In 1974, Jimmy Minadakis converted a former farmhouse turned bingo hall into what would be his legacy restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland. “He came over from Greece with nothing, started working as a busboy in Washington D.C.,” said his middle son, Nik Minadakis. Jimmy saved up money to move to Baltimore where he opened a bar with his brother. After closing their bar Jimmy opened his namesake restaurant that endures 46 years later. Nik moved to Florida ten years ago and opened up the food truck six years ago. His goal was to bring the sumptuous flavors and well-loved reputation of Jimmy’s in Maryland to the Sunshine State in hopes of one day opening a brick and mortar here. Today, Nik’s older brother John and younger brother Tony run the northeast family eatery. Nik carries on the legacy here with his wife Frances and two sons Demetri and Pavlo. Nik’s food truck, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood Express is an homage to their Maryland location. He says that’s worked out well down here not only for the new fans of their food, but the many Marylanders that make the connection, often asking, ‘Jimmy’s! So, which son are you?’ MAKE IT CRABBY “It’s Maryland-style seafood – fresh crab meat, fresh Gulf shrimp – everything is fresh and prepared to order,” said Nik. He uses the same seafood suppliers as their restaurant to maintain that same quality of the product for his food trucks and the Lakeland restaurant he plans to open within the year. “Our most popular dish is by far the crab cake. It’s 6 ounces of all Jumbo Lump Maryland crab – all fresh crab meat.” People also flock to the truck to get their hands on Jimmy’s Kung Pao Shrimp Tacos and Mahi Tacos. Whatever you do – make it crabby! You can add their crab dip to anything on the menu. You can add fries to any meal and make those crabby too, topped with their infamous crab dip, crab meat, Old Bay, and chipotle sauce. Nik described their crab dip as “a Maryland tradition.” They put it on pretzels or dip their homemade onion loaf. People even order extra sides of it to use in their culinary endeavors at home. What can’t be made better by topping it with crab dip? For more of a surf and turf vibe, treat yourself to a Crabby Patty – an 8 oz. hamburger patty smothered in crab dip and topped off with fresh crab meat. Their Grouper sandwich and Crabby Chicken sandwich are popular as well. Jimmy’s Famous Seafood Express travels all over Central Florida, frequenting lunch spots and breweries around Polk County like Brew Hub, Grove Roots, Swan Brewing, Front Page Brewing, and La La Land Liquor & Lounge. Nik is in the process of converting his second Greek food truck into another Jimmy’s Famous Seafood Express to meet the demand for their mouthwatering Maryland-inspired fare. Check their Facebook to see their location schedule! The plan from the start was to open a brick and mortar restaurant in Lakeland mirroring their Maryland concept. “Within the next year we will absolutely have a restaurant,” Nik said. He plans to offer their food truck favorites and add even more to the Lakeland food scene including steamed crabs on the weekends, and a variety of raw, grilled, and baked oysters. The food and digs will be fresh. He wants to cultivate a “laid back and fun” atmosphere. Nik plans to keep the famous food trucks in action too. A COMMUNITY FOCUS “Jimmy’s is not just a restaurant – we do a lot for the community too. That’s how we were raised, it started with my dad and my mom,” he said. “He always taught us to be there for others and to help others if you’re in the position to help.” “You’re not just supporting us for our food, you’re also investing your money back into the community.” During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jimmy’s donated over 3,500 meals to essential and emergency workers. Nik likes to see the reverberations of their positive energy and actions. Bartow Ford took a note from Jimmy’s and donated 800 meals, GEICO donated 1,000 meals, and Mark Lanier with State Farm donated 400, according to Nik. Their Baltimore restaurant employs more than 100 people. During the pandemic, they didn’t have to let anyone go. They opened three food trucks to ensure that all of their staff were able to continue to earn a living. Every year, Jimmy’s Seafood Express supports Toys for Tots and puts together a Thanksgiving meal for the Salvation Army. “We take the food trucks down there and instead of giving them the typical turkey dinner they’re going to get four times for the two weeks of Thanksgiving, we donate a seafood dinner,” he said. Additionally, Jimmy’s started a scholarship in honor of a family member who passed away two years ago. “We started a scholarship in her name, the Maria Nikolaidis Scholarship Fund,” Nik said. They put together a golf tournament, raising over $8,000 for a student to be able to attend All Saints Academy in Maria’s name. This overflowing giving spirit is a mentality the Minadakis brothers share – instilled by their father. Jimmy passed away 17 years ago and Nik said every day they wake up to make him proud. “We have to keep him proud – it’s not make him proud once. We have his name,” he said. Jimmy’s Famous Seafood Express FB & IG @Jimmysflexpress

It has been over six months since faith-based nonprofit, Top Buttons opened a store in downtown Winter Haven. The community excitedly welcomed Top Buttons, both for its mission to “provide confidence-building education and proper fitting attire to young women in need,” according to founder and CEO, Sarah Powers – and for the chance to shop its top-tier thrift selection. “The moment we have the opportunity to share about our mission, the customers perk up and excitedly look for items that they can purchase to support our cause,” said Powers. In the name of shopping local, supporting small businesses, nonprofits and girl power – we thought we would catch up with Top Buttons. We last spoke to Powers last August, as she prepared to open the third Top Buttons location in Winter Haven. A LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY AND MISSION Top Buttons founder and CEO, Sarah Powers has a deep-rooted passion for helping young people navigate their adolescent years. She acknowledges that as a teenager or young adult, there are so many things out of your control. Fluctuating weight, hormones, skin issues, home, and social lives, all the while on the precipice of adulthood, staring the rest of your life in the face is daunting. “Knowing my own personal struggle is one of the reasons why I’m so passionate about wanting to be an encouragement, a resource, and an educator for teenage girls specifically,” said Powers. Powers has a background in social work, with a degree in Human Services from Southeastern University. She is a writer, a teacher, a speaker, an empowerer of young women, and a mother of four. She’ll never forget the day she was standing in the checkout line of Sam’s Club, ultimately soul searching how she could best utilize her strength of connecting with young people, while not taking time away from her family. Her then 8-year-old daughter picked up a magazine with one of her favorite celebrities on the front. A blurb on the cover mortified Powers. Racey wording that Sarah paraphrased in a much tamer way as, “How to have your best first time.” She returned without her daughter and purchased the magazine. She still has it. It’s a reminder of the messages girls and women are bombarded with at every turn from the fashion and media industries that their bodies are the most important things they have to offer the world. “I feel like we’re doing damage to our girls by sending them these messages that to get attention they have to put themselves out there provocatively,” she said. “That’s part of the inspiration and it fuels my passion for the work that we’re doing.” She wanted to counter these harmful messages with the notion that girls and women deserve a healthy self-image and the understanding that they are more than just their bodies. One thing after another “from the Sam’s Club incident to me praying and seeking the Lord for what he would have me do, to wanting opportunities for my daughters to incorporate a healthy principle in their life in a fun way,” confirmed to Sarah that fashion was going to be, “the tool that we would use to connect and inspire and equip and build up young women.” Powers started Top Buttons in 2012 as a nonprofit, “presenting our positive body image and modesty message at local civic and religious organizations along with creating content for our online resources.” For this first year, she blogged while traveling locally to talk to young women about expressing themselves within the boundaries of contextual modesty. Her blogs and fashionfocused content were well received – the Top Buttons message was spreading. In her local travels to speak, she had girls express to her that they would love to dress appropriately, but they didn’t have the money to buy the proper-fitting or modest attire. “I never want to be someone who is talking at someone, telling them what they should do, without providing them the opportunity to do it.” Powers knew she had to put clothing in their hands. She began bringing clothing with her when she would talk to the girls. In 2015, Top Buttons opened in Dixieland in Lakeland. They weren’t open to the public, just for the girls they served. Now, Top Buttons has three full boutique and designer