when I have single men who come, and I have no shelter for them. Or the situation where we have a family come, but dad can’t stay here, so we have to send them to Lakeland. We’re exploring what we can do to expand services where we can focus on not only families but single men and single women. We may approach the county, the cities, to see what we can do to expand our services,” he said. The Salvation Army of East Polk County has partnered with TriCounty Human Services and Heart for Winter Haven to mitigate homelessness in the community. “We’ve all come together because we all want the same thing for this community,” said Blanford. “We’ve collaborated to see what we can do to come up with a solution of maybe providing stable housing for families through intensive case management to promote self-sufficiency, alongside this particular building, which we’d like to see become a single women’s and single men’s shelter.” To sign up to be an Angel or adopt a family in the Angel Tree Program, volunteer for the Red Kettle Campaign, Family Store, or food pantry, or more information on other programs including youth camp and character building and the CAN-U-CARE drive, visit the website or call the phone numbers below. www.salvationarmywinterhaven.org FB @SalArmyWinterHaven Angel Tree, Red Kettle Campaign, Camp, Character building Programs/CAN-U-CARE Drive: (863) 294-7493 Family Store: (863) 401-3583 Social Service/Food Pantry: (863) 291-5107 Photography by Amy Sexson

On September 17, at the Marines Toys for Tots National Training Conference in Washington, D.C., David Waller, Polk County coordinator, accepted the Coordinator of the Year for Civilian Volunteer Campaigns. Polk County Toys for Tots was recognized as well for having the top campaign of 2020. Waller, a retired law enforcement officer of 36 years, appreciates the recognition but says it’s the campaign that won. “It’s all the volunteers that make it happen,” he said. Toys for Tots began in 1947 with Diane Hendricks, wife of Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks. That year, under his wife’s instruction, to start an organization serving children in need, Major Hendricks and the Marines in his reserve unit collected and distributed 5,000 toys. Toys for Tots became a national community action program of Marine Reserve Sites in 1948. Hendricks, who served as a Director of Public Relations at Warner Brother Studios, enlisted the help of many of his celebrity friends for the program, including Walt Disney, who designed the organization’s first poster, now their logo. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity in 1991. Today, the organization distributes an average of 18 million toys to 7 million children, according to their website. After retiring from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, David Waller started his own business, Waller Pavers. He eventually sold the business, grew bored with retirement, and looked for another endeavor to fill his time. “Being a cop back in the day, I worked on Christmas mornings, and you could tell a kid that got a toy from a kid that didn’t get a toy,” said Waller. “I was familiar with Toys for Tots because we had just helped get them some toys, but I really didn’t understand how it worked.” He read a local newspaper article seeking help to run the program and reached out. In 2016 he interviewed with former Polk County Toys for Tots coordinator Dorothy Dunlap and longtime volunteer George Overstreet who agreed Waller was a fit for the nonprofit. He began volunteering at the warehouse that Thanksgiving to learn the ropes and was named coordinator the following year. A COMMUNITY EFFORT According to Waller, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, headquartered in Triangle, Virginia, has approximately 813 programs throughout the United States. About 165 of those campaigns are run by actual Marines, including one in Tampa and Orlando. The Polk County Toys for Tots campaign is an LCO, or Local Community Organization made up of dedicated, unpaid volunteers. Since he took over as coordinator in 2016, Waller has focused on changing community perception of the program to that of an LCO. “It is a community effort,” he said. “We need the community’s help, the community to come volunteer, the community to donate toys – so that the community prospers.” “What we’ve done the last few years is to continue to foster community support – businesses, volunteers, clubs, government agencies,” said the Polk County coordinator. “We have a fantastic partnership with all of our law enforcement, and the sheriff is one of our biggest supporters.” Local businesses support the charity through donations, offering storage trailers for toy inventory, warehouse space for campaign operations, and becoming toy drop-off locations. Some 450 donation boxes are posted in business around the county, waiting to be filled to the brim with new toys. Waller named LEGOLAND, Publix Supermarkets, Publix Charities, Saddle Creek Logistics, Rooms to Go, CWI Logistics, Inc., and Central Tavern (part of the Linksters and Paddy Wagon Pub chain) as but a few of their invaluable campaign supporters. The program is volunteer-driven, with a core group of between 20 and 30 volunteers serving throughout the year. That number climbs to over 250 during the holidays, especially on distribution day. Toys for Tots collects new, unwrapped toys to provide nonprofits and families in need over the holidays. Families and nonprofits apply online. Donated toys at their Auburndale warehouse are bagged and taken to distribution spots around the county. The family receives an email with details about when and where to pick up their toys, volunteers give them their items, and they are on their way to light up the holidays for a little one that might not have otherwise received a gift on Christmas morning. Contests among high schools and government agencies have proven a reliable driver for donations. The first challenge involved area high schools competing to raise the most toys. Mulberry High School won three years running, with Lake Region High School taking the top spot last year. Waller said, “My goal was to get the high school students to learn a little bit about those less fortunate than themselves, learn about helping others, a little comradery, leadership, and competition.” For years, the Polk County campaign spent donated funds to purchase batteries to include with toys. Waller had an idea. “I’m having to spend people’s donated money on batteries, and I don’t want to do that. I want to spend that money on toys,” he said. Thus the Battery Bucket Challenge in which the community can donate batteries to Toys for Tots was born, saving them hundreds of dollars on batteries over the last two years. THE 2020 CAMPAIGN At the beginning of 2020, Waller and his team met to discuss whether or not they would carry on with a campaign amid the pandemic. “Our decision, and one that we strongly believed in, is we were going to have a campaign.” They continued with the 2020 Polk County Toys for Tots Campaign and adjusted as needed. For volunteers unable to work in the warehouse, Waller and his team found ways to keep them involved with the program from home with tasks like putting labels on tags. The 2020 campaign didn’t only manage to get by and meet needs; it thrived thanks to Waller, Toys for Tots volunteers, and the community at large. Through their signature donation boxes and community challenges, the Polk County Toys for Tots campaign distributed 57,716 toys to just under 15,000 children and raised over $70,000 in monetary donations. “While we are under the foundation, every penny that gets donated to our campaign is spent on our campaign. It does not go to pay a foundation salary. It doesn’t pay a salary for any of us. Every penny stays right here in Polk County,” Waller said. “Anytime you donate money to an organization, you want it to stay locally, and we’re very proud of that.” This community support and generosity, paired with creative challenges and campaign adjustments surrounding the pandemic, earned the Polk County Toys for Tots team the designation of the top campaign for 2020 and David Waller, Coordinator of the Year for Civilian Volunteer Campaigns. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Registration for this year’s Polk County Toys for Tots campaign opened on October 11. Asked how 2021 is shaping up thus far, Waller said, “We’ve been preparing upfront.” To mitigate any toy shortages or shipping bottlenecks, Waller and his team began purchasing toys in June – fishing poles, dollhouses, books, bikes, and the like. Waller encourages the community to donate earlier in the holiday season so that toys can be prepared for their December 11 distribution day. A list of drop-off sites is available on the Toys for Tots website listed below. On the website, families and nonprofits can also apply for toys, businesses can sign up to be a toy drop box location, or folks can sign up to volunteer. Waller says volunteers are their most significant need at the moment, with a particular need for route drivers to deliver donation boxes and service them as they fill up. “It’s a fantastic program for our community. I cannot say enough about the support that we get from the community, from law enforcement, particularly our sheriff,” the Polk County Toys for Tots coordinator said. As we concluded our interview, Waller offered a final sentiment, “Every child deserves a Christmas.” Marines Toys for Tots toysfortotsusa.org FB @PolkCountyToysForTots (863) 292-8687

