LA DEMOCRATIC CLUB By Howard Mayne The next meeting of the Lake Ashton Democratic Club will be held on Thursday, April 2 at the HFC at 6:30 pm, with social time starting at 6. Our featured speaker will be Matthew Crowley, who is running for Florida House Seat, District 48 (which includes both Lake Wales and Winter Haven) The election will be held on Tuesday, November 3. For more information, contact lakeashtondemocraticclub@gmail.com. LA REPUBLICAN CLUB By Bud Colburn The Lake Ashton Republican Club meeting Wednesday, April 22 will feature Kate Wallace, Polk County School Board member, District 3. She was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in November 2025 to fill a vacant seat due to her outstanding qualifications and deep experience in education. Kate was a founding executive director of Lakeland Leads, a non-profit focused on increasing access to a high-quality education for students which resulted in attracting a world class charter school (IDEA Lakeland) which now serves more than 700 first generation college-bound students. Kate will share recent Polk County School Board accomplishments, and where she believes future emphasis should be made. Visitors are welcome. Gathering/socializing in the Clubhouse Ballroom begins at 3:30 pm, and the meeting starts at 4. ONE COMMUNITY CLUB By Michael Lee The second of several town hall type community meetings was held on March 10 that was well attended by neighbors interested in hearing about the possible savings that can be realized after a merger. The One Community Team presented a range of estimated savings in the top ten expense areas for the current CDDS. At the request of our neighbors 32 that are still currently working, the next town hall type community meeting is 6 pm on Tuesday, April 14 at the HFC Community Room. Come and learn more about the process, feasibility and potential impact of merging the CDDs and truly creating One Community. The One Community Team can be contacted at OneCommunityOneCDD@gmail.com. One Community Club is a Lake Ashton registered club and not endorsed by LACDD OR LAIICDD. GENEALOGY CLUB By Jane Imparl We will be meeting Wednesday, April 8 at 2 pm in the HFC Craft Room. Come and meet your neighbors who are interested in researching their family trees. For the last few months, we have been taking a deep dive into the free genealogy research website, Family Search. In addition, we have also looked at how AI can make our research easier and more effective. We have been delving into how we can make our research “prompts” better so that we can be more productive. Come join this fine group. Any questions, call Jane at 815-545-6655. LA BLACK HERITAGE CLUB By Charles Roland On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field and shattered Major League Baseball’s color barrier, forever changing the landscape of American sports and civil rights. His courage under relentless pressure showed the nation that excellence can be a force for systemic change. Robinson’s legacy reminds us that progress often begins with one person willing to stand firm in the face of injustice. We also pay tribute to Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose words fortified generations during the long march toward equality. When the struggle felt heavy, he urged us to “Keep hope alive.” His powerful affirmation—“I am somebody”—continues to uplift those who have been marginalized or overlooked, insisting that dignity is not negotiable. Their messages still resonate today. Robinson’s quiet strength and Jackson’s unwavering hope challenge us to not only believe in a more humane and inclusive country, but to speak up, stand tall and help build it.
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