thrift shops open to the public in downtown Lakeland, Bartow, and Winter Haven. Top Buttons serves around 300 girls a year and works with 18 organizations from around Polk County like PACE Center for Girls, Girls Inc., Heartland for Children, Sheriff’s Youth Villa, and the Department of Corrections First Steps program. The income from the Boutique Program goes back into funding their full-time charitable efforts with the Wearing Confidence Program. This program is for young women between 11 and 25-yearsold that are nominated by a “civic or religious organization targeting young women in need,” according to the Top Buttons website. Throughout the program, the girls receive faith-based educational sessions on topics such as “On the Job Attire,” “Cultural Impact on Clothing Ethics,” “Understanding Contextual Modesty,” and “Positive Body Image.” Paired with these educational sessions are personal styling services, at least one wardrobe makeover with up to $75 of quality, proper fitting attire, new undergarments, bonus vouchers to receive more clothing based on need, a Top Buttons t-shirt, skincare and makeup tutorial, free makeup carefully selected for their skin tone, a photoshoot with images to keep, and ongoing mentorship. Young women enrolled in the Wearing Confidence Program come to the store in large groups for private shopping sessions. Each girl is matched with a personal stylist who helps to style them in the clothes that the girls will then take at no cost. “We can serve them for specific things like job interviews, prom, special occasions or for every day,” she said. The girls not only receive this education when they’re in a styling session but also on a broader scale. Top Buttons hosts “Building up Girls” educational events that are attended by 100-120 girls from the organizations they work with. “We talk to them about life skills, goal setting, effective communication, positive body image, how to dress on the job,” said Powers. One thing she always tells the girls is, “You have so much more to offer the world than your bodies.” Top Buttons is constantly launching initiatives that could fill another need for their girls. A partnership with JOY FM raised money to provide new undergarments for the girls. Powers said that they have seen many girls and women come in with twisty ties used to tighten a poorly fitted bra, wearing their prison bra, or none at all. Something as simple as a brand-new bra, camisole, or pair of underwear is an underappreciated necessity if you’ve always had it, but a luxury if you haven’t. Top Buttons, whether it’s in Lakeland, Bartow or Winter Haven, isn’t about Sarah Powers. It’s about the girls. It’s about the message. “There is a great team of women and men that care very much about young women knowing their value and having the tools and resources – not just teaching, but the physical resources – to reflect who they are as a whole person without compromising their value,” said Powers in thanks to their community of over 60 volunteers. WHAT’S NEW WITH TB Powers opened the third Top Buttons location in downtown Winter Haven last Fall. “We have been very encouraged by all the people who have walked through our doors,” she said of the Winter Haven community. “They seem to embrace the mission and love being able to shop while supporting a cause they believe in! The past six months have not been as strong as we had anticipated, but we believe growth will come as we continue to get the word out.” In addition to their budding Winter Haven store, Top Buttons has started selling online through their @TopButtonsboutique Instagram page, delivering or shipping items that are purchased this way. “We will be selling our top thrift, vintage thrift, and new boutique collection items on the account,” said Powers. “We are also working on providing essential personal hygiene items in baskets packaged with fun board games for our residential organizations like ONE MORE CHILD or Youth Villa. We are working on getting funding to serve all enrolled organizations,” she added. Last we spoke, an affiliate Top Buttons location was planned to open in Nashville. Powers said she is thankful the couple did not sign a lease for a brick and mortar space before the COVID-19 pandemic. “But they are serving young women out of their mobile Top Buttons Boutique and once businesses open again, they look to find a brick and mortar space. They are building their team and volunteer base and building relationships with the organizations in Nashville who need the resources that Top Buttons provides… Things are going well, and we are excited about how the mission is growing in Nashville,” said Powers. TB has had several requests for information on its affiliate program, according to Powers. She said, “We are still in communication with a couple of people who are seriously considering taking that next step to begin the official partnership. We have held off on doing any real marketing for our affiliate program until we can show the success of our Nashville affiliate.” SUPPORT LOCAL – WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Monetary donations, shopping their stores and donating clothes are all positive ways to support the Top Buttons cause. Due to safety precautions amid the current health crisis, the boutique is not accepting clothing donations. “We know people are cleaning out their closets right now because they’re spending a lot of time at home. We appreciate them keeping us in mind for the clothing donations,” said Powers. “As a nonprofit, our number one need will always be financial. We are thankful that our thrift locations typically provide significant recurring revenue to help cover our operating costs,” she explained. “Our fundraising efforts are very limited right now because our thrift shops are closed, our fundraising event was postponed, and we are just starting our online boutique. However, we know that all nonprofits and for-profits are in the same situation.” Their fundraiser set to take place at Haus 820 in April was postponed, likely to be held in August. Why is it important to shop locally now more than ever? The Top Buttons founder offered her sentiments as a small business owner and a member of the community. “We are all in this together. If we want to see our communities continue to offer small, unique and locally relevant companies we need to support small businesses now more than ever. In a time of world crisis where there is no control over the situation, small businesses are impacted the most. We don’t have an endless supply of cash on hand to go numerous months without being open. But we want to be open and provide products and services that bless our neighborhood, families, friends, and community as a whole. Small business is foundational for all communities. When community members are determined to shop local it encourages creativity, growth, and connectivity in a way that is invaluable.” www.topbuttons.org FB @TopButtons IG @topbuttonsboutique 226 W Central Ave. Winter Haven, FL 33880 863-229-5158 236 N Kentucky Ave. Lakeland, FL 33801 863-220-2464 160A East Summerlin St. Bartow, FL, 33830 Photos by Beth Carter Photography

A snowball with a side of nostalgia, please! Cain’s Snowballs, a Sixth Street shaved ice spot, turned a year old at the beginning of this year. The eatery – or should I say treatery – was opened on January 5, 2019, by husband and wife, Ron and Dean Cain. The Cains, both born and raised in the Sunshine State, grew up in Orlando. Dean moved to the area in 2012, met her husband, and moved him to Lake Alfred with her and their two older pups, Jake and Jessie. “We love the area. It is such a great community,” said Dean. Dean still has a day job in Orlando as a House Manager, and Ron was a truck driver until they started building the budding snowball business. The snowball concept seemed a natural fit for the area which had none at the time. “If you go to New Orleans, there’s 200 of these [shaved ice] shops – one on every corner it seems. You can find them in North Carolina and Georgia, Tennessee – but in Florida, there is only a handful,” said Ron. The Cains opted to create their own brand rather than franchising with an existing company. Though they are in the business of confections, Ron said, “We didn’t want a cookie-cutter type of atmosphere.” From special menu items to the display of the building’s history, or the tables, high tops, benches, and counter they built – everything is unique, everything is a reflection of the Cains’ vision for a rustic, sweet neighborhood snowball stop. THE ANDERSEN CYCLE & KEY SHOP When they found the 6th Street locale for Cain’s Snowballs, they fell in love. It was a neat building in a good location, and the building’s history turned out to be the cherry on top. Al and Ruth Andersen opened Andersen Cycle & Key Shop across from City Hall in the 1940s, according to Dean. “They built this building and relocated in the 50s,” she said. The official opening date of the new building was February 1, 1956. It persisted for three generations, leaving pieces of its history in the form of old photographs, signs, and stories from past bike shop patrons for the Cains to uncover. “We have so many people come in and tell us they bought their first bike from the Andersens. They like to come in and reminisce,” said Dean. Like the Andersen’s bike store, the Cains hope to see their Winter Haven snowball shop go on for three generations with Ron’s son Kyle, and