Lake Wales grad in World Series


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Lake Wales News

YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER

EVENTS GUIDE

GETTING READY

Check out our guide to what’s happening around the area PAGE 2

An Edition of the Sun

VOL. 88 NO. 43

Lake Wales Highlanders prepare for big game PAGE 23 against Auburndale

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2014

Since 1926

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Volunteers make the wheels go ‘round

Many hands make 39th Annual Pioneer Days a success

What now passes for the art of war?

By KATHY LEIGH BERKOWITZ [email protected]

This sentence was in the ancient book, “The Art of War,” written by the Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu. I was in the audience at Wednesday night’s now-famous three-way debate between former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Gov. Rick Scott and the Vornado Circulating Fan. It is now obvious that Crist was taking his cues from the centuries old book on political debating called “The Phans of War,” supposedly written by another philosopher named Un Tru. Political operatives have been using this book for years. Some (well, most) people don’t believe it really exists. But if it did, it might explain some recent behavior. Consider these passages and Crist’s actions: Deceive your enemy with wind and misdirection. Crist knew that his opponent might make an issue of his desire to stay cool and use a fan during the debate. He has used fans before, even during his regular work day. Crist hates to sweat. When he was asked about whether the rules addressed the use of a fan, he responded, “Not that I am aware of.” Was this true? Maybe. He knew there was a dispute and acting like he was unaware of any of that was misleading. He who enters the field of battle first has the advantage of surprise. It doesn’t really matter who was right or wrong about whether the rules of the debate allowed Crist to have a fan under his podium. The fact that he chose to walk on the stage before Scott gave him the tactical advantage. Television is a visual medium that provides almost no context to a situation. The image

FAN | 18

INDEX |

Say Pioneer Days and people spring into action. Or as City Special Events Coordinator Jennifer Nanek says, “it’s the volunteers” that make it

happen. There are about 30 volunteers who band together to put on one of Lake Wales longest standing traditions — a gathering on the shores of Lake Wailes of vendors dressed in yesteryear clothing, Indian dancers, antique cars, pony rides, activities for the children,

Lake Wailes Revival begins

PIONEER PAGES START ON PAGE 11

PIONEER | 18

‘Raise Up An Army’ theme for men’s night

By KATHY LEIGH BERKOWITZ [email protected]

It is becoming an annual tradition which draws hundreds to the shores of Lake Wailes: the Lake

Wailes Revival. The Revival, which will take place “under the tent” during the evenings of Pioneer Days, will feature this year, for the first time ever, an all-men’s night,

REVIVAL | 18

Lake Wales grad in World Series Wade Davis one of KC relief pitchers having historic season From staFF and wire reports The headline from the CBS Sports online story last Thursday pretty well

summed it up: “The utter dominance of Wade Davis.” Davis, a 2004 graduate of Lake Wales High School

who was drafted by and came up through the Tampa Bay Rays system, was traded to the Royals two off-seasons ago. Now,

he’s going to pitch on baseball’s biggest stage: The World Series. During the regular season, Davis pitched 72

innings, and gave up eight runs. He hasn’t allowed a homer since August 2013.

DAVIS | 18

City commission approves 335-apartment complex By BRENDA EGGERT BRADER

[email protected]

Thirteen three-story walk-up buildings consisting of a 335 apartments multi-housing development was passed by the Lake Wales City Commission at

the Tuesday night commission meeting after a presentation of the development by Equinox of Florida LLC. Serenity at Lake Wales Apartments will be built on about 20 acres north of Chalet Suzanne Road, east of U.S. 27 and the Shoppes on

the Ridge with a planned traffic light making an intersection opposite the westernmost Eagle Ridge Mall entrance on Chalet Suzanne Road. A 20-acre wetlands area will be saved for conservation and not developed. Upon the approval of the

preliminary PDP plan, by the city commission, the developer can now submit engineering plans without further board reviews. The area has been recently rezoned for multi-family housing.

CITY | 18

THE NEWS: Community 2 | Viewpoint 4 | Opinion 5 | Police 6 | Obituaries 8 | Political Section 29-40

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PIONEER FROM PAGE 1 and more. “I have lots of great positions for people to help,” Nanek says. There will be an Architectural Carriage Tour, always a favorite, where people can ride around in a carriage and tour historic homes and buildings, while listening to the history of the town.

