For 24-year-old, Winter Haven native Jessica Spell, being a Firefighter/ Paramedic is more than a job – it’s her whole life. Her reasons for joining and even her activities outside of work all center around the people she helps on a daily basis. Aside from “mom-ing a lot” when she isn’t on shift at the fire station, Spell works at a hospital as a paramedic in the ER. She looks at her position in the hospital as a way to stay proficient in the medical aspect of her firefighting career. Her five-year-old son was born and raised into firefighting. Spell said, “He thinks it’s the coolest thing ever. His mom is a firefighter. He knows what I do, he understands why I’m gone for as often as I’m gone for. What I’ve always told him is, ‘Mom is always coming back.’” Her journey to join the fire service – to become a hero to her son and the community – began of all places, at the local Dunkin’ Donuts. From Fast Food to Firefighting Jessica Spell knew she wanted a career in the medical field. She knew she wanted to help others. “I was initially going to go to school for nursing. I felt confident in that decision, it was also a very safe decision for me.” That decision changed when she found out she was pregnant during her first semester of college. “After my son was born, I had to make a decision as to where I wanted to take my career,” said Spell. She was trying to establish herself not only as an adult but now as a new parent. Nursing school was going to take between two and four years to complete and becoming a firefighter combined her love of helping people, physical activity and the medical field, and would take three semesters to get started. She worked as a manager at Dunkin’ Donuts for about 4 years. Local firefighters were some of their regulars – stopping in for a morning coffee and some small talk. Another manager at her work was going to school to become a firefighter and would talk about the physical aspect of his training and the strenuous tasks they’d complete. “I was always athletic growing up. I always liked the challenge, I always liked to push myself,” said Jessica. The career prospect appealed to Spell. “What better career possible than a place where I could help people, I could become a medical professional, and I could still have the athletic, physical component? That’s my life, that’s what I get paid for. I get paid to feel good for helping people, on the inside, and feel good on the outside for having to be in shape,” she said. Prior to encountering the firefighters at Dunkin’ Donuts and her conversations with the other manager, she hadn’t had any exposure to the fire service. “Had I known more about it at a younger age, I probably would have spent my whole life gearing towards this, but I’m glad it came into play when it did,” she said. Spell eventually got in contact with Lieutenant Mike Waters. She told him she was going to go to school to become a firefighter and asked if she could take a ride on their truck. He told her to come to the station, fill out some paperwork and she could become an Explorer. She did and was an Explorer for about a year prior to starting her Fire Standards while going to school for EMT. She attended Polk State College for her EMR (Emergency Medical Responder) and then her EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). She attended Ridge Fire Academy to complete her Fire Standards. She was already volunteering at Davenport Fire Department and her volunteer position became a paid position upon completing her standards. She began paramedic school, which she described as one of the most difficult years of her life, during the 14 months she worked at DFD. She left DFD to work for Winter Haven Fire Department in January of 2017, the same month she began her second semester of paramedic school. During her time as an Explorer and throughout EMT school, Spell spent a lot of time with the firefighters on B shift at WHFD where she would do ride time hours on Engine 541. She said, “They became like family right off the jump. The moment that I walked into the station, how they treated me, how they made me feel, how they took the time to show me ‘hey, this is what we do,’ they made me a part of it from day one and that had me sold on Winter Haven Fire Department.” She made the decision not to apply to any other department – WHFD is where she wants to be. Female in the Fire Service Raised in a household by a single father with a military background and a younger brother, Spell said, “I had a very unique perspective on what it meant to live with guys for 24 hours at a time.” Her concern going into the service wasn’t for herself, but more so being aware of how different it was going to be for the men. “When you have a group of guys and they band together as the brotherhood, that’s very real to them,” she said. Adding a female into the mix, Spell said it can be funny to see the changes they make. “They sit differently, and they talk a little differently because they have respect for me. I felt as a female coming into a predominantly male department – they were respecting me so I was going to respect them.” She has always felt that mutual understanding and respect amongst her brothers saying that it was easy fitting into this male-dominated field. As for the physical aspect of being a female firefighter, Spell said, “I wish anyone – boy, girl, I don’t care who you are – would realize you are capable of whatever you set your mind to. Your brain is the strongest muscle in your body is how I like to put it.” Fire Standards were life-changing for Spell. She had confidence that she could do it but admitted there were challenges throughout her training. She described the first time she lifted someone, hoisted the ladder, or had to drag someone as breaking through a barrier in her own mind. Realizing she could do it, she said, “Once you realize that, the sky’s the limit.” Dragging or lifting someone three times her size is simply a matter of body mechanics and figuring out what works for you in the safest manner possible said Spell. “Some of these guys can go out here and bench press 200 pounds. I’m never going to be that, so I had to figure out my strengths and I had to face my weaknesses very head-on. I have to be aware of what I’m capable of, just as much as I have to be aware of what I max out at.” Beyond the Title Firefighting may be in their name, but it isn’t remotely close to the only thing they do on any given shift. “I think there’s just a lack of a thorough knowledge of what it is that we do exactly,” posited Spell. She estimates that between 80-85% of the calls they run are medical. Yes, firefighting is a critical part of the job she says, but so too are car accidents, cardiac arrest, strokes, and any variety of other emergencies. She discussed the motor accident portion of what they do, saying, “We have to be knowledgeable of each vehicle that’s out there on the road. You’ve got electric, you’ve got propane [...] and you have to know how to cut that car open, how to do it safely as to not further injure the person that’s in it or the people that you’re working with around you.” With medical being the broadest category of the calls they receive, Jessica said, “In one year, paramedics get a crash course in what it is to be a doctor and what it is to be a doctor in the most critical circumstances.” She added, “In that moment we have to know exactly what it is that we need to do to be able to help you and save you.” “I think that it’s developing, it’s new. The fire service used to be simply firefighters, but we are so much more than that now. I don’t think the general population is aware of just how diverse we have to be and how on top of things at any given moment we have to be at all times.” Firefighter and Foster Mom Spell estimated it to be on Halloween day when they got the call around 4:30 in the evening for a “non-responsive.” Arriving on the scene, they discovered a baby girl had ingested methadone, a substance that has the same effects as narcotics according to Spell. “Her heart was still beating but she was no longer breathing. We arrived on scene, got baseline vitals on her. The ambulance showed up, intubated, and then in the back of the ambulance when I went to hear her breath sounds, I heard her heart stop beating.” They began compressions on the little girl and transported her to Winter Haven Hospital where she was immediately transported to St. Joseph’s. There, her stomach was pumped, and they got pulses back. “Four days later,” Spell said, “I was babysitting her.” The baby, as it turned out, was the niece of one of Jessica’s personal friends. “She had called me and was really upset because her niece had just gotten transported away in an ambulance and I couldn’t tell her that I was one of the people in the ambulance with her,” said Spell. Due to the proximity from the aunt’s house to where the incident occurred, the aunt wasn’t able to maintain custody. “I said from day one – give me that baby,” said the firefighter. Spell had custody of her from January of 2018 to February of 2019. “I got to celebrate her first birthday with her, watch her take her first steps,” she said. “If it were not for her aunt and the support of WHFD union [...] I don’t know how I would have made raising two children possible,” noted Spell. Each member of the WHFD union donated $50 Publix gift cards to help her afford groceries and necessities for the baby. Her foster parenthood ended happily when the child was placed with a blood relative in Georgia. Not only did Spell aid in saving the little girl’s life, but she also played her part in giving her a happy one until she could return to her family. Be the Light The level of calamity, physical, and emotional trauma firefighters see every day can’t be understated. They aren’t only putting their lives on the line to save others, but potentially their own mental health. Spell explained how she copes with the difficult situations she encounters in the line of duty. “You can harbor things in whatever way works for you, but what works for me is that no matter the outcome, no matter what I’ve seen or the circumstances – I am helping someone to the absolute best of my ability.” “That’s why the training is important, that’s why I make sure I’m running outside of work and working out on shift and reading the protocols is because I can say every day that I show up to whatever your emergency is, that I have given it the absolute best of my ability,” she said. “I have not yet walked away with anything that has traumatized me, at least that I’m aware of, because of that – because I’m doing the best that I can.” The fervent dedication Spell expresses and displays for her work can be described as nothing other than heroic. This isn’t just a position she fills, a paycheck to be drawn – this is what Jessica Spell was meant to do. “You’re never going to get rich here at least not monetarily,” she said, “but you can definitely fill your heart up a little bit.” A firefighter’s relationship with the victims they interact with is a paramount part of what they do. Spell said the people they face are often having one of the worst days of their life. “You