any future grandchildren he has, according to Dean. Dean remembers spotting the old Schwinn sign on the side of the building. “We knew immediately that we wanted to take that sign down and incorporate it inside the building,” she said. As they cleaned and renovated the building, Ron and Dean would find more odds and ends of its history. The front door at Cain’s is original to the building – it too had a story to tell. According to Dean, Mr. Andersen drilled a hole in the corner of the door to run an air hose outside for children to air up their bike tires. “We didn’t even know that that’s what it was for,” said Dean who had an affinity for the old door. “Now to know the history of it – it’s even better.” Other interesting finds from the building’s past include a handwritten note on the wall stating that any bike left over 30 days would be charged 25 cents per week storage, along with old advertisements of a boy with a broken bike and a thought bubble reading, “I think I’ll let Al Andersen – The Bike Man fix it.” The Andersens’ daughter Marilyn brought in photos of the bike shop to share with the Cains. They plan to hang copies of the photos on the walls alongside the now framed ‘Schwinn Bicycle Sales & Service’ sign. Dean remarked, “We kept the bike theme going by hanging an antique 1950s Sky King bike as display and a little retro Schwinn tricycle.” “We enjoy telling people about the history of the shop,” said Ron. A PRETTY ‘COOL’ SNOWBALL SHOP Cain’s Snowballs’ mission is to “serve you the best snowball you will ever taste.” To ensure sensational snowballs, the owners researched various machines on the market. They landed on a Southern Snow Machine, originally designed in 1932 in New Orleans. The machine’s design has changed little since its creation. “It makes the fluffiest, powdery snow that you can get,” said Ron. The Cains use a double filtered water system to make their own blocks of ice for the snow. They make their own syrups, too. Nothing can ignite unfettered childlike joy quite as much as a rainbow-stained tongue and a brain freeze on a muggy Florida afternoon. Along with the signature rainbow snowball in their logo, guests can choose from a range of fruity and special flavors from banana, cherry, grape, and raspberry, to bubble gum, cotton candy, egg custard and Sugar “Cain.” If you knock on the counter twice and spin around while patting your head and rubbing your belly, they’ll even let you in on their secret menu items (just kidding, they’ll tell you sans knocking and spinning). The Squished Frog, consisting of kiwi, strawberry, sweetened condensed milk, and gummy frogs, is a hit with patrons, along with the Lucky Monkey, made with banana, marshmallow, and chocolate syrup. “We also make our own toppings,” said Ron. A guest favorite to top off their snowball is Cane’s pineapple fluff – an airy mixture of pudding, cool whip, and crushed pineapple. If that doesn’t ‘float’ your boat, Cain’s serves up root beer floats with A&W Root Beer and a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream. A root beer float might just be the best thing to wash down their homemade cookie ice cream sandwiches. If you want a little salty with your sweets, Cain’s makes one of the South’s favorite snacks – boiled peanuts. Dean joked, “We stop short of growing the peanuts to boil!” FRIENDSHIPS OVER FLUFF This year, Cain’s started slinging snowballs (not literally, of course) at the Winter Haven Farmers Market. Their mobile cart is also available to cool down weddings, swim meets, birthday parties, and other events. Beyond vintage bike signs, bubble gum snowballs, and pineapple fluff, the Cains say they most enjoy the opportunity to meet people and be a part of the community. “It’s turned into a neighborhood gathering center,” said Ron. “We have families walk their kids down in their little wagons or ride their bikes down or just take a walk from the neighborhood. […] We’ve made a lot of friendships.” Take out from the walk-up window for now, and when the world opens up again, stop in Cain’s for cool delights served by delightfully cool people! Cain’s Snowballs 590 Avenue C SE, Winter Haven (863) 875-8008 https://cainssnowballs.com FB @cainssnowballs IG @cains_snowballs Photos by Amy Sexson

10 large basil leaves 3 strawberries 1 cup lemonade ½ cup vodka ice Put 10 basil leaves and strawberries in a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add the vodka and lemonade. Fill with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe or other small glass. Garnish with basil and lemon. Serves one. 21+ Please drink responsibly.

It would be fair to say Bartow’s newest coffee house started in a Brooksville field – the idea for it did, anyway. CEO and Creative Director of Unfiltered Coffee, Geanie Folder, worked in a nursing home for most of her life. A fierce creative, Geanie always kept a “vintage side hustle” upcycling clothing and furniture with her company Rebel Juju. THE BEATNIK EXCHANGE IS BORN When her last child left home, she left her job at the nursing home and started the Beatnik Exchange. Like many of Geanie’s ideas, the Beatnik Exchange was unapologetic, free-spirited, eclectic and kismet that gathered folks of the artistic and innovative variety. Geanie explained her idea to friend and owner of Vintage Warehouse in Lakeland, Mendy Michalec. Geanie was dreaming of an annual artisan-driven market. The plan was to keep the market one-third farm to table food, one-third artisan, and one-third vintage. Mendy cheered on the idea and said Vintage Warehouse would even sponsor the event, along with Robyn Story Designs. The first-ever Beatnik Exchange took place on Geanie’s Brooksville farm in 2016. And that’s sort of where everything started for the magical Bartow coffee shop. “I kept gathering people – artful people – and we grew from there,” said Geanie. They started gathering artists as they took the market to events like Sun n’ Fun. A few years in, Geanie and her Beatnik Exchange partner and dear friend, Luke Dickerson decided to open Luka Blue Vintage next door to Vintage Warehouse. Coffee was central to Geanie’s vision. “How many deals, and friendships, and sorrows, and celebrations have people had over a cup of coffee?” she said. She met Lisbeth Pacheco and Jolian Rios, the founders of Ethos Coffee Roasters and started serving their fair-trade coffee at Luka Blue Vintage. THIS IS IT After a year, Luke decided to open a real estate company, Luke Blue, LLC and Geanie decided to get back to her fashion roots and nurture that aspect of her creativity for a while. The pair closed their Lakeland location. Looking for a private space to sew in, along with a painting studio for her friend, Linda Cassels-Hofmann, the two met with the landlord that owns the Stuart Building to look at office spaces. They rented an office space and the landlord, whom Geanie described as “such a great friend, such a visionary,” had a space he wanted to show her for a future shop. Earlier that day, she told him, “If I’m going to do this thing, I’m going to do it right – I have to find the right building. When that comes to me, I’ll know it.” The moment they walked through the back door, Geanie turned to Linda and said, “This is it.” “The spirit of Bartow and the spirit in this building drove me from that day to come here and open this place,” she said. “It just chose me.” The 120-year-old building has lived many incarnations, Geanie found out during a trip to the historical society. It was first a hardware store carrying a selection of groceries and dry goods. Next door to Unfiltered is The Wine Stable, originally a livery stable. According to Geanie, folks would leave their horse and buggy next door at the livery stable and come do their shopping. One-sixty South Broadway Avenue has also been a furniture company, grocery store, and auto parts office. Geanie and her landlord collaborated to open and renovate the space. “I say that very lightly because really the building did it, the building told me,” she said. “I stood in one corner and I said ‘Okay, here’s what we’re going to do here…’ and we just kept chronologically moving around the building and it kept happening. […] I know that sounds strange, but it is so true,” she said. “I didn’t set out with this grand plan on paper.” There were a few things she was certain of. “I knew it would be earthy, I knew it would be open. I knew downstairs I would have to keep my hand down on the color palette, but equally, I knew upstairs I could bring every color to the moon.” The Unfiltered creative director knew she wanted to have a bar. “I wanted to model it like a home,” she said. She asked herself, ‘If you came to my home, what would I do? How would I treat you? How would I serve you?’ Well, she would serve you off of one of a kind pottery plates and mugs made by other artists. “Ninety-five percent of what was used in the store came from my personal collection that I procured over the years,” complete with kitchen equipment and silverware courtesy of the Lakeland Yacht Club, according to Geanie. Even the bookshelves for their in-house bookstore, The Unbound Bookery, were made with wood recycled from doors, made by Luke Dickerson. Geanie paused and thought about the space. “It has been a collection of goods, a collection of people, a collection of art.” The food and drink offered at Unfiltered were not an afterthought. Ethos Coffee Roasters out of Lakeland continues to provide the joe and Unfiltered has partnered with Uncle Nick’s Bagels, and Got Candy & More. Some treats are baked in-house – like their gourmet waffles. THE RIGHT STUFF “Every little detail fell in place here,” she said. Like the stained-glass front door she found in St. Pete, created by an artist in 2011 that had never been hung. The tile on the bar is from Miami. She drove there and dug the tile out of someone’s backyard, which had been there for some 40 years. “The whole building, little by little, was built like that.” “The right stuff just shows up,” she said. “Along with the talent we have here.” Like her friend and performing artist, Sandi Silverman who she met at a photoshoot at her Brooksville farm. “Sandi planned and took a year to curate all her books and put a bookstore in [the shop],” said Geanie. The Unbound Bookery is a gem mine of books spanning genres and generations. The interior of the shop has all but a conventional vibe. From the carefully curated pages lining the shelves of The Bookery, to the mismatched furniture, a plush chair on a hanging platform, art abounding, and nooks and crannies ideal for a chat with a friend or a moment to yourself with a piping cup of coffee. The murals were painted by Linda Cassels-Hofmann. Painting for over 40 years in Polk County, Linda is versed in everything from painting, paper hanging, plastering, murals, faux finish, craftsmanship, and is “experienced in all types of the decorative arts, specializing in trompe l’oeil.” In a nook closest to the aqua lava lamp of a stained glass entrance, is a mural by Cassels-Hofmann depicting two stone women with flowers and greenery sprouting from their heads like every blooming idea that grew Unfiltered into what it has become. Other murals depict Edgar Allen Poe, an Alice in Wonderland themed bathroom, and a hippopotamus they call Phil on the back door. CasselsHofmann, with her business, Castles in the Air, will be one of the four resident artists working out of the second-floor studio at Unfiltered. “Castles in the Air means to daydream or imagine,” said Cassels-Hofmann. She has always liked painting whatever people can dream up. A BIT OF BARTOW MAGIC On March 6, 2020, Geanie Folder and her son, the coowner/ COO of Unfiltered, Tray Towels saw a line around the block for the shop’s grand opening. “Bartow is so beautiful. It’s not me, it’s not the people who are here with me like Linda and Sandi, truly, this whole thing surrounds us in Bartow,” she said. The grand opening crowd has been but one of the ways the community has embraced the indie coffee house. After closing their doors in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Geanie racked her brain for ways to keep the burgeoning business afloat. It came to her to do what she knew best – art kits! The morning after posting the art kits online, she woke up to around 45 orders from locals. “Bartow has been so good to us in that way,” said Geanie. “It’s magic.” Humbled by her experience downtown, Geanie added, “In all the entrepreneurial things that I’ve done that have led up to this – and there have been a lot – never have I felt so loved and embraced and loved upon. It’s incredible.” AN ARTIST HAVEN Ascending the stairs of the off-beat coffee shop will be a new experience for Unfiltered patrons as the second floor just finished renovations. “It’s as if you took Pinterest and dropped it in the middle of the floor up there. It’s like an artist’s haven,” said Geanie. Whitewashed brick walls, a rainbow explosion of colors, a claw foot tub for photography, pottery studio, paint studio, and working space for four area artists. “Every inch up there is art,” she said. Among these artists are metalsmith Cassie Bock, mixed media artist Danita Lyn, textile artist, Kimberly Boothe, and painter Linda Cassels-Hofmann. Three other artists sell their art at the shop as well. Upon reopening post-COVID-19, the shop will offer an assortment of classes from Geanie and the resident artists. Geanie eventually wants to host outside artists to come and stay at the studio as well. This second floor of Unfiltered will offer space for birthday parties, bridal and baby showers, and overflow seating for the coffee shop. COFFEE & CONNECTIONS Unfiltered is more philosophy than name. “People are always apologizing. ‘I’m sorry about what I have on today. I’m sorry about my car, I’m sorry about my house, I should have picked up,’” she said. “Why are we spending our lives apologizing for the ways we choose to live?” Geanie aims to empower people to live their life unfiltered – a way of life she has refined. “I’m one of those people, probably to my detriment, I don’t really care what people think,“ she said. “My life has never been too much worrying about what other people think. […] I’ve always had a good peace of mind with that.” Geanie says she would like to see five stores in five years. “I’m just putting that out into the universe and if that’s what’s meant to be, that’s what’s going to happen.” As for Unfiltered Bartow, Geanie Folder will keep forging connections. “I wanted this to be a place of connection. I wanted this to be a safe place where people could come, have a cup of coffee, make art if that’s what they want to do, read a book, get on their computer if they work from home and just connect,” said Geanie. “Connect here with this building, in the same way I connected with it, and with all of us artists, and connect with the community.” Unfiltered Coffee 160 S Broadway Ave, Bartow, FL www.unfilteredbartow.com FB @UnfilteredBartow IG @unfiltered_bartow Photos by Amy Sexson

“It all probably goes back to me growing up as a little girl in Guatemala,” began Lisbeth Pacheco. That little girl in Guatemala grew familiar with the unkind sting of inequality. She would help with household chores when her brothers didn’t have to. “I had to make up their beds, serve them food, and clean after them,” she said. She can remember asking adults at three or four years old, “Why do you treat me differently?” ‘Because you are a girl,’ they would tell her. “From that moment, it instilled in me this desire to make things better and to make things a little fairer and more just.” Lisbeth left Guatemala to study abroad and eventually come to the United States. “I know we are not at a place of total equality, but I would say it’s fairly close,” she said. She saw economic advantages, freedoms, prosperity, and abundance here and wanted to champion women to achieve those things. Lisbeth first learned of the town of Poaquil through a man who grew up there, Gerson Morales. She and this son of a Poaquil coffee farmer crossed paths in college. They ran into each other sometime later and got to talking. He told her about the poor town he was from with rough unpaved roads. He even suggested they switch to producing something other than coffee as they weren’t getting much for it. Morales asked Lisbeth what she had been up to. “Well, actually… I’m starting a coffee company,” she said. The timing was serendipitous. Lisbeth and her husband and cofounder of Ethos Coffee Roasters, Jolian Rios, visited Poaquil for the first time in 2015. Backed by the credibility of her schoolmate, they sparked an ongoing partnership that would revitalize the town. LEADING THROUGH ACTION “Part of me sees herself in a lot of them and then a part of me has this thirst for making things a little bit better,” said Lisbeth of the women farmers. “If I could devote my life to one thing, it would be to create that little opportunity, make that little difference that makes them be able to go to school or just have a role model or know that it’s possible for them to be leaders – that it’s possible for them to be the ones in charge.” As small business owners, Lisbeth and Jolian want to inspire change, to create that “little opportunity” where they can. “There’s something to be said about thinking big, but always starting small and being very targeted,” she said. And what a change Ethos has inspired. In 2017, they sourced about five bags (roughly 500 pounds) of coffee from Poaquil. In 2019, they ordered three pallets (4500 pounds) from the Guatemalan co-op. “Actions speak louder than words, that’s it,” said Lisbeth. Instead of speaking about what they would do, Ethos led with actions (there is a language barrier as well with many of them speaking only Kaqchikel). Lisbeth told the farmers that she would pay them the highest price she could, while still making it work for her business, factoring in her costs. “Our goal is always to maximize the volume that we do because it’s through that volume that we can support the farmers,” she said. If Ethos can grow their volume, they can have more partnerships like the one they have in Guatemala. Lisbeth explained, “From the beginning, we said that economic opportunity is going to empower you to make changes and have greater economic development and we are trusting you to make the best decision about this money. What do you want to do with it? Do what you think is best.” In late 2015, the Poaquil coffee farmers started a women-led cooperative called Cooperativa La Asuncion. Though the co-op is very woman-forward, it has not always been this way. Many of the farmers are families, husbands and wives. When Lisbeth and Jolian first came to discuss the price with the farmers, decision-making was deferred to the husbands. They were surprised that Lisbeth was the more vocal of the couple. Surprised and inspired. When the Ethos founders returned, it