From the public notice:

Polk County Government officials invite citizens to participate in the upcoming Town Hall meeting — but they want you to stay home to do it.

The County’s innovative and cost-effective approach to the traditional forum provides citizens an opportunity to watch and interact electronically with County elected and appointed officials on a variety of topics. The Town Hall meeting takes place via computer on Thursday, September 17, starting with a variety of short videos about county services at 5:30 p.m., and the live program beginning at 6:30 p.m.

County commissioners and staff will conduct the meeting from the PGTV studio in the Neil Combee Administration Building in Bartow. Residents are encouraged to join the interactive dialogue by connecting to one of the following host sites: theledger.com/pgtv, newschief.com, max983.com, wonn.com, wpcv.com, wlkf.com, wusf.org/polk, myfoxtampabay.com. Citizens will be able to watch the proceedings and submit questions or comments via a “chat” window. Residents may also submit questions or comments anytime throughout the day on September 17 at any of the host sites.

All five county commissioners are expected to attend the meeting, as well as County Manager Mike Herr, County Attorney Michael Craig, and other members of county management, who will be prepared to address citizen questions or concerns.

“This innovative approach to the Town Hall meeting process offers residents from throughout Polk County an opportunity to express their concerns or just ask a question about county government without leaving their homes,” said County Commission Chairman Sam Johnson. “It is a convenient and cost effective way to interact with citizens and have them interact with us.”

Residents without home computers can still interact online at one of the participating local libraries, which will have dedicated Town Hall systems available for patron use. The Winter Haven Library plans to set up a viewing room where residents can watch and interact on a larger monitor. Call the Library Cooperative at (863) 519-7958 to for a current list of participating libraries.

For detailed instructions on how to participate in the e-Town Hall meeting, visit the County website at www.polk-county.net and look for the e-Town Hall button on the home page.

CONTACT: Cindy Rodriguez, Polk County Communications Director
(863) 534-6090 office; (863) 559-7542 cell

Saturday, November 7, 2009

10am – 11am | Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in Lakeland, FL.

11am – 12pm | Veterans Parade through Downtown Lakeland

12pm – 2pm  | Veterans Celebration at Munn Park in Downtown Lakeland.

The Ceremony guest speaker will be Admiral Norb Ryan (U.S.N. Ret.).  The Polk County Veterans Council will be dedicating a Veterans Organization Monument.  All of the great pomp and circumstance your can enjoy.

The Parade runs from Veterans Memorial Park through Downtown Lakeland and concludes at Munn Park.  Motorcycles, Fire Engines, Trikes, Segways and more are participating.

The Veterans Celebration is at the end of the Parade at Munn Park in D/T Lakeland.  Various Veterans Organizations will have displays at the park, such as, the American Legion Rides Rock Climbing Wall, the AMVETS Grill tent, the Cold War Veterans Berlin Wall Display, the U.S. Military Veterans Motorcycle Club’s Wreath Across America and much much more.

See the flier here

Liberty National Life Insurance Company, announced it will hold a “We’re Hiring” event on Wednesday, August 19 in Lakeland. Liberty National is in the most aggressive growth mode in the Company’s 109-year history and plans to hire more than 100 Agents in the Tampa area. These events are part of 125 events as Liberty National seeks to hire more than 2,500 Agents across the U.S. in one day.
When: Wednesday, August 19
Time: Interviews at 9 a.m., Noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m.
Why: Liberty National is seeking to appoint 100+ Sales Agents and Sales Management positions initially, with the possibility of additional growth in the future. The Company provides complete training and the opportunity for rapid advancement at every level.

More information: www.lnlcareers.com

Hiring events will be held at:

Hilton Garden Inn Lakeland,
3839 Don Emerson Drive
Lakeland, FL 33811
Location number: 863-647-0066

Additional hiring events will be held at:

Quorum Hotel
700 N. Westshore Blvd.
Tampa FL 33609
Location number: 813-289-8200

St. Petersburg Marriott Clearwater
12600 Roosevelt Blvd.
St. Petersburg, FL 33716
Location number: 727-572-7800

Local City Commissioner Justin Troller and restaurant entrepreneurs Kenny Baldwin and Natalie Oldenkamp of Natalie’s Sports Bar & Grill have joined forces to raise money for school supplies benefitting the students of 10 area elementary and middle schools. The idea surfaced when Kenny’s daughter was assigned a school project that ultimately cost the family over $100. Kenny was shocked and couldn’t imagine that every family in his daughter’s school would be capable of affording such an expense. He expressed these concerns to Commissioner Troller one night at the restaurant, and the idea took off. Natalie’s would hire him as a server, and Justin would donate his wages and tips to the cause. The group is in the process of forming a 501(c)3 and looking for matching donations from local businesses. Commissioner Troller’s goal is to raise $1,500 by the 24^th of August.

Giving back is nothing new to Commissioner Troller. He promised during his campaign that he would donate his commission earnings to charity- and he has kept his promise, donating $12,000 to various Lakeland charities in 2008!

You can help Justin reach his goal and support a fellow Chamber business at the same time! Drop by Natalie’s every Monday and Thursday from 4:30 to closing, and request Justin as your server. Don’t worry if you don’t get Justin you can still enjoy a great dinner and support the cause by handing him $10 on the way out!

Natalie’s is located at 3120 South Florida Avenue. For more information on how you can help, call Kenny  Baldwin at 863-644-6000.

Hosted By:

Alexan at Lakeside Village Apartment

1555 Village Center Drive

Thursday, July 16

5:30 ~ 7:30 PM

Cost to Attend:

$10 Chamber Members ~ $30 Non-Members

You may Register and pay online now!