take the time to talk to them. You take the time to be the light in a really dark situation because that one moment, those five minutes, that can make a world of difference to them,” she said. “Because even in the middle of all this bad stuff that’s happening, there is still good. You have to look and you have to be that for other people sometimes. […] If you’ve ever been in a situation where you couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and you couldn’t see the stars shining behind all the clouds – they’re there. Help other people find that. That’s what we do, that’s what we’re supposed to do. That is probably first and foremost the number one responsibility of this job – regardless of the title.” She admits she can’t speak for everyone in the fire service – there are others who have had different experiences than her, but she tries to face her own experiences head-on. “Is there a likelihood that this job will harden you? Most certainly. How do you see all of this bad stuff day in and day out and continue to move forward with a positive outlook? It’s hard, it’s a challenge, but you have to step up and face it because it will get you if you let it.” Here to Help Spell considers herself relatively new in the fire service with next January marking three years with WHFD. One day though, she would like to progress. Until then, she plans to continue her education for both medical and fire. She hopes to climb the ranks of the fire service in the future, not for the sake of saying that she is an engineer, a lieutenant, or chief, but, “As I progress and hopefully continue to be the best that I possibly can be, I want to be able to share my experiences with those who are just starting out and the best way to do so is to promote. To show these people who started out in the same position that I was in, ‘Hey, I know you don’t feel like you know what you’re doing, but you’re going to figure it out and I’m going to be here to help you.’” Photo by Amy Sexson

Born in Mexico, Sergio Lopez-Sanchez came to the States when he was three years old. He grew up in Polk County, spending most of that time in Winter Haven. The now 28-year-old remembers the moment he knew he wanted to be a firefighter, saying, “Back when I was in high school, in the area that I live there happened to be a structure fire – a house burning – and I saw the crews coming in and fighting the fire and I thought that was something I would want to consider when I grow up.” After high school, he went to Polk State College to earn his EMT certificate, followed by the Ridge Fire Academy to become a firefighter. He was hired on with the Winter Haven Fire Department in December of 2017. A dangerous job, working 24-hour shifts at a time, LopezSanchez takes pride in what he does. “To me, it’s a rewarding career,” he said. “It’s a way that I can give back to the community, to serve them in a way.” With a year and a half under his belt, Lopez-Sanchez considers his fellow WHFD firefights to be a second family – a feeling that was almost immediate. “It was quick,” said Sergio. “They were quite accepting of me, they helped me get adjusted into the fire department, into this new role in my life.” Though these heroes are constantly on the alert, it doesn’t mean they don’t have a little fun with each other. How could they live for 24-hours with each other and not have a few laughs? One thing they do to rookies when they’re returned from their first major fire is to shave their head – Sergio was no exception. Getting Prepared Lopez-Sanchez walked us through what’s going whenever the tone drops. “Whenever we get a call, we try to be mentally prepared and think about what our plan of attack is going to be – whether it’s a medical or a fire call, we try to figure out a plan ahead of time so that everything can be coordinated smoothly on scene,” he said. “As soon as we get in the truck, we start communicating with our crew.” He explained that they use a computer in the truck called a CAD (Computer-Assisted Dispatch), which he said, “gives us a little summary of what’s going through dispatch. We read through that and it gives us an idea of what we’re going into.” Knowing a little bit about what they’re going into allows them to formulate the best way to control the situation when they arrive on the scene. Family Man When Lopez-Sanchez isn’t working, he’s spending time with his family. In their family of six, Sergio is the oldest of four siblings. “Our family is really close,” he said. The tight-knit family makes time for each other whenever they can, often doing activities on the weekends together like going to a theme park or out to dinner. The firefighter’s family is proud of the career he’s making. When he first set his sights on being a firefighter/ EMT, they were worried about how dangerous it would be. But Sergio knew exactly what he was getting into and that it would be fulfilling. And it has been. He loves his job. “Well, it’s not really a job if you enjoy what you’re doing, and this is one of those. I’m happy to come in here every third shift,” he said. Making a Difference The crew continues to remain professional and prepared for any situation that may arise throughout the shift. According to Sergio, “If there’s downtime throughout the day, we try to complete our daily functions like our chores, reports – every shift we have daily activities we have to do or some type of training.” Being this mentally alert can be exhausting, so Sanchez-Lopez uses his days off to recoup and take a little time for himself, to have a calm, relaxing day. “There are times we run doubledigit calls on a shift or we get calls at night that keep us from sleeping, but it’s okay. I love what I do, and I know that’s part of the career,” he said. He wouldn’t trade this career for anything. He always looks forward to coming into C shift. It is an interesting job in which anything can happen at any time. Knowing that he can make a difference in the community whenever he comes into work means a lot to the firefighter. Photo by Amy Sexson

First, a big ‘thank you’ to the men and women of the Winter Haven Fire Department not only for their service but also for being so gracious with their time and giving us a glimpse into their world. Over the past several weeks, they gave us a tour of the station, took our editor up about 9 stories on their truck’s ladder, and let us ride along on a call. Talking with the first responders who put their lives at risk, spend 24-hours at a time away from their families, and work rain or shine to keep the community safe, they opened our eyes to just what goes into being a firefighter. Not Just Punching the Clock Safety and Training Captain Casey Dasher gave us a tour of the station and a detailed rundown of an average (if there is such a thing in this profession) shift. The station pup, a rescue Weimaraner/ Great Dane, Wesley also accompanied us on the tour. As most of us are stopping for a coffee or rolling into work a few minutes late on any given weekday, the firefighters of the Winter Haven Fire Department have already begun their 24- hour, 8 am to 8 am shift. They are on call for the entirety of their shift. Whether in training, eating lunch, taking a shower, or sleeping – when a call comes in, they drop everything to respond. They must arrive early for their shift to go upstairs to their bunks to change into their uniforms and be ready to take a call at 8:00 on the dot. The firefighters then head downstairs for their morning briefing. Utilizing a video conference between Station 1 on U.S. 17, Station 2 on Lucerne Park Road, and Station 3 on Cypress Gardens Blvd., the Battalion Chief who is the commander of that shift, conducts the meeting. He will go over truck assignments, clean up duties, any training or public education events, goals or requirements of the day and any other news or happenings within the department. The morning meeting is also a time to review streets, policy, and protocol. Everyone on shift is assigned a station duty to keep the station, which is essentially their home away from home, clean and tidy. One of the most critical parts of their shift other than responding to calls is the truck check. Every piece of equipment, medication, and device is checked to be up to date and in working order. WHFD Firefighter/ Paramedic Jessica Spell explained, “You make sure, even if you did it two days prior, that everything is exactly how you need it to be for whatever you may encounter in the next 24-hours.” Captain Dasher explained that they have set detail days for the trucks on which the people on shift will do a deep cleaning of the engine’s cab and wash and wax the exterior. One misconception we heard brought up repeatedly was that firefighters have a lot of free time on their hands when they aren’t responding to a call. This isn’t the case. Downtime between calls does not equate to free time for the firefighters. The time between 8 am and 5 pm is treated as normal business hours, with every firefighter doing something productive with their time. The first thing you see when you walk into the station is a room of plush recliners facing a big screen tv which at first glance may propel this misconception. However, each time we visited the station for an interview or photos, not once did we see someone lounging. There were men and women training, writing reports, cleaning, detailing trucks, among other station duties. When Duty Calls To someone not familiar with the fire service, the thought of having to drop everything you’re doing, hurriedly jump on a truck to rush to someone’s aid might be anxiety-inducing. For these men and women, it is routine, down to a matter of focus and preparedness. First alerted by a loud tone over an intercom system and on pagers they carry with them, Spell relayed, “You stop whatever it is that you’re doing. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating or if you’re in the middle of a shower – which has definitely happened to all of us at least once.” “You get a general idea and whatever information you’re getting is based on a conversation that’s being had with someone over the phone and someone who is having the worst day of their life. Sometimes things get misconstrued, and sometimes things get downplayed or they’ll get blown out of proportion,” said Spell. “You take it with a grain of salt because no matter how good the dispatcher is, you never know exactly what you’re walking into.” They take a small window of time, less than two minutes according to Captain Dasher, to get ready and on route to the emergency. Spell admitted that when you first start off in the career, “You definitely get the jitters that come with it every time that the tone drops. It rewires your brain, it truly does. There’s a different psychology that comes with being a firefighter and being ready for anything at any given moment.” Time on the job eases that adrenaline rush says Spell, adding that whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned vet, there is a systematic approach to how they handle a call. “Part of being able to do that is being knowledgeable of whatever protocols, whatever the general guidelines are of medical care because you might have a set-in-stone way of doing things in the hospital,” said Spell. “But for here, we’re not showing up to an emergency room. We’re showing up to someone’s house or the side of the road or an ally.” The Ride Along A call came for Engine 541. I climbed aboard the truck with Lieutenant Jason Ward, Firefighter/ Paramedic Wilder Rodriguez and firefighter Ronald Wright behind the wheel. Out of respect for the patient’s privacy, I won’t reveal the exact details of the call other than it was a “psychological” medical call. On route, I slid an oversized pair of headphones with a speaker over my ears – this is how everyone in the truck communicates. Lieutenant Ward read the CAD (computerassisted dispatch) and gave a few more details about the situation and instructions to the others on board as to how to proceed on scene. When we arrived Lieutenant Ward, while assessing the situation, began to build a rapport with the patient. This, he says, is a huge aspect of their job. An ambulance and a few police officers also arrived on the scene. Lieutenant Ward stepped away from the scene and said, “You notice I stepped out because there were a lot of people in there. It starts getting to the point that it’s overwhelming for the patient because everywhere he looks there’s another uniform. When you’re already in a sensitive state like they are, it’s really overwhelming.” Consulting with the other first responders, the team kept the patient calm and determined what the best course of action would be. Once the scene was under control and their job was done, we headed back to the station where each firefighter on the truck would fill out a report detailing what happened. Obviously out of the norm for me, the call was exciting, but witnessing someone else’s emergency was a bit frightening and sad at the same time. As for the firefighters, they had a job to do – one they handled with compassion and care for everyone involved. Each man on the truck displayed professionalism and level-headedness that seems singular to their line of duty. A New Perspective First responders are indisputably heroes. But, if you don’t know one personally or have never been in the situation to need them, maybe you don’t know the extent of what they do. Firefighters fight fires, right? I knew that for every car accident I saw, there was a fire truck. I knew that if someone left the stove on and caught their house on fire, they would be there to put it out. Television taught me that they slide down poles and eat a lot of chili. What I didn’t know was that the people aboard that truck are medically trained (EMTs and Paramedics) to the same extent as the ambulance taking the victims to the hospital. I didn’t know that the majority of the calls they respond to are medical. I didn’t know they assist on every emergency from cardiac arrest to stroke to fire to a car accident to things we don’t even think about. I didn’t know that it was more than just a job for them. Each person we met from Captain Dasher and his thorough knowledge of the station and everything in it, to Jessica Spell who strives to be the light of someone’s darkest day, to each firefighter I talked to who cared so deeply about their profession, their brotherhood and the community they serve, gave me a whole new perspective on what it means to be a firefighter – a greater appreciation. At the end of the day they can’t rest their head for a job well done because at the end of the day, they are still assisting, rescuing, serving the citizens of Winter Haven. The men and women I met are those I would want there for me in my time of need. Winter Haven firefighters, we thank you. Photos by Amy Sexson

When we’re in the drive-through of a coffee chain muttering under our breath about how long the person in front of us is taking to order, or spilling it on our favorite shirt, or guzzling it down for an extra boost of energy, it’s easy to forget how special a cup of coffee can be. A cup of coffee can be the first date of many to come or a much-needed conversation with a friend – it’s a connection. In Winter Haven, three sisters inspired and fueled by their mother’s love, run a coffee truck offering that connection along with a cup of joe. Sisters Angie Baeten, Patrice Williams, and V’Asiah Joseph moved to Winter Haven ten years ago. The two older sisters, Angie and Patrice, were born in the Bahamas. The family came to south Florida when Angie and Patrice were 5 and 4 respectively. From there, they moved to Orlando where V’Asiah, the baby of six siblings was born, and have been in central Florida since. Both of the older sisters’ husbands are from Polk County. Looking for a place to settle down, Winter Haven seemed to be the best fit. The story of their mobile coffee shop begins during a devastating time in their lives. In October of 2017, their mother passed away from ovarian cancer. She left money to each of the six siblings. “We decided that we would use some of the money to open up a business together. We didn’t know what, but we wanted to do more with it and do it in honor of her,” said Patrice. The siblings found ways to stay cohesive after their mother passed. They would make time to go thrifting together and every Thursday night all six and their spouses would meet up at Grove Roots. One night at Grove Roots, one of them spotted a little white vacant building across the street. “It was so tiny, and we thought that would be the cutest little coffee shop,” said Patrice. They could envision the whole thing from serving coffee and treats to hosting open mic nights. They even came up with a name for this dream coffee shop – Amonie Jo’s, in honor of their mother, Amonie Joseph. The sisters called to find out how much it would be to rent the space and it wasn’t feasible for them at the time. But their coffee shop dream wasn’t finished with them yet. “We were at a thrift store on 42nd Street and saw the bus out back,” said Angie. Patrice excitedly pitched it to her sisters. “This is Amonie Jo’s!” she said. The bus was already gutted, and she could picture an adorable coffee shop with a seating area for their guests. Patrice asked the owner if the bus was for sale. It was, and it worked! It took between six and seven months of hard work and the help of family and friends to finish the interior. They picked out cabinets, repaired leaks, and filled out paperwork to get their coffee shop off the ground. “We were very adamant about being a Winter Haven business,” said Patrice. The sisters believed so strongly in the love and family of the Winter Haven community, they wanted to do their part to add to the social scene of the eclectic, ever-growing city. After the bus was completed, it took another six months to complete all the paperwork and requirements to open for business. Their relatively unique concept of a food truck that patrons could come into, made the red tape a bit stickier. They stayed diligent, one of the many characteristics they learned from their mom, and Amonie Jo’s International Coffee & Delights was born. Nescafe for the Neighbors Speaking barely any English, their grandmother, whom they called Mami, moved from Haiti to the Bahamas. Even with a divide in dialect, she connected with many on the island. “She would invite neighbors, strangers, whomever to give them a cup of coffee,” remembered Patrice. “It was instant, by the way,” Angie said about the coffee, and all the girls smiled. Their grandmother became one of the most popular people in Nassau. “Everyone knew my grandmother and it was because she would offer them a cup of coffee,” said Patrice. The women explained that their Mami wasn’t rich, her house was small. But, every morning she would open all of her doors, make Nescafe instant coffee, sit down, and wait. Like clockwork the community poured in, to be poured a cup of coffee. They would fill up their cup for work and head out, some would stay and visit or watch movies with her. She didn’t need to speak the same language, she knew what she was giving them and they knew what they were receiving from her – a cup of coffee, friendship, a listening ear, a connection. Patrice said, “We saw how a cup of coffee could be transferred over to love – something as simple as that.” “And they really did love that lady,” said Angie. I’m Proud of You The three sisters felt that same island community and love here in Winter Haven. Even before their business, the family felt embraced immediately by locals. Patrice who loves going to downtown events like Beer Crawl and Wine Walk says she loves seeing all the same people there. “I just know that these people like each other and they’re all really close,” she said. Angie added, “Coming from the Bahamas, it’s so small. That’s what Winter Haven reminds me of. […] It has that same feel of family where people know each other from childhood.” Though their business is still in its infancy, opening on January 7th of this year, Angie said, “We’ve already crossed paths with so many people that we genuinely feel like they like us, we like them, and we feel like a part of that family.” The bright spirits of the women have attracted swaths of support. Other mothers who stop in for a cup of coffee or see the trio around town will tell them, “I’m proud of you.” Angie says she sees that as a reminder from God that if their mother were here, she would be so proud of them. “I feel like the women circle around us,” said Angie. “They want to see us succeed – they’re telling us different ways to do things, they’re giving us ideas, they’re feeding us, they’re not holding anything back from us.” Help Along the Way The women of Amonie Jo’s have worked hard, but are hasty to express, “We did not do this on our own, we are not here by ourselves.” There are a few special people that have helped them along the way. The first person that prepared them for life, womanhood, and entrepreneurship was their Mummy as they called her, Amonie. Amonie always worked in the hospitality business, taking up side businesses in home interior design, Avon, and Mary Kay. In each role she played, Amonie showed her children the shining example of customer service, presentation of yourself, your house, and your business, the quality of your product and using it yourself, professionalism, hard work, and cleanliness. They learned from their mother that there are no excuses, you can always find a way. When they lived in Miami and they didn’t have a car, Amonie would catch the city bus to make it to Mary Kay meetings. “Even though she passed away before she could see any of this,” said Patrice of her mother, “I feel like she gave us the biggest push.” The women looked to their mother’s memory when they had a hard time finding a permanent place to park the bus for business. Patrice and V’Asiah traveled up and down Cypress Gardens Blvd., First Street, and US 17 asking businesses if they could park outside. Serendipitously, Ann McCollough from Party Rentals Unlimited, just a block outside of downtown where they wanted to be all along, invited them to park at her store. McCollough, isn’t afraid to ask the sisters questions and hold them accountable. She says what she