Issue 23

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2016

ALLURE IN CLOVER / TRADITION REBORN / I AM LAKE MORTON ALL HEART / HOPE NOW / FIBER

2016

FEB

2

THE LAKELANDER

27

On Saturday, February 27, 2016, do something for your health and that of your community by enjoying an exceptional

community health event. The 2nd Annual Promise Run 5K and 10K courses will follow the historic streets and lakes of Lakeland.

The race is open to runners and walkers.

All proceeds benefit the Lakeland Regional Health Cancer Center, where innovators in cancer care and research deliver the most advanced and comprehensive diagnostics and treatments.

Run or walk in memory of a loved one. Create a team to celebrate victories. Volunteer to show your support.

Join the heroes racing to conquer cancer!

5K AND 10K LAKELAND’S MUNN PARK

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER, VISIT PROMISERUN.ORG OR CALL 863.687.1024.

Lakeland-Lake Gibson 6625 US 98 North (863) 858-3866 R

Eleven Polk County locations to serve you

Lake Wales 126 Hwy. 60 W. (863) 676-6515

Lakeland Combee 1225 N. Combee Rd. (863) 665-3111 Frostproof 500 N. Scenic Hwy. (863) 635-2645

Added touches Showcase a room!

Lakeland North 1409 N. Florida Ave. (863) 682-8107 Ft. Meade 1401 Hwy. 17 N. (863) 285-9757

Lakeland Christina 6100 S. Florida Ave. (863) 646-2921

Auburndale 521 Hughes Rd. (863) 967-6602

Haines City 35495 Hwy. 27 (863) 422-3144

Eagle Lake 1515 Hwy. 17 S. (863) 294-7749

1350 N. Broadway (US 98) Bartow (863) 533-1611

WITH CHIROPRACTIC CARE

IS LOWER BACK PAIN AFFECTING THE WAY YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE? Lower back pain plagues more than 3 million patients each year. Pain in the lower back typically indicates a problem with the bones, discs, muscles, or tendons in the lower lumbar region.

The providers at Lakeland Spine Center are well equipped to relieve the discomfort of lower back pain while helping you adjust your life to manage chronic symptoms.

JOIN THE PATHWAY TO WELLNESS AT LAKELAND SPINE CENTER THROUGH CHIROPRACTIC CARE.

3242 SOUTH FLORIDA AVENUE LAKELAND, FL 33803 Located just north of Walmart on South Florida Avenue

L A S E R H A I R R E M OVA L

B U Y T WO A R E A S , G E T

O N E A R E A F R E E* *OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE. EXPIRES 2.29.16

The patient and any other person responsible for payment has a right to refuse to pay, cancel payment, or be reimbursed for payment for any other service, examination, or treatment that is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for the free, discounted fee, or reduced fee service, examination, or treatment. Limit one coupon per customer per visit. Coupons and special offers cannot be combined. Copyright 2016, True MD. All rights reserved.

8

THE LAKELANDER

June 28th - July 2nd

2016

MARY KATHERINE FECHTEL - MISS FLORIDA 2015 >>>

GET INVOLVED - MISSFLORIDA.ORG

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THE LAKELANDER

THE LAKELANDER

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

60 JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2016

DEPARTMENTS JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2016

20 22 26 106 108 110 114

NOTE FROM THE EDITORS EDITORIAL BIOS PHOTOGRAPHER BIOS EDUCATION OPENINGS EVENTS HISTORY

ON THE COVER ALLURE IN CLOVER / TRADITION REBORN / I AM LAKE MORTON ALL HEART / HOPE NOW / FIBER

12

THE LAKELANDER

It’s possible to be both glamourous and comfortable! In “Allure in Clover,” find out how to use textured fabrics, intricate prints, and relaxed silhouettes to bring an ordinary outfit up a notch while still maintaining the comfort factor.

C E LE BRAT E

at the Club at Eaglebrooke

LAKELAND’S #1 EVENT VENUE

The C lu b at E agle bro o ke, co nven ient l y l o cate d i n s o u t h L a ke l a n d , of fe r s a s e l e c t i o n of b ot h ch arm in g an d gran d ba n qu e t room s fo r a ny s pecia l o cca s io n . Fro m o u r p r i vate , i nt i m ate d i n i n g ro o m fo r 2 0 g u e st s to o ur exquis ite b allroom for 3 0 0, we h ave el eg a nt s pace s to m a ke yo u r eve nt u nfo rge t t a b l e . We’re t h e p re m ie r ve n ue fo r we d d i n gs, b an q uet s , pa r t ies a n d mo re. P l e a s e c a l l o u r Sp e c i a l Eve nt s D i re c to r fo r a co n s u l t at io n and to ur.

JENNIFER WHITE • SPECIAL EVENTS DIRECTOR • 863-701-0101 EXT. 23 • JENNIFER@EAGLEBROOKE.COM • EAGLEBROOKE.COM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PEOPLE 28 ALL HEART

Meet Annemarie Ward

SPECIAL FEATURE 40 TRADITION REBORN

Rooted at home, Scarpa’s Italian gains national recognition

PHILANTHROPY 50 HOPE NOW

Sowing and harvesting hope

50 14

THE LAKELANDER

Everyone has their financial story.

Let us help write your next chapter.

The financial industry is constantly changing with new technologies, laws and investment options. Core stays up-to-date and educated to ensure our clients are informed and prepared for life’s next page.

When you’re ready to talk about your future, we’re here to listen.

Tell us your story. Call (863) 904-4745.

COREWEALTHADVISORSINC.COM

THE CORE TEAM: Chuck Foss • Nathan Dunham • Andrew Foss • Matte Diaz • Paul Weaver • Angela Newell

231 N KENTUCKY AVE • STE 217 • LAKELAND, FLORIDA 33801

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STYLE 60 ALLURE IN CLOVER

Comfortable, everyday fashion for everyday people

CULTURE 72 FIBER

The lost art of spinning, knitting, and crocheting

84

TASTE 84 WARM WINTER, HOT CHOCOLATE

Spice and cheese and everything in between make hot chocolate a drink for grown-ups

SHELTER 94 I AM LAKE MORTON

How homeowners with big vision and a big-box budget brought an historic Lake Morton home back to life

94 16

THE LAKELANDER

As vice president of finance for global phosphate chemical manufacturer ArrMaz, Jason Lewis MBA ’15 travels the world for his job. With extensive experience in Asia, Brazil, Europe, and the Middle East, Jason knows firsthand just how vital FSC MBA’s built-in international travel component is.

“There’s a real complexity to international business,” said Lewis. “It’s not just different people you’re dealing with—you have to fully consider the different governments involved, as well as the geopolitical and local situations.”

Despite many previous trips to Asia, Jason found his FSC MBA international field experience to Vietnam and Hong Kong invaluable.

“The interactions with the other students and the professor made it an unforgettable experience.”

Where will your MBA take you?

863.680.4205 flsouthern.edu/mba

The Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise at Florida Southern College is the only school of business in Polk County accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business.

PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS

Curt Patterson Jason Jacobs, Brandon Patterson

Advertising ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ADVERTISING SALES ADVERTISING SALES ADVERTISING SALES

Curt Patterson; 863.409.2449 Jason Jacobs; 863.606.8785 Brandon Patterson; 863.409.2447 Nathan Patterson; 863.409.0267

Editorial EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF CONTENT Alice V. Koehler EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Tina Sargeant STAFF EDITOR GUEST EDITOR GUEST EDITOR CULTURE EDITOR PEOPLE EDITOR PHILANTHROPY EDITOR SHELTER EDITOR TASTE EDITOR

Kristin Crosby Sarah Sebastian Mercedes Grainger Abby Jarvis Adam Spafford Tara Campbell Christian Lee Jenn Smurr

COPY EDITOR OFFICE MANAGER ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Laura Burke Deb Patterson Kristin Crosby

Design ART DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Philip Pietri Will Baxter

Photography CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Tiffani Jones, Jessica Keller, Tina Sargeant, Jason Stephens, Jordan Weiland

Circulation CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Jason Jacobs

General Counsel

Ted W. Weeks IV

Published by Patterson Jacobs Publishing, LLC

Lakeland’s Premier COFFEE HOUSE & CASUAL EATERY

The Lakelander is published bimonthly by Patterson Jacobs Publishing, P.O. Box 41, Lakeland, FL 33802. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission of The Lakelander is prohibited. The Lakelander is not responsible for any unsolicited submissions.

Contact Patterson Jacobs Publishing, P.O. Box 41, Lakeland, FL 33802 863.701.2707 www.thelakelander.com Customer Service: 863.701.2707 Subscription Help: jason@pattersonpublishing.com “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

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THE LAKELANDER

$0 Down $0 Closing Costs Up to 4,000 SF $875/MO PITI From $73/SF *Bring this ad in to receive $500 in options!

