The Lakelander - Issue 40

ISSU E 40

Sports FLORIDA SOUTHERN WATER SKI DETROIT TIGERS SPRING TRAINING KATHLEEN HIGH GIRLS TRACK & FIELD SOUTHEASTERN FOOTBALL SHELLY WILKES & THE LAKELAND MAGIC

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LAKELAND MAGIC

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BE THE FIRST. BE PART OF THE FUTURE.

LAKELANDMAGIC.COM 863.825.3258

C O N T E N T S ISSUE 40

ON THE COVER The Lakelander talks to Florida Southern’s Water Ski Coach, Curtis Rabe, about the “binding” between the sport and the school.

Photo by Jason Stephens

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THE LAKELANDER

CONTENTS

70 FEATURES

48 • SPORTS / LEADER

58 • SPORTS / LOCAL LEGACY

70 • SPORTS / INSPIRATION

84 • SPORTS / TEAM SPIRIT

Game Changer

Deepwater Start A Division II school’s water ski team sets a new standard, with wins at the Division I level.

Kathleen High School Girls Track & Field

Starting a Fire

The introduction of the Lakeland Magic also ushers in the NBA’s first female president in the league.

Learn what keeps these young, skilled athletes spurred on to run.

The premiere of SEU’s football team revives a campus.

CONTENTS

110 96 • S PORTS / ENDURING PARTNERS

Earned Run Untold stories of the Detroit Tigers and their Spring Training host city

110 • TASTE

Seder Plate A modern take on Passover, served with historic insight

122 • SHELTER

Friendly Modernism An inviting kind of modern

122

134 • STYLE

Framed

134

Fresh spring spectacle looks

DEPARTMENTS

18

THE LAKELANDER

20 • MASTHEAD

24 • CONTRIBUTORS

28 • METRO

22 • EDITOR’S NOTE

26 • LETTERS

146 • HISTORY

Class every other Saturday or Online Finish in as few as 16 months or at your own pace One of the Best Schools to Earn an MBA Princeton Review

Best Local School to Get Your MBA Orlando Business Journal

A Top MBA program Tampa Business Journal

Top 20 Most Innovative Small College Business Departments Business Research Guide

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.

flsouthern.edu/mba call 863.680.5022 text 863.576.5087

Curt Patterson Jason Jacobs • Brandon Patterson PUBLISHER

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS

Brandon Patterson

Kristin Crosby

Daniel Barceló

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

EDITOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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Lakeland’s newest Sports Bar experience!

Curt Patterson | 863.409.2449 Brandon Patterson | 863.409.2447 Jason Jacobs | 863.606.8785

Editorial CONTRIBUTORS

PRODUCTION EDITOR COPY EDITOR

Kristin Crosby, Abdiel Gonzalez, Joel Helm, Christian Lee, Annalee Mutz, Adam Spafford, Benjamin Vickers Annalee Mutz Laura Burke

Creative DESIGNER PHOTOGRAPHERS

VP, FINANCE EDITORIAL INTERN SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN

Anushka van Huyssteen Dan Austin, Paul Bostrom, Philip Pietri, Tiffani Jones, Tina Sargeant, Jason Stephens Deb Patterson Emily Johnson Allie Bernatek

Circulation CIRCULATION DIRECTOR GENERAL COUNSEL

Jason Jacobs Ted W. Weeks IV

Issue 40 -March/April 2018 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.

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Customer Service: 863.701.2707

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“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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E D I T O R ’ S

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Growing up, I was rather leery of sports. I was often the shy kid, last selected in dodgeball and one of the last remaining two in the game, hugging the wall. I was the kid keeping the goalie company during soccer at recess. And the girl whose tumbling in gymnastics appeared more like odd rolling, out of fear of breaking my neck. The realm of athletics wasn’t my strength, so to speak.

I was the kid keeping the goalie company during soccer at recess.

But, as a child who was raised 15 minutes outside of Boston, sports would soon no longer be a matter of question. Whether it was watching my brother pitch left-handed in Little League, my best friends playing lacrosse, attending any Celtics or Red Sox game we could get tickets for, or watching Sunday night football (back in the day, when the Patriots were the underdogs)

Kristin Crosby EDITOR

863-682-3803 acu-temp.com 22

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at home or at friends’ houses, sports were just a part of living. Having moved to New England as a young family, we quickly discovered, if you wanted to really embrace what it meant to be a New Englander, you were going to be a lover of sports. Not to mention becoming avid, unrelentingly passionate, naively loyal fans. (Though, some may question my loyalty after reading page 28.)

Throughout church youth group, Sunday afternoons (when the Pats weren’t playing) meant endless hours of volleyball at the D’Agostinos. And, after moving to Lakeland to attend college, most every Saturday turned into hours of playing football with friends at Lake Parker.

Regardless of whether you’re directly active in sports, it’s safe to say the global and national influence of beloved pastimes make up the many memorable moments that shape so much of our lives.

With each special issue of The Lakelander, we seek to capture those facets of our city that most enliven it with vision, unity, and spirit. And, well, as far as sports are concerned, Lakeland has quite a bit going for it.

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C O N T R I B U T O R S THE WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT MAKE THE LAKELANDER

CHRISTIAN LEE photo by Loree Rowland, Southeastern University, story pg. 84

JOEL HELM Joel Helm loves Lakeland. As a former resident of a colder climate, he treasures each day his face doesn’t hurt when he steps outside. A ravenous fan of sports and storytelling, their intersection is his happy place. A father of two beautiful, loud children, he and his wife, Melissa, love this community more every day.

Can you recall your first writing job?

My first attempt at writing was a feature-length screenplay. I can’t say it was a “job” because no one ever bought it, probably because it was terrible and the darkest screenplay ever. Most people thought I’d write a comedy. Nope. For some reason, I wrote something that makes Se7en look like LEGO Batman.

What has been your favorite piece to write for The Lakelander so far?

It’s probably the very first one I did, for sentimental reasons. It was an article on golf but also an article about being a parent. I will always keep photos from that one.

How do you overcome writer’s block?

Eat. That’s healthy, right?

What does your ideal day in Lakeland look like?

There are so many great local restaurants in

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Lakeland now, so I’d have to start my day burning some calories at the Beerman Family Tennis Center to prepare for a food tour. After tennis, I’d hit up Born and Bread, grab coffee at Concord, then wait until I get hungry again. In the meantime, I’d play a little golf at Cleveland Heights (in amazing shape right now) with my six-year-old. For dinner, I’d head with our friends to Nineteen61. Maybe Posto 9 rooftop to cap off the day. Actually, I’m getting old. Doing all that sounds tiring.

What’s your favorite way to stay active in Lakeland?

I play a good amount of tennis. Depending on the time of year, it’s fun to play against some of the college guys at SEU or FSC to keep my game sharp and to allow me to eat my customary seven meals a day.

What’s your favorite Lakeland sport to support?

It’s a tie between tennis and golf.

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A Mississippi native, Christian works with contracts and clients to remodel homes and commercial properties.

To learn more about her skilled interior designs, visit christianleedesign.com.

JASON STEPHENS Jason lives with his beautiful wife, Jess, and children, Isla and Miles.

Whether 500 feet in the air, or (in this case, pg. 58), floating in Lake Hollingsworth, he loves capturing moments behind the lens.

See the masthead on p. 20 for a list of all contributing writers and photographers.

L E T T E R S COMMENTS FROM LAKELANDERS

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PEEP OUR NO KILL CACTI NEXT TO THE NEWEST EDITION OF THE LAKELANDER! WE LOVE THE CREATIVE WORK FOUND IN EACH EDITION AND ARE INSPIRED BY ALL THE LAKELAND LOVE! @twentysevencommunity // Instagram

COUNTERTOPS THIS FASCINATION WITH THE PHYSICAL LEADS TO A MISCONCEPTION THAT THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF WHOLENESS, OF PERFECTION. @danielletorres__ // Instagram

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TH E L A K E L A N D E R

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There’s No Brady in “Team” More equipped than ever to live life on a solo track, we tend to forget the power of what it means to live with a team mindset.

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here was no question this year who would win the Super Bowl. With eight Super Bowl appearances, five Super Bowl wins, and hailed as MVP four of those times, the answer appeared obvious. At 40 years old, Tom Brady had remained an all-star NFL quarterback since stepping in as Patriots QB to cover an injured Drew Bledsoe.

With the Eagles’ arrival at the playoffs, for many experts there really wasn’t a question of who would win.

With few well-known names, a franchise that had arrived at the Super Bowl only three times with no prior wins, not to mention injured MVP candidate QB Wentz who would be replaced by Nick Foles on game day, the odds did not appear in the Eagles’ favor. Few projected the team stood a chance. When ESPN released its Super Bowl LII predictions from the network’s writers, editors, analysts, columnists, and pundits, the results were 61 Patriots to 24 Eagles. Sports analysts questioned, “Can a Wentz-less Eagles win the Super Bowl?” Pre-game headlines from Fox News, NBC Sports, The Washington Post, and even Super Bowl Nation read “Patriots Will Win.”

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Perhaps a convinced media’s forecasts pushed anyone who wasn’t a New England Patriots fan to root for the underdogs. Because, while the media was analyzing and scrutinizing the Eagles, the rest of the world saw a spirited, brazen team with depth, which they were quick to get behind.

The Philadelphia Eagles astounded us all with a timeless performance, a first quarterback to ever catch a touchdown, and a victorious first Super Bowl win, producing the most combined total yards and just one point shy of tying with the most combined scoring Super Bowl game in NFL history.

Leading up to the game, the hype on Brady’s success was only heightened.

Following the online documentary Tom vs. Time, it appeared the Pats would win because they had Brady, and Brady always won. But, this year, he didn’t. (Granted, New England’s 33 points were the most scored loss in Super Bowl history.)

The Patriots’ loss came after a notable feud erupted at the beginning of the year between Brady and Coach Belichick. As Brady had developed his own franchise within the success of the Patriots, the TB12 Method (Brady’s personal fitness and dietary regime, which he credits for his ability to continue playing professionally into his 40s), it was reported many Patriots players felt pressured to train with TB12 rather than with the team in order to be in good standing with Brady, while other players referred to the method as a “cult,” causing conflict of leadership on the field. At the end of the year, Belichick pulled Brady’s trainer and business partner, Alex Guerrero, from the sidelines and locker room. A strained relationship between Brady and Belichick quickly became a power struggle to determine who was behind the team’s 20-year dynasty.

Stepping onto the field, the spotlight on the G.O.A.T., the Patriots appeared to have all they needed for a strong win. But they were lacking one crucial element.

Maybe the one thing over time we forget is the thrill of sports, what makes a winning team a team: camaraderie.

As kids, sports are often our introduction as to what can happen when we work together on a clear goal, how to be about more than our own agenda. As we increasingly function in a self-focused, spotlighted, solo-tracked way of life, we tend to miss out on wins meant to be celebrated as a community, as a company, as a team. Even in our own sports viewing, we can forget the real magic behind the game.

Had the Patriots won, that next morning all the newspapers would’ve read, “Brady Wins Again!” But, when the Eagles won, Philadelphia papers printed “At Last!” “The Eagles Win!” “Wonderdogs!” (and also “Philly Dilly”).

At the white-knuckle end of the game, once the Eagles began to roar at their victorious win, spectators noticed no handshake took place between the two quarterbacks. Brady never appeared to congratulate Foles on his win.

During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel asked Foles, “Did you hear from Tom Brady after the Super Bowl?”

“I haven’t heard from him yet,” Foles replied. “I know he’s got a lot going on.”

I SS U E 4 0

AS WE INCREASINGLY FUNCTION IN A SELF-FOCUSED, SPOTLIGHTED, SOLO-TRACKED WAY OF LIFE, WE TEND TO MISS OUT ON WINS MEANT TO BE CELEBRATED AS A COMMUNITY, AS A COMPANY, AS A TEAM.

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METRO

THE LOWDOWN WITH BUMP The beloved Lakeland artist Josh “Bump Galletta” released a podcast with local stellar interviews you’ll be eager to tune in to, featuring the likes of Lakeland Magic’s President, Shelly Wilkes; Katara Confectionery co-owner, Tara Campbell; and local musicians. Tune in for free at Apple iTunes.

The Lakeland Derby Ten custom-built boats will compete, and all proceeds go to support Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine.

FILM PMOA In partnership with Florida Southern College, the Polk Museum of Art recently launched a new monthly event, The Art of Film. A forum for film lovers, each month showcases an internationally renowned independent and arts-related movie, followed by audience Q&A sessions with film directors and FSC faculty. polkmuseumofart.org

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his year marks the 11th Annual Lakeland Derby, a signature fundraising event hosted by Lakeland THE LAKELAND Volunteers in Medicine (LVIM). In classic “Derby” DERBY TAKES PLACE fashion, the race is held at Lake Mirror and oversees swan paddle ON FRIDAY, APRIL boats race around the lake for the title. Ten custom-built boats will compete, and all proceeds go to support LVIM. With three races, 27, FROM 5:30 PM food, live music, kids’ games, and a closing fireworks’ display, the TO 9:30 PM ON Lakeland Derby is an event that draws out the community and THE LAKE MIRROR sees plenty of wide-brim hats for the occasion.