In the bright yellow building on Avenue A, formerly Bryant Home Gallery Marketplace, Bao and Lena Nguyen bake ‘a lot of happiness’ by way of fresh bread and authentic Vietnamese recipes to make their ‘Dang Good’ bami (banh mi). The couple lives in Lakeland, where they moved from California two years earlier. “We originated from Vietnam, so we’re very familiar [with banh mi]. In California where we lived, there’s banh mi all over the place,” said Bao, adding that five or six banh mi shops would compete within one city. “When we came to the Lakeland/ Winter Haven area, we were quite surprised because there’s no banh mi here,” he said. So the couple decided to open a Vietnamese sandwich shop in Polk County. When they set out to open their banh mi or ‘bami’ shop, Bao said, “We want to make it exactly the way Vietnamese people make it.” One distinction between a traditional Vietnamese banh mi and the Western version is the bread. Here, many shops offer a baguette bun, which according to Bao, is not how the Vietnamese make it. “We took a trip back to Vietnam right before COVID. We took classes over there to try to understand the beauty of why they’re making it and what makes it so popular. We brought the recipe over here,” he said. Bao and Lena first looked to open their Vietnamese sandwich shop in Lakeland, closer to where they live. “Lots of our friends recommended the Downtown Winter Haven area,” Bao said. “We heard a lot of good things about the area, and the price is better as well. So, we decided to go with our first shop over here.” Throughout 2020, they tested recipes and offered catering to businesses, taking in feedback and improving their product along the way. Bao and Lena started renovations on their Downtown Winter Haven sandwich spot in January 2021. “We were hoping to get to Winter Haven sooner, but it took us a while to get the place done. Finally, we got done in August,” Bao said. They began a BL Sandwich soft opening on August 18 and hope to have a grand opening in mid-November. BL Sandwich is short for the establishment’s full title, Bách Lac Bakery. Bao said, “In Asian Vietnamese meaning, Bách means ‘a lot’ and Lac means ‘happiness.’ So the name basically means ‘a lot of happiness.’” The B and L also stand for the couple’s initials – Bao and Lena. “We wanted to bring a little bit of everything,” Bao said of their menu. The traditional and most popular among Vietnamese folks is their number one, Combination Bami. The special Vietnamese style sandwich is served with Vietnamese jambon, pork roll, head cheese, pate, daikon radish, pickled carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeno. “In Vietnam, they don’t have green jalapeno like we have it here. They use a tiny Vietnamese chili that’s super spicy. I didn’t want to introduce it just yet because I’m afraid it’s too spicy.” Bao says iron-palate customers curious about the piquant pepper can request it on their BL Sandwich to enjoy it the way the Vietnamese do. The recipe for this sandwich hails straight from Vietnam, and Lena does all the cooking. According to Bao, the banh mi is a French-inspired sandwich of which the Vietnamese adapted the French baguette baking style for a lighter, more airy bread with a crispy outer crust. “The outside needs to be grilled crunchy and stay crunchy for a while. The inside not only has to be soft but also needs to be fluffy,” he said, adding that Vietnamese people continue to develop different shapes and forms of this bread, which BL plans to introduce to their customers in the future. “When you open the bread, there’s steam coming out, and that’s how Vietnamese people developed it that makes it stand out from other bread. It’s a challenge to replicate that bread,” Bao added. He and Lena make their bread fresh, in-house, and from scratch every day. They stay in touch with their culinary teachers in Vietnam, with whom they have regular video calls to continue improving the craft. The BL Sandwich menu has a little something for everyone. If a Combination Bami isn’t your speed, they offer grilled pork, grilled chicken, meatball, Char Siu (barbecue pork), sardine, and vegan bami sandwiches. “We have special sauces for each of them as well. We have a special meat sauce for grilled pork, grilled chicken, and for the meatball, we have our own sauce too,” Bao said. “We bring in some creativity with it like the sausage and egg, which is my favorite.” The Nguyen’s stay up to date on the culinary goings-on of Vietnam to bring new styles and recipes into their shop. “In the future, we’re looking to bring more specialties, which is one of the things other shops won’t have. That’s because we actually go back there [to Vietnam], and the bami in Vietnam is constantly evolving, and they’re bringing new recipes every day.” One such specialty is roasted pork with crispy skin. “Until now, I didn’t know of any shop in Florida that did it, but we’ll bring it as a special,” he said. In addition to their bangin’ bami, BL Sandwich offers pastries, snacks, and beverages like Tiger Sugar Milk with Boba, Lychee Tea with Boba, and Vietnamese Coffee with Condensed Milk. The BL Sandwich shop owners have utilized their first few months of a soft opening as a learning and growing period. “We always ask for feedback, and the more we improve it, we see the more positive a customer responds to it,” said Bao of their food. The couple pride themselves on listening to customer feedback and working to improve their food constantly. One change they made per customer feedback was increasing the size of their fresh buns. When we spoke, Bao and Lena were working on their website, ordering app, menu, and reward program to further elevate the customer experience. “I know life is busy, and people need a quick grab and go, and something fresh, nice, and delicious as well. We want to make it easier for people,” said Bao. Follow BL Sandwich’s social media for details on a grand opening date, specials, and more! BL Sandwich 260 Ave A SW, Winter Haven (863) 229-5507 blsandwich.com FB: BL Sandwich IG @blsandwichf Photography by Amy Sexson

Even with your head in the books, it would be hard not to appreciate the art on the walls of Downtown Lakeland’s independent bookstore, Pressed Books & Coffee. Each piece is the work of a local artist, presented by Vakti Gallery, an online art gallery started by Lakelander Olivia Overholt. Through the online gallery, monthly pop-up shows, and wall space at Pressed, the Vakti Gallery owner and gallery director aims to connect the community to fine art. The gallery’s mission is “To provide a space where local artists can be recognized and where the quality and power of their creations can be felt.” Overholt was born and raised in Lakeland. After graduating from Lakeland Christian School, she attended Anderson University in South Carolina, majoring in graphic design. Overholt moved home after college at the height of the pandemic. Though Overholt majored in graphic design, she is an artist at heart. She enjoys the hands-on, messy aspect of creating something like her woodblock prints, carved out entirely by hand. “It’s good to not stare at the screen for a while,” she laughed. The artist also has an affinity for acrylic paint and charcoal. “If my hands aren’t dirty at the end of it, it’s not worth it for me,” she said. Back home in Lakeland, she began looking for a place to sell her art but couldn’t find one. Unable to find an accessible art scene, Overholt decided to open her own gallery – with a bit of a twist. “I was looking for a place to sell my art but couldn’t find one,” she said. “When I decided to open the gallery, I wanted to do it for other artists who needed a place to sell their art.” She had the community in mind too. “I wanted to make sure that people who do come in – whether it’s for college or because it’s not cold here, or to be closer to the beach – whatever reason they move here, that they have an easier way of finding that art scene,” she said. On December 1, 2020, Overholt launched her online art gallery, which she named Vakti Gallery. Of the endeavor, Overholt smiled and said, “When I was in college, I used to look at the painting majors and think they were insane because they were going to spend their whole life trying to sell art. Then I graduated, and now I’m doing the same thing.” The gallery director spent quite a bit of time choosing a name for the digital and pop-up space to represent local artists. “I chose Vakti because it does have a root word that means something. It comes from the Sanskrit root word for ‘speech.’ I believe that all art is a way to express yourself. Even if it’s abstract and you think it doesn’t mean anything, it does. [...] I decided that all art, more than being a part of you, is what you’re saying.” For the artist and gallery owner, Vakti in name and practice is “listening to local artists, not just using their art for decoration.” In Vakti Gallery’s infancy, Overholt connected with her high school art teacher Kari Clever for advice. “There’s only so much I know, and I was willing to admit that,” Overholt said. She learned about sourcing artists, pricing, shipping, and other art gallery ins and outs. One of the first to join Vakti Gallery was fine artist Seungdo Hyun. “I was super excited because he’s well known,” said Overholt. “I was very appreciative.” Another artist early to Vakti’s digital gallery and a valuable resource for Overholt was former high school classmate, Rebekah Firmin who creates art and illustrations as Mockingbird Artist. “I was able to talk to her and use her as a resource because she has been in Lakeland selling art since before I moved back from college. It was good to find someone who does sell art and knows which avenues work and don’t work,” said the gallery director. Vakti Gallery currently has around 150 pieces of art, photography, sculptures, and mixed media online and available for purchase. The gallery represents 22 artists, including Olivia Overholt, that are based in Central Florida from Lake Wales, Orlando, Winter Haven, Clearwater, and Lakeland. Vakti brings fine art by local artists before the community through an online gallery medium, pop-up shows, and a rotating selection of art at Pressed Books & Coffee. “It’s good here for exposure,” Overholt said of the Pressed gallery space. “The amount of people who have come up to me while I’m working and said, ‘Hey, who do I talk to about art on the walls?’ It’s been insane.” What’s next for Vakti Gallery? “I would love to have a physical location,” said Overholt. “But in the meantime, in the next few years, the pop-up shows are fantastic. I love having them. It’s so much fun.” The next pop-up show will be on November 20 from 5-9 pm at LKLD Live, followed by a Christmas Show at a local residence on December 11 from 5-8 pm. Check the website for address details for the December show. The next time you’re in Pressed or shopping Vakti Gallery’s website and a piece of art speaks to you, keep Vakti’s meaning in mind, and listen. Vakti Gallery vaktigallery.com FB @vaktigallery IG @vaktigallery Photograph by Amy Sexson

