LOCAL NEWS

WORDS Barry Friedman/LkldNow.com

SCHOOL DISTRICT REMOVES BOOKS BEING CHALLENGED BY AN ACTIVIST GROUP SILVER RING CAFE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE ITS SPOT NEAR MUNN PARK BARBECUE FANS LOOKING FORWARD TO ARRIVAL OF 4 RIVERS SMOKEHOUSE POLK MUSEUM OF ART EXPANSION WILL TRIPLE GALLERY SPACE

Sixteen books were temporarily removed from public school library shelves across Polk County after the group County Citizens Defending Freedom said they were pornographic and harmful to minors. Two committees assembled by the school district will review the contents of the books and determine their fate. Critics of the books’ removal note that most of them deal with LGBT+ or racial equity themes. Among the books under review are the best-selling novels “Beloved” and “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. Silver Ring Cafe, a vintage lunch spot known for its Cuban sandwiches, will need to leave its 35-year spot across from Munn Park by the end of August. Restaurant owner Tim Altman learned recently that his lease will not be renewed. The owner of the Tennessee Avenue building plans to remodel the space for a tenant she isn’t ready to name but said is “a new company that will bring great value to downtown.” Altman, 63, is looking for a new spot for his cafe and its four employees. “I’m really worried about them more than myself — and my customers,” he said. Barbecue lovers cheered when they learned that Winter Park-based 4 Rivers Smokehouse plans to open its 15th location at the Shoppes of Lake Miriam Crossing, the shopping center that includes GreenWise Market and HomeGoods. Plans call for a 4,279-squarefoot restaurant seating 87 opening later this year. Readers of Southern Living ranked 4 Rivers the top barbecue joint in the South in a 2020 poll. All of the small chain’s restaurants are in Florida, with four in the metro Orlando area and two in Tampa. The Polk Museum of Art is getting ready to triple its gallery space. The museum is planning to start construction later this year on a 10,000-square-foot, $6 million expansion. Designed by Straughn Trout Architects, the two-story addition will expand the 34-year-old Palmetto Street building to the northwest. The project includes more classrooms, laboratory and storage space, renovation of the entrance, and new flooring on the first level. Expected opening: spring 2024.

CANNABIS COMPANY PLEDGES IT WILL CONTROL ODORS FROM ITS UPCOMING PRODUCTION PLANT

Plans for a new facility that will produce medical marijuana in a west Lakeland industrial park had nearby residents of Carillon Lakes worried about odors; they have complained for several years about smells from another nearby cannabis processor. But at a city planning meeting, representatives of Revolution Global assured the residents the company will use building design and advanced technology to prevent odor leakage. At the same meeting, members of the Lakeland Planning & Zoning Board learned that state law gives cities little latitude in regulating cannabis businesses.

LAKELAND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL PLANS TO ADD A THREE-STORY HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING

Lakeland Christian School plans to construct a three-story high school classroom building near the intersection of Harden Boulevard and Ariana Street. The site plan for the project is under review by the city of Lakeland, and a Florida drainage permit is needed. Enrollment at the school is capped at 1,200 students, so no increase in traffic is expected. Trees were recently removed around the site reserved for the 41,500-square-foot, $12.5 million expansion. The project architect is Jon Kirk of Straughn Trout in Lakeland.

POLK SEEKING ALTERNATIVES FOR GARBAGE COLLECTION FOLLOWING CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

Frustrations have mounted for residents of Lakeland’s unincorporated suburbs who count on FCC Environmental to pick up their garbage. After many customers complained of missed pickups, Polk County commissioners first threatened FCC’s contract, then said complaints had decreased but ultimately declared a state of emergency. That allows County Manager Bill Beasley to craft a short-term solution that could involve using county crews or other companies. The state of emergency was needed because “the missed collections, which persist in the county, endanger the public health, safety and welfare of Polk residents,” Polk’s government said in a news release.

CITY CALLS FOR WORKSHOP TO DISCUSS DUCK HUNTING NEAR RESIDENCES DOWNTOWN GOLF CART SHUTTLES NOW RUN ONLY ON WEEKENDS

Lakeland city commissioners waded into the emotionally charged issue of duck hunting on city lakes after getting emails from residents along Lake Parker who complained of pre-dawn shotgun blasts near their homes and a city recreation trail that skirts the lake. To the residents, hunting near neighborhoods presents a threat to safety and tranquility. Hunters rebutted that hunting on any part of Lake Parker is legal, and suggestions that it be curtailed are an affront to conservation, gun ownership, and heritage. Commissioners asked their staff to schedule a public workshop with representatives of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to air all sides of the issue and explore options. The duck-hunting season has ended and resumes in November. The golf carts that transport people around downtown Lakeland have proved very popular on weekend evenings. But few people were using the service during its weekday lunch runs, so those have been eliminated. The three-month-old service, called The Squeeze, is a pilot project from the Citrus Connection and the Downtown Lakeland Development Authority. The eight-seat golf carts, now equipped with green LED lights underneath, run from 4 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Rides come roughly 12 minutes apart and cover downtown, the RP Funding Center area, and the Lake Morton neighborhood. Payments are made via mobile cash apps.

PROPOSALS FOR MORE HOMES AND APARTMENTS SPARK DEBATES ABOUT GROWTH

The pace of growth in Lakeland is becoming an increasingly contentious issue. In the coming weeks, city commissioners will be asked to approve 242 apartments on Lake Miriam Drive near the Publix shopping center and several single-family and apartment developments in areas around West Pipkin Road west of the airport. Proponents say the new communities will provide needed housing for the many people finding Lakeland an attractive place to move. Some detractors want to stop the growth and maintain Lakeland’s small-town feel, while others want to see investment in roads and public safety precede approval of new communities. Watch for more community discussion of growth in the coming months.