In 2001, LVIM was founded to create a way to meet the PROMENADE. healthcare needs of the greater Lakeland community. This nonprofit organization sees that patients gain a medical home and have access to doctors’ visits, diagnostic testing, lab tests, ultrasound scans, and x-rays at no charge. Extensive diagnostics are also available through a network of participating ancillary providers who volunteer their facilities, staff, and professional time also at no charge to LVIM or the patients. Additionally, LVIM operates a full-service pharmacy, funded by United Way of Central Florida. The Prescription Assistance Program secures almost $3 million of brandname prescriptions for patients at no charge; at LVIM, the treatment is free.

In order to keep LVIM fueled and accessible to the community, the Annual Lakeland Derby is a key fundraiser for the organization. But, while it requires many skilled professionals to keep LVIM running properly, you don’t need to have a medical background to volunteer.

You can also donate to LVIM while shopping at Amazon. At Smile.Amazon.com, choose Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine as your 501(c)(3) from the list provided, and a percentage of your purchase comes back to LVIM. For more information on how to become a Lakeland Derby sponsor, or to volunteer or donate to LVIM, please visit, lvim.net/lakeland-derby, or call 863.606.1552.

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MIRRORTON With more than six developments constructed throughout Central Florida, Framework Group is preparing to build a new apartment complex in Lakeland.

Mirrorton is set to redevelop a 10-acre city-owned property to offer high-quality rental housing downtown. Construction is set for late 2018. frameworkgroup.net

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the club too. Many members of the club have served on national water ski committees and board of directors for the American Water Ski Association, National Show Ski Association, American Kneeboard Association, National Collegiate Water Ski Association, American Barefoot Club, Water Skiers with Disabilities Association, American Water Ski Educational Foundation, and USA Water Ski. Performing for both Lakeland residents and out-of-town guests, the Lakeland Water Ski Club became a leader in water ski shows.

A large number of Hall of Fame skiers are from the club, and these skiers refined notable routines in Lakeland shows that would later go on to perform around the world.

Today, the club continues to host shows that compete on a regional level. But, even with this impressive portfolio, Lakeland Water Ski Club Show Director, Mitch Harvey, emphasizes that the club is not exclusive to those masterful in water sports. Members of the club welcome amateur skiers and are

THE LAKELAND OPEN IS THE LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING WATER-SKI TOURNAMENT IN THE WORLD.

The Lakeland Water Ski Club This family-oriented club is unique to Lakeland not only because of its long-standing and rich history, but for its inclusiveness to the community.

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n 1949, Lake Hollingsworth became the breeding ground for a dream of three at-the-time-recent Florida Southern College graduates.

Intercollegiate and national water ski competitors Bill Clifford, Glen Kirkpatrick, and Matt Obinger harnessed their passion for water competitions and formed what would become a leader in ski shows, a forum for the most prestigious tournaments, and an avenue for talented water skiers to thrive.

They formed the oldest, continuously operating water ski club in the United

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States — the Lakeland Water Ski Club.

Since its inception, the club has sponsored numerous tournaments, including the Lakeland Open, which is the longest continuously running tournament in the world. The club also hosted the 1955 American Water Ski Association (AWSA) National Water Ski Tournament and the 1958, 1966, 1968, 1974, and 1975 Southern Regional Water Ski Championships. Many people would travel from around the world to attend tournaments such as these.

Great leadership also has emerged from

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more than willing to help those interested in learning the basics. “We’re all just regular people doing really cool things on the water,” says Harvey.

The club is unique to Lakeland not only because of its long-standing and rich history, but for its inclusiveness to the community. “It’s a family-oriented club,” says Harvey, who has been a part of the club for about four years.

“It’s very rewarding on many levels.”

Along with being a family-oriented sport, water skiing is also a rewarding activity for its ability to cultivate both healthy individual and team dynamics. “There are few sports where you have to be excellent as an individual in order to work in the team environment,” says Harvey. “I always say, it’s the biggest individual team sport I’ve ever been involved in.”

The club currently hosts 10 shows each year between September and April. These events are free and open to the public; however, donations are accepted. There are many different ways to get involved with the club, and those interested are encouraged to attend an event and introduce themselves to the team. If you have any questions or want more information, you can call 863-332-2SKI or visit lakelandwaterskiclub.com.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE One story at a time

Southeastern University is a place where our students’ stories are cherished and their calling is valued. Our community is bursting with stories, and we’d love to share them with you. To see how our students are making an impact around the world, visit SEU.edu/stories.

Kendall’s Story Kendall Altmyer’s work with The Penny Story is just one of our many student stories that will inspire you.

Follow us @seuniversity

METRO

P H O T O S B Y JO R D AN R AN D ALL

SEU Women Take No. 1 FEDERAL BAR LAKELAND Federal Bar Lakeland will be a new downtown restaurant and bar featuring live music and a menu of delicious comfort food and drinks. This rustic wood and Prohibition-themed space will serve lunch on weekdays, and offer happy hour specials, brunch on the weekends, and a late-night menu. With a fully functional stage, the bar will feature various bands and be available to host events in its gorgeous venue. Federal Bar Lakeland is located at 124 South Tennessee Avenue in the historic Federal Building and plans to open in spring 2018.

Left - S un Conference Player of the Year Ana Richter, guard Right - Marlena Schmidt, center

FOLLOW SEU SPORTS

at seufire.com

REVIVAL COCKTAIL COMPANY Presented in Speakeasy style, Revival Cocktail Company will offer a wide range of craft cocktails. On top of serving spirits and beverages, Revival will also be home to Prodigal Coffee and a bookstore. Occupying what once held Evolution Records, Revival Cocktail Company is located at 119 South Kentucky Avenue and will open late spring/early summer 2018.

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On February 2, Southeastern Women’s Basketball became the first local college basketball team to be ranked No. 1 since the Florida Southern men won the NCAA Division II championship in 2015. For the first time in program and school history, Southeastern University’s Women’s Basketball has earned the ranking as the No. 1 team in the National Association of

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Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national poll.

Joining the NAIA during the 2009-2010 school year, the Fire is in its ninth year competing at this level. Prior to that, the school competed at a lower level competition exclusively in the National Christian College Athletic Association.

They have been undefeated for the last two regular seasons.

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his summer, Lakeland residents Vince and Monica Strawbridge and their four children will set out on a 2,650-mile journey southbound along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), from the Canadian border to Mexico. The family has dedicated their walk to six specific causes and will make it possible for others to follow along on their adventure.

In recent years, the Strawbridge family has hiked trails along the West Coast. But the idea to walk the entire PCT took root while backpacking with friends, when Vince and Monica developed an appreciation for “reconnecting to the bigger rhythms of life through nature,” as they share on their website. The family explains that it truly never feels like the “right” time to do something like this, but that this year is as good as any other; so why not now?

Active in the Lakeland community, Vince and Monica Strawbridge were inspired to ask each of their children, “If you could raise money for anything in the world with this hike, what would it be?” Each family member has dedicated efforts to raising money for a

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Strawbridge Family Trek Vince and Monica Strawbridge were inspired to ask each of their children, “If you could raise money for anything in the world with this hike, what would it be?”

TO SUPPORT ONE OF THE SIX CAUSES, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT TREK2650.COM.

YOU CAN FOLLOW THE STRAWBRIDGES ON THEIR 2,650-MILE TREK THROUGH GPS, THEIR BLOG, AND VLOG.

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cause of their choosing with the trek. Aiden, their oldest, wants to give to fight human trafficking and slavery. June is eager to give kids from Nicaragua soccer balls and T-shirts of their own during their annual summer camp. Henry desires to give to building homes in Nicaragua. Georgie is walking for pastors to have access to further biblical studies and training. Monica, mother of the Strawbridge children, seeks to support reconciliation right here in Lakeland in the Parker Street Neighborhood. And Vince looks forward to supporting children in Polk County who aspire to play organized soccer but may be lacking the finances.

The Strawbridge family will leave their home in late June or early July and head south along the melted snow at Hart Pass. They aspire to continue out of the southern Sierras

by October and complete their travels among Mexico’s border, hiking a total of 2,650 miles.

Their family welcomes you to join them on their trek through GPS, their blog, and vlog.

For more information, or to support one of the six causes, visit their website at trek2650.com.

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Swan Brewing MORE INFORMATION AT

swanbrewing.com

In April of this year, Swan Brewing will become the latest new brewery in Lakeland.

With a spacious, open layout, this brewery is already set on being a family- and petfriendly environment for locals.

Opening with 30 taps, most every beer will be made with local ingredients such as hops, fruits, herbs, and spices from the greater Polk County and Central Florida areas. The company was set on remaining a local company to its core, even making sure its build-out was made of all reclaimed materials from Lakeland.

With a total of four local owners, the two managing owners, Dan Thumberg and Christian Hood, hail from the Tampa area. Before the thought of opening a brewery had crossed their minds, both had

THE BALANCE CULTUREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STUDENT MEMBERSHIP PROMO Local womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fitness studio, The Balance Culture, currently has a promotion running for students to receive $10 off each month when they sign up for a Student Membership. The Balance Culture offers a wide variety of group fitness classes, including Pilates, barre, yoga, kickboxing, bootcamp, Spin, and more.

Student Memberships can be frozen over the summer, making this the perfect way to stay in shape while in Lakeland. There are three options for group memberships at this student promo rate: Unlimited Group Fitness Membership at $30 per month, Unlimited Spin Membership at $30 per month, or Unlimited Group Fitness and Spin at $50 per month.

T H E B A L A N C E C U LT U R E . C O M

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already moved to Lakeland. Collectively, Thumberg and Hood have been brewing nearly 34 years. Gathering from their years of experience in home brewing, and interning at several craft breweries in Tampa, both have come together to offer a local and new hub in downtown.

In addition to a grand opening event with food trucks and more, Swan Brewing will also launch The Royal Swan Society.

Members can enjoy exclusive, hand-crafted benefits and special access to events and limited releases. Lifetime benefits of The Royal Swan Society include perks such as your first pint of the day (every day) on Swan Brewing, a Royal Swan Society T-shirt, 10 percent off merchandise, and much more.

LARGE CHECK PRESENTED TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF POLK COUNTY On January 19, Pints for Paws Lakeland Beer Fest boasted of a record-breaking number of patrons, resulting in the presentation of a check for $30,537.09 for the Humane Society of Polk County. The beer fest is an annual pet-friendly event held at the beautiful Frances Langford Promenade at Lake Mirror in downtown Lakeland. On February 15, CEO of Bernie Little Distributors Joe Little presented the check to the Executive Director of the Humane Society of Polk County Lisa Baker.

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spring bre ak guide .

.

a . . . . t r

v

east coast

we st coast

cocoa beach travel time: approx. 1 hour 50 minutes

clearwater beach travel time: approx. 1 hour and 20 minutes

daytona beach travel time: approx. 2 hours and 3 minutes

anna maria island travel time: approx. 1 hour and 40 minutes

vero beach travel time: approx. 2 hours and 4 minutes

siesta key travel time: approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes

h

t

t o

2 0 1 8

e l t

e

a c o

s

l o c ally s o urc e d b each essentials s w i m w e a r / 5th and Hall

skincare / Rafa Natural

Need some stylish yet effortless beachwear? 5th and Hall has you covered. Check out their online store at 5thandhall.com.

Be sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, but remember to show your skin some love too. We recommend Rafa Natural’s Vitamin C Crème, Refreshing Cucumber Mist, and Clear Mint Lip Balm.

You can visit their store in downtown Lakeland located at 244 N. Kentucky Avenue. If you’re headed to Anna Maria Island for the day, you’re in luck — Rafa Natural is also located at 5508 Marina Drive.

fo o d and drinks / Publix

reads / The Lakelander Magazine

For those traveling to the coast on a budget, swing by Publix, order some subs, and stock up on your favorite beach snacks and drinks. Check out publix.com/savings for ways to save at your local store.

Personally, we recommend the newest issue of The Lakelander as the essential companion on any of your adventures away from home.

Make a quick stop at one of your favorite local establishments to pick up a free copy before heading to the beach. Visit thelakelander.com/ distribution for a full list of distribution locations.

