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Winter Haven Water Tower Gets a New Look Relations between Winter Haven and Auburndale have sprung a leak over a new design on the downtown Magnolia Watertower. The tower was covered last month while undergoing phase I of a project that will include “major maintenance including a fresh coat of paint,” according to a February 11, 2021 press release by The City of Winter Haven. In this first phase of the ongoing beautification project, the tower will be painted with a base shade called “warm sun.” For roughly two weeks during the renovations, elements around the tower, including the walking trail, were covered and closed to the public. A protective sheet was hung around the water tower so its surface could be sandblasted and painted. “This type of maintenance not only improves the appearance of the tower but also prevents corrosion and protects the life of the tower,” according to the city. The press release went on to say, “While there has been much dialogue about a special logo or graphic on the tower, it is still in the discussion stage. This initial neutral paint shade will serve as the first phase of the process. Once the partners involved reach an agreement, the base paint on the tower will prepare it for the second phase of additional painting.” Partners reached an agreement on March 15 when The City of Auburndale stepped forward with funding for the final design. “Creative rights went to the highest bidder. Auburndale just wanted it the worst, I guess,” said one confused Winter Haven city official. The Magnolia Watertower, located in downtown Winter Haven, will sport The City of Auburndale logo, a map to the city, the puzzling sentiment ‘Welcome to Auburndale,’ a mural of Auburdale’s official city animal, the screaming hairy armadillo, and a series of ‘Auburndale Fun Facts.’ We were able to obtain a preliminary list of ‘fun facts,’ which includes: “The world’s longest continuous bingo game took place in Auburndale from 1997-1998.” “The ‘I’m not sure what to do with my hands’ scene in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby was filmed at The Auburndale Speedway aka The ‘Dale.” “Auburndale has more supermodels and macaroni per capita than any other city in Polk County.” “Tom Hanks bought a vacation home in Auburndale so he and Rita can have Peebles Bar-B-Q whenever they want.” “We have a dog park.” “The city’s full name is Auburn-Dale Earnhardt Jr.” Only one of these statements can be confirmed true at the time of publication. “We’re looking to capture tourists from the area and show them what we have to offer,” said Auburndale’s Chief Tourism Advisor, Alexa Chambers. “We’ve gotten some pushback from Winter Haven, but to those detractors, I say, ‘Water you going to do about it?’” Local grassroots movements, ‘The Alliance of Bryan’s Who Think The Water Tower Should Be Painted Like a Stormtrooper Helmet’ and ‘Citizens for Less Church Bells’ are pooling their resources to fight Auburndale’s busy non-Winter-Haven design and other ‘community ails.’ The latter group aims to compromise with an area church that chimes every hour on the hour. The group would like to see a less frequent bell schedule or temporary relinquishment of the church iPod to another person or party… literally any other person or party. Designers city-wide are in an uproar about the conversation surrounding not only the ‘fun facts’ that have yet to be proven true, but more importantly, the font selection. “We want it to be super fun. We want folks driving by or walking downtown to say, ‘Wow, now that’s a water tower,’” said Chambers. The current fonts in contention are Curlz, Comic Sans, Zapfino, Papyrus, Brush Script, Helvetica, Impact, and Courier New. “We have so much copy to include, we may end up using them all. I think such an avant-garde choice would make sense coming from the trendsetting metropolis that is Auburndale.” “I feel attacked. They have to be doing this on purpose,” said one hot-headed bespeckled magazine graphic designer. Supermodels and Comic Sans aside, phase II for the Magnolia Watertower will begin next month and is expected to finish up by mid-July. An official ribbon-cutting for the mural is slated for early fall. The ribbon-cutting will be held along the walkway below the tower. It promises to be a family-friendly event where folks can pick up informational pamphlets about the great city of Auburndale, enjoy a screaming hairy armadillo petting zoo, and all-you-can-eat macaroni. According to the Auburndale Tourism Office, Tom Hanks will be in attendance. To register in advance for the macaroni-eating contest at the Magnolia Tower ribbon cutting on April 32, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com.

Get all the hecks and fricks out while you can. A new ordinance is taking place in the City of Lakeland that will ban profanity and language construed as such. The City Commission voted unanimously to pass ordinance 21-053 on March 15, 2021. The ‘Do You Kiss Your Mamma with that Mouth’ Rule, as it has been dubbed, will effectively ban all our favorite swears between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday. The community can frig and darn at their leisure between 5 pm and 8 am and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. The ordinance was first drafted thanks to Lakeland resident Kyle Tucker. During a public disagreement with his younger brother in May of 2019, the elder Tucker hurled the derogatory term ‘butthead’ with such vitriol it practically shook the coffee shop they were sitting in, according to eyewitness reports. And now we all can’t curse anymore. Thanks, Kyle. “Won’t someone please think of the children!” cried one angry woman on the scene. In a statement to the police, (whom she called) the woman commented, “I was just so scared. I thought to myself, ‘Butthead? What’s next – Mother Trucker? Malarkey? I don’t want to live in a world where people can express themselves so freely. It’s terrifying.” That woman was Karen Lipshitz. Lipschitz was so shaken by the encounter and many other ‘unacceptable’ cursing-related events she had been witness to that she founded Karens Against Kussing an activist group with the sole mission of cleaning up Lakeland’s streets and mouths. It’s safe to say that these Karens won’t be taking anymore of the community’s Lipschitz. The bad word ban is set to go into effect on April 1, 2021. A department of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office called the Swear Squad is taking up the task of catching any naughty ne’er do wells and seeing to it that they get their cursing comeuppance. Anyone caught uttering a bad word between the days and times established in the ordinance will feel the full extent of the law in their wallet with a $200 fine to be placed in the county swear jar. Foul-mouthed offenders will be obligated to carry out the latter part of their punishment at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Cussers must show up to have their mouth washed out with a bar of soap and call their grandma to apologize. If you do not have a grandma, one will be appointed to you. The parameters are strict, said a spokesperson for the PCSO. “No dangs, dingdongs, or dagnabits will be tolerated.” For expletive aficionados who let slip Category 5 Swears of the 4-letter variety, it’s hot sauce on the tongue for you, buddy. Serial offenders will be subject to the stockades at Munn Park to endure passersby giving their best ‘I’m not mad – just really disappointed in you’ expressions. An addendum added during the ordinance’s second reading called the Flanderisms Clause will ban words and phrases that an eavesdropper could even construe as an attempt at a swear. Because, as Lipschitz put it, “We all know what you really mean when you say ‘kiss my grits’ or ‘oh fudge’ so don’t you diddly do it. And there’s nothing holy about crap, so stop saying that one too!” Thanks to the latest in obscenity technology, repeat cussers will be outfitted with a ‘Bleeper.’ The Bleeper is a digitalized sensor designed to predict when a swear or semi-swear is about to exit the offender’s mouth and issue a long monotone ‘bleep’ in its place. “I got the idea while watching my all-time favorite show – Jerry Springer,” said Clyde Minnows, the Texas-based inventor of the Bleeper. “It works by attaching to the neck just over the vocal cords and, using tone and speech cadence detectors, indicates when a swear is about to spill out.” Minnows is currently working on a ‘complicated lip scrambling technology’ that could potentially blur a person’s mouth. Citizens are advised to mind their P’s and Q’s moving forward as the no-cussing ordinance is no-nonsense. Detractors of this new rule are drafting a counter ‘mandatory swearing’ rule to be heard at the next City Commission meeting. For any questions or comments regarding the no-cussing policy, or to receive a comprehensive ongoing list of punishable expletives released by the city, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com.