History and haunts are at the center of Winter Haven Food Tours’ newest tour option, Winter Haven Beer, Spirits, and Ghosts Walking Tour. We spoke with Auburndale resident and owner/ guide of Winter Haven Food Tours, Amada Anderson, about food, phantoms, and what led her to start her Downtown tour company. Anderson is a licensed and certified Tour Guide and Tour Director with a bachelor’s degree in Music and Theatre from the University of Miami. She worked for a decade in New York as a tour guide, first with a ghost tour company before starting her own New York Broadway Tours a year later. Anderson has worked on Broadway for Disney as a guide inside the New Amsterdam Theatre and ran a non-profit called Thrill The World NYC for seven years, teaching Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance for world records and charity. She currently volunteers as the secretary to the National Federation of Tourist Guides Association. In addition to Winter Haven Food Tours, she and her husband operate a dog walking company called Story Tails Dog Walking. According to Anderson’s ‘About Me’ section on the Winter Haven Food Tours website, “The running joke is he walks dogs, and I walk people.” The Andersons moved from New York to the Sunshine State in April of 2019. The couple wanted to take care of Amada’s mother and start a family. As the owner of her own New Yorkbased tour business, she was traveling a lot already. She figured she could move here and still travel as needed. “With that idea and the fact that my husband would not have to shovel snow in January around his birthday every year – we moved.” WINTER HAVEN FOOD TOURS Anderson took a position as an executive assistant for the City of Winter Haven and grew to appreciate the area through her work, especially during lunchtime. “Winter Haven is so cool,” she said. “Winter Haven is so entrepreneurial and community-oriented.” The former New York tour guide thought Winter Haven needed a downtown tour of its own. The idea nagged at Anderson. “I started looking around, and I was like, wait a minute, there’s a Thai spot, there’s sushi, there’s a Mexican spot, there’s an Italian spot, there’s coffee,” she said. “I’ve given a couple of food tours in Little Italy in New York, but when I saw that we had on-route an olive oil store, it all clicked, and I said, ‘I will do a food tour!’” Anderson and her husband welcomed their baby in June of 2020. In December, she put her idea into motion, joined the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce in January, and opened Winter Haven Food Tours for business on March 1, 2021. The Winter Haven walking tour company offers everything from brunch tours to sweet tooth and happy hour tours. Anderson says many of her clientele are tourists from Orlando looking for things to do in the area around Legoland. After taking a tour and learning more about the city, visitors will often stay to eat, drink, and shop at local establishments. “I’ve been very thankful that everyone has been so supportive,” Anderson said of the community support she’s received for her tour company. GHOULS AND GRAPEFRUIT BASIL MARTINIS With Spooky Season upon us and having given ghost tours in the Big Apple, Anderson wanted to offer something similar here. “I’ve always been pretty sensitive to energies,” she said. As we sat outside discussing her spectral experiences, a lamp flickered on and off. Spirit or electrical short? You be the judge. Anderson told of a scare she had in America’s oldest and purportedly most haunted city, St. Augustine. On a trip to the Old City, she visited America’s Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. While filming the popular tourist spot, she felt a child run up and hug her. “You know how little kids run up and give you a hug, and they’re so short that you can feel them grab at you? It was so real. I walked in, some little kid came running up and gave me a hug on my thigh.” She remembers saying, ‘No, I’m sorry, kid. I’m not your mom.’ “I looked down – nothing there.” Anderson shared this and more tales on the Winter Haven Beer, Spirits, and Ghost Walking Tour. This two-and-a-half-hour guided walking tour of Downtown Winter Haven includes visits to historical sites, stories about familiar Winter Haven figures, including Gram Parsons, Gene Leedy, and George Jenkins, along with stops to sample food and drink at several Downtown dining destinations. This particular tour is 21+ as the focus was on spirits in more than one sense of the word. (Anderson does offer a tour for little ones with a Halloween twist called Trick or Treat and Tasting Sweets Ghost Walking Tour.) Our first haunting jaunt for bites and booooooze was at Tempo 1930. While there, we cheers’ed Maple Walnut Old Fashioneds and swapped ghost stories over loaded truffle fries and beef and short rib meatballs. Sprinkled throughout our evening walk were spooky stories, videos, and not-so-scary pro tips like where to get the best fried green tomatoes in town. If you plan to take a Winter Haven Food Tour, be sure to wear comfortable shoes, stay hydrated, and let your tour guide know of any food allergies or restrictions. Visit the Winter Haven Food Tours website below for dates and details on more tasty tours. (863) 288-0038 FB @winterhavenfoodtours IG @winterhavenfoodtours winterhavenfoodtours.com Photograph by Amy Sexson

Today, in the culmination of three friends’ backyard barbecue epiphany five years earlier, I sat inside Adler’s new Winter Haven burger spot, watching owner Jacki Walston frame pieces of flamingo and palm print wallpaper. It was extra from their Davenport shop now slated to hang in their new digs. That epiphany was about a burger food truck. Husband and wife Wade and Jacki Walston and friend Jeremiah Waters started Adler’s food truck in 2016, working small gigs at first. The name was an ode to Jacki and Wade’s son, Sheriff Adler Walston, only a year old at the time. Dino nuggets were first added and remain on the menu for Sheriff, who just turned six. Jacki said, “I feel like now we can’t take it off because so many parents know that they can bring their kids here and feed them that.” The trio hustled with the food truck for about eight months when they were presented with the opportunity to open a brick-andmortar. It all started in the alley next to their Davenport burger joint. They became the smash patty 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 food truck owners were ordered to cease and desist. The pub owners saw the advantage of having Adler’s available to their customers and threw out an offer for the space across the alley. They opened their flagship Davenport location in 2017. “If it wasn’t for us getting kicked out, we probably wouldn’t be sitting at this table currently,” said Wade at our first interview in 2019. Well, if it weren’t for getting kicked out and their legendary burgers, of course. TOTAL BURGER BADASSES 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. In the same 2019 interview, Wade said, “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. […] 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.” Now, Florida does have a definitive best burger – Adler’s. It all starts with the bun. The three owners spent plenty of time, in the beginning, trying different buns to procure the 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 atop this magnificent bun is their all-beef, no B.S. smash patty. The burger consists 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.” “Hamburgers are an American classic,” said Wade. “We do our best to not overcomplicate it.” Their opus (and number one bestseller by far) reflects 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,” she said. The fast-casual eatery offers combos with a burger, hand-cut fries, and Fountainhead Gourmet Craft Sodas. “I think part of our success is that we don’t have an overcomplicated menu,” said Jeremiah. Today, the tried and true menu remains with the addition of beer, including local brews from Grove Roots Brewing Company, as well as baked goods made by Oh For Fork Sake. Guests can polish off their meal with a changing selection of goodies like peach and pecan cobbler topped with cinnamon whipped cream frosting, a pina colada (layers of chocolate chip cookie, coconut caramel cookie, and chocolate brownie topped with pina colada frosting and candied pineapple), or a peanut butter cup (layers of peanut butter cookie, peanut butter cups and chocolate brownie topped with chocolate peanut butter frosting and another peanut butter cup). CLASSIC BURGER, CLASSIC VIBES You couldn’t tell now after its complete burger beautification, but this time last year, the lot where Adler’s now sits was home to a drab warehouse framed by overgrown grass. But Jacki had a vision for it. The unfinished concrete floor, subway tile backsplash, and wall-length window looking into the kitchen are just what Jacki envisioned for the space. “I don’t know how they pulled it off or out of my brain, but they did it. It’s amazing how good Six/Ten and Whitehead Construction are,” she said. Adler’s atmosphere is like the food they serve – classic. Their allAmerican, local burger joint vibe is authentic down to the details, like the wooden picnic tables out front, crafted by the Fort Meade High School shop class and the Adler’s logo mural by local artist Cassie Travis. According to Jeremiah, “The whole awning is repurposed from Winter Haven.” Its trusses are from the arcade, with beams from a carwash down the street. ‘BERMUDA TRIANGLE OF FOOD’ Adler’s opened in Winter Haven on August 27 with a sizable community reception. “It’s been humbling and overwhelming,” said Jacki of their first few weeks in business. Jeremiah added, “We expected it to be big, but I don’t think any of us anticipated that much.” The community was in such smash-patty suspense of Adler’s grand opening date that Winter Haven flocked with a fury for burgers and hand-cut fries when they finally announced it. The new restaurant had to temporarily close early, not for lack of product or preparation, but the sheer capacity of orders. “We weren’t expecting Winter Haven to bring it like that, but it totally got brought,” Jacki laughed. Jeremiah added, “We did more in sales twice here than we’ve done ever in Davenport. It’s been monstrous.” That’s thanks to their customers and their backbone employees, say the owners. “We’ve got a solid staff, and we’re very fortunate for that,” Jeremiah said. The Adler’s staff stayed with them through the pandemic and helped to open the Winter Haven shop. The opening of Adler’s comes just weeks after that of their neighbor, Honeycomb Bread Bakers. “Thankfully, I’m working so many hours, or my pants wouldn’t fit,” Jeremiah said of working next to Honeycomb, which they frequent. “I love that this little corner has life now,” Jacki said of Adler’s, Honeycomb, and The Smokin’ OX. “We’ve got our own little Bermuda Triangle of food. [...] Our own little Restaurant Row.” And Jacki’s right, the fare within that ‘Bermuda Triangle of food’ is so good you might wander in and never leave. With two brick-and-mortar locations and a food truck, what’s next for the expanding burger empire? World domination? Perhaps. “We always say ‘No,’ and then an opportunity comes up and we’re like, ‘Why say no when it feels so good to say yes?’” said Jeremiah. “We’re excited to be here,” said Jacki. “As long as Winter Haven will have us, forever and a day, we’ll stay.” 113 Ambersweet Way, Davenport | (863) 438-4324 543 Ave B SW, Winter Haven | (863) 875-6615 FB @Adlers.TCB IG @adlerstcb adlersburgers.com Photography by Amy Sexson