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Dr. Jacob Gerzenshtein is a leading Lakeland, FL plastic surgeon who is dedicated to the pursuit of surgical perfection and complete patient satisfaction. Jacob Gerzenshtein, MD, is a fellowship-trained plastic surgeon who is board certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. He takes great pride in his reputation as one of the most highly skilled plastic surgeons in Central Florida. Dr. G treats each patient seeking cosmetic surgery with the utmost attentiveness and dedication, an approach that consistently delivers outstanding aesthetic results.

Call to Schedule your appointment (863) 647-2200 or visit our website fineryou.com Finer You PA, Dr. Gerzenshtein 4429 Florida National Dr, Lakeland, FL 33813

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pmoa spring break art camp

spring break kids’ camps

The Polk Museum of Art is hosting a Spring Break Art Camp which will provide children the freedom of exploration through creativity, process, medium, and technique. This will be a fun, creative, and open atmosphere for children to develop their love and appreciation for the arts.

Attending a specific class of their choice for all five days, students will have the opportunity to master skills in their chosen art concentration while attending the camp.

The camp also includes a supervised 30-minute lunch and 30-minute snack break each day. Students must bring their own lunch, but the snack is provided by PMoA. For more information, please visit polkmuseumofart.org/springcamp. registration deadline: Sunday, March 18 date: March 26-30; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ages: 7-13 cost: $100 for Members, $140 Non-Members (Family Membership is $60)

camp fire spring break vacation station camp Camp Fire is hosting Vacation Station, a camp focused on teaching children about nature, animals, and the world around us. Each day will consist of fun, hands-on educational and recreational activities.

Attendees must have a current Camp Fire membership. For more information or to inquire about scholarship assistance, please email info@campfire-sunshine.org. date: March 26-30; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (early and late care available) ages: K – 5th grade cost: $25 per day *Must be a register Camp Fire member

To find out more about kids’ camps offered in Lakeland this spring break, check out lakelandmom.com/spring-break-camp-guide.

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OUR FAMILY TAKING CARE OF YOUR FAMILY “One of the most important things my dad, Dr. Mike, taught me was to put the patient first. This will always be our #1 priority. We strive to provide our patients with the highest level of comprehensive dental care and prevention, using the most advanced cutting-edge technology. Our focus is listening to our patients’ concerns and coming up with a solution that best fits their desires. We love our patients, we love Lakeland, and we’d love to meet you.”

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DETROIT TIGERS SPRING TRAINING P.96

Lakeland’s athletes, industry leaders, and organizations.

To say that sports play a role in the city of Lakeland would be an understatment.

Each year from 1923 to 1927, the Cleveland Indians arrived for Spring Training at Henley Field, leaving a little mark (otherwise known as Cleveland Heights Boulevard). By 1934, Lakeland went on to form a relationship with the Detroit Tigers as Spring Training host city, which remains to this day and stands unprecedented in the MLB. Lakeland is also home to the longestoperating water ski club, first launched in 1949.

As of last year, the Orlando Magic announced its new G League team and homebase, the Lakeland Magic.

Apart from the major franchises training and operating in the city, for anyone with a daughter on Kathleen’s track team, a football player on SEU’s Fire, or a volleyball enthusiast showing up for weekly intramurals, sports spirit our lives from week to week, and mark our seasons.

For a city with its fair share of athletic influence, it seemed time to finally bring you this Special Sports Issue.

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SPORTS // LEADER

“A lot of people were questioning me, criticizing me when I didn’t get drafted. Saying I made a mistake leaving. But really, all that just served as motivation.”

- Khem Birch

GAME Photos by Geoff Forbes

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In early December 2016, the Orlando Magic selected Lakeland as home of their new NBA Development League affiliate. That same day, the organization would also announce the promotion of the Leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first and only female president, Shelly Wilkes. For burgeoning talents such as Khem Birch, his sole focus on playing for an NBA team, the Lakeland Magic offered a whole new game.

CHAN GERS For burgeoning talents such as Khem Birch, his sole focus on playing for an NBA team, the Lakeland Magic offered a whole new game.

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GAME CHANGERS Written by Joel Helm Portaits by Dan Austin

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IN In 2014, in the epicenter of gambling and questionable choices, Khem Birch placed a lifechanging $38,000 bet.

Birch had recently finished a standout junior season at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, better known as UNLV. Birch averaged double figures in scoring, rebounding, and an astounding 3.8 blocks a game in an underrated Mountain West Conference that put five teams in the 2013 NCAA tournament — one more than famed basketball powerhouse The ACC. A highly touted recruit out of high school, some even considered Birch a “one and done” candidate — a freshman who leaves NCAA basketball after a single season for the riches of the NBA. While he progressed slower than anticipated, especially on the offensive end, Birch made huge strides in his three years of college.

“I’d played three years. I was second in the nation in blocks as a junior. I just — I felt like I was ready. And it had always been my dream of playing in the NBA,” Birch says. So he made his bet, foregoing a $38,000 UNLV scholarship and his final year of eligibility.

Birch wasn’t drafted.

He’d been projected by many analysts as a strong middle of the second round draft pick, a power forward prospect with a natural nose for defense. For many, the sour cocktail of surprise and disappointment might have put an end to the NBA dream. Not Birch.

“A lot of people were questioning me, criticizing me when I didn’t get drafted. Saying I made a mistake leaving. But really, all that just served as motivation.” It’s hard to say why he wasn’t drafted, but maybe it was because Birch is only six feet nine inches tall.

Only.

In the world of NBA power forwards and centers, standing a few inches shy of seven feet qualifies Birch as “undersized” for his skill set.

With many of his defense-minded, shot-blocking counterparts nearing or exceeding the seven-feet

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The Lakeland Magic gives the Orlando Magic rostered players, who have been assigned to the G League team, a lot of playing time.

threshold, Birch would need to take the road less traveled to the NBA. After the draft, not getting picked meant Birch became a free agent. The Washington Wizards, a team with no picks in the draft due to previous trades, quickly signed Birch to play in the NBA summer league.

He played well. Birch averaged five points and more than five rebounds to go along with nearly two blocks in less than 20 minutes per outing. Strong play from an undrafted rookie, sure, but not enough to earn a roster spot on a playoff team filled with veteran big men. After being cut by the Wizards, Birch was picked up by the Miami Heat, seemingly a better fit for his skill set. Birch played well in the preseason, dominating the glass and establishing himself as a defensive force. He made it to the final 16 players on the Heat’s roster. An NBA roster, in case you were wondering, carries 15.

A week after being a single roster cut shy of making the 2012 and 2013 NBA champion Miami Heat, Birch found his way to Sioux Falls, Iowa.

Frustrated but refusing to give up his dream, Birch signed a deal to play for a team you’ve probably never heard of — the Sioux Falls “Skyforce.”

Again, Birch played well, but never got the call from an NBA squad. In June of 2015, Birch signed with Usak Sportif, a Turkish league team that frequently plays in front of smaller crowds than a well-attended high school contest. It was here, in Turkey, that Birch began to question himself. “In Turkey, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it [to the NBA.] I never quit being the first guy to the gym.

But Turkey ... it was tough.”

Birch’s story, frankly, isn’t unique in a lot of ways. Thousands of guys from around the globe vie for one of the 450 NBA roster spots — 30 teams, 15 spots each. Not to mention the neverending cycle of guys coming out of college each year, all with the same goal of landing a massive NBA contract. For the 2017-2018 season, the minimum salary for an NBA rookie is $815,615.

That’s the minimum. But for Birch, playing in

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Get to know the G League We sat down with Lakeland Magic Team President Shelly Wilkes to talk about her role with the team, the changes going on in the NBA G League, and what the team brings to Lakeland.

The Lakelander: We understand the G League has a vision of being a similar system as the Minor League system for baseball. So, what is the number-one goal for the Lakeland Magic?

By 2017, the NBA D League became the NBA “G” League. A hefty sponsorship with Gatorade provided more than just money; it offered legitimacy, too.

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Shelly Wilkes: The number-one goal of the G League team is to develop your players.

It’s a great opportunity to grow those people for the next level. And though you don’t want them to leave, you do want them to leave, right? You want to give them as much opportunity as possible to take their skills to the next level.

For instance, we used our team as an opportunity to give Wes Iwundu and Khem Birch, who are both Orlando Magic rostered players — they were assigned to the G League team for quite a bit of the early season — a lot of playing time, a lot of confidence, a lot of wins here for Lakeland, and now they are both getting playing time in Orlando. That’s your ultimate goal.

TL: Can you give us an understanding of how the rosters work, who plays where, and who works on the basketball end of things?

SW: Our GM is Anthony Parker and Assistant GM is Adetunji Adedipe,

who work very closely with Orlando Magic GM John Hammond and President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman. They, along with the coaching staffs, decide who gets assigned where, and who is going to be on our roster. Anthony and Adetunji decide the makeup of every other one of the positions.

Our roster is made up of 10 G League players who are under G League contract, and all those contracts actually live with the NBA. So every G League player is hired by the NBA. Then what fills out our roster are two “two-way” players, and we currently have one spot filled with Jamel Artis. Two-way players can spend up to 45 days with the Orlando club, and the contracts are a little bit heftier.

And finally, the last three positions, for a total of 15 total opportunities, are three potential players on assignment from Orlando.

We work closely with Anthony and Adetunji to book player appearances, to do media, when we do autographs after the game, so there’s a lot of communication back and forth, specifically with PR. TL: Speaking of the “two-way” players, do

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you think that kind of contract is helping to compete with some of the international leagues that are paying big salaries?

SW: Your two-way contracts definitely make a little bit more.

They are treated very similar to a G League player when they’re with the G League team. But they do have a higher contract, higher salaries. That contract is paid by the Orlando Magic, so they are signed on as a twoway player. It’s not a guaranteed contract and is year to year.

When you are playing overseas, there are NBA scouts in all the leagues, so you could be seen. But you have a higher likelihood of being seen here. The G League gives you an opportunity to be noticed, to make an impact, be close to family and friends, and be under that NBA umbrella.

The G League is starting to gain a lot of clout. One, the name.

Gatorade came on as the naming rights partner of the league. We’ve positioned ourselves with Nike and the overall NBA agreement, and now there’s some distribution on television that’s much broader than it used to be.

TL: So this new concept of the two-way player means that a player cannot sign with another team now?

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SW: Correct, and that’s the point. Previous to the two-way contracts which just got instituted this year, a player on our G League team that we’ve developed, invested in, they could get signed by anybody.

So the two-way protects (up to) two guys on your roster from getting plucked by another team.

TL: Why should someone come out to see the Lakeland Magic?

SW: The Lakeland Magic is an opportunity for fans here locally to experience NBA basketball. You’re going to have the game entertainment of an NBA arena.

There’s something for everyone.

It’s a family-friendly experience. We have bounce houses and pop-a-shots during the game. We have a VIP experience with all-inclusive food and beverage. We have great timeout entertainment and halftime entertainment. We allow local groups to perform on court, so if you have a dance company or a choir, there are opportunities for them to come perform.

It’s a very affordable night out, with tickets as low as $10 a game and season tickets as low as $8 a game. And it’s a really cool opportunity to come see the newly renovated RP Funding Center.

Photo by Geoff Forbes

When the G League was developed, Orlando knew they wanted a team closer to home, and among their list of prime cities, Lakeland stood as the front-runner.

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2015 for an inconsistent paycheck, halfway across the world, in front of dozens of people, makes it easy to understand how doubt could cloud the dream.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, the NBA D League had begun a major overhaul. The league had been steadily growing.

Rumblings of a major rebrand were a poorly kept secret, and, by 2017, the NBA D-League became the NBA “G” League. A hefty sponsorship with Gatorade provided more than just money — it offered legitimacy, too. The league’s major competition for guys on the cusp of making an NBA roster were teams like Birch’s. Even though overseas paychecks may have been inconsistent, they were often larger than in the G League, sometimes exponentially. The G League sought to close that gap, or at least to offer more value to players and retain as much talent as possible. A part of that retention needed to come from adding new teams, ideally one for every NBA franchise.

Shelly Wilkes had been with the Orlando Magic organization for 12 years when an executive approached her about a major potential promotion at the worst possible time. “It was like three minutes before the game started and I’m running around, taking care of last minute emergencies. He approached me and said, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you about a new role I think you might be interested in.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah! But can we talk about this later?’”

The position, it turns out, was the president of a new G league team based close to home. “We hadn’t even chosen a city yet,” Wilkes says. “But Lakeland was the front runner.” In December 2016, the team made the official announcement — The Lakeland Center (now RP Funding Center) had been selected over other

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finalist Kissimmee to serve as the team’s home base. That same day, the Magic announced the selection of Wilkes as the team’s first president.

Wilkes, the first and only female team president in the G League, is passionate about developing a great product, not only for the fans and the players, but everyone involved with the league.

“The goal of the G League team is to develop your players. That’s your number-one goal. Outside of that, it’s really growing every other level of the organization. We want to develop everyone else as well, whether that’s your GM or your scouts or referees or your coaches. It’s a great opportunity to grow those people for the next level.”