was the women who wanted to handle the money. Their husbands agreed and say it’s better now that the women are in leadership. “The dynamic in that town [Poaquil] is very different from a lot of other Guatemalan towns. If you were to see how we have official meetings with them, it’s the women that step up and present.” Before, they didn’t keep records and had no idea how much it cost them to produce a pound of green coffee. This is an issue in many rural countries, said Lisbeth – farmers don’t keep track of their cost and do not assign a price to their labor. “They are used to being price takers, not price setters,” she said. “Changes like [knowing their cost to produce] are empowering them.” The rugged roads in Poaquil have since been paved, opening opportunities for further commerce and trading. “The main thing that has changed for them as a cooperative is that now they have their own coffee processing facility,” said Lisbeth. Due to the premiums Ethos agreed to pay the co-op, and their documentation of cost and accounting, they were able to get a loan from the bank with fair terms and low-interest rates. Between 80 and 90 percent of the co-op’s profit comes from what they sell to the Lakeland coffee roasters. The farmers (and the bank) are secure knowing that this massive portion of their harvest will always be paid at an excellent price. “A lot of farmers can’t say that. They don’t have a buyer that will always buy from them, so every year they have to scramble,” she said. The bank loan afforded them a brand-new drying patio made of cement poured at an angle, so moisture can trickle down and the coffee can dry under the sun. They also purchased a depulper to do their own processing. “This saves them from having to drive all that coffee somewhere to be processed which is also risky. During that transit time if you’re not careful, if it gets too hot, some of those cherries can ferment. And if it ferments, you lose it.” The co-op is experimenting with honey and natural processes. At the end of last year, Ethos put out their signature Poaquil, along with Poaquil Honey, and Poaquil Natural. A TRIP TO POAQUIL On February 14, Jolian and Lisbeth brought ten Ethos customers with them to visit Cooperativa La Asuncion during the peak of harvest season – a five-day trip that had been in the works for the better part of a year. “We visited the cooperative, we spent a whole day with them,” said Lisbeth. “They killed some of their chickens for us which was a very, very high honor. This is something they do when they have an important guest, or they want to celebrate something, or do something nice for somebody.” They ate a delicious meal together, picked coffee, and toured the facilities. Lisbeth joked that in the half-hour their group harvested, some people barely had a pound. They would not make that much money in Guatemala, she laughed. Lisbeth scrolled through her phone, showing us photos of the trip. “These are the bosses,” she said of a group of women. “They are the ones in charge.” Lisbeth pointed to a woman, Telma Tubac, president of the co-op, explaining that she and two others, Margarita Alvarez and Estela Morales received scholarships from Emory University in Atlanta last year to do training in the U.S. The latter two women traveled to the U.S. and visited Lisbeth and Jolian, staying at their home. The oldest member and matriarch of the co-op is a woman in her 70s named Octaviana. She is the head of all harvesting. Lisbeth said confidently that no one knows more about harvesting on the farm than Octaviana, whose age doesn’t seem to slow her any. “If you were to see how fast she moves in those fields, it’s amazing.” Of each of the women young and old that Lisbeth sees a bit of herself in, Octaviana resonates with her the most. “She has given us a lot of the legitimacy for everybody else to follow. If she’s behind it, everybody will get behind it,” said Lisbeth. “From that first time, she said, ‘I can see in your eyes that you’re being truthful to me, I believe you. We’re going to do this, we’re going to try. I know that all you can do is try, you cannot do more than that.’” Indeed, Lisbeth and Jolian and the farmers in Poaquil could not do more than try, but try they did. The phrase win-win seems too cheap of a way to describe the impact they’ve had. The partnership has been prosperous for the town, opening doors for growth and opportunity. It has also been beneficial for Ethos Coffee Roasters, and for all of their customers who can regularly enjoy a cup of ethically sourced, fair-trade coffee. ‘BECAUSE YOU ARE A GIRL’ Ethos is working to form a new partnership with another small group in Colombia in the town of Planadas, in the department of Tolima. “They have great women representation as well – women leadership. That’s one of the things that Poaquil also has,” said Lisbeth. “We hope to keep growing and as we keep growing, one of our first priorities is to keep supporting the people we made a commitment to,” said Lisbeth. Now in their fifth year working with Poaquil, the Ethos couple want to see them progress and grow alongside them. Ethos has committed to buy about 8,000 lbs of coffee from them this year. “They worked a lot for it,” she said. “They themselves say, ‘Wow, you really saw in us, something that we hadn’t seen, and now we see it. We see that we’re capable, we see that we can do it. We see that we don’t have to depend on anybody else – we can do it.’” That kind of earnest belief in capability can’t be spoken or bought or exported across borders – it must be acted upon. Lisbeth believes in this women-led co-op. She knows what they are capable of and she acted on that – perhaps because she is a girl. www.ethosroasters.com FB & IG @ethosroasters Photos by Jolian Rios

At the top of Vegetation Plant Food’s website, it reads, “Eat like you love yourself.” This sentiment is at the core of Rima Schillinger’s personal change to a whole food plant-based lifestyle and why she started a service to help others do the same. Last year, Schillinger started her whole food plant-based meal service, Vegetation Plant Food. Working out of the Catapult kitchen, the home cook turned entrepreneur has grown a following of even the most avid meat-eaters. The proof is in the pudding – or in this case, the tomato and ricotta galette. A HEALTHY CHANGE Concerned with heart problems in her family’s medical history and prompted by her fiftieth birthday, the mother of four began searching out ways to “bypass this legacy I have of coronary heart disease.” Both parents have had coronary episodes, including high blood pressure, stents, and bypasses. She spoke with her husband, Dr. Matthew Schillinger, a physician at Lakeland Regional Medical Center about her concerns. Beyond exercise and eating well, there was not much that could be controlled. Disheartened and still on the search for information, Rima would devour books, podcasts, and internet sources. “I collected all this information about coronary heart disease and how much of it is preventable. It opened my eyes to this gigantic wealth of information that we have,” she said. “Type II diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and all the different things that a plant-based diet can address and eliminate – they are all diseases of diet. For some reason, the message is not getting through to the public it seems.” She soaked in as much information about this way of eating as she could and even earned a Colin Campbell eCornell degree in Nutrition Studies. For the love of her health and wellbeing, Rima felt it important to eliminate animal products from her diet. Once she switched to a vegan, whole food plant-based diet, she began to feel better in ways she hadn’t expected she would. “[I felt] clearer in my thinking, I was sleeping much better at night, my hair got thicker, my nails got thicker. I felt so much more energy,” she said. The 2 pm ‘I need a nap’ slumps went away. No more did she need that afternoon cup of coffee to keep her going. And though health was the leading reason she chose to lean into a plantbased diet, Rima acknowledged “the ethical reasons for wanting to eat this way are absolutely there,” including concern with the meat industry’s effects on climate change, how animals are raised and how they are slaughtered in the process. “Now, I have a very different view of eating meat and using dairy products because I understand what happens to the animals as a result of the way that we’re using them.” RETHINKING HOW TO COOK “I started sneaking more and more vegetables into the kids’ diet and my husband’s diet and I would put the meat on the side,” said Schillinger. She became less interested in the meat and dairy and focused on making vegetables and whole foods the feature of family meals. Her husband switched to eating a plant-based diet eventually as well. There was a transition period when learning to cook nourishing, delicious plant-based meals. “I wasn’t sure how to make meals that my family was going to want to eat because it wasn’t familiar,” she said. She started with vegan meat substitutes. “As I read more, I realized those aren’t whole foods. They’re vegan, they’re plant-based, but they aren’t really whole foods.” “It was relearning and rethinking the way that I cook from the bottom up,” said Rima. She has always loved cooking, trying new recipes, and entertaining. From cooking with her grandma to helping her mom entertain guests, and making fun treats with her