REVIVAL FROM PAGE 1 Thursday night. The featured speaker will be Commander Col. Danny R. McKnight, according to Kevin Respress of the Business, Civic and Ministry Coalition, which partners with Capernaum Inn Ministries and area churches to put on the

Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Volunteer Sharon Kirschner has been giving tours of the town for about 10 or 12 years, she says, telling the stories that only the locals remember. “For me, it’s a lot of fun because I grew up here so I remember who was in this house and in that house. While I am doing it, I am reminiscing too,” she says. She says it is one thing for people to see the houses, but when they

can hear the history and other stories about the homes, it makes the tour more meaningful to them. Kirschner, retired principal of McLaughlin Middle School and Fine Arts Academy, says it is important to maintain history. People buy the old houses and restore them, and this is “so much more beautiful,” she notes, than those built brand new. She also notes that those houses were the

ones that weathered the 2004 hurricanes, while others were blown away. And because history is important, she says she would like everyone to know that her Lake Wales High School Class 50th Reunion is being held at The Lake Wales Woman’s Club, starting at noon, then everyone can walk down to the lake and enjoy Pioneer Days and be back at the club for dinner at 6 p.m. Nanek says the

Architectural Tour is sponsored by Citizens Bank and is free. She is always looking for volunteers and notes that some folks who would like to put up a booth but who want to avoid paying the booth fee (such as not-for-profits and other organizations) can send volunteers instead. “Once the volunteers get their coffee and doughnuts, they are good to go,” she says.

They help with the parking, paint the vendor lines on the ground, pass out programs and help man the quilt show. Some even paint the stage. And for those who want to volunteer but who can’t move as much, she needs people to critique the programs (she gives them a sheet) and it helps organizers to know which shows are “a hit.” The Pioneer Days run Friday, Oct. 25 to Saturday, Oct. 26.

Revival. McKnight served 28 and a half years as a U.S. Army Ranger. He served in Panama in 1989 and as commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment assigned to Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia, 1993, as performed in the movie and book “Black Hawk Down.” He received a Legion of Merit, Bronze Star for Valor, Purple Heart, and other awards.

“We are really trying to get the men in this community to show up on Thursday night and get empowered to do something,” Respress said, noting that the basic purpose of a man is leading his family. The need for men in leadership is great, Respress notes. “We are just seeing a mass exodus of men in the role of being fathers. … It’s about men realizing that

they are responsible for taking leadership,” he adds. The Coalition has held several men’s retreats at Capernaum Inn; this will be the first time it has been brought into the Revival. Respress says the goal is to have around 500 men there Thursday night. “What would it look like if 500 men showed up and said I am willing to step up and make a difference in my family and in this

community?” he asked. He notes that one of the biggest issues facing men is having motivating role models. “They need to see leaders,” he says. “What is the battle? What is the fight? Where do I get involved?” “What would Lake Wales look like if it were a Kingdom City, if Jesus were lifted up?” he adds, noting that it would be “a reflection of Christ.”

Free food will be there at 6 p.m. for the men’s night. The theme is “Raising Up an Army,” and services begin at 7 p.m. The Revival will continue to run through Sunday night. Friday and Saturday services start at 7 p.m. and are for the whole family. Sunday night is youth night, at 7 p.m. with high-energy worship and a teen-focused message.

DAVIS FROM PAGE 1 In all, he faced 279 batters in the regular season, and gave up five extra-base hits. “It’s pretty remarkable to know how hard we fought all year to get to this point. Everybody held their own, everybody’s backed each other up,” Davis said on the field in Kansas City last Wednesday when the Royals finished a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship series. He also said he was happy to live just in the moment. “I’m not going to try to put it in perspective, I’m just going to keep riding it out,” he added. Although he was in the Rays system, he had not yet made the major league roster when Tampa Bay advanced to the World Series in 2008. His debut in the majors came Sept. 6, 2009. In each game of the American League Championship series — and all season long, really — the three-headed monster of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and All-Star closer Greg Holland had slammed the door on the Orioles.

FAN FROM PAGE 1 of Crist standing there without Scott is what is burned into our memory now. Care not what uniform you wear, it is the flag you carry to battle and the victory that will be remembered. Crist used to be a Republican, now he is a Democrat. No one is talking about that anymore. The fan incident is helping to galvanize his Democratic support. You don’t hear many Democrats bemoaning his party switch

CITY FROM PAGE 1 The planning department recommended acceptance.

