The Oakland Athletics chose Lakeland High School grad Yordy Cabrera with the 60th overall pick in the second round of the MLB draft. A shortstop, Cabrera has committed to the University of Miami and has not yet decided if he will skip college and sign with Oakland. His father, Basilio Cabrera, manages the Gulf Coast League Tigers. photo credit: Tom Hagerty for Lakeland Local
Lakeland's only professional team, the Lakeland Flying Tigers, are preparing for their season opener Thursday in Tampa. We're preparing as well. Throughout the 2010 we're covering the team like no one else. We'll deliver player and fan photographs from home games; line and box scores from every Flying Tiger game, and the occasional home game tweet to keep you close to the action. Check this column everyday for the latest game scores and photographs. And maybe a few surprises during the season.
It's not much of a hunt, as over 20,000 plastic eggs will be placed in the field tomorrow at Joker Marchant Stadium. Not much of a hunt, but certainly a lot of fun as children 14 and under race onto the field grabbing eggs for their baskets. According to the Flying Tigers, "the eggs will contain candy, a toy or a number that may be redeemed for special prizes." The cost of the hunt is $2 per child. Proceeds "will benefit the Detroit Tigers Foundation of Florida which benefits local youth sports organizations and local charities." The hunt will be divided to two groups based on age. The first group will start after the Kids Fun Run at 10 am. Parking is free. For more information, contact the Flying Tigers at (863) 686-8075 or visit www.LakelandFlyingTigers.com. photo credit: Tom Hagerty for Lakeland Local
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The Roberts Academy at Florida Southern College will have an open house for parents interested in learning more about the new school at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 29, in Edge Hall on the FSC campus. The Roberts Academy will open in fall 2010 to serve talented first- through fourth-graders with dyslexia. The Academy will offer a full-day program offering reading, math, science and other elementary school subjects. Teachers will be trained in the Orton-Gillingham Method of reading instruction. The Academy also will provide support and training programs for parents and families, including a resource library. Counseling and occupational therapy will be available. Open houses also are planned for April 26, May 24, and June 7. For more information, please contact The Roberts Academy at 863.680.3741, or robertsacademy@flsouthern.edu. Or visit the Web site at www.flsouthern.edu/robertsacademy. -- Press release came to us from Florida Southern College
You have the opportunity to take two tours today. Earlier this week, we wrote about the Lakeland Police Department Open House. Today we’d like to direct you the the Historic Lake Morton Home and Garden Tour. From 11 am to 4 pm, take a trolley through the Lake Morton neighborhood and step off to see [...]
Google is looking for a community or two where it can offer this... "We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections." ( http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/ ) What would you do with that kind of pipe? We have less than 10 days to convince Google that Lakeland is positioned to deliver the expertise, talent, experience and vision to warrant that network. This push is funded by no concern and owned by no special interest group. The work is being performed by community-minded people working together quickly and efficiently. Lakeland's influential business, government, creative and media leaders are meeting to make the final push. We need your ideas. We're specifically asking for you to take 76 minutes of your time starting at 8am tomorrow morning to help direct that final push. Could you join us Friday morning at 8am at Black and Brew? Thank you!
Lakeland Police Department Officers are on the lookout for unbuckled drivers and passengers. Through March 15th LPD officers are on the lookout for unbuckled drivers and passengers throughout the city. During this time period, drivers and passengers will be ticketed if they are not buckled up. Here's the Florida law requiring seatbelts and the cost of the ticket is: $30 for unbuckled adults and $60 for improperly restrained children. "Safety belt use in Florida climbed to 81.7% last year, almost reaching the national average of 82%. The minority of Floridians who do not wear a seat belt continue to make up the majority of traffic fatalities in the state, according to the Florida Department of Transportation website. The 1 in 5 Floridians who did not buckle up accounted for 3 in 5 traffic fatalities." -- Lakeland Police Department
David Robinson, president of DSM Technology, is working to raise funds for the latest United Way campaign. Well, maybe not working. Last night Robinson slept on his roof to raise awareness and funds. Noon to 2 pm today, Robinson is in spending time in a dunk tank today to raise more funds. The event is in the DSM parking lot at 6810 New Tampa Hwy, Lakeland 33815. $5 for 3 shots. BBQ lunch provided.
Two months ago, Sikes Elementary Principal Corey Swindler was arrested. An interim principal was named and last night the Polk County appointed his replacement. Laura Starner will be Assistant Principal for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year and take over as the Sikes Principal on July 1, 2010. Starner has worked for Polk County Schools since 1984. During her tenure she taught numerous grade levels and was named Assistant Principal at Wagner Elementary in 2004.
We get quite many press releases. Many are about local events, or company news, but every now and then you get one that catches your attention for one reason or another. Today the Polk Theatre will be closed; Not to prepare the stage for a new production or break down an old set. “We will spend eight hours removing drywood termites from the stage area,” said Ted Horton, the Truly Nolen Branch Manager in Lakeland. Did anyone else immediately get an image of men with mouse ears on their hands and knees picking up termites with tweezers? No? OK, then. On to the next release...
The 52nd Annual Kiwanis Pancake Festival is a major fundraiser for the three Kiwanis Clubs in Lakeland: Lakeland, Citrus Center & North Lakeland. If you're new to Lakeland, this is a popular community get-together. They've attracted up to 8,000 people for a day of eating hotcakes and small talk. You can save some cash by buying advance tickets today. Grab a Kiwanis member, but be gentle, for adult tickets at $4 and children's tickets at $2. They go up $1 each tomorrow. Vendors & exhibitors will also be on site, including the Lakeland SWAT team and a huge plant sale.
Did you know that some Lakeland police officers help out with crowd control at Gasparilla? If you’re at the event tomorrow, stop and say hello if you bump into an of Lakeland’s finest. Well, maybe you shouldn’t bump into them. photo credit: Nathan Mark Phillips for Lakeland Local
The Lakeland City Commission will have a full lineup as soon as the election is certified. If you follow LakelandLocal on Twitter you saw this tweet a moment after the info was released from the Polk Election Supervisor: With all 25 precincts, early and absentee votes in, Edie Yates takes the SE District D commission [...]
Don’t get too excited, but there is time to see a fantasy camp tomorrow. A baseball fantasy camp game. Wait. What other kind of “fantasy camp” did you expect? At 10 am Saturday morning, the Detroit Tigers fantasy camp attendees will culminate a week of training by taking on the Tiger greats. Participants scheduled to [...]
On January 21st from Noon – 1pm, the Rath Senior ConNEXTions Center at the Lakeland USF Polytechnic Campus will host a Lunch and Learn seminar on Aging in Place. Vicky Lodge, a local designer, presents the seminar on remodeling your home to help you stay there as you age. You’re encouraged to bring your lunch [...]
Lakelander Frankie Majowich debuted his new feature column on MetroI4News.com this morning. Majowich is a local home brewer who travels the country attending beer festivals learning how to perfect his craft. Appropriately titled “On Beer,” the column will focus on the art of beer brewing, and serve as a guide to beers you might have [...]
Bio: Growing up in Detroit, Tom Hagerty dreamed of watching baseball in sunny Lakeland, Florida. That dream came to fruition in 1998 when he moved to Lakeland. Tom has a passion for the Detroit Tigers, the Lakeland Flying Tigers and all things Detroit. His interests include reading, writing and photography. Tom and his wife have two daughters, four cats, one dog and a guinea pig.
