“In the paper, you wrote that "at one time, the core of our American democracy was the concept of majority rule. That is factually untrue. Our government is a constitutional Republic based on the concept of representative government. While I agree with many of your statements that followed y…
A perfect democracy does not exist. A by-product of self-governance is partisanship politics. Freedom of speech allows for disagreement, and human nature opens the door to special interests—the more space for discourse, the more opportunity for what once was a manageable level of chaos. Norm…
“Polk County is having growing pains, as listed in your column. Yet, this county is set upon a swamp. This Chain of 100 Lakes is a wetland. You fail to bring this issue into your discussion. Your discussion fails to talk about stormwater issues regarding all of Polk county's roads and freewa…
In your column, you stated, "Remember, the no-state income tax was started by Democrats in Florida."
Regular readers know that my bias is toward the rights of the individual and maximizing participatory democracy.
Reader S politely questioned my column comparing various Florida city’s crime rates to New York City. Thanks for the great questions, S. “Not questioning your accuracy in the statistics…..but wondering. Does the population density alter any of that information? Or does it skew it to where on…
Over quite a few weeks, I have asked our readers to send an example of how their local state representative or congressman had been responsive. Not one example of public service was shared. Instead, here’s a sample of what I received.
There are a lot of numbers because the area our papers cover has a lot of small towns.
Quite often I am asked about the newspaper business. There are a lot of clickbait stories discussing the demise of the American newspaper. Those stories make our readers and advertisers wonder if we will be around in 30 years.
It was a bit jarring. I was at my friendly neighborhood Speedway getting gas and a refreshment. I started to pick my gasoline grade and was surprised to see a rather large sticker glued on to the pump near the gas selection keys.
It was a bit jarring. I was at my friendly neighborhood Speedway getting gas and a refreshment. I started to pick my gasoline grade and was surprised to see a rather large sticker glued on to the pump near the gas selection keys.
Our long-time production director, R., died from Glioblastoma — a particular nasty and deadly form of cancer. R was with us almost 30 years. His former career was as primarily as a newspaper accountant up in Pennsylvania.
Pictured is Central Avenue, in downtown Winter Haven, looking east from Fourth Street. Photo was taken circa the 1940/50s.
Our adventure began on the beautiful Banana River, which is part of the Indian River lagoon. This lagoon is said to be the most diversified estuary in North America. The water is brackish, as there is no current, and flows to the Sebastian inlet.
One of the main reasons we live in Florida is the weather, and as the temperatures are on the rise, lots of folks are heading to the beaches, lakes and pools to cool off.
Everything about Southern Hill Farms makes you feel like you’re far away from Central Florida’s main attractions.
I’ve tried to help our readers understand how the state of Florida government managed to cut taxes at the state level every year since 2009.
Pictured is Central Avenue, looking east from Central Park, circa 1912.
Getting out and walking is a good way to stay healthy, and it can be very enjoyable. But it’s good to make an effort to be safe about it.
ONA — Nestled back in the woods of Ona lies a castle that fairy tales are made of.
April is Animal Cruelty Prevention Month — and a perfect time to remind people what it means to be a responsible pet owner.
The Florida legislature is dramatically changing how public notices work in Florida.
“I don’t even want to calculate the hours of my life over the last 50 years that I’ve spent in public meetings and hearings listening to self-appointed scolds telling the rest of us that we’re not preserving enough of Florida before they return to the comfort of their air-conditioned single-…
Early last month, two of our elderly citizens were scammed out of over $65,000 by criminals who played on their emotions — and I can’t begin to express how angry I am over this. The sad truth is that these victims will likely never get their money back, even if we can identify and arrest the…
No trip to Lake Wales would be complete without a visit to the beautiful Bok Tower Gardens.
“Hey David, I read your note on national immigration. If it is true, as you say it is, that GDP is the sum of productivity growth and population growth, why not focus instead on just productivity growth. Why do we have to grow the pie and then divide it among even more people? If the populat…
An organization called Smart Growth America published a study in early March regarding the most dangerous metropolitan areas in the United States for pedestrians.
Rounding out our recent historical selection of food stores is Lovett’s Groceteria, pictured here in the 1940s.
“For someone who a few weeks ago complained about how much taxes your company had to pay, you sure make it sound like the Republicans in Tallahassee are all to blame. Yet you think they should raise state taxes to take the ‘burden‘ off local governments. Isn’t that what local governments are…
It goes without saying that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are working from home.
Continuing our grocery nostalgia from past weeks, we share this photo of the A & P Food Store, located on Fifth Street NW at Central Avenue, circa the 1920s.
From shooting hoops to creating jobs in Polk County, one star-studded athlete is part of a new sports-themed restaurant concept that is open for business.
Following the move of the Publix Supermarket that had been located on Central Avenue to Northgate Shopping Center in 1957, many will recall that Morrison’s operated a cafeteria in the downtown building for several years.
This week, we take one final look at the first Publix Supermarket that opened on Central Avenue in 1940.
One of the great things about living in the U.S. is that our city and county governments are required to keep their citizens informed about their actions.
In reading feedback from readers about my column on immigration, I realized many of us don’t have useful information on the subject. Let’s see how much we know about immigration.
This week, we take another look at the first Publix Supermarket when it opened on Central Avenue in 1940.
We last shared a photo of the first Publix store that George Jenkins designed and built from the ground up. That building is still located on Central Avenue at Second Street NW.
Most of us remember these inspiring words on our Statue of Liberty:
Forget the plane ticket — grab your food passport and explore Winter Haven!
You will likely be seeing a lot of Jeeps in the area as February comes to a close.
Even though I am in my 60s, part of my brain still thinks I am still in my 20s. My 20-year-old self doesn’t want to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
When I began my career with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office 48 years ago, I remember stopping in at the Mulberry police station and watching the dispatcher answer and dispatch calls from a radio room tucked away in a tiny corner of that police station.
What better way to spend a long weekend than at a resort condo, overlooking the beautiful back bay waters of Estero Bay, while sipping a cold beverage from your balcony?
Several readers took me to task when I wrote in a previous column that small business is not being treated fairly.
Every year, traffic crashes kill more than 30,000 people in the United States.
Illustrated is the Realty Commerce Building, as designed to be built during the land boom of the 1920s.
One of my favorite messages in scripture is from Ecclesiastes 3.
Perhaps you look at the political wrangling in Washington, D.C., during the worst health care crisis in 100 years – and you wonder what has become of our great country.
Pictured is the view overlooking Central Park to Fifth Street, NW, in the 1920s.