kids, the kitchen has always been a comfortable place for Rima. “It was very organic for me because it was something that I love to do already,” she said. Rima learned how to make cheeses from whole foods and sauces that compliment vegetables. She began batch cooking with veggies, grains, and sauces for the whole week. Her husband would bring meals into work for his colleagues and she would cook for friends. Friends encouraged Rima to turn her nutritious meals into something beyond her kitchen at home. FOOD PASSION TURNED CAREER This journey of a more whole way of eating led Rima to what she called a second life career. It’s been one year since Rima started her meal service company, Vegetation Plant Food. “The idea is to make meals that you can stock your fridge with, whether it’s taking them for lunch or having them for dinner,” she explained. “I feel it is so important to show people that you can eat plantbased foods and it’s really satisfying – it’s not eating twigs and berries. There are great tasting meals that are good and filling and you don’t feel like you’re dragged down after a meal.” Every Thursday morning, an email detailing the week’s meals goes out to those subscribed to her newsletter. Her changing weekly menus generally feature a hearty salad of some kind, two entrees, and one soup, stew, chili, or mac and cheese, and a dessert. Even if you aren’t completely plant-based, Rima said, “It gives you an opportunity to eat that kind of food and incorporate it into your lifestyle.” Customers can place an order between Thursday and midnight on Sunday. Rima shops on Monday, cooks on Tuesday, and the meals are ready on Tuesday afternoon for pickup or delivery in Lakeland. Vegetation Plant Food meals feature organic produce and ingredients as often as possible and all of the meals are free of animal products (including dairy), gluten, and added oils. “I wouldn’t ever want to tell somebody that they need to do this, or that they should do this, or that they should feel compelled. I think people understand that leaning into vegetables is a good thing,” said Schillinger. The community has been receptive to the Vegetation concept. People who Rima least expected would venture into vegan meals have told her how much better they feel after ditching wings and subs for a whole food plant-based lunch. “It’s encouraging to me because I see that people feel better and they want to eat this way,” she said. “It makes me feel great about being able to provide that for them.” Vegetation Plant Food is currently operating out of the Catapult kitchen. “Catapult has been an incredible resource for me,” said Rima. “Their kitchen has been great, their resources are amazing, the people who are there are so supportive of my business and all the other businesses there. It’s been amazing.” GETTING THE WORD OUT The Vegetation Plant Food founder eventually plans to have a kitchen of her own and would like to produce meals that could be stocked for pickup in coffee houses, breweries, shops, workout spaces, and other businesses that would like to offer these meals as an option to their customers. “I want to be a resource for anyone who feels like they want to make some changes in the way that they eat and the way they think about food. I’m open to talking about this way of eating and helping anybody who’s trying to do this on their own,” said Rima. “I want to help get the word out about this way of eating.” Vegetation Plant Food www.vegetationplantfood.com FB @vegetationplantfood IG @vegetationplantfood Email: rima@vegetationplantfood.com

Central Florida has always been a regional nucleus for agriculture. Orange groves and strawberry fields seem to go on forever and the area is rife with festivals, markets and roadside stands selling and celebrating local farming culture. One trend has Polk County farmers setting sail in search of a more buoyant hobby. Perhaps these fruits and veggies will make their way to a farmer’s market near you, sooner than you think. A ferry, taxiing tourists from Newport Beach to Balboa Island in California, turned its entire top deck into a dreamscape of flowering plants native to The Golden State. Passengers could spend the quarter of a mile, ten-minute boat ride to Balboa Island admiring brambles, Coast morning glory, Cliff aster, Bush poppy, and California buttercup. The boat, called Neptune’s Nursery, is thought to be the genesis of the boat gardening trend. It soon spread to the verandas of million-dollar houseboats off Mission Bay in San Francisco and has bloomed across smaller communities working its way east. The gardens have taken many forms. Some are open-air potted plants while others have gone so far as to simulate a covered greenhouse on their boat. Even the likes of professional sports fishermen have taken the bait, with top fisherman Fritz McGee retiring early to pursue the hobby. We asked boat historian, Johnny Hopkins about just how new the trend was. “The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria – all had gardens. They were, of course, more primitive than the ones here,” he said. Prominent Polk County horticulturist, Sloan Kettering says she is happy to see the uptick in this style of gardening. “Boats are great for this because there’s so much room for activities,” she said. One Polk County farmer looked at this idea as a way to keep his heritage alive. Flipping through the channels one afternoon, third-generation Winter Haven farmer Mike Johnson landed on a documentary about the Newport Beach ferry and the emergence of boat gardening. “Later that week I was fishing off of Lake Lulu, and it hit me! I could grow oranges on a boat… at least I could try,” he said. “My family has been in the citrus industry for three generations. I knew I wanted to continue growing oranges in some capacity or another. Boat gardening presented that opportunity.” To dip his toe into the boat gardening waters, Johnson enlisted the help of his step-brother, Brandon Hoffman. The brothers started with raised beds but found the individual potted plants seemed more viable. They’ve so far successfully harvested tomatoes, microgreens, micro citrus, and a variety of flowering plants. Because a fullsized orange tree wouldn’t realistically fit on a fishing boat, Johnson began experimenting with smaller varieties. This smaller strain of orange which he is calling “toy citrus” has been the focus of his boat garden and has been thriving on The Chain. Toy citrus varieties include Valencia Tiny’s, Itty Bitty Navels, Fun-Size Ruby Red grapefruit, Petit Ambersweet, Teeny Tiny Limeys, and Not-So-Humongous Hamlins. Johnson explained his etymology, saying, “I’m calling them “toy citrus” because they’re small and because I have two toy poodles of my own named Fefe and Chunk.” The brothers describe their toy citrus as having the same flavor and consistency as typical citrus. Hoffman dished, “I personally love to juice them for a margarita. It takes a while to juice them, and a whole tree’s worth of Teeny Tiny Limey’s, but it makes for a heck of a drink.” According to Johnson, the solution to citrus greening doesn’t lie in the soil, a spray, or the strain of the tree. It is quite literally dependent on the motion of the ocean, or the lake in this case. “The gentle rocking of the waves seems to ward off the greening. I think it relaxes the tree. I also whisper daily affirmations like ‘You are a strong, independent woman,’ and ‘Gosh darn it, people like you,’ to keep them healthy inside and out,” said the farmer. Johnson divulged that farming on a boat is all about the tools. “The utensils used in the aquatic gardening process are vital to the success of your yield. I recommend everyone interested in this particular area of farming to upgrade from their rusted hoe to a sharper 2020 model.” He went on to say, “The boat you garden on and the hoe you use will determine if you see a return on your labor. An old busted hoe could leave unwanted weeds in the soil and damage root crops as you harvest.” The success of their two-year-long trial and error garden inspired the farmers to turn their small boat from hobby to business venture. The brothers are working on a pitch for Bass Pro Shop to create a line of boat-specific gardening tools that could hit shelves as early as next Spring. Local folks could enjoy the fruits of their labor as early as this summer at the Winter Haven Farmers Market. Other Polk County farmers have expressed an interest in their own ‘boat groves’ prompting Johnson and Hoffman to launch a consulting business. Their company, Prestige Citrus Worldwide, according to Hoffman, “serves as a professional consulting agency for Central Florida farmers looking to expand beyond the family farm.” Prestige Citrus Worldwide, which Johnson and Hoffman call “The first word in entertainment,” will also branch out into other areas from management, financial portfolios, and computers to research and development, black leather gloves, and security. A music video is currently in the works as well. Hoffman and Johnson will be conducting a seminar detailing the ins and outs of beginner boat gardening on April 31, at 2 pm at the Bartow Wine Mixer (Bartow’s number one event for luxury helicopter sales held at the Bartow Executive Airport). Still raising capital to pitch their idea to Bass Pro, the brothers say they are looking for investors. In unison, they said, “Investors? Possibly you!” For more information on investing or to purchase tickets for the seminar, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photos by Amy Sexson