Back in Europe, Khem Birch had played well enough in Turkey to get noticed by a scout from a more established Greek team, The Olympiacos B.C. Despite his circuitous route, Birch continued to push himself.

“Every day I’d shoot a thousand shots, run on the treadmill for an hour, plus do 200 push-ups and sit-ups, and I’d finish by drinking a gallon of water. I really wanted to work on my body.

Make sure I was ready.” It was working; Birch was progressing.

In July of 2017, Birch made his second major bet on himself — he opted-out of his contract with Olympiacos to sign with the Orlando Magic.

Now, as a reminder, this didn’t guarantee Birch a roster spot on the Orlando squad. His contract came with a modest guarantee, meaning if he didn’t earn a roster spot his gamble on himself would prove to be an expensive one. Birch was undaunted by the pressure and set his mind to achieving his dream.

Birch played just 41 minutes in all of the 2017-2018 preseason.

When called upon however, he brought an energy not found on score sheets. He played great defense. He was willing to listen, willing to learn. Coaches raved about him. “It was clear to us that Khem separated himself throughout training camp with his ability to do what he does,” Head Coach Frank Vogel said. “He has a great feel for the game as a big man. He understands the rolling big offensive plan where he is going to crash on everything and be a forceful roller and threat at the rim. But also, he has a good feel for passing, catching the pocket pass and making the extra. And he really showed a surprising level of understanding of what is expected of our centers defensively and a great discipline in blocking shots.

“The goal of the G League team is to develop your players,” Wilkes says. “That’s your number-one goal. Outside of that, it’s really growing every other level of the organization. ”

Extended 7am to 7pm Drive Thru and Saturday Hours

Birch (playing above, and to the right) made the Orlando Magic’s opening-night roster in October of 2017. Currently playing in both the G League and NBA, he has utilized games with the Lakeland Magic to sharpen his skills.

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He impacted the game with his energy right away when he came into the game. He had Photos by Geoff Forbes a really good camp.” In mid-October of 2017, Birch found himself in a familiar spot, this time among the last 17 guys vying for an Orlando Magic roster spot.

On the night of October 13, shortly after the Magic’s final preseason game, Birch was walking home in downtown Orlando when he got a call from Vogel and GM John Hammond. Birch heard the words he’d dreamed about his whole life — he’d made the team.

Also in mid-October, the Lakeland Magic were in the final stages of preseason and prep work before their home opener on November

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10. Wilkes and her staff were fervently prepping for their inaugural home game, not sure what to expect from a city who’d never had a professional basketball team before.

November 10 came, and fans turned out in droves.

The line to get into the game stretched from one wing of the RP Funding Center to another, thousands of fans excited to be a part of opening night. Eager fans were treated to an exciting backand-forth game, the Magic prevailing 105-100 behind the outstanding play of one Khem Birch.

One of the unique aspects of the G League today is the flexibility it allows their NBA teams. While Birch earned his roster spot and an NBA contract, he’s still able to log valuable playing time with their G League affiliate. For Birch, this obviously turned out to be the best of both worlds. In his second game with the Lakeland Magic, Birch was able to

The Lakeland Magic lakeland.gleague.nba.com

log 41 minutes of game action — the exact same amount of time logged in all of his preseason combined. He scored 16 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked a game-changing five shots. And in a touch of irony, all of this against a team Birch knew quite well — the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Recently, Birch hasn’t spent much time with the Lakeland Magic. Injuries to Orlando starters and stellar play from Birch have forced Orlando’s hand. Not only is Birch realizing his dream of playing in the NBA, he’s now getting regular minutes of playing time. He recently got his first career “double-double” scoring 12 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and recording four blocks against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

If the number-one goal of the Lakeland Magic is to develop players, they have quite the poster child in Birch. “Khem, well, I’m not sure we’re ever going to get him back,” Wilkes says with a smile.

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Written by Adam Spafford / Photography by Jason Stephens

SPORTS // LOCAL LEGACY

Aris Techoueyres from Greece

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DEEPWATER START ven when the waters are a tad choppy, skiers are ready to jump in. At first light, if conditions are favorable, Florida Southern College Water Ski athletes are ready to make some waves. For a Division II school to have made their way to competing in Division I, clearly this team is well-versed in handling the water ... though much credit may be due to its full-time coach, something few ski teams have the luxury of. Since the arrival of Coach Curtis Rabe, the team has gained immense traction in the sport. While it may not garner the limelight of collegiate sports as some do, it certainly takes skill, never mind some guts, to ride the water.

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The Lakelander: Water skiing must be the quintessential Florida college sport, but it flies under the radar compared to other college sports. Tell us about its size and impact.

Curtis Rabe: Collegiate skiing is huge. But, you’re right. It doesn’t garner the attention of other college sports. Even [senior skier] Cole McCormick — who started skiing when he was just six or seven — says that he wasn’t familiar with collegiate skiing when he was in high school. That’s actually normal. But our Collegiate Nationals is an enormous event. Schools come out of the woodwork to compete.

Even though we’re a Division II school, we compete in Division I against Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Ohio State, Texas State, Washington, and Arizona State, to name a few. We’re happy to say that FSC is one of the top collegiate water skiing schools in the country. We’ve recently placed third in regional championships. In 2015, my first year at FSC, we placed second in Division 1. That’s the highest level of competition available, so we were the second best team in the country.

We continue to be quite competitive. All that to say: we have a really good ski team!

Many of these student-athletes are sponsored by ski, binding, or glove manufacturers. Mastercraft

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While a Division II school, FSC competes in Division I with some of the top-ranking collegiate teams in the U.S. Above: Aris Techoueyres from Greece

Within Coach Rabe’s first year, the collegiate Water Ski Team placed second in Division I.

Adjusting to the climate, skier schedules depend on good conditions, though at times a little choppy wind is helpful.

Right: Sam Dumala

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even sponsors our boat — giving us a beautiful, new Mastercraft every year. Lakelanders might have also noticed the fantastic new dock we have.

A very nice booster who is an alum of the Florida Southern water ski team generously donated the money for it.

TL: Many people might be surprised to find there are scholarships available for water ski athletes.

CR: Certainly, there are. It’s cool for the student-athletes to be able to tell others that they are on scholarship for the ski team. It’s a point of pride that they obviously work hard to earn.

But our student-athletes don’t just earn athletic scholarships. In fact, out of 46 teams on campus (23 sports with both male and female teams), the water ski team also earns a lot of academic scholarships. In fact, when FSC has its academic athletic banquet awards ceremony, the water ski team is regularly the top athletic academic team.

We have almost all straight-A students. So the team is remarkable because they are not only great athletes, they are great students, too.

TL: You’re a decorated water ski champion, yourself. What was your background and some of your accomplishments prior to coaching?

CR: I’m a late bloomer in skiing because I didn’t start until I was a high school student. Most of our student-athletes today start when they’re six or seven. I wasn’t a particularly gifted athlete, but I had enough passion, desire, and work ethic to make it work. I didn’t have a coach, so I had to ride other people’s coattails, so to speak, and I didn’t have a boat, so I had to call friends and ask if I could ski with them. It was the hardnose way to get there, but it got me there. Of the three major skiing disciplines — slalom, trick ski, and jumping — jumping was always my niche.

I’ve competed on five professional US Ski Teams in the over-35-year-old category, winning the team Gold each time. As an individual, in 2004 I won the Gold in long-distance jumping as well as the overall Gold, which was nice! It’s a coveted award because you can say you’re a World

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Most athletes begin skiing at age six or seven.

TL: Tell us a little about the water ski team’s history.

CR: The Florida Southern College Water Ski Team has been around since the 1960s and is the oldest of its kind in the country. Relatively few teams have a full-time ski coach like me, so it shows that water skiing is a big deal here. That helps me recruit top talent from around the world to our team. We have several members from Canada, as well as Greece, Mauritius, France, Belarus, and Switzerland.

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The FSC Water Ski Team has a unique advantage with a coach experienced in both competitive and show skiing.

Both images: Sam Dumala

Champion. And I’ve competed in many regional and national championships, too.

Additionally, I’m a senior official in all three disciplines. I’ve been the president of the Florida Water Ski Federation, and now I’m part of the organization’s Hall of Fame Committee.

Another face of the sport, in contrast to competitive skiing, is show skiing. I’ve show skied professionally at Sea World, in Japan, and several other places. Show skiing, as you might imagine, involves freestyle jumping off the ramp, barefooting, and pyramids. Usually a skier doesn’t do both competitive events and show events, but I always just liked to be on the water, and I took whatever God gave me to do and did it!

TL: What does team practice look like?

CR: We start skiing at first light if the conditions are favorable. But sometimes there are adverse conditions like fog, chop due to wind, or even fishing boats. Of course, we have to adjust to the conditions, and the team members will alter their training times to deal with them. Skiers may come back later in the day between or after classes. [In fact, at this moment, Mel Calhoun returned to the Ski Office, having evaluated the water as being too rough to ski, choosing instead to ski later in the day]. We have a Google Sheets schedule, so I know who’ll be skiing at what hour throughout the day.

But sometimes a little bit of wind is fine. In fact, it can be helpful. For jumping, we like a little bit of a headwind. We don’t like tailwinds. Just like a plane getting lift from a headwind, we like our skis getting lift from one. It pushes you up and carries you farther.

Even though our skiers could probably tell when they got up this morning, or maybe even from yesterday’s forecast, that this morning’s conditions wouldn’t be ideal, they still showed up and were ready to go. Even if it’s in the 30s or 40s, they’ll show up at 6:30 and be ready to ski at 7 a.m.

TL: What do the athletes do to prepare when they’re on dry land?

CR: Before I came here, they’d work out in the

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Wellness Center on their own. About a year after I got here, I enlisted the help of the Athletics Department. We wanted to institute a workout regime after the pattern of other sports teams. The strength coach that trains other teams at FSC was nice enough to accommodate us. Now we have a formal, mandatory, two-day-a-week workout program as a team. Although the strength coach wasn’t at first familiar with what a water skier needed most, he’s got a strong grasp of it now, what muscles we use, and how to best train on land.

TL: Water ski season is pretty short, just through September and October.

Tell us how you make a mark as a team in such a short time.

CR: Well, those two months comprise the main season — the big one — when we have our Regional and National Championships. But there’s also a spring season which is less formal. There are some state competitions during this time, but it’s almost like a prep for the fall, kind of a tune-up. The lineup of the skiers starts to take shape in the spring from those

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competitions. It also gives us a score in the national ranking system amongst colleges, even though other colleges might not come to local tournaments. From this ranking, we can see where we stand, and those rankings help decide which teams go to Nationals.

The team skiing stops in May, and the athletes will have their individual skiing season during the summer. They’ll train and compete on their own from June until they return to Florida Southern.

And hopefully they will have improved during that time. I usually give them some summer skiing homework to work on, too. It’s a coach’s job to apply some gentle pressure and push the athletes to be better.

Even though we work hard to recruit topquality skiers, that encouragement and guidance goes a long way if I know we have a weak event or skill and no recruit with that particular strength. You have to develop the talent that you already have.

TL: How has your coaching evolved over the last three years?

CR: There was a time when I thought

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Team skiing season is short, just through September and October. By summer, athletes compete individually.

“It’s a coach’s job to apply some gentle pressure and push athletes to be better...

You have to develop the talent that you already have.”

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“We have athletes talented enough to stay sponsored after their time here, competing in professional events where winners make money. It’s a challenge to stay on top of the game, but it’s possible to make a living.”

Coach Rabe discovered that academic support of the students was essential and developed a mentor program for incoming freshmen student-athletes on the ski team.

Top left to right: Coach Curtis Rabe, Tanguy Dailland (Mauritius), Cole McCormick

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I’d be in the boat, coaching hands-on eight hours a day. I spend plenty of time in the boat, but I’ve found recruitment management and academic support of these student-athletes is just as critical.

Now almost every team member is an A student, but I still get a report often so I know each skier’s courses, grades, and I know who needs help. If an athlete is ever having a problem, we don’t say, “Sink or swim!” We see how we can help.

To that end, I instituted a mentor system so the incoming freshmen have someone to help them. Mentors are older students of good character, usually someone who shares the freshman’s academic focus and who

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can help them with their skiing so they can train together. That’s been effective.

TL: You’ve been able to create a long professional career from water skiing, but do those opportunities exist for student-athletes to advance in the sport after their time at FSC? CR: Most of our team members will build careers doing something else but continue to compete at an amateur level. That being said, we certainly have athletes talented enough to stay sponsored after their time here, competing in professional events where winners actually make some money. It’s a challenge to stay on top of the game, but it’s possible to make a living.

