AVON PARK — Wally Randall has a passion for the Boys and Girls Clubs that comes from someone who has a first-hand appreciation for its influence. When he was a teenager, Randall's single mother dropped him off at the club's summer camp every morning. "At the time, I didn't see the real impact, but now I see the path I could have gone down and where some of my friends ended up, and I really appreciate what a positive impact it had," said Randall, who is now the executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Highlands County. ...more

January 25, 2008

County Commissioner Rose Rocco said she is in no hurry to choose an administrator. If the three applicants don't pass muster with her, she plans to continue searching. The job, she said, is too important to rush someone through. ...more

January 22, 2008

Not bound by administrator committee's choices. ...more

January 21, 2008

AVON PARK –– Every child dreams of what they might become. Yet few actually know where their talents lie and what will realistically be required. Even fewer possess the energy and focus to pursue and achieve it. One of those rare individuals who differs is 16-year-old Jerry Lee Wright of Avon Park. "In middle school I knew I wanted to be in education," Wright said, "and every chance I got I'd help any teacher who needed it." He continued volunteering and kept track because he needed 15 service hours for National Junior Honor Society. For the Academic Bright Future Scholarship given by the state, 80 service hours from ninth grade to senior year are required. At Park Elementary School, second graders had an after-school tutoring program that fit with Wright's schedule. He'd arrive with the teacher and help students with timed readings and fluency. He'd read stories to them, grade papers, and involve them in activities. ...more

January 21, 2008

It seems there is a new trend in the ever-changing face of beauty. ...more

January 4, 2008

It sounds like someone didn't do his or her homework regarding Lake Denton. And if that's true, the county is in a bad situation. If it is, it's because too much was done too quickly regarding closing the lake without enough research. Lake Denton has been closed for several months after complaints from residents living on the lake prompted the Highlands County Commission to take action. Commissioners voted to temporarily close the boat ramp and restrict access for scuba divers, boaters, swimmers, etc. Residents complained that the weekend visitors to Lake Denton were clogging the road, stripping off their clothes, openly going to the bathroom, having sex and just about everything else imaginable. Most divers, swimmers and other visitors claimed that was nonsense, that perhaps a few people did bad things, but overall, visitors were well behaved. They argued that it was an law enforcement issue. ...more

December 30, 2007

Regarding "Class Caps Will Create Difficulties, Board Warns" (Metro, Dec. 12): ...more

December 14, 2007

When I was a kid we played outside all day. And in summer, all the kids in the neighborhood, (usually at least ten or twelve kids, ages five to fifteen) would gather every evening after supper to play Kick-the-Can. First we'd draw straws from somebody's broom. The kid who drew the shortest straw was "it" and the kid with the longest straw got to kick the can. Any old empty tin can would do. It would be placed in a central location then kicked as far as possible. The moment the kicker's shoe hit that can, all the kids would scatter and hide. The one who was "it" had to chase the can and bring it back to the home base, then cover his/her eyes and start to count. When the counter reached 100, he or she would give a shout, "Here I come!" and strike out to search for those hiding. Usually it was easy to find the young ones, but often the searcher would make the game more fun by pretending not to see them. Older kids could get pretty creative about finding hiding places, and when the searcher was looking elsewhere, they'd move from one hiding place to another, so the searcher would have to check and recheck each potential hiding place. ...more

December 2, 2007

Some Benito Middle students opted to extend their school day last week during the school's annual student night out. ...more

November 3, 2007

My kindergartner has started to bring home homework. ...more

November 1, 2007