In 2011, NASA ended its almost 40-year-old space shuttle program. Economic rough waters, significant maintenance, and the fact that the shuttle program “did not truly deliver the next major leap forward” ultimately lead to its closure according to a 2017 article by Tech Times. In the years following, astronomers, astrophysicists, cosmologists, and other space experts have been trying to find the coordinates for the closest shuttle route to space – and they finally have. 27.9745°N 81.6820°W – Lake Winterset. According to cosmologists, Lake Winterset, due in part to its position above sea level, relation to the equator, and a thinner atmosphere above Central Florida make it the “ideal location to revive cosmic exploration and spaceflight,” according to Kip Mandel, a senior cosmologist with NASA’s sister organization, the Department of Aeronautics Nebula and Galaxies (DANG). “Polk County is the gateway to the final frontier.” The initial plan was to build the DANG Headquarters in the Everglades to avoid interfering with an existing municipality. The growing python population, due in part to irresponsible pet owners who release them into the wild when they grow too large, is the primary reason the department halted their plans. A secret pilot program called Area 6-9420 proved futile. We spoke with a shuttle technician who worked on the pilot program, Ben Shuster. “The alligators we could deal with, but the snakes would work their way into sensitive parts of the engine causing millions of dollars in damage. We were losing taxpayer’s money faster than we ever had before,” said Shuster. “We’ve had it with all these dang snakes on this DANG shuttle!” A grant was passed in January 2020 to lay the groundwork for the DANG Headquarters in Winter Haven. The question on everyone’s mind – “What does that mean for the citizens of Winter Haven?” In an exclusive interview with the DANG director, Karen Karenson, we got the skinny on what this will mean for the city. “Phase One will see all incorporated and unincorporated parts of Winter Haven moved. We will chisel it out of the ground and haul it in pieces to Lakeland. Lakeland will move to Davenport, Davenport will move to Bartow and Bartow will move to Frostproof – and Frostproof?” she said in a higher pitch with shoulders shrugged and eyebrows raised, “Well, that’s as far as we’re concerned,” said Karenson. The city’s name will also change to “Winter Haven to the Second Power” by a popular vote of the city council. Another vote in the same meeting was to put a motto on all of the “Welcome to Winter Haven” signs once the town is moved. The first option was, “Welcome to Winter Haven to the Second Power – Our Lakes are Better Than Yours” with the second choice winning out, “Welcome to Winter Haven to the Second Power – Don’t Hate Us, ‘Cause You Ain’t Us.” The Winter Haven DANG Headquarters will open up an estimated 200,000 jobs – most of which will go to retired northerners relocating from other states. To accommodate increased road travel from the population explosion, I-4 will expand to 15 lanes with a bridge going directly over Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Construction on the headquarters will begin in the Fall of 2022 and is expected to be completed within six months. I-4, on the other hand, will continue with construction for the foreseeable future. A statement released from the office of the contractor responsible for the interstate expansion said, “We estimate the continued construction of I-4 to last somewhere between 900 years and all of eternity.” DANG director Karenson said, “We not only plan to start another shuttle program but to also expand our exploration into space. Expanding that exploration could mean colonizing Mars, discovering new solar systems, or making a treaty with (the next portion of her comment was said with air quotes and copious winking) ‘the aliens that we definitely have not discovered, or made contact with, or currently live in Area 51.’” There is long-running suspicion that aliens already live among us in Winter Haven, disguised as typical citizens, business owners, and political leaders. A witness, who wishes to have her identity withheld, claims to have had an extraterrestrial encounter. “So, I’m sittin’ there on my porch, drinking a Mountain Dew, you know, just dewin’ the dew – when I see this little ole big-headed thing just strut by. He winked at me and shot me the double pistol hand sign. He was greener than a frog’s behind, I’m tellin’ ya. Kinda cute actually.” This account could not be solidly corroborated, but other witnesses have stepped forward with their own UFO and extraterrestrial tales. Some posit that building the headquarters in Winter Haven would mean more alien activity in the area. “When they come, we’ll be ready for them,” said Todd Bingo, head of the Polk County Alien Fan Club. “And, we’re accepting new members with the admission fee of either $20 or three bags of Cool Ranch Doritos. All applicants will be quizzed on their knowledge of basic Klingon. Let’s just say, Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam!” Is Polk County indeed a door to the final frontier? What will this DANG program mean for Winter Haven, for Florida, for the world? These and other questions as infinite as the cosmos can only be answered as this project unfolds. For more information about the DANG Headquarters or to join the Polk County Alien Fan Club, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com .

What will the former K-Mart building on Cypress Gardens be? Target, Ulta, and Trader Joes are only a few of the suggestions tossed out by the community. Last month we finally got an answer to that question. The 6,340 squarefoot space at 6031 Cypress Gardens Blvd. is slated to be the site of MEGAPLANET, an interactive indoor amusement park by the children’s toy conglomerate and direct competitor to LEGO, Mega Bloks. As the former retail space is already in a plaza, the plan is to build up instead of out, according to Mega Bloks CEO, Megan Blok. Initial construction plans are to build up an additional twenty stories above the ground floor. The park plans to have one staff member per floor, adding a staggering 21 jobs to the local market. Analysts say tourist dollars are wholly dependent on LEGOLAND with one expert tourism analyst remarking, “The odds of people traveling here specifically to go to MEGAPLANET are very slim – very, very slim.” MEGAPLANET will have a Mega Blok obstacle course, a Mega Pit (filled with leftover Mega Bloks inventory from the former K-Mart), and various other small-children focused rides and attractions like gator pits and karaoke. A Mega Blok tower, constructed at the center of the building, will be an observatory complete with telescopes to look out over the park. The company has called in top architects to make the observation tower realistic to their ill-fitting building blocks. The top of the tower will slant slightly and teeter at the top as if not completely connected. Though, we were assured it will be structurally safe for little ones. The main attraction will be the right angled slide called the “Southern Slammer” wrapping around the corners of each story starting at floor twenty one leading down to ground level. As opposed to rounded slides, the ride engineers felt a “blockier” slide was more congruent with the Mega Blok brand. The whole family will be able to enjoy the on-site vegan restaurant, Phony Bologna. The imitation plant-based bologna themed bistro will be made possible through a partnership with Oscar Mayer. The menu will have fan favorites like bologna sandwiches, bologna-wrapped cheese, bologna burgers, bologna tacos, bologna-topped pizza, bologna on a stick, and bologna-wrapped bologna. Bologna shakes, bologna cake and bologna flan will be available for guests with a sweet tooth. The Blok family and LEGO have been intertwined in a feud for as long as the two companies have existed – at least according to one anonymous Mega Bloks spokesperson. “We know we’re ‘LEGO’s ugly step-sister,’ – ‘the poor man’s LEGO,’ if you will, but we think we can bring an unparalleled theme park experience to Central Florida,” said the CEO. “Move over and make room for some Mega competition!” The company has already taken a firm stance against naysayers of the project. “We’re aware that not everyone is going to embrace this move into Winter Haven,” said Blok. “Like Karen C. who left us a one-star review on Amazon. You’re not invited, Karen.” The initial backlash to their attempt to compete with LEGOLAND, a company that has become embedded in the community, was handled defensively. A spokesperson for MEGAPLANET said, “We’ve started a local ‘BLOK’D haters list. John Kilpatrick – you’re blok’d, Olivia Detwiler – blok’d, Mark Goodburger – consider yourself b-b-bblok’d.” The company already hit one snag in the project when a team-member tasked with commissioning a sign for the park misspelled it “Mega Blooks” which is now in the process of being corrected. This mishap set them back substantially both monetarily and on schedule. Though things are off to a bumpy start, Mega Bloks is hopeful to open MEGAPLANET on April 1, 2085. Ticket prices are still being solidified, but will be comparable to Disney World Magic Kingdom. To reserve opening day tickets, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com .

