City of Lakeland News & Events

October 2021

41st Annual Swan Roundup a Success! Earlier this week, the flock of swans that call Lake Morton their home were safely rounded up and checked out by the great folks at My Pet’s Animal Hospital! The Annual Swan Round-Up allows the City’s Parks and Recreation Department to closely monitor the health and vitality of Lakeland’s swan population. Bob Donahay, Director of Parks & Recreation said, “The Lake Morton swans are a community icon and families have been interacting with the birds for decades. It is very important to us to make sure our Lakeland flock is doing well so we schedule the Swan Roundup each year with the primary purpose to check on the health of our birds.” He added, “People may not realize but the Parks Department actually has a line item in our budget for swan food and upkeep. It costs about $10,000 per year to feed and care for Lakeland’s domestic swans.  We really appreciate the team at My Pet’s Animal Hospital donating their time and equipment to help care for our flock.  We could not do it without their generous support.” Check out the video below for a recap.

City of Lakeland is Hosting Free One-Day Document Shredding and Recycling Event The City of Lakeland is hosting their annual ShredFest Event, a FREE document shredding event on Saturday, November 6, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at our Solid Waste Office, 605 Evelyn Avenue, in the North parking lot.  Don’t spend endless hours shredding those documents, join the City of Lakeland in celebrating “America Recycles Day”. This one-day event allows residents to bring their personal documents to be securely shredded and recycled.  Participates can bring up to five (5) file boxes of paper per vehicle to be shredded and recycled.  There is no need to remove envelopes, file folders, staples, tape, paper clips or rubber bands. ProShred will be on-site providing secure document shredding services and will recycle all shredded paper.  File boxes will be collected and recycled by the City. Explore more about ProShred: proshred.com/tampa For more information about this year’s ShredFest, visit our webpage, LakelandRecycles.com  or call 863-834-8778.

Cops for Kids – Registration Dates Announced The Lakeland Police Department will begin accepting applications for the 2021 Cops for Kids Toy Donation program on Monday, October 25, 2021. Parents or guardians needing assistance must register at the locations below between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. LocationsMonday, October 25: Coleman Bush Building, 1104 Martin Luther King Jr AvenueWednesday, October 27: Simpson Park Community Center, 1725 Martin Luther King Jr AvenueMonday, November 1: Lakeland Police Department Community Room, 219 North Massachusetts AvenueTuesday, November 2: Lakeland Police Department Community Room, 219 North Massachusetts Avenue Families registering must bring the following:Current Lakeland Electric Bill (Must Have a Lakeland Address)Photo IDOriginal Birth Certificate for Each Child Registration does not guarantee acceptance and applicants must not have received assistance from the program for the past two years.  Toy Donations Now in its 15th year, the Cops for Kids toy donation program, with the help of generous community donors, allows families to provide their children with a happy holiday. New unwrapped toy donations for children up to 12 years of age can be dropped off at any of the following locations:Lakeland Police Station / 219 N. Massachusetts Ave. Lakeland Libraries (Main & Jackson Branch) / 100 Lake Morton Dr. and 1700 N. Florida Ave.City Hall / 228 S. Massachusetts Ave.Lakeland Electric / 501 E Lemon St.Kelly Recreation Complex / 404 Imperial Blvd. Monetary donations are also accepted and can be mailed to:Attn: Crime Prevention UnitLakeland Police Department219 N Massachusetts AvenueLakeland, FL 33801 Please notate Cops for Kids on the memo line of your check or money order.

YOUR CITY NEEDS YOU! Serve on a Board or Committee today! Advisory groups play a critical role in municipal government. Some boards are required by state law and others were created by the Lakeland City Commission to be advisors in specific areas. Citizens play a major role in local government by serving on a board or committee. Board members make key decisions from reviewing construction requirements and design review in the Historic Preservation Board to deciding on the types of development taking place in the community through the Planning & Zoning Board. The City of Lakeland has 19 City Boards & Committees that focus on a number of topics that include: arts, beautification, development, design review, code enforcement, historic preservation and more. Go to www.lakelandgov.net/boards to learn more about each board and how you can make a difference by lending your voice to local government. The web link also has an application and a list of current board openings. Time commitment varies but most committees meet once per month and a term is held for three years. Residents are encouraged to participate in these groups, or nominate those who want to serve.

UPCOMING EVENTS

CANNED TUNA SERIES LINEUP

2021 Veterans Day Ceremony and ParadeThe Polk County Veterans Council will be conducting its annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Lakeland’s Veterans Memorial Park on Lake Beulah at 10 a.m., Saturday, November 6th, 2021.Following the ceremony, the annual parade will step off traveling from the RP Funding Center‘s west lot along Lemon Street and ending at Munn Park.

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