Royalty since birth, ‘Queen’ Michaelah Williams graces others with her positive presence and tasty lemonade. According to her mother, Shawntrese Starks, as soon as she was verbal, she would tell people, “I am not a princess. I’m a queen.” Twelve-year-old Queen is living up to her monarchical moniker by setting an example for others with big dreams like her. Her favorite subjects in school are Art and Language Arts, and when she isn’t hitting the books, you might find her riding horses, practicing archery, or managing her own business, Queen’s Lemonade Palace. Queen started her lemonade business when she was nine. “I needed money so that way I could go to California,” she said. She wanted to travel there to pursue acting and needed $5,000 to do it. Her mom helped her come up with the concept to raise money. Where some parents have rigid expectations for their children, Shawntrese said, “For me, it’s what does my child want to do? And whatever she wants to do, I’m going to do whatever it takes to introduce her to that. If she likes it and that’s what she wants to do, then I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure that continues. […] It’s a joy being able to see her doing something that she wants to do and being happy doing it.” Queen’s Lemonade Palace held its first pop-up lemonade stand at a football game. “It did really good, and then I stopped for a little while,” said Queen. “I decided that I wanted to go back to it again, and people really liked the lemonade, so I kinda sorta had to.” The business grew organically as Queen sold her original, strawberry, and tropical lemonade along with mango and pineapple tea across Central Florida. Shawntrese says she is often recognized when she’s out and about as ‘the lemonade girl’s mom.’ Shawntrese took Queen to the Essence Festival in New Orleans several years ago, and someone walking past recognized the young entrepreneur as the little girl selling lemonade in Tampa. After her ABC Action News interview aired in cities across the country, Queen heard from admirers from New York to Texas and everywhere in between. Shawntrese uses these moments to teach Queen always to provide the best service and do what’s right because you never know who is watching or who you might meet. Queen missed the deadline for her California dreams, but not one to let anything take the wind from her sails, said, “I tried. That’s all that matters.” She would still like to pursue acting and singing. An old soul with a love for music, some of her favorite artists include Bob Marley, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, and Michael Jackson. Her small lemonade operation didn’t stay small for long. Queen now receives regular orders from a growing customer base which her mom is happy to deliver. Queen has developed a brand with labeled bottles and pouches displaying her smiling face. “It took some time, but I got help from family,” she said of building her business. “Everybody helped me along the way. They gave me courage and told me not to give up.” Shawntrese and Queen are currently working through the logistics of shipping, with goals to be on store shelves one day. “Once I get to a point where I’m in stores, I’ll keep going, but I will also try to pursue my other dreams,” said Queen. This lemonade leading lady is using her platform as a young, successful female entrepreneur of color to inspire others. One social media post with photos of her riding horses, doing archery, and selling lemonade read, “I AM Black History in the making.” Queen said, “I hope that I inspire people and let people know that no matter what the condition is or what’s different about you, you can still make history no matter what, and nobody can tell you different from what you already know and what you believe.” A propellant for her hard-earned success is a contagiously positive perspective. “I get my positivity from people who inspire me like Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman and other business owners from back then and now,” she said. “People and rappers and stuff, they come from a hard time. Because of their positivity, they rose, and they were able to accomplish their dreams.” What does the mogul in the making envision for her future? “My dreams are to become a veterinarian, to own lots of animals, especially exotic ones. I want to own a farm, and I want to own my own veterinarian business so I can be my own boss, and I don’t have to work for anybody else because if I do, then – chaos. […] It will also teach me the responsibility of ordering stuff on time and making sure everything’s in place.” Queen’s love of everything equestrian started when she was a toddler. When a horse got loose in a field near her house, Queen told her mom they had to help the animal. “She was very adamant – she started crying,” said Shawntrese. “The horse walked right up to her.” They called animal control and stayed with the horse until someone could come to help. “After that, I just became infatuated with horses and other types of animals… except for rats,” she said. When Queen was five, her grandmother took her to the Fort Pierce ranch of a horse veterinarian named Mrs. Stacey, where she started training with horses. “She’s always wanted to work with animals,” said Shawntrese. “Kids change their professions all the time, so I thought by now she would change it. Nope, she wants to be a vet, and she wants to specialize in farm animals. She wants to be like Mrs. Stacey and have this big farm and have her veterinarian’s office right on the farm. She wants to house sick animals and take care of them.” Asked if she had expected her lemonade stand to grow into the force it is today, she said, “Actually, I didn’t. It’s small, so I thought that this is going to help me and I’m going to make a little bit of money, so it’s going to be like a small business like all lemonade stands that sit on the corner. After it progressed, and more people noticed me, I thought maybe there is some hope in this, and maybe I can make enough money to save for college and help with the community and help my mom pay the bills, so I can also do what I have to do to help the world.” Doing her part to help her community, Queen has donated money earned through her lemonade pop-ups to the animal shelter, homeless shelter, Lakeland PAL, and The Gentlemen’s Course, Inc., a nonprofit organization educating in Etiquette, Human Rights, and Human Trafficking Prevention Awareness. She was nominated for the Gentlemen’s Course Freedom Award last year and was honored with the Human Rights Hero Award. She discussed why The Gentlemen’s Course is especially important to her. “Because I can learn how to stay aware of my surroundings […] and to learn that I have rights too. […] It’s also to help other people learn to stay safe,” she said. Queen says that her favorite part of selling her lemonade is “Making people happy.” And she has advice for other youth with entrepreneurial dreams, “Never give up. Keep trying. If it doesn’t work out, then try a new idea but keep that same idea but put a little twist to it. Keep trying, do your best, and if it doesn’t work, it’s okay. Just don’t give up.” Awed by her daughter’s accomplishments like many who meet Queen, Shawntrese said, “The majority of the time I’m overwhelmed. Simply because I raise a normal twelve-year-old, a normal kid in a normal setting, and she is just so extraordinary. Everything around her is normal, it’s ordinary, and she brings out the best in everything and everybody she comes in contact with. That’s a blessing.” To patron Queen’s Lemonade Palace, reach out on the social media linked below or give them a call. The recipe is top secret and pure magic – we recommend the strawberry lemonade! Queen’s Lemonade Palace FB @QLP2018 IG @queens_lemonade_palace_ 863-866-0510

Hip hop music and culture are powerful. Lakeland Lofi beatmaker and producer, Derick Epps aka Deek Beats, believes so strongly in its power to heal, inspire, and educate that he is doing whatever it takes to make it accessible to the next generation. Epps is working with the Lake Wales Arts Council to bring the Today’s Future Sound music education program to Polk County. Growing up an only child to a single parent, Deek could listen to whatever he wanted. “We’re talking circa early 90s, so I’m getting exposed to the early hip hop raw and uncut at an early age. It was kind of like mine,” he said. “It was one of those things that I could record whatever I wanted off the radio or take my bike to the Tower Records that was right down the street or Waxie Maxie’s and save up my money and buy the tapes that I shouldn’t have.” Deek didn’t just listen to music – he made his own. He played the flute, cornet, trumpet, drums, xylophone, guitar, and bass before graduating to turntables. “I played everything as a kid, and that turned me to DJing because I couldn’t settle on what I wanted to play.” Born and raised in Virginia just outside of Washington D.C., Deek moved to Jacksonville in 2012 for a career change while DJing on the side. “As long as I had my turntables, I could find a job,” he said. He DJed the Jacksonville club circuit while going to school to be an educator. Music and education would continue to be a theme throughout Deek’s life. “Music even then… had always been my go-to,” he said. While DJing in Jacksonville, he was approached to perform at a bar. He was asked to DJ and if he could make it “not as ghetto.” Deek felt he was asked to DJ there because of his lighter skin tone, which may be more “palatable” to bargoers. Troubled by this and similar experiences while DJing, Deek was decidedly done playing everyone else’s music. His wife, Cathrin, encouraged him to quit his job and start making his own beats. Deek found a job that afforded him the time to learn music on his own. Working the 2 am to 10 am shift at a 24-hour pool hall, he used his ‘backpack studio,’ the mini keyboard and drum machine Cathrin had gotten him, to start making music. “I was going through the exercises of learning how to process drums, learning how to write a track, learning the software, going through all the motions for two and a half years before I released my own stuff,” he said. “That turned into teaching myself music theory, teaching myself how to play the keyboard, teaching myself scales, teaching myself drum patterns and rhythm.” The couple moved to Polk County in 2018. Deek started performing at open mic nights in Lakeland and was even approached to host them. He started a concept called ‘BAG Night’ or Beats and Game Night. “Along the way, being a performer in Lakeland, I started to feel the effects of being the new kid in town. […] Hip Hop is not openly accepted or promoted or showcased or played anywhere outside of my open mic nights. That started to bother me,” he said. #PARKCHILL He began to think of how a genuinely diverse and inclusive space would look. He wanted a free event that catered to all ages where people of every socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, and orientation would feel welcome. Deek thought, “If I’m an artist who is underrepresented and underappreciated, where are the crafters and the makers? [...] Let’s give them a platform. Let’s find other creators. Let’s try and bring the community together.” Deek organized a series of recurring community events called #ParkChill. “#ParkChill grew into what BAG Night should have been, which was my way of bringing the community together under hip hop music with different people of different ages,” he said. “I felt there was a need as being the new kid on the block and not being openly accepted. [...] Seven times trying it, and we nailed it,” he said. #ParkChill has become a popular event that not only serves to support its vendors but to be a megaphone for Deek’s mission to bring Today’s Future Sound to Polk County. TODAY’S FUTURE SOUND “Today’s Future Sound is a therapeutic beat program. It brings everybody together,” Deek said of the Oakland, California-based non-profit. “If we were to bring this program here, in ten or twenty years, the next Deek Beats won’t have to go through what I went through locally as far as the whitewashing of shows because I performed plenty of places where they didn’t include any of my pictures,” he said. Founded in 2010 by producer and beatmaker Ben Durazzo, Today’s Future Sound (TFS) is a 501c3 organization centered around the transformative power of music. According to their website, “Our beatmaking and music production program have educational, therapeutic, and social components that build confidence, inspire creativity, and help individuals create positive change.” These educational, therapeutic, creative, and social objectives are accomplished through interactive beatmaking and music production instruction in elementary, middle, and high schools, juvenile centers, mental health facilities, and veteran’s groups. Their website goes on to say, “The artistry and culture of hip hop have significant real-world applications, yet its power to engage, unify, heal, and give voice has often been overlooked, particularly in education.” The TFS program “directly addresses