Call to begin building your dream home today!

(800) 496-4096 MySouthernHome.com

EDITORIAL

NOTE FROM THE EDITORS

Forgot to Have Maintenance Performed on Your A/C in 2015?

Dry Those Tears!

Our level of expertise, honesty and quality technicians set us apart from any other A/C company. Join the Thorpe family and call us today!

Serving South Lakeland for 34 Years! www.thorpeac.com 863-858-2577 20

THE LAKELANDER

Alice V. Koehler

Tina Sargeant

Here we are: 2016. It came under cover of night and swept in without pause.

In the blink of an eye, 2015 has slipped out of our immediate grasp and into the banks of our memories. We’ll likely save those good memories in a space that allows us easy access, and we’ll store the bad ones in a corner that’s harder to get to.

We can’t save time. We can’t make more of it. We can’t go backwards. For, time is finite. We can, however, be resolute in creating more cherished moments with the time that lies ahead.

Did you ring in 2016 with fireworks and kisses?

Did you usher in the new year sleeping soundly in your bed while drool gloriously puddled on your pillow? Did you wave goodbye to 2015 while dancing under a canopy of confetti or a blanket of stars? No matter how you ushered 2016 across the threshold of past and future, The Lakelander knows that you did it in a way that was uniquely you.

And that is worth celebrating, because YOU are worth celebrating.

All of your quirks and oddities, talents and experiences: they are what add to the spice and flavor of this community we love so much.

As we launch into 2016, The Lakelander is working harder than ever to bring you stories about this community and the people in it. While we love the magazine business — the photo shoots and editing, the search for stories and the procuring of passionate advertisers — at the end of the day, what we love most is why we do all of that. It is our deepest hope that you are proud of where you live, that you will love this city more because of something you read or saw within these pages.

As you consider what 2016 might hold for you and what you might accomplish this year, The Lakelander hopes that you might: Create space in your life for spontaneity.

Connect with an old friend.

Make a new friend.

Eat fewer cookies and more salads (but don’t give up the cookies altogether).

Spend less time on Facebook and more time dancing.

Learn something new.

Find an adventure, and be sure to tell us about it!

It’s going to be an exciting year. We can’t wait to share it with you!

Here’s to you, Lakeland, Alice and Tina

A

focus

ON

Home You’ve known us for years as Oakbridge Realty, but we’ve recently changed our name to Grasslands Homes. This change is reflective of our focus shifting to better assist you in finding your home within the neighborhoods in the Grasslands community. Same great service.

Same great people. Same great neighborhoods. We invite you to come home.

GRASSLANDSHOMES.COM THE LAKELANDER

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EDITORIAL BIOS ALICE V. KOEHLER

EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF CONTENT Alice Koehler is a longtime Lakeland resident, graduate of Florida Southern College, returned Peace Corps volunteer, mother, and lifelong learner. In 2013, she graduated from Leadership Lakeland Class 30. In 2014, she added MBA to the end of her name. Today, Alice is currently a senior market manager for the American Cancer Society where she gets to see more birthdays celebrated every year by supporting and implementing efforts that help our neighbors get well and stay well, find cures, and fight back. In her free time, she enjoys adventure seeking, memory making, joy giving, bargain hunting, community building, mind bending, knowledge acquiring, and soul filling.

ABBY JARVIS

CULTURE EDITOR Abby Jarvis is a writing buff with a deep appreciation for the history behind modern cultures and habits. She attended Florida Southern College and, while enrolled there, fell in love with Lakeland’s ability to blend its history with its contemporary identity. Today, Abby works in marketing and outreach at Qgiv, a Lakeland tech company, and spends her spare time writing fairy tales and poetry, which can be found strewn haphazardly through her apartment.

ADAM SPAFFORD PEOPLE EDITOR

Adam Spafford came to Lakeland in 1999 to attend Florida Southern College and, except for a 20-month graduate school stint in Massachusetts, has been here since. When he’s not writing page-turners for The Lakelander, he trades stock and index options.

CHRISTIAN LEE SHELTER EDITOR Christian Lee is a Mississippi native who moved to Lakeland in 1992. After spending several years raising her family, she re-entered the design and decorating industry in 2004. Today, she works with contractors and clients to remodel homes and commercial properties. Christian is passionate about spaces that have soul, and she loves to find ways to make that soul come to life. She is skilled at interior decorating, repurposing antique and vintage furniture, and has designed a line of clothing for the home as well. In her spare time, Christian runs marathons and volunteers on the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Leadership Council. She is also a 20-year member of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland.

JENN SMURR TASTE EDITOR

Jenn is a Florida native and a proud Lakelander. She is a lover of people and all things food (especially dark chocolate), an excursionist, and the owner of Born & Bread Bakehouse. For the last four years, Jenn has traveled the world working full time as a fashion model. Taking advantage of the gift of travel, she spent her free time exploring the local cuisine. Her affinity for bread came to a tipping point when she visited a standing-room-only cafe in Paris. It was there that she first tried “life-changing fresh bread and local butter.” She has since traded a life in fashion for one in food.

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THE LAKELANDER

Eat Better, Smile More, and Live Longer!

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THE LAKELANDER

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EDITORIAL BIOS TARA CAMPBELL

PHILANTHROPY EDITOR Tara Campbell is a longtime Lakelander with a passion for serving others.

A graduate of Florida Southern College, she is currently the team and outreach director for Access Church. In the past she has worked as the teen development director for the YMCA of Central Florida, the outreach teacher at the Polk Museum of Art, and a classroom leader at Parker Street Ministries.

Believing firmly that only boring people get bored, Tara spends her free time mentoring middle-school girls in the Parker Street Neighborhood, teaching art lessons, and serving the community through several civic organizations, as well as enjoying all of the friends and culture that Lakeland has to offer.

KRISTIN CROSBY STAFF EDITOR

CARPET CLEANING AND WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION

Originally from the North, Kristin Crosby first made her way to Lakeland to study at Southeastern University where she graduated with a music degree.

Through an array of career experiences, including the role of commuter coordinator at SEU and a short-lived stint as a yoga instructor, a passion for writing emerged. Kristin’s publication and editorial work includes grant writing for the nonprofit organization LifeNet and various positions held at Relevant Media Group. To see more of Kristin’s work, go to kristincrosby. com and vitalmagazine.com where she is a frequent contributor.

MERCEDES GRAINGER GUEST EDITOR

Ever since she was old enough to pick out her own clothing, fashion has always held a special place in Mercedes Grainger’s heart. One of her favorite challenges is transforming budget-friendly pieces to make them look like they came from a high-end department store. Mercedes currently works as a producer for Journey Box Media, a local film company, and writes for her own style blog, Forever Fashioned, in her spare time. Native to Michigan, Mercedes has called Lakeland home for only a few short years and has really grown to love the city where she met her husband, Chris Grainger.

She truly enjoys seeing Lakeland flourish and loves being a tiny part of it all.

SARAH SEBASTIAN GUEST EDITOR

Expert carpet, tile & grout cleaning services at great prices.

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servprolakeland.com (863) 646-4213 24

THE LAKELANDER

Sarah Sebastian has lived in Lakeland most of her life. She earned her English degree at Florida State University. She can’t seem to decide where she’d like to live, having jumped around between Lakeland, Atlanta, Tallahassee, and Norway. After eight years of teaching, she changed careers and now spends her days as the product content manager for Qgiv, a Lakeland tech company. Her spare time is devoted to her greatest loves: animals, writing, and reading old novels about British people eating dinner (at least that’s how her literary interests were once described).

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Dr. Kazmier is assisted by D.J. Nelson, a registered nurse practitioner who offers non-surgical, in-office facial and body rejuvenation procedures.

Faeza R. Kazmier, MD

D.J. Nelson, ARNP-C

1400 Lakeland Hills Blvd. • Suite B • Lakeland • www.WatsonClinic.com/Kazmier THE LAKELANDER

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PHOTOGRAPHER BIOS TINA SARGEANT, EDITOR, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Tina Sargeant has been professionally capturing the moments, events, and people of our region for the last seven years and photographing for The Lakelander since issue one. Tina’s photography is driven by the ability to suspend time and create emotion, and her work embodies a passion for anthropology – people, culture, and stories. sargeantstudios.com

JESSICA KELLER

Jessica Keller is a photographer and cinematographer based in Central Florida. In other words, she shoots everything under the sun — literally — unless it rains. Follow her work and say hello at jkellerfilm.com.