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Sammy Stackpole

FSC Moccasins Water Ski Teams Last October, in the height of the team’s seasons, FSC’s men’s and women’s teams finished with remarkable scores.

Still fairly fresh in Division I, the team proved well above qualified to compete.

MOCS PLACE THIRD IN NCWSA EAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS At NCSWA East Reagional the Moccasins men and women finished third in their respective division, with a total of 5,325 points, placing under East Region champions Alabama and runner-up Rollins.

Due to last year’s interruption

by Hurricane Irma, the team was delayed to play their first game until the first week of October.

THE MOCS ADVANCED TO THE NCWSA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP At the NCWSA National Championship in Tri-Lakes, the Moccasins racked up a total of 11,240 points, finishing in fourth place. Scoring 4,155 points in the slalom, the team finished second and fourth in tricks and jump competitions.

The women’s team finished second in slalom, third in tricks, and fourth in jump - taking FSC women to finish overall third.

FSC men finished fourth overall, second in the slalom, as well as fourth in both the tricks and jumping event.

To follow their schedule, or for more information on FSC’s Water Ski Teams, visit fscmocs.com/sports/waterski.

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KATHLEEN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

Written by Annalee Mutz / Photography by Paul Bostrom

It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until the year 1928. It was the Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, and it was the first year females were included in the athletic program. That year launched the first Olympic track competition for women, held on a 400-meter track. And no doubt it paved the way to many female track Olympians who inspire young women to this day. Some of those young females are among the many local talents emerging from Kathleen High School and are some of the top track and field athletes in the city. So we went out and met them on the field to learn what makes them tick.

SPORTS // YOUNG GUNS

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Age: 17 Year: Junior Event: 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4x100, long jump Role Model: Coach Haggins What do you love most about the sport? “I love being able to better communicate with other people and grow in my leadership.”

Umayah Clarke

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“Track and field has given me opportunities to push me outside my comfort zone and grow in my leadership.”

02.

I’Asia Wilson

“Track and field has helped me be more confident.”

Age: 15 Year: Freshman Event: 200, 400, 4x100, 4x400 Role Model: Grandma Patricia Gulley How does the team inspire you? “The team inspires me to keep moving and to keep working.”

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A few of the ladies on the team endured injuries this past year.

But these setbacks only propelled them to victories.

Track and field is one of the oldest sports in recorded history. Even with its ancient origins (ancient, as in, Olympic Games circa 776 B.C.), women’s track and field wasn’t modernized in the Olympic games until 1928 and, even after, struggled for widespread acceptance until the 1970s.

In 1960, Wilma Rudolph swept the Olympic Games by breaking records in the 100, 200, and 4x100-meter relay, coming home decorated in three gold medals — a huge feat, between the societal tensions for women and after enduring a childhood plagued by serious illnesses. She represented the many dedicated female track and field athletes who remained faithful in their athletic careers despite a lack of encouragement, opportunity, and recognition. She also represented many who loved the game and rose above difficult obstacles to become victorious at their sport.

About a half-century later, the same spirit is still evident in young athletes across the country, including here in Lakeland. In order for an athlete to succeed, “They have to LOVE what they do,” says Head Girls Track Coach, Robert Whitaker. The Kathleen High School girls’ track team is made up of ladies who love what they do and rise above obstacles to succeed at their sport.

The team currently encompasses strong and seasoned ladies, as well as some surprising new talent. According to Whitaker, this dynamic is

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what gives the team a competitive advantage.

Some of the team has encountered unexpected hurdles that shortened their strides and slowed their performance on the field. However, they have grown despite these circumstances. A few of the ladies on the team endured injuries this past year. But these setbacks only propelled them to victories. Many of the girls fought for recovery and, because of their perseverance, are some of the top athletes on the team who “push the team through their own leadership and experience,” says Whitaker. They are all determined to bring their best individually and as a part of the team.

There might be differing opinions as to what makes up the anatomy of an all-star athlete. “To become an all-star, the athlete must have a desire to put in work on their own,” says Whitaker.

Many of the girls on the team do just that, striving to do their best by pushing themselves toward greatness while empowering others on the team as well. Everyone aims to bring their best to the sport and are hopeful the results will follow.

Whitaker and the team are ambitious for the season ahead, with goals to win a county, district, and regional title, as well as make a run at state.

Looking to 1 Corinthians 13 for inspiration, Whitaker firmly believes that, “Love always gives its best no matter what the assignment.” The team is committed to loving what they do and giving their best at the task ahead.

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03.

Jo’Kierrea “JoJo” Kelly

How my team inspires me: “The team pushes me.”

Age: 15 Year: Freshman Event: 400, 800, 4x400, and 4x800 Favorite Quote: “Always do your best and compete against yourself.”

Role Model: My Mom, Loretta Poole; she ran track as a student too.

How I get focused pre-meet: I like to say a prayer and listen to music. I also envision myself winning every race!

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04.

Sonia Santibanez Age: 16 Year: Junior Event: 1600, 800, 4x800, and 3200 Quote: The 3 “Ps” to life: prayer, patience, progress Role Model: Coach LeDarius Haggins How I get focused pre-meet: Praying the Lord’s Prayer with the team Performance Best: 24:30 in 5k

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In order for athletes to succeed, “They have to love what they do.” - Robert Whitaker

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Elizabeth “ Lizzy” Tausch Age: 17 Year: Junior Event: 1600, 3200 Role Model: My sister Moriah Tausch Favorite Quote: “It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.”

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“Track and field has empowered me in my everyday life because it makes me more responsible.”

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06.

Unique Rivers Age: 18 Year: Senior Event: Discus, Shot Put How I get focused pre-meet: I like to listen to music and talk with my friends on the team.

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Many of the girls on the team strive to do their best by pushing themselves toward greatness while empowering others on the team as well.

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Robert Whitaker Position: Head women’s track coach, head women’s weight lifting coach, and assistant football coach Years Coaching: 26 years Role Model: Tony Dungy Favorite Quote: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) Performance Best: Helping send multiple students to college on athletic scholarships, so they can continue to fulfill their dreams

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“To become an all-star, the athlete must have a desire to put in the work on their own.” - Whitaker

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SPORTS // TEAM SPIRIT

STARTING A FIRE Written by Joel Helm Photography by Loree Rowland, Southeastern University

ome game was a guaranteed victory.

At least that’s what President Dr. Kent Ingle promised the campus at Southeastern University’s grand opening of Victory Field and premiere of SEU’s first football team.

While it didn’t happen overnight, the addition of the team has not only rapidly increased enrollment and diversified a private campus, but perhaps it also set a school’s spirit on FIRE.

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Collin Thomas called Southeastern University football coach Keith Barefield seven times. Seven times, it went to voicemail.

Thomas, then a high school senior from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, made the 999-mile trek with his parents, arriving in Lakeland on a Saturday.

It was the middle of January, perfectly timed to escape the drudgery of a long Pennsylvania winter.

Upon arriving in Lakeland, an excited Thomas and his family checked into a Residence Inn and began dialing Barefield. The number of phone attempts climbed, yet Thomas wasn’t deterred.

The family made the most of their trip — eating Mexican food and catching a movie. They basked in 79-degree weather. Thomas was already in love with Lakeland.

The morning of Thomas’ last day in Lakeland, on his eighth phone call, he finally reached Barefield. “Yeah, I wasn’t heavily recruited at all,” says Thomas. “I didn’t get a scholarship, and I wasn’t asking for one. I just wanted to play.”

“The only thing (Thomas) asked for was for an opportunity to play and show what he could do,” says Barefield. “He wanted a shot to be a college quarterback. Since we had no players at that point, and therefore, no one at any position for that matter, the greatest commodity we had was opportunity.”

When they finally connected, Barefield invited Thomas to lunch on campus. “We met for about three hours and talked mainly about the vision of SEU football,” Thomas says. “We didn’t talk too much about me as a football player. Coach Barefield said he’d watched my highlight film. ‘You can play a little bit’ was basically the extent of that conversation.’ I left my visit without having any idea if I was officially being recruited or not.”

More than a month later, back in Pennsylvania,

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“I remember the ribbon cutting was on Friday,” Barefield says. “So they cut the ribbon, and our President, Dr. Ingle, he stands up, he guarantees a victory. For some reason, he never thought to consult me about that.”

Thomas received his answer. A package had arrived in the mail — a National Letter of Intent from SEU. Thomas arrived on campus the next fall, without a scholarship, a part of football’s inaugural recruiting class. He was one of a 114 brand-new recruits. “To say the least, it was intimidating,” Thomas says. “A hundred and fourteen guys with no weight room, no strength coach, no field. But Coach Barefield promoted so well; everyone had a long-term mindset.”

Barefield himself curated this long-term mindset. “My very first conversation with Southeastern was over at Mimi’s Café in Lakeside Village, way back in June of 2012,” Barefield jokes.

“I visited with the administration over breakfast.

Dr. Ingle, Chris Owen — we talked about the possibility of launching football here. It was not so much an interview for the job; I was there to talk about the things involved to start a new program.

They showed me the campus, what their plans were, what their vision was for the program.”

It wasn’t until November, the week before Thanksgiving when Barefield was invited for an official interview. SEU offered him the position.

He accepted.

“December 1, 2012, was my first day, and there was nothing. Absolutely nothing,” Barefield says.

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At the press conference announcing his hire on December 4, Barefield had a hard time finding a football. “We had to scour the intramural offices to find one.”

Barefield’s first office was a cubby hole on the third floor of a men’s dorm, which he shared with four other coaches. His cubby came with one noticeable benefit — a scenic view, looking out over a picturesque grass field, the proposed future home of his football stadium.

Barefield didn’t hire his first assistant until January 8. During that first lonely month, Barefield quickly began recruiting. December was prime time for high school playoffs and state championships. “I watched a lot of football games.

(Southeastern) got me an email box, and I almost wished they hadn’t. I’d stay up until two or three o’clock in the morning, trying to go through emails, all the athletes who’d heard we started football and wanted to be a part of the program.” One such athlete was Collin Thomas.

“I emailed Coach the day he was hired. I wanted to be one of the first ones to introduce myself.”

Thomas laughs, “I didn’t hear anything back for weeks.”

“I am flesh and blood,” jokes Barefield. “I need to sleep an hour or two a night.”

In the spring of 2013, players began arriving

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With nary a game on the schedule, a field to play on, nor a full staff of coaches, 114 guys bonded over sprints and tackling sleds.

The guys became known as the Bonny Park Boys. on campus. Richie Marsh, the first assistant hired at SEU, wore multiple hats — defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator chief among them. Barefield and Marsh recruited around the clock. “The number of recruits we had contact with that first year, it was thousands and thousands of kids,” says Barefield. “And we thought they would love our campus when they came [to visit], but when we got to the football facilities, we didn’t want them to think we were snake oil salesmen. We’d tell them what would be here, but there was nothing that resembled a football program.”

Barefield must have cast an impressive vision, going from zero to a 114 student-athletes in a matter of months. By August of 2013, an entire roster of athletes bought into Barefield’s sales pitch, yet still didn’t have a place to play. That first season, if it can be called that, the team split practice time between Crystal Lake Middle School and Bonny Park. With nary a game on the schedule, a field to play on, nor a full staff of coaches, 114 guys bonded over sprints and tackling sleds. The guys became known as the Bonny Park Boys — a moniker that lives on today.

The Bonny Park Boys survived a season of practicing for the sake of practice, believing in Barefield’s vision. “I wouldn’t trade that year for anything,” Thomas says. “Yes, it was hard. It wasn’t fun. But I take a lot of pride in the fact we were committed, and we were committed together.” Thomas, over the course of that first year, learned his shot at playing football at SEU would not come as quarterback.

“Coach Marsh saw something in Collin that caused him to request he move over to defense and play strong safety,” Barefield says. “That was a bold request, as Collin was not the most physical

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SEU’s grand opening of Victory Field revealed a $7-million, 3,500-seat stadium, quite possibly the campus’ most prized addition.

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or aggressive player at that point. I had my doubts.

But Collin committed to being the best strong safety he could be. He went to work and made himself into our starting strong safety for the first year of the program.”

In September of 2014, less than two years after Barefield’s press-conference scavenger hunt for a football, SEU arrived in Montgomery, Alabama, for their inaugural contest against Faulkner University. SEU’s grand opening wasn’t particularly grand — SEU found themselves down 24-3 by halftime. By the third quarter, they were down 38-3. The Bonny Park Boys were overwhelmed by a nationally ranked, experienced team. There was work to be done.

