Small City Rising!

WALKABLE, BIKEABLE, EATABLE, DRINKABLE

Six/Ten has plans to build additional townhomes and apartments in vibrant downtown Winter Haven.

Interested? Intrigued?

Register your interest at ideas@sixtenllc.com

This month, we had the pleasure of meeting Brandon and Tristan along with their coach at the Winter Haven Boxing Gym. Read all about them and where they’re headed in the cover story. Thank you to Coach Marco Fazzini for all your time and for promoting and encouraging these young men.

We were very excited to make a trip to Sarasota for the Florida Magazine Association’s Charlie Awards Gala. As a magazine, we walked away with five awards, and I couldn’t be more proud of our team. Our podcast, Haven for Your Ears won an award. If you haven’t listened to it yet, please do! It’s a companion podcast to our magazine and it gives you a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes. You can find it wherever you normally get your podcasts. Nate Schaller is the producer/editor and keeps Tara and me on track. Tara Crutchfield won for writing, again! Her story from our April Fool’s edition in 2022 called, “Chewz Wisely” won. Steven Maynard and myself won best photo illustration for the July 2022 cover featuring Gram Parsons Derry Down. Steven also won for the best ad produced for a client, congrats! Finally, I won for social media. We had a fun night celebrating, and now it’s back to work.

On that note, we have a very busy August ahead of us. For the last two months, we have been collecting your votes for the Best Of Haven awards and now it’s time to count them. We are literally in our conference room, for two full days, organizing, counting and figuring out the winners so we can list them in the September edition. It’s our biggest issue of the year, as we celebrate the small businesses and entrepreneurs that make our county great.

Have a great August, I hope to see you around town.

Amy Sexson Editor/Partner

Haven & LKLD Magazines Destroyer Media & Marketing Winter Haven Farmers Market CentralFloridaTix.com

Email

Publisher // Chris Sexson chris@destroyermedia.com

Ad Director // Christine Campbell christine@destroyermedia.com

Editor & Photographer // Amy Sexson amy@destroyermedia.com

Managing Editor & Writer // Tara Crutchfield tara@destroyermedia.com

Art & Production Manager // Steven Maynard steven@destroyermedia.com

Account Representative // Jessica Parker jessica@destroyermedia.com

Graphic Designer // Ella Doyle ella@destroyermedia.com

Media Specialist & Photographer // Nate Schaller nate@destroyermedia.com

Organizer of Destruction // Nicole Nikdel nicole@destroyermedia.com

Event Coordinator // Lyndsey Venrick lyndsey@destroyermedia.com

Contributing Writer // Shannon Carnevale

For advertising information please contact: christine@destroyermedia.com

Polk State

Governor Ron DeSantis has reappointed Greg Littleton, Ashley Bell Barnett, and Cindy Hartley Ross to the Polk State College District Board of Trustees and announced newly appointed trustees, Ann Barnhart and Ashley Troutman. They will serve alongside Vice Chair Teresa V. Martinez who was reappointed in 2021. Barnhart is an experienced healthcare and business professional who has worked in the Central Florida community for more than three decades including as a nursing instructor and consultant for what was then Polk Community College. She currently serves as Vice President for Strategy for the AdventHealth West Florida Division. Troutman is a Lakeland native and Polk State College alumnus who has served on the Polk State College Alumni Association Board. He is currently a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management.

RED SOX & CARDINALS

A pair of former Polk State Baseball players have found a home with a Major League Baseball team. Former outfielder Nelson Taylor and infielder Dakota Harris were each selected in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft in July. Taylor was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the No. 328 overall pick. Harris was picked seven spots later by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 335th overall pick. With the two selections, Polk State has now had three players drafted in as many years. Since Head Coach Al Corbeil took over in 2011, the Eagles have had 13 players selected and more than 100 others go on to four-year schools. “To have players go on to play professional baseball is one of the most rewarding things for a college baseball coach,” Corbeil said. “These young men worked extremely hard, were leaders on the field, and I’m excited to see what’s ahead for each of them.”