JORDAN WEILAND

Jordan Weiland is a longtime Lakeland resident. She spends her time photographing weddings and dancing around the house (poorly) with her four-yearold daughter and husband. She graduated from Florida State University with a degree in studio art and has photographed weddings for several years. She loves the visual art of storytelling, which is why she loves taking on The Lakelander photography assignments in between photographing couples in love. jordanweiland.com

TIFFANI JONES

Growing up, Tiffani Jones could never get lost in the wonder of a storybook. Then one day she realized she could let her mind imagine a wondrous story through imagery. Photography gives Tiffani a tangible voice with her audience. After a wonderful 15-year nursing career, she left the art of nursing for the art of creating. She’s a life-long Lakelander where she raises three energetic children with her husband. iamtiffanijones.com

JASON STEPHENS

Jason Stephens is a native Florida boy who lives in Lakeland with his beautiful wife, Jess, and daughter, Isla. Whether it’s from 500 feet up in a helicopter, on a boat cutting through the water, or locked down on a tripod, Jason loves to be behind the camera capturing the moments that pass in front of his lens. jasonstephensphotography.com

26

THE LAKELANDER

AFRICA/INDIA - ALASKA - ASIA/PACIFIC - CARIBBEAN - CANADA/NEW ENGLAND GRAND CROSSINGS - MEDITERRANEAN - NORTHERN EUROPE - SOUTH AMERICA - TAHITI

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Across the Globe

Explore worldwide destinations from the comfort and elegance of a Regent Seven Seas CruisesÂŽ ship.

From all-inclusive features to top-notch dining and onboard amenities and service, all you have to do is sit back, relax, and admire the backdrop that changes with each day.

RUTHELISE ANDERSON, ACC Cruise and Travel Advisor 5015 South Florida Ave. Suite 404 Lakeland, FL. 33813 863.644.1014 / 863.660.6434

RUTHELISE RUTHELISE ANDERSON ANDERSON

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) &% ' $& % !! $% ) &% ' $ ) &% ' $& % !! $% ) &% ' $

PEOPLE

ALL

HEART

Meet Annemarie Ward

28

THE LAKELANDER

written by Adam Spafford photography by Tina Sargeant

THE LAKELANDER

29

Annemarie Ward refuses to be life’s spectator. After a cardiac arrest at age seven, though, she didn’t have much choice. For most of her life, Annemarie has been afflicted with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes the heart muscle cells to enlarge and subsequently cause the walls of the ventricles (usually the left ventricle) to thicken (heart.org). During her freshman year in college, however, she got the gift of a lifetime: a heart transplant.

And, while she certainly is all heart in the metaphorical sense, she refuses to be defined by the condition that held her life for so long.

Now, post-transplant, Annemarie is living life to the fullest!

The Lakelander: At age 21, you’ve already led a remarkable life. Tell us about it.

Annemarie Ward: I have not lived the easiest life, but remarkable is the perfect way to describe it. I have always lived with this identity of being “the girl with the heart condition,” never just Annie. Between the ages of seven and 18, I experienced several heart attacks and lived every day, pre-transplant, feeling completely exhausted due to the poor condition of my heart. I also lived out most of my childhood with an implanted defibrillator/pacemaker. Although life was much compromised, I am thankful to have had friends and family who were always supportive and helped me obtain normalcy to the best of their ability. All the odds were working against me, but I had a choice to make: either let this defeat me or defeat this heart disease. I choose to not let my disease define me. Instead, I choose to live a remarkable life.

30

THE LAKELANDER

L i f e - s h a p i n g

e d u c a t i o n ,

{ G O D ’ S

s h a p e d

b y

W O R D }

LCS LAKELAND CHRISTIAN is one of the nation’s premier private Christian schools, providing challenging academics, championship athletics and award-winning fine arts. Our primary distinction, though, is the Biblical world view that permeates every facet of school life. LCS truly sharpens minds and shepherds hearts by offering a life-shaping education in the light of God’s Word.

Learn more today on our website. Then contact Julie Rice, Director of Enrollment, for a free campus tour!

THE MISSION

of a lifetime B E G I N S @ L C S

1111 Forest Park Street, Lakeland • 863-688-2771 • lcsonline.org

TL: Last year, you became a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women campaign called Real Women. What do you do in this capacity?

AW: Within this role, I advocate and bring awareness to heart disease and stroke on a national level. My story is on the American Heart Association’s official website, and I am involved with many different events locally. Within Lakeland alone, I have represented and participated in various events such as the Polk Heart Walk and the Polk Heart Ball. Being a national representative gives me the opportunity to share my story with the hopes of bringing awareness to heart disease and stroke.

TL: Before age seven, was there any indication you were living with this heart condition?

AW: The only indication was when I was five years old and a doctor heard a faint murmur, but the doctor assumed I would grow out of it.

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32

THE LAKELANDER

I choose to not let my disease define me. Instead, I choose to live a remarkable life.

TL: How has your life changed since receiving the transplant?

AW: Since the transplant, life has been very confusing. I know that seems like an odd adjective to describe it, but it’s a good thing overall.

I’m learning a lot of things about myself and life in general. Pretransplant, I was very dependent on my family and extremely limited.

Now, I’m able to do and experience things I never thought would be an option for me. My life has changed for the absolute best, but every day I learn and discover something new about myself and what life has to offer.

34

THE LAKELANDER

WILLIAM WEBB & JARED WEGGELAND A partnership of two Industry Leaders

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THE LAKELANDER

35

TL: What are you studying at Southeastern, and what are your future plans?

AW: I’m currently a senior and will graduate from Southeastern University this April with my bachelor’s degree in social work. My plans are to eventually pursue graduate school and possibly work for the American Heart Association. I’m excited to see what the future holds, and I hope I can be an advocate for heart health and truly make a difference.

The American Heart Association builds healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. For more about this organization, please visit heart.org or goredforwomen.org.

36

THE LAKELANDER

D ISCOVER S EU

One of the

SEU.edu Follow us @seuniversity.

Top 10 fastest-growing private liberal arts universities in the U.S. The Chronicle of Higher Education

38

THE LAKELANDER

SPECIAL FEATURE

TRADITION

REBORN 40

THE LAKELANDER

Rooted at home, Scarpa’s Italian gains national recognition written by Sarah Sebastian photography by Jason Stephens

S

carpa’s Italian, owned by Glenn and Ashley Scarpa, has deep Lakeland roots. Recently, I sat down with Ashley to learn a little about the past, present, and future of the restaurant.

You may remember Mario’s Italian Restaurant, which gained immense popularity in the 1980s and ’90s. Glenn is Mario Scarpa’s son. He worked alongside his father in various roles and helped run Mario’s for a little over a decade, then moved on to pursue a career as a construction contractor. The restaurant changed ownership a few times over the years, and with each sale, the menu increasingly strayed from the time­honored family recipes. When the last iteration of Mario’s — La Porta Rossa — closed in 2013, Glenn expressed his desire to revive the family restaurant and restore what his father had originally created.

After looking at three or four possible locations, Glenn and Ashley decided on the very same space that formerly housed Mario’s, located on East Edgewood Drive. It was a very quick start-­up — they obtained the space in September of 2013, and their opening day was a few months later on December 13.

THE LAKELANDER

41

Ashley and Glenn continued working outside of the restaurant, thinking they could keep up with both as their business got off the ground. The restaurant’s success was almost immediate, and they quickly realized they would need to devote themselves full­time to its operation.

“Word traveled fast that it was Mario’s [family],” said Ashley.

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our customers. Sure, people travel from Tampa and Orlando to eat here, but it’s truly the support of our town, the locals, and people who followed Mario’s for generations that made us a success. It’s really rewarding to hear people say thank you and how happy they are that we’re a part of the community. We’ve been very lucky and just hope it continues!”

Glenn runs the kitchen alongside Chef Chris Chavers, who started working with Glenn at Mario’s when he was 15 and continued to work there until shortly after the restaurant was sold. The original Mario’s menu was brought back, with just a few modifications. The dishes they send out of the kitchen are influenced by seasonal ingredients and contain fresh, local products, such as black grouper and hogfish. The attention to quality doesn’t end there — they also make all of their pasta in­-house from scratch.

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“Sure, people travel from Tampa and Orlando to eat here, but it’s truly the support of our town, the locals, and people who followed Mario’s for generations that made us a success.” — Ashley Scarpa

“Glenn takes better care of the pasta machine than any of our other possessions,” Ashley laughingly mentioned as we chatted over appetizers.

Glenn focuses on back-­of-­house operations, having learned the ins and outs of the restaurant business while working in his father’s restaurant. Ashley runs the front-­of-­house operations and does all of the baking, which she has enjoyed as a hobby for years.

“I had my son when I was 21. None of my friends had children, and I didn’t get to go to any Mommy and Me groups or anything like that, so I studied the art of baking. I have about 250 cookbooks.” She was originally only going to bake for opening week, but her desserts were so popular, she kept it up.

After sampling stuffed Portobello mushrooms, eggplant

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rollettini, and a special treat of fried mozzarella and prosciutto with a blackberry sauce sent out by the chef, it’s obvious why Scarpa’s has garnered so much attention in the culinary world.