“Goodnight, Mister Fish and Polk Museum of Art, too. Goodnight, Library. See you at storytime soon.” – Goodnight Lakeland By Ida Mundell and Josh “Bump” Galletta Have you read Lakeland’s unofficial bedtime story, Goodnight Lakeland? The children’s book, penned by Ida Mundell and illustrated by Josh “Bump” Galletta, is an ode to the Swan City and a perfect local gift for the upcoming holiday season. Mundell and her husband, Nate, have four kids: Aurora, Eleanor, Ezra, and August. The homeschool mom of four is also a children’s Kids Pastor at Access Church. The family moved to Lakeland about 20 years ago. Galletta and his wife Mary have two kids, Emmersyn and Fynn. He is a commercial artist and illustrator with artwork in places like Starbucks and Haus 820. Ida and Bump met several years ago through her store, A Kind Place, formerly in Dixieland. “It was all fair trade, give back, and locally made,” said Mundell of the retail concept she plans to start back again when she isn’t busy homeschooling her children. Looking for more local artists to feature in A Kind Place, Mundell said, “I mustered the courage to ask Bump if he would put art in my shop.” It was one of the first retail spots Galletta sold his art. The two families became fast friends and shared a connection of art and community. The thought to write a children’s book first occurred to Mundell while on vacation in 2018. “I called him immediately because I wouldn’t want anyone else to draw it,” she said. Galletta started sketches after their initial phone call. As it often goes, the two got busy with life and shelved the project. Last summer, looking to produce something positive in such tumultuous times, Galletta’s wife, Mary, encouraged them to finish it. “I made it a goal where every day I focused on one page and sent it to Ida,” said Galletta. In November 2020, they finished Goodnight Lakeland and selfpublished the book. It was delivered the week after Thanksgiving. Goodnight Lakeland sold out by Christmas last year, and when they had a book signing on August 21 at Pressed, they sold out within a day. A BOOK OF GOOD MEMORIES Goodnight Lakeland is about nostalgic and significant locations around the city, accompanied by Bump’s signature black and white illustrations. Mundell said, “The book is full of our favorite traditions and memories. […] It’s an ode to our families’ favorite things. Lakeland is special. People love the place of Lakeland and feeling at home everywhere they go, and that’s the vibe of the book, what we wanted it to be.” “Home and place are important, I think. […] Feeling placement, feeling like you can walk in somewhere and somebody knows who you are. Being seen, known, and loved is verbiage I use through my ministry and with my own family and everywhere. The book is a little extension of that,” Mundell said. “I think it’s really important that you have a place in a world where everything is changing.” Subjects of the book include everything from Circle B Bar Reserve to Silvermoon Drive-in and everything in between. Bump said he drew the Sputnik Tower because that was the first recognizable landmark to his family when they first moved to the city. Every page is filled with words and drawings of memories and traditions for Mundell and Galletta. “I’m not from Lakeland. It took me a while to get used to it when I first moved here twelve years ago. It slowly became a place we loved,” Galletta said. Lakeland has become home to the family, and Galletta said it is special to tell its story with Mundell’s words and his drawings. “It’s fun that she asked me to do it,” he said. The Goodnight Lakeland author and illustrator often receive pictures of grandparents reading it to their grandchildren, kids carrying it around town, realtors gifting it to new homeowners, and parents sending it to their children going to college out of state. They’ve also heard from the parents of children with autism who say their kids love to carry the book and match it to their surroundings around the city. “They share those stories, and that means everything when they take the time, and they’re so excited to say, ‘Our kid loves this book,’ or ‘We read it every night,’ or ‘That’s the book they pick off the bookshelf,’” said Mundell. Galletta said, “People will say, ‘This is where we got married,’ or ‘This is where we met.’ I’ve had a lot of fun encounters hearing those stories.” And of course, Galletta, who often hides free artwork for people around town and places he travels, hid a few ‘Easter eggs’ in Goodnight Lakeland too. If you find one, tell Bump! “I like to wait and see if anyone’s discovered them,” he said. The project inspired Galletta’s daughter to make a book of her own, a creative process he’s been working with her on. HOW YOU CHANGE THE WORLD Alongside Goodnight Lakeland, Mundell and Galletta collaborated with Lakeland-based handmade accessory company East of These to create a baby blanket featuring Galletta’s black and white artwork. You can pick up one of these adorable gifts at any pop-up markets that Galletta attends, including Buena Market and Haus MRKT, or on his website (hurry, amounts are limited). Mundell thought about her bookish breakout and said, “Something I tell my kids and something I have to remind myself of is that it’s okay to be a beginner. […] I think there’s so much anxiety in the creative world that you have to be there already, that you have to know everything, that you have to have every answer.” She continued, “We stop the process from ever beginning, and that makes me sad because how many great things are we missing out on? I would take an all heart, beginner product over someone who thinks they are the best of the best all the time. I like the hustle and the heart and the passion behind the project.” For Bump, the success of their grassroots, self-published book was a reassurance of community love. “It shows how much the community does care for each other,” he said. Follow their social media for future opportunities to meet the Goodnight Lakeland author and illustrator. They plan to read their book during storytime at Pressed. Bump will have copies available at the many holiday markets he’ll be attending. Expect more projects from the duo (perhaps even something in color) in the future. Mundell said, “I do love writing and communicating, and I love storytelling. I love listening to storytelling. I love sharing stories. I think that is how you change the world if you can share captivating stories and invite people to listen.” You can pick up a copy of Goodnight Lakeland at Pressed Books & Coffee, Galletta’s upcoming pop-up markets, or his website, www.bumpgalletta.com. Goodnight Lakeland Author: Ida Mundell FB: Ida Mundell IG @idamundell Illustrator: Bump Galletta bumpgalletta.com FB: Bump Galletta IG @bumpgalletta Photograph by Amy Sexson

The 10th Annual Polk Emerging Leaders Awards were held on August 19th. While the event itself was a little different this year following COVID protocols, it was nonetheless a night to celebrate and honor the work that young professionals are doing to improve Polk County. The 2021 winners are Lauren Jensen, Dr. Andy Oguntola, Brian Yates, Sara Beth Reynolds, and Dr. Michelle Henne. We also honored Katie Worthington Decker with the Polk Emerging Leaders Visionary Award for all of her work to start these programs and give opportunities for the young professionals of Polk County to be recognized for their commitment to their communities. Lauren Jensen Lauren Jensen (Sessums Law Group P.A.) graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Kentucky in 2010 and later would receive her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2013. As a family law attorney and a mother of three, she has learned the many facets of true leadership and lives it out daily. It’s through her time with local organizations and local leaders that she has had the chance to learn what it takes to be a leader. Because of their influence and her dedication, she has risen in the ranks and is now serving as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Explorations V Children’s Museum and has been actively involved as they have launched their new brand, Florida Children’s Museum and built their new location at Bonnet Springs Park. She has also served as Community Vice President of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland. During the pandemic, she had to step up to the plate to ensure that the organizations she serves, were able to continue to serve Lakeland. She acted as the liaison between the Junior League and the Adopt a School initiative to house PPE supplies for schools at her home, while securing volunteer League members to facilitate distribution of the supplies to schools. In her service to Explorations V Children’s Museum, she assisted in making decisions about their finances, as the doors of the facility were closed to the public. Now, as Florida Childrens Museum prepares to move to its new location to Bonnet Springs Park, she will be leading the charge on their membership initiatives for the new facility. When she isn’t volunteering her time and talents to organizations like United Way of Central Florida, Florida Bar Family Law Section, and Lake Morton Community Church, you can find her taking a run with her kids, practicing yoga and serving those who are underprivileged at Lighthouse Ministries or the George Harris Youth Shelter. Dr. Andy Oguntola Dr. Andy Oguntola (Polk State College) graduated from Webber International University with his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and his Masters of Business Administration. He then went on to