a lack of culturally responsive educational, therapeutic, and social interventions for people of all ages by bringing our mobile music production studio to their door.” The program is in over 100 schools in states across the U.S. and South America, and Australia and serves 5,000 youth annually. Students in the program learn everything from the physics of records, how to operate turntables and DJ controllers, to the underlying math and science of beatmaking. Today’s Future Sound works with over 80% minority and lowerincome youth, with 60-75% of their students saying that working with TSF has, “In addition to teaching new skills, significantly improved learning in school and overall quality of life.” The Lakeland music producer aims to use the program to put the art and creative catalyst that is hip hop music and culture into the hands of local youth. “Let’s get to the end game, which is getting another musical program into our schools so we’re better equipped – at least our kids are – to deal with issues that they might not know that they will be facing that hip hop has already prepared me for,” Deek said. “In a world where black and brown creators are asking everybody to start caring about issues and things that pertain to us, if I can invite you to the culture and you understand it, I’m not asking as hard. I’m not asking as loud. Those are easier conversations that can be had.” It is a hands-on, student-driven curriculum, giving students the permission and freedom to make music and explore their creativity. “Not everybody wants to play guitar or piano, but the fact that a kid can walk around and make a beat on something the size of this,” he said, pulling out a pocketsized sampler. “That’s the power of hip hop.” Having stepped away from DJing to produce his music, Deek knows the power of beatmaking regarding mental health. “Where I’m able to be frustrated and sit down for 20 minutes whereas a writer would write, and a painter would paint, I can make a beat and get it all out and share that art with the world.” Bringing Today’s Future Sound to Polk County would be instrumental for the personal enrichment of its students and the community as a whole. Deek wants to invite the community to a culture that is often enjoyed but not understood. LAKE WALES TAKES LEAD Deek Beats first tried to start the program in Lakeland but gained no traction. “Almost all the commissioners knew who I was. I had been trying to get this working in Lakeland,” he said. He remembers thinking, “Will anyone listen to me right now?” He did his best to get information about the program into the right hands, attending networking events and the like. “It seemed like it was in one ear, out the other.” Serendipity intervened and Deek was connected with Lake Wales Arts Council executive director, Andrew Allen, through Amy Sexson, editor and partner of Haven Magazine. Allen happens to have a history with hip hop music in education. “That’s all I wanted somebody to do was listen,” said Deek. “This is just an idea. Can it work? Can we run with it? [...] I fell more in love with the idea when [Andrew Allen] was like, ‘Not only will it work, we’re going to make it work, and we’re going to do it one better.’” In college, Allen worked on a thesis about implementing modern music education into failed traditional fine arts music curriculum in K-12 schools. “Classical music and jazz music is not one size fits all. Music of pop culture is what’s really motivating youth to learn about music just the way that jazz did in the 20s and the 30s and 40s,” he said. “A really good art form, in my opinion, is one that is easy to understand and difficult to master, and that’s what hip hop is. When you listen to hip hop, it evokes a feeling – you might love it, you might hate it – but at least it’s evoking emotion, and that’s what’s important about it.” During their first conversation about bringing Today’s Future Sound to Polk, the two talked for over an hour about jazz piano and hip hop. Allen was confident in the program’s potential to work here. “A good leader empowers the impassioned and stays out of the way,” said Allen. And that’s what he intends to do with Deek and Today’s Future Sound. HIP HOP EDUCATION IN POLK Deek Beats and the Lake Wales Arts Council hope to reach students from an often overlooked, impoverished segment of the community. “Not every child wants to learn in the orchestra, not every child wants to learn about jazz, not every family of four or five or six can afford to come out to a $30 concert. We know that the need is there,” said Allen. One of their main goals is to make the program accessible to everyone regardless of socioeconomic status. The Lake Wales Arts Council maintains relationships with area public, private, and charter schools. The Today’s Future Sound program will be hosted by the Lake Wales Arts Council and deployed into those area schools that opt into it. It would start as an after-school program, with TFS-trained instructors in which students would work with analog drum machines and digital programs like Ableton Live and Maschine. They would learn lessons like the math behind production, simple scales, and sampling off vinyl records. Vinyl records will be their version of books, said Deek. He notes that this will complement what kids are already learning in their core classes at school. “It’s quite symbiotic. The research out there proves that music of any kind, if taught well, will help these kids succeed in the classroom,” said Allen. The program at the Arts Council would be a larger model of what goes into the schools and available to adults as well. The Arts Council currently partners with AdventHealth, the Lake Wales Care Center, Circle of Friends, and the Family Literacy Academy of Lake Wales. They want hip hop education to be an option for the adults served by those programs and anyone else interested in learning more about hip hop culture and music. Allen and Deek have discussed having an open studio time at the Arts Center to serve as a creative incubator. The program would take form there year-round. Beyond the framework that TFS provides, Deek has a vision for courses in creative writing, dance, history, and the like – all centered around hip hop culture. “My mind started going as far as cultural film, hip hop talking classes, presentations, lyrical breakdowns of songs so we can break it down as poetry. We can talk about why this song meant so much in this era so we can hit it from all different angles because it’s so powerful.” Deek discussed showing prominent hip hop movies and explaining the historical significance behind them. He is working with his podcast co-host and Florida Southern associate professor of philosophy, H.A. Nethery, on curriculum ideas. “This is the vehicle to reach kids of a new generation. That is what’s important because we can help them get through whatever stresses that they’re going through and identify with the music they hear on the radio and that they hear in commercials and movies all the time. I think that’s what’s powerful,” said Allen. The executive director believes this could lead to an appreciation of other fine arts like jazz and classical music as the students work with them within the context of hip hop. “They’re going to be exposed to all genres of music through this program, and I think that we’re going to help foster a whole other generation of classical and jazz enthusiasts.” “It’s going to be fun to see the creativity that sparks from the kids and the adults,” said Deek. “It’s got to be hands-on, it’s got to be loud, it’s got to be visual because that’s the way hip hop is. So, that’s the only way it’s going to work. Whatever you think a hip hop classroom looks like when you close your eyes – that’s exactly what it’s going to look like.” MAKING IT HAPPEN To fully realize the program, from training and equipment to educator fees, building overhead, and additional classroom materials to bring into the schools and community outreach programs, Deek and Allen would like to raise $75,000. “The technology is so important. The kids need to get their hands on beat machines, and we need to get computers and all the things that are necessary to create hip hop music we’d like to have at the Arts Center,” said Allen. According to Allen, the program could take flight with around $20K-$30K in initial funding, but $75K would secure its ongoing advancement. “This is not a one and done. This is not a publicity stunt. It’s not something that we want to do because it’s trendy at the moment. This is something that we want to do for a long time,” he said. Eventually, the program could expand to cities around the county and beyond. “Having the Arts Council be the home base for this program is what we envision, and then we want to have satellite programs around the county that are offering these experiences to kids that are at risk as well as some of the adults,” said Allen. In addition to Deek Beats’ #ParkChill events, he says BAG nights are coming back along with Beats and Brunch to raise money to bring TFS to Polk. He received the first sizable donation at the April 3 #ParkChill of $2,500 from The Poor Porker. The primary fundraiser for the program will take place at the Lake Wales Arts Center on June 19. A People of Color Emerging Artists exhibit will open that day along with a live mural painting by those artists on a tapestry that will eventually be moved inside the gallery. The executive director described the Juneteenth event as a major block party at the Arts Center highlighting Black artists and Blackowned businesses in the area. Asked if they plan to continue the event in the future, Allen said, “I would love to do this on a regular basis. I don’t want to pigeonhole people of color into one month or one event. I don’t want to run the Arts Council where we’re only featuring people of color in February and June 19. […] I want to make sure that we celebrate this culture year-round.” Not only will the TFS program cater to an often overlooked and underserved portion of the local population, but it will also have positive economic impacts. “It will create jobs, it will create volunteer opportunities, it will create community outreach opportunities for those volunteers. We’re going to buy local. We’re going to do as much as we possibly can locally. Economically, it makes sense,” Allen said. “Community-wide, we’re going to reach kids that we don’t currently reach, which is a big plus for us. We want to provide these kinds of opportunities that keep children out of trouble, and we want to bring these opportunities to them.” To stay up to date on Deek Beats and the Lake Wales Arts Council’s efforts to bring Today’s Future Sound to Polk County, sign up for the LWAC newsletter on their website listed below. To bring positive change to the community, you can donate on the website by selecting the ‘Donate’ tab and specifying ‘Today’s Future Sound’ or ‘TFS’ in the donation description. “It makes sense for the program to be at Lake Wales [Arts Council] for the 50th anniversary to not only celebrate the work that they have done but also to showcase to the county and the state that this is how serious we are about change. […] It will be groundbreaking,” said Deek. Deek Beats: IG @lkldlofi, @deekbeats, @chilltapes FB @Deek Beats todaysfuturesound.org Lakewalesartscouncil.org IG @lakewalesartscouncil FB @Lake Wales Arts Council Photography by Amy Sexson