Winter Haven mayor, Brad Dantzler has announced his bid as an Independent nominee in the 2020 American presidential election. Will America, ‘Save the last Dantz’ for Brad? “I’ve always said if there was any other office I would run for – it would be for president,” remarked Dantzler. His strategy to win the hearts of voters is simply to combine responsible, forward-thinking policy stances, with his love of the arts, specifically dance. Dance has always been the first love of this thirdgeneration Winter Haven City Commissioner. He can remember telling his mother, through the merciless teasing of his brothers, that he wanted to take ballet. From age five into adulthood, Dantzler honed his craft – exploring ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and even interpretive dance. In that tiny Winter Haven dance studio, Dantzler learned grit, poise, perseverance and a damn good pointe technique. He says these skills have helped him personally, professionally, and would continue to help him as the leader of the free world, should he win the election. “I think it’s time for a major change in this country,” said Dantzler. “… a step-ball-change.” Dantzler has a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. He also has the professional designation of an Accredited Asset Management Specialist, awarded to him by the College of Financial Planning. He is the managing director and senior vice president of investments for Raymond James, whom he joined in 2006, bringing over 25 years of experience as a financial advisor. In a special election in spring 2013, Brad Dantzler was elected to Seat #4 on the Winter Haven City Commission and re-elected in 2013 and 2017. He served as mayor in 2016, 2018, and 2019. This year, he plans to enter the biggest race of his life. Asked to synopsize his stance on some of the major issues he’ll have to hurdle, the Winter Haven mayor said, “We are going to Dantz our way out of debt, and triple pirouette towards a more affordable healthcare system.” Perhaps one of the defining marks of a campaign’s success is a nominee’s campaign slogan. Dantzler turned for inspiration to his favorite movie, Dirty Dancing, for his campaign slogan: Nobody Puts Dantzler in a Corner. Don’t expect the same old song and Dantz from this nominee either. The mayor says he will back his words with action and keep his perfectly quaffed silver mane en pointe. Also if elected, the mayor says he would institute a program to relieve college debt. This relief program would use “Dantzler Fun Bucks” backed by taxpayer dollars to alleviate the financial burden of the country’s emerging and future workforce. His first stop on the campaign trail will be the Big Lots parking lot on April 31. There, Dantzler will officially announce his bid for presidential nomination and give his first speech of many. Shirts with the phrase “I Hope You Dantz,” a nod to the 2000 chart-topper by Lee Ann Womack, will be available for purchase, as well as a “Dantz, Dantz” version for millennials with a nostalgic affinity for Fall Out Boy. We finished our interview with a few final thoughts from the presidential hopeful. Dantzler promises to be as nimble in his policy and decision-making as president as he is on the dance floor and says he doesn’t mind stepping on a few toes to do what’s right for the country. He concluded, “I think Whitney Houston put it best, ‘I wanna Dantz with somebody… with somebody who loves me…’ I hope that somebody is you, America.” To join the ‘Dantzler for President 2020’ newsletter for all the latest campaign trail news, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photos by Amy Sexson

Lake monsters and giant sea serpents have been the stuff of folklore and nightmares for centuries. Something about the murky depth of a barely explored ecosystem on the same planet we inhabit is unnerving. Perhaps the most infamous freshwater mythical beast is Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. Accounts of a staggeringly large prehistoric animal date back as far as ancient stone carvings, with the first written account surfacing around 565 AD. The “surgeon’s photograph” snapped in 1934 by English physician Robert Kenneth Wilson stirred up modern fanfare around the mysterious creature. Murmurings of a similar long-necked aquatic creature from the abyss have surrounded Lake Eloise for decades. One of the larger lakes in Polk County, Lake Eloise has the potential to hide many secrets. More recent reports of beers being stolen off of boats and on the beach and three missing water skiers have local authorities in a panic. The culprit, which was first thought to be a large gator who had lost its fear of humans, is now being described as a “Loch Ness-type monster.” Because Polk County is home to The Chain of Lakes, experts worry that this creature, if real, has the potential to move from lake to lake along The Chain. At least nine people have reported beers going missing from their boats and on shore. “I swear I had a 24-pack,” said Winter Haven resident J.T. Miller. “And I don’t mean like I got drunk, pounded them back and don’t remember. It was there!” On January 5, Miller and two friends were fishing for bass off the right side of his pontoon boat on Lake Eloise. Miller described the day as clear and the waters calm. While waiting for a bite, the three men heard a splash behind them and turned to see a dark mass sinking into the water below the boat. What was perhaps most odd was the ‘allegedly’ unopened Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life (the champagne of beer) sitting on the seat opposite them, now gone. Asked to describe his feelings during the encounter, Miller said, “Honestly, pretty bummed. I was on my way to a good buzz.” Experts from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) speculate that for a creature of that size to maintain obscurity, it would have to live at the deepest points of the lake, potentially traveling between lakes for renewed food sources. “We’re not sure what it is,” said Bob Butts, director of the Florida Aquatic Research Team (FART). “Is it omnivorous, is it predatory? Could be anybody’s guess.” Suggestions for names have been thrown around from “Old Greg” to “Mega Monster 3000.” The most popular moniker is “The Lake Eloise Beer Bandit” from the most recent occurrence. Recent reports of the Lake Eloise Beer Bandit have coincided with the disappearance of three water skiers from a local water ski team. “This is super inconvenient for us. We have a competition next week and I’m three skiers short,” said the team’s coach. “How am I supposed to make our big pyramid with three fewer people? Now it looks more like a trapezoid. We haven’t completed our trapezoid training. Plus, ask people if they’d rather see a human pyramid or a human trapezoid – you’re going to hear ‘pyramid’ ten times out of ten. They’re just a more exciting shape… they really dazzle!” One solid piece of evidence tying the water skier snatchings to one another is their outfits. Each disappearance happened on separate days, but each of the skiers were wearing flashy costumes with an abundance of sequins. “The monster only appears to be interested in flashy dressers and cheap beer – for whatever that’s worth,” said Butts. Other beer nabbing instances have included Busch Light, Natural Light and Schlitz. “Clearly this creature has no preference or at least no taste in beer,” said one PCSO investigator assigned to the case. “He’ll drink anything.” “Hide your kids, hide your wife, because they’re drinking everybody’s beer out here,” said another beerless victim. Only one blurry photo of the boozed-up beast of Lake Eloise exists. The picture, taken by amateur sunset photographer, Amanda Keet, appears to show a beast of mammoth scale with a long neck protruding from the water. An empty beer can be seen floating in the image’s foreground. Plans to drag the lakes, starting with Lake Eloise, will commence later this month. “We hope to find this thing before it strikes again,” said the FART director. “If we don’t, it’s only a matter of time before it happens to you or someone you love. And then what? You’re out of beer… sad.” If dragging the lakes don’t turn up anything, the county plans to unleash their “secret weapon” of robotic alligators or “Robo-gators” with infrared and sonar capabilities. Until the Lake Eloise Beer Bandit has been located, lake-goers are urged to keep their beer in a cooler. When asked to comment on the safety of swimmers, which seemed to be a strange afterthought to investigators, we were told, “This thing loves cheap beer and sequins. Other than those two things, you should be safe. We think?” The public is urged to contact FART with any sightings of the creature at april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photos by Amy Sexson