Nova Southeastern University, where he received his Doctorate in Higher Educational Leadership in 2019. Currently, he is the Director of Polk State College’s JD Alexander Center, where he works to develop relationships with community leaders and educational institutions. While his position encompasses various duties, he coordinates services for students with disabilities and provides programming that meets the needs of faculty, staff, students, and business partners. One of the most satisfying moments of his career was when he stepped up to make an impact in education for Lake Wales students. Year after year, students would inform him that they were unable to go to college due to their family members being unfamiliar with the college admissions process. He heard a problem and did the work to find a solution. In 2015, he created a strategic plan to create a high school college fair for Lake Wales. He made a plan, presented it to the Superintendent of the Lake Wales Charter Schools and, while everyone loved the idea, they were unsure it could be accomplished. After three months of this recipient making calls, meeting with educators, and putting in the work, he saw this plan come to fruition. Today, the Lake Wales College Fair is one of the largest fairs in the State, with over 1,000 attendees and 40 colleges participating. This fair has been so successful that it has helped increase the college admissions rate. It also received a proclamation from the City of Lake Wales for its impactful results in supporting a city’s need. His ability to serve doesn’t take a break, regardless of if he is on the clock or not. His hobbies include, well, serving others! He got together with some friends to create a brand-new youth football and cheer league so that the youth in Lake Wales has a positive outlet after school. As of right now, there are over 350 young men and women signed up to play youth sports this year. They have also gathered 20 other individuals to help raise funds for new uniforms, scholarships, and even opportunities for tutoring and feeding the kids after practice. This past year he was the Chairman of the Lake Wales Citizens and Police Community Relations Advisory Committee in which they tackled challenging issues such as an officer-involved incident and body cameras; he is Chairman of the Lake Wales Chamber and Economic Development Council and is Chairman of the Lake Wales Charter School system. Sara Beth Reynolds Sara Beth Reynolds (Theatre Winter Haven) graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications, Media & Society. In May she completed a dual Masters of Public Administration & Nonprofit Management from the University of Central Florida. It’s no surprise that she is furthering her education. Education is one of her passions. She is the Development Director for Theatre Winter Haven, where she oversees grant applications, donor funding and creates new and innovative programs. In this role, she was able to procure over $1.2 million in funds to help the theatre through the challenges of 2020 and 2021 and continue to provide high-standard programming and classes to the community. Programs like the Theatre of Winter Haven’s internship program, DramaTime LIVE! Reading program, summer Master Classes, and their Performing Arts Academy scholarship programs. She also has had the opportunity to speak at the Great American Teach In, mentor through Polk Vision and the Winter Haven Public Education Partnership. Sara Beth ran for Polk County school board and won at the age of 24. In this role, she aids the district in overseeing what has grown to 109,000 students and 13,000 employees. It’s in this role that she has been able to make a great impact on the lives of students in Polk County. One of the most satisfying moments of her career was with a student from Winter Haven High School. He reached out to inform her that he had been accepted into Harvard. She first met him in his Junior year but appointed him as the District 4 Representative and was the only student of Polk County Public Schools COVID-19 Reopening Task Force. Even though he was sitting in a room with educational leaders with impressive resumes, he spoke up and advocated for what he believed would keep students safe during the pandemic. She was so proud to see that, because of his confidence, he was able to secure ultimate approval of the district-wide masks requirement. It ultimately solidified her thoughts about the importance of giving students the power to speak up and speak about issues and challenges. Brian Yates Brian Yates (Citizens Bank & Trust) graduated from the Florida School of Banking at the University of Florida and currently works for a local bank that has built a culture upon improving the areas they serve through community engagement. In his role at the bank, he does his best to inspire his team to collaborate and always reach for more. In 2020, many small businesses were looking to banks for help in their time of crisis. Even though he had just recently joined their team, Citizens Bank & Trust tapped this recipient to lead the Paycheck Protection Program division who stood up to help the small business of Polk County quickly. If you can imagine, there was a lot of red tape and rules that were constantly changing, but Brian took charge, led, and collaborated with his team and saw amazing results. They issued 1,115 loans for a total of over $118 million across Polk County. Small businesses were able to keep their doors open because of the aid that the bank provided. Twenty-two thousand people got to keep their jobs! He serves as a City Commissioner for Winter Haven, and in this role, he uses his leadership skills to make decisions that are in the best interest of the citizens of the City he loves. Bonnie Parker, Director of Wealth Management at the bank, expressed, “As a resident of this community, I have been very pleased with the way he has handled some difficult situations. From policies on wearing masks to making hard decisions on budget matters, he uses a calm temperament and thoughtful approach to helping move our city forward during what has most likely been one of the most trying times in our history.” His involvement in Winter Haven doesn’t stop with his service to the commission. This recipient is also actively engaged with Main Street Winter Haven, The Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, the Florence Villa CRA Advisory Team, the Ritz Theatre, and the Winter Haven Rotary Club, all well before his role as commissioner. He is also a graduate of Leadership Winter Haven Class 35 and was tapped to Chair Class 38. Dr. Michelle Henne Dr. Michelle Henne (Releve Sports Medicine) graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science. She also attended the University of South Florida College of Medicine, where she received her Doctor of Medicine. During her time at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, she served as the student leader for the scholarly concentration in Internal Medicine, a Panel Leader at the Florida Bioethics Student Planning Meeting, and was a Bareness/Behnke Chapter Member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. In the years to follow, she would complete her Residency at Bayfront Health Family Medicine Residency Program and her Fellowship with the Orlando Health Sports Medicine Fellowship. Today, she serves as the founder, owner, and medical director for her own sports medicine facility, Releve Sports Medicine. In 2018, her company obtained the status to provide continuing education to athletic trainers and opted to do it completely free of charge. 2020 was a year where many athletic trainers were furloughed or without work, so she offered these educational meetings virtually, which gave them the opportunity to expand the variety of attendees and speakers. They have had over 2,000 athletic trainers attend these virtual webinars. She was also able to encourage continuing education by participating as a speaker at the annual conference for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. It was there that she shared more about the impact of COVID on sports medicine. She is involved in the Polk County Medical Association, the Central Florida Physician Alliance, Junior League of Winter Haven, Light Up the Night 5K, Leadership Winter Haven, and Leadership Polk. Uniquely, she is also carrying on the county’s legacy as the Water Ski Capital of the World on the Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team. Even though she isn’t a Winter Haven native, she felt it was an excellent way to be a part of something unique that her community is known for. Many medical practices had to shut their doors due to COVID. But her practice has actually grown, doubling in size since May 2020. She has also had the amazing opportunity to cover UFC and boxing events on ESPN and Telemundo as a certified ringside physician. Katie Worthington Decker - Special Polk Emerging Leaders Visionary Award Every year, they give five awards to five recipients. But for the 10th year of these awards, the Polk Emerging Leaders Awards committee wanted to do something special for one of the people who started it all, Katie Worthington Decker. It’s because of her influence and vision that they celebrate ten years of breaking down community lines. Ten years of EMERGE, ENDEAVOR, and ENGAGE working together to promote the young professionals of our community. In these ten years, they have had the opportunity to bestow the title of Emerging Leader to over 50 Young Professionals from throughout Polk County while recognizing the work of hundreds of others. None of this would have been possible without her inspiration, leadership, and dedication. Katie strongly believes in the power of our community’s young professionals. She believes that young professionals are unselfishly making a difference in our community every day. She, along with her Chamber predecessor Bob Gernert and mentor Bonnie Parker, wanted to create an outlet to recognize those accomplishments. Born through this was the Polk Emerging Leaders Awards. Katie is an avid UCF fan, a champion for businesses, and an advocate for her community. She is a mother, a daughter, a wife, a sister, a friend, and an admired business leader. As the President & CEO of the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, she continues to push Winter Haven and Polk County forward through advocacy, business development, collaboration, and so much more.