A week later, Southeastern prepared for another grand opening — the opening of Victory Field, a new $7-million, 3,500-seat stadium built on the picturesque field beneath Barefield’s office. “I remember the ribbon cutting was on Friday,” Barefield

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says. “So they cut the ribbon, and our President, Dr. Ingle, he stands up, he guarantees a victory. For some reason, he never thought to consult me about that.” It was a bold prediction given the pounding the team received just one week prior. “I had his back. We had to win. I was not going to live with the president of my university guaranteeing something I couldn’t deliver.” In front of a sold-out crowd, multisport athlete Will May put the stadium’s first points on the board with a 27-yard field goal kick less than four minutes into the game. Twenty-eight points later, on 450 yards of total offense, the Southeastern Fire delivered on Ingle’s guarantee, a 31-7 trouncing of Warner University.

As far as first seasons go, the Bonny Park Boys had some impressive success, finishing the season at 7-3. Individually, Thomas had a remarkable first year, recording 43 tackles, 3.5 for a loss. He took home academic all-conference honors. Not bad for a converted QB.

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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 Late 1930s’: A group of Detroit Tiger players listen to instructions from one of their coaches before a spring training game at Henley Field, which was the longtime spring training home of the Detroit Tigers until the team moved to a new facility in Lakeland in 1966.

Photo Courtesy of Special Collections, Lakeland Public Library

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In Thomas’ redshirt sophomore season, the level of competition went up, especially against his own team. The quality of recruits Barefield signed for 2015 was improving, which may or may not have had something to do with the brand-new facilities and full coaching staff. Nevertheless, Thomas made his tackles that season, started every game, and earned scholarship money along the way. The team finished with a 10-1 mark, exceeding 60 points on three occasions. Also having success, especially in terms of enrollment, was the school itself. Long considered a small Bible college, the university was shedding that image and appealing to a much broader array of students. Enrollment from 2014 to 2015 was up over 18 percent in a single year.

Having a burgeoning football program certainly didn’t hurt the school’s appeal, either.

Thomas’ junior season came with a couple more losses than the year before. But it also marked the first postseason berth for the school. Ranked 20th in the country, the Fire lost to undefeated NAIA powerhouse Reinhardt University in the first round of the playoffs.

While the loss stung, reaching the postseason became the school’s new barometer of success.

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Steadily, through injuries and transferring and attrition, the number of Thomas’ fellow Bonny Park Boys had been on the decline. With Thomas approaching his fifth-year senior season, only 10 others from the original 114 remained. Eleven guys who quite literally started with nothing, sold on a promise of opportunity, were now part of a nationally ranked team with postseason experience.

Thus began the final season of the Bonny Park Boys, a final stamp on their SEU legacy. Whispers of national championship permeated the locker room, a goal no longer deemed unreasonable.

Behind an ultra-high-octane offense, scoring an outlandish 55 points a game, the school played their best football to date, reaching number nine in the rankings, earning a spot in the postseason for a second straight year. The team missed hosting a playoff game by a single ranking spot, drawing undefeated Lindsey Wilson College out of Kentucky in the first found. Consequently, Lindsey Wilson had delivered the Fire their lone loss during the regular season, a 43-30 defeat. The Bonny Park Boys would need to exact revenge to extend their careers.

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On November 18, 2017, The Fire put up 49 points on 613 yards of offense and a dizzying 36 first downs.

It wasn’t enough.

The Bonny Park Boys had played their last game. The scoreboard read 63-49 in favor of their opponents, the words national and championship to be merged by an SEU team somewhere in the (hopefully near) future. What that team will not have, what any team will never have, however, is the distinction of being the first. “These guys set the bar,” Barefield says. “They are the origin of this program.”

“I just wanted an opportunity to play football at SEU,” says Thomas, who finished his career as a three-time NAIA scholar-athlete. “Now, I want to be a coach.”

“Collin possesses the intellect, the commitment, and the work ethic to be good at anything. He has the ingredients of an outstanding coach. The one quality that will set him apart from other coaches is his passion for the game. Passion is what separates the winners from the losers,” says Barefield.

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Speaking of winners, The Chronicle for Higher Education has recognized SEU as one of the fastest-growing private nonprofit baccalaureate institutions in the nation. Since the launch of the football program, enrollment has crept over 7,000, an increase of nearly 87 percent in just four years. When asked about the historic rise in enrollment, the school offered this: “We attribute the rapid growth to new curricular programs as well as learning platforms we have introduced that make education both affordable and accessible.”

Does football drive enrollment, at least at some level? Maybe.

Maybe, though, that’s a question for one of the Bonny Park Boys.

Eleven guys who quite literally started with nothing, sold on a promise of opportunity, were now part of a nationally ranked team with postseason experience.

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The year the school announced it would prepare its first football team, 2014 - 2015 enrollment increased by more than 18 percent.

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DD Written by Kristin Crosby Photography by Philip Pietri Historical Photos courtesy of The Lakeland Public Libraray

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Untold stories of a Major League team and its host city

It may not be home.

But it may run quite close.

The Detroit Tigers have shared a Spring Training relationship with Lakeland since 1934. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the longest host city relationship in MLB history. While this fact alone contains a treasure of legendary baseball, even its field sits on quite a goldmine of historic measures.

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Late in the season of 1938, the Detroit Tigers’ first baseman Hank Greenberg stepped up to bat. Up to this point there wasn’t much question of whether or not Greenberg would hit it out of the park.

Standing six foot four inches, carrying the charm of a Hollywood actor and the swing of an all-star slugger, Greenberg had easily drawn the attention of the public eye. With already 58 home runs that season, he was just two home runs short of Babe Ruth’s season homerun record. Up until that year, Babe Ruth had held an 11-year-old, single-season record of 60 home runs.

In the dawn of the American and National Leagues, Greenberg had become more than just a recognizable ball player. At the ripe age of 19, in 1930 Greenberg debuted in the MLB with the Detroit Tigers. Five years later, Greenberg would be leading in RBIs, home runs, named American League MVP (one of two he would receive in his career), and help bring the Tigers to their first World Series win. Not long after, he would also date (and eventually marry) the famed Caral Gimbel, daughter of department store mogul Bernard F. Gimbel. While not considering himself devoutly religious, Greenberg caught national attention when he refused to play on Yom Kippur, in the midst of a pennant race. He was the first Jewish superstar American sports team player.

Stepping to the plate in the thick of the 1938 season, just two home runs from breaking Babe Ruth’s record, Greenberg was suspiciously sent walking. And before the close of the season, he walked some more.

Within the season’s final two months, Greenberg had four three-walk games, more than he would see for the rest of his career. Comparatively, in 1937 he had no three-walk games, only one in 1935, when he won his first MVP, and three in 1940 when he accepted his second MVP. Until even recent years, many have questioned if pitchers were choosing to intentionally walk Greenberg that season, two home runs shy of beating the great Babe Ruth. While the answers may forever remain unknown, Greenberg’s story still echoes in the halls of the Detroit Tigers’ Florida offices, shared by the likes of Tigers Director of Florida Operations, Ron Myers, who tells the rich history of a Major League team that somehow found its way to Lakeland.

Regardless of any historic ball-game hoax, Greenberg would come to be a baseball Hall of Famer the Detroit Tigers would treasure as one of the many walking legends to step onto what is known today as Tiger Town USA.

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Stepping to plate the plate in thick the thick of the Stepping to the in the of the season, home 19381938 season, justjust twotwo home runsruns fromfrom breaking Ruth’s record, Greenberg breaking BabeBabe Ruth’s record, Greenberg suspiciously walking. waswas suspiciously sentsent walking.

Hank Greenberg (below), arriving in Lakeland for Spring Training in 1941.

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TIGER TOWN USA The Detroit Tigers have trained in Lakeland since 1934.

No MLB team has had a Spring Training relationship with a host city longer than the Tigers have held with Lakeland. Since their arrival in 1934 (with the exception of 1942-1945 during World War II), the American League Detroit Tigers have arrived to the city each spring, bringing with them Mickey Cochrane; Charlie Gehringer; Willie Horton; Al Kaline; Hal Newhouser; Larry Doby; Mark Fidrych; Justin Verlander; Miguel Cabrera; and fresh to the Hall of Fame in 2018, Jack Morris and Alan Trammell, to name just a few of the pros who have played on the team.

The Cleveland Indians were the first MLB team to train in the city. Training at Henley Field, they arrived in 1923 and left in 1927. From 1928 to 1933 there was no team in Lakeland. Considering the economic loss of a training MLB team, the city began to seek out a replacement. It would quickly find another team to call Lakeland their training home, maybe for longer than anyone could have anticipated.

In 1933, the Detroit Tigers agreed to come and spring train based on a one-year contract. By the next year, a ground crew of city workers were sent from Detroit to prepare the fields, investing $8,000 in Henley Field.

That next early spring, the Detroit Tigers team would arrive, train, and leave for the regular season with no guarantee of their return the following spring. “[Clare] Henley (of Henley field) was highly involved in getting the team to come back. He did the parking and concessions, on top of his pharmacy business,” recalls Myers. “Henley had owned Magnolia Pharmacy and several pharmacies throughout Lakeland.” Also president of the Lakeland Baseball Club, in 1922 Henley was the original contact with T.J. Appleyard and offered Lakeland to be a host city to Cleveland.

Henley would sell tickets out of his pharmacies, so when Cleveland left he was eager to bring a stable team to town.

The Detroit Tigers gave the city 30 days and then would confirm if they would return or not. For another 37 years, the team would continue to train in Lakeland under a one-year contract. The team would arrive in spring, train, leave, and the city would be on pins and needles a month before the team would confirm their return. It wasn’t until 1971, when Tiger Town brought in the addition of a 78-room dormitory that the Tigers signed a 10-year contract with the city of Lakeland, the first to extend beyond one year.

In 2014, the Tigers signed on to train in Lakeland for 20 more years. This agreement will mark a 100year Spring Training relationship for the city and team by 2036, unprecedented in the MLB. Negotiations took over two years to settle the agreement, with no small commitment. The deal called for $47 million in upgrades to Joker Marchant Stadium for both the Major League and Minor League clubhouses.

In the spring of 2017, the Detroit Tigers’ winter home was given a major uplift and revealed as the newly christened Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. While much of the new facilities and installments are enough to draw in a crowd, the past upon which the clubhouse is built (quite literally) is one of pure historic marvel.

Lodwick School of Aeronautics housed classrooms and offices (left), mess hall and canteen (right center), and barracks for the cadets (right, back).

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FLYING TIGERS & THE WRIGHT FLYER In 1930, the Lodwick Field was built as Lakeland’s municipal airport, replacing Haldeman-Elder Field to meet the city’s growing transportation needs. With two paved runways, one north-south strip of 2,456 feet, and an east-west one of 2,475 feet, the city premiered its first regular commercial airline service when National Airlines began flying its Lodestar planes in 1937.

Nearing World War II, Albert Lodwick, president of Stinson Aircraft Company, had been recruited by Howard Hughes to manage his upcoming around-theworld flight in 1938. “So he does it,” says Myers, “in three days, 19 hours, and 17 minutes. In the meantime, he’s [Lodwick] traveling the country and gets a tip that we were training only 500 pilots a year. Roosevelt wanted us to get up to 30,000. So he wanted to open up cadet schools, teach men how to fly, financed by the army and run by civilians.”

Lodwick initially purchased an airplane school in Lincoln, Nebraska, but quickly found it unfit to operate year-round due to weather. “So he moves the school here (in Lakeland), The Albert Lodwick School of Aviation,” says Myers. “And then the generals give him the deal. He’s the first one to open and the last one to close. And Jimmy Dolittle, the general, came here all the time. This was the beginning of the Air Force.”

Lodwick School of Aeronautics helped employ over 400 locals throughout the time of World War II,

Howard Hughes (left), American business magnate and film director, had appointed Albert Lodick (right) to manage his renowned Flight-Around-the-World.

Saluting Hughes on his success, a 1938 issue of Life magazine credited Lodwick as being “the tireless generalship of Hughes’ flight.”

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and Lodwick’s transition to Lakeland was the school’s success. Soon Lodwick had a house on Lake Hollingsworth. He became close with many in the Chamber of Commerce and could be spotted a mile away, dressed in his stately white suits.

In 1946, after World War II, the Tigers returned as World Champions and continued to train on a oneyear basis. By 1953 they had expanded their training facilities and complex over part of the Lodwick airport. For several years it remained the principal airport, but gradually the training complex developed over Lodwick Aircraft facilities. By 1960 the airport was closed.

The Detroit Tigers would continue to renovate the Lodwick station as their clubhouse through the years, but hit somewhat of a landmine in 1962. “There was a big safe in the middle of the room,” Myers says, “so big, and no one knew the combination. It just sat there and we’d walk around it. When we had to tear the building down, we had to get the safe out of here. So we brought the safe out, found a safe-cracker, cracked it, and found Albert Lodwick’s complete collection of photographs, in order — day by day, month by month — all the pictures of the runway, his correspondence with Howard Hughes, handwritten notes, and correspondence between him and the Wright brothers, and a piece of [the Flyer, the Wright brothers original plane].” The letters and section of

British Royal Air Force cadets march to the mess hall for breakfast at the Lodwick School of Aeronautics.

