By Sally Morrison After this summer’s hurricanes, many of us noticed longtwisted rafts of torpedo grass and other weeds wrapped and delivered to our beaches. Though it was a lot of work to clear the debris from the water’s edge, this was one of Crooked Lake’s ways of naturally cleaning itself from unwanted invasive weeds. […]
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By Jim Tully The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District One has announced plans to reconstruct a segment of State Road (SR) 17, spanning from 5th Avenue to Crooked Lake Drive in Babson Park, Polk County. A key feature of the project is addressing erosion on private properties adjacent to the roadway through the installation […]
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Nuisance Alligators
By Win Stevens We share Crooked Lake with a healthy alligator population. Though we should always respect our gators, we don’t need to fear them. Here’s some good news: since 1948 the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) has kept records of reported alligator bite incidents, both fatal and non-fatal. For the past 76 years, there has […]
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Earth Day 2024 Cleanup
This past April, Defenders of Crooked Lake members and friends did their best to help keep Crooked Lake (and its surrounding watershed) Outstanding. Thanks to Mark Armstrong, Bunny Wetzel, Ryan Kordek, Chanda Bennett, Sandra Mercer, Patty McKeeman, Rowan McKeeman, Sally Morrison, Win Stevens, Kent Lilly, Jim Abbitt, John Laderer, and all the rest!
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Blackwell Villas, Remembered
The Defenders of Crooked Lake recently issued a request to the Crooked Lake community to share their remembrances of years past. The following letter was shared by Jeanette Belisle about her time in Blackwell Villas in Babson Park. 60 years ago, my brother-in-law rented a duplex in Blackwell Villa. The next year we started renting […]
By Analisa Jahna and Keith Novosel These are just a few examples of native plants that would do well in and around Crooked Lake. Using native plants reduces the need for irrigation and fertilizer, and aquatic plants provide much needed food and shelter for wildlife. It is important to have a natural shoreline to prevent […]
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2024 Annual Meeting
By Win Stevens For those of you who were unable to attend our March dinner meeting and those interested in a review, here is a brief summary of what we learned about light pollution and its impacts on our lives. Our speaker was Marty Proctor. He is a conservation activist, DarkSky advocate and electrical engineer […]
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Proposed RV Park near Cody Cove
On December 19, 2023, the Defenders of Crooked Lake received a presentation by Chris Daly, owner of Landdaly, LLC, regarding his proposed development on property near the intersection of Cody Villa Road and Wes Mann Road. As presented, the development would consist of a Recreational Vehicle (RV) Park with 141 spots on 47 acres. On […]
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Stories from the Shores
If Crooked Lake could talk- oh the stories it could tell! The Defenders of Crooked Lake is launching a creative project to preserve stories from the shores. We want to hear all about your memories, funny stories, events, and family history that unfolded in, on, and around Crooked Lake. Gather up your pictures and recall […]
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In Memoriam: Tom Schotman
By Mary Morrison Tom Schotman is remembered for his determination and enthusiasm for protecting Crooked Lake and the surrounding area. His leadership in Defenders and Babson Park Visioning Group made a positive difference for our community. We also remember his tireless work with animals including rehabilitation of gopher tortoises, eagles and countless other species. Many […]