Lakeland’s newest recreational respite, Bonnet Springs Park, is slated to open in 2022. Only a 10-minute walk from Munn Park, Bonnet Springs promises to be a mix of urban and natural, focusing on recreation, education, and reclamation. The park sits on 168 acres of the former Lakeland Railyard – one of the most significant in the state. The park will pay homage to the land’s railyard and citrus history while rehabilitating its ecology. “Local real estate developer David Bunch had an idea that great cities have great parks. Lakeland is a great city, and it deserves something great,” explained Bonnet Springs Park CEO Josh Henderson. The land was acquired through the collaboration of Bunch, retired Lakeland Parks and Recreation Director Bill Tinsley, and Carol and Barney Barnett. Master planning and design for the park began in 2016. The railyard opened on 83 acres in 1884. In the 1930s, “Lakeland Railyard employed 600 people and was the largest rail yard and repair facility in Florida and operated until the early 1980s. The heavy industrial use altered the land and continues to negatively impact the potential development for West Lakeland,” according to Bonnet Spring Park. Lakeland’s railyards were pivotal for the city’s growth, providing direct routes for Florida’s phosphate and agricultural industries. The land fell into disrepair for nearly 40 years, ecologically marred by its time as an industrial hub. In 2001 the property was designated a brownfield site, which is “a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant,” according to the EPA. “That’s a project larger than many people would want to take on,” said Henderson. “Between Carol and Barney, David, and Bill, they all believed in this property and saw its potential and committed themselves to getting it cleaned up.” Bonnet Springs Park partnered with world-renowned architectural and park planning group Sasaki, to recover and develop the land. Contamination remediation site work began in early 2019. “Each era from the railroad’s history had contributed a unique environmental footprint,” according to their website. Development on the park is well underway as it takes shape to be Lakeland’s version of New York City’s Central Park. “This is not a Lakeland park. This is a regional park,” said Bill Tinsley. Its features include various walking and biking trails, opportunities for water recreation, including paddleboat and kayak rentals, indoor and outdoor event space, a cafe, playgrounds, botanical gardens, greenhouse, boardwalks, a 500-square foot treehouse, a nature center, and much more to be explored. “Every day is a milestone,” said Tinsley of the park’s progress. One of the central features of Bonnet Springs Park is the 2.5-mile-long, 20 feet-wide walking and biking circulator. It connects each of the six distinct areas, including the Welcome Center, Exploration V Children’s Museum, Amphitheater, and Event Great Lawn, Event Center, Nature Playground, and Nature Center. The circulator encompasses a roughly six-acre linear garden paying tribute to the former railyard that was the “economic engine for Central Florida,” according to Tinsley. Agamerica Heritage Gardens will be a love letter to the land’s citrus and railyard roots with a linear ‘railcar’ design populated with citrus fruit trees, pollinator gardens, and flowering trees. Also honoring the area’s industrial history will be the Watson Clinic Gallery in the Welcome Center. “It’s going to tell the history of Lakeland, and it’s going to tell the history of the land. There will be an homage to Publix in there since they’re such a huge part of Lakeland and one of the reasons we’re able to build this amazing park,” said Henderson. Gallery content will be rotating to provide a revolving door of local history for guests to enjoy each time they visit. Besides educating park-goers on the history of the land, Bonnet Springs Park will be home to Explorations V Children’s Museum and boasts a nature center with a classroom for 50 people and an outdoor classroom. “As you try to bridge the gap in the community and create a space where everybody’s welcome, and you’re doing it for kids and families – education is a huge part of that,” said Henderson. “Education is a critical theme for us. We want to support education in the green industry here in particular,” said Tinsley. At the greenhouse, children will be able to work with master gardeners to plant and propagate seeds. When the plants are old enough, they will be planted in the edible gardens to mature. A chef will come to the outdoor kitchen and teach kids how to harvest and cook the food. Kids will be able to learn on the Nature Playground as well. The playground will be comprised of natural elements like wood, rock, water, and sand. The approximately two-acre all-natural playground includes different areas for age-appropriate play for children of all abilities. “We focused on nature play and integrated that into the landscape and having a seamless transition between our floral gardens and our playgrounds and the different elements of the park,” said Henderson. “We think kids learn through play better than any other way,” said Tinsley. “We’ve got an opportunity to teach kids so much about their environment.” The six-and-a-half-acre Blanton Family Lagoon was dug to enhance the environment for recreation, according to Tinsley. A 2000-foot boardwalk will follow the lagoon into the wetlands, circling back. The Crenshaw Canopy Boardwalk will serve as an elevated canopy whisking park-goers to an avian level through the trees. Near the lagoon will be the Givewell Community Foundation Nature Center with classroom seating for 50 people and an exhibit hall with a terrarium and aquarium reflecting the local environment. “We’ll have a very active field trip program not only at the children’s museum but also through Bonnet Springs Park,” said Heide Waldron, Director of Development for the park. According to the former director of Parks and Rec, much of the park’s design came from public meetings. One of the biggest community requests was an event space for a larger number of people. The park will offer many gathering spaces, but the main area for events will be the 13,000 square foot Event Center. The Event Center has room for up to 400 people and can be subdivided for smaller events. It includes the George W. Jenkins Outdoor Kitchen and Maya and Wesley Beck Patio, and a wedding terrace overlooking botanical gardens. The name Bonnet Springs Park comes from a challenge of the property, according to Tinsley. “From offsite, we drained 300 acres to this area, and it created a gorge that got low enough that now we have this beautiful cold, clear water running yearround. [...] We’ve diverted that water, and we’re treating it in these gardens.” “From a sustainability standpoint, the park intends to draw 100 percent of their irrigation from the lagoon that we dug that’s now receiving that water after it’s cleaned up,” said Tinsley. According to the park, “Less than half of Bonnet Springs Park will require irrigation to sustain the thousands of new plants and landscape zones. This is approximately 3,112,000 square feet of landscape with individual planting zones that will require varying amounts of water targeted to establish and maintain everything from the Great Lawn to the Harrell Family Botanical Gardens.” “The wildlife is coming back abundantly here,” said Tinsley. “As we’re cleaning the water, it’s making a whole new environment. […] We’re changing the ecosystem back and recovering it,” he said. “Not only has this site been abandoned for that long, but it was used for industrial purposes in the 30s and 40s, which left its mark on the land.” According to Henderson, in addition to using water from the spring to irrigate the park, they are also capturing runoff water from Kathleen Road and collecting all the trash in an underground sump, stopping it before it’s able to make its way into the lagoon and onto Lake Bonnet. “It becomes a very sustainable operation. So not only are we growing new flora and fauna, we’re using what would have been waste trash water to grow that and cleaning the environment at the same time. Everything that we’re doing we want to be environmentally sustainable. We want to care for the property and be good stewards of the land,” said Henderson. “I’ve been fortunate enough to open another one of these urban parks, and I’ve seen the impact that it can have on a city,” said Henderson. “The pride that people take, the economic opportunities, and the opportunity to create a space where everyone can come together is a great thing.” Anyone interested in becoming involved with Bonnet Springs Park can become a Friend of BSP or participate in the brick or bench programs. Bonnetspringspark.com FB @BonnetSpringsPark IG @bonnetspringspark 1025 George Jenkins Blvd Lakeland, FL 33815

This morning my beautiful little blue-eyed angel (aka JackJack Doppelgänger) elected to start his engine at 5 am. He was wide awake and spinning around in his crib like a whirlybird. On that note, Nando said, “I’ll go make coffee.” I said, “Well… I’ll start the list, and then let’s have our 5-minute morning meeting.” I began adding to yesterday’s list of tasks to complete. It included items like; write my May Haven article, update my fashion styling website, fly to the moon and back, turn myself from the pumpkin that I felt like into Cinderella, go to the screen printer in Lakeland, clean the entire house, rollerblade around Lake Howard, (while pushing Nandito in the stroller) and pack for the beach. I thought – this seems reasonable. We’re getting an early start. I’m going to actually get everything done today. Nando strolled back in with my coffee and proceeded to say, “I have to run over to fix something at one of the rentals. I am leaving now. You and the little jumping bean have a nice day. Get as much done as you can. Finish packing so we can hit the road!” We planned to vacation at Fort DeSoto this weekend with our Airstream. Dada left. I found Nandito and myself staring back and forth at each other. I was so excited to get the day going. Then, suddenly, all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. I had such high expectations with my “Tah-Do” list that I had already made myself tired before even one item was “TahDone.” The good news was, I had made a list, so I would not forget where to start once I rested. I never thought it would happen to me, but I have “caught” a mild case of the so-called “Mom Brain.” I literally forget what I am doing or meaning to do in the middle of doing it. My grandma, who successfully raised six children, and Nando’s mom who raised three, had no time for things like, “Mom Brain.” But in today’s society, labels are embraced and #mombrain is used and excused often. I’m gazing back at baby, thinking if only you were old enough to go and get me a second cup of coffee or make pancakes or a green smoothie. Then I could just stay in bed working on my laptop and fall back to sleep, grabbing those additional 30 more minutes of beauty rest. Sounds dreamy. Right? It is dreamy – it is what they call Mother’s Day; The one day out of the year where mom stays in bed and the children bring her breakfast and say, “Mom… today is your day, don’t lift a finger. Let us do everything for you.” The kid brings a handmade card, freshly picked flowers, and all the chores are done. Darn it… Nandito Bonito can’t even talk or walk yet. So, back to reality. It is now 6:30 am, our morning prayers are complete and Hop on Pop was read twice. He’s playing. I’ve checked the email. So instead of napping, I will treat myself to 5 minutes of seeing what the rest of Polk County is up to on Instagram. I see posts of a couple other moms that have already been to the gym, had their lashes filled, put on full glam and are heading to Target and Starbucks to shoot their OOTD (outfit of the day). I have no idea where their children are or how they got the sun to come up earlier in Lakeland than Winter Haven? Whatever is in that coffee… I need one. It instantly depresses me, makes me feel like a failure as I am barely out of bed. How do they change diapers with nails like that or how do their blond hand tied hair extensions never get pulled out? My child pulls my hair any time it is not in a ponytail! That’s when I get my head out of my phone… revert to my list of goals and decide to cross something off of it because that will give me confidence. Now…. If I can only find the pen or even a crayon to write with. I throw in a load of laundry and then grab the computer to order some wholesale t-shirts and follow up with a resume request about a film job. This summer I had planned to come out of maternity leave. Do we ever actually come out of maternity leave? I think we might leave the house to work, go places and do things. However, once you’ve been blessed with a child in any way… maternity is here forever. The only thing that leaves is your former lifestyle of “being without child” – which is forgettable. The grass is greener over here (maybe just not mowed). I’ve realized this now that I have crossed over to motherhood. They also say two kids are easier than one. Yes, I am a stepmom of 15 years to five beautiful (now adult) children that actually did make me heart shaped pancakes for breakfast in bed and cards on Mother’s Day. Now with little Nando this is a whole other layer to my mothering. On this note… I have to stop typing right now… I’ve just realized what he is telling me through his alligator tears and lack of sign language… It is time for his breakfast. Food, clothing, shelter, guidance and nurturing are not specifically on today’s list, but they are the most important items of the day. Everything else will fall into place. I am so blessed to be able to be a mom and have a human that loves me unconditionally and depends on me. This beats going to the moon and back and trumps a perfectly clean house. This is what life is all about. It is what moms are made for, not just posting on stories. Today, at the end of the day, I folded a load of laundry, did some Winter Haven Apparel design work, took Nandito in the stroller to watch his dad ride the horses, did Billy Blanks 8 Minute Tae Bo, unexpectedly baby sat my nieces and the four of us took a swim. I crossed two things off of the list, still trying to finish this article and we pushed camping to Monday. It was the perfect day to be a mom. Xo Sally DC P.S. Special thanks to all the moms out there, including my own, that support each other and have paved the way. Keep On Going! P.P.S. Thank you to my husband for delivering me morning coffee in bed 365 days a year… P.P.P.S. Thanks Amy for taking my story even though it was submitted a day late… Follow us on Insta: winterhavenapparel or sallyandnando (I spend approximately 5 minutes a day or less on it.)