In March 2015, the Scarpas received a call from Emeril’s Florida, a show airing on the Cooking Channel and hosted by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, asking if they’d be interested in being interviewed for a possible feature. It didn’t immediately enter their minds that it meant being featured on his television program.

“We had a sit­down interview; they had some food, which they enjoyed ... but I didn’t think anything would happen,” Ashley said. “The show has featured some really well­-known places. It had almost left my mind when we got a call that we’d been selected.”

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Within three weeks, Emeril visited the restaurant with his production crew and sat down to a five-course meal.

“He loved everything he ate and was so complimentary. You usually hear stories about celebrities being difficult, but he was such a nice guy and made everyone so comfortable.”

The episode featuring Scarpa’s Italian will air this March and is tentatively titled “Hidden Gems.”

The Scarpas’ hard work over the past two years was shared by a committed staff, many of whom are family members. The overall atmosphere of love and community is a delight — at one point during our conversation, Ashley’s brother quietly approached the table to give her a hug and tell her he loved her. He was only supposed to work through the holidays, but he enjoyed it so much that he stayed on. Working with family, Ashley said, is one of the best things about running the restaurant.

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“I enjoy working with my husband every day, and I think he enjoys working with me, as well. We really balance each other out; where one of us might be a little soft, the other is tough and will put a foot down.”

The toughest part?

“It’s so hard when we’re away! We have absolutely wonderful people working here, but it doesn’t take away from the worry and the fact that [the restaurant] is like our child.”

As we finished our dishes, Ashley looked around at the warm glow of the dining room and smiled.

“So many wonderful things happen around the dinner table, you know? Birthdays, celebrations — it’s so great to be a part of those, to connect with people, and build relationships. It’s really rewarding.”

Ashley recommends any of the pasta dishes. “I could live off of pasta.”

Glenn recommends the Linguine with Clam Sauce and the Seafood Fettucine.

Scarpa’s Italian 1831 East Edgewood Drive, Lakeland, FL 33803 • 863.937.8940 • scarpasitalian.com

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PHILANTHROPY

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Sowing and harvesting hope written by Tara Campbell | photography by Jordan Weiland

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L

ooking out across acres of farmland off of State Road 92 in east Lakeland, it’s obvious that hope is both sown and harvested at Hope Springs Preserve, a fully functional farm owned and operated by Hope Now. I am amazed by the work done on Hope Springs Preserve.

Hope Now provides transitional rehabilitative services to men and women struggling with life controlling issues.

Clients make an eight-month commitment to learning how to lead a life of recovery. Working with clients in an intense inpatient setting for phase one of treatment, and on an outpatient basis toward the end, Hope Now provides a three-pillar approach to rehabilitation that includes transitional living, educational, and clinical services. What makes Hope Now successful is the program’s ability to provide sound therapy to clients while they reside in a drug-free, structured environment (hopenowfl.org).

On a warm fall afternoon, Jim Pearson, the head farmer, and Jason Weiland, the operations director, gave me a tour of the grounds and talked to me about the Hope Now program. Pearson motioned to the several thousand trees that stretch across the field. The trees are surrounded by a variety of plant life, making Hope Springs Preserve a lush and productive farm. With the help of workers, participants in Hope Now’s program, Pearson has been slowly reshaping these 80+ acres of land while also bringing new life to the men who work it alongside him.

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With the help of workers, participants in Hope Now’s program, Pearson has been slowly reshaping these 80+ acres of land while also bringing new life to the men who work it alongside him.

Jim Pearson, head farmer

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As we walked, we heard only the sounds of nature around us, our feet crunching the leaves on the path. Pearson, in his gentle, Southern drawl, explained the work he does. “Me and the guys, we cleared this all out last summer. These were all trees and brush, and we cleaned it out, made this path, and we’re starting another path over there to take us around the lake.”’

He explained the various leafy greens along the path as we walked. Not wanting to compete with local growers, most are exotic plants that have been brought in to give the farm a distinct difference from other farms in Central Florida.

“This is katuk. It’s a Chinese plant that grows in the shade,” he said. And later, “This is called pandan. It’s from India, and it’s very popular. It’s used like we would use eucalyptus.”

Pearson described every plant with great care as we walked, but it was obvious he was most proud of the vast field of moringa trees that populate the center of the farm. Moringa trees are native to Africa and Asia, and known for their numerous nutritional uses.

They’re also a highly-sought-after green by local chefs. Several thousand moringa trees have been planted in the field, and another thousand still grow in pots near the greenhouse waiting to be planted.

“As far as we know, we have the largest crop of moringa in the Southeast. I was reading about a guy that had 1,100 trees. He was proud of his crop, and I thought to myself, ‘Well son of a gun!’”

Pearson said.

The moringa plant is well known for its cleansing properties.

The workers often take the leaves and eat them in salads with other leafy greens or grind them into a powder that can be turned into capsules that help detox the body. This detail is especially important because the people who work the farm with Pearson are recovering addicts, most of whom are recovering from substance abuse and living in a state of detox.

As Pearson and Weiland continued to walk me through the farm, the parallels between the new life that grows on the farm and the rehabilitation they foster with recovering addicts are unmistakable.

Hope Now is bringing something new, pure, and hopeful to a group of Lakelanders who have very few options for hope.

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Left Dr. Joseph Cox, Executive Director Center Jason Weiland, Director of Operations Right Lizette Rivera, Women’s Center Supervisor

“Our clients are hard workers,” Weiland told me. “They want to work and make an honest living. A lot of them have great skill and talent, and we spend a lot of time talking about what their personal strengths are. They’ve built propagation tables and pole barns [at the preserve]. It helps a lot with their recovery.”

This positive affirmation is something that not many of Hope Now’s clients are used to. And, for many clients, this could be the last option for rehabilitation.

Marcus Stern, founder and lead consultant at MH Stern Consulting, is a Hope Now board member and former Lakelander. He’s also the lead on Hope Now’s capital campaign and part of the original founding team. Started in 2010, Hope Now began because a group of Lakelanders saw an alarming trend in recidivism in Polk County.

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2 1 1 7 H A R DE N B O U L E VA R D • L A K E L A N D , F L OR I DA 3 3 8 0 3 • 8 6 3 . 8 0 2 . 5 0 0 0

Employees of the Lakeland Cash Feed Company which is still located at 502 East Main Street. The company sells animal feed, western wear, and a variety of ranch needs.- 1952

Photo Courtesy of Special Collections, Lakeland Public Library Photo by Dan Sanborn

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Though he and his family relocated to Dallas some time ago, Stern believes so strongly in the program that he has committed to flying back once a month to support its mission. “A lot of people in this program … this is their last stop,” he said.

“They’ve burned a lot of bridges with people in their lives. It’s the last place for these people to be restored and transformed.

“We were seeing three generations of a family come through the system because of the same crime. We work with a lot of moms and dads who want to get out of what they’re doing and lead productive lives.”

Without Hope Now, many participants would be left with only the option to continue the life they’d been leading. Rehabilitation services are often quite expensive to the individual; incarceration is expensive to the taxpayer. But Hope Now has found a way to provide a successful rehabilitation experience that’s also inexpensive. The low-cost programming at Hope Now provides an option that a lot of their clients wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Both Stern and Weiland commented that many of the clients they serve are at 200 percent below the poverty level.

Stern noted, “The key thing is the impact that this program makes on Polk County. The impact is deeply rooted economically. We’re keeping people out of jails and in a less cost-prohibitive program.

We’re taking potential inmates and helping them become contributors and not consumers.”

Clients in Hope Now’s program contribute not only on the farm, but also by working in a discount furniture store. The staff at Hope Now believes these programs are crucial in creating sustainability for both the clients and the program. In the future,

they hope to create even more business through a program called “Hope Biz” that will provide more training opportunities for their clients and the people of Polk County.

Working on the farm provides clients with reallife training and is especially successful at helping them learn how to live a well-balanced life. In their daily program, the staff focuses on teaching the clients wellness and self-care. They learn how to be mindful of what’s in their food, and how to eat and cook healthy meals. Working with the plants on the farm is a major part of that. Every plant on the farm has been planted and cared for by the men and the women in the program. This also helps instill a love and respect for what they’re eating.

Most of the clients aren’t familiar with healthy eating and living, and most haven’t been exposed to work of this kind.

The program Hope Now has created is incredibly intentional at making sure the clients are in a homelike environment and that they’re learning about work ethics and living in community.

“We are unique in that we are a full-spectrum program: housing, counseling, vocational. We have a big challenge,” said Executive Director Dr. Joseph Cox. “We want to treat everyone like an individual, and instill hope and forward momentum in their lives.”