It’s that time of year again and what better way to celebrate the delicious decadence of spooky season than by combining two of our favorite things: candy and cocktails! This Halloween, I set out to do just this with fellow cocktail lover and owner of Confection candy store, Ivy Horn. Trust me, when you get the chance to work with a candy guru conjuring the perfect cocktails to compliment the trickiest of treats, you step up to the cauldron with mad delight. No matter your taste preference or mixology skill level, you’re sure to find something that piques your interest. From tried and true to new and trendy, from classics to crafts, we’ve got you covered. It wouldn’t be Halloween without fun-sized candy bars like Snickers, Three Musketeers, Milky Ways, and Kit Kats. Let’s face it, they were always primo trick-or-treating loot. We decided the timelessness of an Old Fashioned is best suited for these American classics. With enough moxie to hold its own with flavors like chocolate, peanut, and caramel, it is sure to delight the tastebuds when paired with these tiny candy bars. Choose a bourbon with strong caramel notes like Makers Mark 46 and for extra credit, try switching out the traditional angostura bitters with more interesting selections like chocolate or walnut. Don’t forget the Luxardo cherry! Fruity treats like Albanese 12 Flavor Gummi Bears are best enjoyed with bubbles. Sure, an Aperol Spritz would work wonderfully here but there’s a new spritz in town. Meet the Italicus Spritz. The softly sweet and gently bitter Italicus Rosolio di Bergamatto perfectly enhances each gummi with its floral and citrus notes and comes in the most gorgeous bottle with a lid that gives us some serious Beetlejuice vibes. As a bonus, the olive garnish helps cleanse the palette between flavors. I have to admit, I’ve been having a bit of a love affair with the Negroni cocktail recently. It is oh so bitter, but oh so smooth, and might be the perfect pairing for red licorice. While it’s not for everyone as most folks either love Campari or hate it, those who love it will appreciate how the bold bitterness helps to balance out the sweetness of this classic candy. If you’re feeling extra sassy, try an Empress Negroni with black licorice. Empress gin is made with Butterfly Pea Blossom, giving it a beautiful purple hue that screams Halloween when paired with black. Also, the Luxardo Bitter Bianco has earthy, herbal notes that mirror the anise and fennel flavors of the licorice. While searching for a complementary counterpart to an Almond Joy, we came across the Saturn cocktail. Rum might be an obvious choice here, but the botanicals in gin actually go surprisingly well with coconut. After swooning over this stunning tiki drink (the garnish looks like Saturn), we were compelled to try it with a Mars bar, if only for whimsical posterity. Turns out, this is a match made in the heavens. The sweet almond in the Orgeat and the Caribbean spices in the Falernum enhance the caramel, nougat, and chocolate, while the acidity of the passion fruit and citrus really makes all the flavors pop. It is delicious with an Almond Joy, but Saturn and Mars together? Cosmic! I’ve always been a sucker for Reese’s peanut butter cups. The salty, chocolaty, peanut buttery deliciousness just begs to be washed down with ice-cold milk. For an adult version of this classic childhood combination, try a Brandy Milk Punch instead. Sweet and creamy, with hints of vanilla and nutmeg, and two ounces of Brandy that packs quite the “punch”, this one is good with almost everything. We wanted to include an all-in-one candy-cocktail combination and decided buttered rum infused with candy corn was the best way to encapsulate the feeling of the season. Total Harry Potter vibes were involved in conjuring this creamy and dreamy treat! It makes a great shooter or sipper and might be the ultimate Halloween libation. CHILDREN OF THE CORN 1 oz candy corn infused butter-washed spiced rum* ½ oz Licor 43 1 oz heavy cream Pour all ingredients into a mixing tin filled with ice, shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Double strain into a cordial glass and garnish with candy corn. *For the rum: Melt 1 stick of butter and cook until golden and nutty. Let cool and pour into a mason jar containing 12oz of spiced rum. Swirl and let sit for one hour, then freeze overnight. Pour the liquid away from the fat, then strain through a coffee filter. Add 1 cup of candy corn to buttered rum, swirl, and keep refrigerated. The candy corn will dissolve and leave the rum with a beautiful orange color. Photography by Amy Sexson

When I first heard that Tsunami Sushi was closing Downtown, I thought, ‘Noooooooo!’ It was a favorite and frequent lunch spot for the Haven team. Fortunately for hungry Downtown Winter Havenites, what took its place is just as delicious. Tsukiyomi Sushi Bar & Grill owner Jimmy Van is a restaurant industry veteran. Van, who is originally from New York, moved to Orlando in 2001. Van worked for Japanese restaurants Kobe Steakhouse and Benihana for some 15 years as the head chef and eventually restaurant manager. Central Avenue eatery Tsukiyomi Sushi is Van’s foray into restaurant ownership. The New York native first came to Winter Haven to help a friend open a business, but he stayed for the community. Small town life agreed with Van. “I saw that the people here are really nice compared to where I lived. In a big city, when you manage a big store, it’s hard for you to maintain because they have a lot of competition,” he said. Van knew if he could handle the hundreds of customers per night at a large establishment in a bigger city, he could certainly do it – and do it well – in Winter Haven. He went on to say, “This town has very nice people. […] The way I feel like they kind of welcome you to the neighborhood, it’s easy to talk [to them].” Tsukiyomi Sushi opened its doors on July 15 with a fresh look and menu. So anticipated was their grand opening, Tsukiyomi was booked up on the first day. According to Van, ‘Tsukiyomi’ is a Japanese word meaning “god of the moon” and comes from the Shinto religion. The restaurant’s brushstroke logo even looks like a crescent moon with chopsticks grabbing a piece of sushi. While spiffing up the interior with a fresh coat of deep blue paint, Van opted to keep some accents from Tsunami Sushi, including some of the black and white sushi paintings. The updated digs pay homage to its previous life but have a distinctly updated feel. Van plans to put booths in the restaurant as well. His goal with renovations was to improve the space for a clean look that would leave guests feeling impressed and respected. Tsukiyomi boasts a sizable menu of modern Japanese fare, including nigiri and sashimi, sushi, basic and special rolls, teriyaki, tempura, entrees, and more. Everything on the menu is prepared fresh and is so good that when asked, Van couldn’t single out a favorite. With so many menu offerings, Van says guests often come in and choose a few rolls (there are 60 specialty rolls alone) and work their way across the menu with each visit. Number one on that specialty roll list, their namesake roll, has spicy crab salad, crispy onion, and avocado within it and is topped with Wagyu steak in spicy mayo, fresh jalapeno, eel sauce, masago, and scallions. “We have a lot of customers, and they love it. I’m really happy about it,” Van said. “I walk to each table and ask them [about] my food so I can know from them if there’s anything I can do better, I will. So far, everyone tells me they love it. They love the food.” On the Monday afternoon we visited, the expert hands of Tsukiyomi’s sushi chefs worked carefully behind the bar to craft us a Fancy Rainbow roll. The aptly named dish was vibrant and delectable, filled with tuna, salmon, cucumber, and topped with a variety of raw fish, three tobiko, and spicy ponzu. Though he’s only been in town for around four months and Tsukiyomi has been open for a little over two, Van says Winter Haven has warmly welcomed him and his business. Customers are talkative and curious to know more about Van. “I fell in love with that,” he said. “Living in the big city, your neighbor doesn’t know your name for a year.” “My favorite part is the people here,” said Tsukiyomi Sushi owner Jimmy Van. “I worked hard so I could be a manager of the big company, but when I managed the big company in the big city, I never saw the personality of the people.” 317 W Central Ave, Winter Haven (863) 293-2395 FB @tsukiyomisushi IG @tsukiyomisushi tsukiyomisushi.com Photography by Amy Sexson