The civilian flight training school was under contract with the US War Department to train pilots for service in World War II.

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the Flyer are now held in Sun ‘n Fun’s space museum, and Lodwick’s photographs are a part of the special collection in the Lakeland Public Library.

As the Lakeland Flying Tigers team was in development in 2006, a name was already easily decided. “We called it the Flying Tigers because of the airport and the history of aviation,” says Myers.

The Tigers continue to honor and conserve Lodwick’s historic contribution and School of Aeronautics, with the Flying Tigers. The only professional team of any sport named after a military squadron. Airplane and military numbers take the place of uniform numbers. “Our manager is not our manager,” notes Myers, “he’s our commander. In the old days, Minor League players used to have to walk across the runway, where we had trained over 8,000 pilots.” While Minor League players still have a daunting walk to the big leagues, the runway has been replaced by the revived stadium, yet maintains the memory of Lodwick’s school. Alongside right field of the stadium is a larger area with clear white point marks, named “The Runway.” Built on top of the former Lodwick Field airstrip, it provides fans a 360-degree view of the field.

Even The Flying Tigers’ name and colors pay homage to the Lakeland Lodwick School of Aeronautics, with its orange plane and teeth. “So it became a destination,” says Myers, “Tiger Town USA.”

General Doolittle (right), of the Doolittle Raid, served with Lodwick (left) throughout Europe. With Lodwick’s success training pilots, Doolittle visited the school often.

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The Tigers continue to honor The and Tigers conserve continue Lodwick’sto honor and conserve historic Lodwick’s contribution historic and School of contribution Aeronautics, with and SchoolTigers. of the Flying Aeronautics, with the Flying Tigers.

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THE FRESH GREENS Since the establishment of Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, the improved technology has widely enhanced the game-day experience. The new field includes an LED HD video display and scoreboard. Beneath the scoreboard in left field sits the Berm Bar, with seating, picnic tables, and a ticketed 120-foot drink rail. Along the Berm is a playground centered around a Tiger bounce house for kids to enjoy during games.

The newly renovated Detroit Tigers’ and Minor League clubhouses are outfitted with some of today’s most advanced treatment and rehabilitative modalities offered, allowing Tiger Town to be a year-round rehabilitation and training facility for Major and Minor League players.

One field, replaced with artificial turf, is now suitable after rain storms and allows for year-round activity.

New practice mounds and a 9,000 square-foot, airconditioned batting cage have also been constructed.

But Tiger Town doesn’t only avail the field and enhanced facilities for their Major and Minor Leagues alone. The Tigers Florida Operations have paved the way for camps and teams to use the brand facilities throughout off-season. A Tigers Fantasy Camp is

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In 2017 the Tigers revealed the newly christened Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, with $47 million in upgrades and renovations.

As far as the Detroit Tigers are As far as the Detroit Tigers concerned, their grounds are are concerned, their grounds are best used when instilling the bestofused whenthroughout instilling the game baseball game baseballit’s throughout the the year,ofwhether for a year, whether it’s for a worldworld-class athlete or simply a class athlete or simply a boy boy with the dream. with the dream.

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The Tigers at a Spring Training game on St. Pattyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, appropriately dressed for the occasion.

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hosted at the start of each year, allowing guests to improve their game alongside some of the Tigers’ very own. Featuring many of Tigers’ World Series champs (such as Al Kaline and Mickey Lolich) as well as additional former Tigers players, guests from ages 21 to 83 join for a week of coaching, training, games, complete with a playoff series and championship.

This year, the grounds also held a Spring Training for The Wounded Warriors Amputee Softball team.

Active-duty military personnel and veterans with amputations participated for a week of training to potentially join the Wounded Warriors Team.

As far as the Detroit Tigers are concerned, their facilities are best used when instilling the game of baseball throughout the year, whether it’s for a worldclass athlete or simply a boy with the dream.

Babe Ruth’s home-run record wouldn’t be broken until 1961 — by Roger Maris of the New York Yankees, no less. Hank Greenberg may forever be due the many home runs he was shorted that season in 1938. But walking past the Tigers’ offices, with historic photos of Greenberg and his fellow teammates lining the hall, it’s clear their legends spur the team on still.

For more information on the Detroit Tigers Spring Training, Lakeland Flying Tigers, and all other Minor League events, visit https://www.mlb.com/tigers/spring-training.

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TASTE

Like all great stories, each telling of the Passover tale brings new understanding. So, too, does the Seder — which is the Passover ceremony and dinner — evolve and transform. In The New York Times, Shmuel Rosner describes it as “a quilt sewn over generations … mysterious and beautiful, and often restless.”

The Passover holiday is closely associated with food, which also over the millennia has been reshaped with each preparation of every dish until, taste by taste, they are as much a reflection of our own joys and struggles as our ancestors’.

In this Taste feature, Rabbi David Goldstein of Temple Emanuel in Lakeland answers my Passover questions, and we consider the central role of food in celebrating freedom and reminding us that as Faulkner said, “The past is never dead.

It isn’t even past.”

Photography by Tiffani Jones Set Styling by Lisa Malott

Everything on the Seder plate, whether modern or traditional, signifies the Israelites’ struggle for freedom. From the egg, shankbone, and horseradish, each is layered with symbolism and meaning. With each bite at Passover, the history of sacrifice is remembered through each bitter, sweet, and savory taste.

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Written by Benjamin Vickers

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HAT IS PASSOVER? You are probably familiar with the saga outlined in Exodus: a cruel and deceitful Pharaoh, enslaved Israelites, 10 plagues, Moses leading his people out of enslavement, the parting of the seas … all well-known touchstones. The name “Passover” comes from the 10th plague, in which the Israelites are instructed to mark their doors with blood. Though Moses had given warnings to the Pharaoh, he did not release the Jews from bondage. At the stroke of midnight, the firstborn sons from houses that were not marked died, while the plague passed over the marked houses, sparing them from harm. Shaken by the destruction of the 10th plague, the Pharaoh concedes, letting the Jews flee Egypt. Their journey to freedom could finally begin — and still continues.

Early in our discussion, Rabbi David brings up a paradox in the Passover narrative, one that has intrigued me for some time. He says, “Why the blood to start with? Does anyone really believe that God couldn’t tell which were Jews and which weren’t? Up to that last plague, the Jews didn’t have to do anything.

God did it all for them through Moses and Aaron. In the last plague, God basically says, ‘You don’t get to sit on the fence. You don’t get to wait and see if it’s happening or not. You have to make a choice and take a risk. Because, let’s face it, let’s say it doesn’t happen.

How do you think Pharaoh would have reacted the next day? He wakes up and his son and the Egyptians are fine, and all those Jews with blood on their doors showing they thought he was going to die. It absolutely would have made them a target.”

The Rabbi explains that the lesson underneath is that freedom doesn’t come without taking action. At some point it requires a leap of faith.

He continues, “In the Passover story, [making the decision] is the symbolic battle. Jewish history says that many of the Israelite families did not put the blood

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on the door; they were too scared; and many non-Jews did. We hear about a ‘mixed multitude’ leaving Egypt.

It was everyone who believed Moses’ message, who believed there really was a God. They took the risk and survived.”

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The Horeseradish (maror) is on the Seder plate as a reminder of the bitterness of slavery.

HY DO WE EAT THESE FOODS FOR PASSOVER? Everything during the Passover service and dinner is designed to remind us — often with many layers of symbolism and meaning — of the Israelites’ struggle for freedom. The Seder plate is most emblematic of this with its procession of ceremonial foods. Our plate carries a roasted shankbone (the zeroa) to depict the Passover sacrifice, in which a lamb is roasted and shared among the community.

The egg (chagigah) represents the offering before the holiday begins and is often used during dinner or eaten with the saltwater symbolizing the tears of enslaved Jews. The horseradish (maror) on our Seder plate is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery. A paste of nuts, spices, dried fruits, and wine (charoset) depicts the brick and mortar used by the Israelites as they toiled and built Pharaoh’s cities. The onion and parsley on our plate (karpas) alludes to the backbreaking work the Jews endured as slaves and are also dipped in the saltwater. The unleavened flatbread (matzo), is not part of the Seder plate but is always eaten as a part of Passover meal. When the Jews fled Egypt, there was no time to let the bread rise and so eating the matzo is a lesson in humility and gives us greater appreciation for the redemption of freedom.

Many families prepare additional non-traditional Seder foods with unique or private significance.

Vegetarian participants might replace the shankbone with a roasted beet. Blogger Z’ev Hadash writes in Keshet, “Cinnamon alone is bitter but can be used to sweeten the greater whole,” and so adds a cinnamon stick on his Seder plate to represent the solidarity of his community. Rabbi David says, “You can add to the Seder plate, but you can never subtract.

“We gather pieces of every culture we’ve lived

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02 GINGER-POACHED PEARS Bosc pears, slightly firm, one per person — select the most beautiful ones 1 quart of cool water 1 quart of sugar A generous glug of white wine Vanilla extract, or one vanilla pod Freshly grated or chopped ginger A cinnamon stick A star anise Good-quality coconut milk “Pre-pear” the pears by peeling them, then paring vertically into halves. Use a spoon to gently scoop out the seeds and core, then pair the pear halves back together. Slice the bottoms off so that they have a flat surface to sit up on in the bowl.

In a pot large enough to hold everything, combine the water, sugar, wine, vanilla, ginger, and spices. Lower in the pear pairs and turn on the heat to medium. If needed, add a little extra water so that the pears are submerged. You want to keep the poaching liquid to just below a simmer. If it gets too hot, the pears can become grainy or turn into mush. When the pears are barely fork-tender, turn off the flame, and let them cook the rest of the way with the residual heat in the pot.

Serve them in a bowl with a ladle of the poaching liquid and a dash of the coconut milk. Skillful, patient cutting will allow you to sit the pear halves up in the bowl and they will appear as if they were whole, which is quite a lovely effect.

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BAY LAUREL AND LEMON LENTILS

MARINATED MUSHROOMS AND ARTICHOKES

2 cups green lentils

1 pound sliced button mushrooms

4 cups water

1 pound artichoke hearts, sliced into bite-sized pieces

A bay leaf

3 Tablespoons olive oil

A lemon wedge

Salt and pepper, to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Rinse the lentils under running water, making sure that there are no sticks or weird bits. Strain, and place in a pot with the measured amount of water. Add the bay leaf.

Bring to a simmer as you would rice, then reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, until no longer crunchy. Make sure that there remains enough water to barely cover the lentils.

Strain the lentils as you would pasta and remove the bay leaf. The lentils can be stored cooked like this and heated up as you need it. I like to reheat lentils in a sauté pan with olive oil, and season them with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon right before serving.

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1 Tablespoon dried or fresh rosemary Good-quality balsamic vinegar, as desired Toss everything together, except the vinegar, to marinate for at least an hour. Just before serving, heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drop the marinated mixture, along with any juices, into the pan and sauté, tossing frequently until the vegetables are cooked through. Season again if needed, and garnish with the balsamic. Serve immediately.

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among, and the food is what reflects that more than anything else. If you are living with a Moroccan family, you’d have very different Passover recipes. The ‘Jewish’ foods we are familiar with here in the United States are what we would call Ashkenazi-Eastern European. The reason for that is the 1860s saw a major influx [of Jews] from Germany, and the 1880s through the 1910s saw a huge immigration from Eastern Europe. We have all of our recipes and traditions and food from them.

“So what people think of as ‘Jewish food’ is actually Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, and [these foods have] become strongly associated with [ JewishAmerican] food. It’s a good thing. We’ve adapted. And for someone who loves corned beef and pastrami, it’s a very good thing.”

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HY DO WE KEEP KOSHER? “If it has a split hoof and chews cud, you can have it,” the Rabbi tells me. “If the cheese comes from a different animal or herd than the meat, then it’s fine. The law says, ‘Don’t cook a calf in its mother’s milk,’ and if you really can’t live without your chicken parmesan then go for it, if that’s what’s really stopping you from being observant. Take one step at a time. When people try to tell me ‘[kosher law is] because of health,’ it’s not. The Torah is very specific.

It says, ‘I am your God and I have chosen you to be different from all the other peoples. Therefore you will observe this because it makes you different.’ And there’s nothing that differentiates us more than our eating habits. It’s the idea of a discipline. Let’s face it; if you have friends that are vegan, gluten-free, have multiple allergies, you know that it’s a struggle to provide for their needs. It separates them from everyone else in that moment. If you have a whole people that is saying, ‘We have to stick to specific foods,’ it does separate us.

“We are supposed to be taking care of this world; we are supposed to be improving on it. We’re supposed to be working to eradicate hate. We’re supposed to be working hard to create greater freedom. We’ve been commanded to do it, and we are told, ‘It is the right thing.’