Cox hopes to do this by helping clients be prepared vocationally through aspects of the program like Hope Biz. Clients live on site at the Hope Now facilities in Bartow and Lakeland (men are housed in the Bartow facility; women in Lakeland) and are transported back and forth to the farm. Hope Now’s goal is to have residents living on the farm

so they can expand and include things like chicken coops and apiaries, and produce eggs, free-range chicken, and honey. They also hope to be able to open the Hope Springs Preserve experience to teach any Polk County resident who’s interested in learning how to successfully grow their own backyard gardens.

To reach these goals, Hope Now needs help from the community; they can’t do it alone.

Volunteers are needed to help make meals for the men and women in the program, or to come spend time and plan activities for Hope Now’s residents.

They’re optimistic that Lakelanders will use their time, treasure, and talents to help Hope Now’s residents move forward and invest in the community the same way the residents of Hope Now are learning to use their own time, treasure, and talents to invest in their community.

“All my life, I’ve helped others get unstuck and seen dreams get picked up,” Cox said.

It’s time for Lakelanders to help Hope Now and its residents pick up their own dreams. This spring, Hope Now will launch a capital campaign to help further the dreams of the Hope Now mission, and they’re hoping that community leaders, donors, and advocates will join them in their work.

“When I started this work with Hope Now, there were no salaries. It was all volunteers. It’s the most challenging job I’ve ever had, but I tell you what, I sleep well at night,” Cox said with a smile.

Saving county taxpayers money, rehabilitating our people, teaching the community about healthy habits … we should all sleep better, thanks to Dr. Cox and the staff at Hope Now. It’s hard work bettering the community, but with the help of Hope Now, we can all do it.

863.519.5900 | hopenowfl.org | info@hopenowfl.org 58

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JOIN US AT THE 11th ANNUAL

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Friday, February 26, 2016 YMCA Par 3, Home of The First Tee of Lakeland 1740 George Jenkins Blvd. • Lakeland, Florida

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Gates open at 12:00pm • Tickets: $20 (limited presale only) Tickets may be purchased at the YMCA Par 3 or any of our other Lakeland YMCA branches.

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ALLURE IN CLOVER

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CULTURE

FIBER

The lost art of spinning, knitting, and crocheting

written by ABBY JARVIS photography by JESSICA KELLER

Lisa Kolesar

T

he rise of mass-manufactured clothing has really only happened within the last few decades. Not long ago, clothes were made at home and worn for a long time. For centuries, textiles were made slowly, the fiber harvested, spun, and woven into cloth by hand. The textile industry in America revolutionized clothing in the mid-19th century, and advances in technology have made clothing and accessories cheap and easy to attain. Clothes are often worn for a season or two before being discarded.

Many still find enjoyment in the old ways,

Linda Jarvis

though. Some artists and hobbyists knit and crochet clothing, blankets, and accessories such as gloves and socks. A growing number of them even spin and dye their own fibers.

A small group of those artists live right here in Lakeland, and they pride themselves on bucking the trend of mass-produced fast fashion and instead make pieces that are meant to last.

April Shoemaker, a local entrepreneur and mother, knits all manner of things, and she does it with yarn that she’s processed, dyed, and spun herself. She was introduced to the fiber arts at a young age when she learned to

April Shoemaker

crochet at age eight. She learned to knit in her early 20s, and within the last year started dying and spinning the yarn she uses in her projects. Her decision to start making her own yarn was a natural progression of her hobby. “I had always done things with yarn and fibers,” she says.

“Spinning wheels are cost-prohibitive,” Shoemaker notes, and she initially tried spinning with a drop spindle, an ancient, simple hand tool used to make yarn. Her husband eventually bit the bullet, she says, and told her she needed to spin on a real spinning wheel. After months of research, she can now

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start with a bag of freshly sheared, unwashed wool and, over the course of a week, transform it into skeins of yarn.

Shoemaker’s interest in spinning is shared by Linda Jarvis, a local woman who, among other things, knits elaborate lace shawls and scarves. She too learned to knit when she was young, and knitted her first major project when she worked as a geologist for an oil company. “I took [my project] out to an oil well, and the company man didn’t quite know what to make of the female geologist who would sit knitting and watching the football game,” she says with a laugh.

After her time on the oil fields, Jarvis pursued other hobbies and only started knitting frequently a few years ago.

“I got into knitting again because [my daughter] wanted a hat.

And I just started knitting like a fiend.” She moved quickly from beginners’ patterns to elaborate lace patterns from all over the world, particularly from Estonia. The biggest appeal knitting has for her is the combination of beauty and utility. “I like making pretty, functional things,” Jarvis says. “Functional things don’t have to be plain.”

Local crocheter Lisa Kolesar also loves the creativity inherent to fiber arts but adheres less strictly to patterns than

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Jarvis does to hers. “You can be really creative,” Kolesar says. “I think you have the people who will make your exactly-by-thepattern sweater, and then you have someone that looks at it says, ‘I’m going to make that pattern FURRY!’ People come up with all kinds of crazy stuff.”

Kolesar was taught to crochet when she was seven years old and has experimented with different projects and patterns since then. She makes an array of things, from cell phone covers to stuffed animals. When she needs to relax, she works on simpler projects like scarves and pot holders to help alleviate stress.

All three women have noted an increase in interest in the fiber arts. More and more people are learning to knit, crochet, and spin, and what once was a vaguely out-of-fashion hobby is becoming more popular. Kolesar says, “When I first started hanging out with a lot of the people I hang out with, I was the only one who knew how to crochet, and one girl knew how to knit. And now all our friends learned to knit, though we never seemed to get to crochet.”

Part of the allure of the fiber arts seems to be in the do-ityourself mindset that is so prevalent today, along with the push to shop local and support local artisans. Kolesar notes that it seems to correlate with an increased emphasis on community and sustainability. “I do think that part of the whole community-

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building thing is part of a fear about things getting bad,” she says. “Maybe it’s a fear of the apocalypse or something — I don’t know. Maybe people want to say, ‘I have a valuable skill.’”

That idea of self-sufficiency is also appealing to Jarvis. “I like the idea of starting with an animal and ending up with lace,” she says.

Enthusiasts also seem to appreciate the departure from mass-produced products and the act of rediscovering the history and tradition of the fiber arts. “The thing I like about lace, cables, and colorwork is that all those things have a very long heritage,” Jarvis says. “Knitting and the hand arts were ways women could contribute to their household.”

Shoemaker agrees, noting that the process of spinning yarn and turning it into something useful is a long, tedious process that is also a valuable oral tradition passed down among families.

Despite the surge in interest in the fiber arts, artists struggle with finding a place either in the art community or as a business. Shoemaker, who recently started Ply or Die, a company that sells handmade yarn, admits that she caters to a niche market. The hardest part of building her business

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ENTHUSIASTS SEEM TO APPRECIATE THE DEPARTURE FROM MASS-PRODUCED PRODUCTS AND THE ACT OF REDISCOVERING THE HISTORY AND TRADITION OF THE FIBER ARTS.

is finding a price point that’s accessible to shoppers whether they’re looking to buy raw fibers or finished yarn. “Something that’s made from scratch costs more than something you can buy by the pound from China,” she says. “Bulk yarns aren’t as nice, but pricing is hard.”

Kolesar also struggled with pricing her work. “A couple of years back, I had some stuff for sale at [a local retail shop] downtown,” she says. Unfortunately, customers weren’t interested in paying for her goods at a price commensurate with the pieces’ values, or they were looking for baby items. But she wasn’t interested in crocheting baby stuff, so she eventually stopped selling altogether and prefers to give her projects to friends as gifts.

Jarvis, too, prefers to give her lace and other projects to people as gifts instead of selling them. “You can never get anyone to pay for the time you’ll put into anything,” she says. She showed me a picture of one of her shawls, a delicate lace piece knitted with elaborate patterns in very fine yarn. “Even at minimum wage, this would cost

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at least $500,” she says. Jarvis says she’d rather knit what she likes than take commissions for paid pieces, especially given the time she invests in each piece.

Spinning, knitting, crochet, and other hand arts require technical skill and years of practice. That generally means artists have to choose between pricing their work high enough to account for the time they put into projects and pricing them low enough to appeal to shoppers who are accustomed to mass-produced products.

On the other hand, the fiber arts have yet to

become a respected part of the art community at large. “The fiber arts are undervalued in the art world,” says Shoemaker. She notes that paintings, sculptures, and other pieces will sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars, but fiber pieces will never command the same prices even though they can take just as long to create.

Often, artists like painters or photographers are reluctant to trade their work for a knitted piece that cost the same amount of time and money to finish as their own art.

Despite the strange niche that the fiber arts occupy — not quite in the art world, not fully

viable as a business — they’re still attracting an increasing number of people who want to learn them. Whatever has contributed to their growing popularity, be it economic uncertainty, a need for community, or a love for local arts, the surge in interest doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Online tools like YouTube and chat forums have made what was previously an oral tradition passed from generation to generation widely available to anyone who cares to learn, and a growing fiber-arts community will ensure that those skills are preserved for another generation.

