Lakeland Spotlight on – Lake Mirror Promenade

Lake Mirror & its Promenade are considered the crown jewel of historic Downtown Lakeland. This community recreation area was the vision of Tom Appleyard, the manager of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce in the early 1920s. Charles W. Leavitt, the noted New York landscape architect, eventually brought Appleyard’s vision to reality. Its hallmark seawall, ornate loggias, and the wide palm-lined pedestrian pathways make this lake visually stunning and architecturally distinct.

 

The Promenade, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983, has often been the hub of local festivities of Downtown. Lake Mirror is surrounded by Kryger Overlook Park,Barnett Family Park, Magnolia Building, Lake Mirror Tower, Hollis Gardens, & the Lake Mirror Complex. Lake Mirror Park and amphitheater were dedicated in the fall of 1999 and Hollis Garden opened in 2000 on the southeast shore. Albert Paley’s “Tribute to Volunteerism,” a conspicuously ornate & colorful sculpture, crowns the northeast shore.

FREE EVENT in Lakeland: June 5 – First Friday 6-9pm Downtown Lakeland

June 5 – First Friday 6-9pm Downtown Lakeland
“School’s Out for Summer”
Shops & restaurants open late. Music and entertainment along the streets. Classic Car Show on Tennessee Avenue. For more information visit: www.DowntownLakelandFL.com or call 513-3669. Free Event.

Downtown merchants, Explorations V Children’s Museum and the Polk Museum of Art are teaming up to make certain you have a lot of fun during the June 5th First Friday “School’s Out for the Summer” Celebration.

Along Kentucky Avenue you’ll find bubble-gum bubble blowing contests, hula hoop contests, squirt-gun shootout contests, and summer themed art contests. Kentucky Avenue will be closed for this event (cross streets will be open). Kid’s activities, including a bounce house, face painting at Lofty Ideas and a DJ at Lloyd’s of Lakeland, will be on North Kentucky. Traditions Unlimited will feature making paper flowers and Brooke Pottery will host making ornaments and clay animals. Fun geared towards teens and adults will be on South Kentucky.

Garden Bistro is open for dinner 6 – 8 P.M. Dinner at the Bistro (regular Menu) Music by Sofa Kings 7:00 – 11:00 on the Patio. Garden Bistro is next to Hollis Garden on Lake Mirror.

Illustrate your idea of “summer fun” at the community art project sponsored by the Polk Museum of Art on South Kentucky Avenue.
Dress in your summer finest and enter the People’s Choice Award for the Coolest Summer Look. Maybe that means a Hawaiian shirt, flip flops and a big straw hat, or maybe your spouse will say “no.” Give it a shot.

Prizes will be provided for various activities by the Downtown Lakeland Partnership and Downtown merchants.
Of course, there will be entertainment along the streets and the car show on Tennessee Avenue next to Munn Park from 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM.

First Friday is a monthly celebration in Downtown Lakeland. Each month has a different theme. (See proposed themes at the bottom of this page, if your group or organization would like to participate in a them, please contact Julie Townsend. Only DLP member businesses are allowed to participate. If your business would like to join the partnership, please see the membership tab. If your not-for-profit group would like to participate, please call us.

Each month features LOCAL ARTISTS ALONG THE STREETS with music and other entertainment for the entire family.During First Friday, shops and restaurants stay open late. A classic car show is featured along Tennessee Avenue.

TO BE A VENDING ARTIST ON FIRST FRIDAY YOU MUST BE A MEMBER OF ARTS ON THE PARK OR J ROWAN GALLERIES.

PLEASE CONTACT DANIELLE COSTINE AT 680-2787 OR INFO@ARTSONTHEPARKLAKELAND.COM
Tuesday – Saturday • noon – 4pm

The Beauty of Hollis Gardens in Lakeland

Hollis Garden is a formal 1.2 acre botanical garden donated to the City by the Hollis Family. The garden is located on historic Lake Mirror accessible from the Lake Mirror Promenade or Orange Street. The garden contains several water features and displays thousands of flowering plants, ornamental shrubs, historic trees, herbs and vegetables. The garden may be rented for weddings. Hollis Gardens was voted one of the Best of Class Gardens by the Gulfcoast Research and Education Center.

Features Include:

• Grotto
• Koi pond
• Fountains, waterfalls & lily pond
• Tropical room
• Two herb rooms
• Vegetable room
• Red room
• White room
• Yellow room
• Native area
• Butterfly garden
• Orchard
• Trees of Americana
• Patterned flower beds

Lake Mirror Park is located on Lake Mirror in downtown. It is a historic structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Visit Lakeland’s Flickr photos

Keller Williams Realty Cleans Up, Literally!