“If I have to think about what I’m eating, I have to think about what I’m doing. So I accept [kosher] for that reason. But if you’ll excuse the expression, it doesn’t have to be ‘whole hog’ all at once. Take it one step at a time.”

The egg (chagigah) represents the offering before the holiday begins and is often used during dinner or eaten with saltwater to symbolize the tears of enslaved Jews.

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HY IS THIS NIGHT DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER NIGHTS? The Rabbi explains, “Passover is about liberation. Freedom. It reminds us that in many national histories, before freedom came, there was an enslavement period. We here in the United States are still grappling with what we did to the Africans who were brought here into enslavement and the Native Americans who were also enslaved but very rarely talked about.”

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05

OSSO BUCCO Osso bucco (sliced veal shanks), one per person, depending on the size Matzo flour or meal (use regular flour if it’s not for Passover) Olive oil, as needed Salt and pepper, to taste 2 onions, diced 2 carrots, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 4 Tablespoons tomato paste A bunch of parsley A few sprigs of fresh thyme A bay leaf or two A cup of stock: veal, beef, or chicken ... whatever you have on hand.

A bottle of dry white wine

GREMOLATA GARNISH 8-10 cloves of minced garlic The zest of 3 lemons Another handful of minced parsley Preheat the oven to 325°F, and a pan on the stove with a medium-high flame. Season the osso bucco with salt and pepper, and dredge it in the flour, shaking off the excess.

Sear each shank in the hot pan with a little of the oil until they are nicely browned on each side. Arrange them in a deep roasting pan and cover with aluminum while you prepare the other braising ingredients.

Add a little more oil to the pan that you used to sear, and stir in the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Lower to medium heat and cook, stirring, until the veggies are soft.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for two minutes.

Pop the herbs into the roasting pan with the osso bucco, and pour in the stock and wine. Add the tomato paste mixture, season with a little more salt and pepper, and cover again with the aluminum foil. Ease the entire roasting pan into the hot oven and cook about 1.5 hours, or until the meat wants to fall off the bone.

Once the meat is done, remove from the pan and strain the rest of the pan, keeping the liquid and tossing the solids. This liquid can be simmered over a medium-low heat to make a delicious sauce.

Mince the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley together to garnish the meat on the plate.

When this “gremolata” hits the warm sauce and veal, it will release wonderful herb and citrus aromas and flavors.

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The shankbone (zeroa) represents the Passover sacrifice. Vegetarians may replace the shankbone with a roasted beet.

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Many families prepare additional non-traditional Seder foods that may signify a unique season they have walked through.

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Rabbi David sits back and continues quietly, “Acknowledging our past — the good and the bad — is important to understand our current situation.

“Passover, and the Seder, specifically, serves as a beacon that those who are enslaved don’t have to stay there. There is a risk [in striving for freedom], but there was also a risk when the Israelites were putting the blood on the door. If we’re not willing to take risks, we don’t have freedom.”

Author's Note: By the time the recorder shuts off, I realize the interview has lasted nearly two hours.

The sun is sinking into Lake Hollingsworth. Kids and parents are just arriving for movie night at the Hebrew school of Temple Emanuel, and there is a friendly chatter in the air as I pack up my car and drive home.

It’s a warm, quiet evening, and I consider the journeys of my ancestors. They seem close enough to reach out and touch.

Passover Seders are often concluded by singing ‘L'Shana Haba'ah B’Yerushalayim’ or ‘Next Year in Jerusalem' to evoke a desire for the diaspora who scattered across the world after fleeing Egypt to return to a common Jewish home. It seems to me that there will always be a next year; a new reckless dream; a new item on the Seder plate; and that as long as there are people in the world who are not free, our journey continues.

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A paste of nuts, spices, dried fruit, and wine (charoset) depicts the brick and mortar used by the Israelites as they toiled and built Pharaoh’s cities.

“Acknowledging our past - the good and the bad - is important to understand our current situation.”

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SHELTER

friendly modernism written by Christian Lee photography by Tina Sargeant

When it comes to deciding upon a home’s interior style, “modern” can be sorely misunderstood. Contrary to popular belief, not all modern homes are cold, just as not all overly adorned homes are actually “homey.” Modern can, in fact, be inviting, cozy, and warm. And we can offer no clearer execution of this concept than the home of Leigh Harris.

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m id-century modern, a widely recognized and significant design movement, is one of my favorite design periods. It is poetry without the words. It was a design movement for a change in where we live, the way we live, and how we see the things around us.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Leigh Harrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home. It represents everything I love about mid-century modern: large windows, living space flowing into the next room, a large kitchen, and the outdoors truly feeling a part of the home. I asked Leigh a few questions about choosing their home, the neighborhood, the renovation, and design choices made along the way. Leigh and her family graciously opened up their home to share with The Lakelander.

The Lakelander: You moved fairly recently. Your new house is relatively close to your previous home. Were you focused on staying in the neighborhood?

Leigh Harris: Each of our previous homes have been around Lake Hollingsworth, and we wanted to stay in the area. The location is so convenient for us during our busy everyday lives.

TL: How did you choose your current home and location?

LH: This house was unique because it sits on an acre lot. We also loved the street, and the house had a layout and floor plan that we could work with.

TL: What are some of the things that you like about your neighborhood?

LH: We loved the area already, but the dead-end street was a bonus.

There are 15 kids in just the few homes around us. There are always kids running from house to house and playing outside in the yard.

TL: Were there certain things you absolutely had to have in your new home? Things to fit and improve your growing family and lifestyle?

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Renovations to nearly the entire house, including the kitchen, bathrooms, floors, siding, master addition, and much more, were done by Mike Hickman of Hickman Homes.

LH: We were looking for a house on a bigger lot, with a kitchen that was open to the family room, or in this case, that we were able to open up.

We were also looking at a split plan or with extra bedrooms upstairs, a game room, bigger closets, and last but not least, a larger master bathroom.

TL: Have you made changes or renovations to your house since you purchased it?

LH: I’m not sure there is anything we didn’t change.

Exterior – siding, paint, new A/C units, roof, windows, driveway, landscaping

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Interior – kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, paint, master addition TL: Is this your first foray into the often difficult business of home renovation, or have you done others?

LH: We remodeled our previous home also, but not to this extent. Being in real estate for over 16 years, I’ve been in thousands of homes, and when looking I only see what a house could be, not what it currently is.

TL: Were you both looking for a project house, or was it just one of you that was drawn to what I occasionally think of

as self-imposed suffering?

LH: We didn’t specifically want a project, but we weren’t opposed to one. My husband really wanted to look at this house. I was more hesitant because I knew that it would take so much time, money, and energy to update, but I have thanked him for being persistent on us pursuing this house because it is where we need to be.

TL: Let’s talk about the dreaded “B” word: budget.

Without revealing a number, did you have a budget in mind to accomplish your goals, and how did it work out? Which one

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of you would best be described as the “budget police?”

LH: We had a budget. We were initially only planning to do a partial remodel, but one thing leads to another in construction, and we ended up doing the entire house which benefited us in the long run.

It was stressful during the project, but I’m glad it is done and that I’m not dealing with never-ending projects that need to be completed.

By the end of the project, neither one of us were policing the budget; we just wanted the house finished.

Hickman Homes did the renovations. Mike Hickman is a great guy and very patient with all of our changes and ideas.

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TL: Occasionally, there is one of those “oh no” moments of buyers’ remorse after you buy a new house. Did either of you have one of those?

LH: We both knew that we would ultimately have the house we wanted, but I got nervous from time to time as issues would arise.

TL: Was everything a “gotta do it” issue, or did you allocate and prioritize based on a selection process?

LH: Some of the best advice

we got from Becky Cox, our former next-door neighbor, who is an extremely talented designer and loves this style of home, was not to skimp on the finishing touches as people often do when budgets get tight at the end. This is the first house I didn’t think of resale. We made decisions that were good for our family and picked things that we would enjoy for years to come.

TL: What aspect of the construction and renovation process did you find to be the

most challenging? The most rewarding?

LH: The most challenging was absolutely the scheduling.

We were grateful for our contractor, Mike Hickman, for handling all of those details.

Opening up the wall from the kitchen to the family room was the most rewarding, and we enjoy that part daily.

TL: What aspects of design and decorating process were the most challenging? The most rewarding? Did you hire

Originally planned to be only a partial renovation, the Harris’ home has undergone a complete and beautiful transformation with the guidance of interior designer Becky Cox.

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a designer to help you through this entire process?

LH: This house has a completely different style than the traditional ranch we were in for 12 years prior. Thankfully, Becky had the ultimate vision and saved us from making numerous costly mistakes. It was initially hard to have such a different style after so many years, but now I love it. Becky had the vision, and Mike executed that vision.

TL: Were you able to incorporate your furnishings,

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art, fixtures into your new home, or did you need to make some changes/substitutions?

LH: We ended up keeping very little of the furniture and décor from our former home.

Becky found several pieces at Scout & Tag that fit the era and style of our home. The two chairs that I had re-covered that were in my house growing up are my favorite pieces. I also love the fireclay tile around the fireplace. We now both find ourselves drawn to mid-century construction and décor.

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TL: Sometimes house hunting can result in a kind of “kismet” experience — the feeling that this is the house that’s destined to be a part of your future. Did you have that feeling when you found this house?

LH: I think, because I sell homes, I don’t get that feeling.

Too many things can happen before you close, so I’ve learned not to get attached. I knew that we could make this house ours and make it work for our family.

TL: What do you love about your new house?

LH: It’s cozy and livable for our family and also great for entertaining which we enjoy.

This house is open but also has several living areas to sit and talk.

I think the sunroom is my favorite room. Riko Ramos with No Boring Concrete did a polished concrete on the floors which turned out great.

TL: Knowing what you know now about the whole process, would you do it all over again?

LH: It’s brutal, but the payoff is worth it. I’d like to live here forever.

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My heart skipped a beat when I saw Leigh Harrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home. It represents everything I love about mid-century modern.

STYLE

[ F R A M E D ]

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written by Abdiel Gonzalez photography by Dan Austin hair and makeup by Yolanda Floyd models: Lauren Owens, Louina La Falaise, Garrett Adams, Aaron Anderson, Michael Laboska â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BMG Models Anitra Goddard, Richard Om

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funny how the things we tend to veer away from as kids, we often come running back to as adults.

Particularly where style is concerned. While sunglasses have been in demand since Tom Cruise appeared with Ray Bans in Top Gun, today just about all frames have become a simple way to create a statement look. After browsing some of our fresh looks, you may even be tempted to put on a pair of snazzy spectacles, whether you have a prescription or not.

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[ W ] Anitra Who can forget Audrey Hepburn’s iconic Manhattan big black sunglasses moment in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Or, my personal favorite, Brad Pitt’s square acetate glasses in the cult classic Fight Club?

Eyewear has always been an important part of not only expressing yourself, but also creating a moment and presence too long reserved solely for Hollywood. The rest of us strapped on our specs because Mom and Dad made us do so as kids, so we would stop squinting while we read.

These days, eyewear has become less hide-them-’til-you-needthem and more of a well-planned part of your daily look. With people opting less for contacts and using frames to show off, or even change, their personality daily, eyewear designers are playing much more with design, color, and shape more than ever before and making it accessible for even the style-challenged.

With winter behind us, the time of year has arrived to dust off our shades or bright-colored readers and welcome the sunshine and bright spring colors. This spring season we’re seeing retro silhouettes in more extreme shapes, colors, and sizes. The classic cat eye is more exaggerated; the iconic aviator is going more square; and we’re seeing the acetate-colored lenses and round frames taking center stage.

Now don’t get too lost in your new reflection and neglect the eye “care” part of shielding your eyes. It’s important to note that there are a lot of factors to consider besides whether the frames fit your face shape and suit your lifestyle, so, as always, consult your local eye doctor to ensure you have the right protection for your peepers.

The sun is shining bright; your wardrobe is lighting up; and Mother Nature’s colors are out to play, so you should be too.

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(left to right) Hank Greenberg and his wife, Caral, and Dorothy Lodwick and her husband, Albert, enjoy a fireworks’ display at the Lake Mirror (Frances Langford) Promenade in Lakeland. Hank Greenberg was the slugging outfielder/first baseman for the Detroit Tigers which held Spring Training in Lakeland. Greenberg served in World War II and was enjoying his first spring in Lakeland since 1941. Albert Lodwick was the owner of Lodwick Aircraft Industries, a company that converted surplus military aircraft to civilian use. During World War II, Lodwick operated a flight training school under contract to the U.S. Army to train pilots for service in the war. date: unknown Photo courtesy of Lakeland Public Library.

Brandon Of�ice 146

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69

years of

EXPERIENCED MINDS handling

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