For Lakelanders who are interested in knitting, spinning, or crocheting, Shoemaker and Kolesar suggest visiting The Knotty Knitwits, a group that meets every third Wednesday of the month at the Lakeland Library on Lake Morton at 6:00 p.m. Four Purls, a yarn store in Winter Haven, also hosts a group that meets every Tuesday.

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TASTE

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W A R M

W I N T E R ,

HOT CHOCOLaTE written by Jenn Smurr photography by Jason Stephens

Food has power. We have to eat if we want to live, and we have to live if we want to eat. If you’re at all like me, you’re pretty much living to eat anyway.

And, adding chocolate to your intake makes the food journey more fun!

Food also has the power to change lives, like the seasons. Although the seasons don’t change much in Florida, chocolate should always have a place in your cup. The winter season, no matter the temperature, makes me want to be at home with the lights down low, the music turned up. In this season I often want to be sipping something warm as well. Sure, most of us grew up drinking hot chocolate made from that small packet of mysterious powder and those crispy “marshmallows.” Years ago, however, all of that changed for me when Mrs. Gonzalez (who is

like a mother to me) offered me a cup of very special melted drinking chocolate.

Now, Mrs. Gonzalez has a way of making just about anyone feel like family, and she sure does know her way around a kitchen. Her home radiates warmth and tenderness. She pours out wisdom for a life filled with love, along with the best hot chocolate you’ve ever had.

When Mrs. Gonzalez introduced me to melted drinking chocolate, she served it up with cheese.

At first thought, cheese and hot chocolate may not sound enticing, but, trust me — and trust Mrs. Gonzalez’s recipe!

Over the next couple of months, I hope you find yourself safe and warm, enjoying the new year, and sipping one of our favorite hot chocolates.

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RECIPES

MRS. GONZALEZ’S PUERTO RICAN HOT CHOCOLATE Cortes (or Goya) chocolate bar 1 can evaporated milk 1 cup water sharp cheddar cheese The Cortes or Goya chocolate bars can be found at your local Publix. (They are packaged in large-sectioned bars.) In a small saucepan, melt four of the pieces in 1 cup of water.

Once melted, over medium heat, add the can of milk. Heat for about 2 minutes. Do not boil! Serve with a small chunk of cheese or to taste.

Pro Tip: Drink with a spoon instead of from a cup. This gives you the full effect of the melted, soft, and stringy cheese.

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VEGAN PUMPKIN HOT CHOCOLATE 2 cups vanilla almond milk 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 2 Tbsp maple syrup 1/2 tsp cinnamon dash of nutmeg dash of cloves In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and continue stirring to ensure that everything is well-combined. Reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to mugs. Top with vegan whipped cream or your favorite hot-chocolate toppings.

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quality Only the finest meats, cheeses and vegetables are used to make our delicious classic italian dishes.

Come enjoy.

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COCONUT MILK WHIPPED CREAM 1 can full-fat coconut milk (without guar gum) 1/4 tsp vanilla sweetener Place can in the fridge overnight. Remove can from the fridge when ready and flip it upside down (yes, do it, the liquid coconut milk — the part that doesn’t harden — will now be at the top of the can). Open the can and pour out the liquid.

There should be just under 1 cup of liquid. (This liquid can be used later for baking or cooking.)

Add the thick coconut cream to a chilled bowl and whip until fluffy and smooth. At this point, I recommend adding a couple teaspoons of sweetener and 1/4 tsp. vanilla. You can use this whipped cream just about any way you’d use regular whipped cream.

STANDARD HOT CHOCOLATE 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (for adults, dark chocolate is delicious) 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup hot water 1/8 tsp salt 4 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy) 1 tsp vanilla extract Combine the cocoa, sugar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture boils. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the milk. Heat, but do not boil. Remove from the heat, and add vanilla. Serve immediately.

Play around with this recipe — if you want to be adult-like, add a little something.

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE Follow the Standard Hot Chocolate recipe. With the milk, also add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

“I WANT DESSERT” HOT CHOCOLATE 3 (12 oz each) cans evaporated milk 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 12 oz of your favorite chocolate chips whipped cream, chocolate sauce, cocoa powder for serving In a medium pot over medium heat, whisk together milk and vanilla. Add chocolate chips and stir until chocolate is melted.

Cover and turn heat to low for 5 minutes.

THE LAKELANDER ’S FAVORITE LOCAL CHOCOLATE OFFERINGS Scarpa’s Italian: Chocolate Pots de Creme A cross between a pudding and a mousse. Served chilled with a warm, salted-caramel sauce. A customer favorite. Made from scratch.

The Terrace Grille: Chocolate Lava Cake Chocolate cake with a warm, molten-chocolate center and topped with vanilla-bean ice cream, whipped cream, macadamia nuts, and chocolate sauce. Did we mention chocolate?

Cafe Zuppina: Turkish Pots de Creme served with freshly whipped cream Simple ingredients from Berna’s kitchen and tasty as usual, making you wonder how she does it, every time.

Scarpa’s Italian Chocolate Pots de Creme

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Cafe Zuppina Turkish Pots de Creme

The Terrace Grille Chocolate Lava Cake

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SHELTER

I AM LAKE MORTON How homeowners with big vision and a big-box budget brought an historic Lake Morton home back to life

written by Christian Lee photography by Tina Sargeant

I am a house.

To be precise, I am an historic Lake Morton house.

Built in the 1920s, I used to be very nice. Well, I guess I still am, in many ways. However, I suffered a bit of a reversal of fortune a few years ago. I mean, not to be boastful or put too much swagger in my step, but back in the 1920s I was the cat’s pajamas in my area of town. I like to think I was swanky, like Betty Blythe in the silent-film classic Queen of Sheba. Well, maybe that’s a reach. I may not have been quite as attractive as Ms. Blythe. I wasn’t built by one of those folks constructing the enormous, fancy houses on some of the other lakes in the area, but I could still hold my own as a keen Arts and Crafts bungalow with more than a minor touch of class.

So, here I am, still alive, fortuitously saved by the great taste and unlimited budget of some wonderful local folks with vision. At least that’s my considered opinion. The unlimited-budget part is a stretch, however. That’s actually what I want to tell you about.

My owners didn’t have unlimited resources, yet they found a way to bring me back to my glory. They took my weathered, worn bones and managed to breathe new life into me on a big-box budget. They didn’t break the bank.

I was built not far from Lake Morton in what is now known as the South Lake Morton Historic District.

Lake Morton, as you may have heard, is known for the

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glorious swans that inhabit its shores and lake. There are also ducks, but somehow the poor ducks get lost in all the “swan love” that everyone feels. The swans simply appeared sometime in 1923 and lasted until about 1954 when the alligators and local pets finished eating them. An industrious (and obviously well-connected) local resident wrote to Queen Elizabeth II about the swan-as-gator-food issue, and HRH arranged to send us a couple of royal swans to replace them. So the swans you see around the lake have a royal lineage of sorts, which in turn makes my neighborhood a kind of Buckingham Palace suburb. Buckingham West, so to speak. By extrapolation, I consider myself a royal descendant. Even though I’m a house and not a swan, it’s close enough for Lakeland.

Since I was built, my neighborhood has seen some significant ups and downs. I was originally part of the boom period of the 1920s that quickly went bust with the changes brought on by the market crash and depression that followed. Buckingham West wasn’t immune from some of the transformations that resulted during those tough times. But the bones of the neighborhood were solid, and by 1985 my ’hood was declared a United States Historic District and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This was in no small part because of the ahead-of-itstime urban planning done by the city forefathers in

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the 1920s and the substantial numbers of architecturally significant structures spanning the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Most of my neighbors are Arts and Crafts, but many are also Victorian, Spanish Revival, and Queen Anne (sorry, Queen Elizabeth).

As mentioned previously, I eventually fell on hard times. Maintenance just wasn’t what it needed to be, and I couldn’t keep up without a family that actually had the desire to hold a paint brush and lovingly apply a shingle and nail here and there. So, there I sat with the kind of people living in me that didn’t really care what I looked like or how I felt about things. In fact, I was ignored for years.

That is, until my new owners arrived on the scene with a vision of what I once was and could be again. I’ll call them “the Saints,” since they would prefer I not mention them by name.

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The Saints recognized my potential and, perhaps more importantly, the potential of the neighborhood in general.

In other words, they had imagination. They found me to be charming, in a rough sort of way (I did say I had run into hard times).

I have some old-house renovation advice for you. The first thing you do after you buy an old house that needs love is resist waking up the next day in a clammy, cold sweat induced by panic. Do not open your eyes, rub the perspiration off your brow, look over at your spouse, and scream, “What have you gotten me into?” or something similar (or, perhaps, worse). To avoid that communication “problem,” create a plan that includes a wish list and that all-important “B” word, a budget, ahead of time. You definitely want to avoid being stranded with, in, or around a house that has no plan and, worse, no budget.