Pride Month is a time to celebrate our LGBT+ friends, family, and neighbors, and love in all its forms. Founder of Polk Pride, Scott Guira, held the first Polk Pride event in 2015. The annual celebration of community diversity and love has grown year over year. In 2020, like many gatherings, Polk Pride was canceled. This year, the festivities will move from June to October. Lakeland resident Scott Guira started working with the Lakeland Youth Alliance (LYA) in 2011. This organization serves LGBT+ youth ages 13 to 20. “The organization sets up a safe space environment where LGBT+ kids can come and meet other kids like themselves, build relationships with mentors, and it also gives them an opportunity to ask questions that maybe they don’t have anywhere to ask those questions in a safe environment. They’re able to come and be themselves,” said Guira. Though the mission of LYA was to create that safe space for LGBT+ young people, Guira said, “I never really felt like we were providing a safe community.” They could come to LYA and be themselves, but outside of that? “A lot of them didn’t feel like they were able to be themselves and live in the community that we’re in,” he said. Pride was an effort to create a community in Polk County that not only LGBT+ youth but LGBT+ of all ages could feel welcome. Guira is assisted in his efforts by the Polk Pride Board, including Kerri McCoy, Kristine Lally, Patrick Patterson, Dustin Shay, Nick Sotolongo, Gina Bullock, Megan Hawkes, Ed Torres, and Austin Briggs. Guira believes Pride sets Polk County in line with some of the larger communities that surround us. He says that being open and welcoming changes the perception of what people think of when they think of a smaller city like Lakeland. “I know this community has grown. I know that it is an outstanding place to live, to work, to play. I grew up here, and I’ve seen the community change. I want to make sure that the next generation of young people coming up and people moving to the area see that this is a place for them, this is a place for everybody,” said Guira. “There is value to these organizations [Polk Pride, LYA, and PFLAG] because we offer support to young people. We offer support to parents and family members, and friends who are having trouble accepting or understanding the situation that their family member might be going through with the coming out process. What makes Pride so important is it shows the diversity out in the center of town. We do this in Munn Park so that everybody, whatever their background, can come and be part of Polk Pride. You don’t have to be any of the letters in the acronym. You can be any member of the community that wants to be part of celebrating everybody and their differences and their similarities.” A CHALLENGING YEAR When Kerri McCoy’s eldest son came out in high school, she began advocating that he and other members of the LGBT+ community be treated equally to everyone else. Three years after joining the PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) of Polk County, she became the chapter’s president. “I feel like everyone should be treated equally. Having a gay son and knowing that the laws don’t treat him like everybody else because he doesn’t fit in that box, that’s what keeps me going,” she said. “I absolutely love the youth. I know they struggle, and I don’t want them to. I want them to know that there are people out there that are just like them, and there are people out there that they can talk to. There are people who have struggled before them. I feel like that’s so important that they know they are not alone, [...] that there is somebody always willing to stand beside and stand up for them, and I just happen to be one of those people.” McCoy expressed that the last year has been challenging for the LGBT+ community. “I think for a while there, some people may have felt very alone,” she said. She received quite a few phone calls from folks eager to know when they could finally meet again for their usual activities and meetings. PFLAG began socially distant outdoor meetings around six months ago and began meeting indoors with masks in the last two months. LYA has yet to resume meeting in person, according to McCoy. Their first gathering will be an outdoor downtown scavenger hunt scheduled for August. “They are ready to get back together. I think the kids really need this group,” she said. To stay connected and maintain a sense of togetherness, they did hold remote meetings online. “I think they like meeting in-person better,” McCoy said. “I think it’s easier for some of them to come out of their shells and be themselves rather than on a computer screen.” Last year would have marked the sixth Polk Pride. Since its inception in 2015, the series of events that make up Polk Pride has expanded annually. Guira said to put a pause on such a meaningful gathering was disappointing. “But we also knew it was the right thing to do for our community and for everybody that was involved. It was a challenging year, but we’re excited to move forward,” he said. Typically Pride is held in June in honor of Pride Month. This year, the series of events, including Pride for Youth, Pride in Faith, Pride in the Park, and Pride After Dark, have been moved to late September and early October. Though the events are moving to the Fall this year, proclamations are still being sought for June. The LGBT+ community has received two proclamations recognizing June as Pride Month with more on the way from cities around the county. The first proclamation this year was from Haines City on May 20 and the second from The City of Lakeland scheduled for June 7. TOGETHER WE RISE “With the uncertainty of COVID-19 and the concerns that everybody has, we wanted to allow enough time to put the world in a better situation where we can start having these large gatherings,” said Guira. “It looks like with increased vaccination and things getting a little more back to normal – hopefully, in October, we will be in a much better position than we are in June.” In addition to their caution surrounding the pandemic, the Polk Pride board chose October as it is National Coming Out Month, according to McCoy. National Coming Out Day is celebrated on October 11. “Our goal this year is to bring people back together. To rise up from a difficult year that we’ve all experienced worldwide and to bring people together from all different backgrounds to celebrate Pride and to celebrate one another and the differences that we all have,” said Guira. Kicking off the festivities is Pride for Youth on September 29 at 6:30 pm. The location is to be determined. McCoy described this Lakeland Youth Alliance Pride party as an occasion for youth ages 13 to 20 to gather and celebrate Pride while participating in fun activities. The next evening, September 30 at 7 pm, will be Pride in Faith – an interfaith celebration of Pride at Beacon Hill Fellowship Church in Lakeland. “Several churches participate from around the Polk County area, and they are all open and affirming churches who welcome the LGBT.” During the service, McCoy said, “We get together and let people know who might be struggling that they don’t belong in a church – that they actually do – and there is a place for them in one of the churches that come and celebrate Pride in Faith.” Pride in the Park is Polk Pride’s largest event, drawing several thousand annually to Munn Park in downtown Lakeland. This year, Pride in the Park will be on Saturday, October 2, from 10 am to 3 pm. The event is family-friendly, appropriate for all ages, and open to the public. That Saturday, Munn Park will be packed with vendors, food offerings, live entertainment, and folks of all ages and backgrounds. Headlining Pride in the Park this year is Ginger Minj of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame. Pride After Dark will conclude Polk Pride 2021 that evening at The Parrot at 9 pm. “It is basically a big party to end our whole Pride celebration,” said McCoy of the 21 and up, indoor/outdoor gathering. “I’m looking forward to hugs. I think we’re all looking forward to hugs,” said Guira of the upcoming Pride celebration. “I think everybody has lacked that physical connection with other people. Celebrating Pride, if you’ve ever been to a Pride before, there is just love everywhere. Everyone is hugging and friendly and taking care of one another and happy to see one another and engaged. This is an opportunity to bring our Polk County LGBT+ family back together, and I foresee there being lots and lots of hugs.” The first year throwing Pride was perhaps most impactful on Guira. He remembers stepping on stage and looking out at a sea of tents and people. “This started as such a small idea to show young people that this is a community that welcomes them. To see thousands of people show up as evidence of that was absolutely the most memorable moment I’ve ever had. And it hits me every single year,” he said. BE AN ALLY McCoy encourages anyone looking to make a positive difference for others or themselves to get involved. She and her husband have met many people they now consider family working with PFLAG, LYA, and Polk Pride. “At the end of the day, making a difference feels so good,” she said. To support Polk Pride, PFLAG, or the Lakeland Youth Alliance, folks can become a sponsor, volunteer, donate, or join their initiatives. Guira noted they are always looking for volunteers to work with youth, at Pride events, and in other ways. Those interested in volunteering or joining their boards can contact the organizations on their website or through social media. “Outside of specifically helping the organizations, it’s being an ally,” said Guira. “It’s speaking up when somebody says something that’s not right. It’s reaching out to somebody in need. It’s taking care of one another. That’s probably the most important way everybody in the community can get involved.” Polk Pride polkpridefl.com FB @PolkPrideFL IG @polkpridefl Lakeland Youth Alliance lakelandyouthalliance.org FB @LakelandYouthAlliance PFLAG of Polk County pflagofpolkcounty.org FB @PFLAGofPolkCounty

Apart from the work they put into performing, drag queens have historically been champions of change for the LGBTQ+ community. Queens like Marsha P. Johnson, the transgender drag queen who was one of the first to resist police during the 1969 Stonewall riots, which are widely regarded as an impetus for the gay rights movement. Yes, drag queens can be campy and quippy and read you to filth while wearing 6-inch heels, but they are also powerful and positive role models for selfexpression and confidence – queens like Trishelle Michaels. Terrance Reeves is a Florida native, born and raised in Central Florida. He moved to the Winter Haven area in 2009, where he lives with his husband of ten years. Reeves, a bowler for 35 years, works in the bowling industry at Kegel LLC in Lake Wales, manufacturing lane machines that clean the lanes. He’s been with them for 16 years. Reeves has been a highly competitive bowler for quite some time and was even on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour in the exempt field from 2008 to 2009. He was among the top 64 bowlers in the PBA at that time. His family built a bowling center in Brandon in the early 80s. Reeves described bowling as a serious side of himself and feels fortunate to work in the industry. “I enjoy going to work every day. Not a lot of people can say that, and I’m just really blessed and fortunate,” he said. Another meaningful part of Reeves’s life and work in its own right is his drag queen persona, Trishelle Michaels. When Reeves came out in his early twenties, he wandered into the world of drag. “I never said ‘This is what I want to do,’” said Reeves. Through friends at what was then Club Chambers, and The Male Room in Tampa, Reeves got to work alongside drag queens who were great at what they did. He found a niche, and the rest is history. Reeves began performing as Trishelle Michaels with the help of her drag mother, First Lady of Ybor, Joey Brooks. “She was a big influence. She gave me an opportunity to let me hone in on my skills, gave me tips, and made me better. Without her direction when I first started, we might not be having this conversation,” said Reeves. Reeves is thankful for the queens that paved the way and gave him opportunities throughout his drag career, noting that they “set the pathway for us to be where we are now.” Along with Joey Brooks, Reeves named Crystle Chambers and Kathryn Nevets as inspirations who have helped him with opportunities and guidance. “You can’t do it alone,” he said. “You’ve got to listen to people sometimes to make yourself better.” BEHIND THE GLAMOUR “Trishelle Michaels was born through MTV and audience decision,” said Reeves. After hearing the name Trishelle on MTV’s The Real World, he loved how unique it sounded. ‘Michaels’ was voted on by an audience at a bar when Reeves first began performing. He gave them options, the audience voted, and it stuck. “Trishelle is a role model. Trishelle is a promoter. Trishelle is someone that you could come and talk to, that you could message if there are any questions regarding gay life, regarding life in general, […] I think it’s important to make myself available to those people,” Reeves said. And there have been people who have reached out to Trishelle for advice. “Within the past ten years since I’ve been here in Polk County, I’ve really made an effort to be someone that can be looked up to without people feeling that they can’t talk to me.” As for Trishelle’s style, Reeves said, “In drag, there are different genres. Just as there