The Keller Williams Realty office located in downtown Lakeland will be getting their hands dirty Saturday June 6th. As participants of the “Adopt A Lake” program, Keller Williams Realty will be cleaning up Lake Mirror. The festivities will begin at 9 a.m. The City of Lakeland will be providing garbage bags, garbage grabbers, vests, gloves, & nets. Refreshments will also be provided by Keller Williams Realty. Help keep our beautiful community clean!

Lakeland Electric Costs Trending Lower – Money saving tips for winter

In July, Lakeland Electric’s rate reached $130.93 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours. The rate has since dipped to $124.39. The average home uses about 1,300 kWh. Lakeland Electric is now down to No. 21 out of 36 Florida utilities surveyed by the Tallahassee-based Florida Municipal Electrical Association.

Lakeland Electric, with a base rate of $58.49 per 1,000 kWh, has one of the lowest base rates among Florida utilities. But at $65.90 per 1,000 kWh, it also has one of the highest fuel costs in Florida.

To read more go to http://www.theledger.com/article/20081211/NEWS/812110437/1410?Title=Lakeland_Electric_Costs_Trending_Lower

Now here in Florida we really do not have to use our heaters too often. But our friends around the country have to use them daily. The Alliance to Save Energy has come out with some Money-Saving Energy Tips for the Winter. They came out with a state by state chart to help get energy cost estimates and savings measures for each state for the winter of 2008 – 2009. To get the special chart for Florida click here to download the PDF from their site.

To help consumers cut costs, the Alliance is sharing these tips:

• Turn down the thermostat. In America, lowering it by just 1 degree can reduce heating energy costs by up to 5 percent–between $35 and $70, depending on the fuel used to heat the home.
• Plug leaks. Gaps between windows and doors may be small, but they can collectively add up to big energy losses. Plugging these leaks with caulk or other materials is the first action home owners should take to combat high heating fuel costs. By sealing those leaks and installing proper insulation, especially in the attic and crawl spaces, American households can reduce home heating costs by up to $180-$340 per year, depending on the fuel used.
• Heat people and pets, not empty space. About 80 percent of space is usually not being used at any given time. Closing vents in unoccupied rooms and using small space heaters to heat occupied areas can save a significant amount of energy and money.
• Use a programmable thermostat. It costs about $100, but if used properly, it can save American households up to 10 percent on their home heating bills–up to $90-$170 a year.
• Set the hot water heater at 130 degrees. Use cold water when washing clothes to save more energy and reduce bills for water heating.
• Replace the four most used bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. American households can save about $135 over the lifetime of the bulbs.
• Look for the label. When choosing a new heating and cooling system, windows, or appliances, consumers should purchase models with the ENERGY STAR label.
• Save gas on the road. Vehicle fuel economy can be improved with a few simple measures: tuning the engine (4 percent), using the recommended grade of motor oil (1-2 percent), keeping tires properly inflated (up to 3 percent), curbing aggressive driving such as speeding and rapid acceleration and braking (10 percent on average, but possibly as much as 33 percent), and removing unnecessary weight from the trunk (2 percent per 100 pounds). Even better, carpool, take public transportation, ride a bike or walk to really rack up the savings.

To download fact sheets on 2008-09 heating costs for each of the states in the contiguous United States and for the nation as a whole, visit www.ase.org/statefacts. The fact sheets, which you can distribute to customers, alert consumers on how much their home heating bills are likely to rise or fall compared with last winter’s bills, based on fuel costs in their own states.

Source: Alliance to Save Energy

Did you know Lakeland …

Did you know the City of Lakeland is 28,000 acres & contains 38 named lakes, range from 2.5 acres (Lake Blanton) to 2272 acres (Lake Parker)

Lakeland Florida Virtual Tours

Central Florida Virtual Tours

Visit LakelandPoints.com or MidFloridaPoints.com. This website features virtual tours of sites in and around the greater Lakeland area & other “hot spots” in Central Florida. You can take virtual tours of The Polk Museum of Art, Polk Theatre, Lake Hollingsworth, Mayfaire by-the-Lake, Florida Southern College, Historic Downtown Lakeland, local parks, historic landmarks, & so much more!

The site also features background information on each locale for reference purposes. An integrated & fully operational GOOGLE MAPS function allows you view the location. A link to the official internet website of each locale is also provided. Simply a wealth of information, LakelandPoints.com is not only visually stunning, but a nice reference tool of places to visit locally. New points are added frequently.

Lakeland Life – Events for the first week of December

Community Christmas Concert Bush Chapel, Southeastern University From:12/2/2008 7:30 PM- 9:30 PM

20th Annual Holiday Walkabout Munn Park, Downtown Lakeland. December 2, 2008 – 6:00 PM To 9:00 PM tree lighting event, carriage rides, photos Santa

A Tillis Family Christmas Wednesday, December 3, 2008 – 7:30pm at Lakeland Center: Youkey Theatre – Lakeland Center, Lakeland, FL – tickets are available through Ticketmaster.