Tax Holidays

Consumers can purchase qualifying back-to-school supplies exempt from tax during the 2023-2024 Back-toSchool Sales Tax Holiday through Sunday, August 6. Consumers can purchase qualifying recreation and outdoor items and admissions to entertainment and cultural events exempt from tax during the 2023 Freedom Summer Sales Tax Holiday through Sept. 4. Consumers can purchase qualifying disaster preparedness supplies exempt from tax during the 2023 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday from August 26 through Friday, September 8. Visit floridarevenue.com/Pages/SalesTaxHolidays.aspx for all tax exemption periods and what is covered.

Winter Haven Hospital

This year, the Winter Haven Hospital’s Center for Behavioral Health (CBH) added space, to be known as the Annex, to house some of its outpatient services. The Annex, located at 1501 First St. S., is on the SW corner of the intersection of Ave. O and First St., across the street from the CBH and across from Winter Haven Women’s Hospital. Services remaining at the main CBH building are psychiatric appointments, outpatient therapy and SCCT coordination. Services coordinated from the Annex are case management and care coordination, school-based therapy, inhome children’s therapy, and support for the state’s Helping Families Succeed program that offers temporary aid for families. The CBH’s Peer Recovery Program is now located at the Annex, too. The Annex also houses a “Zen Room” designed by CBH’s new peer recovery specialist to provide a calming atmosphere for patients, team members and anyone who wants to drop-in.

Creative Threads

The City of Winter Haven has announced Creative Threads: Winter Haven’s T-Shirt Design Contest, a unique city-wide initiative aimed at fostering and recognizing local talent across all age groups. Now through September 15, 2023, they invite community members of all ages to create designs that represent Winter Haven. Entries are divided into five age categories: 7 yrs and under; 8-12 years old; 13-18 years old; 19-24 years old; 25+ years old. They welcome diverse perspectives and creative interpretations of what makes Winter Haven special to each participant. Submissions are now being accepted and can be turned in at Winter Haven City Hall or via email to Tishawna Soleyn at tsoleyn@mywinterhaven.com. Download the entry form at mywinterhaven.com.

Mental Health

The Polk County Board of County Commissioners has committed another $4.4 million to improving behavioral health. About $2.4 million is going to Tri-County Human Services, Inc., to support people utilizing the New Beginnings Transition Centers. A residential and intensive outpatient treatment program, the NBTC program seeks to break the cycle of addiction and related judicial intervention. It teaches residents who are 18 years of age and above who are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level the skills needed to successfully re-enter the community and become productive citizens. Additionally, Lakeland Regional Health will receive $2 million for uncompensated inpatient psychiatric services. Patients admitted to LRH have access to counseling, behavioral health and supervision, crisis support, and acute detox while hospitalized. Services eligible for reimbursement are for Polk County residents whose income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level guidelines.

Reduced Internet Cost

Eligible households can save up to $30 per month on their internet bill by applying for the Affordable Connectivity Program. In addition to a discount of $30 per month on internet, eligible households can also receive a discount of up to $100 for a qualifying device to access the internet (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50).

The ACP is limited to one monthly discount for internet service and one device discount per household. Qualifications to become an eligible recipient of the ACP can be found at www.affordableconnectivity.gov. Once an application has been submitted and approved, eligible households must contact the participating internet service provider of their choice to apply the benefit to their plan (participating companies can be found at www.affordableconnectivity.gov/companies-near-me).

Polk County residents can fill out the ACP application online and find full details at affordableconnectivity.gov.

Vital Statistics

On Monday, July 24, 2023, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County began operating their Office of Vital Statistics in the new Northeast Government Center in Lake Alfred. The Bartow Vital Statistics office closed permanently on Friday, July 21. Business hours for the new office are Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. The Northeast Government Center is located at 200 Government Center Blvd., Lake Alfred, 33850. The Polk County Office of Vital Statistics maintains records of births and deaths that occur in the state of Florida. The office issues Florida death certificates from 2009-present as well as birth certificates. Completed applications, proof of identification, and payment can be mailed, submitted in person, or completed online. For more information, call Vital Statistics at (863) 519-8466.

Living With Nature

Aug. 4, 4 – 7 pm at The Nectary in Lakeland. Join Little Bus Books and The Nectary for an evening with the architectural designer, HGTV host, & author John Gidding as they celebrate his debut book “At Home with Nature.” Two ticket options, purchase online. livingwithnature.eventbrite.com