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My Saints had a wish list, a budget, and a plan — all of the ingredients typically necessary to dodge hopeless despair. Maybe it’s not everything you need, but having a grip on these things does help. Renovating an old house requires one key component: focus on fixing one thing at a time. Because there will be A LOT of things to fix, and you will become absolutely, positively, saturated with “fixtocity” (the need to get it done now). Do not get overwhelmed with what color to paint the hall closet when today’s issue may well be a case of no air conditioning when it’s 120 degrees outside.

When heat stroke is imminent, paint colors need to take a back seat for a while. Sigh.

You will run into problems. And you will likely occasionally come up with some really bad ideas for solutions. First, blame your spouse for the bad ideas. Just kidding. Try to recognize the bad ideas for what they are. Stinkers. And go at it again from another direction. You will come up with what works, and that’s part of the fun and satisfaction of surviving a renovation.

So here’s how to do it. Fix stuff. Stand back and admire your work. Repeat by fixing something else. More admiring. Repeat.

Sometimes blame your spouse for what isn’t going as well as you had planned. Then make up with your spouse.

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I’M NOW A HAPPY, ABSOLUTELY CONTENT, OLD HOUSE, CONSECRATED IN THE SOOTHING OIL OF TASTEFUL RENOVATION.

I’m a three-bedroom, two-bath house with about 2,300 square feet of living space. I’m situated on a quiet side street with a new brick paver driveway that feels and looks perfect for the era. I have to confess to a visceral reaction when tires run over me (It. The driveway. Whatever). And, yay, I received a new roof, paint, and columns out front with some wonderful Greek Revival planters lining the sidewalk that leads up from the street. I was painted gray with white trim and received lovely new landscaping for good measure. My front porch has a refurbished amber tongue-and-groove pine ceiling, with suspended glass jars over colorful, intimate, comfortable furniture so the Saints can sit and visit with their neighbors, just like folks did in the 1920s.

Perfect. Now that’s what I’m used to.

The Saints had some pretty clear ideas of what they wanted to do and how to accomplish it.

They didn’t do all the work themselves. They hired experts to come in and help. But I would hear them talking (I actually am the four walls, after all). There are some great sources you can use for inspiration. Go to Instagram. Look to Pinterest for design inspiration. Put key words like “vintage design,” “remodeling”, “interior decorating,” and the names of designers you like in your search engine. Find a cool, old book or two, cut out pictures you like and buy classic (and inexpensive) black frames with white matting at Michael’s. Frame the pictures and create an entire wall this way. Go to flea markets, but don’t spend more than $100 for a work of art. Browse vintage stores, Ikea, Target, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Floor Décor for sales and interesting ideas.

The Saints decided to use premade kitchen cabinets from Ikea, and they look and fit great.

They built a center island that included the stove and cooktop with a central stainless steel hood.

A double-door stainless steel refrigerator was located on a back wall leaving plenty of work space, cabinets, and drawers. A simple pipe was hung over the kitchen sink to suspend drop pendant lights with vintage bulbs for lighting. It’s affordable, yet sophisticated.

On the family-room wall, they disassembled pallets and then reassembled them as a kind of wood paneling. How cool is that? The wall is absolutely covered with texture and variety, adding interest as if it’s a work of art, which I guess it is in a way. A robust and glorious old-school motif.

My Saints found furniture on overstock.com and Target. They bought a ready-to-install

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bathroom sink and chest/vanity combination at Lowe’s that has the look and feel of vintage charm. They took out a tub and created a shower using affordable white subway tile with stylish gray grouting. My bathrooms went from imminent doom, the result of years of steadfast bad taste, to stylized displays of dedicated design love. Wow. I felt so much better. I’d been delivered into a postwar, non-Levittown, contemporary world.

Stacked boxes from Ikea with colorful, large vintage letters on the top shelf were placed in one of the kids’ rooms to help with organization and storage. World globes of different sizes were hung (that’s right) in a corner of the family room, adding an amazing sense of design imagination and immaculate imbalance to the space. Three graciously nomadic old doors were used as headboards in the master bedroom.

Instead of using wallpaper, the Saints painted a pattern on the wall. Not as expensive as wallpaper but just as interesting, pretty, and effective. Prefinished hardwood flooring from Lowe’s was used throughout, while the hall bathroom’s tile floors came from Lowe’s but look like wood — amazing what they’ve been able to do with various materials since 1920. They utilized galvanized plumbing pipe, painted black, with added stained-wood shelves to create a unique entertainment center perfect for the wall space. And speaking of space, the Saints created symmetry and equilibrium by hanging a sliding barn door to separate the family room from the dining room.

I’m now a happy, absolutely content, old house, consecrated in the soothing oil of tasteful renovation. And I’m loving my new family and the new life they breathed into my, shall we say, senior lungs. In a matter of months, I went from, “I’m in big trouble and I’m going to die,” to, “Calm down, the Saints have arrived to save me.” They transformed me from a neglected lump of forgotten history to a relaxed, splendid, and glorious future part of the new Lakeland. From low self-esteem to deliverance. Like Hans Christian Andersen’s famous fairy tale, from ugly duckling to beautiful swan.

Hopefully, I will be able to dodge the alligators in the years to come.

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EDUCATION

LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER MAXIMIZING LEARNING POTENTIAL FOR 40 YEARS written by Rebecca Knowles

Eight-year-old Chelsea started working with a tutor from the Learning Resource Center (LRC) when she was in first grade. A horrible accident when she was just 19 months old left her in need of frequent medical care, including seven surgeries before she was six. One of the surgeries lasted seven hours, and her doctors believe that the length of time she was under anesthesia resulted in a loss of previous academic learning. Born to young parents, Chelsea was raised mainly by her grandparents, until her grandfather passed away two years ago. Her grandmother, who receives Social Security, is her sole provider and caretaker. Without the Learning Resource Center, Chelsea — a happy, bubbly little girl — would have little hope of being successful academically. Working with a highly qualified LRC tutor twice a week, however, has helped Chelsea make the honor roll for the first time, and actually enjoy school. According to her tutor, “Life will always be a challenge physically for Chelsea.

However, with her courage and strong will, she will continue to succeed if opportunities are available to her.”

One-to-one tutoring is only a small facet of what the Learning Resource Center, a local not-forprofit organization, provides. Founded 40 years ago by the Junior League of Greater Lakeland, LRC has grown from offering tutoring to students with learning disabilities to providing a full range of academic services to the community. From Camp READY!, a summer program to prepare students for kindergarten, to test preparation and certification classes for businesses, the LRC exists — as its mission states — to “help students maximize their learning potential by providing personalized educational programs, consultative services for parents, and programs to accommodate community needs.”

According to Executive Director Dr. Pam Craven, the LRC has one of its greatest impacts on the community “when families, schools, organizations, and businesses think of LRC as a possible resource.” The incredible staff at the LRC is highly skilled at crafting programs to fit the needs of various groups. Last year, the LRC’s programs reached approximately 5,000 people throughout Polk County, ranging from preschoolers to adults, and they employ approximately 600 instructors as independent contractors.

This year, the Learning Resource Center is celebrating its 40th year and currently has community partnerships with the United Way of Central Florida, Polk County Public Schools, GiveWell Community Foundation, Publix Supermarkets Charities, Heartland for Children, and the Lakeland Rotary Club. They also have received grants from Disney and rely on contributions from private donors. From these partnerships and their annual fundraiser, “For the Love… of Learning,” LRC ensures that any student who needs and wants academic help can receive it. Every dollar raised from For the Love… of Learning funds LRC’s scholarship program that provides supplemental academic instruction to students who both deserve and need it.

LRC makes a remarkable difference in this community by helping students of all ages identify and achieve their goals, maximizing the learning potential of the community as a whole.

The Learning Resource Center is located at 1628 South Florida Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33803. To find out more, please visit lrcpolk.com, or call 863.688.9477.

SAVE THE DATE! FEBRUARY 20, 2016 FOR THE LOVE… OF LEARNING ANNUAL FUNDRAISER

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Tina Sargeant

ABOUT REBECCA KNOWLES Rebecca moved to Lakeland when she was two and is a graduate of Lakeland High School. After earning a BA in psychology from Atlanta’s Agnes Scott College, she returned to Lakeland and taught English at her high school alma mater for several years. She is currently the director of the Center for Learning and Community Engagement at All Saints Academy, where she is responsible for developing partnerships within the community and innovative learning opportunities for students. Rebecca enjoys travel, sushi, and — most importantly — spending time with her husband, Brian; children Clayton (7) and Alison (3); and parents, Bobby and Diane Baum.

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Stop by our schools to see where we love to learn, play, and pray

COME&CELEBRATE!