They did it again in last week’s clincher, a 2-1 victory that propelled Kansas City into the World Series after a 29-year absence. Game 1 was Tuesday night against the San Francisco Giants. “That’s one of the biggest reasons they’re playing here,” Showalter said of the “Big Three.” The Royals had one of the stingiest bullpens in baseball this season, but the back end was especially dominant. Herrera, who usually handles the seventh inning, had a 1.41 ERA in 70 games. Davis, the eighthinning guy, had a 1.00 ERA in 71 appearances. And Holland had a 1.44 ERA while saving 46 games, one shy of his franchise record set just last season. “At the end of the game,” Royals starter Jason Vargas said, “we like our chances.” They were at their best in sending the Royals to the World Series, too. Herrera pitched 5 2⁄3 scoreless innings against Baltimore, allowing just two hits. Davis went five scoreless innings, also giving up two hits. Holland was the only one to give up a run, but he still managed to save all four games, joining Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley as the only pitchers to accomplish the feat since the

ALCS went to a best-of-seven format. All three relievers have fourseam fastballs that approach 100 mph, and all three have a devastating secondary pitch. Herrera has a lightning-quick two-seamer, Davis’s new cutter has been dynamic, and the vicious slider that Holland can unleash leaves hitters waving at air. Davis didn’t allow a run from April 23 through June 25, a streak of 20 appearances and 22 1⁄3 innings. It took 43 appearances, 45 1⁄3 innings and 179 batters before he allowed an extra-base hit. When Holland sustained a minor injury late in the season, Davis closed out three games. “He’s a guy that just comes in and goes right after you with his stuff,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s a guy that’s a tremendous competitor.” Starting pitcher James Shields was supposed to be the centerpiece of the December 2012 deal that also included Davis in return for several Royals prospects including Jake Odorizzi and Wil Myers. Davis began life with the Royals in the starting rotation, where he struggled. Late last year, he was moved to the bullpen, where he had some success

anymore. It’s now all about the fight against Scott for them. All warfare is based on perception. In the Art of War, the phrase was “all warfare is based on deception” but Un Tru’s concept applies to today’s television age. It doesn’t matter that Scott was correct that the agreement his people signed with the debate organizers prohibited a fan and the agreement Crist’s people signed allowed for one. That is nuance and context. There is no room for those things on the modern battlefield. If viewers saw images that looked like Scott was whining about a fan, then that is

all people will remember. If you can make the villagers laugh at your opponent, then you will weaken him. From the very first moment, the fan incident was destined to be a segment of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Thursday night’s episode of the show opened with the debate debacle and host John Stewart poking fun at Scott. In the court of late night comedy, Scott is definitely the loser. When late night comics make you the butt of their jokes, watch out. The truth is that both candidates thought their agreement supported their opinions about Crist’s use of the fan. Crist’s

“I like the shape of it and as a community,” said Commissioner Terrye Howell. “I like how it is setup and the parks. This is nice.” The commission also voted to approve the

execution of the agreement with Florida DOT for the planned airfield improvements for the construction phase to the Lake Wales Municipal Airport. The commission approved the resolution

AP PHOTO

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis, right, and starting pitcher James Shields throw in the bullpen during practice Oct. 18, in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals will host the San Francisco Giants in Game 1 of the World Series on Oct. 21. with the Rays as well before the trade. “Just get us through six in the ballgame and we can turn it over to the bullpen guys,” Yost said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in everybody we’ve got down there. Our offense has a lot of

confidence in everybody we’ve got down there, too, because they know, hey, look, let’s keep it close, let’s get it to the bullpen, and if we can take a lead and get it to the bullpen, odds are we’re going to be celebrating a victory at the end of the day.”

copy of the agreement allowed for it, Scott’s did not. That is unfortunate and something for the organizers to discuss. As my 11-year-old said to me when I got back from the debate, “Dad, it was just a fan!” Scott’s folks made a big deal out of it, knowing that the fan thing is something Crist asks for and brings with him to many events, not just debates. Don’t know why, maybe he is a Richard Nixon type of perspirer. Both sides were backstage arguing about the fan. One said I won’t come out unless I have it. The other said I won’t come out if it is there. The two men met on

the field of battle. The important thing is that Crist outmaneuvered Scott by heading to the podium and allowing the image of him standing there waiting for the governor to show up to be the lasting impression. Scott may have the incumbency and millions of dollars but Charlie Crist has years of experience as a politician. Knowing what to do in a situation like that is probably instinctual to Crist … not so much for Scott. Put simply, Crist saw that he was under attack and used a little Jiu Jitsu on Gov. Scott. And that would make both Sun Tsu and Un Tru proud.

to provide additional funding from FDOT to complete the project. In other business, the commission radified additional funds to the Economic Development Council from the city’s

budget up from $100,000 to $150,000. The city also approved an application for grant funds to install additional lighting at the soccer complex on Hunt Brothers Road. City Manager Kenneth

Fields told the commissioners a presentation of the Grand Hotel progress will be presented at the next meeting. Commissioners absent were Jonathan Thornhill and Mayor Eugene Fultz.