are in music, you have different styles of drag. [...] I’m definitely a businesswoman when it comes to my drag. I’m not the high glitz and glam. I’m very straightforward with who I am and what I do with it.” With years spent in the world of competitive bowling, Reeves wasn’t interested in competing when it came to drag. “I try to be myself,” he said. Just as there are many genres in the community, so too are there many people and personalities. Drag queens are not a monolith, expressed Reeves. One misconception about the drag community, he said, is that they are all the same. “People might think that I’m flamboyant and all that, but they have to know, for me, that’s just a side of who I am. I’m super chill,” he said. Reeves is also very into sports. “This is where me and the other queens are completely different. They want to go to the movies, and they want to go out to the theme parks, and that is totally not me.” Lip syncing, killer costumes, and comedy are all part of what makes Trishelle Michaels dynamite on stage. “When I’m on the mic, I try to make people laugh. I think that’s one of my attributes and what draws people into me is my personality,” said Reeves. “I’ll be the first one to laugh at myself. I’ll make fun of myself because, at the end of the day of those shows, I’m a man in a dress. I am fortunate enough to be comfortable with myself.” Preparing for a show is no small feat either. It can take upwards of two or three hours to get ready. Few outside of the drag community know the actual work that goes into getting glammed and ready for a stint in the spotlight. “We’ve got to shave, and we’ve got to put the makeup on, we’ve got to put the outfits together and pack the bags. If we go into a show and we’re asked to do two, three, four songs, that’s an outfit change every time,” said Reeves. Four outfit changes means four wigs, four pairs of shoes, and jewelry for each getup – it’s a lot. “When we’re changing, we have just a couple of minutes per song to change from one to another. There’s so much work behind the scenes that people don’t see,” he said. “I think it’s important for those younger queens to know that it’s not just putting on makeup. It’s not just putting on a new wig. It’s polishing up what you do and making it better next time.” Drag goes beyond a larger-than-life personality and top-tier performance chops; it requires a nose to the grindstone work ethic. “Some people are scared to work, and that’s why you see some people fade out in this business,” Reeves said. “If they don’t have a good work ethic, they’re probably not going to make it.” “We’re presenting something we’re not, but we’re also presenting something that is fun and eclectic and entertaining,” he said. “It’s self-gratifying to get in heels and be like, ‘Okay, it’s time to go to work.’ If I didn’t enjoy it and I didn’t love it, trust me, I wouldn’t do it because there is a lot of work that goes into getting ready.” IN THE SPOTLIGHT A conversation with Reeves and a look through any of Trishelle Michaels’s social media posts reflect an air of gratitude and encouragement. She is an uplifter of others. “That’s one thing I try to project and to bring, whether it’s a smile or a thought to somebody’s day. My drag, I don’t specifically do it for me. I do it for others even though I do enjoy doing it.” Reeves says his positive attitude is a reflection of how he was raised. “My family, they weren’t so accepting of the gay side. It was just recently in the past couple of years that my mom and stepdad came to a show,” he said. “They’re very accepting of it now and understand that it’s a sort of work for me, and they see the positive side of it.” “They definitely raised me right. It was just something new for them. I think that sometimes the straight people that go to these shows – it’s something new for them,” he said. And in many of the areas around Polk County that Trishelle performs shows, the crowd mainly consists of straight people. “If I can bring them to a comfort level to join in on a show, that is probably the biggest highlight for me. [...] I want them to laugh and enjoy entertainment. And that’s really what drag is – entertainment.” Trishelle hopes the audience gets to take a break from their lives during her time on stage. Though Trishelle Michaels is an expression of Terrance Reeves, it’s also a break from the day-today minutia. “It’s a break from the regular routine of life. You can just be yourself,” he said. When she’s working, Trishelle finds that she is very focused on producing a show that people enjoy, talk about, and ultimately want to return to. “At the end of the night, when you have a successful show, there’s no other feeling than accomplishment,” Reeves said. ADVICE FOR FUTURE QUEENS Trishelle Michaels has sage advice, not just for drag queens. She strives to be inclusive of everyone. “Gay comes in all different shapes and forms – it’s not just me. […] We’re all different. We all have opportunities to be ourselves. There are a lot of drag kings that don’t get the attention that we get. I think it’s important that we all share the spotlight. [...] That is definitely one of my areas where I try to do great work, to share my spotlight and my opportunities with others in the community, especially on the entertainment side.” According to Reeves, the Polk County drag community is small but mighty, with around fifteen queens heavily involved in performing locally. “Opportunities sometimes aren’t as much because we’re in Polk County, and it is so easy and accessible to get to Orlando or Tampa, but that’s not what I want to do. […] I focus my energy locally. I have no big desire to go to those other markets.” Places like The Parrot, Balmoral, Frescos, and Gary’s Grove host regular or quarterly drag shows. Michaels hosted Polk Pride in 2019 and has been a regular performer at The Parrot in Lakeland since moving here in 2009. Another go-to spot is The American Legion in Winter Haven. Next year will be her fourth annual show there. She also helps their members get dressed up to raise money for their charity efforts. Asked if he had any advice for someone reading this who may want to try drag or is just starting, Reeves answered, “Do it. You’re not learning or creating anything if you’re not making any mistakes.” Like everything else in life, the more one does an activity, the better one becomes at it. “Just do it, give it a shot. What do you have to lose?” “Just because you do something one time doesn’t mean that it’s going to be the same next time. Maybe some of the brushstrokes aren’t the same. Maybe some of the colors aren’t the same. You’re creating something every time you put yourself together. I think that’s the fun of it.” Follow Trishelle Michaels on Facebook and Instagram to see where she’ll be performing next. She is at The Parrot two times a month and Gary’s Grove and Balmoral quarterly. To book Michaels, for more information, or with any questions, reach out to her through social media. FB: Trishelle Michaels IG @trishellemichaels Photography by Danielle Cecil

Whether you’ve tried his food or drooled over it on Instagram, if you live in Polk County, you’ve heard the name Blue Dog Craft Barbecue. The man behind the meat, Max Miller was born in Michigan but grew up in Polk County. He worked in retail management for about ten years before setting off to make the best damn barbecue around. “Barbecue came out of left field. It came out of the blue,” Miller said. Max has watched food shows on television for as long as he can remember and followed culinary content online. He came across “barbecue god” Aaron Franklin, owner of Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, and leader in Central Texas barbecue. Like kindling to a grill flame, it sparked something in Miller – he had to cook barbecue. “I remember I instantly called my dad and was like, ‘Let’s cook barbecue.’” His dad, Leroy Miller, was in. With no previous restaurant experience or culinary background, Miller watched videos online and scoured Instagram for inspiration and guidance. “It consumed every bit of my time before we even cooked,” he said. First thing was first – Miller couldn’t make barbecue without a smoker to cook it on. He commissioned his cousin Patrick Miller, owner of All Pro Mechanical and Fabrication for the task. “He and I pieced it together in his garage,” Miller said. It is an offset style smoker with a 500-gallon propane tank, a popular style on the Texas barbecue scene, said Miller. He and his dad got to work grilling, at first feeding friends and family on days off. Miller liked the idea of a barbecue pop-up as he thought it would be easier than cook-to-order, though he’s come to find there’s nothing easier about it. There’s a ton of time involved. He cooked any chance he got for the last year of his retail management job. “It came to the time where if I didn’t leave, I’d probably never take off with it,” he said. He started Blue Dog Craft Barbecue officially in January 2019 with the continued help of friends and family, including his mom and dad, girlfriend, Erin, cousin, Brooke, and friend, Vannia. “We thought the food was good then,” he smiled. “But looking back on old photos – it wasn’t ever bad – but we were honing in and perfecting what we were doing,” he said. Miller used social media as a sort of meat metric. He knew what he liked on Instagram and what he thought was good. He pioneered his own Texas-influenced Blue Dog style by recreating what he saw to fit his taste. Blue Dog’s Texas-style inspiration comes through in his presentation. Mouthwatering barbecue arranged on butcher paper alongside traditional Southern sides. You eat with your eyes first, as they say, and every plate Blue Dog presents is love at first sight, then bite. The staples are the usual smoky suspects – brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sausage, bbq tacos, and the like, accompanied by down-South classics like potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans. From trimming the meat to seasoning it (mostly with salt and pepper), “It’s a lot of prep,” said Miller. His brisket alone cooks for 16 to 18 hours. Blue Dog Craft Barbecue smokes over oak, the most easily accessible wood in the area. Max and his team even cut, dry, and split it themselves. High-demand has Miller maxing out his grill capacity weekly – a good problem to have, he says. The Blue Dog owner is in the process of building a new grill to double capacity for his expanding brisket fan base. The inceptive and ongoing concept for Blue Dog is as a popup vendor. Cooking out of the Catapult Kitchen Incubator in Lakeland, Miller has popped up there and all over Polk County, showing up at Swan Brewing, the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market, and Winter Haven Farmers Market, which he attends regularly. “We’ve been farmer’s market-focused,” he said. In addition to markets, Blue Dog offers catering for events large and small. Miller recently purchased a food truck that is being renovated and will be running shortly. Beyond pop-ups and a food truck, the ultimate goal is to one day have a restaurant location. Though he’s not set on where it would be, Miller envisions an outdoor-oriented spot. What’s the best thing about running a budding barbecue biz? “All the people we’ve met along the ride,” Miller said. He’s built a solid customer base of folks who return weekly to get their Blue Dog fix. Many regular customers have become friends. “I just love it.” Blue Dog Craft Barbecue FB @BLUEDOGCRAFTBARBECUE IG @bluedogcraftbarbecue www.bluedogcraftbarbecue.com bluedogbarbecue@gmail.com Photography by Amy Sexson & Max Miller