You know it, you love it, you’ve probably played a game of drunk Mario Kart there – Rec Room turns one this Halloween! The product of partners Jason Ellis, Conn O’Leary, Corey Ripley, Barrett Hollis, and Mike and Wendy O’Leary, Rec Room quickly won over Lakelanders. We sat down with Jason Ellis and Conn O’Leary to discuss the video game bar concept. “I think collectively we wanted to do another project,” said O’Leary. Initially, the idea was to open a dive bar. Lakeland has quite a few dive bars that have stood the test of time, so the vision changed. Ellis brought up the idea of a “barcade,” a bar/ arcade concept popular in many metropolitan areas. O’Leary thought of his sister. “I can sit at a bar and drink for two or three hours and be fine, but within ten minutes, she’s like, ‘What’s next? What are we doing? We aren’t doing this all night. We need to go play pool, shoot darts, sing karaoke, do something.’” The idea of having an activity-oriented bar had teeth to it. They recruited some like-minded folks for the project and got to work on their Lakeland barcade, Rec Room. The idea was intentionally inclusive of everyone in the community, said the partners – friends getting together for drinks, a date night, and those who don’t drink at all. “That was the impetus behind it. This could be for everybody,” said O’Leary. When they found the building that would eventually become Rec Room, formerly LkldTV, O’Leary said, “We fell into the perfect space. […] We could see the potential bloom.” The renovations took about a year and a half to complete. The Rec Room was set to open in March of 2020 but was delayed into the fall by the pandemic. “It was kind of a bear,” O’Leary said of the project. “It was an old building, built in the ‘30s, I think, so we had to do extensive electrical repairs. We gutted it, and then with all the COVID delays, when we were close to finishing up, they still hadn’t green-lit all the bars yet.” Rec Room finally opened on Halloween of 2020. ALL FUN AND GAMES Bringing video games into the bar scene was a no-brainer for Ellis and O’Leary. For Ellis, his favorite game was Ms. Pac-Man. “I cut a countless number of college classes to go to the Student Center when no one was there, to play,” he said. The iconic arcade game is free to play at Rec Room. For O’Leary, it was Dig Dug. “I remember playing that in the hallway of a gym rec center that I used to go to when I was a kid. I’d throw coin after coin into that,” he said. O’Leary, who grew up in Hawaii, remembers frequenting an arcade there called the Fun Factory. “The best time of the year was my birthday when they’d hand me ten or twenty bucks, and they’d leave so I’d be by myself in this arcade. It was the best thing ever. Twenty dollars back then went a long way because all the games were a quarter apiece.” It isn’t all retro games at Rec Room. The bar has a good mix of old, new, and activity games. Rec Room regulars buy tokens to play everything from Mortal Kombat to NBA Showtime, Guitar Hero, Big Buck Hunter, Golden Tee, basketball, skeeball, and air hockey. They recently installed two pinball machines, a popular addition to the barcade. Above all else, O’Leary hopes Rec Room is a fun space whether you’re looking to socialize, sip a cocktail, or win a few rounds of Jurassic Park pinball. “It can be whatever you want to have fun with. If you don’t care about video games and just want to drink at the bar and hang out with friends, cool. If you don’t drink at all and want to come in and have a basketball tournament with your boys, we’ve got that too.” LEVELING UP THE BAR SCENE As for the drinks, Ellis said, “We wanted to have a curated list that showed that we had bartending skills but could also handle a high-volume atmosphere.” Their most popular cocktail is the Planet Popstar, made with white rum, a strawberry shrub, fresh mint, cream soda, and lemon juice. When we spoke in September, they were preparing to roll out a new selection of drinks with a Tiki flair. Ellis described them as “light, fruit-forward, fun” and “dangerously delicious.” He worked with Rec Room General Manager, Olivia Lewandowski, to develop their cocktail menu. Rec Room slings plenty of seltzers, new-school cocktails, and frozen drinks, serving a primarily younger crowd. Though the bar doesn’t serve its own food, they regularly host food trucks and vendor pop-ups. “My favorite is Pinoy Cravings,” O’Leary said. “They’re so friendly, they’re cool, and their food is amazing.” TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK Reception of the Lakeland barcade has been encouraging, say the owners. “The community and The City have been nothing but great,” O’Leary said. The pair attributes much of Rec Room’s success to their team. “We put together a really good staff,” said O’Leary. The bar hasn’t suffered staffing issues plaguing much of the service industry. “That’s been good to have that continuity. People like coming in and seeing their bartenders, and the ones we’ve had have done well connecting with customers and building that clientele base where they know their names, what they drink, know their stories. That’s been invaluable to us.” Asked if they have any new concepts in the works, the pair behind some of Lakeland’s favorite hangouts, including Rec Room, Good Thyme, and Cob & Pen, agreed that they were “ambitious, but also measured.” O’Leary said, “We’re always looking to expand and do bigger and better [things], but it’s got to make sense. […] That’s how I think we’ve done so well – we have a vision, and we wait for the vision to coalesce into something we can manage.” “We like the burgeoning town as opposed to the established bigger city,” added Ellis. “One of the things we’ve done really well is we know how to find good people and use them to their potential and grow positive working relationships with them. Building the management team at Cob & Pen allowed us to step away and do projects like this. […] ‘You’re as good as the people you surround yourself with’ is pretty true.” Celebrate one year with Rec Room this Halloween. Follow their social media for weekly events and specials like Monday Mario Kart tournaments, Token Tuesday, and Thursday BOGO and ping pong tourneys, as well as their quarterly DJ dance parties. Happy Birthday to one of Lakeland’s most rad bars! Rec Room 202 N Massachusetts Ave, Lakeland (863) 213-4073 FB @RecRoomLKLD IG @recroomlkld www.recroomlkld.com

Best Realtor OMAR ANDREASEN | THE ANDREASEN GROUP (407) 883-2989 FB @AndreasenTelesRealEstateGroup IG @theandreasengrouprealty theandreasengroup.com Honesty, customer service, and communication are paramount to Omar Andreasen and his team. Primarily serving Central Florida, Andreason has gone as far as Miami for a client and says he’ll go anywhere in the state if it means meeting his clients’ needs. He handles residential and commercial real estate as well as building and loves the challenges that come with the job. With customer satisfaction at the forefront, he hopes to see The Andreasen Group become the dominating real estate team in Polk County. 2nd: Michael Webb | Trade Winds Realty 3rd: Jenna Henderson | Century 21 Myers Realty Best Realty Company CENTURY 21 MYERS REALTY 304 E. Park St Auburndale (Additional locations in Polk County) (863) 875-5656 FB @c21myers century21myersrealty.com Century 21 Myers Realty is a full-service realty and property management company specializing in single-family and commercial properties. Their team pride themselves in being highly motivated, committed to their clients and investors, honest, and professional. One Century 21 Myers Realty client wrote last year, “Excellent customer service and viewing properties followed all CDC health and safety guidelines. Great experience with knowledgeable local Realtors.” 2nd: The Andreasen Group 3rd: Trade Winds Realty Best Mortgage Broker COMPASS MORTGAGE LLC 2015 S Florida Ave, Lakeland (863) 802-1242 FB @compassmortgagellc IG @compassmortgagelkld compassmortgagellc.com Helping clients navigate residential mortgages and refinancing, Compass Mortgage LLC is a locally-owned and operated Broker offering mortgage and loan products including FHA, VA, USDA, and Conventional. They’ve got the “Broker Advantage” of thousands of different loan products, which affords them the ability to find the right loan product for a specific client. “Compass Mortgage LLC offers you the latest in financial tools and expert advice, which makes the loan process easy. We can help you make sound financial choices.” 2nd: Citizens Bank & Trust 3rd: Carlos Unzueta | CrossCountry Mortgage Best Home Remodeling ALAN L. ULCH 343 Ave C SW, Winter Haven (863) 294-7240 FB @AlanLUlchInc alanulch.com Established on September 9, 1971, Alan L. Ulch, Inc. entered the commercial market in 1974, building restaurants for Burger King, Ponderosa, and Steak & Shake. Since then, the company has taken on more complex projects for the Polk County School Board, the National Guard, Mountain Lake, and industrial clients. They have received numerous accolades for craftsmanship, exceeding sales volume, “Flatness of Concrete” by the National Concrete Association, and a Building of Distinction Award. Today, Alan L. Ulch offers services including Commercial, Residential, and Industrial Construction, Pre Engineered Metal Buildings, Design Build Services, Construction Management, Industrial Maintenance, Kitchen & Bath Design Services, Remodel and Renovation, and Historical Renovation. The Polk County-based construction firm focuses on communication, craftsmanship, and customer satisfaction. 2nd: Black Marlin Construction 3rd: EMC Home Remodeling Best Painting GATOR INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA 1115 6th St SW, Winter Haven (863) 294-7917 FB @GatorIndustries86 IG @gatorindustries86 gator-industries.com Is it time for your home exterior to get a facelift? Gator Industries started as a pressure cleaning business with just one truck and a dog in 1986. Not only has their employee base grown, so too have the services they offer. Custom painting, pressure washing, commercial roofing, custom pavers, decorative concrete, and more – Gator’s got you! One customer wrote in part, “Our house was in need of a paint job and Gator’s company came highly recommended. I understand why. They did a great job from the beginning to the end. I own multiple rental properties and have used many painting contractors over the years. I will only be using Gator from here on out.” 2nd: Bill’s Painting 3rd: Kok’s Custom Painting and Coatings llc. Best Home Inspector HOME SWEET HOME INSPECTION SERVICES LLC 6039 Cypress Gardens Blvd #199, Winter Haven (863) 324-5349 hshinspect.com Inspector and Managing Member of Home Sweet Home Inspection Services, Thomas Wells, has over 25 years of industry experience in residential remodeling and new construction. Wells has extensive training through InterNachi, PHII, AHIT, and has completed the National Home Inspector Examination. Their inspection services include Standard Inspections, Wind Mitigations, 4 Point Inspection, and Roof Certification. Of the locally-owned family business, one customer reviewed, “Cannot rate this company highly enough. Home Sweet Inspections did an extremely detailed report and were able to complete the inspection the day after calling to inquire. The owners of the company made themselves available to answer any questions regarding the inspection report the same day the report was issued - highly efficient company!” 2nd: Ryan Bataille | White Inspection Services 3rd: Chimera Homes Best AC Repair RIDGE ENERGY SAVERS 135 S Acuff Rd, Lake Wales (863) 676-2665 FB @RidgeEnergySavers ridgeenergy.com Did your AC give out? Don’t sweat it! Ridge Energy Savers to the rescue! Tom and Judy Harmeling established the AC and heating installation and maintenance company in 1974. Serving Polk County customers for some 47 years, Ridge Energy Savers grew from just a few employees, to now over 25 full-time employees. They offer an extensive list of residential and commercial heating and cooling services in addition to indoor air quality, duct repair and cleaning, and generators. Many reviews of the Lake Wales-based business rave about their professionalism, punctuality, quality, responsiveness, and value. 2nd: Springer Bros. Air Conditioning & Heating 3rd: United Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Best Roofing Company EZ ROOFING SYSTEMS 120 W Central Ave, Winter Haven (863) 875-1033 FB @EZroofingsystems IG @ezroofingsystems ezroofingsystems.com Roofing made EZ! The name of this 2021 Best Of Haven Roofing Company is actually in honor of beloved family dog, EZ. This familyowned and operated business backs its work with years of experience. Their family roofing legacy spans over 60 years, but EZ Roofing has been serving Florida since 2007. Best Of Haven voters trust EZ Roofing Systems with all their roofing needs including roof replacement, repairs, flat roof restoration, and insurance inspections. Call for a free estimate today! 2nd: R.I.G. Construction and Roofing 3rd: Taylor’s Roofing Best Plumbing CYPRESS PLUMBING INC. 1776 Executive Rd, Winter Haven (863) 294-7319 FB @CypressPlumbingFL Whether you’re haunted by a phantom running toilet or a mysterious clog in your pipes, Cypress Plumbing will take a crack at it (plumber crack joke). Cypress Plumbing has been serving Polk County for over 29 years offering plumbing services in installation, repairs, repipes, and backflows for residential, commercial, and new construction. “Excellent! I called this morning to have my faucet and drain repaired and they dispatched someone later in the afternoon. He fixed both issues and did an excellent job! I would certainly use Cypress Plumbing again. Very pleased,” reviewed a Cypress Plumbing customer. 2nd: Daughtry Plumbing, Inc. 3rd: Dickens Plumbing Inc. Best Patio Screening MID-FLORIDA ALUMINUM & RESCREENS (863) 289-2368 FB @Midfloridaaluminumrescreens Voted Best Patio Screening Company again! Mid-Florida Aluminum & Rescreens are a Licensed and Insured full-service aluminum, vinyl and screen company specializing in screen rooms, seamless gutter, vinyl siding, soffit/fascia, sliding garage screens and more. Based out of Polk County and serving all of Central Florida, Mid-Florida Aluminum is a certified dealer for LifeStyle Screens, Genius Retractable, and Rollaround Screens. This allows them to offer more than the standard type of screen enclosure for any home or business. Call or message them for more information or a free quote today! 2nd: Bobby Kelton Aluminum 3rd: Cool Screens Florida Best Construction WHITEHEAD CONSTRUCTION 601 6th St SW, Winter Haven (863) 293-6473 FB @whiteheadconstruction whiteheadconstruction.com Whitehead Construction has been “Building Florida since 1954.” You’ve seen the handprint of their superior workmanship and “commitment to excellence from concept to completion” on many buildings, churches, commercial, industrial, and municipality projects around Polk County and beyond including the likes of Bond Clinic, Grove Roots, RainGarden Apartments, and Heartland Church. Whitehead Construction is one of the most respected names in large-scale contracting and takes pride in three generations of family ownership. The community and clients alike give Whitehead Construction five stars across the board. 2nd: A.O. Construction Company Inc. 3rd: Alan L. Ulch Best Retirement Community LAKE ASHTON 4140 Ashton Club Dr, Lake Wales (863) 324-8664 FB: Lake Ashton IG @lakeashtonresales lakeashton.com Set on over 1,200 acres including three lakes and nature preserves, Lake Ashton is an idyllic and secure setting to relax and enjoy retirement. Lake Ashton boasts an unending list of amenities and activities for its residents including a 26,000-square-foot clubhouse, Grand Ballroom, movie theater, bowling alley, two pet parks, a library, indoor basketball, 30,000 square foot health and fitness center, and two 18-hole privately owned golf courses – just to name a few. “Lake Ashton sets the standards of excellence in design, construction, amenities, lifestyle, location, security and affordability for Florida retirement communities.” 2nd: Four Lakes Golf Club 3rd: Traditions at Lake Ruby Best Hotel COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT WINTER HAVEN 6225 Cypress Gardens Blvd SE, Winter Haven (863) 292-3000 FB @CourtyardWinterHaven marriott.com Best Of Haven voters choose Courtyard by Marriott Winter Haven when they need lodging for visiting family or a not-so-faraway get-away. This Cypress Gardens Boulevard hotel is located centrally to LEGOLAND Florida Resort, Bok Tower Gardens, and all the dining and retail Winter Haven has to offer. In their comfortable rooms and suites, Courtyard by Marriott features free Wi-Fi, flat-panel Smart TVs, mini-refrigerators, and microwaves. Their onsite Bistro offers breakfast and dinner options for purchase, a bar, and specialty beverages made with Starbucks coffee. Or, guests can pick up a snack from the 24-hour Market! 2nd: LEGOLAND Resort Hotel 3rd: Holiday Inn Winter Haven, an IHG Hotel Best Apartment CARLTON ARMS OF WINTER HAVEN 7676 Carlton Arms Blvd, Winter Haven (863) 875-1700 FB @CarltonArmsofWinterHaven carltonarmsofwinterhaven.com Lakefront views, a fitness center, lakeside pools, pet-friendly, 24/7 emergency maintenance – what more could you want in an apartment community? Carlton Arms of Winter Haven is located on 122 acres with 23 spacious floor plans to fit your needs. Apartment features include valet trash removal, high-speed internet access, private patios/ balconies, Spectrum Select Cable TV, and more. Residents enjoy the community luxuries of two lakeside pools, a heated pool, social lounge, car care center, and more. “With its cascading fountains, beautifully landscaped grounds, peaceful woods and 5 freshwater lakes, this resortstyle community provides every resident with professional management and maintenance that are trademarks of all Mahaffey planned properties.” 2nd: RainGarden Apartments 3rd: 20 on Second Apartments Best Moving Company TWO MEN AND A TRUCK 3220 Atlantic Ave, Lakeland (863) 594-1002 FB @TwoMenandaTruckPolkCounty twomenandatruck.com/movers/fl/lakeland Two Men and a Truck have been shouldering boxes, lugging couches, and taking the stress out of moving for Polk County residents since 2007. Over the years, these “Movers Who Care” completed more than 30,000 moves offering local moving, junk removal, longdistance moving, parking services, loading and unloading services, and boxes and supplies. With no minimum charges, you only pay for the actual time Two Men and a Truck professionals spend on your move! 2nd: Daryle and Sons Moving Service 3rd: Wink’s Moving Best Residential Cleaning ALL ABOUT THE GRIME CLEANING SERVICE (863) 855-0546 FB @allaboutthegrime Your vacation rental will be spotless in no time with All About The Grime Cleaning Service! This professional cleaning company doesn’t mind getting dirty so their clients’ properties can be clean. All About The Grime is licensed, bonded, and insured, serving realtors, property management companies, and vacation rentals. You might say they’re mopping the floor with the competition! 2nd: Orchid Cleaning Service 3rd: On The Spot Cleaning Solutions LLC