Haven Artist Takes Best of Show AND People’s Choice

Posted: April 11, 2008: 10:21 am

The Third Annual Central Park Stroll was held April 10 amid picture perfect weather, beautifully manicured parks and ten new outdoor sculptures. This year’s Stroll was unique in that for the first time, one of the ten sculptures was created by a Winter Haven artist. Perhaps most exciting is the fact that Albert Kriston’s “Reach” sculpture (pictured at left) was selected as “Best of Show” by the judges and “Peoples Choice” winner from Thursday evening’s guests.

Reach was inspired by the astronauts who lost their lives on the shuttle Challenger.

The Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition is organized by the Polk Museum of Art in conjunction with the City of Winter Haven. This is the eighth year for the competition and the third time it has been in Winter Haven’s downtown parks. The City of Winter Haven provides both financial backing for the exhibition and the logistical support to install and maintain the sculptures. The sculptures are selected by a committee of area residents. This year’s judges included Carol Mickett, Ph.D., and Robert Stackhouse, Ph.D Artists. 

The Central Park Stroll was sponsored by Cartlon Music Center, CSX Transportation, Food Partners, Haskell Corp., Peterson Myers, P.A., Publix Supermarkets, Inc., Raley Downtown Properties, Richards Fine Coffees, Tampa Electric Company and the Winter Haven Chamber Foundation.

The Chamber joins with Main Street Winter Haven and the City to present the Central Park Stroll. Those who voted for the sculptures last evening received a coupon book good for discounts at downtown restaurants and retailers.

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What!? The Clock’s Missing!!! “Buy a Little Time”

Posted: March 26, 2008: 2:31 pm

The obviously empty housing at left was removed from the historic Times Square building yesterday to join the previously removed works for restoration and electrification. The vintage “McClintock Clock” was placed on the then Snell National Bank in 1925 and for the past 83 years has served as one of Winter Haven’s most recognizable landmarks.

Current owners of the building, Park Partners, recently donated the clock to the citizens of Winter Haven thereby ensuring the clock never leaves the community.

The restoration is being coordinated by Lloyd Larish who purchased the remaining inventory of the now defunct McClintock Clock Works. The process will require the skill of a number of master craftsman and is expected to cost approximately $27,000. Restoration and electrification will take from three to five months.

Representatives from Main Street Winter Haven, the City of Winter Haven and the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce are working together on a campaign dubbed “Buy a Little Time.” A restricted fund has been established within the Main Street organization to accept tax deductible gifts for the clock’s restoration. The cost of restoration has been divided among the hours and minutes of a 24 hour day making contributions affordable to everyone from children and schools to larger organizations within business community. For example:

$1,000 sponsors an hour
$500 sponsors a half hour
$250 sponsors a quarter hour
$100 sponsors five minutes
and minutes are $20 each

All hourly sponsors will be listed on a plaque to be placed below the clock. All donors will be listed in a celebratory program to be used on the date of the clock’s re-dedication.

For further information or a donor brochure contact Main Street Winter Haven at 295-9422 or the Winter Haven Chamber at 293-2138. Donor brochures are available here.

Tick-tock people! Join us and “Buy a Little Time.”

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