SEBRING — Don Bates, the Highlands County commissioner who chaired the special Lake Denton Citizens Advisory Committee, admits there still are unanswered questions about the county's closing of public access to the county's most popular lake. ...more

January 2, 2008

It sounds like someone didn't do his or her homework regarding Lake Denton. And if that's true, the county is in a bad situation. If it is, it's because too much was done too quickly regarding closing the lake without enough research. Lake Denton has been closed for several months after complaints from residents living on the lake prompted the Highlands County Commission to take action. Commissioners voted to temporarily close the boat ramp and restrict access for scuba divers, boaters, swimmers, etc. Residents complained that the weekend visitors to Lake Denton were clogging the road, stripping off their clothes, openly going to the bathroom, having sex and just about everything else imaginable. Most divers, swimmers and other visitors claimed that was nonsense, that perhaps a few people did bad things, but overall, visitors were well behaved. They argued that it was an law enforcement issue. ...more

December 30, 2007

SEBRING — Some Highlands County citizens are calling the tentative plan to re-open popular Lake Denton illegal. Others are calling it ridiculous. One who is doing both is Ken Melvin, one of the seven members of the special Lake Denton Citizens Advisory Committee. On Jan. 2, the Highlands County commissioners are scheduled to at least discuss, and possibly vote on, the committee's controversial, four-point recommendation to re-open this closed public lake. "I think it's illegal," Melvin said about the committee's recommendation to severely restrict public access and charge weekend "user's fees" of $25 per day to scuba divers, boaters, fishermen, swimmers and sunbathers. "I'm going to say that to the commissioners on Wednesday," Melvin said. He was sick for several months and missed the last two advisory committee meetings. ...more

December 29, 2007

SEBRING –– On March 1, public access should be restored, on a limited basis, to popular Lake Denton. The special seven-member Lake Denton Citizens Advisory Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to send that recommendation to the Highlands County commissioners. Commissioners appointed the committee in mid-September after voting 3-2 to close public access to this lake –– widely considered one of the best scuba diving lakes in the state –– for up to a year. Problems cited by commissioners in closing the county boat ramp, the only public access to this exceptionally clear, 65-acre lake, included: Potentially dangerous overcrowding by scuba divers, swimmers and boaters; illegal parking that sometimes clogged or blocked road access to lakefront homes; and occasional crude, lewd, rude and rowdy behavior by some lake users. ...more

December 7, 2007

SEBRING –– Public access could be restored to Lake Denton as soon as January, under a plan tentatively adopted by a special seven-member citizens committee. Highlands County commissioners may receive the proposal in December. It calls for restricting access through limited parking, weekend user's fees, and closing the county boat ramp at 4 p.m. daily. During summer weekends, dozens of vehicles carrying scuba divers, swimmers, sunbathers and a few boaters often overflowed the county's parking lot at the lake. Committee members are recommending that parking be limited to only eight spaces. Vehicles parked outside of the designated spaces could be ticketed or towed. ...more

November 16, 2007

Andy Potts said he felt, "out of sorts in the water," and Mirinda Carfrae said she, "froze on the bike and the run," which goes to show some folks aren't as bad off as they sound. ...more

November 10, 2007

ORLANDO — Megan Wolfe took seventh place in the finals of the 50-yard freestyle on Friday evening at the Class 2A state swim championships at the Central Florida YMCA. ...more

November 4, 2007

For the first time in a long time, a local swimmer not named Tommy Wyher or Chelsea Nauta had a chance to claim the spotlight at the Class 1A state swimming championships. Calvary Christian senior Jose Crescimbeni took advantage of the opportunity. ...more

November 2, 2007

SEBRING — The pool was more quiet than usual this week as the state-qualifying members of the Sebring swim team got their last laps in before the Class 2A state finals, which begin this morning at 9 a.m. Three individuals — junior Megan Wolfe in the 50 free, junior Bryan Kirsch in the 100-breaststroke and senior Shanaan Spiegel in the 100-backstroke — join the Wolfe-anchored 200-free relay team at the Central Florida YMCA Aquatic center in Orlando. That's a total of six Streaks representing Sebring at state, two more than coach Pat Caton had hoped for heading into regionals. ...more

November 2, 2007

Land O'Lakes girls coach Robin Hilgenberg, as wet as she was, had little else to be unhappy about. ...more

October 29, 2007