means, exactly how their mother would and that gives them the motivation to be the best they can be. The sisters expressed gratitude to Christy Hemenway for always being there for them. “She came on from day one and just expressed how proud she was,” said Angie. She gives them advice both in business and in life. She and her family saw Patrice and her husband Shane through the impossibly tough time of losing their daughter. “You would think that we really were her daughters,” said Patrice. Lisbeth Pacheco from Ethos Roasters was also on their list of special people. They were new to the coffee business and Lisbeth helped them with the basics like which grinder to buy, what grinder to use with which coffee, oxidation of the beans, and why it’s important to have a fresh roaster. Their faith has been instrumental in pushing them forward as well. The sisters said, “We believe that our business or success would not be possible if it wasn’t for our faith our loving Father Jehovah who continues to provide for us in good times and bad. We truly believe in the words found at Matthew 6:33, “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all other things will be added to you.” Organic and International In 2015, their mother was diagnosed with and beat cancer within months. She was on an all organic, raw food diet and was seeing a natural doctor. “We saw her go through the process, we saw her body get clean, we saw her get better all off an organic, raw diet,” said Patrice. This inspired them to only serve organic drinks in their shop. Ethos Roasters in Lakeland was recommended to them to supply organic coffee. The three say meeting and working with Lisbeth has been amazing and taught them a lot. “The fact that you can come onto the bus and have something from a different country was important to us,” said Patrice. The pastries at Amonie Jo’s are from a Mexican bakery in Haines City that makes them fresh. The Sisters From the outside, owning a business with siblings might seem tough, but the Amonie Jo’s girls make it work. Each of their personalities lends itself to the business. All major decisions are made together and they all wear many hats, but each sister has their niche within the coffee shop. You’ll likely find Angie taking orders and chatting it up with the customers. An open book, Angie describes herself as a free-spirit with a little bit of complex and crazy. “My core is love, family, [and] positivity,” she said. She has this uninhibited confidence. She spoke about herself, her family and their business freely. Angie is wonderfully and unapologetically, Angie. Cooking and manning their social media is Patrice. Patrice is only a year younger than Angie, saying, “We don’t know life without each other.” Though they’ll both tell you they are polar opposites. She is the family organizer, always hosting gatherings for family functions. “I love feeding people – I like to make them feel very at home and comfortable,” she said. More of a shy and reserved person, Patrice is the calm, cool, and collected one of the bunch. She is the advice giver – though they don’t always listen to her. “She’s thoughtful too,” added one of the sisters. Thoughtful, determined, and genuine were all words thrown out to describe the middle sister. The youngest and quietest of the three, V’Asiah, is Amonie Jo’s main barista. The twenty-year-old sat quietly, but attentively as her sisters talked about the business. Don’t let her quiet manner fool you, this woman has a good head on her shoulders and could be described as an old soul who’s young at heart. She finished EMT school last year and wants to go back to school to be a Paramedic. “My mom always called me her nurse,” she said. “I want her to know that I finished it because she always told me to go to school and finish school.” Her sisters said that she keeps a level head in any situation, with Angie saying, “She’s a perfectionist just like my mom. She gets things done.” She graduated high school with her associate degree and a 4.3 GPA all while caring for her mother at night. She is described as strong, determined, and smart for taking the advice she’s given. Patrice called her a smart decision maker, saying, “Everything she does, you would think that it was on some five-year plan.” Mummy’s House One day, Winter Haven may see a brick and mortar Amonie Jo’s Coffee House. The words, “Mummy’s House” will grace the entrance with six separate dining spaces each representing one of the siblings. Patrice said, “The whole thing would still be a coffee shop though, we’re not going to open up some big restaurant. Same breakfast, pastries, coffees, teas, and lemonades but it would be Amonie Jo’s Coffee House. It’ll feel like how we grew up in our Mummy’s house with all the siblings being there.” The sisters are confident they can execute this and see it as a five-year goal. A Blessing Through these community connections, Amonie Jo’s has booked corporate events at State Farm, Legoland, and CenterState Bank. “Our business has thrived off community and people wanting to see us win,” said Angie. “Even if it’s just a ‘We’re so proud of you,’ or buying a cup of coffee or telling their friends about us – the sense of community and people, [...] it’s just been beautiful, it’s been amazing, it’s been fun...it’s blown our minds,” said Patrice. Everyone from the mayor to Dan Chesnika from Theatre Winter Haven and his family have been in their corner. “We move forward with people. We’re not here because of us,” said Angie. The sisters bought the bus only a month after their mother passed away and worked nonstop for the next year to get it going – something they consider to be a blessing. “Besides the community helping us out businesswise they’ve helped us in life and they’ve helped us heal. We did it all very soon, we didn’t give ourselves time to heal,” said Patrice. “We’ve cried, we have grieved and gone through that process and we still are, but we’re doing it with a community – that’s a gift.” Amonie Jo’s International Coffee & Delights Look for them at Party Rentals Unlimited again in the Fall and follow their social media to see where they will be. 118 Ave A SE, Winter Haven, FL 33880 FB: Amonie Jo’s Coffee IG: @amoniejos Photos by Amy Sexson

Music and country culture are in Hunter Smith’s blood. As a fifth-generation Floridian and fourth-generation Winter Havenite, his roots run deep here. His great grandfather, Dr. Wiley Terrell Simpson was instrumental in starting Winter Haven Hospital in 1928. Smith loves it here. His dad always says, “Another day in paradise” – and Hunter agrees. He left home to attend college but made his way back to Winter Haven where he and his wife Jennifer and two Labrador Retrievers, Willie and Waylon live. His time not strumming for a crowd is spent as a commercial insurance agent with Mulling Insurance. He likes good music, good food, good craft beer, and good wine. The Music that Shaped Him Surrounded since childhood by chords and notes, Smith’s grandmother, Billye-Mullins Smith was a professional concert pianist and music educator. “She developed her own music curriculum based on mathematics called Opus One,” said Smith. Her career flourished. She played for politicians and affluent audiences. Billye-Mullins Smith continued to teach until age 92 before passing away at 93. “She was absolutely amazing and a huge influence on me musically,” he said. “That’s where all the music in our family stemmed from.” Smith’s dad is a talented pianist as well, though never trained, he has an ear for it. His father also plays bass and both of his parents can carry quite a tune according to Smith. The sounds of James Taylor, The Beatles, Alabama, and Ronnie Milsap infused his upbringing. His grandmother introduced him to all of the essential classical artists – Brahms, Chopin, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bach. He said, “The radio was always on – there was either an 8-track in the dash of the car playing, a record on somewhere, there was a tape playing somewhere, the radio was on somewhere – there was just always music.” Tamerlane College is where he met one of his lifelong friends and bandmates, Shannon Fetherman. Fetherman was from Lakeland and Smith from Winter Haven, but the two had never crossed paths in Polk. They attended college nine and a half hours away at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama and were as thick as thieves within weeks of meeting. A binding force for the pals was music. “We started trying to teach ourselves how to play guitar. Over the course of a year we could strum G-C-D chord songs that were pretty simple,” remembered Smith. “We’d drive from Birmingham, home – both of us playing guitar. Him in the driver’s seat of a Bronco II and me in the passenger’s seat – both of us playing guitar, him with the neck out the window, driving with his knee.” In 1995, within a year of learning guitar, they started their first band called Tamerlane. Tamerlane even recorded an album in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded some of their music. The next few years saw them opening up for larger acts of the era like Semisonic, Creed, and Edwin McCain. Around the turn of the century, band members had moved away and Fetherman and Smith both moved back to Florida. Tamerlane was no longer. Smith said, “It was fun, it really taught me a lot about music, but it didn’t teach me near as much as what I would learn in the next 18 years of my musical career.” Polk Wall Street Cantina, Loaded Hog, and One-Eyed Jacks in downtown Orlando became frequent gigs for Hunter and Shannon when they moved home with their acoustic duo. At the same time, Smith was playing solo shows at Molly McHugh’s, Jesse’s, and Tanner’s original location. In 2002, Smith and Fetherman decided to start a three-piece band. With hard rock influence in the songs Hunter had been writing, they’d need a drummer. Fetherman bought a drum set and taught himself to play. They picked up bass player Jake Cockrell who has played with bands Black Eyed Suzy and Hubo Bentley. The three dubbed themselves “Polk.” From 2002 to 2005, Polk played regionally even opening for Switchfoot on the Cypress Gardens stage. Fetherman carried his acquisition of drumming skills into their band today. After the success of Polk, Smith, continuing to perform solo, also playing acoustic duo sets with his buddy, Tom Tussler. In 2009, Smith, Fetherman, Tussler and Danny Class started a rock quartet called, “As You Were.” Jill’s Cashbox Around 2011, Smith and Fetherman started playing with another friend and colleague, Jeff Sweat. The trio played and wrote songs together. In 2012, they decided to record an album of all the autobiographical songs they’d written. They sought out folks who could play the other instruments needed to produce the stripped-down, Americana country album. Producing and playing on the album was Brett Hestla who had spent time playing bass for Creed and was the lead singer and guitarist of bands Virgos Merlot and Dark New Day. Over the course of two weeks in the studio in 2012, the first album of the newly formed band, Jill’s Cashbox was complete. Smith has continued with Jill’s Cashbox for the last 7 years on vocals and acoustic guitar. Someone he said was pivotal in his own and the band’s success was the host of radio station WPCV 97.5 County, Sara Michaels. Smith called Michaels a friend and his “chosen family.” Michaels called Smith and asked if he wanted to play a gig at the House of Blues. They booked it, but the show fell through. Maybe that was serendipity’s intervening hand because the House of Blues stayed in touch and later asked Jill’s Cashbox to open up for top country artist, Josh Turner. That show snowballed into gigs left and right for Jill’s Cashbox. “We rounded out the lineup of the band within six to eight months of playing the show at the House of Blues. We added our current lead guitarist and we’ve been a six-piece ever since,” said Smith. On vocals and acoustic guitar for the band is Smith, Fetherman on drums, Jeff Sweat on rhythm guitar, Joey Antrim on bass, Greg Martin on lead guitar, and Rob Gundling on keys. Jill’s Cashbox has seen its share of regional success and has been an incredible experience for Smith. He said, “The list just goes on and on of the folks that we’ve gotten to share the stage with. We’ve gotten to meet a lot of our country music idols – Dierks Bentley, Sara Evans, Charlie Daniels, Toby Keith, Keith Urban, Chris Young, Lonestar, we played with Skynyrd twice. I never thought I’d get to meet the guys from Lynyrd Skynyrd.” “It’s been so much fun that some days you go, ‘Where’s this going? Maybe I just want to take time off and relax.’ And then you play that next show and it reminds you why you do it.” Songs that Mean the Most Every song he’s ever written holds a place in Hunter Smith’s heart, but there are three that take up a little more room. The day before his wedding to wife Jennifer, Smith found himself penning a song to surprise her with at their reception. About the song, “Forever” on the Jill’s Cashbox album, Smith said, “It’s a cheesy love song, but those were my heartfelt feelings the day before my wedding to my wife and those lyrics all stand true fifteen years later.” Next is a song he wrote with friend Terry Coffman, “Love Me Never.” It was a piece that came together in about 20 minutes. “It just felt so natural,” said Smith. John Gunter wrote a song that Smith tweaked a bit and produced called “Fishing in Our Soul.” He called it the “epitome of a fishing song.” It is even the theme song for brothers Joe and Luke Simonds for their company, Salt Strong Fishing. The crew filmed a music video for the track in the Little Gasparilla/ Boca Grande area that Smith says has been viewed collectively over 2 million times. Many Years to Come Happy where he is, Smith reflected that his main goal is to sell his music. He would love to get his songs into the hands of producers, artists and record labels that could produce them with some of the country icons he has looked up to. “I think that my joy would come from being able to see somebody else take my music and take it to that next level,” he said. “I don’t think any of the success that I’ve had over the last seven years whether it’s been solo or with Jill’s Cashbox would have happened if it wasn’t for Polk County and Winter Haven and the support of friends, family, fans,” expressed Smith. He also credits Sara Michaels for her avid support of the band. To all of his supporters, Smith said, “Thank you for allowing me to be able to do this for as long as I’ve been doing it. I hope there are many, many more years to come.” The musician says he doesn’t plan to quit playing until people quit listening. “I’m indebted to the folks of Central Florida and Winter Haven and Polk County for giving me a voice. It’s really cool.” Hunter Smith Music FB @huntjcb Jill’s Cashbox FB @JillsCashbox Find their music on iTunes and Amazon

Dino on the Wall by Ana Lopez Now halfway through its one-year-long display, David Collin’s Tapestries continues to add life to Lakeland’s buildings in the Dixieland, Midtown, and Downtown areas. This project is a first for public art in Lakeland. While the city does display art in public spaces, such as the Lemon Street Promenade sculptures, murals have long been off-limits. Collins, who has executed several public art projects in Lakeland over the past few years, Clearly People being the most recent, decided it was time to do a large-scale, collaborative project with local artists. The idea came to Collins after he received several used tarps that he then decided to paint on. He knew he wanted to hang them outdoors, but needed to know if they would even hold up in Florida’s hot sun. After doing several tests using Seal Krete and primer, the artist was confident that the paintings could withstand Florida’s brutal climate. At this point, Collins sent out a call to artists. 65 tapestries needed to be painted, and while he probably could have painted them all himself had he wanted to, this was meant to be a collaborative project that would show off the talent of Lakeland’s artists. In total, 43 artists created 65 tapestries; some painted just one, while others painted up to five. Artists who didn’t have a studio of their own worked in the gallery space of the Working Artist, Collins’ studio and gallery in Dixieland on South Florida Avenue. Collins said that working with 43 artists was hectic. “I’ll never work with that many artists again,” he exclaimed, though he did make sure to mention that the majority were great to work with. The benefit of working with over 40 artists is that it gives a chance to showcase all of the talent Lakeland has. “It lets people know we have high-quality artists in Lakeland,” Collins said, “It also works as a way to market other artists.” For a long time, Lakeland’s art community has largely been viewed as one-dimensional. Tapestries proves the opposite, displaying vast arrays of painting styles, subject matter, and ideas. Each artist represented a different side of the art community that Lakeland has. Tapestries has even had an effect outside of the visual arts community, reaching into the performing arts. Amber Grubb, founder of GRUBB Arts, found inspiration for plays in the tapestries hung around Lakeland. Abstract is her five-show series of performances based on 30 of the tapestries. Grubb already had experience turning paintings into performances prior to this. Several years ago, she directed a performance based on the Mona Lisa, and another on Jackson Pollock’s Convergence. Octopus’ Garden in the Ancient Sea by Roderic Brame “The Abstract series is just a revised version of one of my favorite show designs,” Grubb said. Some of the artists whose tapestries were used for inspiration include Gabriela Jaxon, Holly Scoggins, Aaron Adams, and David Collins. Originally, Grubb planned on making one full-length show featuring 12-15 paintings, but once she and her team began looking into each piece, they quickly realized narrowing down to a dozen or so would be difficult. Selecting 30 pieces and dividing them between five shows became the obvious way to execute the idea. So far, two performances have already been completed: La Femme on May 19th and Electric Youth on June 23rd. Grubb says the reception has been fantastic and that audiences are thankful for the opportunity to learn more about the pieces they have been seeing. Grubb also taught a workshop at Main Street Homeschool Auxiliary where students analyzed individual tapestries and wrote ekphrastic poetry based on their analyses. “The students really engaged in the process and had tons of meaningful insights to lend to the greater human conversation,” Grubb mentioned. Grubb stressed the importance of viewing the tapestries up close, not just through the car window as you drive past. She believes that there is great educational value in each piece, and that seeing them in person is an enriching experience. Overall, the response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive, the only backlash being against Aaron Corbitt’s The Fall of Dionysus, a therapy piece for the artist that tackled the subject of alcoholism. Corbitt took the criticism well, though, understanding that not everyone will get the intended message from a piece of art. “I made a killing on the prints!” Corbitt joked after mentioning that the criticism opened a dialogue about the piece and got more people involved in discussing art. To non-artists, the art world can come off as being a smug, intimidating space that isn’t very welcoming to outsiders. While this is not necessarily true, going to a museum and trying to talk about a painting made by someone who is considered a “master” can be difficult. On the other hand, a painting hanging on the side of a building invites anyone to stop and think in a casual environment, free of judgement. The tapestries bring art out of the museum and allow for everyone to see and discuss art in a setting they are familiar with. While Collins was fairly modest about the project, stating “I’ve already done the work, they’re up now. Other people probably have better insight than me,” it is clear that Tapestries has had a significant impact on the way Lakeland views and understands art. For a map of where tapestries are hung, go to davidnelsoncollins.com . For more information on Abstract, visit GRUBB Arts, LLC on FB. Photos by Amy Sexson

Since childhood, Lieutenant/ EMT Charlie Robles has been drawn to his profession. After joining the fire service, he came across a paper he’d done in kindergarten describing what he wanted to be when he grew up – a firefighter. Robles was born in Connecticut and moved to Florida twentysomething years ago. He wasn’t focused on firefighting until a friend of his talked him into going to school for it with him. He first became an EMT and then went through his Fire Standards. He was hired for his first job as a firefighter with Winter Haven Fire Department Station 1, eleven years ago in September. The married father of three says his children ages 14, 11, and one keep him pretty busy when he isn’t on shift. Like many in the fire service, the lieutenant also has a second job, marketing for a sleep study company. Lieutenant Robles says the most fulfilling part of his job is the ability to help people. He said that he’s found a sense of pride in the amount of time he’s dedicated to the service and in representing his department and the Winter Haven community. Always on Call Lieutenant Robles shed light on the misconception that firefighters have free time when they are not responding to a call. “We are one of the busiest stations in the county,” he said. “We run two of the busiest trucks in the county.” With the downtime they do have, everyone on shift is training or fulfilling station duties. “If someone comes in to tour the station, that’s the first thing they walk into – a big screen tv and recliners – that’s some of the misconceptions that we’re just kicking back watching tv all day long. That’s not the case at all,” he said. Often times when people see them out and about, at a grocery store, for instance, they’ll ask who’s watching the station. Robles said, “Even though we’re doing other things, we’re always subject to calls. We always have to provide the service.” A Lieutenant’s Responsibility The medical calls they run are handled with the same level of importance as a fire, but they are more routine, comprising the overwhelming majority of what they respond to. They hear the tone overhead and are given the address and nature of the call. “In route to that call, you’re reading the notes of what the call is going to be and you go through the steps in your head of what you’re going to lay out when you get there,” explained the lieutenant. “When fires come in, as a Lieutenant, you’ve got a lot more responsibility that you have to think of,” he said. It is his job to oversee the scene, make sure the firefighters are doing what they need to be doing, and, “Overall, the main thing is making sure that everyone is safe.” The responsibility he feels is made stronger by the relationships the firefighters develop. The lieutenant said, “Over an entire career, you spend one-third of your life with the individuals that are here – about just as much time as you spend with your family.” Outside of work, they attend each other’s kid’s birthday parties and social gatherings. “It’s a pretty strong bond that you develop with everyone,” he said. Dealing with Difficult Situations The mental demand of the fire service is strenuous. Day in and day out first responders are witness to and charged with helping in dire and traumatic situations. Lieutenant Robles discussed dealing with that stress, saying, “First starting out, there’s a process that you have to implement. It takes you a little bit to build that up. When I first started off, it wasn’t as easy as it is now to come back and eat lunch or continue with the day and not think about it.” Building that “tough skin” is a different process for everyone. “For me, for the most part, we’ll run a call and then as soon as we get back in the truck it’s done with. I’m ready for the next thing,” he said. For the more serious calls, they have something they can put into place called CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management). It is up to the lieutenant or chief to make that decision. Robles said, “We know each other really well, so we know when someone’s off or they come back and you can tell by their body language or things of that nature that they were bothered by that call. That’s when we go ahead and activate that.” The stress management debriefing allows the shift to sit together and go around the table to talk about the situation. Still Having Fun Lieutenant Charlie Robles is satisfied with where he is in his career. The next ascension in the fire service ladder for him would be battalion chief. He said, “You have to know a great deal of the job and all the different aspects of incidents that you can run into to be able to command an entire shift. I feel like I need to get to that point first before I even look at that aspect, and I’m also still having fun running calls.” Photo by Amy Sexson

It’s alive!!! But, in a good way. For Krazy Kombucha owner, Wendy Johnson, producing this fermented beverage for the community she loves is a way of life. Her family goes back 100 years in Lakeland – Wendy is the third generation here. She and her husband have three sons, two of whom are in the Marine Corps and her third still in high school. A nurse of over 20 years, Johnson’s first job was on the Digestive Floor of Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Looking for alternative options to some of the digestive issues she had seen and experienced in her own family, Johnson became certified in holistic medicine. “I saw the debilitating diseases in the hospital and I know twenty-something years later younger and younger kids are in there with chronic problems with digestion,” she said. She knew about kombucha through her holistic background and met a chiropractor who was making it locally. “The ginger kombucha is what helped my stomach so much, and I got her on it because she’s my best friend,” she said pointing to her BFF and Krazy Kombucha team member, AJ Jackson. Wendy and AJ met through a fitness class that AJ teaches. They started running together, but both dealt with stomach issues. When they came upon kombucha, they were addicted to its benefits. The chiropractor moved to Tampa and the business was no longer. Wanting the kombucha operation to continue not only for herself but for Lakeland, Johnson bought the company and the equipment to carry on Krazy Kombucha. AJ works for the City of Lakeland full-time and assists Wendy with the business during her off time. Wendy’s youngest son, Justin also helps his mom, opting to lend a hand with the heavy lifting. June 9 marked a year selling at the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market. Wendy said as a nurse with no background in running a business, she needed a little help. She joined Catapult which allowed her to propel her business forward. In February the team spread their wings and branched out to a workspace of their own in Dixieland. What is Kombucha? “Kombucha is a fermented tea, it also contains a live probiotic culture in it. Each drink that you take in contains a live culture,” explained Wendy. “The live culture grows the good bacteria in the gut biome.” Issues with digestion, belly aches, bloating, acid reflux and the like, Wendy says are usually caused by an imbalance of the gut microbiome. “The gut biome is made up of many bacteria – good and bad. Sugar tends to feed the bad bacteria and you get an overgrowth of the bad bacteria. With kombucha, when you drink it on a regular basis, you’re able to put in the good culture which is going to help combat the bad guys, so they don’t overgrow,” she said. “When you tip the scales into the good bacteria – the acid reflux, the bloating, the gas and things like that – get better.” It’s all about the SCOBY, Baby It all starts with a “momma” SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) in a large glass contained tank. Wendy described the SCOBY’s like the “momma” that will eventually grow “babies.” Proud of their SCOBY children, AJ joked, “We grin as soon as we walk in and see them.” “We’re so proud of them,” Wendy added. The full process of making kombucha takes about three weeks. Wendy starts by boiling a blend of organic teas including green and white teas for added antioxidants. They add organic sugar and let it cool to around 80 degrees. Using a process called a “continuous brew” in their tanks, there is always about 2-3 gallons of starter liquid tea in the bottom for the next batch. They add the cooled tea and sugar into the starter liquid and add water to a certain level. Fermentation will take about a week at a steady temperature between 75 and 76 degrees. All the while they are testing it for alcohol and pH levels. Their kombucha is considered non-alcoholic containing below 0.5% alcohol and they keep the pH to approximately 3.3. After the week of fermentation, it goes into the keg for the second fermentation with whatever fruit will be flavoring it – taking about 24-hours. No more sugar is added other than the fructose from the fruit. The team concocts seasonal flavors like strawberry, blackberry basil, and pineapple with their staple ginger continuing to lead sales. Refrigeration slows fermentation down, where it will sit for a week and a half to two weeks. Now, the finished product is ready for distribution! They currently make their kombucha in three tanks, with each tank producing one barrel or roughly 30 gallons. The space they are in now offers room for expansion. They are in the process of building three new tanks to double their brew. Where to Find Them Krazy Kombucha’s bread and butter is the downtown farmer’s market. That’s where you’ll find them every Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm during regular hours, and 8 am to 1 pm in the summer. The market closes for a month in August. You can enjoy an ice-cold glass on its own or mix it with your favorite beer at Swan Brewing. Mango and berry flavors are usually on tap there which Wendy recommends with Swan’s Mango Mia or their Blonde Ale. The Lakeland CBD Wellness store on Kentucky Avenue has a kegerator where kombucha lovers can fill their growler or another container. Molly McHugh’s Irish Pub has picked up a few of their half gallons. “They’re really liking our ginger to put in with their Moscow Mules,” said Wendy. In fact, Wendy and AJ say their kombucha is the perfect additive or substitution in your favorite cocktail recipe (they are all good with rum). Instead of reaching for a sugary mixer next time, try using kombucha! The east side of the county will get a chance to sample the good stuff in the soon-opening Smoothie Squad in Winter Haven. Offering an Alternative Health and wellness are passions for both Wendy and AJ. As athletes, they’ve had their own issues with indigestion from overtraining to stress. The pair want to provide a healthy remedy to these issues to the greater community as well as the fitness comrades. From an athletic standpoint, Wendy said, “When you grow the good gut bacteria, it boosts your immune system, you’re boosting energy so it’s going to give you that power you need to perform.” She considers drinking kombucha a lifestyle choice, saying that it’s not a medicine you have to take, but rather something real that you can feel good about drinking regularly. It is alive after all and as Wendy said, “Living food is healing.” “It’s bigger than us,” said Wendy, “We’re trying to bring this into the community that we love because we know that each drop in somebody’s stomach can definitely benefit them.” Krazy Kombucha https://krazykombucha.life FB @krazykombucha IG @krazykombucha Photo by Amy Sexson

The proof was in the pudding, or CBD rather, for Areli and Tony Bryan of Lakeland. Their personal experiences with CBD impassioned them to open a store in efforts to extend to others the CBD benefits that changed their lives. “I was dealing with a lot of anxiety and my friend told me about CBD,” said Areli. She did some research and with promising results, decided to give it a try. She said, “It helped me tremendously.” At the time, she was taking one medication for heart palpitations and another for thyroid issues. When she went to the doctor for her 6-month checkup, her thyroid levels had improved, and her anxiety was all but nonexistent. “I’ve been off my medication for a year and three months now. I take CBD every day in the morning and afternoon,” she said. Her husband, Tony, had three knee surgeries. The resulting pain stopped him from being able to do things he loved like wakeboarding and coaching their son’s baseball team. He began taking the same water-soluble CBD Areli had been using and then a topical CBD cream. The relief he experienced left him feeling whole again and he was back to do those things he’d been missing out on. Areli thought, “Wow, this helped me. I know it can help others.” They opened their first Your CBD Store in Alabama before moving to Lakeland and opening their store here in November. Tony is originally from Tallahassee, Areli has family in Orlando and friends of theirs opened a CBD store in Bradenton. Looking for a place to settle back in Florida, Tony said, “We found that Lakeland was a big enough city but had a small-town feel.” They fell in love with the area and decided it was a prime location to start anew. “We love the Lakeland community, it’s a great place to be,” said Areli. Since their store opened late last year, the couple says they have been well received. What is CBD? CBD or cannabidiol is a natural compound found in the Cannabis plant. Hearing the word “Cannabis” might make you think of marijuana or getting high. The Your CBD Store Lakeland owners urge that this is not the case with CBD. Their line of products contains 0% THC, the compound in Cannabis that produces that psychoactive or “high” feeling. The goal is to give you “health without the high,” says Tony. “It turns on receptors in your body that should be working properly, and it helps our body go into homeostasis. When our body is in homeostasis, it’s functioning as it should. The reason it does that is because we have an endocannabinoid system,” he said. “This product used to be part of our everyday life. It was grown in the fields, it was in medicine cabinets, in the kitchen, people used it to cook with.” The owners prefaced that CBD does not prevent, treat, or cure, but is a powerful symptom reliever. Avid CBD users proport it to alleviate symptoms for everything from migraines, muscle aches, anxiety, stress, insomnia, arthritis, fibromyalgia, eczema, rosacea, and a seemingly endless list of other ailments. The owners told the story of one customer who had been suffering from fibromyalgia for years and wasn’t able to do even simple tasks like grocery shopping. Tony said, “She started using the product and came in and was very emotional about how much better she was feeling. She was able to do things around her house, she was able to garden, she was able to go grocery shopping and was able to do things that made her feel more whole again.” The Products Your CBD Store offers a multitude of products, all from the same product line, SunMed. “The reason we partnered with that company is because all of their products are third-party independently tested for pesticides, heavy metals, and all the solvents that can be in CBD. We use this product because every bottle has a QR code that you can scan and go directly to a third-party independent lab test,” said Tony. “We know the quality of the product, we know what’s in the product and it just gives us peace of mind that we are selling a product that we know is clean and beneficial and helpful to the consumer.” Not a one size fits all, the store offers CBD in a form for everyone. The water-soluble CBD which comes in different flavors and strengths can be mixed in your favorite drink. Tinctures are a sublingual product that is dropped under the tongue for 60 seconds with strengths ranging from 250mg to 3000mg according to Areli. They also carry capsules, a line of topical relief and beauty products. The CBD body lotions are useful for eczema, rosacea, and dehydrated skin. They also have different scents of 100mg CBD bath balms along with daytime and nighttime face creams. Humans aren’t the only ones that can benefit from the natural elixir. Patrons can pick up CBD treats and tinctures for their pets at Your CBD Store. Speaking about our furry friends, Areli said, “They have an endocannabinoid system just like we do. It [CBD] helps them with separation anxiety, thunder, lighting, loud noises.” Continuing to Grow The stores that the Bryans own are part of a growing nationwide brand that began with one store, 14 months ago. It has since exploded to 300 stores from coast to coast. Tony said, “The reason we’re growing so fast is because it’s so beneficial and we’re so transparent with the quality of our products, the third-party lab testing, and the experience when you come into a store is very soft and inviting. We’re not here to sell you something just for profit, we want to see you benefit from the product and have a better quality of life.” Tony Bryan describes their store as “a high-end CBD boutique” and encourages the community to stop in and learn about CBD and its uses. The summer has been very exciting for Your CBD Store, they wrapped up their Veteran’s Initiative in June and will open a new store in Winter Haven this month. “We can’t wait to be in Winter Haven,” said Areli. Be on the lookout for a grand opening date for the east side of the county! Your CBD Store Lakeland 3145 S FL Ave., Lakeland Lakeland.CBDrx4u.com Phone: (863) 937-3195 Photo by Amy Sexson

Dreamy Daylilies, a looming cascade of Downy Jasmine, and a bed of brilliant Impatiens can be spotted from the picnic blanket you’ve draped over a cushion of grass. The scent of sweet perennials drift past with the southern breeze – the vision competes only with the delicious turkey cranberry wrap you’re currently indulging in. No, it’s not a dream, it’s lunch courtesy of the Blue Palmetto Cafe. Have you considered going to Bok Tower Gardens for lunch this week? You should. The Blue Palmetto Café serves fresh and sumptuous dishes that stand on their own, but enjoyed in the lush Florida greenery is an experience unmatched. The building that houses the café opened in 1996 according to Chef Matthew Fulwood, though the café existed before that with fewer offerings at the Olmsted building. Prior to Chef Matt and his predecessor chef at the Blue Palmetto, there were talks of shutting down the eatery for lack of profitability. The decision to bring on a chef turned the café around with continual growth since. “The café is basically our number one source of revenue. One of our best ways that we keep the gardens growing is through what we do here at the café,” said Bok Tower Gardens Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Erica Smith. About the Chef After discovering his love for the craft, Fulwood enrolled in a Culinary Arts program at Johnson and Wales in Miami, graduating with a degree in Culinary Arts. He has been cooking for 18 years and has been with Blue Palmetto Cafe for seven. “I’ve never worked with a chef where everything has to be fresh, except for Matt,” said Smith, who was blown away by his commitment to quality. Where guests might expect to get quick concessions at the cafe, they are often surprised by what’s on the menu. Made to order salads and sandwiches are cafe specialties. “It really does delight our guests to have such a great meal,” said Smith. When Fulwood came on as sous chef under the previous chef, the two worked together to create new menu items and specials. At that time, they would sell ten to fifteen specials and consider it a good day. “Now we do the specials and sell out at 45 or 50 of them, which is my goal,” said Fulwood. Delectables like filet with smoked blue cheese and red wine sauce, which was the special when we sat down with the chef, speak to the reason for their popularity. The 200,000 visitors passing through the gardens throughout the year, specials, events, and catering keep Chef Fulwood busy. When we spoke, he was preparing the special for a dinner that night – stuffed flank steak with Boursin cheese, spinach, prosciutto, rolled and roasted, with mashed potatoes and charred broccoli served alongside. The chef has been featured several times in their Outdoor Kitchen events. For a recent dinner called Cork vs Craft, he developed a menu that a sommelier and beer expert then had to pair to. Wine Walk, another popular happening at the gardens saw 600 participants this year. Fulwood devised samples for all six stops of the event all while preparing the dinner special and running the café. To say he takes his job seriously would be an understatement. Mouthwatering Mentions The “fresh, farm to table, down to earth flavors” of the café’s ever-evolving menu, as described by Fulwood, are a reflection of the native beauty abounding at the gardens. We had the opportunity to experience these fresh flavors for lunch. One of their most popular menu items, the Chicken Blueberry Salad is a must-try. The crisp and vibrant artisan mixed greens were a stunning background to a scoop of homemade chicken salad, blueberries, feta cheese, candied pecans, and strawberries, all dressed with a blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette. The savory chicken salad was well complemented by the tart fruitiness of the berries and sweet crunch of candied pecans. Along with the salad, the chef prepared their Avocado Tuna Wrap which was as visually vivid as our surroundings. The tomato basil wrap was filled with a generous portion of tuna salad comprised of high-quality tuna with sprouts, tomato, and plenty of avocado slices. Both dishes felt filling, but not heavy – perfect for a walk around the gardens after. Smith expressed, “The gardens are definitely the spotlight, but I think that our café is closely rivaling with the experience that they have here.” Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a meal in the gardens. Bok Tower will be a bit quiet during their 3-million-dollar expansion of the exhibit hall. The visitors center will be closed due to renovations until the expansion’s completion in fall with a promising lineup of events and fun. Blue Palmetto Cafe 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales, FL 33853 (863) 676-1355 Open daily 9am - 5pm boktowergardens.org FB: The Blue Palmetto Cafe Photo by Amy Sexson

Tim Bryant has given himself the freedom to pursue everything that interests him. This decision took him from an industry he didn’t enjoy, to living the life he wants, at a place where he likes the person he has become. From Dayton, Ohio, Bryant’s family moved to Haines City when he was six to develop Grenelefe. Starting as a sophomore in high school in the DCT program, his first profession was in finance. This career took him from Haines City to Tampa, Orlando, and Miami in different banks. Although it wasn’t work he particularly enjoyed, Bryant said, “I learned a lot. I’m a firm believer that you can learn something from everything you do.” When it began to feel like everything at his job was just a number, he remembers, “I said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and I got in touch with the human side of life again.” This life-altering decision stemmed from a bad car accident he had in 1987 and the loss of his best friend. “It made me start thinking about life. Do I want to be miserable for the rest of my life or do I want to try to be happy? It’s a choice you make every day.” Giving Himself Permission In this new chapter of his life, Bryant started working for a doctor who treated patients with AIDS and terminal illnesses free of charge. Bryant helped the doctor develop the operation into a full clinic. He found value in the time he spent sitting with patients, mixing medicines, and looking for holistic cures for the doctor. “I gave myself permission to do the things that mean something to me,” he said. Granting himself permission gave him the internal freedom to start painting again – something he hadn’t done since he was nine years old. The first work he did when he’d started painting again, a scene from a bike ride in Provincetown, is framed on the wall of his shop. The culinary arts and interior design were interests he also began investing in. Bryant credits Laura Covington of Lakeland for being instrumental in his cooking. He said of Covington who owned Park Place Café, “She taught me everything I needed to know about cooking and I just fell in love with how you could get people to enjoy things. It’s like an art form to me. It’s the way it’s plated, the way it tastes, it’s the layers of flavor.” Contemplating his passions, Bryant remarked, “There are a lot of facets to my life and each one makes me, me.” The Push He learned a lot in the 18 years he’d lived in Tampa. Bryant had helped two of his best friends grow companies. They would always ask him if he could do it for them, why not for himself? Sometimes you just don’t have enough faith in yourself he said – sometimes you need a push. He returned to take care of his father who had cancer and ended up staying. “I was a little fish in a big pond over there, I’m the big fish in a little pond over here. That helped give me my push that I needed to know that I can do this,” said Bryant. He opened a 2000 square-foot store called Bryant Home Gallery on the Park from 2010 to 2013. In February of this year, the interior designer opened Bryant Home Gallery Marketplace in Winter Haven. Bryant hand selects vendors for his home furnishings gallery. “If you have a passion for what you do, then I will back you one hundred percent. If you’re just slapping paint on something to sell, there are other stores for that,” he said. Everything in his store is intentional and artisan. He creates his own pigments, stains, and develops lighting and fabrics. You can see his attention to detail and artistry during a stroll through his store – from lighting he created from antique wooden table legs or a bookcase from the 1970s Princess line of furniture that he sandblasted and stained with ash from an oak fire and denatured alcohol. A painter and creative himself, art is important to Bryant. He uses his space to highlight the works of local artists like Tinia Clark and Morgan Boyette. In 2012, Bryant started the Art Walk in Winter Haven showcasing local artists in a pop-up gallery. Every month he hosts the community at his gallery (last month was Martinis and Mid-Century). Be on the lookout for his next event on the store’s Facebook page @BryantHomeGallery. Interior Design His retail store is only a piece of what Bryant does. As an interior designer with clients from here to Tampa, he helps people develop their style and make their house uniquely their own. He grew up in construction. His father and grandfather were custom home builders. Bryant would consult with their clients to pinpoint what they want and draw up the floor plans and the exterior. He said, “I enjoy learning and getting to know what makes people tick and to make them feel like it’s their home.” When consulting with a client, the first thing he tells them is to go through magazines, Pinterest and other forms of inspiration to collect concepts or elements they like. This collection of ideas is how he helps develop their style for a space. The furniture he sells, restores, and creates are unique. “When I get furniture or design a piece of furniture, it’s taking an old piece and giving it a new life and making it appealing to that demographic, so they can appreciate the architecture, the construction, what it is that they’re getting instead of just ordering it online, it comes in a box and you put it together.” He has started to see this in the younger generation. He said, “They’re getting back to some of these values that we’ve lost along the way and I’m very happy that I see that.” A Diamond in the Rough “You have to give yourself permission to like what you like,” Bryant said. “I think that’s important to know that we’re like a diamond in the rough and every time that you want to give it a cut to bring out the brilliance, that’s an aspect of your life – that’s one part of your life, but it takes many of those to make that beautiful stone.” Like the cuts of a brilliant stone, Bryant considers painting, cooking, interior design, and being in the LGBTQ community only some of the many aspects that make him, him. “Not one thing defines you,” said Bryant. “Being gay [or] lesbian, that is just a facet of who you are. If you let one thing define you then you’re not living your life.” He concluded, “I think it’s more important to look at the human side of life and know that you are part of this society because you are human first. What you do after that, how you affect people on a daily basis is up to you because if you give respect to other people, you’re going to get the respect back.” Photo by Amy Sexson

Life has a funny way of taking us in a direction unforeseen. You may go to places you’ve never been or come back to somewhere you never thought you would. Winter Haven resident, Joel Carrier has learned to clasp life’s leading hand and embrace being present – wherever that might be. Born in California, Carrier’s family moved to Iowa when he was just a baby. They made their way to Polk County when Joel was a teenager. Starting out as a Political Science major at Florida State, Carrier instead opted for a degree in Communications. Following college, Carrier moved to Michigan where he would live for the next 30 years. He spent five years with a public relations agency, then in the promotion department of a Fox affiliate. Joel came to the decision that he either wanted to live in a major market or become a freelance writer by the time he was 32. Taking the freelance writing route, Joel wrote for the Grand Rapids Press and its sister publications in Michigan. He flourished as a contract writer for Amway, becoming the lead writer in North America for their Artistry Skincare line, the fifth leading prestige brand in the world at the time. His portfolio includes the likes of fashion journalism, home and design writing, features, and human-interest pieces. Carrier opened his 3400 square foot vintage home furnishing store in Grand Rapids, in 2000. He owned and operated the store for 13 years. Life pulled Joel in an unexpected direction seven years ago when he came down to care for his mother who was having a medical procedure. He traveled from Michigan with intentions to stay for one week. That week turned into the first year caring for his mom. She had a live-in caregiver, but Joel wanted to be there for her. When it became apparent he was going to be in Florida for a while, he decided to get a job. As a wine consultant for ABC, he was able to earn a living and have time to spend with his mother. She passed away two years ago. “The five years I spent with my mom, I would not exchange those for anything,” expressed Joel. The Next Chapter Ready to invest in a different career, Joel decided to give real estate a go. “It has worked out beautifully,” he said. “I am absolutely loving this next chapter in my life.” A creative person with an affinity for interacting with people, Joel has found a dream profession as a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty in Lakeland. Smoothing out difficult transactions and working tirelessly at the last minute to bring a transaction to close allow Carrier to tap into his creativity and love for people. Last year, he was working with a buyer who wanted a home for himself and his mother at a price point of $70K. Joel remembered, “It was tough finding him the right place at a very difficult price point. It took months, but we found it. I came home to a card that simply said, ‘Thank you for making my dream come true.’ I keep that card on my credenza in my hallway, so I see it every day when I walk in.” Motivated to continue making his clients’ dreams come true, Carrier aims to close 48 units this year. “This decision to join my particular team, Florida Spotlight Homes Group at this particular office has been a life changer for me because there are so many good people,” he said. “The leadership and the culture is all from the heart – all about family and helping people and giving back.” Passion for Politics News and politics have always captured Carrier – he joked that he considers himself somewhat of a politics nerd. He has volunteered on political campaigns and belongs to Rainbow Ridge, a local LGBTQ political organization. Discussing what he would like to see for the country in the future, Joel said, “What I’d like to see happen in this country is for the divisiveness to just end.” He continued, “It’s not Democrat versus Republican, gay versus straight, black versus white – we have become so incredibly divisive that there is no conversation anymore.” One way to change this divisiveness in everyday life, Carrier says, is “To encourage people to not judge someone until you’ve walked in their shoes.” LGBTQ in Polk When Carrier first lived in Polk County as a teenager, he wasn’t a fan. When he returned, he didn’t anticipate staying. “At first I was vehemently opposed because I was hanging on to my, what I know now, are misconceptions of Polk County.” Over the last 35-40 years, the area has really changed according to Joel. “There are a heck of a lot of damn good people here,” he said. In terms of being gay in Polk County, he said it’s no different from anywhere else. “Being gay is a part of who I am, but it doesn’t define me.” He tends to gravitate towards people who are open-minded and nonjudgmental, even if they don’t share the same views on everything. He has happily managed to find those people here. Enjoying Right Now Joel Carrier has made an impassioned effort to live in the moment and be present. This is rooted in his informal studying of Tibetan Buddhism in Grand Rapids. “The philosophy speaks to me […] because it’s so internal based and it holds us to be accountable to ourselves and to society – to be good and do good,” said Carrier. “The past two years have been a real transition point for me in my personal life,” he noted. Though his one week in Florida turned into a permanent stay wasn’t what he had planned, Joel said, “That’s not a negative by any means, it’s been a wonderful journey.” Now getting into a flow and settling down, he plans to get back to the things he enjoys in life – yoga, cycling, reading (literary nonfiction is his favorite), writing, and soaking in each moment with his friends and loved ones. Prior to this period of readjustment, Carrier practiced yoga for some twenty years and even taught it. He also spent 20 years riding his bike, five nights a week, 12-15 miles a night. A highlight of his life was accomplishing a ride across the state of Texas for an AIDS fundraiser. About another happy piece of his life, Joel said, “I am dating the most remarkable man in the world and at this point in my life to have been so lucky to meet someone like that has just been an amazing experience,” said Joel. The two are currently renovating their house. “I’m perfectly content just slowing down and enjoying. Some of my favorite times are with Billy, sitting on his front porch, talking and watching the sunset and drinking wine, hanging out with my friends at the pool on Sundays, and being completely irresponsible at my age,” he smiled. Photo by Amy Sexson