You’ve had their warm bagels at N+1 and lined up for their country sourdough at the farmers market, but soon you will have more opportunities to enjoy Honeycomb Bread Bakers. The bee brand bakeshop is expected to open in Winter Haven later this month. Benjamin Vickers thought he’d go to college for English Lit and become a “bookish academic” type. His hobby of home baking for his friends and family slowly took center stage. He called his parents one day and said, “I’m going to New York for culinary school, guys.” He was accepted into the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York for a slot opening three weeks later. “It was a whirlwind starting out, but I haven’t looked back since,” said Vickers. Benjamin did his externship at Manhattan bakery, Dominique Ansel. He was even part of the team that brought into being the popular croissant, donut hybrid – the cronut. After graduation, he was invited to work at a high-end catering service in Ithaca, New York. The business catered many of the galas and banquets for nearby Cornell University. The company didn’t have a pastry or dessert program at the time Vickers joined them. Fresh out of culinary school, he stepped up to help them build one from the ground up. Initially, he was catering weddings and banquets. Understanding that dessert and cakes were the most in-demand pastry jobs, he knew he wanted to be a bread baker. He noted that the rest of his journey was “carving out that career.” The next stop in his bread baking journey led him into the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains at world-renowned Blackberry Farm in Maryville, TN. There, he was able to foray from desserts into bread. Vickers remembered fondly, “We would bake bread all night, [...] [and we] would go down these twisting paths through the farmlands to deliver to all the houses and restaurants. You’d see the sun rising over the mountains and all the sheep as you’re driving your little bread cart.” Vickers got his next pastry gig by happenstance while out to dinner at Nineteen61. Chef Marcos needed a pastry chef, and there was Vickers. He became the pastry chef for Chef Marcos and worked for about two and a half years. Vickers started his cottage food business making bread, Honeycomb Bread Bakers, in February 2018, though Honeycomb’s official birthday is October of that year. He joined Catapult and began selling at the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market a month later. “Our first day was one loaf of bread to Concord,” Vickers said. Word spread, and the baker began to realize just how much of a need there was for quality bread from an honest source. “That’s one of the things that I’m trying to cultivate – a brand on one hand that is really accessible because bread should be humble. It shouldn’t be too expensive or unattainable. It should be easy to find and delicious and nutritious and fill your belly,” said Vickers. Bread should also come from a brand you trust and believe in. “When people see the little gold bee, it should have a resonance or a meaning.” Even before he genuinely knew he wanted to be a baker, Vickers envisioned a bakery called Honeycomb as a kid. “I’ve always had this affinity with bees as a symbology, […] they represent a place where the natural, wild world meets the more rigorous and architectural world which as an aesthetic, I’ve always really liked,” he said. “With our bread, for example, I love the wild and rustic – it is what it is, but also, we do a lot to make it have a beautiful ear and a nice golden crust, and it’s a certain shape, and everything is precisely measured. When those two things meet, I think that’s a nice sense of beauty,” he said. “Also, Honeycomb in bakery parlance, when you slice a loaf of bread, and you see that whirl pattern of air bubbles – bakers call that the honeycomb. Whenever it’s properly fermented, it should be a nice open honeycomb.” It was essential for Vickers to pay homage to the tradition of bread baking. According to Vickers, the version of bread that Honeycomb produces is only slightly modernized from the ancient Greeks. “What I love about us being one tiny piece of that long timeline is that it’s not necessarily about reinventing the wheel,” he said. He isn’t looking for a gimmick. He wants to do his part to make the simple staples incrementally better over time – a blip in bread’s evolution. Honeycomb’s most popular items are their Country Sourdough, followed by their Wild Maine Blueberry Muffin. Among the many things that make his muffins stand out are the tiny Maine wild blueberries he uses. He said they grow wild in bushes on the sides of the road there. They are notably smaller than Florida’s plump blueberries that tend to hold more water. These berries offer a sweet, tart, “punch of flavor,” says the baker. “We have to bend over backward to get these berries, but it is so worth it.” Honeycomb continues to sell at the Downtown Lakeland Farmers Curb Market and the Winter Haven Farmers Market, at which he was a debut vendor in January 2020. In addition to various wholesale locations, Vickers opened a Bay Street bakery in Lakeland in the Fall of 2019. Due to a real estate dispute, the bakery could not renew the lease and closed the storefront in April 2020. Vickers described his reception in Winter Haven as ‘extremely warm’ with folks lining up every Saturday at the Winter Haven Farmers Market for his baked goods. Along with the name recognition from Winter Haven partners such as N+1 Coffee and Haven Coffee Roasters who sell or utilize Honeycomb products, Honeycomb fills a niche for this side of the county. Whereas most of his colleagues sell cookies, cakes, and confections, Honeycomb offers more savory options and bready pastries. As soon as he knew the Bay Street location would close, Vickers went on the hunt for a new building. After a few months of looking in Lakeland and Winter Haven, he began talking with Six/Ten Group and found himself drawn to one of their properties on Sixth Street downtown. The building is roughly 1600 square feet, including additions to the structure. The Sixth Street location was a gas station in the 1960s and, more recently, an auto glass repair shop. “The thing that I loved about it was the Spanish mission-style architecture, and the shape of the building is very unique and quirky. I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to have ample outdoor seating,” said Vickers. “We’ve been basically baking out of a closet for the past three years,” said the baker. His Winter Haven bakery will be a dramatic upgrade for baking, manufacturing, storage, and quality of environment for him and his staff in terms of space and production. Honeycomb will bring back the products and services customers loved at his Bay Street location and venture into new culinary terrain. Vickers described this soon-to-open bakeshop as a ‘much more holistic approach to Honeycomb’ with retail and wholesale under one roof. Construction on the building commenced around eight months ago. The community is a-buzz about Honeycomb, a welcome addition to the downtown dining landscape. The bakery will offer what patrons are already familiar with from the farmers markets along with an expanded menu of goods – fresh bread, bagels, pretzels, a pastry case, viennoiserie including muffins, croissants, pain au chocolat, morning buns, and Kouign-Amann. The Sixth Street bakeshop will boast a full espresso bar and a tea bar with fine imported teas. “Some of the newer things that we weren’t able to do in our old shop will be more full-service breakfast and lunch,” Vickers explained. The scrumptious Honeycomb lox bagel will make a comeback along with quiche, be it roasted vegetables or a more traditional offering of Quiche Lorraine. Break out your comfy pants because Honeycomb is doing breakfast sandwiches, baby! Hungry sammie seekers can expect morning offerings on their fresh bread, bagels, croissants, and sourdough English muffins. Just before he had to close shop in Lakeland, Vickers and his team implemented lunch options at the bakery. Winter Havenites rejoice! Honeycomb will have six sandwiches to start, including a Rueben, made on house Danish rye bread with homemade sauerkraut, as well as a Cubano and a smoked turkey club. The menu will feature salads, too, like the beloved Honeycomb Bistro Salad and Caesar Salad. “Soup is my all-time favorite lunch,” said Vickers. “I’ve wanted to do it for a while. That will be a mix of creamy and brothy soups. He went on to say, “The weekends will be for more playful, composed lunch items.” “We have these big beautiful hearth ovens, so we might as well crank them all the way up and do pizzas on Fridays and Saturdays.” In addition to pizza and flatbread specials, Honeycomb will offer plated specials like perhaps a ratatouille, meatloaf, lasagna, or a curry dish. “Bakeries and cafes have always been these gathering places for communities. People in the hospitality industry call it the third space. Home is the first space, work is the second space, and cafes are the third space. They are an extremely social environment, and we’re hoping that it can be that crossroads in Winter Haven or that cornerstone of the community that people really gather at,” said Vickers. “To that end, we’re hoping to use the large outdoor area as a venue space for different markets or events. We have a lot of passionate creators as partners – either as vendors or on our team.” He hopes to provide these creatives opportunities to express themselves, be it in a coffee tasting, a farmer discussing their sustainability programs, or a bread baking class. “We’re hoping it will be a very event-focused venue and more of a community place rather than a place to do transactions where we just sell bread.” Honeycomb Bread Bakers will have an outdoor gathering space in the front of their building as well as a shared space with Adler’s Burgers behind them. Vickers hopes to see the beloved burger joint open not long after his bakery so the two can create a collaborative synergy. The building’s industrial history has led to a less than glamorous construction process. They’ve dealt less with the cosmetic and more with environmental remediation and installed underground utility lines to ensure it is up to standard for a food service facility. Vickers hopes to be fully open or soft-open towards the end of July. In a November 2020 social media post announcing the new store, Vickers wrote, “Our goal for this new home is to improve the value and quality of our products and services, to provide fulfilling careers for our staff, and to make our beautiful world a little better and yummier.” Honeycomb Bread Bakers 140 6th Street SW, Winter Haven www.honeycombbread.com FB @honeycombbread IG @honeycombbread Photography by Amy Sexson

Born in Bellingham, Massachusetts, an hour outside of Boston, into a family from the French-speaking part of Quebec, Daniel Pepin has an unmistakable New England accent wed with good-natured Candian comportment. His brawny figure and tattoos may be imposing, but it is only a facade for a passionate musician who loves his craft and community. “My grandmother had one of those old flip-top record players. The first record she had was Eight Days a Week by the Beatles,” remembers Pepin. The first time he heard it, he said, “That’s what I want to be. I want to do that.” Pepin got his first guitar lesson at age four. To encourage his musicality, Pepin’s grandmother bought him an electric guitar. His father was upset that she would spend all that money on something he may not stick with. “Which I love holding over his head now and forever,” he said affably. Music consumed Pepin. He constantly played, even strumming the tune to Super Mario Bros. or Zelda as he waited for his turn to play the game with friends. Photograph Provided As he grew older, he delved further into The Beatles’ catalog. Works like the Magical Mystery Tour stood out. He remembers thinking, “This is it. I don’t know what’s happening because I’m not even a teenager yet. There’s something psychedelic happening. I dig that.” Eventually, Pepin’s father canceled his guitar lessons. “He took me out of lessons because I was teaching the teacher how to do some of the riffs,” he said. His father took him to one of New England’s most famous guitar instructors, Steven Kirby. Kirby, a Boston-based guitarist, composer, and educator, is a graduate of Berklee College and earned a degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst). He has been faculty at Wellesley College, Brandeis University, and Berklee College of Music. Kirby has won awards for his jazz compositions and published articles in Guitar Player Magazine and Jazz Improv Magazine. His music has aired on radio stations worldwide, and he has toured in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Europe, China, and Africa. “I couldn’t out-play him. He was the top of the top,” said Pepin. Kirby encouraged Pepin to go to college for music. So, he did. Pepin enrolled at Rhode Island College to pursue a degree in Musical Education. Even before earning his degree, Pepin taught music. His professors would vouch for his skills to play and read music. He taught at a Bellingham store called Larry B’ee Music Center, which is still open today. He taught there for years and is still in contact with the families he instructed. Pepin also studied under Mychal Gendron, a classical guitar player, and world-touring artist. Around that time, he and friend Ron Howard started a band, The Letdown, now The Mighty Letdown. During his last year of college, The Letdown took off. The band opened for top names at the time, like Godsmack, Cold, Breaking Benjamin, Mudvayne, and Disturbed. “We played everything from stadiums to little tiny dive bars,” said Pepin. He toured with The Letdown until his son Ethan was born. He stopped going on the road and eventually moved to Florida to be closer to his parents. Pepin became a single father and put all of his focus on raising Ethan. With his musical flame all but extinguished, he met his now wife, Cori Blythe. Raising Ethan on his own, he described Blythe as a ‘surrogate mom’ to his son and a steadfast supporter of his music. OVER THE CLIFF Pepin plays guitar, bass, drums, and piano and can chart music. He worked as an entertainment technician at an area theme park producing tunes that played in the background throughout the park and for their events. “It was great for me because I could just sit in a black room with nobody bugging me and just do my thing,” he said. In a devastating turn of events, Pepin was severely injured while weightlifting, tearing his abdomen in half. A year and a half later, the couple lost their jobs during the pandemic. “That was the cliff that I fell over to start playing again,” said Pepin. During a trip to Europe, his wife arranged for Pepin to play the Cavern Club in Liverpool, a music mecca that hosted The Beatles during their early years. Playing where his musical paragons had played reignited Pepin’s fire, though his injury held him back. “I was crushed for a while. I didn’t think I was ever going to play again,” Pepin said. Splitting his abdomen made it uncomfortable even to hold a guitar. He had an initial surgery that failed. “When I was in England playing the Cavern Club, I had to wear a binder that would literally hold my stomach in,” Pepin said. “I thought it was over.” After he healed up, Blythe pushed him to play again. She bought him a classical guitar, and he booked his first show at the Winter Haven Farmers Market. “I had never played by myself,” he said. Pepin worried people might see his Spanish guitar and think, ‘How cool can that be?’ But when Pepin begins to pick the strings, it is chill-inducing – an amalgamation of years mastering his craft and an innate radiating talent. People stop what they’re doing to listen and watch Daniel Pepin. He is an entertainer to the core. His showmanship is complete with jokes, banter, and guitar tricks. He shouts out market vendors, and once shred so fast during a performance at Swan Brewing, his pick caught fire. “Once you break the ice, not to mention having a rapport with people and talking to them and being friendly… once you connect to them, it’s easy.” “That’s why when you see me playing at the market, I’m always smiling because I can do it again, and it’s fun. Whether it’s for five people or 500, you’re going to get the same exact response,” he said. Pepin’s ‘baby’ is a Yamaha Spanish Classical, a flamenco guitar with nylon strings. Considered one of the most romantic of instruments, its sound is dreamy and serene. “I think it does help that what I do is so different from what other people do. There’s a specific sound that that type of guitar has that you don’t get from your average guy with an acoustic guitar, steel-string,” he said. Demand for Pepin’s pretty Spanish guitar sound grew. He went from one or two shows a month to sometimes two or three in a day. Now, music is all that Pepin does. He performs gigs and does sound production and mastering for other artists. “I play every minute that I can.” He has some 32 guitars and keeps at least one in every room of his house. He’s even been known to shred in his sleep and play along to the theme songs of movies and television shows. Blythe tunes him out at this point, he said with a smile. He plays all over Polk County from the Winter Haven Farmers Market, and the Twisted Prop to the Pink Piano, Swan Brewing, Craft + Kitchen, Haven Coffee Roasters, and the Poor Porker. Pepin said, “The places close to home around here are really good for me. People just seem to get it.” During gigs, he plays a mix of original music and covers – Queen, The Beatles, and even Willie Nelson upon request. You may know him as ‘the unicorn guy’ because of his galaxycolored hair and his logo of a guitar backdropped by a unicorn designed by his wife. But that pet name has even more wholesome origins. Pepin’s son Ethan liked My Little Pony and would get picked on for it while waiting for his school bus. So, Pepin, a tattooed, weightlifting, guitar-thrashing hulk of a guy, bought a My Little Pony shirt and wore it to walk Ethan to the bus stop. After that, his bus mates never made fun of him again. “I may be a good guitar player, but I’m a way better dad.” PEPIN’S PROCESS Producing his original music is an enthralling process. Sans band Pepin plays each instrument on a track by recording one and layering it with another from the guitar and bass to drums. As far as lyrical inspiration is concerned, Pepin keeps it close to home, writing about personal experiences and that of friends and family. “I like soul-crushing stuff, unfortunately. I like the really sad and then inject it with hope,” he said. He called his song “Time Slips Away” “the happiest sad song you’ll ever hear in your life.” A section of the song intones, “When you’re losing your hope, I will throw down a rope. You can come back up to me.” He continued, “I like that mood that it might be melancholic, but there’s always hope in it.” Pepin’s best friend Tom Sabin, an uncle to his son, Ethan, recently passed away. One of Pepin’s songs was played at his funeral. “That guy loved me and supported me since Letdown through all those years,” he said through tears. Pepin booked a trip to New England last month to see Sabin, who unfortunately passed before his visit. “He was my hero,” Pepin said. The two met through playing music, and Sabin had been there since day one. “I always say, ‘I don’t have a lot of friends, but I’ve got a lot of really close friends.’” LIVERPOOL LIVE What can only be described as Serendipity’s divine hand of intervention – from a little boy who loved The Beatles to a successful musician in his own right – Daniel Pepin has joined The Beatles tribute band, Liverpool Live. Pepin is excited for the theatricality of the costumes and instruments as his part performing George Harrison. “It’s very authentic,” he said of the band. From chord strikes to minor mistakes The Beatles made, Liverpool Live plays precisely. Pepin was introduced to Liverpool Live after meeting one of their singers, Mark Benzur, at a club. They were looking for understudies to fill in from time to time if bandmates were sick or otherwise couldn’t perform. Interested, Pepin rehearsed with them and was offered a leading position. “And there’s no work for me because it’s The Beatles – it’s like putting on an old comfy shoe,” he said. His first performance with Liverpool Live was a June 19 gig at The Friar Tuck in Clermont. “How ironic is it that when I was a little kid, I said ‘I’m going to do that someday,’ and now I’m literally doing that song?” ‘I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY’ “I’ve made lifelong friends from the market, lifelong friends from the Pink Piano, lifelong friends from here,” Pepin said as he took a sip of unicorn latte at Haven Coffee Roasters. Even when he’s having an off day or doesn’t feel good, “When people are having a good time, it makes you into it. It pulls you in.” he said. “I love the connection with people. I love this community.” As for his musical aspirations? Now that his son is older, Pepin hopes to go back on tour. He plans to keep plugging his original music and playing at every opportunity. “While I can still do it, I’m going to give it a hundred percent.” www.danielpepinmusic.com FB @DanPepinMusic YouTube: Daniel Pepin SoundCloud: Daniel John Pepin Photograph by Amy Sexson

In May of this year, St. Louis, Missouri native and twenty-year Lakeland resident Derrick McBride released his debut selfpublished novel, “One Search for All.” Inspired by true events that transpired in 1970s Fulton, Missouri, the story follows Miss Willie Swanson Edwards and the author’s grandfather, Jack McBride. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Following years spent in program development and fundraising within the nonprofit sector, Derrick McBride turned his focus to presenting, keynote, and motivational speaking. Through his work, McBride hopes to motivate people “to become better versions of themselves, create better opportunities for themselves, and to do exactly what they’ve always dreamed.” Derrick McBride is the founder of Vizon Quest, a nonprofit dedicated to providing services to youth ages 6-18 in education and career development, health and life skills, sports, fitness, and recreation. He co-founded event management company Eventrics and is well-known locally as the Executive Director of the YMCA/ First Tee program in Lakeland. First Tee is an international program utilizing afterschool and in-school programs to introduce the game of golf to young people. “It’s meant to bring diversity to the game of golf,” said McBride. “We were able to do some amazing things in the community through that program.” He has also worked as CEO/ Executive Director of a Boys and Girls Club. ONE SEARCH FOR ALL When Miss Willie goes missing one frigid February morning in 1974, friends Ortis ‘OT’ Williamson and Jack McBride will stop at nothing to find her. “One Search for All’’ is a moving account passed down by McBride’s grandfather exploring the “realities of racism, homelessness, despair, and desperation.” Miss Willie is described as a fiercely intelligent woman who loved literature and poetry. An excerpt from the book reads, “In her early years she was a confident woman, whose beauty was like the fire-gold flame of dawn. Her thoughts flowed with wisdom, and that heart of hers would be the source of love that so many young people would cherish.” Another passage asserts, “She commanded respect from all who knew her, and even though she was denied many opportunities because of the color of her skin, she continued to hold her head high.” Polk County educator for over twenty years, Michelle Snell, synopsized the book, writing, “It offers an insightful glimpse into the lives of Black people and injustices happening in the 1970s. The story centers around a homeless Black woman that goes missing and the search to find her. The book unravels a shocking, surprising story that takes the reader back to a time where racial tension was at its peak.” An 18-year-old McBride was struck when his grandfather first told him the story of the search for Miss Willie. “After he told me, I knew I wanted to share it with the world. I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I didn’t know what method it was going to be, what media, but I knew I had to,” he said. McBride and contributor Laird Garner took time fact-finding, regularly consulting with Jack McBride, and organizing information for historical accuracy and pertinence to the story. “Even before we started writing, we had to gather up information about Miss Willie, about the City of Fulton, about laws, about music, about candy,” said McBride. “He played an integral part in helping me with the book,” McBride said of Garner. Compelled to relay the tale, McBride noted, “I don’t know if it’s something that I wanted to tell. I thought it was something that you would want to hear as a reader. […] This is one of the best true stories I’ve ever heard. It doesn’t get any better than this.” And an extraordinary true story it is. Towards the book’s conclusion, the narrator aptly recounts, “I couldn’t help but realize that this entire search wasn’t just about finding Miss Willie, it was about finding the American dream, whatever it may be, to whomever it may be.” ‘FOLK HERO’ JACK MCBRIDE McBride described his grandfather Jack as “a folk hero back home.” Many in Fulton and surrounding areas were familiar with Miss Willie’s story from Jack McBride, who wrote his account in a journal. “So many people liked the story that he sold that journal,” said McBride of his grandfather’s book, “The Search: The True Story of Miss Willie Swanson Edwards.” Jack McBride, now 96-years-old, is a civic leader in Missouri, contributing to the Fulton Chapter of the NAACP, the Youth Life Improvement Association, the Callaway Alcohol and Drug Awareness Action Committee, Habitat for Humanity, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Commission, and Governor Mel Carnahan’s Advisory Committee. His efforts have been recognized through honors, including the 1994 Fulton Chamber of Commerce J.H. Atkinson Award for Outstanding Community Service, the 1992 Fulton Kiwanis Club Community Spiritual Advancement Award, and the Central Missouri Negro League George Washington Carver Achievement Award. “I don’t know if I really knew what kind of person he was until I started writing the book,” said Derrick McBride. Growing up, McBride regarded his grandfather, who the family calls ‘Hi Pop’ as “rock solid.” Spending time on his grandfather’s farm was the highlight of McBride’s summers growing up. He admired Jack but didn’t quite realize the depths of his character and community impact until diving into “One Search for All.” “People in his community loved him. He advocated to bring diversity to the state of Missouri and to the surrounding cities he worked in. He was a big component of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He was really big on bringing people of different colors together for a common goal,” said McBride. A GOAL TO GET IN SCHOOLS Drawing from the real lives and experiences of Miss Willie, Jack McBride, and others, the book delivers an impactful, twisty read filled with beats of profound sadness, injustice, revelation, and triumph. “I did want to stir up emotions,” said McBride. “I wanted to stir up feelings, and I wanted to stir up thoughts. Even if it did make you mad and you couldn’t do anything – what can you do today?” Each reader will doubtlessly walk away with something different from the story. McBride certainly gleaned something from telling it. “It took me a long time to write the book, and there were several times that I got stuck. I’d set it down, but I kept pushing through. I think that if you have a dream to do something, you have to push through, and you learn that about yourself.” “I don’t even know how to feel about it yet,” he said. McBride had a deadline, finished the book, and it came out in a whirlwind. “Now I’m just able to sit back and go, ‘I did that.’ […] It was a tough journey. There were times as I wrote the book when I was in some difficult places in my life. Some of the best chapters in that book were in those difficult times.” The “One Search for All” author is currently on tour to promote his book. McBride has designs on several more books that would expand on Miss Willie’s life and that of his grandfather, as well as a motivational book nearing finished, titled “There’s a Hole in My Sock.” His goal is to get “One Search for All” into middle and high schools. “I want to get a paperback version into schools with a curriculum and a workbook,” he said. McBride envisions a workbook with exercises that will spark conversation, and if asked, he would love to speak to students about it. Educator Michelle Snell noted, “As a teacher, I’d love to see Mr. McBride get his book into our Polk County schools. Our world needs more unity and compassion. This book touched my heart, and I’m sure it will for all who have the privilege to read it.” One Search for All To purchase, visit: theonesearchforall.com FB @OneSearchForALL IG @onesearchforall