On the breezy front porch of the Fort Meade Historical Museum, Founder & Executive Director of Dorothy Jean’s Dream Initiative, Jaret Landon, began to tell his story. He chose the setting for its connection to the rich history of the oldest city in Polk County, a city he loves dearly. “This place has my heart,” he said. Landon is an NAACP Award Winning Composer and Music Director with work on Broadway, film, and television. He returned to Fort Meade ten months ago in the thro

Described as radiant, encouraging, one-of-a-kind, Betsye Kay Finch left an impression on everyone she met. Perhaps most important were the impressions made on her thousands of dance students over her three decades of teaching dance in Lakeland. Now, her daughter, Alexis Rocker is carrying on her legacy by providing an opportunity for young people who share her mother’s love of the performing arts. Born in Fort Meade in October 1926, Betsye started dancing at just four years o