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During the crawl, you’ll find No Covers, formerly Little Bus Books, at 1047 E. Main St. | Photo by @nocoversbooks
Swan City’s independent bookstore owners are joining forces for the next Lakeland Book Crawl, happening Thursday, April 23-Saturday, April 25. Plan your route using the daily itinerary, and get your Book Crawl Passport stamped at each of these stores from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day:
The crawl culminates in an after-party from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 at Union Hall. Mingle with other bookworms, meet local authors, and sign up for book clubs.
Remember those passports? Bring yours to the after-party — the more stamps, the higher your chances of winning prizes.
107. That’s the age of Bob McClintock, the oldest of eight World War II veterans honored at SUN ‘n FUN this week. Honorees also included Lakelanders Ed Diaz and Frank Kurowski, who both served in the Navy. (The Ledger)
Watch
Before “American Idol” winner Iam Tongi took the stage at SUN ‘n FUN, he paid a visit to Carlton Music Center’s Winter Haven store. Of course, he grabbed a guitar and sang a few songs with the staff before his big performance.
Edu
Four Polk schools made the list of Florida’s Finest FFA Chapters, including Lakeland schools Southwest Middle and Lake Gibson High. Winning programs were chosen for their leadership development + commitment to agriculture. We give them an FFA+.
Award
Publix also handed out a few honors of its own, selecting six associates for its Mr. George Community Service Awards. John Doran, the Publix Super Markets Charities Executive Director, was this year’s support recipient. He’s volunteered with Lakeland Pigfest since the 1990s.
Drink
Today only, donate a used book to Pressed and get one free beverage. Here’s the catch: the shop is only accepting pop fiction, thriller, romance, or fantasy books, plus reads from bestseller lists.
History
Monuments honoring history makers are being erected across Florida in honor of America’s 250th anniversary, including a statue of President Calvin Coolidge at Bok Tower Gardens. Coolidge was there for the dedication of the gardens in 1929, and it was one of his final public appearances. (WFLA)
Learn
Think the $1.50 hot dog is the best deal at Costco? These 10 lesser-known perks might surprise you — including vacation packages and members-only movie tickets.*
Event Spotlight
You can’t go wrong with a sunset hike through Se7en Wetlands.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s... both, actually. Se7en Wetlands is hosting a free guided hike tomorrow, April 18. The hike begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Loyce E. Harpe Park Trail Head, and you’ll trek 3.5 miles as the sun sets.
Don’t forget your binoculars + camera. Overhead, you’ll spot the wetlands’ native wildlife, and you might even see a few aircraft from SUN ‘n FUN happening just a few miles away.
Did you guess Maj. Joshua Burress’ USAF Thunderbirds call sign?
The answer: Shadow. Sixty-two percent of readers were right on, and Spider, Slim, and Slasher are the call signs of past + present pilots. Anybody want to come up with a cool nickname for Editor Connor? A coworker suggested “Swan Dive.”
The Thunderbirds fly in SUN ‘n FUN airshows today, tomorrow, and Sunday between 1 and 5 p.m. Maj. Burress told us this event is always special for the team.
Welcome to the cotton corner. Shop great 90-100% cotton finds we love under $30 — you’ll reduce microplastic exposure, fill your wardrobe with breathable, hypoallergenic fabrics, and invest in clothes that will hold up over time.
👚 This 95% cotton tee is so cute, under $15 while sales last, and the perfect layering piece for any outfit.
👖 Speaking of outfit layering — throw this cotton linen button-down over tanks and tees all spring long.
🌼 A six-pack of breathable 95% cotton undies is what your underwear drawer has been missing.
👕 Grab this pure cotton men’s tee in a few of your favorite colors while they’re 40% off — maybe you can finally throw away those old hole-y ones.
👛 Be on trend in a square-neck cotton tee that just needs jeans, a cute purse, and jewelry to make a cute outfit.
The best part of SUN ‘n FUN is that my family visited for the first time. My stepdad is a pilot, so this was right up his alley. His favorite part of Wednesday’s composite airshow was the USAF F-22 Demo Team, and my mom loved watching the Jack Aces Demo Team. They’ll all perform again tomorrow night.
Here’s my stepdad, Lawrence, with one of the helicopters he flew in the Army — anybody need a ride?
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