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE: RESURRECTION CATHOLIC SCHOOL

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2016

Jan 31st from 11:30am - 1:00pm Feb 2nd from 8:30am - 10:00am 3720 Old Highway 37, Lakeland, FL 33813 (863) 644-3931

JAN 31ST - FEB 6TH

SAINT ANTHONY CATHOLIC SCHOOL CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE A PRIVATE TOUR!

Jan 31st from 10:00am - 1:00pm Feb 4th from 9:00am - 11:00am 924 Marcum Road, Lakeland, FL 33809 (863) 858-0671

ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY

Jan 31st from 11:00am - 1:00pm Feb 4th from 9:00am - 11:00am 310 Frank Lloyd Wright Way, Lakeland, FL 33803 (863) 686-6415

ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL Jan 31st from 11:00am - 1:00pm Feb 4th from 9:00am - 11:00am 535 Avenue M NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881 (863) 293-3311

SANTE FE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Call us to schedule a tour 3110 US Highway 92 East, Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 665-4188

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OPENINGS

OPEN

COMING SOON

801 EAST MAIN

5TH AND HALL

Location: 801 East Main Street Famed locally and nationally for their fresh beignets and Campfire Coffee, The Poor Porker has been in the works to expand their business for some time. The much anticipated renovation of a two-door garage on East Main Street opened its doors last November to an eager crowd. 801 East Main features a central point bar, an outdoor garden, and delightful surprises around every corner. The space features The Poor Porker, The Corner Store, and Bearcat & Big 6.

CRUMB & GET IT BAKERY

Location: 2510 South Florida Avenue This tasty bake shop is all about “fresh cookies, your way!” Crumb & Get It specializes in customized cookies made to your liking and delivered to your doorstep, or eaten fresh in-store.

NINETEEN 61

Location: 1212 South Florida Avenue Previously the chef at the Lakeland Yacht & Country Club, Chef Marcos Fernandez now has his own restaurant, Nineteen 61. It’s a true, farm-to-table food experience where diners can enjoy fresh, local tastes with a seasonally-evolving menu.

THE BALANCE CULTURE

Location: 1035 South Florida Avenue, #200 This fitness studio offers a variety of workouts, including barre, boot camps, cardio, kick-boxing, Pilates, yoga, and much more.

THE JUICE BOX

Location: 4295 South Florida Avenue Fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, and more. The Juice Box sources as much as possible from local and organic farmers and distributors.

Location: 1221 South Florida Avenue Date: Spring 2016 Already a Lakeland fashion staple and inspired by classic 1960s’ Ivy League menswear, this clothing store soon will be offering current street trends year-round.

BORN & BREAD BAKEHOUSE Location: South Florida Avenue Date: Early 2016

Currently selling their delicious baked goods at the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market, Born & Bread Bakehouse plans to open a storefront in Dixieland.

GLORY DAYS GRILL

Location: 1479 Town Center Drive Date: End of 2015 Known for its family-friendly atmosphere and affordable menu, this sports bar and grill is in the works to open by the end of the year.

MELLOW MUSHROOM

Location: 3355 Lakeland Highlands Road Date: Spring 2016 With a menu full of vegan options and its famed gluten-free crust, this well-known pizza chain is in the works to open in front of Lowe’s.

POLLO TROPICAL

Location: South Florida Avenue Date: TBA This Caribbean, Florida-based restaurant chain recently announced it will be opening its first location in Polk County.

WAWA UNCLE NICK’S BAGELS N SUBS Location: 6955 Old Highway 37

A family-owned, New York-style bagel and sub shop.

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Location: corner of Edgewood Drive and Bartow Highway Date: TBA This popular one-stop for coffee, fresh food, fuel services, and surcharge-free ATMs will soon open its second location in Lakeland.

58th ANNUAL

E K A F C E N S A T I V A L 20 P S I N A 16 KIW

CHARITIES: BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS CAMP FIRE DORIS SANDERS LEARNING CENTER EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF POLK COUNTY FLORIDA BAPTIST CHILDREN’S HOMES GIRLS, INC. kidsPACK PARKER STREET MINISTRIES

DATE:

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

TIME:

7:00 AM - 3:00 PM

TICKET PRICES:

FAMILY PACK $20

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ADULTS $8 CHILDREN $4 (AGES 2-12) PLACE:

TIGERTOWN HANGER 2 (LAKELAND)

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EVENTS CALENDAR

DON ’ T JUST

DREAM RECURRING EVENTS

ACHIEVE

WITH CARLISLE AUCTIONS EVERY SATURDAY DOWNTOWN FARMERS CURB MARKET 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. downtownfarmerscurbmarket.org EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT PUB RUN @ RED DOOR LAKELAND 6:15 p.m. - 7 p.m.

EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT PUB RUN @ THE CHOP SHOP 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

EVERY SATURDAY MORNING PUB RUN @ MITCHELL’S COFFEE HOUSE 6 a.m. - 7 a.m.

EVERY SATURDAY MORNING BLACK & BREW FUN RUN 8 a.m. - 9 a.m.

FEBRUARY

FREE UNLESS SOLD policy for Consignors and a easy registration process for Bidders

FEBRUARY 5 SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FILM FESTIVAL 1 p.m. - 10 p.m. polktheatre.org FEBRUARY 6 VISTEBALL viste.org/about-visteball

AT

FEBRUARY 6 SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FILM FESTIVAL 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. polktheatre.org FEBRUARY 6 GARDEN BROS. CIRCUS thelakelandcenter.com 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY 7 OFF BROADWAY’S THE GREATEST PIRATE STORY NEVER TOLD 2 p.m. polktheatre.org FEBRUARY 11 FOOD TRUCK RALLY downtownlakelandfl.com 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

110 THE LAKELANDER

FEB. 26-27, 2016

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THE LAKELANDER 111

EVENTS CALENDAR

FEBRUARY 12 - 13 LAKELAND PRO RODEO CLASSIC thelakelandcenter.com FEBRUARY 12 - 14 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WATCH AND CLOCK COLLECTORS thelakelandcenter.com FEBRUARY 13 PANCAKE FESTIVAL business.lakelandchamber.com 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

FEBRUARY 16 - 20 FHSAA GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP thelakelandcenter.com FEBRUARY 18 THE LADY WITH ALL THE ANSWERS polktheatre.org 7:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY 20 LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE LOVE… OF LEARNING ANNUAL FUNDRAISER lrcpolk.com 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

FEBRUARY 23 - 27 FHSAA BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP thelakelandcenter.com FEBRUARY 23 SANDY HACKETT’S RAT PACK SHOW thelakelandcenter.com 7:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY 24 DRIVING MISS DAISY thelakelandcenter.com 7:30 p.m.

Building a legacy that promises her what she deserves requires foresight to anticipate and seize opportunities, all while managing risks and avoiding obstacles. It means having an experienced advisor on your side that knows how to help you create and follow a plan that leads to fruition. There are many routes to the future, but she’s counting on you to take the right one.

112 THE LAKELANDER

FEBRUARY 25 WINTER FLORIDA AUTOFEST carlisleevents.com 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

FEBRUARY 25 HOTEL CALIFORNIA - A SALUTE TO THE EAGLES thelakelandcenter.com 7:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY 25 - 28 THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE flsouthern.edu/festival-of-fine-arts.aspx 7:30 p.m. (Sunday at 2:30 p.m.)

FEBRUARY 27 POLK MUSEUM OF ART 50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA 6:30 p.m. polkmuseumofart.org

BOB & DEBBIE KNOX

THE TRAVELING FEDORAS 863-815 0995 / lakeland, florida Dknox@cruiseone.com www.travelingfedoras.com

Know someone who needs a New Beginning...

Serving all of Polk County, New Beginnings High School is a community-based Charter School serving students, ages 16-24.

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863.298.5666  newbhs.net THE LAKELANDER 113

HISTORY

Date: 1937 Actress Marie Sears, who grew up in Lakeland, enjoying a moment sitting along the Lake Mirror Promenade

Photo courtesy of Lakeland Public Library

years of

EXPERIENCED MINDS handling

COMPLEX MATTERS Since 1948, Peterson & Myers has provided experienced legal advice to help our client’s innovative ideas become a reality.

We believe each client deserves attorneys who create learned, practical, individualized solutions in a constantly changing and complex environment. Please call us or visit our website today for more information about our time-tested legal experience.

PETERSONMYERS.COM • 863.683.6511 • LAKELAND | WINTER HAVEN | LAKE WALES

A tradition of

healthcare excellence continues.

In the summer of 1941, five physicians had an idea in a modest downtown office building: Enhance the wellness of our community by delivering the most advanced medical expertise and technologies available.

After 75 years, that dream has flourished to include hundreds of specialists, multiple locations and a nationally recognized caliber of healthcare.

www.WatsonClinic.com | 863-680-7000 | Follow us on: