Photo by Kamryn Potteiger You don’t have to stroll the neon-lit Strip in Las Vegas to find a world-class Elvis Presley tribute artist. One of the very best calls Lake Otis in Winter Haven home. Dwight Icenhower holds a distinction no one else can claim: he is the only tribute artist in history to win five Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist awards at Graceland. Add to that more than 75 first-place finishes across competitions. When it comes to channeling Elvis, Icenhower is the Kin

Every now and then you hear about a school that has a spark, a niche that makes it stand out amongst other institutions; one that wants to serve a particular purpose, which makes you smile and have hope for the students that get to attend. Other times you will hear about that one cool teacher featured on the local news for going full Ms. Frizzle meets Mr. Roger’s neighborhood leaving an impact as they dared to push the norm. This time you will hear about both. A spectacular s

We talked with Timothy Collette from Clean Pirate Life to learn about the fifth annual Foot the Chain Music & Waterski Festival happening in February. With a new sober living facility as the end goal, find out about the fun happening along the way to get there. HOW DID FOOT THE CHAIN COME ABOUT AND WHY? TC: Foot the Chain (FTC) started with a group of guys who came to Winter Haven every year after the holiday season, to warm up and barefoot waterski our beautiful chain of la

Dwight Icenhower, the legendary Elvis tribute artist, along with his wife, Vicky, who he proclaims to be a “rockstar that does everything but get on stage and perform,” have crafted a three-day, very intimate, multi- faceted experience for those who loved The King and Icenhower’s ultimate tribute to him. “When my wife and I first designed the weekend, we wanted it to be like a ‘Dwight Fan Retreat’ for the die-hard fans that have been with me for years and years,” explained Ic

This month, we look back to 1915 when a small group of determined residents had a vision of connecting many of our lakes by canals. The group organized as the Twenty Lakes Boat Club. At the time, some of the lakes had small “runs” or swampy places that connected them. This club wanted to create canals there. Pleasure boat in Howard/Cannon canal, one the Chain’s most scenic. Foot bridge spanning the canal behind boat was originally installed to connect the properties of Dick a

Jack Spengler was born in Buffalo, New York in 1930. He shares his decades with a lightness that feels almost subversive in a climate that so often feels like rain on the day you planned the picnic—even testing the dispositions of those who keep the glass a quarter full and steady eyes on the silver linings behind unexpected clouds. Jack carries a pragmatic joy, as if he shook hands with what he couldn’t control, making friends with both rain and sunshine. He jokes about skip