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Immersive, innovative, and in progress
The facility at Tenoroc High School in east Lakeland will be around 20,000-sqft. | Rendering via Polk County Public Schools
Business education is booming at Tenoroc High School, where Polk County Public Schools will soon open the Junior Achievement (JA) Barnett Family Discovery Center. PCPS and local leaders broke ground on the site on Monday, March 30.
This center will offer immersive programs for students of all ages. Fifth graders will get hands-on experience with money and civics at Muma Biztown, a simulated city with mayors, businesses, and banks. High schoolers can explore future careers and learn financial concepts like taxes + budgeting at JA Finance Park.
Polk students no longer have to take long field trips to the nearest JA centers in Tampa.
Rendering via Polk County Public Schools
Tenoroc High also offers JA’s 3DE career readiness program. When the Discovery Center opens this fall, it will be the first site in the nation with all three JA programs. More than 20,000 students will visit the center each year on field trips.
The project is expected to cost around $14.4 million, funded by PCPS, the State of Florida, corporate sponsors, and private donors.
Popular local Thai food truck Gin Khao is on the move again — this time to its own brick-and-mortar restaurant. More details are still TBA, but owners submitted documents to the city for a site near downtown Bartow. See what else is new in the local restaurant scene. (What Now Tampa)
State
It’s o-fish-al — you don’t need a fishing license to reel in a freshwater catch on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5. Make the most of the license-free fishing days at the Tenoroc Youth Fishing Derby from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Number
11,622. That’s how many single-family homes were sold in the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area last year. That’s down 21% from a peak of 14,795 homes sold in 2021. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Try This
Yoga with alligators at Bonnet Springs Park — or maybe not. This was one of our favorite April Fools’ Day pranks we spotted online yesterday, along with a snowy Publix opening in Anchorage, AK.
Plan Ahead
The Swan City Piano Festival will return from Friday, June 12 to Sunday, June 14. Attend a lineup of free events featuring newly announced guest artists Jasmin Arakawa, Per Danielsson, Victor Santiago Asunción, and Nico Gutierrez.
Edu
Roberts Academy at Florida Southern College is celebrating 15 years of providing specialized education to elementary + middle school students with dyslexia. Get an inside look at the school at its next open house on Tuesday, April 14. (LkldNow)
Award
Cheers to volunteers. PCPS announced its school-level Volunteers of the Year, and Gwendolyn Diaz won Secondary Senior Volunteer of the Year. Diaz puts in 1,000+ hours per year providing clothes, food, and hygiene items for students at Lakeland High School.
Answered
What’s the Guinness World Record for the longest sandwich? A 2,411-ft sandwich made on one continuous piece of bread in Lebanon in 2011, guessed by 40% of readers. If that has you hungry, grab tickets to the Festival del Sanguich at Joker Marchant Stadium on Friday, April 24.
Category
Mailbag
Readers share their loggia legends
Forget the ghost stories — the city uses the loggia as storage space. | Photo by LALtoday
What’s behind the metal gate on the Frances Langford Promenade around Lake Mirror? Urban myths say it has held lion cages, secret tunnels, and an old jail.
Two readers also shared these overheard stories:
“I have heard that the tunnels are old bomb shelter areas. I am not sure if that is right or not, but I am interested in knowing what they really are!” — Alison T.
“My mom was born and raised in Lakeland, she told us there used to be an arcade in there. She was born in 1938, so this would have been probably in the 1940s or later.” — Penny W.
If you want to know all about Lake Mirror’s intriguing history, take the Lakeland Public Library’s free Green Hat & White Gloves Tour. The Tuesday, April 14 tour is almost full, but there are more spots available for the last tour of the season on Tuesday, May 12.
Sprucing up the house? Shop fresh rugs and runners that will brighten your home for spring:
🏡 These gorgeous area rugs aren’t just pretty to look at — they’re non-slip, thin enough to fit under doors, and low-pile so dust and dander won’t get trapped.
🚪 Treat the front porch to a 4.7-star rated striped or buffalo check doormat that’s easy to wipe down, vacuum, or throw in the wash.
🌼 Fill the whole room with a vintage floral rug that’s machine washable and complete with non-slip backing.
👟 Add a new look and extra safety to stairs with rubber backed stair treads — just place and go with no adhesive needed.
🛁 Your bath mat has seen a lot of feet — shop a fresh one that’s ultra-absorbent and non-slip for under $20.
If the thick coat of pollen covering our cars wasn’t enough of a sign, this map confirms that allergy season is in full swing. Looks like Lakeland is in for more medium-high pollen levels thanks to oak, juniper, and bayberry trees. Wishing the best for your immune system.
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